Natural Awakenings Twin Cities May 2021

FREE 

HEALTHY LIVING 

HEALTHY PLANET 

Integrative 

WOMEN’S 

WELLNESS 

5 Top Health Concerns 

and What to Do 

BABY BITES Healthy Homemade 

Food for Tiny Tummies 

Three Steps for Facing 

Difficult Emotions 

HEALING THE SCARS 

of Race-Based Trauma 

May 2021 | Twin Cities Edition | NAtwincities.com

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET 

letter from the publisher 

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Check with a healthcare professional regarding the 

appropriate use of any treatment. 

May is traditionally Women’s Health month at Natural 

Awakenings, and this year we have plenty of helpful articles 

that focus on our wellness. 

Unfortunately, May also holds another important marker. As I 

write this letter, I am listening to the closing arguments of the Derek 

Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd. I sit here fully aware 

that May 25, 2020, is the date that Mr. Floyd was killed after nine 

minutes 29 seconds under the knee of someone who saw him as less Candi Broeffle 

than human. 

This horrible event has been followed by a year of protests, arguments amongst 

friends and family regarding who was right or wrong, and even more trauma. It was just 

a week ago that another young black man, Daunte Wright, was killed by an officer in 

Brooklyn Center. My heart aches as I hear the pain in the voices of his mother, father and 

others who loved him dearly and are now left with an inconsolable void that was once occupied 

by a loving young father. 

It seems to many of us that these horrendous events are happening at an increased 

frequency. Unfortunately, these crimes against our fellow human beings, our Black, 

Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) citizens, have been happening for centuries but 

are now being exposed through the power of social media. We can no longer look away, 

push down the pain, or say that it is “just too much” to witness. 

We have work to do—lots of work to do. Each of us has a role to play, and no matter 

how small or insignificant it might seem, I implore you to continue doing the work. Over 

the next few months, we will be publishing articles from leaders in the field of healing 

race-based trauma. This month we offer “Healing the Scars of Race-Based Trauma” based 

on the work of Dr. Joy DeGruy and Resmaa Menakem. The article provides information 

about historical trauma and steps we can all take to begin the healing process. 

Healing trauma is not easy work, but it is the most important work we need to do. 

You are fully capable of doing it—are you willing? 

In peace and love, 

Natural Awakenings 

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Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living 

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we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet. 

16 

12 HEALING THE SCARS 

OF RACE-BASED TRAUMA 

16 INTEGRATIVE 

WOMEN’S WELLNESS 

Five Top Health Concerns 

and What to Do 

Contents 

12 

20 BABY BITES 

Healthy Homemade Food 

for Tiny Tummies 

20 

22 APPRECIATE, NURTURE 

AND LOVE YOUR BREASTS 

24 THREE STEPS FOR 

FACING DIFFICULT 

EMOTIONS 

26 

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25 GET YOUR SLEEP 

DRIVE IN GEAR 

26 CUSTOMIZED WEIGHT 

LOSS FOR MAXIMUM 

RESULTS 

DEPARTMENTS 

6 news briefs 

8 health briefs 

10 global briefs 

12 diverse 

conversations 

20 conscious eating 

24 inspiration 

27 calendar 

27 classified 

28 resource guide 

May 2021 

5

Mexitographer/AdobeStock and Eckankar 

news briefs 

Eckankar Presents 

Month of Spiritual 

Living for a Happier Life 

Though the spiritual journey can be 

challenging, it is also a rewarding process 

of self-discovery and spiritual transformation. 

Beginning May 1, Eckankar offers 

a Soul Adventure Event, Spiritual Keys for 

a Happier Life, for those on the journey of 

spiritual discovery. 

Eckankar welcomes people of all faiths 

and backgrounds to participate in this 

month-long virtual event. Participants will 

explore spiritual keys that can help create a 

rich and fulfilling life. 

“The Spiritual Exercises of ECK give 

you confidence in yourself. You learn that 

you are Soul, you are eternal,” shares Sri 

Harold Klemp, the spiritual leader of Eckankar. 

“Spiritual consciousness is learning how to 

live in this world no matter what comes.” 

The event includes inspiring talks, music 

from around the world, and a featured talk by 

Klemp. Participants will learn to recognize the 

infinite creativity of Soul (one’s true self) and 

discover personal gems of spiritual transformation. 

In addition, there are two dynamic 

presentations that offer techniques to revitalize 

one’s outlook on life from the inside-out. 

Cost: Free to those new to Eckankar. For more 

information, visit ECKSoulAdventure.org. See 

ad, page 14. 

JUNE 

Coming Next Month 

Integrative Approaches 

to Men’s Health 

Plus: 

Treating Depression Naturally 

Travel for the Planet 

Tips for Eating Vegan on Vacation 

Nea Clare 

Transformational Group Coaching 

Program Begins May 24 

For many people, 2020 was a time of powerful reflection. Having quiet 

time to one’s self, disconnected from daily routines and distractions, 

many people used the opportunity to reflect on who they are, what they 

do in life, and what they really want. Reflection can open the door to possibility—which 

can be exciting—but it can also be overwhelming. 

“So many people who have great ideas and dreams end up talking 

themselves out of it before they even get started,” explains Nea Clare, activation coach and spiritual 

teacher. “Without action, they will end up trading their dream for certainty and comfort.” 

Living Masterfully is a six-month online group coaching program designed to provide 

guidance, support and engagement to help one move from inspiration to action. Clare specializes 

in helping her clients get clear so they can find the next right action in their lives. She 

says that clarity is a catalyst for willingness, and willingness is needed to take bold actions. 

“Choosing to pay attention to what you really want for your life is a bold move,” says Clare. 

“And it is something that is very hard to do on your own.” She goes on to explain that it is a 

huge challenge to be able to see yourself, your progress and your worthiness, especially when 

trying something new. “Group coaching is a great way to be seen and make significant progress 

on your goals quickly,” she shares. “Working in a group, you get the benefit of learning, sharing 

and celebrating with each other. Engaging in a highly calibrated circle of support is a new experience 

for many and has been one of the biggest impacts for previous participants.” 

Cost: $2,200 (early bird is $1,888 before May 10). Space is limited. To register, contact Nea@ 

Neaclare.com or visit NeaClare.com/LivingMasterfully. See ad, page 13. 

Silk Road Wellness’ 

Future Looks Bright 

Silk Road Wellness has been full of activity in recent 

weeks, taking on exciting business opportunities 

and opening new avenues of growth. With a new storefront 

at the Community Commons in Mall of America 

(MOA), the halal-friendly and herbal wellness brand is 

the first of its kind to be available at MOA. Community 

Commons is a mall initiative to support small local 

businesses affected by the pandemic and civil unrest. 

“We are so excited to be a part of the initiative at 

Community Commons,” says Annie Qaiser, founder of Silk Road Wellness. It is an honor 

to be working with other minority-owned local businesses and learning from them. Having 

a physical storefront and launching our unique halal wellness brand is a dream come true,” 

Additionally, Silk Road Wellness was accepted in the next learning cohort of Lunar 

Startups, a Twin Cities-based business accelerator program. The business program is 

designed to help small businesses scale and provides them with professional mentorship. 

Silk Road Wellness is the first Pakistani-owned and second Muslim-owned business to be 

selected by Lunar Startups. 

“Being chosen by Lunar Startups is a huge deal for Silk Road Wellness,” explains 

Qaiser. “As a small business that is rapidly growing, we are more than ready for professional 

guidance and advice from a group of seasoned entrepreneurs and mentors and this 

opportunity came at the perfect time.” 

Silk Road Wellness has also expanded its availability in local stores. The halal-certified 

natural skincare brand is now available in The Charming Lily Boutique, in Apple 

Valley; Lakewinds Co-op, in Chanhassen; and The Wedge and Linden Hills Co-op, 

both in Minneapolis. 

For more information, visit SilkRoadWellness.com. See ad, page 8. 

Courtesy of Nea Clare 

Courtesy of Silk Road Wellness 


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health briefs 

Don’t Rely on Money for Happiness 

People in the “poorest of the poor” communities in which money is not 

a high value can feel as happy as people in high-income Scandinavian 

countries, concludes new research from Canada’s McGill University. For 

the study published in PLOS One, interviewers studied 678 people 

living in Bangladesh and the Solomon Islands, both extremely 

low-income countries. People in remote fishing villages with 

subsistence-level incomes reported very high levels of “subjective 

well-being”, which they attributed to spending lots of time 

with family and being in nature. Villagers that had migrated to 

urban areas for work were more likely to gauge their well-being by 

economic and social factors, and reported lower feelings of wellbeing, 

leading researchers to speculate that monetization, especially 

in its early stages, may be detrimental to happiness. “When people are 

comfortable, safe and free to enjoy life within a strong community, they 

are happy—regardless of whether or not they are making any money,” 

says Chris Barrington-Leigh, a professor at McGill’s Bieler School of the Environment. 

Nix Baby Foods that Harbor Toxic Metals 

As convenient as store-bought baby food is, it can pose hidden dangers for 

infant brains, say U.S. congressional investigators. A report issued by the 

House of Representatives on February 4 found “dangerous levels of toxic 

heavy metals,” including arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, in baby 

foods made by major companies Hain Foods, Gerber, Beech-Nut and 

Happy Family Organics. Walmart, Campbell Soup Company and Sprout 

Organic Foods refused to cooperate with the investigation. On March 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

pledged to enact new standards, increase inspections and testing, and support research to lower 

baby food contaminants. 

Low levels of exposure to heavy metals can cause serious, irreversible damage to children’s brain development, 

studies show. Naturally present in the environment, they enter baby foods through soil, water 

and air; companies attempt to minimize this impact through processing. In one example, Hain Celestial, 

which makes Earth’s Best Organic, says it no longer uses brown rice, which can harbor arsenic. 

theodore gouta/Unsplash.com 

m studio/AdobeStock.com 

be pure. be natural. be you 

Meditation 

of the Month: 

Healing 

HALAL BEAUTY & WELLNESS 

May Blog Posts: 

https://AnnetteRugolo.com/blog/ 

Healing Meditation: 

https://wwwannette.studio/ 

Meditation-for-Healing 

AnnetteRugolo.com 

WWW.SILKROADWELLNESS.COM 

Download this meditation to: 

• Connect with Universal Healing 

• Heal emotional and mental patterns 


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molostock/AdobeStock.com 

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Have you tried other types of conventional or 

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Do you keep getting better and then worse again? 

Do you have a specific condition you are addressing 

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A mother’s coffee drinking during 

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and hyperactivity years later, say 

researchers at the University of 

Rochester, in New York. Analyzing 

thousands of brain scans of 9- and 

10-year-olds, researchers found 

clear changes in how white matter 

tracks, which form connections 

between brain regions, were organized 

in children whose mothers 

reported consuming caffeine while 

pregnant. “These are sort of small 

effects and it’s not causing horrendous 

psychiatric conditions, but it 

is causing minimal, but noticeable 

behavioral issues that should make 

us consider long-term effects of 

caffeine intake during pregnancy,” 

says John Foxe, Ph.D., principal 

investigator of the university’s Adolescent 

Brain Cognitive Development 

study. Previous studies have 

found that a fetus does not have 

enough of the enzyme necessary to 

break down caffeine when it crosses 

the placenta. 

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global briefs 

Ark Park 

World’s Largest Wildlife Highway Crossing 

Opens in San Antonio 

The new 

Robert L.B. 

Tobin Land 

Bridge connects 

people 

with nature in 

the heart of 

San Antonio 

across a sixlane 

highway 

at Phil 

Hardberger 

Park. Private 

donations 

and a fiveyear 

bond 

program approved by voters helped fund the $23 million 

bridge, the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the U.S. 

Wildlife and vehicle collisions are a big problem across 

the country, increasing by 50 percent in 15 years, with an 

estimated 1 to 2 million large animals killed by motorists 

every year, according to National Geographic sources. 

In the U.S., 21 threatened and endangered species face 

extinction partly because of traffic accidents. Wildlife 

crossings are seen as an effective solution to the 

problem, with fatality reductions of up to 95 percent, 

depending on the location. The San Antonio bridge is 

notable for its size—150 feet wide and 150 feet long— 

and that it accommodates people, too. Animals in the 

330-acre park that benefit from the bridge include ringtails, 

squirrels, coyotes, lizards, raccoons and deer. They 

are using it as intended, and it also serves as a habitat 

for native plants. 

photo courtesy of phil hardberger park conservancy 

Climbing Time 

Critters React to Warming 

Temperatures in the Rockies 

A 13-year study at the 

University of Colorado at 

Boulder published in the 

journal Ecology reveals 

that the popular goldenmantled 

ground squirrel 

and 46 other species of 

rodents and shrews in 

Colorado are climbing 

uphill to escape warming 

temperatures in the state. The report states that, on 

average, the ranges of the animals have shifted more than 

400 feet in elevation since the 1980s. Montane mammals, 

or those already living at higher elevations like the ground 

squirrel, have moved up 1,100 feet on average. It‘s a significant 

change that could rob them of their environmental 

niche. The same species may be harbingers of larger and 

more urgent changes in the Rocky Mountains. 

Colorado has warmed by nearly 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit 

since the 1980s because of human-caused climate 

change. As the state continues to heat up, scientists say 

that ponderosa pine forests and other mountain ecosystems 

will have to move higher to find cooler weather. 

Beginning in 2008, the team visited multiple sites in Colorado’s 

Front Range and San Juan mountains to collect 

records of the current ranges of 47 species of rodents 

and shrews. They compared their findings with approximately 

4,500 historic records from museum collections 

dating back to the 1880s and included animal specimens 

stored at the university museum, which houses nearly 

12,000 mammals from Colorado. 

sheilaf2002/AdobeStock.com 


Fuel Fight 

Gas Utilities Knock Electric Appliances 

As cities phase out the installation of gas lines in new buildings to cut down 

on methane emissions, gas utilities have been staging adversarial campaigns 

nationwide. In Santa Barbara, California, residents received warnings that a 

gas ban would dramatically increase their bills. The Pacific Northwest group 

Partnership for Energy Progress, funded in part by Washington state’s largest 

natural gas utility, Puget Sound Energy, has spent at least $1 million 

opposing heating electrification in Bellingham and Seattle, including 

$91,000 on bus ads with the slogan, “Reliable. Affordable. Natural Gas. 

Here for You.” In Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisiana and Tennessee, the 

industry has worked aggressively with state legislatures to pass laws to 

callum hill/AdobeStock.com 

prevent cities from passing cleaner building codes. 

The American Gas Association even has a website (aga.org) dedicated 

to promoting cooking with gas. Surveys have found that most people are open to switching water heaters 

and furnaces from gas to electric versions, so gas company advertising has made gas stoves a 

symbol of wealth, good taste and status for consumers, builders and realtors. Gas connections in 

American houses are at an all-time high, but as Americans realize that natural gas is a powerful 

contributor to climate change and source of air pollution, at least 42 cities have strengthened 

building codes to discourage expanding gas hookups in new construction. 

kelly-sikkema/Unsplash.com 

Great Minds 

Artificial Intelligence Joins 

Fight Against Marine Litter 

MARLIT, an open-access 

web app based on a 

deep-learning artificial 

intelligence algorithm, 

will promote the detection 

and measurement 

of floating plastics in the 

sea with a reliability of 

over 80 percent, according 

to a study published in the journal Environmental 

Pollution conducted by experts at the Biodiversity 

Research Institute of the University of Barcelona. 

Floating macro-litter is a threat to the conservation 

of marine ecosystems worldwide. The largest density of 

floating litter is in the great ocean gyres (systems of circular 

currents that spin and catch litter), but polluting waste 

is also abundant in coastal waters and semi-closed seas 

such as the Mediterranean. The analysis, using artificial 

intelligence techniques and more than 3,800 aerial images 

of the Mediterranean coast along Catalonia, will permit 

researchers to detect the presence, density and distribution 

of plastic pollutants in seas and oceans worldwide. 

Historically, direct observation by boats and planes 

formed the basis for assessing the impact of floating marine 

macro-litter, but the massive area of the oceans and 

the amount of data required have made it hard in the past 

for researchers to progress with new monitoring studies. 

aliaksandr marko/AdobeStock.com 

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“joshua-abner/Pexels.com 

diverse conversations 

This section is dedicated to educate and celebrate the efforts of 

those focused on building equity within our community. It is a place 

to share ideas, encourage conversations and learn how to be an 

active participant in creating sustainable change. 

Healing the Scars of 

Race-Based Trauma 

by Diane Eaton 

Unseen and, for many, often forgotten, the extraordinary violence of American slavery 

in the first few hundred years of America’s inception has left a long and devastating 

imprint on the psyches, spirits and bodies of African Americans today, according to 

a growing number of trauma experts, psychotherapists, sociologists and others. 

Then followed 100 years of sanctioned post-slavery persecution and oppression 

known as Jim Crow, when many Christian ministers and theologians taught that whites 

were the chosen people and the laws allowed the restriction of African Americans’ rights. 

Still today, Black Americans continue to be unrelentingly victimized by racially biased 

institutions and individuals from childhood into adulthood. 

Taking a penetrating look at the pervasive and devastating physical, 

emotional and behavioral legacy of American slavery and its aftermath in 

modern times—with an eye to heal it—is no simple task, but a paradigmshifting 

movement has started to take a full inventory of the traumas that 

have been perpetrated and the means to go about healing. Two experts, Dr. 

Joy DeGruy, an internationally renowned author, practicing researcher and 

educator, and Resmaa Menakem, trauma specialist, consultant, coach and 

The New York Times bestselling author, are at the forefront of the movement, 

guiding all those who care enough to learn what it might take to 

dismantle the injustices and heal the pain. 

Trauma Passes through Generations 

In her groundbreaking 2005 book, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: 

12 Twin Cities Edition NAtwincities.com 

America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury & 

Healing, DeGruy describes many of the 

damages and scars—what she calls “posttraumatic 

slave syndrome” (PTSS)—that 

African Americans have inherited from 

their enslaved ancestors through the generations, 

along with what it will take to heal 

them. An emerging cascade of research in 

epigenetics and psychology suggests that 

traumas experienced in previous generations 

might carry forward in both the DNA 

and the behavioral styles of future generations. 

On top of that, children model the 

behaviors and attitudes of their parents 

and caregivers. As a result, says DeGruy, 

many unhealthy, painful and even crippling 

behaviors persist for Black Americans—behaviors 

that have their roots in 

slavery. She writes that many behaviors 

in African American communities today 

can be traced to what people needed to do 

simply to survive while they were enslaved. 

“These behaviors and beliefs may have been 

necessary for survival at one time,” writes 

DeGruy, “but today they undermine our 

ability to succeed.” 

One example of a behavior that originated 

as a survival tactic is punitive parenting. 

“Many of us grew up in families where 

corporeal punishment was the norm,” she 

writes. “For hundreds of years, enslaved 

mothers and fathers have been belittling 

their children in an effort to protect them.” 

Those parents might have been overly harsh 

to keep their children in line, preventing 

them from getting punished by enslavers 

who wielded harsher punishments, 

including family separation, dismemberment 

or even death. Severe punishment 

is still sometimes seen as protective even 

in modern days. A beating at home is 

preferable to a murder at the 

hands of police. It also can 

offer a misguided feeling of 

empowerment for parents. 

“For these reasons, overly 

punitive parenting has been 

perpetrated,” DeGruy writes. 

Another behavior with 

likely roots in slavery is a fear 

of loving too much. If one 

never knows if a parent, spouse, 

child or friend might be taken 

away, beaten or murdered, lov- 

Courtesy Dr. Joy DeGruy

ing becomes emotionally risky. The 

reality of slavery was a “uniquely 

cruel system of punishment that ... 

absolutely, categorically destroyed existing 

relationships and undermined 

people’s ability to form healthy new 

ones,” according to DeGruy. 

Other expressions of slavery’s 

legacy in modern times include deflecting 

praise, body-shaming, family 

disintegration, and an antipathy or 

aversion for members of one’s own 

cultural group, says DeGruy. Perhaps even 

more pernicious are the three conditions 

that characterize PTSS: vacant esteem, everpresent 

anger and racist socialization. 

DeGruy first defined “vacant esteem” in 

2005, describing it as hopelessness, depression 

and a general self-destructive outlook, 

but her perspective has deepened over the 

years. While the temptation is to think of 

it as something like the more-familiar “low 

self-esteem”, it is wholly different. Low or 

high self-esteem is usually a measure of 

confidence and efficacy. But “vacant esteem” 

points to the very absence of a sense of self at 

all: “It’s a hugely bigger issue than not feeling 

good about yourself,” she said in a phone 

interview in January. “I’m talking about the 

lack of a whole fundamental sense of self in 

response to everything in this country that 

says you are deficient, defective, underachieving 

... that anyone that looks like you 

is someone not worthy.” 

DeGruy says that “ever-present anger” 

is understandable when someone’s personal, 

professional and life goals and aspirations 

are consistently and repeatedly thwarted— 

and Black Americans experience it from 

childhood to adulthood. “There is an infinite 

number of things that get in the way—laws, 

redlining, attitudes, etc. And then you’re 

surprised that there’s a reaction!” The anger 

gets directed at society, of course, but also is 

expressed within families and communities. 

“Racist socialization” is DeGruy’s 

term for the insidious way that society has 

encouraged Black, Indigenous and people of 

color (BIPOC) to see themselves as inferior, 

uneducated and powerless. For some who 

have fallen victim to it, antipathy for their 

own race and culture can develop. This is 

dramatized in the “doll test” of the 1930s. 

Black psychologists Kenneth and Mamie 

Dr. Joy DeGruy 

Resmaa Menakem 

Clark asked black children to examine white 

and black dolls and choose the “good” doll. 

Because of racist socialization and brewing 

self-hatred, black children consistently 

favored the white doll. 

How can people heal trauma 

that goes so deep and expresses 

itself in so many ways? 

DeGruy writes, “Healing must occur on 

multiple levels because the injury occurred 

on multiple levels—individuals, families, 

communities and society itself.” As a 

foundation, she recommends that Black 

Americans take steps to nourish healthier 

patterns of behavior that build self-efficacy 

and establish real esteem, such as eating 

healthier foods, getting exercise, and building 

nurturing relationships, for starters. 

Working with others in community can 

be helpful, too. Creating a “virtual village” 

of safety and respect—a space to speak the 

truth, tell stories and learn more about who 

one is—can make a difference for many. 

Finally, DeGruy recommends “taking control 

of one’s inner world” by choosing one’s 

battles, getting support when needed, and 

building routines of self-care to create 

a foundation of health and stability.” 

Still, when it comes to racial 

injustice, millions of Black Americans 

are regularly confronted with psychological, 

emotional and physical 

violence. Traumatic events are still 

being perpetrated. And while taking 

responsibility for one’s inner suffering 

is often the starting point and the 

hallmark of empowerment, DeGruy 

says that eradicating racial injustice is 

equally as necessary for healing the pain. 

“Justice is needed. You cannot fix the 

angst in black people—the anger, the fear, 

the reticence, the suspicion—because of the 

betrayals,” said DeGruy in our interview 

with her. “Justice happens when everybody 

can have the expectation that they get fair, 

equal and equitable access in every situation.” 

And justice can only come about if 

white Americans lean into the effort alongside 

Blacks. DeGruy asks white people to 

step outside of their comfort zone to see how 

they can forward justice: “Look around your 

professional environment, for example. Look 

in your world. Look outside yourself and ask, 

‘Where can I make a change and promote 

healing?’ Don’t be meek. Talk about it. Ask 

people to do things. Don’t let injustice stand.” 

Healing Begins in the Body 

Find a quiet, comfortable place where you 

can be alone. Now, think back to an incident 

in which you experienced a lack of regard 

from someone else. Relive and replay that 

interaction. Now replay it, paying close attention 

to your body. What sensations did you 

experience? Where, when and how does it 

Courtesy Resmaa.com 

Courtesy Dr. Joy DeGruy 

May 2021 13

experience discomfort 

or feel good? 

So begins just 

one of many “body 

practices” peppered 

throughout My Grandmother’s 

Hands: Racialized 

Trauma and the Pathway 

to Mending Our Hearts and 

Bodies, authored by Resmaa 

Menakem, MSW, LICSW, SEP, 

a therapist, trauma specialist, 

consultant and coach. 

Menakem states that healing 

the deep and abiding trauma of racism 

begins and ends with the body, not the mind. 

White bodies have inherited their own legacy 

of trauma, too, he points out. Most white 

people in the U.S. come from ancestors who 

fled the brutality and suffering of the Middle 

Ages in Europe. But while white Americans 

have the advantage of not having to deal with 

their trauma, millions of black Americans 

are regularly confronted with the psychological 

violence of disrespect, marginalization, 

disenfranchisement, dehumanization, legal 

inequities, brutality and wrongful 

incarceration. These patterns of assault 

on the African American mind, 

body and soul have been relentless. 

White Americans also have some 

degree of investment in the 

status quo because it affords 

them tremendous advantages 

every day—both obvious 

and subtle—that can sour 

their motivation to do 

anything about it. 

“Things happen so fast in the body 

and become decontextualized that these 

reactions [and] protective mechanisms happen 

way before the intellect or the conscious 

mind is even aware of it,” Menakem writes. 

Healing deep, internalized trauma requires 

that individuals take time with their own 

bodies, inquire into the trauma triggers, 

bring awareness to the pain. By allowing it 

to emerge, it can dissipate and finally heal. 

He asks, “Where does that land in you? Is it a 

lump or an ache? Does it radiate? Keep coming 

back to it and then notice what emerges 

from that place.” Only in this way, he says, 

will we at last heal our bodies, our families, 

and the social body of our nation. 

Being with the pain in the body can 

be overwhelming and our natural inclination 

is to avoid and override it, says 

Menakem. “But those that stay with it 

develop more discernment, develop more 

conditioning and tempering as they’re going 

through it,” he shared in an interview 

with Tami Simon of Sounds True. 

Menakem says that, ingrained in the 

trauma in our bodies—and fueling it—is 

an underlying, unconscious assumption 

that impacts our perceptions of ourselves 

and everyone else, with devastating consequences. 

It is a covert belief that the white 

body is the supreme standard against 

which all others are measured and judged. 

He calls it “white body supremacy”, reflecting 

that it both lives in, and it is about our 

bodies. And while it makes its home in 

all bodies around the world—white and 

nonwhite—it has engendered tremendous 

damage to the African American psyche in 

this country. “We are currently in a nation, 

nay, a world, where the white body is con- 


sidered the standard ... everything else is 

an aberration, a subclass and inferior, a deviation 

of that standard of humanness,” he 

said in a 2020 interview with Tara Brach. 

Such a perception can be crippling to all 

those that don’t meet the standard. 

“We will not fix the problem of structural 

racism and racial violence in this 

country unless we heal the ways that racial 

trauma lives in our bodies”, Menakem said 

in a 2020 interview with Kristin Moe. But 

healing our bodies is only the beginning. 

To heal, people of all ethnic and racial 

identities need to educate themselves and 

their communities and acknowledge how 

deep the trauma goes. Then, the inner 

work begins. 

Menakem urges us to make long-term, 

committed efforts to explore the inner 

trauma, let it emerge and “process it” both 

individually and in safe, committed groups. 

He presses all Americans to engage in the 

inquiry, to be brutally honest with themselves 

and their own circles and to ask others 

to be accountable, too. Only in this way 

will it be possible to uproot and dismantle 

white body superiority and unshackle the 

nation’s consciousness from a fundamentally 

racist and inhumane premise. 

“If we don’t address our ancient 

historical trauma, what will we pass down 

to our children and grandchildren?” he 

asks all of us. “Healing is important, even 

before activism,” says Menakem. 

Where does one start? In his book, 

Menakem offers five possible paths to take: 

healing on one’s own, with another trusted 

person, in community, with the help of a 

body-focused professional and with the help 

of a trauma therapist. He offers simple healing 

practices, including song, touch, movement 

and breath to help calm the nervous 

system and reduce the fight/flight response. 

Both DeGruy and Menakem offer a 

personal message they wanted to share 

with all people of color in this country. Says 

DeGruy, “Know that this injury does not 

define you or indicate any failure in you.” 

Menakem’s message is, “I want you to hear 

this from me: you are not defective. You are 

not wrong. You are not crazy. Something is 

happening and has continued to happen to 

your people, and the work that you’re trying 

to do is important and necessary.” 

The Realities of Treating PTSS 

A Therapist’s Perspective 

Are therapists integrating the 

insights of post-traumatic slave 

syndrome (PTSS) into treatment? 

It might be too much to ask at this 

point in time. It’s still early. 

“I don’t think any therapist 

is fully integrating [PTSS],” says 

Oronde Yero, MS, LPC, NCC, an 

Atlanta-based counselor and life 

coach, who has long been aware of 

theories about the intergenerational 

transmission of trauma. However, 

“we’re really just at the inception 

of this concept.” 

In addition to Yero, Natural 

Awakenings interviewed two other 

African Americans who address 

trauma in their work, one with an 

extensive background in energy 

medicine and the other using traumainformed 

yoga practices. Like Yero, 

they weren’t formally integrating 

Oronde Yero 

PTSS theory into their practices, but 

they are acutely aware of the issues it produces because of lived experience. 

Making matters more challenging, unlike anxiety, depression or even PTSD, 

no one walks into a therapist’s office saying, “Hi. I’m suffering from PTSS. 

Please help!” Yero sees PTSS as a model that helps diagnose and treat clients 

as it prompts one to consider the broader societal context for the individual. As 

examples, he cites three areas in which knowledge of PTSS theory can be helpful: 

academic performance, intragroup violence and delinquency. 

“Does having good grades equal a good life?” asks Yero. “Probably not, 

if you’ve been under oppression for a long time. So why put up the effort to be 

excellent if it’s not going to equal a functional change in your life.” Moreover, 

“we have a situation where in our community, sometimes [if you’re] smart, you’re 

called ‘being white’. So I have to choose. Either I’m going to be excellent and 

surrender my blackness, or I’m going to underachieve and be a part of the group.” 

Without the lens of PTSS, many people readily see the root cause of black peoples’ 

persistent lack of economic gain as them making “bad choices”, says Yero. 

Yero also offers his theory about intragroup violence. “In my estimation, intragroup 

violence is an internalization of violence that maybe would have been otherwise 

directed at the oppressive force.” It exists, he believes, because of “the inability 

to establish an identity that one could be proud of, that one could feel a part of.” 

He continues: “[The delinquent] behavior in an African American male—is 

it simply delinquency? Or is it the struggle of African American males trying to 

define manhood in the context of oppression? Is gang activity simply bad behavior? 

Or is it an attempt at establishing some sense of self-actualization? Is going 

to prison the new rite of passage for those living in a dysfunctional state? I can go 

into the prison system and come out with a badge of courage that I’ve overcome 

my fears, I’m strong and I’m tough.” 

One can imagine that the treatment approach to searching for a definition of manhood 

in the face of centuries of servitude, practiced acquiescence and violence against 

one’s body would be significantly different from the treatment approach to delinquency. 

Photot: Parris Starchia 


15

INTEGRATIVE 

WOMEN’S 

WELLNESS 

Five Top Health 

Concerns and What 

to Do 

by Ronica O’Hara 

Anyone walking into a U.S. hospital today will notice 

something that was inconceivable 50 years ago—one 

in three practicing physicians is a woman, and among 

physicians under age 35, it’s three in five. That compares to one in 

14 in 1970. For women needing health care, that fact can change 

everything. “Research says that female physicians provide better 

care to female patients than male physicians do,” says Harvard 

Medical School Associate Professor Alice Domar, Ph.D., a pioneer 

in women’s mind-body medicine. “They are more likely to 

listen carefully and take complaints seriously.” 

That’s just one factor in how health care is improving for 

women. Only three decades ago, women were simply considered 

“small men” in medical research and rarely included as subjects 

in clinical studies. Today, after a 1993 federal mandate ensured 

their inclusion, it’s been well established that women metabolize 

drugs differently than men, respond to health threats with a more 

robust immune system and are more likely to experience side effects. 

These findings have helped spur major changes for women 

in standards, dosages, medications and procedures—resulting in 

fewer cancer deaths, better treatment of autoimmune disorders 

and more nuanced cardiac care strategies. Although much has 

improved about women’s health, much more remains to be done. 

anna shvets/Pexels.com 

Cancer 

About one in three women is diagnosed with cancer in the 

course of a lifetime, and they have better survival rates than 

men, of which one in two receives that diagnosis. Between 2001 

and 2017, the overall cancer death rate for women declined by 

1.4 percent each year as diagnoses and treatments became more 

refined and targeted. The number one cancer killer for women is 


lung cancer, although 19 percent diagnosed have never smoked. 

The next most deadly are cancers of the breast, colon/rectum, 

pancreas and ovaries. 

Breast cancer deaths have dropped by 40 percent since 1989, 

thanks to greater awareness, early detection and better treatments. 

“Women learned from the AIDS crisis that making 

noise gets results,” says Domar. “Look at how far breast cancer 

research and treatment has come in the past 10 to 20 years, how 

powerful Breast Cancer Awareness Month is, and that everyone 

recognizes that pink ribbon.” 

Common symptoms: Bowel changes, lingering sores, fatigue, 

lumps, unusual discharge, difficulty digesting or swallowing, 

nagging cough or hoarseness, belly or back pain. 

New research: An international research team has identified a 

direct molecular link between meat and dairy diets and the development 

of antibodies in the blood that increases the chances 

of developing cancer. 

Medical advances: Painful, invasive biopsies may become a 

thing of the past. Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a 

simple blood test that detects more than 50 types of cancer, as 

well as their location within the body, with a high degree of accuracy, 

and the City of Hope Cancer Center, in Los Angeles, has 

developed a urine test that analyzes cell-free fragments of DNA 

to detect cancer. 

Preventive strategies: Vitamin D supplementation lowers the 

risk of mortality across all cancers, German researchers found, estimating 

that if all Germans older than 50 took such supplements, 

up to 30,000 cancer deaths per year might be avoided. A 10-year 

study found that people between 55 and 74 that took a low-dose 

aspirin at least three times each week lowered their risk of all 

types of cancer by 15 percent and overall mortality by 19 percent. 

Heart Disease 

One in three American women die from heart disease, more than 

all cancers combined. “Unfortunately, awareness that heart disease 

can and does happen to women remains low, and this results in 

delay of care,” says cardiologist Nicole Harkin of Whole Heart 

Cardiology, in San Francisco. “Women tend to seek medical care 

later in the course of their heart attack and with more risk factors, 

resulting in poorer outcomes, and they are more likely than men 

to die of their first heart attack.” 

Women have different symptoms of heart disease than men, are 

often misdiagnosed and have a 20 percent greater risk of dying 

within five years of a heart attack. Pregnant women that develop 

hypertension are two to five times more likely to later develop 

cardiovascular disease. 

Common symptoms: Heart pressure, fatigue, breathlessness and 

pain between the shoulder blades. 

New research: Eating more than seven servings per day of refined 

grains like croissants and white bread increased the risk of heart 

disease by 33 percent and stroke by 47 percent, concluded a study 

lionidast akaoishik ama/Pexels.com 


17

in The British Medical Journal. In a Stanford study, participants 

that ate plant-based meat for eight weeks had improved markers 

of heart health, lower LDL levels and lost two pounds compared 

to those eating meat. 

Medical advance: To successfully fix a floppy mitral valve that’s 

hampering blood flow in the heart, doctors can guide a catheter 

up a patient’s leg vein and staple the troubled parts of the valve 

with a tiny clip, a safer and less invasive procedure than openheart 

surgery. 

Preventive strategies: Eating nuts several times a week lowers 

by 30 to 50 percent the risk of heart attacks, sudden cardiac death 

and cardiovascular disease, four large cohort studies have shown. 

Older women with high fitness levels have one quarter the risk of 

dying from heart disease as women that are out of shape, report 

Spanish researchers. 

Autoimmune Diseases 

The prevalence of autoimmune diseases has grown by one half 

in two decades, even as medications and targeted therapies have 

kept more patients active and out of wheelchairs. “Where it used 

to be the norm for many physicians to consider women with some 

autoimmune illnesses to be neurotic, that approach is now being 

recognized as being abusive and unacceptable. This is a critical 

step towards recovery,” says chronic fatigue expert Jacob Teitelbaum, 

M.D., author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! 

About 80 percent of the 23 million Americans that suffer from 

debilitating autoimmune diseases are women, and those conditions 

tend to develop during childbearing years. The eighth-leading 

cause of death among women, these illnesses shorten lifespan 

by an average of eight years. The 80-plus diseases, including 


allyson weislogel/Unsplash.com 

fibromyalgia, lupus, celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, psoriasis and 

rheumatoid arthritis, are linked to genetics, environmental triggers, 

some medications, obesity, injuries and stress. 

Common symptoms: These vary widely, but may include achy 

muscles, fatigue, recurring low-grade fever, joint pain and swelling, 

skin problems, abdominal pain and swelling, hair loss, swollen 

glands and tingling in hands and feet. 

New research: Eating significantly fewer foods containing the 

amino acid methionine, found at high levels in meat, fish, dairy 

and eggs, could slow the onset and progression of autoimmune 

disorders such as multiple sclerosis in high-risk individuals, reports 

a study in Cell Metabolism. 

Medical advance: Evidence is mounting that low doses of naltrexone, 

a substance-abuse treatment drug, can treat conditions 

like lupus, Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis by normalizing 

the immune system and relieving pain with few side effects. “It 

costs only about 70 cents a day, is made by compounding pharmacists 

and is remarkably beneficial for a host of autoimmune 

conditions,” says Teitelbaum. 

Preventive strategy: To fight inflammation, take a daily turmeric 

or curcumin supplement that includes piperine (black pepper) 

for better absorption. A University of Houston meta-study in 

Nutrients found that curcumin supplements improved symptoms 

in 14 osteoarthritis, two ulcerative colitis and eight Type 2 

diabetes studies. 

Hormonal Imbalances 

The past 20 years has seen significant improvements in the studies 

and treatments of female hormonal issues. “There are now treatment 

options that allow women to transition into menopause, 

options for prevention of osteoporosis and momentous changes 

in fertility,” says Stephanie Seitz, a naturopathic family physician 

in Scottsdale, Arizona. At the same time, she adds, “I have seen 

environmental toxins rising in my female population. I see young 

girls coming in with polycystic ovary syndrome, early menarche 

and painful menstrual cramping; women having trouble getting 

pregnant for unknown reasons; the rise of fibroids, premature 

ovarian insufficiency and endometriosis.” 

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, regulating 

processes ranging from hunger to blood pressure to mood and 

playing a key role in reproduction. They have come under assault 

from endocrine disrupters, thousands of largely unregulated perand 

polyfluoroalkyl substances, abbreviated PFAS. These “forever 

chemicals” are found in everything from plastics to cushions to 

canned foods, and are in the blood of 98 percent of Americans. 

Studies have linked them to girls experiencing puberty one year 

earlier than 40 years ago; to rising cases of infertility, miscarriages 

and low birth weight; to menopause occurring two to four years 

earlier; and to obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis 

and breast cancer. 

Common symptoms: Because hormones regulate all of the 

body’s processes, symptoms of imbalance run the gamut and may

include fatigue, weakness, erratic menstrual cycles and weight gain 

or loss. 

New research: Early menstruation increases the likelihood of hot 

flashes and night sweats decades later at menopause, according to a 

University of Queensland study. Eating five teaspoons of extra-virgin 

olive oil daily reduced women’s moderate to severe menstrual 

cramps by 83 percent in two months, Iranian researchers found. 

Medical advance: A major study of 9,000 postmenopausal 

women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer showed 94 percent 

that received hormonal therapy, but not chemotherapy, did not 

have recurrences. 

Preventive strategies: To avoid toxic chemicals, buy organics; 

replace plastic kitchen containers with glass; replace Teflon pans 

with ceramic or cast-iron; use chemical-free cosmetics and shampoos; 

nix air fresheners and chemical cleaners; and check out food 

and care products at the Environmental Working Group (ewg. 

org). To help detox the body, consider working with a naturopathic 

doctor to develop a program that may include cleansing foods, 

herbs, saunas, elimination diets and chelators such as activated 

charcoal and algae. 

Depression 

Women are twice as likely as men to develop depression, with 

one in four having a major episode at some point in life, yet fewer 

than half seek treatment. “Many women are too busy caring for 

others and feel guilty about their depression, fearing it could get 

in the way of their caregiving goals,” says New York psychoanalyst 

Claudia Luiz. “Many have the fantasy that if they open that door 

and allow themselves to focus on their feelings, they won’t be able 

to keep going.” 

Depression occurs most frequently in women ages 25 to 44, 

and one in five teenage girls reports having had a major depressive 

episode, a number that has exploded due to social media use. 

Psychotherapy is effective for 62 percent of adults with depression, 

antidepressants work for 54 percent and combining the two is 

helpful for 72 percent. 

Common symptoms: Sadness, anxiety, flat feeling, loss of 

motivation or feelings of pleasure, change of eating or sleeping 

patterns, low energy, difficulty concentrating or headaches. 

New research: Sleeping irregular hours, doing night shifts and 

working for more than nine hours a day have been shown to put 

women at higher risk of depression, while eating more dietary 

fiber in produce, grains and legumes significantly lowers this risk. 

Medical advances: For the estimated one in four people with 

depression that doesn’t respond to medication or therapy, emerging 

approaches offer fresh hope. Low doses of the anesthetic drug 

ketamine lifted the depression of 70 percent of hard-to-treat subjects 

by targeting specific serotonin receptors, Swedish researchers 

report. Transcranial magnetic stimulation, which uses magnetic 

pulses to stimulate parts of the prefrontal cortex, lifts symptoms 

for 50 to 60 percent of subjects, studies show. 

Preventive strategies: Eating at least two servings a week of 

wild-caught, oily fish or a daily 1,000-to-2,000-milligram fish oil 

supplement with a 60-to-40 EPA to DHA ratio has been shown to 

be effective for symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder, attention 

deficit hyperactivity disorder and postpartum depression. 

Taking a brisk daily walk in nature with a friend or dog lowers 

four factors linked to depression: a “nature deficit”, physical inactivity, 

low vitamin-D levels and isolation. 

Natural health writer Ronica O’Hara can be reached at 

OHaraRonica@gmail.com. 

anna shvets/Pexels.com 


19

conscious eating 

Baby Bites 

Healthy Homemade Food 

for Tiny Tummies 

by Sandra Yeyati 

For the first year of a baby’s life, breast milk and formula are the main sources of 

nutrition, but as early as 4 to 6 months, a little one may be suited to try solid foods. 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, when a baby consistently holds 

their head up, has started to sit upright, has doubled their birth weight to a minimum of 

13 pounds and exhibits an interest in food, they are ready. 

Anjali Shah, a board-certified health coach and author of The Super Easy Baby Food 

Cookbook, is a proponent of homemade purées and soft finger foods. “A store-bought 

sweet potato pouch can cost $2.50, whereas one sweet potato is under a dollar, and you 

can get multiple meals out of it,” says Shah. “So, budget-wise, it’s a lot cheaper. It’s also 

healthier because you can control what’s in your baby food.” 

The process is easy. “If you have a spoon and a fork, that’s a pretty good start, and if you 

have a blender, that’s really all you need,” says Amy Palanjian, author of Busy Little Hands: 

Food Play! and blogger at YummyToddlerFood.com. A very basic technique, which both 

she and Shah employ, involves boiling or steaming vegetables and fruits, puréeing them 

with a fork or blender to the desired smoothness and freezing one-ounce portions in ice 

cube trays. Once frozen, the cubes can be popped out, kept in labeled freezer bags and 

thawed to serve. 

They recommend a progression from thin, smooth purées to chunkier blends, and from 

very mild, single foods to progressively more adventuresome and complex flavors and 

textures. “Start with a really mild fruit like avocado or a really mild vegetable like carrots, 

green beans or sweet potato,” Shah advises. “Introduce one food every two or three days to 

make sure your baby is not allergic and that it suits their digestive system.” 

In addition to purées, parents can offer their babies small-cut, softened versions of foods 

that they can hold in their hands and gnaw, a technique called baby-led weaning. “Your 

baby will pick it up with their fists, stick it in their mouth and drool all over it and gum it 

up. It teaches them to chew very early on,” Shah explains. 

“Kids need healthy fats for proper brain development,” Palanjian says, suggesting a 

splash of olive oil in a broccoli purée or a dab of peanut butter in oatmeal. She also favors 

healthy proteins like a purée made with hard-boiled egg yolk slathered on a piece of toast 

or a well-blended bit of salmon. 

“At 7 or 8 months, you can add lentils, 

beans and grains, and around 9 or 10 

months you can start introducing mild 

spices—cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, 

turmeric, cumin, coriander. For 

example, if you’re going to make a 

lentil soup for yourself, you could 

add a few fresh, aromatic herbs 

like rosemary, oregano or thyme, 

and then for your baby, you can mash up 

that same lentil soup and serve it to them. 

The key is to avoid the hot spices like black 

pepper, cayenne or chili powder,” Shah 

says, noting that salt should be avoided 

in the first year because a baby’s kidneys 

cannot handle it. Added sugar is also a big 

no-no in her book. 

“The best way to feel like you’re feeding 

your baby safe food is to serve a variety of 

foods over the course of a week,” Palanjian 

says. “But most of all, learn to enjoy this 

phase of your baby’s life. It can be a fun 

milestone. Let them explore. Trust them 

if they turn their face, close their mouth 

or push the spoon away. There’s no reason 

you need to force another bite. Let them 

show you and be in charge of what goes 

into their mouth. That can be a great way 

to set the foundation for intuitive eating. 

We want them as adults to be able to say 

when they’re hungry and when they’re full, 

and we often have the tendency to try to 

override that in our kids. So, if you let that 

develop as it very clearly does and is present 

from birth, that can be a great thing to 

do with little ones.” 

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

Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com. 

alice/AdobeStock.com 


Easy DIY Baby Food Recipes 

viktor/AdobeStock.com 

Baby Blueberry Smoothie 

1 cup frozen wild blueberries 

1 pear, cored 

½ banana, peeled 

1 cup baby spinach 

¼ to ½ cup water 

Put all of the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to 

simmer until soft. Once soft, purée in a blender, adding additional 

water if needed for a thinner purée. Transfer to ice cube trays 

and freeze for up to four months. 

Baby Superfood Purée 

16 oz fresh or frozen broccoli 

16 oz fresh or frozen cauliflower 

4 cups baby spinach 

¼ to ½ cup water 

Put all of the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer until soft. 

Once soft, purée in a blender, adding additional water if needed for a thinner purée. 

Transfer to ice cube trays and freeze for up to four months. 

Recipes courtesy of Anjali Shah. For more information, visit PickyEaterBlog.com. 

Natural Awakenings recommends using organic, 

non-GMO (genetically modified) 

and non-bromated ingredients whenever possible. 

eiliv sonas aceron/Unsplash.com 

anaumenko/AdobeStock.com nata777/AdobeStock.com 

Silver Fillings: 

Just ugly? 

Or harmful too? 

This is a picture 

of a “Silver” 

or “Amalgam” 

filling. It is 50 - 

52% MERCURY! 

If the mercury in 

this filling were spilled in a school, 

it would be evacuated.... 

This is a picture 

of a “light cured” 

composite filling. 

They can last as 

long or longer 

than mercury 

fillings with no danger of releasing 

harmful heavy metals. 

As noted on Dr. Mercola, 

Dr. Oz, and 60 Minutes... 

Mercury fillings may have a 

significant negative impact on your 

overall health. 

Make 2021 2017 YOUR year 

for healthy choices! 

Dr. Madelyn Pearson is the 

current president of the 

Holistic Dental Association and 

has advanced training in safe 

mercury removal. 

Call or visit our website for 

more info: (651) 483-9800 

www.NaturalSmilesDental.com 


21

Breasts want to hang 

around “till death do we part”. 

Appreciate them and care 

for them. Big or small, 

young or old, there is 

always time to give them 

a loving lymphatic breast 

self-massage. 

Maridav/AdobeStock 

Appreciate, Nurture 

and Love Your Breasts 

Loving ourselves is important to maintaining 

a healthy body. The more we 

do to nurture and assist our body in 

important tasks, the better it will perform. 

Daily, eat a well-balanced diet consisting 

of dark green, orange and red vegetables 

and fruits; high quality meats and proteins; 

and healthy fats and nutrient-dense foods. 

Increase your intake of broccoli and cabbage. 

Be aware of food-gut sensitivities and 

replace them with good foods, including 

organic, non-GMO products, essential fatty 

acids and antioxidants. Probiotic foods 

allow the body to eliminate excess estrogens 

and xenoestrogens. 

Keep a healthy weight. Obesity raises 

the risk of breast cancer, especially after 

menopause. Excessive estrogen lives 

in fat cells. According to the American 

Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), a 

woman with a body mass index (BMI) 

of 30 (obese) has a 13 percent higher 

risk of cancer than a woman with a BMI 

of 25 (slightly overweight). Avoid sugar 

and refined foods, pesticides and herbicides, 

chemicals and food additives, and 

trans fats and hydrogenated oils. These 

by Joyce Sobotta 


have all shown to be factors in increased 

breast disease. Avoid sugar and simple 

carbohydrates to decrease inflammation 

and acidity. 

Cut back on coffee and caffeinated 

products except green tea which is loaded 

with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), 

a potent antioxidant believed to suppress 

new blood vessel growth in tumors 

and keep cancerous cells from invading 

healthy tissue. 

Avoid alcohol and smoking. Both are 

connected to higher incidence of breast 

cancer. Dr. Laurie Steelsmith, N.D. says 

alcohol boosts estrogen levels in women and 

is broken down in the liver to acetaldehyde, a 

known toxin that causes cancer in laboratory 

animals. According to the AICR, a woman 

who has five drinks a week boosts her risk 

by five percent. Two or more drinks a day 

boosts such risk by 40 percent. 

Eat more fiber, including flax, 

vegetables, fruits and whole grains, to bind 

the excess estrogens in your colon and flush 

out toxins, including unfriendly estrogens. 

Avoid getting constipated. Congestion anywhere 

in the body leads to problems with 

the lymphatic system and immune system. 

There are many readily available nutritional 

supplements and foods that boost breast 

health factors, including garlic, turmeric 

(a natural anti-inflammatory), flax seed 

and oil, omega oils, green tea, fresh green 

vegetables and fruits. Avoid antibiotics 

whenever possible. 

Avoid harmful chemicals and antiperspirants 

found in personal care products 

and cleaning products. Choose natural 

deodorants instead of antiperspirants. Do 

not eat or drink anything hot in plastic or 

foam containers. 

Breasts lie in the fourth quadrant of 

our body, just over the heart. Loving them 

with unconditional acceptance and love 

along with a gentle lymphatic self-massage 

will help to balance, detoxify, promote 

lymphatic circulation and soften them from 

fibrocystic tissue, all which will stimulate 

the immune system to ward off disease. 

It is easier to recognize changes and 

feel sexy as you do the breast self-massage. 

If you feel you need to wear a bra to be 

comfortable, find one that fits well without 

underwires. Never wear one to bed. 

Breasts want to hang around “till 

death do we part”. Appreciate them and 

care for them. Big or small, young or old, 

there is always time to give them a loving 

lymphatic breast self-massage. Make 

healthy lifestyle changes to always have 

happy and healthy breasts. 

Joyce Sobotta creates her own 

formulations using pure 

essential oils. She is the 

founder of Healthy Girls 

Breast Oil, an exclusive 

blend of pure essential oils 

she formulated in 2007. She 

especially loves to create essential oil custom 

blends to suit her client’s individual needs. 

Sobotta is currently available for consultation. 

Visit AromatherapyNaturesWay.com. 

See ad, page 25.

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23

inspiration 

Three Steps for Facing 

Difficult Emotions 

by Shauna Shapiro 

All of us can feel the impact of these uncertain and 

challenging times on our hearts and in our nervous 

systems. While there are parts of the situation that we 

cannot control, that does not mean we are powerless. When we’re 

up against change, uncertainty and stress, resilience is the key 

to navigate life and emerge with more happiness and satisfaction. 

We can cultivate resilience through the practices of mindfulness 

and compassion. Here are three key steps to finding greater clarity, 

calm and well-being. 

Naming our emotions. The first step is to bring mindfulness 

to whatever we are feeling and simply name it. Research shows 

that acknowledging and naming our emotions allows the body 

to physiologically calm down. It is helpful to remember that our 

emotions are here for a reason, metaphorically serving as a smoke 

alarm to let us know about an impending fire. Ignoring or repressing 

our emotions can lead to bigger problems, but mindfulness 

teaches us a different way to manage difficult emotions—acknowledge 

them and name what we feel—“name it to tame it”. When 

we name an emotion, it puts the brakes on our reactivity, downregulates 

the nervous system and allows us to see clearly. 

Welcoming our emotions. 

The second step 

is to learn to welcome 

difficult emotions. 

Emotions have a limited 

time span, typically 

lasting for only 30 to 

90 seconds. They arise, 

do their dance and 

pass away, like waves 

in the ocean. When 

we remember that this 

painful feeling will not 

last forever, it becomes 

more manageable. 

Through practice, we 

can learn to welcome 

all our emotions with 

an attitude of kindness 

and curiosity. This 

involves becoming 

interested in the emotion 

and the felt experience in the body. For example, we may feel 

sadness as a tightening in the throat or fear as a contraction in the 

belly. All emotions have their signature in the body. 

Compassion for ourselves and others. The final step to managing 

difficult emotions is to cultivate compassion. Self-compassion 

involves treating ourselves as we would a dear friend that is suffering. 

The willingness to face the pain in ourselves and in life takes 

great courage. As we practice self-compassion, we learn not only 

to grow from our own struggles and sorrows, but to connect with 

the sufferings and sorrows of others. We realize that we are not 

alone in our fear and overwhelm, and become aware of the many 

others right now that are also afraid. As we recognize our common 

humanity, our isolation begins to lessen and we understand 

that we are all in this together. 

Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert 

in mindfulness and compassion whose most recent book is Good 

Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness & Self-Compassion Practices 

to Rewire the Brain for Calm Clarity and Joy. For more information, 

visit DrShaunaShapiro.com. 

julie/AdobeStock.com 


Rido/AdobeStock 

Get Your Sleep 

Drive in Gear 

by Melissa Cathcart 

Most people have heard of sleep hygiene. Melatonin’s role in 

regulating the circadian rhythm of sleep is well established 

as evidenced by the increasing sales of the hormone as 

a sleep medication. The other half of the sleep formula is a bit more 

obscure, yet it is essential in treating sleep issues such as insomnia, 

sleep latency, waking during the night, and sleepiness during the day. 

Let me introduce the other sleep hormone/neurotransmitter, the one 

that regulates sleep drive—adenosine. 

Sleep drive is our ability to accumulate adenosine throughout 

the day so that when we are winding down in the evening, we become 

sleepy. Sleep drive is replete with paradoxes. Deborah Patterson, 

a physical therapist and instructor of the Reframe Sleep course, 

asserts that while we are accumulating adenosine, the sleep center 

in our hypothalamus (suprachiasmatic nuclei or SCN) that regulates 

sleep and other circadian cycles sends out signals that block adenosine 

receptors until our circadian rhythm and changes in natural light 

dims them. Then, adenosine fills the receptors, causing us to become 

sleepy. It plays a large role in initially getting to sleep. 

Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, preventing drowsiness 

until the buzz wears off five to seven hours later. By this time, adenosine 

may have diminished as it is used in many other processes 

in the body, and we may not have enough to get a good night’s sleep. 

In the morning, our sleep debt causes us to be fatigued and fuzzy, so 

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we drink more caffeine and the cycle of poor sleep and its side effects 

continues. Short-term sleep debts can be “caught up” while chronic 

sleep deficits will shorten our lifespan. 

There are two ways to increase our sleep drive: exercise more 

during the day and stay awake longer. Nick Wignall, a clinical 

psychologist, points out that adenosine is a natural byproduct of the 

production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which happens when 

muscles work. One way to increase sleep drive and thereby improve 

sleep is to move your body or exercise more during the day. If you 

have ever had that great night’s sleep after a hard day’s physical labor, 

you know how well it can work. 

This brings us to sleep compression or staying awake longer. 

For some people, small increases in waking time, sometimes as little 

as 15 minutes more wakefulness, can improve sleep quality. The 

change can happen on either end—bedtime or waketime—although 

for most, due to work schedules, it makes sense to stay up later. It is 

often a temporary change that can be altered later, after one achieves 

a greater sleep efficiency. 

Sleep efficiency reflects the percentage of time one spends in 

bed sleeping compared to total time in bed. Sleep efficiency should 

correlate with how refreshed one feels the next day. This is why naps 

are so controversial—they drain our sleep drive. While some people 

need naps (to heal brain injuries or for the elderly), they diminish 

adenosine and can interfere with sleep quality. Naps should be no 

longer than 20 minutes and should be completed before 2 p.m. to 

preserve sleep drive. 

Sleep medications, including melatonin, were never meant to 

be used for more than two weeks at a time and they are considered 

second-line treatments. First-line treatment is cognitive behavioral 

therapy for insomnia (CBTi). Using a sleep diary with validated 

sleep surveys and changing one’s habits over time are the best ways 

to effect better sleep. 

While we all have genetic predispositions to individual sleep 

patterns (yes, there actually are genetic night owls and morning 

glories), we can use sleep science to deliver us to a more sound sleep. 

We do not all need to go to bed at 10 p.m., but we do all need to 

sleep well and get rested. 

Melissa Cathcart, LAc, provides acupuncture, 

manual therapies, corrective exercise, lifestyle 

counseling and pelvic floor rehab to people who 

want a better quality of life. For more information, 

call 612-735-9993 or visit DynamicFunctionalHealing. 

com. See ad, page 11. 

Holistic Breast Health 

CONSULTS AND PRESENTATIONS 

Healthy Girls Breast Oil • Mystic Blends 

Essential Oil-DIY classes and Custom Blends 

Contact me today! 

715-828-0117 text or call 

Joyce@AromatherapyNaturesWay.com 

AromatherapyNaturesWay.com 

Joyce Sobotta 

Educator, Aromatherapy, Lymphatic, Consultations 


25

RH2010/AdobeStock 

Customized Weight Loss 

for Maximum Results 

by Jackie Furlong 

Dieting is challenging, often leading to frustrating weight loss plateaus and disappointing 

results. However, low carbohydrate and keto diets produce ketones in 

the body, an alternate and more desirable source of energy than carbohydrates. 

The result is that the body burns more fat for energy, providing the kind of sustainable 

weight loss that is hard to achieve with a standard low calorie diet. 

Both low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets biochemically reset the body to use our excess 

body fat for fuel while protecting the body’s active tissue, muscle, bones and organs. A low carb 

diet has many benefits and prepares the body to move into a ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet 

requires more weighing and measuring of food but will get the person into “ketosis” which 

means they are now fat-adapted and burning fat for fuel instead of glucose (sugar). 

On a ketogenic diet, a person will not only burn their fat stores for fuel, they will often 

experience more energy, mental clarity, less aches and pains, fewer cravings and virtually no 

hunger. When the body burns fat for fuel, there are no toxic byproducts left in the body. Instead, 

it leaves ketones, which is something the human body—particularly the brain— loves. 

While the ketogenic diet is one of the best and healthiest ways to lose fat and reprogram 

the metabolism to continue using fat as fuel, everyone’s body is different and will respond 

differently to weight loss. Finding a customized weight loss program that incorporates weekly 

Nutrition Response Testing checks is vital for success. This helps the practitioner 

evaluate the progress of the client’s fat loss 

and identify toxins. The practitioner will 

then prescribe the appropriate nutritional 

product to remove the toxins safely so the 

body can continue its progress breaking the 

fat loss plateau. It is advisable to find a program 

that includes the guidance of trained 

health coaches to help navigate the process 

and support desired goals. 

This type of program is especially 

effective for stubborn, hard-to-lose fat. The 

body is designed to survive; when unhealthy 

toxins and chemicals are introduced into the 

body, it will store them in the fat cells, the 

safest place to cause minimal damage. As 

a person loses fat, these toxins are dumped 

back into the body (the fat cells are storing 

a lifetime of toxins). If the body determines 

there are too many toxins, it will stop the fat 

loss until it feels it is safe again. This is where 

fat loss will hit that plateau or where a person 

experiences stubborn fat they can never 

seem to lose. 

MetroEast Natural Healing Center’s Customized 

Weight Loss Program is not just another 

diet. It’s a lifestyle change that is healthy and 

helps participants not only lose weight but 

change eating habits so they can maintain 

the weight loss yet still enjoy eating, feeling 

more energized and better than ever. 

Jackie Furlong is a certified 

health coach and co-owner of 

MetroEast Natural Healing 

Center, in Oakdale. She developed 

the Guided Nutrition 

Program in 2014, which 

became so successful in 

helping her patients make the necessary changes 

to achieve greater health, it is now being offered 

in clinics all over the nation. For more 

information, visit NutritionChiropractic.com. 

See ad, page 9. 


calendar of events 

featured event 

Eckankar Soul Adventure 

Event: Spiritual Keys for 

a Happier Life 

Eckankar welcomes people of all faiths 

and backgrounds to participate in this 

month-long virtual event. Participants 

will explore spiritual keys that can help 

create a rich and fulfilling life. Includes 

inspiring talks, music from around the 

world, and a featured talk by Sri Harold 

Klemp, the spiritual leader of Eckankar. 

Participants will learn to recognize the 

infinite creativity of Soul (one’s true 

self) and discover personal gems of 

spiritual transformation. 

May 1-31 

Free to those new to Eckankar. ECKSoulAdventure.org. 


THURSDAYS, MAY 6-20 

Creating the New Avalon – 7-8:30pm. The New 

Avalon is a place created with a balance of masculine 

or feminine energy. It is a place created in the spirit of 

collaboration and a shared vision, using the powerful 

tools we have acquired. It is time to remove the cobwebs 

from our subconscious memories to reconnect 

with Avalon in a new way-to come together to plant the 

seeds for future generations that will bear fruit for all 

of humanity. $98. AnnetteRugolo.com. See ad, page 8. 

FRIDAY, MAY 7-9 

10th Anniversary Midwest Women’s Herbal 

Conference: Healing the Earth, the People, and 

the Plants – Keynote speaker Rosemary Gladstar 

and many other amazing herbalists and healers. 

Enjoy a healing community and rich learning environments 

as well as an artisan marketplace and 

more. MidwestWomensHerbal.com. 

SATURDAY, MAY 8 

Beyond Soul Food: Soul Food Influencers – 12-2pm. 

In this session, we will look at the major cultures, 

ethnicities, traditions and customs that have influenced 

soul food cuisine. As we create a delicious plant-based 

meal, we will explore the cooking techniques and 

healing properties of the ingredients we use to build 

the flavors of this unique and deeply rooted American 

cuisine. Free. Online. MSMarket.coop. 

MONDAY, MAY 10 

Accelerate Your Healing – 6:15-7pm. Learn what 

steps to take to get better quicker, stay healthy longer 

and save money. Free. Location: MetroEast Natural 

Healing Center, 6993 35th St N #2, Oakdale. RSVP 

(651)771-1703 or Info@NutritionChiropractic.com. 


Muscle Test Your Family – 6:15-7pm. Understand 

the basics of muscle testing and learn how you can 

test your family at home. Must bring a testing partner. 

Free. Location: MetroEast Natural Healing Center, 

6993 35th St N #2, Oakdale. RSVP (651)771-1703 

or Info@NutritionChiropractic.com. 

THURSDAYS, MAY 20 & JUNE 3 

Finding Strength in Difference: A Workshop for 

Couples Who are More Different (aka Complementary) 

than They Realize - 6:30-8:30pm. Utilizing 

CliftonStrengths, Couples will discover the understanding, 

self-awareness and communication skills needed 

to feel confident in their relationship, enabling them to 

embrace their differences instead of resenting each other 

which leads to separation and pain. Cost: $149/couple. 

ComposureCoaching.com. See ad, page 9. 

THURSDAY, MAY 20 

Himalayan Cooking: Pineapple Curry – 5:30-7pm. 

Prepare to enjoy beautiful summer days with a colorful 

and nutritious Himalayan recipe that uses unique, 

seasonal ingredients such as peanuts, pineapple and 

mangoes. Join instructor Ishwari Rajak to discover 

a delicious new recipe in this class. Free. Online. 

MSMarket.coop. 

SATURDAY, MAY 22 

Harmonic Alignment Forum with the H.A.O. – 

6:30-8:30pm. 2021 is going to be a year of acclimating 

to a new way of being. We have crossed the threshold 

into the Aquarian Age and are now attuning to the 

Harmonic consciousness (Divine Feminine). The 

Harmonic Alignment Forum is a monthly channeled 

lesson by The H.A.O. (Harmonic Alignment in Oneness) 

as channeled through Nea Clare. Participants will 

be invited to join a guided meditation, receive sacred 

teachings and join in the open Q &A. $44. NeaClare. 

com/events. See ad, page 13. 


Living Masterfully Group Coaching – 6pm. A sixmonth 

group coaching program that is designed to 

provide guidance, support and engagement to help 

you move from inspiration to action. Cost: $2200 

(Early bird is $1888 before May 10). NeaClare.com/ 

LivingMasterfully. See ad, page 13. 

featured event 

Discover Your Highest 

Purpose 

Sri Harold Klemp, the spiritual leader 

of Eckankar, shares wisdom through 

stories and spiritual insights that bring 

meaning, connection and humor to the 

workings of Spirit in everyday life. 

Fridays at 7pm 

Watch on Channel 6 or via MCN6.org 

For more information, visit Eckankar.org, 

TempleofECK.org or Facebook.com/ 

Eckankar. See ad, page 3. 

classified ad 

ongoing events 

Please call or check the websites 

to ensure the classes or events 

are still scheduled for that week. 

Free Online Classes – The University of Minnesota 

is among the largest public research universities in 

the country, offering undergraduate, graduate and 

professional students a multitude of opportunities 

for study and research. ClassCentral.com/ 

university/minnesota. 

Midtown Global Market – Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. 

& Sun 10am-6pm. If you’re looking for a more 

unique shopping experience, head to the Midtown 

Global Market, where more than 50 vendors sell 

food and trinkets ranging from local produce to 

Somalian Pastries, Middle Eastern olives and 

Asian spices. There are also cultural events – 

from musical performances to Irish step-dancing 

lessons. Free. 920 East Lake St, Minneapolis. 

MidtownGlobalMarket.org/visit. 

tuesday 

Weekly Guided & Silent Meditation – 11-11:30am. 

Led by a Prayer Chaplain in the Meditation Room, 

this meditation is the same one going on concurrently 

at Unity Village. It alternates affirmative prayer 

and silence. Donation based. Online. UnityOfThe 

ValleyMN.org /events-classes. 

wednesday 

Mindful Self-Compassion Workshop – 8:30- 

9:30am. Patricia Enstad, a licensed social worker 

and teacher, will provide a lively introduction to the 

practices of Mindful Self-Compassion. She writes: 

“As we consider the important tasks that lie ahead, 

we will need to support our action with compassion 

and resiliency. Subtle, yet powerful, these affirming 

and portable methods can be utilized anywhere.” 

Free. EastsideFreedomLibrary.org/events. 

thursday 

Hatha for Everyone – 6-7pm. Everyone is 

welcome to this weekly drop-in class. All levels. 

Relieve stress, achy joints, improve balance at all 

levels and increase your sense of well-being. $12. 

Online. TheMeditationCenter.org. 

Free Meditation – 7-8:30pm. Join us for a free 

weekly meditation. Online. FreeMeditation.com. 

friday 

Gentle Yoga for Every Body – 10:30-noon. A welcoming 

environment for students of all shapes and 

sizes. $15. Online options. RiverGardenYoga.com. 

FREE EXCLUSIVE PLANT BASED SUPPLEMENTS – Try Terra Power Greens for Free! 

Just pay shipping. TerraLifeStore.com, click free sample set or Amazon. 954-459-1134. 


27

community 

resource guide 

Connecting you to the leaders 

in natural health care and green 

living in our community. To find 

out how you can be included in the 

Community Resource Guide, email 

Publisher@NAtwincities.com. to 

request our media kit. 

ACUPUNCTURE 

DYNAMIC FUNCTIONAL HEALING 

M. Cathcart, L.Ac. 

5313 Lyndale Ave S. Minneapolis 

DynamicFunctionalHealing.com 

Comprehensive holistic care for 

active adults seeking to enjoy the 

pain-free, energetic life they crave. 

Services include acupuncture & 

herbs, manual therapies, manual 

lymph drainage, corrective exercise, 

pelvic floor rehab and micro/ 

nano needling. “Because your 

quality of life matters.” 

ZUOBIAO (ROY) YUAN, LIC. AC, 

Bhakti Wellness Center 

7550 France Ave. S, Ste. 220, Edina 

Roy@BhaktiClinic.com • 612-859-7709 

Dr. Yuan has practiced acupuncture 

and Chinese medicine since 

1993, and is a current faculty 

member at American Academy 

of Acupuncture and Oriental 

Medicine. His expertise includes 

cancer care, musculoskeletal 

disorders, mental disorders, infertility, 

digestive disorders and 

eye disease such as macular degeneration. See ad, 

page 7. 

BODY WORK 

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE & 

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY 

Barb Ryan, LMT • 612-922-2389 


7550 France Avenue S, #220, Edina 

Specializing in persistent and 

chronic pain and mysteries of the 

body. Also providing care to 

clients seeking the experience of 

deep relaxation and more selfconnection. 

Skilled and compassionate 

care. See ad, page 7. 

BREAST HEALTH 

AROMATHERAPY NATURE’S WAY 

Healthy Girls’ Breast Oil 

Joyce Sobotta • 715-828-0117 text or call 

Holistic breast health consults 

with education on the lymphatic 

breast self-massage for improved 

circulation. Consultations 

about pure essential oils for 

emotional and physical health. 

Custom blends created for you. 


CHIROPRACTIC 

GOLDEN SUN CHIROPRACTIC 

Una Forde, DC • 952-922-1478 

International Village Arcade Building 

220 West 98th St, Suite 7, Bloomington 

Quality chiropractic care. Experience 

holistic healing and gentle 

chiropractic adjustments that 

allow the nervous system to relieve 

such symptoms as headache, 

back, neck pain and numbness 

which allow your body to 

return to a state of balance and 

well-being. 25 years’ experience. 

COACHING 

ANNETTE RUGOLO 

Soul Coach, Author 

and Teacher 


We are in a time of fast evolution 

and we have the opportunity to 

release deeply held emotional 

and mental patterns along with 

karmic lifetimes that are keeping us stuck. The tools 

I have acquired and honed for more than 20 years 

will help you move beyond the stuck places in your 

life and help you align with the light of your soul. 

You will receive tools of empowerment that will 

help you continue on your life’s path and soul’s 

journey. See ad, page 8. 

COMPOSURE COACHING 

Candi Broeffle, MBA, CPC 

Candi@ComposureCoaching.com 

763-270-8604 

ComposureCoaching.com 

Master your business so you can 

practice your passion. Business 

coaching for purpose-driven entrepreneurs 

to clarify your vision, 

build your confidence and create 

a soul-centered strategy. Call today 

for a free Discovery Session 

and get on your path to business 

success. See ad, page 9. 

COACHING 

SOUL PURPOSE COACH 

& HOLISTIC HEALER 

Barbara Brodsho, MA 

612-444-9751 • BarbaraBrodsho.com 

Providing spiritual guidance to 

help live your purpose and thrive 

utilizing your soul’s Akashic 

Record. Discover your soul’s 

innate gifts, create a vocation that 

aligns with your soul’s passion, 

and gain new perspective, clarity 

and insight about your life’s 

challenges by understanding the 

lessons your soul chose to experience. Schedule a free 

discovery session to learn how to create a purposefilled 

life. See ad, page 11. 

SPIRITUAL ALIGNMENT ACTIVATOR 

Nea Clare 

NeaClare.com • Nea@NeaClare.com 

You are a Divine Being! Are you 

longing for clarity, spiritual connection 

and access to personal 

wisdom? Let’s talk. Book your 

session today and save 25%, 

using code: IAMWISE. Email 

Nea for a free consult. See ad, 

page 13. 

DENTIST 

HEALTH CENTERED DENTISTRY 

N7915-902 St 

River Falls, WI • 715-426-7777 

HealthCenteredDentistry.com 

Whole Person Dentistry observes 

and deals with the mind, 

body and spirit, not just your 

teeth. This approach to dentistry 

encompasses both modern 

science and knowledge 

drawn from the world’s great 

traditions in natural healing. 

NATURAL SMILES DENTAL CARE 

3434 Lexington Ave. N., Suite 700 

Shoreview • 651-483-9800 

NaturalSmilesDental.com 

We’re an integrative 

practice committed to 

promoting dental wellness 

and overall assistance to 

the whole person. We 

desire to participate in the 

creation of healthier lives, 

while being sensitive to physical, philosophical, 

emotional and financial concerns. See ad, page 21. 


DENTIST 

PURE DENTAL 

Dr. Amy Ha Truong 

6230 10th St. N., Ste 520, Oakdale 

651-731-3064 • PureDentalMN.com 

Pure Dental offers integrative, 

holistic, alternative and 

biological dentistry for your 

dental health. We take pride in 

providing quality, holistic dental 

care and service for our patients. 


SEDATION AND IMPLANT DENTISTRY 

1815 Suburban Ave, St. Paul 

ToothBuilder.com 

651-735-4661 

We are a holistic dental practice 

devoted to restoring and 

enhancing the natural beauty of 

your smile using conservative, 

state-of-the-art dental procedures 

that result in beautiful, long 

lasting smiles! We specialize in 

safe removal of infected teeth as 

well as placing ceramic implants and restorations. 


TOOTH BY THE LAKE 

1401 Main St, Hopkins 

952-475-1101 • ToothByTheLake.net 

We build a foundation of trust 

by treating our patients as 

individuals. Understanding 

how uneasy some patients 

may feel about their dental 

visits, we make a difference 

by providing a relaxing and 

positive experience. See ad, page 10. 

ENERGY HEALING 

EMOTION CODE HEALING 

Master Hong 

Certified Emotion Code Practitioner 

11012 Cedar Lake Rd., Minnetonka 

952-513-7285 or 914-708-9463 

Chronic pain? Suffering from 

emotions? Relationship problems? 

Life not going as planned? The 

Emotion Code is a tool I use to 

help you break through any 

emotional and spiritual blocks so 

you can live your best life. Trial 

session only $35. 

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALING 

ANNETTE RUGOLO 

Master Dowser 


Is the energy of your home depleting 

you or supporting you? 

If you feel like you are hitting 

your head against a brick wall, it 

may be the wall of dense energy 

in your home. To more easily 

expand into our light and our 

soul purpose, it is important that 

the spaces we live energetically 

support us. Contact me for more 

information on dowsing, environmental healing and 

space clearing. See ad, page 8. 

ESSENTIAL OILS 

AROMATHERAPY NATURE’S WAY 

Joyce Sobotta • 715-828-0117 

AromaTherapyNaturesWay.com 

Education about pure essential 

oils and the lymphatic system 

available on my website. I offer 

consultations and custom blends 

that work synergistically for a 

wide range of emotional and 

health concerns. See ad, page 25. 

GRAPHIC DESIGN 

CAMPFIRE STUDIO 

Sara Shrode, Graphic Designer 

612-554-6304 • CampfireStudio.net 

Sara@CampfireStudio.net 

Ignite the possibilities of 

your next project by 

having Campfire Studio 

design it! Innovative, fullservice 

graphic design studio that takes the essence 

of a campfire—warmth, stories, community—and 

infuses it into every design project we do. 

HEALTH FOOD STORES 

MASTEL’S HEALTH FOODS 

1526 St Clair Ave, St Paul 

Mastels.com • 651-690-1692 

Mastel’s Health Foods is Minnesota’s 

oldest health and wellness 

store. We carry a full line of 

vitamins, minerals, supplements, 

herbs and more. We emphasize 

organic, biodynamic, biodegradable, 

holistic and hypoallergenic 

products and pride ourselves on 

stocking hard-to-find items. See 

ad, page 25. 

INTEGRATED HEALTH 

BHAKTI WELLNESS CENTER 

7550 France Ave. S., #220, Edina 

612-859-7709 • BhaktiClinic.com 

Bhakti provides a holistic 

environment where independent 

practitioners come 

together to offer an integrative 

path to wellness; mind, 

body and spirit. Our providers offer chiropractic, 

energy therapy, massage, microcurrent therapy, 

acupuncture, psychotherapy and much more so that 

you can feel your best, remain healthy & thrive. See 

ad, page 7. 

METROEAST NATURAL 

HEALING CENTER 

6993 35th St N #2, Oakdale 

(651) 771-1703 NutritionChiropractic.com 

Nutrition Response Testing 

(NRT) is a noninvasive 

system of analyzing the 

body to determine the underlying 

causes of illness and non-optimum health. 

Our clinically proven system may be quite different 

from any other healing practice you have experienced. 

The actual procedure is simple and direct, 

with the body providing all of the information and 

feedback needed. See ad, page XX. 

MASSAGE/STRETCHING 

HEALING TAJ 

Theodore Rick 

Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) 

International Village Arcade Building 

220 West 98th St, Ste. 7, Bloomington 

HealingTaj.com • 763-913-6722 

“I love massage, but too often it 

feels good temporarily and then 

the pain and tightness comes back 

again. I have found with AIS that 

by stretching and lengthening the 

fibers, almost like a yoga/massage 

that the pain doesn’t come back 

again,” Warren King. 

PHYSICIANS 

DR. ISAAC M. ENGHOLM 

Deploy Health Family Practice/ 


7550 France Ave. S, Ste. 220, Edina 

DeployHealthFP.com • 612-712-4423 

Dr. Engholm’s practice offers 

unlimited office visits, 

with most lasting over an 

hour. He offers telehealth 

and home visits at no additional 

charge and his patients 

can call 24/7, which reduces the need to utilize 

after-hours urgent care or emergency room visits. 

Memberships are $75/mo for adults, and $25/mo for 

children (added to adult member). See ad, page 7. 


29

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PSYCHOTHERAPY 

FRAN BIEGANEK, MS, LP 


7550 France Ave. S. Suite 220, Edina 

612-564-9947 • FranBieganekTherapy.com 

As a Licensed Psychologist, 

Fran provides holistic, traumainformed 

therapy to help clients 

identify areas of potential 

growth, obstacles to growth, 

and processes that facilitate 

healing and transcendence. She 

also provides QEEG (brain 

mapping) and neurofeedback 

services that facilitate increased brain efficiency. 


RADIO/PODCASTS 

AM950 THE PROGRESSIVE VOICE 

OF MINNESOTA 

AM950Radio.com 

The only Progressive Talk Radio 

station in Minnesota. We strive to 

provide the best progressive 

programming available and 

feature national talkers Thom 

Hartmann, Stephanie Miller, Mike 

Crute and Brad Friedman. We are 

also dedicated to local programming that creates a 

community forum for important Minnesota Progressive 

issues. See ad, page 32. 

SKINCARE - NATURAL 

SILK ROAD WELLNESS 

Annie Qaiser and Sameen Khan 

SilkRoadWellness.com 

Silk Road Wellness is the 

first fully halal-certified 

wellness brand in USA. A 

bold fusion of East and 

West, the distinctive skincare 

and wellness line is a 

unique combination of 

traditional healing systems, prophetic traditions and 

contemporary natural beauty standards. All products 

are free of artificial coloring, preservatives and fillers 

and are packaged in eco-friendly and reusable 

packaging. See ad, page 8. 

SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS 

ECKANKAR TEMPLE OF ECK 

7450 Powers Blvd., Chanhassen 

952-380-2200 • Eckankar.org 

Are you looking for the 

personal experience of 

God? Eckankar can help 

you fulfill your dream. We 

offer ways to explore your 

own unique and natural 

relationship with the 

Divine through personalized study to apply in your 

everyday life. See ad, page 14. 


CELEBRATING 27 years in THE business of

Natural Awakenings Twin Cities May 2021

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