January 2021 Natural Awakenings Volusia Flagler Edition

E E HEALTHY LIVING FR

HEALTHY

PLANET

TERRY WAHLS SPECIAL EDITION

HEALTH &WELLNESS

TRENDS SHAPING 2021 WORKOUTS

ON RECLAIMING HEALTH FROM AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS

HOSPITALS GO HOLISTIC

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE GAINS GROUND

HOLISTIC PEDIATRICIANS

TREAT THE WHOLE CHILD

SIMPLE WAYS TO

BLESS A HOME

January 2021 | Volusia / Flagler Edition | VoFLNatural.com

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 26 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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Contents 12 TERRY WAHLS

on Taking Control of Chronic Conditions

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14 INTEGRATIVE HOSPITAL CARE

Medicine Embraces Holistic Modalities

18 LOSE WEIGHT

WITHOUT DIETING

How to Eat to Feel and Look Your Best

20 STAYING FIT IN 2021

Workout Trends Bend to the Times

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22 FRUGAL WELLNESS Healthy Living on a Tight Budget

23 HOUSE BLESSINGS

for Clearing and Protecting Spaces

24 HEALING THE WHOLE CHILD

Holistic Pediatricians Go Beyond Meds

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28 HEALING PETS HOLISTICALLY

Integrative Vets Treat Root Causes

DEPARTMENTS 5 news briefs 6 health briefs 8 global briefs 10 eco tip 11 therapy

spotlight 12 wise words 18 conscious

eating

20 fit body 22 healing ways 23 inspiration 24 healthy kids 28 natural pet 28 florida & fauna 32 calendar 36 resource guide January 2021

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letter from publisher

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

The year 2020 has ended, thankfully. It was a challenging year,

with trauma and revelations that threaten to follow into this new year. Typical new year’s resolutions will fall flat against the potential challenges of 2021. If there’s one lesson learned from last year, it’s the importance of connection. Our amazing ability to adapt and overcome barricades to connecting in person made Zoom the product of the year in 2020. We learned to use technology to remotely work, connect with friends and family.

Internalizing the many changes thrust upon us caused a collective awakening to the power of connection with self. Self-observation or introspection is the examination of one’s conscious thoughts, feelings and soul. Connection with self joins intellect with intuition, resulting in a powerfully accurate filter of discernment. Simply trusting your gut when external voices conflict is a skill that we all must develop to face the coming challenges. Intuitive development will be featured in future editions this year, with supplemental material on our website.

Reader Recipes is another new feature beginning this spring. Check our Facebook page for an invitation to submit your favorite healthy recipe.

Your January edition includes valuable information to improve your physical health.

In Wise Words, Terry Wahls describes how she overcame a diagnosis of MS through diet, exercise and meditation. Her book was a tremendous help to me after a diagnosis of autoimmune disease.

Integrative care is coming to America’s top hospitals, and our community as well.

Alternative therapies like acupuncture, reiki, homeopathy, touch therapy, yoga and aromatherapy are joining the traditional template of tools, for a more complete healing process.

Making healthy food choices for weight loss without dieting is the topic of Conscious Eating. The power of high-quality food has an immediate effect on your immune response and mental attitude, along with accumulative health benefits. Fitness trends for 2021 include things we didn’t think about until this year. Our Fit Body pages cover ways to stay active and maintain a positive mindset.

Our Inspiration page explains how to clear and protect treasured space with house blessings. This simple and deliberate practice brightens any space and helps to maintain energy that supports a beautiful life.

Learn about holistic pediatricians treating precious children with a whole- body approach, integrating natural options into mainstream methods in Healthy Kids.

Be sure to check the calendar for this month’s events, with many in-person and online events.

VOLUSIA FLAGLER EDITION Publisher Rebecca Young Publisher@VoFLNatural.com

Writer Erin Floresca

Editor Sara Gurgen Calendar Editor Sara Peterson

Design & Production Melanie Rankin Graphic Design Wendy Wilson

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Welcome to 2021, let’s make it a great year together!

We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised.

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Volusia / Flagler

Rebecca Young, Publisher

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news brief

New Healthy Fare at the SuperFoods Café

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visit to New Smyrna Beach isn’t complete without sampling one of the daily specials at the SuperFoods Café, located inside the Healing Zone on Canal Street. Owners Drs. Christian and Wendy Edwards are getting rave reviews for the healthy options they and their café chefs have recently added. In addition to physician-formulated smoothies, cold-pressed juices, wheatgrass and other wellness shots, they offer rotating daily lunch specials and several freshly prepared grab-n-go selections throughout the week.

The daily lunch special typically includes two house-made organic soups, always with a vegan and omnivore option available. Some of the other daily specials include entrees like a savory broth and veggie “Zoodle” bowl or a warm roasted veggie Nourish Bowl. A few of the grab-n-go selections include an Overnight Oats/Muesli, which makes a great start to any day. Flavors change weekly, but a few of the favorites thus far are Blueberry Crisp and Chocolate Coconut Almond Bliss. Many of their new salad creations have also become extremely popular. Some of the always-rotating selections include a Mediterranean Crunch Salad, Broccoli Salad and Kale Salad, just to name a few. One that has gained extreme popularity is the “We Got the Beet” bowl. It’s their take on a vegan poke bowl, made with cooked and marinated beets, turmeric quinoa, cabbage, radish and other veggies and served with a delicious tangy Thai vinaigrette. You’ll want to keep an eye out for when this one is available.

“There’s a lot of love, passion and purpose that goes into the food that we create in the SuperFoods Café,” says Dr. Wendy, a self-proclaimed “healthy foodie”. “We use all organic ingredients, we’re completely gluten-free, and we’re committed to providing ‘feel-good food’ that is healthy, delicious, beautiful and convenient.”

You can find their weekly lunch menu and grab-n-go specials posted on the Healing Zone’s Facebook and Instagram page or by calling 386402-7825. Dine in, carry out, or enjoy on their back patio or while strolling down Canal Street.

Location: 515 Canal St. For more info, call 386-4027825 or visit nsbHealingZone.com/superfoods-cafe.

See recipe this page and ad, page 25.

January 2021

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Storyblocks.com

A downside of the rising number of caesarean (C-section) births is that it deprives babies of contact with bacteria from the mother’s gut microbiome, which impoverishes the baby’s own microbiome and raises the risk of allergies and obesity later in life, as studies show. Previously, researchers swabbed C-section babies’ mouths with vaginal bacteria, but it had no effect. In fact, the valuable gut bacteria are released in the mother’s fecal matter during the messy process of birth.

In a pilot study, doctors from the University of Helsinki tested 17 mothers that were about to need C-sections and chose seven that had fecal matter free of pathogens and antibiotics. After the babies were born, doctors used a syringe to feed the infants a tiny amount of the previously harvested fecal matter mixed with breast milk. The babies had no negative responses. Within three weeks, those babies’ gut flora came to resemble more strongly the gut flora of babies born vaginally than that of those born through C-sections.

Vitamin D Important for Reducing Risk of Preeclampsia Something as simple as a mother’s vitamin D level can have a future impact on her children, a study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows. Researchers examined 20 years of health data from 754 Boston-area mothers and their children and found that preeclampsia—abnormally high blood pressure during pregnancy— was linked to a higher systolic blood pressure in the children during their early and teen years.

However, the effect was minimized or even eliminated among children exposed to higher levels of vitamin D in the womb, as measured by blood levels in the umbilical cord.

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Fluoride is added to public water supplies to reduce tooth decay, but its effects on health are contentious enough that only 38 percent of Canadian and 3 percent of European public water supplies are fluoridated, compared to 74 percent in America. Its effects on neurodevelopment in children are a particular concern: a meta-analysis correlated high levels of fluoride in water with a sevenpoint drop in children’s IQ scores. Two new studies have linked fluoride exposure to ADHD and other behavioral issues in children.

Canadian researchers that collected urine samples and tap water information on 1,877 children between ages 6 and 17 found those that lived in areas with fluoridated water had 2.8 times the incidences of ADHD diagnoses, as well as increased symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention. The effect was most pronounced in teenagers, suggesting a cumulative effect over time, wrote the authors in the journal Environment International. In a Chinese study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 325 children between ages 7 and 13 were studied, and higher levels of fluoride exposure were correlated with rises in behavioral issues, especially psychosomatic symptoms.

Storyblocks.com

Fecal Transplant Helps Caesarean Babies

Avoid Fluoride to Lower Risk of Behavioral Issues in Children

Storyblocks.com

health briefs

Try Ginger Extract for Hay Fever For people suffering from the miseries of allergic rhinitis, better known as hay fever, ginger extract can be just as effective as the popular pharmaceutical product loratadine (Claritin), concludes a study from Thailand’s Thammasat University. Eighty hay fever patients were given either 500 milligrams of ginger extract or loratadine. After three and six weeks, the ginger group’s improvements in nasal symptoms and quality of life matched those of the loratadine group, but those taking ginger had fewer side effects such as drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness and constipation.

Storyblocks.com

In just the first month of the 2020 pandemic, the use of antianxiety medications increased by 34 percent among Americans, according to pharmaceutical surveys. Because select serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) in particular tend to lose their effectiveness over time, some sufferers may take heart in a new study in Current Clinical Pharmacology. Iranian researchers gave one gram of ashwagandha root extract (Withania somnifera) each day for six weeks to 22 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and a placebo to a second group of 18. People in both groups were also put on SSRIs. Anxiety scores for the ashwagandha group improved by week two and kept improving during the study, significantly outperforming the scores of the control group.

The extract was considered safe and free of side effects.

Improve Muscle Strength with Schisandra Schisandra chinensis, an ornamental, woody vine with pink leaves and bright red berries, has long been used as an adaptogen in China and Russia to lower stress, improve immunity and enhance energy. Korean researchers in a new study in Phytochemical Reviews report it may also be a boon for aging muscles. They tested 45 post-menopausal women that were given 1,000 milligrams of Schisandra chinensis or a placebo for 12 weeks. Compared to the control group, the Schisandra group had significantly increased quadriceps muscle strength and lower lactate levels, indicating greater endurance.

alex coan/AdobeStock.com

Storyblocks.com

Try Ashwagandha for Anxiety

January 2021

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Microscopic Compass

global briefs

Bacteria Powers Animal Magnetic Sense

Generosity Fosters Increased Longevity

kzenon/AdobeStock.com

A new study published in the journal PNAS suggests that people that share more live longer because the act of giving and receiving increases well-being. The recipient benefits directly from the gift, while the giver benefits indirectly through emotional satisfaction. Co-authors Fanny Kluge and Tobias Vogt found a strong relationship between a society’s generosity and the average life expectancy of its members. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, in Rostock, Germany, conclude that people are living longer in societies where members support each other with resources.

Residents of African countries such as Senegal and South Africa share the lowest percentage of their lifetime income and have the highest mortality rate of the countries studied. Western European countries and Japan transfer more to the youngest and oldest, and their mortality rates are lower. Kluge notes that the relationship between generosity and lifetime income doesn’t depend on whether the benefits come from the state or from the wider community.

A new paper in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B may explain why some animals, including birds, fish and lobsters, are able to sense the Earth’s magnetic fields. It allows sea turtles to return to the beach where they were born.

Researchers hypothesize that this ability comes from a symbiotic relationship with magnetotactic bacteria that are influenced by magnetic fields, including the Earth’s.

In support of this theory, Robert Fitak, assistant professor at the University of Central Florida Department of Biology and co-author of the paper, drew from one of the largest genetic databases of its kind, the Metagenomic Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology, to identify the presence of these magnetotactic bacteria in animal samples. The researchers are working to develop a genetic test to help with further study. They have not yet identified exactly where the bacteria live in the animals, although they theorize that it could be associated with nervous tissue like the eye or brain.

Learning how organisms interact with magnetic fields could facilitate our use of them for navigation, while also understanding how human modifications of magnetism—such as constructing power lines—might be affecting biodiversity. This knowledge may also help develop therapeutic drug delivery systems. petrovich12/AdobeStock.com

Grateful Giving

Surf’s Up

Storyblocks.com

Some Beaches Can Survive Rising Sea Levels

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An international team of coastal scientists from the United Kingdom, France, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. has disproved the theory that half the world’s beaches will become extinct over the course of the 21st century (see Tinyurl.com/SandyCoastlinesUnderThreat) in a paper published in Nature Climate Change. The team re-examined the data and methodology underpinning the original study and published their rebuttal in the same journal, after concluding that it is impossible to make such global and wide-reaching predictions with the data and numerical methods available today. The new report sees potential for beaches to migrate landward as sea level rises and shorelines retreat.

Beaches backed by hard coastal cliffs and structures such as seawalls are likely to experience “coastal squeeze”, resulting in decreased width, and eventually be submerged because they are unable to migrate, but those with space to move inland will retain their overall shape and form. As such, removal of coastline structures or beach nourishment may be the only methods to safeguard at-risk beaches.

Techno-Threads

Buzz Off

Scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology have developed a material that works like a luminescent solar concentrator for producing energy directly where needed that can even be applied to textiles. Because people are constantly on the move and dependent on a power supply to recharge smartphones, tablets and laptops, the needed electricity will come from our clothing by means of the new polymer applied on textile fibers, jackets and T-shirts.

Based on amphiphilic polymer co-networks already available on the market in the form of silicone-hydrogel contact lenses, this new material is permeable to air and water vapor, as well as flexible and stable. The luminescent solar concentrators capture and transfer diffuse ambient light to a solar cell that converts it into electrical energy. By adding two different luminescent materials to the gel tissue, the solar concentrator becomes flexible, preventing the textile to which it is attached from becoming brittle or susceptible to cracking, or accumulating water vapor in the form of sweat.

New research from the University of Sheffield in the UK published in Scientific Reports suggests that individual members of a bee swarm behave like neurons in a human brain.

The scientists applied a theoretical model commonly used to study human psychology to the behavior of bee colonies, and they believe that studying “bee speak” could inform us about how our own minds make decisions. In the field of psychophysics, Weber’s law describes a relationship between the size of a stimulus and noticeable increases in its magnitude.

This general rule about stimulus and perception has been observed in birds, fish and even the collective behavior of simpler organisms, but not in whole clusters of tiny brains such as an insect hive. To investigate its role in the decision-making processes of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera), the researchers watched hives split apart and hunt for new homes. Among bees, the process of choosing a hive comes down to the interactions of scout bees communicating their discoveries through a visual display of body wiggles. “The study also supports the view of bee colonies as being similar to complete organisms,” says computer scientist and lead author Andreagiovanni Reina.

Winning Grins

Bee Swarms Form Giant Brains

Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock.com

srikalyanexportindiacom

New Fabric Generates Solar Energy

Smiling Makes for More Positive Thoughts

Charging Ahead

New Batteries From Fruit Waste

Carbon aerogels that exhibit high specific surface areas, high proportions of mesopores and significant levels of nitrogen doping have been developed for the first time using waste from durian fruit and jackfruit scraps using a chemical-free, green synthesis procedure. According to the Journal of Energy Storage, the electrodes also displayed long-term cycling stability and rapid charge–discharge processes. Both electrodes are attractive candidates for the next generation, high-performance, yet lowcost supercapacitors for energy storage devices derived from biowastes.

January 2021

Holy Polygon/Shutterstock.com

neemias seara/Pexels.com

According to research from the University of South Australia published in Experimental Psychology, the act of smiling and moving facial muscles can trick our mind into taking a more positive attitude. The study evaluated a real smile as well as an artificial one induced when participants held a pen between their teeth, finding that in either case, this facial muscular activity alters our perception of facial and body expressions and generates more positive emotions.

The research found that the practice of forcefully smiling will stimulate the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain, which releases neurotransmitters to encourage an emotionally positive state. By inducing the brain into perceiving stimuli as happy, the mechanism could potentially be used to boost mental health.

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eco tip

Slow Fashion

victoria strukovskay/Unsplash.com

Mending to Extend the Life of Clothing

Globalization and cheap labor have lowered clothing prices so much that many people view garments as disposable—a phenomenon called “fast fashion”. Magazines and other influencers create demand for trendy items each season, inciting us to overfill our closets and toss last year’s fads, leading to a more than doubling of worldwide consumption since 2000. It’s a vicious cycle with a huge pollution footprint.

The textile industry expels about 1.2 billion tons of CO2 per year.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the fashion industry produces 10 percent of humanity’s carbon emissions and 20 percent of global wastewater. Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is either landfilled or burned. Polyester, a petroleum-based plastic found in about 60 percent of garments, doesn’t break down in the ocean, where half a million tons of microfibers end up every year. It takes about 2,000 gallons of water to manufacture just one pair of jeans, and textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of waterways.

To embrace a more sustainable lifestyle, reject fast fashion; buy good-quality, longer-lasting garments; and mend them to prolong their useful life. Whether it’s reattach10

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ing a button, patching a worn sleeve or sewing a hem, mending is a way to love and care for clothing and reject the notion that new is always better.

Another option is to rely on a local seamstress or tailor to take care of mending needs. For the do-ityourselfer, there are many ingenious products available besides needle and thread to help complete simple repairs—iron-on patches, fusible interfacing, mending glue and tape— as well as helpful instructional online videos and sewing classes at local fabric stores. SewGuide.com is an excellent resource for step-by-step instructions and creative ideas.

Building upon the vintage-wear market, a new trend has emerged called visible mending. In the past, mended clothes might have been interpreted as exposing a family’s lack of funds or status, but today it’s a concept we proudly embrace. Mending a hole or tear with embroidery is a great way to add whimsy and creative expression. By incorporating colorful threads and fancy stitching techniques, as well as beads, decorative buttons, ribbons and appliqués, we can turn off-the-rack items into unique, wearable art. To cover stains, consider using fabric paint to add a pretty flower or bold political slogan.

therapy spotlight

tional treatments often result in non-adherence which has been shown to increase the risk of suicide.”

Evidence exists supporting ketamine therapy as an effective treatment of MDD which has been unresponsive to standard oral medication therapy. “The results of the several studies consistently found a single infusion of ketamine provided rapid relief of depressive symptoms. The results also found a reduction in suicidal ideation and increased rate of clinical remission,” observes Self. “It is recommended from this evidence intravenous ketamine be considered for patients with TRD.”

Dr. Self, a lifelong Volusia County resident and United States Army veteran, graduated from Daytona Beach Community College with both AA and nursing degrees before heading to the University of Central Florida to obtain his Bachelor of today include antidepresScience in Nursing. After sants, psychotherapy and spending years in the somatic interventions.

Trauma/Surgical ICU, Dr. Although these are wellSelf returned to school at established treatments for the University of North MDD, approximately 30 Florida where he obtained percent of MDD patients William Self both a Master of Science remain symptomatic, even in Nursing-Nurse Anesthesiology Program after multiple medication trials.” and Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Treatment-resistant depression

“Depression can interfere with normal (TRD) is defined as the failure of at least family dynamics, so providing ketamine two trials of first line antidepressants of treatments is crucial to return families back both adequate duration and dose. “Curto a sense of normalcy and happiness,” says rently, there are limited treatment options this passionate practitioner, who shares that for patients with TRD and the gold standard offering treatment for depression and pain is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which is associated with significant cognitive side for Central Florida residents is one of his most important professional priorities. effects,” says Self. “For individuals who

“Our Ketamine therapy gives practido respond to conventional treatments, it tioners an impressive therapeutic option takes weeks before depressive symptoms for severe depression, post-traumatic stress significantly diminish. The slow response disorder and chronic pain,” assures Self. time and frequent side effects of conven“Refer your patients today and get them on the road to recovery.” photo: Ketaful.com

Ketamine Therapy Offers Relief from Depression, PTSD and Chronic Pain

K

by Erin Lehn

etamine, a Food and Drug Administration-approved anesthetic, is gaining traction as an alternative treatment used for refractory depression, chronic pain syndromes, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other conditions with outstanding results.

“This new therapy can provide effective and long-lasting relief for those suffering from symptoms of depression, migraines, CRPA and PTSD,” affirms Dr. William Self, DNP, CRNA, Co-Founder of Life is Ketaful Wellness Center, in Ormond Beach.

According to Dr. Self, major depressive disorder (MDD) exerts a huge burden on the healthcare system and an immense financial burden on society. “According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with more than 300 million people suffering from this disease,” he explains. “The treatment modalities for MDD available

Life is Ketaful Wellness Center is located at 495 S. Nova Rd., Ste. 101-A, in Ormond Beach. For more info, call 386-487-HOPE (4673) or visit the FAQ section on the Ketaful.com website. See ad, page 21.

January 2021

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wise words

Terry Wahls on Taking Control of Chronic Conditions

by Sandra Yeyati

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wenty years ago, University of Iowa Clinical Professor of Medicine Terry Wahls was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Conventional treatments didn’t work, and her health deteriorated to the point where she was wheelchair-bound and facing a progressively grim future. Through rigorous scientific study and clinical trials, she developed a groundbreaking diet and lifestyle protocol that allows people to take control of their health, reversing many chronic disease states, including her own. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles, as well as an accompanying cookbook, The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life.

What is your personal journey with multiple sclerosis?

In 2000, I had problems walking, which led to the MS diagnosis. After consulting the best doctors and taking the newest drugs, I went downhill anyway. At my lowest point, already in a tilt-recline wheelchair, I realized that conventional medicine wasn’t going to stop my decline into a bedridden, possibly demented state with intractable face pain due to trigeminal neuralgia.

My physicians introduced me to the work of Loren Cordain, who developed 12

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the paleo diet, so after 20 years of being a vegetarian, I went back to eating meat; gave up grains, legumes and dairy. I also studied the basic science for animal models of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and ALS, and decided that mitochondria—the organelles that generate the energy that cells use to run the chemistry of life—were leading to my early loss of myelin and brain cells. I also discovered The Institute for Functional Medicine and took their course in neuroprotection. Based on the science, I devised a supplement program to support my mitochondria. My decline slowed.

Then came my “Aha!” moment: What if I redesigned my paleo diet, combining ancestral health with functional medicine principles, relying less on supplements and more on food to support my mitochondria? I did that, and my pain, brain fog and fatigue resolved. I began to get stronger, started walking. In three months, I was able to go for a bike ride with my family around the block for the first time in six years. It felt miraculous.

It changed the way I think about disease and how I practice medicine. I now talk to patients about diet, lifestyle, exercise, toxics exposures and stress management, and I’m able to stabilize, reverse and greatly improve their blood pressure, blood sugar, pain and chronic diseases that I was struggling to manage using the latest drugs.

What have you learned about resilience?

People who maintain a sense of control have more robust immune function and are generally healthier. Many of my patients say that their diagnosis ended up being a tremendous gift because it allowed them to take stock of their lives and understand their priorities. That’s true for me. If I eat gluten, dairy or eggs, or I’m exposed to too much stress or toxins, my trigeminal neuralgia will turn on and I’ll have horrific facial pain, but I consider it to be a tremendous gift, because that’s my barometer for the inflammation levels in my brain, which reminds me to look at my triggers and recommit to my self-care. We teach patients how to track their biosensors.

Are you cured of MS?

No. I still have the genetic vulnerability and lesions in my spinal cord, and will always be sensitive to gluten, dairy and eggs. If I become severely stressed or don’t sleep, I’ll probably have a problem again. I caution all of my patients: If you go back to your previous diet and lifestyle, your disease states will return.

Isn’t it easier to just take a prescription drug for symptoms?

It’s a smaller level of effort, but they’re not cures, either. The underlying disease state progresses, so people typically need higher doses of their medications. They also develop co-morbid diagnoses that require new medications. Conventional medicine is effective for some symptom improvements, but it has never been evaluated for improving global health, whereas studies have shown that improving diet quality and incorporating exercise and meditation will improve multiple chemical pathways in the body, gene expression and your microbiome, and dramatically improve health outcomes across many disease states.

For more information, including diet protocol guidelines and online courses, visit TerryWahls.com.

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer.

Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

An Interview with

L

Dr. Lorenzo Phan

orenzo Phan, doctor of Oriental medicine and acupuncture physician at the Acupuncture and Skin Care Clinic, in Ormond Beach, answers questions about acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. He is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and completed four years of postgraduate work in acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy at the American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, in Houston. Phan is recognized as a Diplomate in Oriental Medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

He is also a licensed massage therapist and Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique specialist.

What is acupuncture therapy?

An essential therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is used to treat ailments from migraines to back pain and can be used as a preventive and wellness modality. Acupuncture can help our body heal and repair injured muscles, ligaments and joints. It’s a meticulous technique that utilizes fine needles, inserted at specific points.

What happens during a treatment?

The majority of patients feel little or no discomfort as the microfilament disposable needles are inserted. Many will fall asleep during the approximately 30 minutes of rest required as the needles do their work.

After treatment, most are amazed and feel both relaxed and energized.

How does it work?

Bioelectric energy travels through a system of channels called meridians. Pain and illness often occur when a blockage or imbalance occurs. Acupuncture works to unblock the flow of vital energy and resolve obstructions. This in turn restores the body and mind to its normal physiological state.

What are some general benefits of acupuncture?

Acupuncture has an excellent reputation in treating lower back pain, migraines, arthritic pain, sinusitis, pinched nerves, shoulder pain, hip and knee pain, addictions and side effects of chemo and radiation therapy. Acupuncture can also help our body heal, reduce

inflammation, increase blood circulation, promote better sleep, balance the hormonal system, improve digestion, resolve fertility issues and help stroke victims recover.

How many treatments are required to benefit from acupuncture?

The number of treatments depends on the severity and duration of the ailment. Acute conditions may need only a few sessions, while a chronic condition may require several treatments.

Dr. Lorenzo Phan can be reached at his Ormond Beach clinic, Acupuncture and Skin Care Clinic, located at 725 W. Granada Blvd., Ste. 15. The phone number is 386-6151203 and the website is AcuBeautyTherapy. com. See ad, below.

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Integrative Hospital Care Medicine Embraces Holistic Modalities

by Marlaina Donato

T

hirty years ago, hospital patients were treated for symptoms based on the Western medical model, and holistic modalities were excluded, largely due to a lack of reliable scientific studies. More recently, because of promising research, the traditional template is expanding. The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health encompasses 75 university health centers and health systems that offer integrative approaches—a remarkable seven-fold increase in 21 years. America’s top hospitals, including the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Mayo Clinic, the Duke University Medical Center and the Yale New Haven Hospital, now offer therapies such as acupuncture, reiki, homeopathy, touch therapy, yoga, clinical aromatherapy and chiropractic.

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According to a report in Advances in Medical Education and Practice, nearly half of Americans receiving medical care use alternative medicine (although 80 percent don’t inform their doctors) and physicians agree on the importance of further research and training in such modalities.

A 2017 University of California survey published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that hospital patients of all ages were willing to pay out of pocket for healthier food, therapeutic massage and energy work.

Disease: The Big Picture

“Research has repeatedly shown that even with full medical access and optimal medical treatments, a population’s health improves by only about 15 to 20 percent. The rest comes from lifestyle, environment and

the social and personal determinants of health. Even factors like emotional health, what you feel is your purpose in life and what motivates you to be healthy plays a role,” says physician Wayne Jonas, in Alexandria, Virginia, a clinical professor of family medicine at Georgetown University and former director of the World Health Organization Center for Traditional Medicine. As executive director of Samueli Integrative Health Programs, which aims to make integrative health regular and routine, Jonas emphasizes that patients become healthier and medical costs are reduced when they are engaged in the healing process.

For Jonas, the shift toward integrative health care has become most evident during the current opioid crisis and the search for non-pharmacological ap-

proaches like acupuncture and therapeutic massage therapy for pain management.

“The evidence body for many of these approaches has grown tremendously over just the past five years, and has shown a spotlight on what works and what doesn’t.

These approaches are now recommended in national guidelines as mainstream for chronic pain.”

Denise Millstine, integrative physician and internal medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, concurs: “The opiate crisis is an example of the need to broaden our clinical toolbox to incorporate care strategies that are less risky. I believe this change has been multifactorial, based on patient demand and more awareness of the importance of lifestyle management.”

Patient demand is also fueled by a desire to avoid medication side effects. In 1998, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 106,000 hospital deaths take place each year from adverse reactions to prescription drugs. With more than half of Americans already taking a pharmaceutical drug, and three being the average, adverse side effects can easily mount in a hospital setting.

For Millstine, integrative medicine offers many solutions. “We might recommend the best medication or provide cutting-edge therapies, but without considering stress management, resilience, movement and what people ingest, it’s hard to get optimal results. Integrative medicine expanded my approach to include nutrition, exercise, mind-body (connection), spirituality and other medical philosophies like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the patient’s therapeutic plan.”

of soft lighting and music, and performed by trained doctors, as well as licensed acupuncturists with a firm TCM foundation.

Integrative health care addresses the emotions that accompany a cancer diagnosis, and patients undergoing conventional treatment now have access to not only acupuncture but therapeutic massage, meditation, movement therapy, clinical aromatherapy, herbal applications, biofeedback and yoga. Millstine says of theMayo Clinic, “We have oncology-trained massage providers who are comfortable with what is and what isn’t safe after someone has had a cancer diagnosis and/ or treatment.”

Jonas highlights that when given under the supervision of a doctor and with conventional cancer care, complementary therapies may help people to manage cancer symptoms, boost overall well-being, better handle side effects of treatment and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. “Integrative cancer care can help by activating one’s ability to heal and feel better physically and emotionally,” he says. “Lectures on nutrition, yoga classes and support groups for cancer patients are now common.”

The Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program, launched by American fashion designer Donna Karan in 2009 after her husband died from cancer, partners with heavy hitters such as the American Cancer Society and the Beth Israel Medical Cen-

ter, in New York City. In many hospital settings, Urban Zen is creating “Zen dens”, calming nooks where staff can discuss cases with colleagues, take a break for selfcare or talk to their patients in a nurturing environment. Urban Zen’s dedication to healthcare integration is international and promotes therapeutic applications of reiki, essential oil therapy, nutrition and other contemplative care.

Energy Medicine Goes Mainstream

“Alternative therapies are no longer considered ‘alternative’ when conventional medicine adopts them—for example, using calcium and vitamin D supplements, which are a standard consideration,” says Millstine. “With high-deductible plans, many patients are accustomed to paying out of pocket for care, thus making payment for alternative providers possibly more palatable.”

Reiki, a Japanese form of energy medicine once considered alternative, is now offered at major hospitals like Yale New Haven, where it’s given free of charge to cancer patients. Many hospitals are also offering classes in energy work to families of patients, hospital staff and the community.

“A medical doctor introduced me to the practice when my grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer,” says Denise Baron, a Philadelphia-based reiki practi

Whole-Patient Cancer Care

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A 2016 meta-analysis by Taipei Medical University published in the journal PLOS ONE concluded that certain applications of acupuncture reduce pain and opioid use on the first day after surgery. Acupuncture—an ancient modality based on the concept of energy meridians in the body—is also offered in many major hospitals to offset the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

Acupuncture treatments at the Mayo Clinic are given in a calming atmosphere January 2021

15

tioner who works with referrals from clients and wellness professionals. “A hospital does not hire me directly, but the staff know I am available. I’ve worked on patients post-surgery, during and after births, people with cancer and people in hospice. I would say 96 percent of clients walk away with a deep experience of peace, harmony and lower stress levels.” Most recently, she has seen an increase in nurses asking for support during stressful times, with many wanting to learn how to practice reiki themselves.

According to a 2017 study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, reiki is more effective than a placebo and activates the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve. Results include lower blood pressure and less anxiety and depression. Other research shows that the modality also reduces nausea, improves appetite and lessens fatigue.

Holistic Nursing’s Role

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Collaborating with physicians and holistic practitioners, nurses play a key role in integrative hospital care. “We all work together to facilitate the client towards a higher level of well-being. Each profession brings something to the table,” says Margaret Erickson, in Cedar Park, Texas, CEO of the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation.

The nurse’s role in a patient’s healing journey is an intimate one, and holistic nurses ensure that the whole patient is tended to. “The roots of holistic nursing, grounded in holism, were

verbalized over 150 years ago by Florence Nightingale,” says Erickson. “She believed in the mind-body-spirit-emotion connections and that all aspects need to be nurtured in order for people to heal.”

Due to increased demand, more nursing schools are creating educational programs grounded in holistic philosophy, she says. “What makes a nurse holistic is not the skills or alternative therapies she/he/they do, but rather how they show up in their interactions with others. They value and recognize that they are gifted with sharing a person’s most vulnerable moments, and that this shared space is sacred.”

Some holistic nurses may use healing therapies such as guided imagery, aromatherapy, energy work, bodywork, deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation to help both their clients and other healthcare providers.

Those in the field of integrative medicine agree that the future of medicine is now. “People are becoming more self-aware and taking responsibility for their health and life. Consciousness is growing [by] leaps and bounds,” says Baron.

Jonas, drawing on 40 years of experience, agrees. “By working as partners with our patients to help find the care that works for them, we can help them achieve better health and quality of life.”

Marlaina Donato is the author of several books and a composer.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

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January 2021

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conscious eating

Lose Weight Without Dieting

How to Eat to Feel and Look Your Best

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by April Thompson

ne of the top New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, and to that end, millions of Americans go on a diet each year. As we look to reset after holiday indulgences, nutrition experts say it’s a great time to cultivate healthy, longterm eating habits rather than unsustainable diets that lead us in circles.

“A ‘live it’ is better than a diet: small, manageable changes you can live

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with over time,” says Lisa Mallonee, a registered dietician and professor at the Texas A&M College of Dentistry, in Dallas. “People get focused on losing 15 pounds, but once they get to the finish line, they don’t have a plan for after and often end up regaining the weight.”

While navigating the labyrinth of nutrition information can be tough, eating better is actually simple, says David

Katz, M.D., founder of both the YaleGriffin Prevention Research Center and the nonprofit True Health Initiative, and co-author of How to Eat: All Your Food and Diet Questions Answered. “There are two general shifts to make: first, to less processed foods, and second, to more plant-based foods,” says Katz.

In making such shifts, Mallonee suggests applying the 80/20 rule to food.

“If 80 percent of the time you are making healthy choices, and the other 20 percent of the time you allow splurges, you’re less likely to feel deprived and revert to old ways.”

Katz agrees that small shifts are more likely to stick, in part because of our adaptable palates. “If you commit to improving your diet little by little, you will find that taste buds are adaptable fellas that will learn to love the foods they are with. For example, try something as simple as switching from regular soda to diet to seltzer to water over time.”

The good news for dieters with questions, suggests Katz, is there is no one superior diet. “You can have a highquality diet whether you are flexitarian, pescatarian or vegetarian, low-carb or high-carb,” he says.

For Jill Weisenberger, a registered dietitian nutritionist, in Yorktown, Virginia, and author of The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition, a healthy diet comes down to three meals a day, each with a good source of protein and fiber. “When losing weight, it’s especially important to eat enough protein so you don’t lose muscle mass with the fat,” she says, suggesting a target of 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day,

achieved through a diverse diet that focuses on fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Katz, Mallonee and Weisenberger all caution against a diet like keto that restricts many nourishing foods only because they contain carbs. “There is no evidence of long-term safety or benefit of keto,” says Katz. “A truly keto diet cuts out a lot of highly nutritious foods like fruit, grains and beans, all associated with better health and longer life. I think a diet excluding these foods would be a colossal mistake.”

Weighing In

While it’s not healthy to obsess over numbers on the scale, it is important to understand the health risks of carrying extra weight, particularly around the middle. “Belly fat is a concern for co-morbidities like pre-diabetes, diabetes, increased blood pressure and even sleep apnea,” says Mallonee, stating that women should aim for a waist circumference of less than 35 inches and men of less than 40.

Katz advises that the effects of abdominal fat can vary. “Certain ethnicities are extremely vulnerable to excess weight around the middle, which can result in insulin resistance and metabolic mayhem. However, many people can gain considerable amounts of weight and show no metabolic effects,” he says, suggesting that a comprehensive health checkup can clear up any doubts.

Physiologically, it is hard to keep weight off, says Weisenberger, but people should not get discouraged if they fall short of their goals. “If you are overweight, you will get an enormous boost from the first 5 to 10 percent of weight loss—it’s much more important than that last 5 to 10 percent.”

While weight loss is an exercise in delayed gratification, the power of highquality food is immediate, advises Katz.

“You can improve the quality of your immune response with a single meal.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving, too, as those positive health benefits accumulate over time.”

Connect with Washington, D.C., freelance writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

January 2021

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fit body

Staying Fit in 2021 Workout Trends Bend to the Times

by Marlaina Donato

F

or 2021, fitness will be more about better health and inner peace rather than weight loss. Gyms and studios will be on the top of their game adhering to hygiene standards and offering safer environments with smaller class capacity and vitamin D-enhanced outdoor sessions. From remote coaching to cost-effective wellness apps, the workout will get a fresh makeover.

High-Tech Wellness Pandemic repercussions in 2020 amped up client demand for alternatives and also inspired trainers to get more creative. “I’ve enjoyed working with private clients virtually through FaceTime and Zoom. It has required me to create more precision with my training programs depending on what each client has at their

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home or home gym,” says Hollywood, California, fitness trainer Ridge Davis.

“Results have been going through the roof because my clients are more likely to dive into healthy routines and meal plans with my daily guidance.”

For those that cannot find local, inperson fitness provisions, subscriptions to streaming-fitness websites like DailyBurn. com and OnePeloton.com provide plenty of guides to workouts from yoga to musclebuilding.

Health apps can tailor individual wellness strategies for the new year. “Fitness and health apps are becoming more popular, and trainers are able to interact with clients all over the world. If you are like me, you need accountability if you cannot meet your trainer directly,” says Dominic Kennedy, a personal trainer in Los Angeles and creator of the newly launched fitness and nutrition app Dominic Effect. “Nutrition is also going to be key now more than ever. Apps will help keep you in check and on track with your food and goals, helping to set up monthly meal plans, as well as recipe suggestions.”

Wearable tech in the form of watches and smart clothing will be another hit in 2021, providing accurate readings on calories burned, number of daily steps and even heart rate and blood pressure.

Virtual Variety, No Pressure Having the option to work out at home might motivate more people to begin a fitness routine without the pressure of comparing with others. Sampling classes online can help them find what they like before they sign up at their local gym or

studio. “Virtual fitness classes provide an opportunity for people to test out different instructors at different times all around the country and even the world,” says Paris Alexandra, co-founder of the BK Yoga Club, in New York City. “People are now realizing the things we can control is our breath and our bodies. Because of this, there’s an appreciation of our capacity, challenging ourselves to try something new.”

Even with gym cutbacks, there is a silver lining. “One of my private weight-loss clients has loved our FaceTime workouts so much that she swears she will never go back to in-person training with a coach,” says Chicago-based Stephanie Mansour, host of the weekly national PBS show Step it Up With Steph. “Even on vacation or while traveling, people can still get in their workout because everything is virtual. Trainers also win because they can still do their job, but at a distance.”

Me-time with a private virtual coach will offer a tailored regimen for those that prefer a one-on-one experience. Mansour muses, “Private fitness and health coaching sessions will be the hottest trend in 2021. By now, many people’s excitement toward their ‘pandemic workout’ is waning, and they’ll be looking for a totally customized approach to kickstart their motivation and goals.”

Allies for Body and Mind Davis predicts there’ll be greater appreciation for stress-recovery tools such as massage guns for percussive self-treatments, foam rollers to release muscle tightness and stretching apps, noting, “There’s so much noise, uncertainty and anxiety that has come with this pandemic; on-demand meditation classes will be huge.”

Mansour concurs, “Focusing on finding inner peace, meditating and positive programming are all huge trends that have emerged due to COVID. By getting your head in the game, you’re 75 percent of the way to your goal.”

Mostly, 2021 will be a year for self-care. “I think growth mindset is everything right now,” says Kennedy. “We need to fill our minds with positive affirmations, thoughts or whatever it is that makes you light up inside.”

Marlaina Donato is an author and recording artist. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

Other Fitness Trends on the Rise n Outdoor classes from yoga to strength training n Boutique and micro-studios with specialty clientele n Safer small groups, especially for seniors n Broga yoga, with a focus on strength training, cardio and muscle toning for men n Less-crowded yoga classes with BYO mats and props n Mind-body fitness January 2021

21

FRUGAL WELLNESS Healthy Living on a Tight Budget

by Yvette C. Hammett

L

iving healthy on a tight budget may seem like a daunting task, but by setting up a self-care plan, prioritizing and shopping smart, the barriers can seem not quite so tall. With so many people unemployed or under-employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for workable options is more important than ever.

A sports and nutrition company, My Protein, did a study that shows the average American spends $155 per month on health and fitness. That’s $112,000 over a lifetime. There are, however, strategies that can lower these costs.

Jen Smith, a financial writer and cohost of the podcast Frugal Friends, often talks about ways to spend less, save money and be in control of our spending. “You may spend more up front or more on the things you really care about, but cutting out the waste or things that are not so necessary can be a huge cost savings. This is not just for a penny-pinching, stay-athome mom. Being frugal doesn’t mean you are a cheapskate, but being wise with the limited resources that you have.”

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Smith says she had a pricey membership to a cross-fit gym, but in the long run, staying in shape can greatly reduce the costs of health care and prescriptions. “Any way you can stay active is what you need to do.

Spending money in any way that gets you to commit to and consistently move your body is the answer.” Focus on eating good food and moving your body, Smith says. “When emphasis is placed more on that and on selfcare, you save more money.”

The National Institute on Aging recommends several ways to eat healthy on a budget: use coupons, consider purchasing store brands, know that convenience costs more, focus on priority foods, buy store-brand organics and forgo fresh for frozen organics. Sotiria Everett, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family, Population & Preventive Medicine at the Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine, in New York, agrees. “One thing to consider is seasonality. If out of season and organic, that will increase the cost. If you want clean living and healthy eating for the planet, that doesn’t make sense

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healing ways

either, because of the cost of fuel and the pollution involved.”

Everett recommends frequenting farmers’ markets because they offer seasonal, fresh, local, organic produce that is easier on the wallet and better for health.

Her favorite tip is, “Learn how to plant foods. You don’t need a lot of space, but do need sun and water access. You can keep it organic. A couple of seeds can give you a whole season’s worth of produce.”

Jody Gatewood, assistant state nutrition program specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and a registered dietitian, works with people on tight budgets through the university’s Spend Smart Eat Smart program. “We do a lot with families with young children,” she says. “They are on a budget and concerned about having enough food to eat. One thing we teach a lot, and it helps with a budget, is to plan your meals. Look and see what is on sale at the grocery store. If there’s a big meat sale, buy it then and use it throughout. I think what happens is if we don’t plan, we go to a restaurant or get convenience foods which can really add up.”

Fresh, frozen, canned and dried foods can all have a part in our diet, she says. “I use a lot of frozen vegetables. If you use frozen, you just heat it up and it is ready to go. Protein can be expensive, so have some meals where black beans or lentils are the source of protein. Have that balance.”

As for healthcare costs, Smith recommends to those that cannot afford typical insurance or costly prescriptions in their budget to consider using manufacturer discounts and a service like GoodRx.com, which details how much prescriptions will cost at different pharmacies.

Consider using a “sharing ministry” for other costs, Smith says. With Liberty HealthShare, for example, people pay in every month and are billed like a cash payer when they have a medical bill while Liberty pays the cash. “When a doctor or hospital is billing an insurance company, they try to get as much as they can, but cash payers pay a lower amount,” she says.

Yvette C. Hammett is a freelance writer from Valrico, Florida. She can be reached at YvetteHammettHull49@gmail.com.

FEBRUARY

inspiration

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Coming Next Month

Heart Health

Plus: Eco-Friendly Weddings

HOUSE BLESSINGS for Clearing and Protecting Spaces

M

by Marlaina Donato

oving into a house, office or any new space prompts us to envision bright days ahead filled with hope and joy. Perhaps this is why, from first-century Christians praying to dissuade evil influences to the Mayans smudging herbs to welcome positive energy, the act of blessing a house is such a time-honored tradition.

Whether held in private or with a group of kindred souls, with or without religious elements, blessing a new dwelling takes the concept of housewarming to a sacred level. A house blessing can temper the hair-pulling stresses of a move and be a wonderful way to restore harmony after life gives us a jolt, be it a job loss, a broken relationship, a loved one’s passing or an illness.

Simple gestures of intention, sprinkled with some beauty, enable us to claim our space and sow a new beginning.

Arranging seasonal blooms in jeweltoned vases, scattering fresh rose petals over the threshold or misting the air with ethereal scents consecrates what might otherwise seem mundane. Singing a favorite song, whispering a spontaneous prayer or reciting a Buddhist chant during the flurry of unpacking invites calm and attracts benevolent influences. Pungent smudges of

dried, white sage, sweetgrass, pine or lilac flowers help dissolve unpleasant memories and energetic imprints from the past.

Honoring the four elements of earth, air, fire and water can create balance and celebrate ancient customs. Adding one or more essential oils to a spray bottle filled with distilled water or culinary rose water is an easy way to mist the air and the space inside drawers, closets and cupboards before filling or refilling them. Hanging fresh evergreens, leafy branches or tufts of blossoms over doorways evokes what 10th-century mystic and healer Hildegard of Bingen called veriditas—the greening energy of the Earth. Employing a crystal or Tibetan singing bowl, beating a shamanic drum or playing an instrument in select rooms can charge the atmosphere with fiery hope. Opening windows, even briefly during cooler seasons, invites in the fresh air of possibility.

Stepping into a new life—or revitalizing an existing one—is one of the most beautiful acts of caring for soul and self. Blessing our spaces is also an expression of gratitude, something that can make any life wonderful.

Marlaina Donato is an author and recording artist. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

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386-736-3838 January 2021

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Healing the Whole Child Holistic Pediatricians Go Beyond Meds Researchers followed more than 36,000 Japanese men older than 40 for an average of 13.2 years.

They found that those that consumed culinary mushrooms three times a week had a 17 percent lower chance of developing prostate cancer compared to those that ate mushrooms less than once a week. Participants that ate mushrooms once or twice a week had an 8 percent lower risk. The trend was even greater for those men over the age of 50 and was unrelated to other dietary habits.

Maintain a Healthy Diet and Weight to Lower Cataract Risk A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition used adherence to dietary guidelines and total diet scores to assess the effects of diet on cataract risk.

The researchers followed 2,173 older Australians for five and 10 years in two phases. They found that maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) of less than 25, combined with a healthy diet, reduced the risk of developing cataracts.

Eat a Better Diet to Improve Gut Bacteria

A. Schaeffer-Pautz, MD

SK Design/Shutterstock.com

Reduce Blood Pressure and Heart Attacks With Better Gut Bacteria

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health briefs

Eat Mushrooms to Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer

Train Students in Mindfulness to Reduce Stress and Improve Grades

Sixth-graders that received mindfulness training each day for eight weeks experienced lower stress levels, less depression and improved academic performance compared to their peers in a control group that studied computer coding, report Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers. In addition to that 100-student study, researchers surveyed 2,000 students in grades five through eight and found those that showed more mindfulness tended to have better grades and test scores. They also had fewer absences and suspensions.

9

New research offers potential paths for treatment for the nearly 20 percent of patients with high blood pressure that don’t respond well to medications. University of Florida College of Medicine researchers, testing 105 volunteers, found that the populations of gut bacteria differed between hypertensive individuals with depression and those without depression. A second study by Italian researchers found that patients with heart attacks had different bacteria in their guts than patients with stable angina.

December 2019

NAJax.com

Persephone Healing Arts Center is located at 485 6th Ave. N., in Jacksonville Beach.

To learn more, call 904-246-3583, visit DrPautz.com or join them for one of their monthly open houses. Join them on Facebook.

See ad on the back cover.

NAJax.com

Researchers followed more than 36,000 Japanese men older than 40 for an average of 13.2 years.

They found that those that consumed culinary mushrooms three times a week had a 17 percent lower chance of developing prostate cancer compared to those that ate mushrooms less than once a week. Participants that ate mushrooms once or twice a week had an 8 percent lower risk. The trend was even greater for those men over the age of 50 and was unrelated to other dietary habits.

Another unique remedy at Dr. Pautz’s disposal is therapeutic eurythmy, an expressive form of movement therapy. Based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, eurythmy uses movements to express sounds and music. One of the few medical doctors to be certified in eurythmy, Dr. Pautz uses this approach to supplement the treatment of a variety of physical, medical and emotional ailments. Somewhat like its Asian counterparts, tai chi and yoga, eurythmy helps a person connect to and experience the nontangible realities of spirit and energy that are essential for all souls.

Dr. Pautz’s varied background and extensive training provide her with myriad treatment choices to draw from in her practice. Whether addressing cancer, diabetes, asthma, common cold, multiples sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ALS or any other illness, her treatments are personalized, insightful and far-reaching. By balancing Western and integrative medicine and avoiding chemical drugs whenever possible, Dr. Pautz provides each patient with the opportunity for a road map to longlasting, deep-seated health changes through nutritional and lifestyle advice, naturopathy, homeopathy, counseling, anthroposophic medicine, and art and movement therapy.

Jacksonville / St. Augustine

be in balance for ultimate well-being leads to personalized treatments that examine and help each individual to achieve their level of optimum health. This insightful approach often offers relief to patients who have exhausted their traditional western medical options and are seeking help in alternate methods.

Patients may also undergo extensive counseling to facilitate profound lifestyle changes and new ways of looking at things.

They receive individualized nutritional guidelines in the hopes of facilitating improved health and releasing what needs to be transitioned.

The philosophy “you are what you eat” has never been as true as in today’s quick meal society, and few know the effects of dietary choices better than Dr. Pautz. Providing your body with the fuel and tools necessary for its well-being is the first building block toward total health and healing. Combining her knowledge of medicine and nutrition, she targets habits that contribute to particular disorders and advises her patients in their diets to strengthen their immune systems and help their bodies stay strong.

In treating her patients, Dr. Pautz has noticed that their nutritional habits have stemmed from a lack of knowledge about how to prepare healthful dishes. After encountering this need for education, she developed classes in the past that were focused on nutritional cooking, emphasizing the use of whole grains, tons of herbs, fresh fruits and vegetables. With a healthy diet as a base to grow from, therapies then perform better as the body becomes more receptive, receiving the aid the therapies provide. Dr. Pautz can easily suggest recipes in-session with wholesome foods that might be a first step in implementation.

Maintain a Healthy Diet and Weight to Lower Cataract Risk

n the east coast of Florida, just a few blocks from the ocean, sits one of the South’s few anthroposophically oriented medical practices.

The Persephone Healing Arts Center, in Jacksonville Beach, has a wonderful, natural atmosphere enhanced by the spirit and focus of A. Schaeffer-Pautz, MD. Brought up in a Waldorf school environment, Dr. Pautz is double board certified in both integrative and internal medicine and combines the best of both worlds in her treatment of patients.

Her goal is to help her patients achieve their highest level of well-being and balance, using natural approaches whenever possible.

This philosophy is evident from the first view of the center: a cozy waiting room looks out onto a lovely garden area where patients can relax in the sun or rest in a spot of shade beneath the trees. Care here is particularly unique—first visits can be two or more hours of one-on-one time with the physician. Dr. Pautz takes time to learn all she can about a patient’s physical, mental and emotional well-being and then fuses her knowledge of traditional, integrative and anthroposophic medicine (a philosophy that embraces physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the human being) to provide individual recommendations designed to work on the root of the problem. Her treatments are focused on lifestyle changes, counseling and nutrition, and this focus helps her patients not only deal with their health issues, but also maintain their higher level of wellness once the immediate problem is dealt with.

Dr. Pautz’s technique has particularly helped those with chronic disorders and diseases such as depression, autism, cancer and any other internal medical disease. Her conviction that all facets of the person must

A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition used adherence to dietary guidelines and total diet scores to assess the effects of diet on cataract risk.

The researchers followed 2,173 older Australians for five and 10 years in two phases. They found that maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) of less than 25, combined with a healthy diet, reduced the risk of developing cataracts.

Sixth-graders that received mindfulness training each day for eight weeks experienced lower stress levels, less depression and improved academic performance compared to their peers in a control group that studied computer coding, report Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers. In addition to that 100-student study, researchers surveyed 2,000 students in grades five through eight and found those that showed more mindfulness tended to have better grades and test scores. They also had fewer absences and suspensions.

A. Schaeffer-Pautz, MD Combining Traditional, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine for Well-Being and Balance

O

Eat a Better Diet to Improve Gut Bacteria

Jacksonville / St. Augustine

Train Students in Mindfulness to Reduce Stress and Improve Grades

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community spotlight

8

8

New research offers potential paths for treatment for the nearly 20 percent of patients with high blood pressure that don’t respond well to medications. University of Florida College of Medicine researchers, testing 105 volunteers, found that the populations of gut bacteria differed between hypertensive individuals with depression and those without depression. A second study by Italian researchers found that patients with heart attacks had different bacteria in their guts than patients with stable angina.

Researchers at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center tested stool samples of 858 men and 877 women in Los Angeles and Hawaii with a mean age of 69—regarded as an ethnically diverse study population with varied food intakes. The study found that those with higher quality diets also had significantly better gut bacteria diversity, a factor linked to reduced risk for a variety of diseases. Diet quality and a reduced risk of developing chronic disease is strongly associated with fecal microbial diversity.

Researchers at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center tested stool samples of 858 men and 877 women in Los Angeles and Hawaii with a mean age of 69—regarded as an ethnically diverse study population with varied food intakes. The study found that those with higher quality diets also had significantly better gut bacteria diversity, a factor linked to reduced risk for a variety of diseases. Diet quality and a reduced risk of developing chronic disease is strongly associated with fecal microbial diversity.

Reduce Blood Pressure and Heart Attacks With Better Gut Bacteria

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Eat Mushrooms to Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer

Daxiao Productions/Shutterstock.com

health briefs

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Join our email list and receive your E-edition before it hits the news stands!

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A. Schaeffer-Pautz, MD

be in balance for ultimate well-being leads to personalized treatments that examine and help each individual to achieve their level of optimum health. This insightful approach often offers relief to patients who have exhausted their traditional western medical options and are seeking help in alternate methods.

Patients may also undergo extensive counseling to facilitate profound lifestyle changes and new ways of looking at things.

They receive individualized nutritional guidelines in the hopes of facilitating improved health and releasing what needs to be transitioned.

The philosophy “you are what you eat” has never been as true as in today’s quick meal society, and few know the effects of dietary choices better than Dr. Pautz. Providing your body with the fuel and tools necessary for its well-being is the first building block toward total health and healing. Combining her knowledge of medicine and nutrition, she targets habits that contribute to particular disorders and advises her patients in their diets to strengthen their immune systems and help their bodies stay strong.

In treating her patients, Dr. Pautz has noticed that their nutritional habits have stemmed from a lack of knowledge about how to prepare healthful dishes. After encountering this need for education, she developed classes in the past that were focused on nutritional cooking, emphasizing the use of whole grains, tons of herbs, fresh fruits and vegetables. With a healthy diet as a base to grow from, therapies then perform better as the body becomes more receptive, receiving the aid the therapies provide. Dr. Pautz can easily suggest recipes in-session with wholesome foods that might be a first step in implementation.

Combining Traditional, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine for Well-Being and Balance

community spotlight

O

n the east coast of Florida, just a few blocks from the ocean, sits one of the South’s few anthroposophically oriented medical practices.

The Persephone Healing Arts Center, in Jacksonville Beach, has a wonderful, natural atmosphere enhanced by the spirit and focus of A. Schaeffer-Pautz, MD. Brought up in a Waldorf school environment, Dr. Pautz is double board certified in both integrative and internal medicine and combines the best of both worlds in her treatment of patients.

Her goal is to help her patients achieve their highest level of well-being and balance, using natural approaches whenever possible.

This philosophy is evident from the first view of the center: a cozy waiting room looks out onto a lovely garden area where patients can relax in the sun or rest in a spot of shade beneath the trees. Care here is particularly unique—first visits can be two or more hours of one-on-one time with the physician. Dr. Pautz takes time to learn all she can about a patient’s physical, mental and emotional well-being and then fuses her knowledge of traditional, integrative and anthroposophic medicine (a philosophy that embraces physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the human being) to provide individual recommendations designed to work on the root of the problem. Her treatments are focused on lifestyle changes, counseling and nutrition, and this focus helps her patients not only deal with their health issues, but also maintain their higher level of wellness once the immediate problem is dealt with.

Dr. Pautz’s technique has particularly helped those with chronic disorders and diseases such as depression, autism, cancer and any other internal medical disease. Her conviction that all facets of the person must A. Schaeffer-Pautz, MD

December 2019 9

Another unique remedy at Dr. Pautz’s disposal is therapeutic eurythmy, an expressive form of movement therapy. Based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, eurythmy uses movements to express sounds and music. One of the few medical doctors to be certified in eurythmy, Dr. Pautz uses this approach to supplement the treatment of a variety of physical, medical and emotional ailments. Somewhat like its Asian counterparts, tai chi and yoga, eurythmy helps a person connect to and experience the nontangible realities of spirit and energy that are essential for all souls.

Dr. Pautz’s varied background and extensive training provide her with myriad treatment choices to draw from in her practice. Whether addressing cancer, diabetes, asthma, common cold, multiples sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ALS or any other illness, her treatments are personalized, insightful and far-reaching. By balancing Western and integrative medicine and avoiding chemical drugs whenever possible, Dr. Pautz provides each patient with the opportunity for a road map to longlasting, deep-seated health changes through nutritional and lifestyle advice, naturopathy, homeopathy, counseling, anthroposophic medicine, and art and movement therapy.

Persephone Healing Arts Center is located at 485 6th Ave. N., in Jacksonville Beach.

To learn more, call 904-246-3583, visit DrPautz.com or join them for one of their monthly open houses. Join them on Facebook.

See ad on the back cover.

To join, email

Publisher@VoFLNatural.com

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by Ronica O’Hara

hen Jackie Jones’ 4-year-old daughter had a persistent runny nose and cough, three visits to the pediatrician proved fruitless.

“He would see us for two minutes, listen to her chest, saying she had ‘a cold’, and yet still prescribe an antibiotic and steroid that would just trash her immune system,” the Atlanta mom says. “She ended up developing pneumonia in both lungs that landed her in the hospital.”

This propelled Jones to switch her children’s care to a holistic pediatrician. “He actually listens to me and takes time with his patients, and recommends vitamins and supplements to keep them healthy, in comparison to just handing out antibiotics,” she says. On the first visit, he queried Jones about family use of shampoos, soaps and cleaning products that might contain chemicals. “Definitely not a conversation I had with my old pediatrician!” she related.

Jones, who dispenses pregnancy

advice at PisforPregnant.com, benefitted from a growing trend among pediatricians.

The number of doctors that self-identify as holistic by joining the integrative medicine section of the American Academy of Pediatrics has grown from a dozen in the early 1990s to more than 400 today, says Kathi Kemper, M.D., an Ohio State University pediatrics professor who founded the section and authored The Holistic Pediatrician.

“Holistic pediatricians are interested in helping children and families meet their health goals, not just diagnosing and dispensing drugs,” she says. “We use an evidence-informed approach, including all appropriate therapies and therapists, with a strong emphasis on healthy lifestyle behaviors such as diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, social and emotional skills, spirituality and a healthy environment.”

Many pediatricians report they want to know more about integrative approaches because of their frustration in treating the chronic conditions in one-quarter to one-half

nenetus/AdobeStock.com

healthy kids

of the children they see, as well as to answer questions posed by Google-savvy parents. Yet most pediatricians have limited training in natural health and are wary to suggest such approaches, and parents are often reluctant to disclose their use of natural methods.

Holistic pediatricians, on the other hand, typically get additional training in healing modalities that allows them to integrate natural options into mainstream methods. Unlike many pediatricians in busy clinics that can see a child only briefly, holistic pediatricians typically take longer.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all conventional approach,” says holistic pediatrician Elisa Song, of Belmont, California, who blogs at HealthyKidsHappyKids.com.

For a child with asthma, for example, Song checks for environmental, dietary or social triggers, including mold, food allergies or sensitivities and stress. She looks for underlying biomedical imbalances such as nutritional deficiencies, abnormal gut microbes and signs of a leaky gut. “Based upon clinical and laboratory findings, an

initial treatment plan may include elimination of food sensitivities, supplementation with a 3-6-9 fish oil and magnesium, and mindfulness exercises that incorporate diaphragmatic breathing,” she says.

Pediatric naturopaths are another option for parents. These doctors typically start from a natural medicine perspective, are trained in herbs and nutrition, and collaborate with bodyworkers, physical therapists and counselors. “Really, anything that helps a child thrive,” says pediatric naturopath Kathryn Purvis, of Tempe, Arizona. “We use treatments that are gentle and safe, but are also trained to use conventional treatments if necessary.”

Naturopaths undergo a four-year postgraduate medical education like pediatricians, but do not complete an additional three years of pediatric residency, although they can do internships and take courses for certification. In 26 states, they can prescribe pharmaceuticals and administer vaccines.

Purvis is the primary care provider for about 75 percent of the children she sees and provides adjunctive care for specific condi-

tions with the rest. For example, one child with chronic ear infections was facing ear tube surgery on the advice of a pediatrician; after his parents followed her advice to take him off dairy and give him certain supplements and a homeopathic remedy, the condition cleared up.

Chiropractors that specialize in pediatrics, although not usually a child’s primary doctor, correct misalignments of the cranium, spine and pelvis using extra-low force, “like checking the ripeness of a tomato,” says pediatric chiropractor Kaleb Scroggin, of Savannah, author of the children’s book C is for Chiropractor. For example, treating a constipated, breast-fed baby usually produces immediate results, he says, adding that adjustments can also help infants with latching issues, painful gas, reflux and general irritability. “My goal is to see how healthy I can help your child become,” he advises.

Ronica O’Hara is a Denver-based health writer. Connect at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

January 2021

25

Questions for Pediatricians

Storybooks.com

When seeking a pediatrician, integrative or not, holistic pediatrician Natalie W. Geary, of Miami, founder of vedaHEALTH (VedaHealth.com), says, “My best advice is to look for a pediatrician that has open communication skills, that listens well and that has the confidence to engage in a Q&A without getting defensive and ruffled.

There are several questions to ask that will help guide you.”

In addition, she provides tips on what to look for in the answers.

1. Will you be talking to us about our baby’s nutrition in detail?

Pediatricians trained in integrative medicine recognize that children’s health is fundamentally grounded in what they eat. They need to recognize the impact of poor nutrition on a baby’s growing and developing brain, especially in the first three years of life, and be

patient in helping parents navigate food intolerances—not just food allergies—as well as developmental stages and feeding behavior.

2. How do you feel about adjunct therapies such as craniosacral massage, acupuncture and Ayurveda?

The important thing here is not that they necessarily offer these things, but that they are informed about their benefits and are not dismissive or judgmental, and that they are open to working with the other healers and practitioners involved.

3. What are your thoughts on antibiotics?

Some pediatricians may be defensive about this, but it’s worth asking politely to see if they are open to a conversation about when alternatives might be useful, especially for things like ear infections.

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natural pet

Helping Pets Live Their Best Life

by Erin Lehn

FloridaWild Veterinary Hospital is located at 115 E. Euclid Ave., in DeLand. For more information, call 386-734-9899 or visit FloridaWildVetHospital.com. See ad, page 30.

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F

loridaWild Veterinary Hospital, in DeLand, is dedicated to providing compassionate and outstanding medical, dental, diagnostic and surgical care for cats, dogs, birds and exotics. “We are proud to offer an integrative approach to veterinary medicine,” says FloridaWild founder Erin Holder, DVM, CVA, who opened her clinic in 2004. “By combining both Eastern and Western medicine, we’re able to provide the best possible outcome for your pet.”

According to Holder, FloridaWild recommends minimizing vaccines in accordance with the American Animal Hospital Association. “We believe nutrition is the foundation of your pet’s health for each and every species,” she says. “And we’re happy to work with you on a long-term nutrition and wellness plan that suits your pet’s individual needs.”

In addition to basic veterinary care, FloridaWild is proud to offer a wide variety of integrative health services, including acupuncture, body alignment, digital thermal imaging, echocardiogram, exotic pet care, homeopathy, laser therapy, intravenous vitamin therapy, kinesiology taping, meridian stress analysis, microbiome replacement therapy, nutrition, sanawave therapy, ozone therapy, reiki, stem cell therapy, titer testing, ultrasound, canine rehabilitation, orthopedic manipulation therapy and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine.

“We look forward to sitting down with you to devise a total health plan for your furry, feathered or scaled family member so we can ‘help your pet live their best life’,” affirms Holder.

Healing Pets Holistically Integrative Vets Treat Root Causes

by Julie Peterson

E

mma, a mini-schnauzer mix, was 4 years old when she started acting like a senior lacking zest for running or playing. After being treated by an integrative veterinarian for one month, she regained vibrancy. “She’s 6 years old now, and she’s her normal, barky, running, zig-zagging self,” says Yvonnda Agent, a volunteer with animal transport rescue operations, near Rockvale, Tennessee.

Agent’s practitioner determined Emma had kidney issues that were slowing her down. Upon deeper investigation, these problems were found to be the only visible symptom of a tick-borne illness.

Once given immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory and liver-detox herbs, the dog made a full recovery.

Expanded Options

Getting to the root cause of the condition is what integrative veterinarians are known for. They combine both conventional and holistic medicine, may use fewer drugs and limit vaccinations.

“With conventional medicine, we tend to treat the symptoms, versus treating the root cause of disease, which is why a

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majority of the time, the symptoms return when the drug is finished,” says veterinarian Katie Woodley, in Fort Collins, Colorado, who blogs at TheNaturalPetDoctor.com.

“With a holistic approach, we look at the nutrition, gut health and how all the systems are connected … and resolve the imbalance.”

Holistic veterinarians may specialize in acupuncture, herbal medicine, kinesiology, chiropractic, laser therapy or any of many other natural modalities as an adjunct to conventional medicine. They first must earn a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree and then may pursue optional holistic training. Following this path can take a great deal of time.

Natural Nutrition

At the Franklin Road Animal Hospital, in Brentwood, Tennessee, Mark C. Ingram, DVM, has found inadequate nutrition from low-quality foods at the root of most health problems. High-quality food helps animals absorb nutrients needed for optimal well-being. “The first ingredient should always be meat, and we like limited-ingredient foods due to the numerous allergies we see,” says Ingram. “Every case of cancer

that we have seen in the last 20 years has food allergies. Every torn cruciate and every paralyzed dog with disc problems has food allergies. It is also the most underlying cause for ear infections and cystitis.”

This was the case with Gabby, a 3-year-old mini-schnauzer that Agent rescued about a year ago. “She came to us with a bottle of ear solution and a history of green pus in her ears,” says Agent.

Gabby’s medical history indicated that the ears, in addition to digestive problems, had been unsuccessfully treated with antibiotics and changes in diet.

“Our holistic vet recommended a raw diet with no grains and no starchy vegetables. Gabby hasn’t had a single instance of ear irritation since,” says Agent, who believes that whole foods served as medicine and now serve as prevention for her pets.

Vexing Vaccinations

members, has a search-by-state feature that also lists the modalities practiced by each veterinarian at ahvma.org/find-a-holisticveterinarian. In addition, Woodley, Ingram and others offer telehealth or long-distance consults. In lieu of finding a vet that is listed as holistic, pet parents can call clinics to ask questions about alternative treatments.

Some facilities are more flexible than others.

Choosing a veterinarian is a personal decision for owners. “I feel that traditional versus holistic care is simply sick care versus well care,” says Agent. “Their quality of life is so important to me and they’re solely dependent on the choices I make for them.

I’m going to choose well care.”

Julie Peterson writes from rural Wisconsin and has contributed to Natural Awakenings for more than a decade. Contact her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

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There is ongoing debate whether pet vaccination boosters that may be required by law or strongly recommended by vets provide increased protection or are harmful.

Mounting evidence says that they are often overdone: for example, both five-pound and 100-pound dogs receive the same dosage.

Yet vaccinations do prevent some serious diseases. “We do not like to over-vaccinate, but provide appropriate protection by minimal vaccination and encourage titers,” says Ingram. Titers are blood tests used to determine if a pet’s antibodies are high enough from a previous vaccination to warrant a booster shot for the specific disease.

“Many of the core vaccines that your pet needs to be protected from diseases like parvovirus and distemper actually provide lifelong immunity with one vaccine,” says Woodley.

Choosing a Veterinarian

Commonly, people seek holistic veterinarians after they have had success with human integrative medicine. But finding such a provider isn’t simple. “My clientele regularly travels one to four hours for a consultation,” says Ingram, who fully understands that demand is outstripping supply for integrative veterinary care.

The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, which has 1,500 January 2021

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Katie Tripp

florida & fauna

Wild petunia is one of the host plants of the White Peacock Butterfly.

Gardening for Butterflies

by Katie Tripp

J

anuary and February are the perfect months to prepare for spring gardening in northeast Florida. Many homeowners cite “attracting butterflies” as a gardening goal. The best way to attract butterflies and keep them close is to provide them with what are known as host plants. Females of each butterfly species lay their eggs on the leaves of a particular plant or plant family.

The most common example is the monarch butterfly, which lays its eggs on milkweed.

Fertilized eggs laid by female butterflies develop and hatch within days into tiny, hungry caterpillars. Caterpillars grow by eating leaves from their host plants. This is why it is so important that female butterflies lay eggs directly onto the leaves of their

species’ hosts. Newly hatched caterpillars must be able to eat immediately, and this is only possible if they hatch directly into the buffet. Caterpillars continue to grow until they are ready to form a chrysalis. In preparation for this metamorphosis, they typically crawl to a nearby area, such as the branch of a tree.

Gardeners working in a home landscape have a finite amount of space, be it 10 square feet or 10 acres. Where space is limited, plantings must be prioritized. If a gardener has a favorite butterfly, he or she may choose to plant only the species that serves as its host. If butterfly diversity is the goal, then a wide array of host plants must be incorporated. There are approximately 45 butterfly species indigenous to northeast Florida (the number ranges from 44 to 46 in the coastal counties from Volusia to Nassau). Get to know local butterflies by visiting FloridaMuseum.ufl. edu/wildflowers/butterfly-search, then select plants from the table accompanying this article to attract desired species. For excellent photos to help identify all life stages of butterflies, visit entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures.

Inside the chrysalis, the transformation into a butterfly occurs, and upon hatching, the life cycle begins again. Butterflies can drink nectar from a wide variety of flowers, including those that do not serve as a host. It is important to note that not all host plants are perennial flowering species. Some are native grasses, shrubs or trees. In fact, oak trees are the most important host in the Northern Hemisphere (the top half of the entire planet!).

Gardening to benefit butterflies is fun and rewarding, and can be an excellent first step into gardening with Florida native plants. Visit fann.org to find local sources of native plants and connect with professionals that can provide assistance with any aspect of imagining, creating and maintaining a home landscape where butterflies flourish.

Katie Tripp, Ph.D., is the owner of Natural Beauty Native Florida Landscapes, LLC. She created her business to educate Floridians about the importance of utilizing native plants and to help residents create wildlife habitat. Tripp is an active member of the Pawpaw chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and a member of the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.

Connect with her at 727-504-4740 or NaturalBeauty Florida@gmail.com. See ad this page.

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January 2021

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calendar of events SATURDAY, JANUARY 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5

Healing Event – Noon-3pm. Meet the practitioners and experience different healing techniques. $15 love offering goes to St. Jude’s hospital. Spiritual Uplifts, 2186 Park Ave, Orange Park. 904-2924555. SpiritualUplifts.com.

Rainbow Tuesday – Stock up and save 20% on all regular priced items. Debbie’s Health Foods Port Orange, 3850 S Nova Rd. 386-763-7046; and Debbie’s Health Foods Orange City, 862 Saxon Blvd. 386-775-7002.

Lemurian and Light Beings – 1:30-3:30pm.

Rev. Judi Weaver will lead a Living Channeling with a focus on Lemurians and Light Beings for participants to receive group messages and ask questions. $30. Andrew Davis Jackson Bld, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: or 386-503-4930. Rev. Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 7

Talking Stick Circle – 5pm. Join for a Native American gathering to share ancient teachings as channeled from our Elders. Follow the tradition of cleansing and synchronize our souls through the sacred practice of drumming. Bring your instruments, family, friends; children welcome. Handmade gift exchange (bring two). Andrew Jackson Davis Bld, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-503-4930.

Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

MONDAY, JANUARY 4 Monday Madness – Save 25% on almost any purchase the 1st Monday of each month. Organic Produce, high quality CBD, personal care products, natural foods and more. Family Nutrition at Healing Zone Wellness Center, 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Bch. 386-402-8997. TheFamily NutritionStore.com.

GET YOUR

Transcendental Meditation – Noon. Introductory talk by video teleconference. The TM technique is a uniquely simple, natural, effortless procedure that is scientifically proven to reduce stress, maximize mental clarity and improve health.

This video conference gives all the information needed to make an informed decision about learning the TM technique. Register: 904-375-9517 or Jacksonville@TM.org.

Knee Pain Workshop – 5:30-6:30pm. Does your knee lock up or give way; hurt after sitting or stairs; prevent activity? Learn about treatments for knee pain, good and bad stresses for the knee and injury prevention. Thomas Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 100 Professional Blvd, Daytona Bch. RSVP: 386-257-2672. ThomasPhysicalTherapy.com.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13

Jewelry Show – Jan 9-10. Sparkle and shine rare crystal gem jewelry. There will be gemstones, vintage-inspired, sterling silver, symbols, and more. Spiritual Uplifts, 2186 Park Ave, Orange Park. 904-292-4555. SpiritualUplifts.com.

Spiritual Enrichment Classes – 7pm. Visit the website for class information. All classes are conducted via Zoom. Unity Church for Creative Living, 2777 Race Track Rd, St. Johns. 904-2871505. UnityInJax.com.

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Making Predictions Using Mediumship – 3-5:30pm. Online class. $36. Hosted by International Foundation for Spiritual Knowledge. Info/ register: 407-247-7823. ifsk.org.

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MEDICAL

$150

Ask Your Angels – 9am. An angelic workshop opportunity to meet one of your many angels. Rev. Judi Weaver, an intuitive channel, will alter her state of consciousness to a higher vibration so each participant can receive an inspirational message of guidance and have an opportunity to ask a question of their angel, thereby expanding self-knowledge.

Individuals are encouraged to audio record their guidance messages. $35. Holistic House of Holly Hill, 1126 Riverside Dr. Info: 386-503-4930. Rev. Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 17

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Unity Church for Creative Living Sunday Service – 10:30am. Join on Facebook Live to travel the journey of spiritual unfoldment together. Or visit the YouTube Channel. Unity Church for Creative Living, 2777 Race Track Rd, St. Johns. 904-287-1505.

UnityInJax.com.

Unity Church for Creative Living Sunday Service – 10:30am. Join on Facebook Live to travel the journey of spiritual unfoldment together. Or visit the YouTube Channel. Unity Church for Creative Living, 2777 Race Track Rd, St. Johns. 904-287-1505. UnityInJax.com.

Talking Stick Circle – 5pm. Join for a Native American gathering to share ancient teachings as channeled from our elders. Follow the tradition of cleansing and synchronize our souls through the sacred practice of drumming. Bring your instruments, family, friends; children welcome. Handmade gift exchange (bring two). Andrew Jackson Davis Bld, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-503-4930.

Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

Live Channeling Circle – 5pm. Jan 24 & 31. Join Rev. Judi Weaver to discuss what is transpiring in the Universe and how the energies are affecting each of you. She will then elevate her consciousness to provide trance Channel messages and guidance from Universal Light Beings for the betterment of mankind and your own personal development. Questions are encouraged. $25. Holistic House of Holly Hill, 1126 Riverside Dr, Holly Hill. Info: 386-503-4930.

Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

Shoulder Pain Workshop – 5:30-6:30pm. What is your shoulder pain stopping you from doing?

Learn about treatments for shoulder pain, good and bad stresses for the shoulder and injury prevention.

Thomas Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 100 Professional Blvd, Daytona Bch. RSVP: 386-2572672. ThomasPhysicalTherapy.com.

Light language Level II – 10:30am-9pm. Get your light language certification level two. $325. Spiritual Uplifts, 2186 Park Ave, Orange Park. 904-292-4555.

SpiritualUplifts.com.

Heart 4 Souls Spiritual Guidance – 2pm. A virtual monthly event on the 4th Sunday. Guests receive an overall group message from the heart, followed by a live channeling session where Universal Light Beings provide guidance and answer questions for spiritual wisdom and support you with the expansion of your soul. Universal Light Beings may be messages from the God Source, Great Spirit, Arch Angels, Masters, Spirit Guides, Lemurian’s, etc. Free on Facebook Live virtual gathering on Heart4Souls. Info: 386-503-4930. Rev. Judi.Weaver@gmail.com or SpiritualServices.online.

MONDAY, JANUARY 25 Past Life Circle – 7-9pm. Discover your past lives and how it affects the present. $40. Spiritual Uplifts, 2186 Park Ave, Orange Park. 904-292-4555.

SpiritualUplifts.com.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 Spiritual Enrichment Classes – 7pm. Visit the website for class information. All classes are conducted via Zoom. Unity Church for Creative Living, 2777 Race Track Rd, St. Johns. 904-287-1505.

UnityInJax.com.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 The Energy Body: Exploring and Awakening the Chakras – 3-4:15pm. Two-part workshop with Irene Schrank and Chris Calvelli. First session will focus on the lower three chakras; Muladhara (root), Svadistana (sacral), and Manipura (solar plexus), plus Anahata (heart) chakra. The second session we will concentrate on the Sahasrara (crown), Anja ( third eye) and the Vishudda (throat) then return to the heart chakra. $90/per person (both sessions included), Mind Body and Beyond Center, 14215 Spartina Ct, Ste 300, Jacksonville. Info/register: 904-992-9930.

Live Channeling Circle – 5pm. Also Feb 14, 21 & 28. Join Rev. Judi Weaver to discuss what is transpiring in the Universe and how the energies are affecting each of you. She will then elevate her consciousness to provide trance Channel messages and guidance from Universal Light Beings for the betterment of mankind and your own personal development. Questions are encouraged. $25. Holistic House of Holly Hill, 1126 Riverside Dr, Holly Hill.

Info: 386-503-4930. Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 Unity Church for Creative Living Sunday Service – 10:30am. Join on Facebook Live to travel the journey of spiritual unfoldment together. Or visit the YouTube Channel. Unity Church for Creative Living, 2777 Race Track Rd, St. Johns. 904-287-1505.

UnityInJax.com.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20

plan ahead

Private Healing with Elka Boren – Jan 20-25.

10:30am-6pm. $75/half-hour, $125/hour, $175/90 mins. Spiritual Uplifts, 2186 Park Ave, Orange Park.

904-292-4555. SpiritualUplifts.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Spiritual Enrichment Classes – 7pm. Visit the website for class information. All classes are conducted via Zoom. Unity Church for Creative Living, 2777 Race Track Rd, St. Johns. 904-287-1505.

UnityInJax.com.

Rainbow Tuesday – Stock up and save 20% on all regular priced items. Debbie’s Health Foods Port Orange, 3850 S Nova Rd. 386-763-7046; and Debbie’s Health Foods Orange City, 862 Saxon Blvd.

386-775-7002.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 Elka Goddess and Gods Circle – 7:30-9:30pm.

Learn how to work with the goddess and gods while receiving a healing from Elka Boren. $40. Spiritual Uplifts, 2186 Park Ave, Orange Park, 904-292-4555.

SpiritualUplifts.com.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 Making Predictions Using Mediumship – 10:30am-1pm. Online class. $36. Hosted by International Foundation for Spiritual Knowledge. Info/ register: 407-247-7823. ifsk.org.

Wealth Manifesting Circle – 7:30-9:30pm. Learn how the mandala can balance your life and bring wealth. $40. Spiritual Uplifts, 2186 Park Ave, Orange Park. 904-292-4555. SpiritualUplifts.com.

January 2021

33

ADVERTORIAL

The Awakening of Humanity

By Lynne Girdlestone

T

oday we are all experiencing one or more of the negative effects of an incredibly destructive ‘agent of change.’ Although horrific things happen every day on this planet, they usually affect other people elsewhere. COVID-19, however, can potentially reach anyone, anywhere, upending our lives in a multitude of ways. The obvious questions—how do we stop this virus, will a vaccine help, will the global economy recover—are all unknowns. They occupy our thoughts and emotions with every newscast.

For some, the crisis is merely an inconvenient interruption in their ‘business as usual.’ For others it has created new ways to profit at the expense of others.

But for most, it’s an amplified survival issue.

We know that nothing happens by chance: “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” and “As you sow, so shall you reap.” What is happening today has its roots in everything that has gone before. When dysfunction reaches a tipping point, something extraordinary happens to get our attention. This pandemic may be saying “STOP... NOW ... look at the world you’ve built ... untold suffering amidst obscene excess ... all life forms and the planet itself in mortal danger!”

The slowing and isolation are giving us the opportunity to consider these issues deeply and emerge with a better Plan B. That so many people are getting the message is an incredibly hopeful sign. Neighbors are helping each other; service organizations are expanding their roles and methods; scientific organizations around the world are sharing their research findings on possible treatments and vaccines; governments are trying to lift the financial burden of their citizens.

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What would happen if this behavior were to continue post-Covid-19? Could it lead to treating a recovering planet as a ‘global village’ and its citizens as the one human family it is? It would take time, but we can start by demanding of our ‘leaders’ that we all push the ‘reset’ button and begin to move in that direction!

Fortunately, at this very time, a little-known cosmic event is also taking place. As we move into the Aquarian age, characterized by energies of synthesis, unity and cooperation, the spiritual custodians of human evolution—the Masters of Wisdom—have once again sent one of their great ones into the world to act as a teacher for the coming time. Some of the past teachers we have known historically as Confucius, Krishna, Buddha, the Christ and Mohammed.

Major world religions all expect another great teacher at some future time, and his imminent appearance has been foreseen by some writers since the late 1800s.

For more than 40 years, British esotericist and lecturer Benjamin Creme informed the world of a coming change— of the collapse of our old structures to make way for the new. He served as a herald for the World Teacher for this age, Maitreya—the one expected by many and longed for by millions (consciously or not), who has come now to guide us through this perilous time and into a cleansed and transformed new world.

Maitreya has advised humanity to make the needed changes to put our world on a saner, fairer path: “He [Maitreya] will show that essentially men are one, no matter the colour or the creed, that the bounty of Earth belongs to all, and that sharing of that

bounty is the key to man’s future.

Only sharing, and the justice which it will bring, offers hope to man. Only justice wrought out of sharing will end the plagues of war and terror.

Only sharing and justice can bring men to that Brotherhood which is their true inheritance. When men see this they will rise to the challenge and tackle one by one the many problems which daunt us now.” (Benjamin Creme’s Master from ‘Transformation,’ Share International magazine) Maitreya and his group have worked behind the scenes for millennia to guide our human family. Now, with these powerful, incorruptible allies openly in the world for the next 2,000 years and beyond, we have the opportunity to build a new world that works for everyone. Will we take it? In response to today’s injustices, we are marching. We are protesting. We are sharing resources and helping others.

We are agitating for change. We are on the right track! Let’s not even consider returning to ‘business as usual.’

For free information: Share-International.us 888-242-8272 info@share-international.us

In The Awakening of Humanity, Benjamin Creme leads us on a journey of hope for the joyful world-changing events that are on the way.

Free download at: https://share-ecart.com/ the-awakening-of-humanity-pdf/

ongoing events Please visit the location’s website or Facebook page for up-to-date information.

sunday Yin Yoga – 9-10:30am. Begin your Sunday with this gentle yin class. Energetic, yet calming. All levels.

BOGO: new students pay for first class; attend your second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Farmers’ Market and More – 9am-5pm. Shop rain or shine for farm fresh produce, plants, trees flowers, herbs and spices, gourmet coffee and teas, honey, jams, salsas and more. Daytona Flea Market, 1425 Tomoka Farms Rd, Daytona Bch. Cassadaga Spiritualist Lyceum – 9:30-10:15am.

Learn more about the science, philosophy and religion of spiritualism at Lyceum (Adult Sunday School). A different teacher each week instructs on the truths of spiritualism and other related subjects.

Free. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

Cassadaga Sunday Church Service – 10:3011:45am. Following the church service, a free All-Message Service from noon-1pm. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

Unity Community Church – 11am. Join for a weekly spiritual celebration. 1001 S Ridgewood Ave (US 1), Edgewater. 386-481-0890.

Discovery (Kripalu Tradition) – 11am-12:30pm.

Connect breath with movement allowing you to be centered in the present moment. Move gracefully through postures and connected movements. Feel energized and relaxed. All levels. BOGO: new students pay for first-class; second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

LVCY Chair Yoga – 11-12:30am. Learn how to make your chair your best friend. BOGO: new students pay for first class; attend your second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Shimmy Chic – 7-8pm. Shimmy into shape with this fun dance class. Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733. Info: PadmaYoga Online.com.

Mediumship Development and Practice Circle – 7-8:30pm. This practice circle is open to mediums that are able to exhibit prior mediumistic training or instruction. Email to confirm requirements. $20. Attend online. Contact for info: Carl@CarlSeaver.com.

See schedule at TheKarmaCastle.com/calendar.

tuesday Gentle Hatha Yoga – 9am. $12. All levels. Mind Body Soul, 821 Canal St, New Smyrna Bch. 386-410-2175.

Slow Vin – 9:30-11am. Linking posture to posture with pausing to feel the energy allowing the body to speak to its needs. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast.

386-225-4733.

Psychic/Aura Readings and Guided Meditations – 10am-4pm. With Mistia. Schedule by appointment or walk-ins welcome. Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. 386-274-0038.

Facebook: MysticalExpressionsLLC. Tai Chi – 10-10:45am. With Lee Walker Shi Fu. $10/ drop-in or $40/monthly unlimited. Silva Dance Studio, 2355 S Ridgewood Ave, S Daytona. 386-405-4489.

Senior Discount Day – Noon-6pm. Seniors save 10% off all regularly priced items. Two locations: Debbie’s Health Foods, 862 Saxon Blvd, Orange City. 386-775-7002; and 3850 S Nova Rd, Port Orange. 386-763-7046.

Psychic Development Circle – 7-9pm. An ongoing circle with fun and exciting, yet challenging exercises offered each week. No experience necessary; all levels of development are welcome. $20. Attend online. Contact for info: Carl@CarlSeaver.com. See schedule at TheKarmaCastle.com/calendar.

monday

wednesday

Psychic/Aura Readings and Guided Mediations – 10am-4pm. With Mistia. Schedule by appointment or walk-ins welcome. Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. 386-274-0038.

Facebook: MysticalExpressionsLLC.

Yin Yoga – 9-10:30am. Begin your Sunday with this gentle yin class. Energetic, yet calming. All levels.

BOGO: new students pay for first class; attend your second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Monday Madness – 8am-6pm. 1st Mon. Save 25% on supplements and food items. Family Nutrition at Healing Zone, 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Bch. 386-402-7825.

Hatha Movement – 9:30-11am. Challenge yourself with this upbeat, fun and energizing class. BOGO: new students pay for first class; attend your second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Book Study Group – 10-11:30am. Led by Rev. Nancy Saputro. Unity Community Church, 1001 S Ridgewood Ave, Edgewater. Info: 386-481-0890.

Kundalini Yoga Class – 5-6:30pm. Pranayama, movement, mantras, meditation. Balance and strengthen glandular, nervous and muscular systems; expand lung capacity, purify blood, balance body, mind and soul. Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. PadmaYogaOnline.com.

Meet Up Group – 6-8pm. 3rd Wed. Wanted likeminded people for open discussion and questions.

Love donation. Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. RSVPs appreciated: 386274-0038. Facebook: @MysticalExpressionsLLC. Meditation and Energy Healing – 6:30-8pm. Twin Hearts Meditation and instruction; pranic healing offered to all; effective for any problem. Donation (free gift for newcomers). Online via Zoom. Email for link. Presented by New Smyrna Meditation and Healing Center, 516 S Orange St, New Smyrna Bch. Kathy: 386-566-5677. PranicHealingnsb@gmail. com. PranicHealingnsb.com.

Cassadaga Message Service – 7-9pm. Mediums give Spirit Greetings. $5 donation. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

thursday Senior Discount Day – 9am-7pm. Seniors save 10% off all regularly priced items. Two locations: Debbie’s Health Foods, 862 Saxon Blvd, Orange City.

386-775-7002; and 3850 S Nova Rd, Port Orange.

386-763-7046.

Hatha Flow – 9:30-11am. BOGO: new students pay for first-class; attend your second class free.

Limited six per live class; preregistration required.

Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Cassadaga Healing Meditation Circle – 11amnoon. Join in circle to send healing energy to those on our healing lists and the planet. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

Kundalini Yoga and Meditation – 6-7:30pm.

Offered in-person and livestream. Calm your racing mind, ease stress and feel more hopeful. Join Shannon MacDonald, Transformation Coach and reconnect to your peace with the heart-opening practice of Kundalini yoga and meditation. All levels and abilities. All poses can be modified to suit you no matter where you are on the fitness scale. $15 prepaid online. No walk in’s. The Karma Castle 1437 N US Hwy 1, Ste C8, Ormond Bch. Info: TheKarmaCastle.com/calendar.

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Know Thee as The Self: Ancient Wisdom Teachings – 7-9pm. Sacred music and enlightening videos will be included in this ongoing class; notebook suggested. Rev. Dr. Don Zanghi. Donation. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

friday Compost and Honey Special – All day. Compost $5/bag and 10% off local honey. 142 W Int’l Speedway Blvd, Daytona Bch. 386-341-5068.

NaturalConceptsRevisited.com.

community resource guide ACUPUNCTURE PHYSICIANS ACUPUNCTURE & PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER

You Chang Hu, DOM, AP Kunning Li, DOM, AP • 2135 S Ridgewood Ave, Daytona Beach 386-760-2112 • 50 Leanni Way, Palm Coast 386-445-0098 AcupuncturePainMgmt.com Dr. Hu and Dr. Li are graduates of Traditional Chinese Medical Universities in China.

They have practiced acupuncture and Chinese medicine for a combined 45+ years.

See ad, page 19.

Readings – Psychic, medium, psychometry (reading of objects). Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. 386-274-0038. Facebook: MysticalExpressionsLLC. Farmers’ Market and More – 9am-5pm. Shop rain or shine for farm fresh produce, plants, trees flowers, herbs and spices, gourmet coffee and teas, honey, jams, salsas and more. Daytona Flea Market, 1425 Tomoka Farms Rd, Daytona Bch. Come Feel the Spirit –7-9pm. 1st Fri. Old fashioned Spiritualist Message Service presented by Rev. Dr. Louis Gates. $5 donation. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

saturday Discovery (Kripalu Tradition) – 9-10:30am. Connect breath with movement allowing you to be centered in the present moment. Move gracefully through postures and connected movements. Feel energized and relaxed.

All levels. BOGO: new students pay for first-class; second class free. Limited six per live class; preregistration required. Also Livestream Padma Yoga, 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast. 386-225-4733.

Classic Car Cruise-In – 9am-1pm. 1st Sat. The market welcomes more than 300 classic and collector cars. Enjoy the music of DJ Frank in the west parking lot during the Cruise-In. It’s free to show your car and free to browse rows of classic automobiles. Daytona Flea & Farmers Market, 1425 Tomoka Farms Rd. 386-253-3330. DaytonaFleaMarket.com.

Farmers’ Market and More – 9am-5pm. Shop rain or shine for farm fresh produce, plants, trees flowers, herbs and spices gourmet coffee and teas, honey, jams, salsas and more. Daytona Flea Market, 1425 Tomoka Farms Rd, Daytona Bch. Psychic/Aura Readings and Guided Meditations – 10am-4pm. With Mistia. Schedule by appointment or walk-ins welcome. Mystical Expressions, 1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona. 386-274-0038.

Facebook: MysticalExpressionsLLC. Tea Charm Readings, Butterfly Readings, Meet Your Power Animal Sessions – Noon-4pm. By appointment. Spice of Life Herbs, 214 W Beresford Ave, DeLand. 386-734-0035.

ACUPUNCTURE & SKIN CARE CLINIC

Lorenzo Phan, DOM, AP 725 W Granada Blvd Ste. 15, Ormond Beach 386-615-1203 • AcuBeautyTherapy.com Dr. Phan has great success in promoting fertility with acupuncture and herbal supplements. Nonsurgical modalities for natural pain relief include acupuncture, trigger point therapy, Chinese herbal remedies, cupping, neuromuscular therapy, and cold laser for neck injuries, chronic lower back pain, sciatica, hip/knee arthritis and migraines and more.

MM20928. See ad, page 13.

RP ACUPUNCTURE

Rosa Panos, AP, DOM, PT AP3945 397 Palm Coast Parkway SW #5 386-283-4655 • RPAcupunctureFL.com 28 years of medical experience combining Eastern & Western medicine. Acupuncture Physician, Physical Therapist and Diplomate of Oriental Medicine. Studies include China Medical University, Ta i w a n . I n t e g r a t i v e p a i n management, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Acupoint Injections and Zyto Elite Scanning. See ad, page 16.

ANGEL LIFE COACH PATRICIA ALTON

Angel Therapy Practitioner® Spiritual Life Coach 386-873-2517 Angel-Pathways.com

Cassadaga Encounter the Spirits Night Tour – 7:30-9:30pm. Bring digital camera for pictures of spirit orbs during tour. $25/adult, $15/children 7-12.

Bring exact change cash after store hours, or pay ahead with credit card at Cassadaga.org. Andrew Jackson Davis (Bookstore) Building, 1112 Stevens St., Cassadaga. Info: 386-228-2880.

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Channeled angel messages to heal and transform relationships, life purpose and health. Angelic mediumship, past life regressions, wise women gatherings, ordained minister. House blessings. Gift certificates available.

BOOKS • CREATIVE ARTS • GIFTS & MORE CASSADAGA BOOKSTORE 1112 Stevens St, Cassadaga 386-228-2880 Cassadaga.org

Open Monday-Saturday, 10am6pm and Sunday, 11:30am-5pm.

We’re so much more than a bookstore with: books, CDs, DVDs, rocks, crystals, gems, jewelry, figurines, lamps, oils/ aromatherapy, incense, sage and Native American items. Personal readings, historical tours, Saturday night orb tours and gift certificates.

See ad, page 21.

MYSTICAL EXPRESSIONS OF PARADISE, LLC

1014 Reed Canal Rd, S Daytona 386-274-0038 MysticalExpressionsOfParadise.com Facebook: @MysticalExpressionsLLC YouTube: @MysticalExpressionsLLC Open Mon-Wed & Fri-Sat 10am4pm; Closed Thu & Sun. Appts. available. A unique experience of natural stones and crystals, organites, pendulums, runes, jewelry, sages, incense, candles, books, tapestries, tarot cards, singing bowls & unique items.

Services Include: Readings, Healings, Meditations, Painting & other events. Appointments appreciated.

Walk-ins welcomed. For schedules/times, see: Instore, Instagram or Facebook.

CAFÉ – JUICE BAR SUPERFOODS CAFÉ & JUICE BAR 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach 386-402-7825 TheFamilyNutritionStore.com

Daily lunch specials include vegan and gluten-free soups made daily from all organic ingredients. Coldpress juices, 3-, 5- and 10-day cleanse. Doctor-formulated protein smoothies, and create-your-own smoothies with a variety of fruit bases and supplements. Call for daily specials. Café Hours M-F 8am-4pm Sat 8-5; Soup 11am-3pm M-Sat. Two daily soups–one vegan, always gluten-free. See ad, page 25.

CBD PRODUCTS ASHA’S ELIXIRS

1500 Beville Rd Daytona Beach ashavapes.business.site 386-275-1018 Official showroom for Asha’s Elixirs, a local manufacturer or high-end CBD products. Asha specializes in medicinal grade CBD products from full-spectrum CBD oil. 10% discount for active and disabled military, 1st responders and college students. Free Samples.

YOUR CBD STORE

DENTIST HOLISTIC DENTAL HEALTH CARE

George W Edwards, DMD David W Edwards, DMD 541 N Palmetto Ave, Sanford 407-322-6143 • HolisticDentalHealth.com Holistic dentistry focuses on whole-body wellness that starts with the mouth. We are dentists who perform dentistry that is good for the body, as well as the teeth and gums.

See ad, page 7.

• 117 W Howry Ave, DeLand • 386-627-6715 DeLandFL.CBDrx4u.com • 160 Cypress Point Pkwy, Ste A105 Palm Coast • 386-627-5271 PalmCoast.CBDrx4u.com

VALERIE G DAVIS, MD

Offering Certified Organic CBD products exclusive to Your CBD stores. Products are formulated using other cannabinoids and terpenes , creating unique synergies that increase efficacy, target specific ailments and increase the binding of CBD. Stop in and try a free sample. See ad, page 19.

Valerie G Davis, MD, integrates holistic dermatology in the forms of homeopathy, herbal medicine and energy medicine. Her latest fields of study are ozone therapy and stem cell medicine. Davis also practices and teaches Twin Hearts meditation and Pranic healing at New Smyrna Meditation and Healing Center, next door to her office.

CHIROPRACTIC BE WELL CHIROPRACTIC

@Healing Zone 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach 386-402-8997 • BeWellNSB.Com Drs. Wendy and Christian Edwards are dedicated to providing holistic patient-centered care. In addition to chiropractic, they offer Class IV laser, Frequency Specific Microcurrent, functional medicine, pregnancy care and pediatrics.

Through specific testing they locate imbalances and recommend natural approaches. See ad, page 25.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY BEACHSIDE COLONICS

Lidia Nash 18 Bovard Ave Ste A, Ormond Beach 1655 Restarrick Ave, South Daytona 386-760-0035 Lidia@BeachsideColonics.com Gentle rinsing of the colon removes toxic waste that can contribute to pain, inflammation and disease. Relaxing and effective. Lidia also offers ionic foot cleanse, infrared detox wraps and healthy food preparation classes. MA46199.

DERMATOLOGY – HOLISTIC 504 S Orange St, New Smyrna Beach 386-423-2218 • DavisDerm.com

HEALTH FOODS DEBBIE’S HEALTH FOODS

• 862 Saxon Blvd, Orange City 386-775-7002 • 3850 S Nova Rd, Port Orange 386-763-7046 DebbiesHealthFoods.com High quality supplements, CBD, grocery items, organic produce, special needs diets. Area’s most knowledgeable and friendly advice for over 30 years. See ads, page 2 and back cover.

FAMILY NUTRITION/HEALING ZONE 515 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach 386-402-7825 TheFamilyNutritionStore.com

Organic produce, natural foods, healthy snacks, personal care, pet products and more. Practitioneronly brands including Standard Process. Save 20% every day. See ad, page 25.

HEALTH FOODS FOR LIFE Bob Lewandowski, LNC 122 E Rich Ave, DeLand 386-734-2343

Open Monday-Saturday, 10am5pm. Bob has been in business more than 39 years with specialties including: nonallergenic foods, energizing weight reduction, organic skin care, herbs and vitamins. Licensed Nutritional Counselor. #0000177.

HEATH’S NATURAL FOODS

600 E 3rd Ave, New Smyrna Beach 386-423-5126 HeathsNaturalFoods.com Wide selection of natural supplements and herbs. Bulk herbs and spices, gluten-free products, organic beer/wine, pet products, grass-fed organic meats. Deli/juice bar. Store open 8am-6pm daily. Deli open 8am-5pm daily.

LOVE WHOLE FOODS CAFÉ & MARKET

• 275 Williamson Blvd, Ormond Beach 386-677-5236 • 1633 Taylor Rd, Port Orange 386-767-6543 LoveWholeFoods.com Open Monday-Friday, 9am-7pm; Saturday, 9am-6pm and Sunday, 11 a m - 5 p m w i t h f r i e n d l y, k n o w l e d g e a b l e s t a ff . G e t involved in your community, shop local and support organics.

Save more with our “Get Healthy, Get Rewarded” program.

NATURE’S GARDEN NATURAL HEALTH FOODS 2405 Enterprise Rd, Orange City 386-774-1222

Open MondayFriday, 10am–6pm; Saturday, 10am5pm. Quality vitamins, minerals, herbs, body building and dietary supplements, personal care, children and pet products, essential oils, books and mail-order available. 20% discounts every day.

If I were given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself. ~Charles M. Schulz

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MASSAGE THERAPIST

HERBS – HOLISTIC

CLAIRE JEFFRIES, LMT

SPICE OF LIFE HERBS

929 N Spring Garden Ave, Ste 163 386-690-4302 • MA 52384 VAGARO.com/ClaireJeffriesLMT

214 Beresford Ave, DeLand 386-734-0035 SpiceOfLifeHerbs.net Open Wednesdays – Saturdays, 11am – 5pm. Herbs by the ounce. Gaia Bag Monthly Subscription.

Teas and accessories.

Essential oils and diffusers, gemstones, Incense, oracle and Tarot cards, jewelry, statuary, Reiki sessions and circle. Visit and like SunSpirits Tea Room on Face Book. Shop online www. spiceoflifeherbs.net

INSURANCE

GREAT FLORIDA INSURANCE Cal Seibert, Agent 415 Dunlawton Ave, Ste 108 Port Orange • 386-256-4812

PEST CONTROL NATURAL NATURALLY GREEN PEST SOLUTIONS PO Box 354591, Palm Coast, FL, 32135 386-237-9663 NaturallyGreenPest.com Info@NaturallyGreenPest.com

Offering pest solutions for your home and lawn with a natural focus. Unwanted pests in your home can negatively affect your family’s health and your peace of mind. Eliminate them with a program you can feel good about.

Say goodbye to high insurance rates.

Contact us for quotes on auto, home, condo, renters, boat, motorcycle, dwelling and flood insurance. Experience personalized service. SR22 and FR44 policies available.

LIFE IS KETAFUL

William L Self, DNP 495 S Nova Rd, Ste 101-A, Ormond Beach 851 Dunlawton Ave, Port Orange 386-487-4673 • Ketaful.com Improve mental and physical health with ketamine therapy and IV nutrition. Ketamine helps difficultto-treat depression, PTSD, CRPS and migraines. IV nutrition formulas target specific nutritional needs.

See ad, page 21.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA WALK-IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA CLINICS 100 S Spring Garden Ave, DeLand 386-232-5599 631 Beville Rd, Daytona Beach 386-222-1667

PET SUPPLIES BULL RUN FARM SUPPLY

1020 N US Hwy 1, Ormond Beach 386-672-2735 BullRunFarmSupply.com Full-service pet store. Large selection of holistic treats and certified organic pet products, toys, beds, flea control products and natural flea control for home and yard. Great selection of livestock feed for horses, cattle, poultry and more, also carrying several varieties of hay. See ad, page 29.

PHYSICAL THERAPY THOMAS ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY 100 Professional Blvd, Daytona Beach 386-257-2672 ThomasPhysicalTherapy.com

Certified marijuana doctors. Get your medical marijuana card. Medical marijuana treats more than 250 medical conditions such as: chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, seizures, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, MS, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s, IBS, glaucoma, fibromyalgia, lupus and more. No appointment required. See ad, page 32.

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REV JUDI WEAVER

Heart 4 Souls Inc, Ormond Beach Rev.Judi.Weaver@gmail.com 386-503-4930 • Heart4Souls.com

Licensed Massage Therapist for 13 years. Certified in Ashiatsu, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, Cupping, Stone Massage and Myofascial Release.

*Each location is independently owned and operated.

IV THERAPY

PSYCHIC CHANNEL

VoFLNatural.com

We are the movement experts, offering expert care for individuals seeking treatment, knowledge and guidance for a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Take an active role in your healing today. See ad, page 30.

energy distance.

Channeled spirit messages, crystal light healer, divine personal guidance, shamanic practitioner, spiritual counseling, guided meditations, home/property blessings, vision quest journeys.

For individuals or groups—in person, virtual/on-line, phone or

SOLAR ENERGY SOLAR-FIT

1523 Ridgewood Ave, Holly Hill Volusia • 386-441-2299 Flagler • 386-445-7606 Solar-Fit.com Relax and let the sun do the work for you. Solar-fitting your home or business is a smart, economical and environmentally sound investment. We offer a wide range of options to make your home more energy efficient. We are making America energy-independent one home at a time.

SPAS BEACHFRONT INN & HOLISTIC SPA RETREAT

1104 S Oceanshore Blvd, Flagler Beach 386-439-4944 Connecting you holistically to nature’s bounty of minerals and exquisitely scented plant extracts. Spa services include reflexology, body treatments, wraps, facials, hands & feet.

Massage services include Swedish, deep tissue, Japanese hot stone, couples, Lomi Lomi, Ayurvedic treatments and more. Packages may include spa cuisine lunch and use of our heated mineral pool.

Follow our Facebook page for current events. See ad, page 10.

SPIRITUAL CENTERS UNITY COMMUNITY CHURCH

1001 S Ridgewood Ave, Edgewater 386-481-0890 • UnityCommunityChurch.com Sunday service is at 11am.

Offering prayer services, book study groups, classes, spiritual counseling, weddings, christenings, memorial services, home blessings, home/hospital visitations. See ad, page 10.

SPIRITUAL RESPONSE THERAPY LOURDES ALVARADO

786-261-5936 SpiritualResponseHealing@gmail.com SpiritualResponseHealing.com Clear soul blocks and heal your life with Spiritual Response Therapy (SRT). Have the life you always wanted! I incorporate astrology, reiki, crystals, herbs and other modalities while doing SRT, if applicable and necessary.

Remote phone or online sessions.

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION LAUREE MORETTO

Soft Tissue Specialist 321-271-1678 Jacksonville, Flagler & Ormond Bch LaureeMoretto.com 90% of pain is linked to structural misalignment. Your pain is really just a symptom. My work addresses the cause to give you lasting relief. Get your life back now. MA20965.

GENTLE PET PASSINGS

Dr Gayle Burrell Volusia / Flagler 386-279-8525 • GentlePetPassings.com Saying goodbye to your beloved friend is a loving, but difficult decision. Spend those final precious moments with your pet in the comfort of their home surrounded by all that they love.

See ad, page 29.

WELLNESS AMETHYST WELLNESS

Amy Coopersmith, ARNP 50 Cypress Point Pkwy, B-1 Palm Coast 386-283-4180 • AmethystWellness.com Preventative healthcare, IV nutrition, hormone optimization and sexual health treatments for men and women, body contouring, aesthetic treatments, laser hair removal, weight loss and more. See ad, page 18.

YOGA PADMA YOGA

VETERINARIAN FLORIDAWILD VETERINARY HOSPITAL

115 E Euclid Ave, DeLand 386-734-9899 • FloridaWildVetHospital.com FloridaWild provides compassionate and outstanding care for dogs, cats, birds and exotics. We are an integrative veterinary practice that offers acupuncture, ozone therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

See ad, page 30.

Micki Higgins, E-RYT 500 YACEP 5 Utility Dr, Ste 15, Palm Coast 386-225-4733 • PadmaYogaOnline.com Evening Classes, Sky Styx and Chair Sky Styx offered. Experience improvement in flexibility and strength in your body and a calming of the mind and spirit reducing stress and anxiety in your daily life. Yoga for all body types and all ages. We are the only yoga studio in Palm Coast that is not hot. See website for schedule. See ad, page 31.

If your pet has difficulty moving, is recovering from surgery or has suffered an injury, we can help by providing a customized treatment plan, including home exercise program, to restore your pet to full function.

Treatments offered include laser, shockwave, acupuncture, chiropractic, aqua therapy and more.

$2.50 PER DAY

you can start marketing your business!

Reach 45,000 TARGETED* Volusia / Flagler readers per month with our Resource Guide.

*TARGETED:

100% of the people seeing your message are interested in he alth and wellness.

CATEGORY NAME YOUR BUSINESS NAME Contact Name Address, City Phone • Website URL

Description: 25 words. Extra words and info lines available.

The Resource Guide listings are a reference tool allowing our readers to find you when they need you. Special pricing for display advertisers.

FOR NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE, YOU WILL RECEIVE: One News Brief every six months

FLORIDA VETERINARY REHABILITATION

Dr Lisa Mason DVM, CCRT, CVA 441 S Woodland Blvd, DeLand 386-337-7106 • FLVetRehab.com

For only

(your opportunity to announce an event or a news item about your business – approx. 200 words)

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong, because someday in your life you will have been all of these. ~George Washington Carver

Up to three Calendar Events every month

Contact Us Today!

Rebecca Young, Publisher

386-736-3838 Publisher@ VoFLNatural.com

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