Posts filed under ‘spring’
BRINGING WELLNESS TO CAPITOL HILL
Every year the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) sponsors an amazing event that brings the field of Naturopathic Medicine to the attention of our nation’s congressional leaders. The Federal Legislative Initiative, or “DC FLI,” takes place in early May involving several days of training and preparation before sending forth over 150 naturopathic physicians and naturopathic medical students ready to lobby for changes in healthcare that will increase access to naturopathic sevices for more Americans. During this year’s Lobby Day on May 3rd, I had the privilege of visiting the offices of Senator Cardin and Congressman Sarbanes from Maryland as well as Senators McCaskill and Bond and Congressman Clay from my home state of Missouri.
Our specific requests included:
- Adding naturopathic physicians to federal loan reimbursement programs that support primary care physicians working in rural and under-served communities.
- Incorporating a more specific definition of “integrative healthcare practitioner” into future Healthcare Reform Bill revisions.
- Protecting the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) as it is written to ensure safe access to quality nutritional supplements.
Thankfully, our profession’s core philosophy of encouraging individuals to take a more active role in their own health was well-received by the legislative aids we met with on the Hill. One day we hope that naturopathic medicine can help meet the growing need for more primary care physicians in our country’s challenged healthcare system. Until then, we will keep bringing ideas and recommendations for shifting the “healthcare conversation” back to health and healing to the offices and ears of those who can implement change.
How can you participate in this change? Visit the AANP website and sign up for the Action E-List to receive alerts when you can e-mail your congressmen and congresswomen.
Let your voice be heard!
SPRING DETOX CLASS
Isn’t it time you learned how to Love your Liver?
Dr. Emily’s Spring Detox Class at SEEDS offers you an opportunity to learn simple wellness practices to promote detoxification, enhance liver function and optimize digestion. In this 4-week class series, each session will cover a different wellness topic with the incorporation of a progressive elimination diet to help identify food sensitivities.
Week 1: Love Your Liver
Week 2: Trust Your Gut
Week 3: Calming Down the “Troops” of Inflammation
Week 4: Practicing Detoxification in Everyday Life
2 Class sessions are being offered at:
Seeds Center for Whole Health (3600 Roland Ave. Ste 4)
Wednesdays April 21st, 28th, May 5th, & 12th – 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Saturdays April 24th, May 1st, 8th & 15th – 9:00 am – 10:30 am
COST: $250
TO REGISTER: Contact Dr. Emily at (443) 226-7665
Retreat
The concept of retreat was introduced to me as early as grade school when one to two days per year were devoted to building community amongst my classmates, nurturing a spiritual connection, and generally stepping away from daily patterns that interfere with personal growth. Thankfully, I have continued the tradition of devoting time to retreat throughout the years which has been a vital part of sustaining balance and wellness during my work as a naturopath and while living in a world where stresses and challenges also reside. Retreat can be just as much about disconnecting from what drains and depletes our energy as it is about reconnecting with what support and heals us. The true learning occurs while integrating that reconnection back into daily life.
During my recent trip to Belize, Central America, I retreated to a land rich in mystical Mayan culture and full of respect for the diversity of life rustling in the leaves of the jungle and swimming in the depths of the sea. During my stay on the mainland, I toured the famous Ix Chel Medicine Trail founded by Dr. Rosita Arvigo who studied with a native Mayan shaman who lived to be 103 years old. Along the trail I learned about the traditional Mayan uses of native plants such as Allspice berries for toothaches and the bark of the Gumbo-limbo tree as a natural anti-biotic. My adventures to the local Belizean Cayes landed me at a small yoga retreat resort called Ak’bol (www.akbol.com) where I waded in the still blue-green waters of the Caribbean Ocean, held steady Warrior poses against the ocean breezes, and dined on omega-3 rich wild caught fish fresh from the morning’s catch. I am grateful to the Belizean people for their hospitable spirits and sincere appreciation for the beauty of Nature that surrounds them.
I arrived back in Baltimore just as Spring was beginning to emerge – perfect timing! The moment-to-moment shifts in Nature that occur this time of year have helped to keep me connected to the same awe and excitement I felt in gazing out at the crystal blue Caribbean water or spotting a toucan hidden in the trees. Now blooming daffodils and budding cherry blossoms help me recall a sense of retreat.
Below are a few spots in the Baltimore area where I have found a sense of retreat:
Sherwood Gardens: Near 4100 block of St. Paul St.; The Tulips are Coming!
Teavolve Cafe: Harbor East; Enjoy local musicians while you sip your tea!
Visionary Art Museum: Downtown Baltimore, MD
Shambhala Center: Baltimore, MD; Open Meditation Thursday evenings
Bon Secours Spiritual Center: Marriotsville, MD; Walk the Labyrinth
I welcome learning about your stories of retreat or place/experiences that have helped you reconnect to your wellness. Please feel free to e-mail stories to dremilytelfair@gmail.com.
Adventures in Detoxing
I was first introduced to the practice of detoxification while in school for naturopathic medicine. As students we were encouraged to experience an “elimination diet” so we could better understand the challenges that would face our future patients. I remember scouring the internet for gluten-free, dairy-free recipes, the all-natural cookies I made that fell apart due to lack of a binder, and somehow developing a taste for foods that most normal humans would classify as “unpalatable.” Those days are all revisiting me now as I practice solidarity with the class of 8 willing participants who volunteered to take my Spring Detox Class. We have reached Day 11 of our 21 day detox program which consists of a progressive elimination diet and the incorporation of other naturopathic modalities such as exercise, hydrotherapy and mindful self-reflection.
When it comes down to it, detoxification is about coming back to what is simple and natural about living in this world. Unfortunately, it can take a lot of effort and planning to arrange for simplicity – waking early enough on a Saturday to make it to the farmers’ market, baking granola from scratch because all store-bought granola contains sugar, stopping to read labels at the grocery store and putting back on the shelf what you cannot pronounce. I am grateful for this time to remember the wonder of the human body and how it can rise to the challenge of the complex world we have created. It remains to be seen if my gluten-free baking skills have evolved as brilliantly as the liver’s detoxification system!
The Healing Power of Weeds
You may want to think twice as you find yourself wrestling with the weeds cropping up in your garden this spring. In an effort to maintain aesthetics, you may be tossing valuable natural remedies in to the compost bin. Mother Nature has a way of surrounding us with medicinal plants even in urban settings. Weeds are persistant by nature and can grow under conditions of immense stress which gives testiment to the highly protective nutrients and antioxidants that they often possess. Here are a few “medicinal weeds” you may find growing in your own backyard:
Dandelion: Save money on toxic weed killers which will cause harm to your liver and instead dine on dandelions which protect your liver cells from free radical damage! Dandelion leaves add a bitter quality to salads which stimulates healthy digestion. Dandelion greens also have historic use as a mild diuretic for lowering blood pressure and the roots are often found in liver tonic formulas.
Chickweed: Creeping along close to the ground, this plant is another great addition to your salad bowl as it was used as a nutritious food by populations in Southeast Spain. Chickweed is often used in anti-itch formulas for treating eczema and other skin eruptions. Create a chickweed poultice by soaking the weed in hot water briefly, then removing it to apply to the affected area of skin once partially cooled.
Plantain: Usually found in the cracks of sidewalks and in park lawns, plantain has a broad flat leaf with a thin spoke-like flower rising from the center. Plantain is a great first-aid remedy for insect bites and stings. Just chew up a piece of the leaf and then apply directly over the inflamed area or chop up several leaves, soak in hot water and then apply to the skin.
Spring Detox Class at Seeds in Hampden
The cleansing energy of spring is a reminder to nurture and tend to our livers. The liver has the ever important task of filtering through all of the toxins that we encounter in our food and environment.
The term “detox” is often misused as a means of simply clearing out the digestive tract. Detoxification is rather a holistic process that recognizes all systems the body uses to release and reduce toxins – through the breath, digestion, skin and urinary tract.
The Spring Detox class is designed as a holistic approach to detoxification which will address diet and lifestyle factors that impact wellness. Each week will have a different focus:
Week 1: Love your Liver
Week 2: Healing the Gut
Week 3: Calming Down the Troops (lowering inflammation)
Week 4: Bringing it all Home – Detox in the Everyday
Each week different food groups will be eliminated from the diet to support the immune system and promote healing in the gastrointestinal tract.
Price of the class includes handouts, a rice-based protein powder which will enhance detox pathways in the liver, and an Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook.
Dates: Wednesdays April 29th, May 6th, 13th and 20th
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Location: Seeds Center for Whole Health
3600 Roland Ave Ste 4
Baltimore, MD 21211
To Register: Call Dr. Emily at (443) 226-7665
Class Limit: 10 participants (Minimum of 6 to hold the class)
Cost: $250 ($75 deposit required to hold your space)
Spring Into Wellness with Naturopathic Medicine
Spring marks a time of transition between the stillness of winter and the liveliness of summer with signs of new life emerging at every turn. In the last remaining weeks of this season, I encourage you to explore the seeds of wellness that may be taking root in your own life. As a naturopathic physician, my goal is to help connect my patients with their own innate healing potential using noninvasive natural therapies. Our bodies naturally want to move in a healing direction and once the obstacles which impose stress on our minds, bodies and spirits are removed, healing can occur. What obstacle are you ready to release to live a fuller, healthier life?
Here are a few tips to help convert your obstacles into wellness opportunities:
- Support your local Farmer’s Market.
- Replace coffee and colas with extra water or tangy herbal tea blends.
- Increase liver-loving foods in your diet such as green leafies, asparagus, onions, artichokes and broccoli.
- Practice daily gratitude for whatever brings you joy and inspiration in your life.
