Spring Cleanse #1 – 2011

Thanks for taking the time to read my fasting/cleansing first post.  Yesterday was the first day of about a two week dietary cleanse.  The first day is easy because the plan by Dr. Elson M. Haas requires you to eat your normal diet.  Not too difficult but is is a good day to look over the plan and visualize success.  Today is the first step in elimination.  Today I eliminate chemicals e.g. food additives alcohol, and caffeine to others this might also include recreational drugs and nicotine .  It is important to add that I have no medical reasons that permit me from taking this path.  My first elimination is seemingly my toughest.  I LOVE coffee and decaf, to me, does not taste the same.

This exercise is to increase my awareness of the attachments I have to what I put in my body.  I hope my transition from caffeine goes smoothly.

Jade Integrated Health Celebrates 10 years

Portland’s Jade Integrated Health to Host Open House June 3^rd – celebrating 10 years of creating wellness, raising families and encouraging health at.

PORTLAND, Maine May 26, 2011 – Jade Integrated Health, a provider of health and wellness services in Portland’s East End is celebrating its 10^th year anniversary with an Open House on the 1^st Friday in June. Experiment with a menu highlighting the flavors of salty, sweet, sour, pungent, and bitter.  This is a free and open to the public, rain or shine to celebrate wellness.

“We offer a full range of services including, rehabilitative services that incorporate acupuncture, physical therapy, massage therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine and yoga. Our approach to the health and well-being of our patients is solution based,” says John Charlebois, who together with his wife Nancy is the owner and founder of the center.  John’s expertise is in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, while Nancy, who is a licensed physical therapist, provides physical therapy treatment and massage therapy services.

“I love my job! It is an opportunity to get to know people in our community,” says Nancy. “Our growth has been organic; Jade Integrated Health has added services according to what our clients have asked for over the years.”  They opened their doors in April 2001, offering acupuncture and Chinese herbology. Later, it expanded to include Nancy’s physical therapy practice. In the spring of 2008, they began offering a variety of yoga classes including: prenatal, gentle, and mom & baby. Over the past year they’ve added men’s yoga classes and Yamanu body rolling.

John and Nancy believe strongly in an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to achieve results.  This sometimes means coordinating care with acupuncture yoga, massage, pool therapy, Chinese Herbal Medicine or seeing practitioners outside their office such as an osteopath, chiropractor, naturopathic physician or nurse practitioner. Ultimately, it is up to individual patients as to the healthcare path that fits their needs.

“Not only are we committed to responding to our clients’ needs, we are also responding to a need in the community for an enhanced level of health and well-being that our combined services offer,” says John, “and that feels good.” Please join them for a celebration.

What: 10th Anniversary Open House
Where: 218 Washington Ave, Portland, Maine
When: June 3, 2011 from 4:30pm – 6:30pm

For more information call (207) 773-5778 or visit the Open House web page.

Greater Health and Better Morale

Nationwide Clinical Survey of Acupuncture Patients

• 91.5 % reported a disappearance or improvement of symptoms.

• 79% said they use fewer drugs.

• 70% avoided surgery.

• 63% said "I can work better most of the time."

• 58% said "I have more energy most of the time."

• 63% said "I have less pain most of the time."

• 68% said "I get along better with others most of the time"
  

source: Claire Cassidy, "Health Visions 2000"

Vitamin C, Zinc or Vitamin D ?

The answer might surprise you... Can vitamin C supplements help you avoid colds and flu this  season? In a word, no.  Clinical trials of approximately 10,000 participants, have failed to find that vitamin C supplements decreases the risk of catching cold or flu in ordinary people.  However, they did determine it might at least shorten the length of a cold. Vitamin C is essential in your diet so your body can form collagen in bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels.  Vitamin C helps maintain healthy teeth and gums, and helps wounds heal. The best way to increase your vitamin C intake is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, such as green or red peppers, kiwi, oranges, melon, and broccoli. Zinc is another nutrient that has not lived up to its promise of preventing colds. Experts disagree about whether  zinc lozenges might shorten the duration of a cold,  If you decide to try  using zinc to make your cold end sooner, you should know that gels or sprays that apply zinc to the inside of the nose should NOT be used. They have been taken off the market after many consumers reported losing their sense of smell.  To boost your intake of zinc naturally, choose rich food sources such as beef, poultry, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. The most promising single nutrient in the quest to prevent colds and flu is vitamin D. Several studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is linked with more colds and flu. It is too soon to know if taking vitamin D supplements can help prevent these upper respiratory infections. Still, people living in Maine may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Unlike other nutrients, which can be consumed in food, your body must manufacture its own vitamin D; this only happens after you bare skin is exposed to strong sunlight. Since that is unlikely to happen during the fall, winter and spring at our latitude, a vitamin D supplement may be in order. Although the outdated Institute of Medicine guidelines still call for 400 IUs of Vitamin D per day for adults, most experts now agree that 1000 IU per day is probably closer to meeting the needs of most people. If you have a documented vitamin D deficiency, you may need even more vitamin D, but higher doses should only be consumed under the supervision of your health care provider. Patsy Catsos, MS, RD, LD is a medical nutrition therapist in private practice at Nutrition Works, LLC in Portland. She is the only dietitian in Maine with a practice focused on helping people with gastrointestinal diseases and disorders, and is the author of IBS--Free at Last!.  For a list of upcoming wellness and cooking classes or for information about booking an appointment, please visit Nutrition Works at www.nutritionworks.us

Defeating Cold & Flu with Chinese Medicine

In China, every school from grade school through college, offers herbs to the students during the flu season to prevent cold and flu. There are quite a few teas and herbal formulas available for prevention purposes.  These anti-cold and flu formulas will be found in every family's medicine cabinet. It would be almost impossible to find a person in China who has never taken one.

Using herbal formulas to prevent and treat colds and flu is one of the best-developed and most successful aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Specific treatment practices and formulas have been handed down unbroken from the earliest schools to the modern universities of China. Cold, cough and flu occur in stages.  Practitioners trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine learn to diagnose the progression and determine which herbs are most effective.

Top Antiviral Herbs

Woad Root (Ban Lan Gen) iWoad root tea is the most popular herbal tea to prevent and treat flu in China.  In a study of over 11,000 people who were exposed to mumps, the infectious manifestation was forestalled by using a decoction of woad root.

Woad Leaf (Da Qing Ye) shares similar properties with woad root. In a study of 100 people, only 10% of the treatment group that took a woad leaf decoction twice daily had upper respiratory infections during the study period, while 24% of the control group had infections.

Forsythia Fruit (Lian Qiao) is a pointed, oval-shaped capsule with a hard shell. Because of its anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and immunity-enhancing properties, forsythia fruit is widely used to treat common cold, influenza, swelling and pain in the throat, and skin inflammation.

Honeysuckle Flower (Jin Yin Hua) is named "gold-and-silver flower" in Chinese. Research indicates that this flower bud can deactivate the PR8 strain of influenza virus. The study also indicates that honeysuckle works wonderfully to treat other infectious diseases, including pneumonia and viral conjunctivitis.

Baical Skullcap Root (Huang Qin) is the dried root of scutellaria. It is an anti-viral agent, effective against influenza viruses. This herb and its active substance, baicalin, are used in the treatment of upper respiratory infections, either bacterial or viral.

In traditional Chinese medicine, patterns are differentiated according to the imbalances of the body and the causes and stages of the disease. Herbal formulas (combination of herbs) are always recommended by practitioners because they are customized and more effective than single herbs.   In future newsletters I will discuss three patterns of cold and flu symptoms, and the appropriate formulas for each type.

- John Charlebois L AC

Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Cupping, Moxibustion

Often people ask, "Is Acupuncture helpful?" The World Health Organization, National institute of Health, and individuals, such as former Surgeon General E. Koop, recognize Acupuncture as an effective treatment for a variety of ailments. Pain and chronic pain are often relieved, as well as emotional difficulties and addictions.

The World Health Organization states Acupuncture is an effective treatment for:

• Allergies
• Neck, shoulder or temporomandibular pain
• Tennis Elbow / Golfer's Elbow
• Low back, hip, knee and ankle joint pain
• Sciatica
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Postoperative pain
• Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
• Dysmenorrhea, primary
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
• Headache
• Hypertension or Hypotension
• Malposition of fetus, correction of
• Induction of labor
• Morning sickness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stroke
• Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
• Leukopenia

Massage

Traditional Massage

Massage promotes healthy soft tissues by increasing circulation, improving delivery of nutrients to soft tissue for growth and repair, while facilitating the removal of metabolic waste. Benefits you may experience include: improved sleep, strengthened immunity, reduced blood pressure and heart rate, reduced anxiety, an increased sense of well-being, and beneficial stimulation to internal organs.

At Jade Integrated Health, we provide customized massage therapy performed by our licensed massage therapists, who have advanced training in all areas of massage including:

• Prenatal Massage
• Swedish
• Deep Tissue
• Sports
• Infant

Prenatal Massage

Not only is massage relaxing, but it also contributes to a healthy pregnancy. Bodywork has been shown to increase circulation, decrease prematurity, relieve aches due to pregnancy, promote a sense of well-being, and reduce labor complications. Nancy is certified in prenatal massage, ensuring that you have a relaxing, safe experience.

All sessions are tailored to address specific areas of concern. We also strive to educate you in caring for your physical health.

The Myth of Improper Alignment and Relief

Cranial Sacral Therapy Explained

Optimal health includes and resounds from proper alignment of all body tissues; adjustments in alignment is one of the many options to accomplish this goal. For those who work in the physical medicine field, D.O.'s chiropractors and physical therapists, to name a few, adjustments are one of the many treatment options to use where appropriate.

There are many ways to accomplish the relief that comes with neutral alignment. One very gentle way is through the hands on technique of Cranial Sacral Therapy. Through this very light touch approach, a therapist can use the body's own fluid and innate healing ability to release tissue strain and tension.

When strain is released from the tissues, the pull ( out of alignment) is resolved and thus, the bone return to their natural and neutral resting place. All of this, in turn, leads to comfort and relief and allows the body to regain balance, alignment and health.

- Sarah Wolf DPT

Saturday Cartoons Are Over Rated - Try Wellness Instead

Jade Integrated Health Offers Two New Saturday Classes: Yin Yoga and Qigong

PORTLAND, Maine, October 8th, 2010 - Jade Integrated Health on Munjoy Hill in Portland believes in providing its clients with services to promote comprehensive health and wellbeing. To this end, they are currently offering a two new classes.; Yin Yoga and Qigong.

What is Qigong?  Qi, pronounced "chee", means life energy.  "Gong" means work. So "Qi Gong" means working with the energy of life!  Qigong is the father of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is over 7,500 years old.

• The benefits of Qi Gong include:
• Energy, stamina & well-being
• Health, vitality & wisdom
• Serenity, peace and quality life

This series will be instructed by Kelcey Hart, of Integrated Performance.   Kelcey is a nationally certified and licensed trainer, coach and instructor.  In addition to directing a number of fitness initiatives and organizations, he has coached student and professional athletes as well as individuals seeking to dramatically improve their fitness and wellness.  The series starts October 16th at 11 am will last 6 weeks.  Cost is $85.

Yin Yoga is performed to stretch the connective tissues of the body. Primary connective tissues include the hips, thighs and lower spinal area. This type of practice is beneficial for a wide variety of people from those with chronic pain or injury, to athletes or avid yoga practitioners who want to improve flexibility and deeply open muscles and joints. There will be  room for questions and you will receive a handout with practices you can do at home.  The class is taught by Jessie Challmers, an experienced yoga instructor who currently teaches classes at Maine Medical Center for cancer patients as well as community classes and workshops throughout Portland.  This series starts October 16th, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., and last 6 weeks.  Cost is $85.

Harvest Time

The transition from summer to fall can sometimes  be stressful.  Getting kids back to school and focusing on work can add additional pressure.  Good news, with fall comes good food.  Comfort foods that can reduce stress and boost our immune systems.

Explore with us the benefits of maintaining balanced nutrition, finding fresh local food, and cooking with enjoyment.

John, Nancy, Maura, and Laragh

Eat Fresh -  Buy Local
Find Local Farms and Markets Finding local farms, events and farmer's markets is easier then you think.  The Maine Department of Agriculture has an excellent website with easy to use location finder. Want to participate in discussions on local food? Check out the Eat Local Foods website. Interested in purchasing shares of food for the season, check out MOFGA CSA directory link.

Sweet Food Cravings ?

Traditional Chinese Medicine Interpretations Chinese medicine has different explanations for cravings that consider personalities and taste likes/dislikes. Many emotions are directly related to the kind of food cravings a person may develop. For worry,  stress and a sense of overwork coupled with the feeling that one is not "grounded" can often lead to craving sweets. The Five Element Perspective In Chinese treatment there is an ancient method of the five element perspective. The relationship of the five elements is the association with the season, emotion, taste and organ. The five basic elements/phases and corresponding tastes are: 1. Metal -Pungent 2. Water - Salty 3. Wood - Sour 4. Fire - Bitter 5. Earth - Sweet The flavor of food (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty) can be used to predict its effects on the body. Many foods belong to more than one of the five tastes, for example vinegar is seen as being both bitter and sour and cheese as being sour and sweet. Sweet foods often can be divided into two groups 1) Sweet foods that are neutral and nourishing or warm and nourishing, these include meat, legumes, nuts, dairy products and starchy vegetables. 2) Sweet foods that are cooling, these include fruits, sugar, honey and other sweeteners. Potatoes, rice and apples are all considered to belong to the sweet flavor. The earth type person tends to over-think a lot and has food cravings for sweets. But this works both ways. Adequate amount of sweet is good but over dose can injure the person.  When the earth element is weakened the appetite decreases, digestion is affected and sweet cravings increase and the person starts getting symptoms of mental sluggishness and emotional stress and physical fatigue that. Unfortunately, the individual feels compelled to consume sweet food for it does provide a quick boost of energy then the cycle becomes deleterious.  These cravings can be fulfilled with using cinnamon and other herbs though these herbs are not as sweet as sugar but they surely but they are naturally moderately sweet. Autumn is the time of the Metal Element and light pungency in foods can be helpful to warm us against the upcoming chill. Again, be sure not over spice for it may open the exterior defenses and cause a sweat.  Traditionally, this makes a person more susceptible to colds and flu.  Wet skin against the cold wind is not a good combination. In future newsletters I will explore other elements and their relationships with season, emotion and taste. - John Charlesbois L. Ac.

My Grandma's Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Fall's Perfect Comfort Food Ingredients Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 2. Halve pumpkin and scoop out seeds and stringy portions. Cut pumpkin into chunks. In saucepan over medium heat, in 1 inch of boiling water heat the pumpkin to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool and remove the peel. 3. Return pumpkin to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher. Drain well. 4. Prepare pie crusts by mixing together the flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour, add 1 tablespoon water to mixture at a time. Mix dough and repeat until dough is moist enough to hold together. 5. With lightly floured hands shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured board roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. With a sharp knife, cut dough 1 1/2 inch larger than the upside down 8-9 inch pie pan. Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it right side up on to the pie pan. Unroll, ease dough into the bottom of the pie pan. 6. In a large bowl with mixer speed on medium, beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Pour into a prepared crust. Bake 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Original Recipe Yield 2 pies * 2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin * 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk * 2 eggs, beaten * 3/4 cup packed brown sugar * 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon * 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger * 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg * 1/2 teaspoon salt *  * 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour * 1 teaspoon salt * 1 cup shortening * 1/2 cup cold water

Reduce Stress

Strengthen Your Immune System Eat foods rich in antioxidants (like vitamins A, C, E and lycopene), omega-3 fatty acids, and folate. Antioxidants fight and neutralize free radicals, which are molecules that damage cells and cause heart disease, cancer and premature aging. Omega-3 fatty acids (a polyunsaturated fat) have anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular-enhancing and immune-regulating properties. It is helpful in preventing and controlling high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, depression, inflammatory and auto-immune disorders. Folate prevents age-related cognitive decline, damage to blood vessels and brain cells by lowering homocysteine levels. It also ensures DNA integrity (important as we age and when pregnant) and promotes healthy red blood cells. Excellent food sources for these nutrients are as follows. Antioxidants - pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, grapefruit (red and pink), blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, peppers (red and green), tomatoes, broccoli, sunflower seeds, almonds and olive oil Omega-3 Fatty Acids - ground flax seeds, walnuts, salmon, soybeans and pumpkin seeds. Folate - dark green leafy vegetables (turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, collard greens, etc.), beans, legumes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, beets and okra.

In The News

The Impact of Yoga Teachers on Society By Paul Lerard - September 22nd, 2010 . In the West, there was a time when practicing Yoga was kept secret. When I was a child, it was considered, a bit strange. During the 50's and 60's, Yoga practice was associated with being part of counter culture movements, such as living the life of beatniks  or  hippies.  Interestingly, I was told by a school teacher that I would some day grow up to be a beatnik. Well, time has passed and Yoga has come out of the closet  in a giant wave. Yes, Yoga has gone Global.  The world society, as a whole, has been affected positively by Yoga classes and Yoga teachers. Meditation, a component of a typical Yoga class, is a proven and valuable tool for mental health. Let's look at some of the ways Yoga teachers, Yoga classes, and the many styles of Yoga have gently changed the world today. There is much more to Yoga than meets the eye, at first glance. In fact, there is a Yoga style for every need, purpose, and personality. Full article is here. Maura's Commentary After reading this article I reflected on my own relationship with the practice of yoga itself and with teaching.  Yoga is for everyone.  The beauty in the practice is how it is meant to meet us exactly where we are, and continues to remind us that we have the tools within us to handle any situation that may arise in our lives.  I love to teach yoga because I love to be able to hold the space for my students to experience yoga in their bodies, to feel their breath fully, to connect to their bodies inherent guiding system.  I teach with the intention of being open to exactly what is. The yoga practice can feel as if you're coming home to your body, coming home to a place that isn't about what you could or couldn't do yesterday or what you aspire to do or be tomorrow.  The practice is about being present to what is happening in this present moment, and approaching this awareness without judgment. - Maura

Jokes of the Month
I got tired of looking at all those leaves in my yard, so I got up off the couch and went into action. I closed the curtains.

Balanced Energy, Balanced Life – Yoga, Acupuncture and Massage on Munjoy Hill

Jade Integrated Health Offers Portland-area Residents Health Benefits, Relief from Stress

PORTLAND, Maine, September 14th, 2010 - Combating stress in modern life is a challenge for most, but for Cape Elizabeth resident Elisabeth Lombardo, it became a physical problem. "I work full-time, I have a young son, and my husband runs a business and travels frequently. As they say, 'something's gotta give'-and it did. I don't think I realized how stressed out I was until I became ill this spring." Lombardo was sent from specialist to specialist, and tested for "every disease under the sun, including cancer, kidney stones, and endometriosis." She even had surgery in May, but the doctors were ultimately unable to answer the question of what was wrong with her. "It seemed like they reached a dead end and there was nothing more they could do to help. I was desperate, though, because I was still experiencing pain on a daily basis."

That's when Lombardo decided to go to acupuncturist John Charlebois at Jade Integrated Health on Munjoy Hill. "I'd been to Jade a few years ago for whiplash treatment after a car accident. After jumping through all the hoops Western medicine had to offer this spring, I was ready to simplify and approach my physical issues from a different angle." Through weekly acupuncture treatments and consultations with Charlebois this summer, she has since eliminated inflammatory foods from her diet like dairy and gluten. She is also doing yoga and massage and taking Chinese herbs.

"Yoga, acupuncture and massage each offer health benefits, but when done together, the effect can be life-changing. At Jade Integrated health, we believe in treating the body as a whole, rather than trying to treat each symptom that comes along," says John Charlebois.  "All 3 of these modalities have been proven to enhance the immune system and reduce stress." It has been calculated that 70-80 % of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related and stress-induced illnesses and that stress contributes to 50% of all illness in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Lombardo is on a path to recovery. "The pain that I was experiencing in my abdomen is largely gone now," she says. "I'm more relaxed in general, and more aware of my physical reactions when I am under stress. It sounds silly, but I am learning how to breathe again, the right way. And as an added benefit, my seasonal allergies are the best they've been in years!"

Jade Integrated Health is currently offering a package of 7 weeks of yoga, one acupuncture treatment and one massage for $200.00. Jade also offers Physical Therapy, prenatal massage, Mommy and Baby Yoga and a brand new Yoga For Guys class.

Portland’s Jade Trade Clinic Changes Name to “Jade Integrated Health”

PORTLAND, Maine August 24, 2010 - Jade Trade, a provider of health and wellness services in Portland's East End, has announced that it has changed its name to "Jade Integrated Health." The clinic provides rehabilitative services that incorporate acupuncture, physical therapy, massage therapy, traditional Chinese medicine and yoga.

"We changed our name to reflect not only the full range of services we offer, but also our approach to the health and well-being of our patients," says John Charlebois, who together with his wife Nancy is the owner and founder of the center. "We appreciate that our treatments are built around an integrated effort and want this to be the focus for our future growth." John's expertise is in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, while Nancy, who is a licensed physical therapist, provides physical therapy treatment and massage therapy services.

"Our name change is really a reflection of our center's evolution in the community," says Nancy. "Our growth has been organic; Jade Integrated Health has added services according to what our clients have asked for over the years." Jade Trade opened its doors in April 2001, offering acupuncture and Chinese herbology. Later, it expanded to include Nancy's physical therapy practice. In the spring of 2008, Jade Integrated Health also began to offer yoga.

"Not only are we committed to responding to our clients' needs, we are also responding to a need in the community for an enhanced level of health and well-being that our combined services offer," says John, "and that feels good."

About Jade Integrated Health:

John Charlebois is a licensed acupuncturist specializing in traditional Chinese medicine. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA of Science and Rehabilitation Administration from Springfield College in Massachusetts. John then attained his Master of Science in Oriental Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tui Na AOBTA Certification, National Certification in Herbology at the Academy of Oriental Medicine in Austin, Texas.

Nancy Charlebois is a licensed physical therapist and massage therapist. She graduated in 1996 from Springfield College with her Master's Degree in Physical Therapy. Nancy has worked in a variety of treatment settings, from a neonatal intensive care unit to nursing homes during her 14 year career. Since moving to Maine, she has developed a strong outpatient orthopedic focus working with patients experiencing pain. She also specializes in women's health physical therapy.National Certification in Herbology at the Academy of Oriental Medicine in Austin, Texas.

For more information about Jade Integrated Health, visit www.JadeIntegratedHealth.com. To schedule an interview with John or Nancy Charlebois, please contact Jodi Phinney  at 773-5778 or info@jadeintegratedhealth.com.

Jade Integrated Health Jodi Phinney Marketing and Public Relation e-mail: info@jadeintegratedhealth.com phone: 207-773-5778

Share Your Summer Time Fun With US!!

Not just another newsletter, but your chance to write us for a change.  Please send us your favorite summertime vacation stories.  Funny, sad, best experience or worst.  Make us laugh...make us cry.  The winning-est story will be rewarded with a free acupuncture treatment or massage.

In the spirit of fair play we are including some of our own. We look forward to hearing from you and good luck!!

John, Nancy, Maura, Laragh, Mary and Sue

My Top 5 Summer Vacation Events

5. Kayaking Kettle cove /Crescent beach area.

4. Sponsoring and attending Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in Deering Oaks Park.

3. Finally having dinner at Fore Street after living in the area for almost  ten years.

2. Enjoying every Thursday with my Two boys.

1. Accompanying my six year old for his first hike up Mt. Washington with my two brothers and their kids.

- John Charlesbois L. Ac.

Summer of Metamorphosis - My 5 Favorite Memories

In no particular order:

5. Planting and picking from our summer garden with my son Bowen.

4. Finding a caterpillar in said garden, placing it in a jar, watching it transform into an amazing Swallowtail butterfly and then releasing it back to the garden.

3. Watching Hudson bear crawl towards the ocean like a baby sea turtle heading towards home.

2. Golfing.

1. Visiting the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.

- Nancy

Books, Food, Smiles and Friends - The Good Things In My Life

This summer has been an incredibly abundant socially, celebrating engagements and marriages of some of my closest friends from backyards in Massachusetts, lobster bakes in Cape Elizabeth, a very Maine inspired wedding on Peaks Island, to a colorful wedding in the botanical gardens in Boothbay Harbor.  With two weddings still left this summer, I feel blessed to have such wonderful friends and thrilled that they are finding love and joy in their relationships.

To bring balance into a full social calendar, I have been enjoying time at the beach reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", the first of a new bestselling trilogy, finding inner stillness through my yoga practice and swimming, and experiencing the incredibly interesting and healing effects of acupuncture with John.

This has indeed been a summer that I will not forget. 
- Maura

Books, Food, Smiles and Friends

The Good Things In Life

This summer has been an incredibly abundant socially, celebrating engagements and marriages of some of my closest friends from backyards in Massachusetts, lobster bakes in Cape Elizabeth, a very Maine inspired wedding on Peaks Island, to a colorful wedding in the botanical gardens in Boothbay Harbor.  With two weddings still left this summer, I feel blessed to have such wonderful friends and thrilled that they are finding love and joy in their relationships. 

To bring balance into a full social calendar, I have been enjoying time at the beach reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", the first of a new bestselling trilogy, finding inner stillness through my yoga practice and swimming, and experiencing the incredibly interesting and healing effects of acupuncture with John. 

This has indeed been a summer that I will not forget.  

- Maura

Summer of Metamorphosis

My 5 Favorite Memories

In no particular order:

5. Planting and picking from our summer garden with my son Bowen.

4. Finding a caterpillar in said garden, placing it in a jar, watching it transform into an amazing Swallowtail butterfly and then releasing it back to the garden.

3. Watching Hudson bear crawl towards the ocean like a baby sea turtle heading towards home.

2. Golfing.

1. Visiting the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.

- Nancy

My Top 5 Summer Vacation Events

5. Kayaking Kettle cove /Crescent beach area.

4. Sponsoring and attending Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in Deering Oaks Park.

3. Finally having dinner at Fore Street after living in the area for almost  ten years.

2. Enjoying every Thursday with my Two boys.

1. Accompanying my six year old for his first hike up Mt. Washington with my two brothers and their kids.

- John Charlesbois L. Ac.

Shakespeare In The Park

Enjoy the Show

We are proud to announce our sponsorship of this year's play in the park at Deering oaks.  The Fenix Theater Company is be performing Shakespeare's The Twelfth Night.  We invite to you join us for this unique event.

All performances will be in the wading pool area of beautiful Deering Oaks and every show is FREE to the public.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday:
July 29th, 30th, 31st
August 5th, 6th, 7th
August 12th, 13th, 14th

Balanced Energy, Balanced Diet

The Yoga Perspective

The key to true health is to have balance in all areas of your life including your diet and lifestyle. To live a yoga lifestyle means to aim to find this balance in your whole life.  The practice of yoga is complemented when eating in moderation to nourish the mind and body, which keeps us alert and energized. A balanced whole foods diet ensures that all aspects of the digestion system work in harmony with each other. When all aspects of digestion are in balance, you will feel your best.

I have been starting my morning with fruit and a slice of Ezekiel bread, followed by a yoga practice. Ezekiel bread is made with freshly sprouted, certified organically grown live grains, contains no flour, is high in fiber, low glycemic, and diabetic friendly.  There are very powerful nutritive and healing properties of sprouts.  Enzymes are considered a key to longevity, and are greatly activat ed in the sprouting process.  Foods should enhance healing and regeneration.  

In my personal experience starting the day eating healthy and mindfully helps to deepen the mind body connection, and bring myself into alignment with natural harmony.  With awareness into our daily diet, lifestyle, exercise habits, combined with an understanding of balance, we have the power to alter the direction of our health and well-being from "disease" to ease.

Bon Appetit !

- Maura

Gardening and Food Preparation

How to Avoid Aches and Pains

There are obvious points to the positive impact of good nutrition and physical recovery from injury.  However, let's stretch (no pun intended!) into the physical therapy realm of how some of us obtain our food (summer in Maine=gardening) to food preparation.

First, while snow shoveling conjures images of an aching back, for many so does gardening.  Here are some tips to avoid the aching back, neck and shoulders:

• While weeding, planting and harvesting, instead of bending forward, get close to your plants by kneeling, standing in a lunge position or 1/2 lunge position and hinge forward at your hips or bend forward at the hips and squat down.
• Pull in those lover abs!  Imagine that you are zipping up a tight pair of jeans and keep you abs engaged as you work.
• Take breaks with frequent changes in position.
• Balance the forward position that gardening requires by standing up tall, gently arching back, reaching your arms up overhead and looking towards the sky-all while taking a deep breath of course!

Secondly, food preparation can cause some postural and repetitive strain.  Here are a few tips for the kitchen:

• To avoid low back strain while standing at the kitchen sink, open the cabinet under the sink and place one foot inside.  Get in close to the sink and hinge forward at your hips instead of slouching forward at the low back.
• You can alternate feet under the sink.
• Standing at the kitchen counter while cutting up the fresh fruits and veggies is a good time to work on postural awareness.  Tuck in your chin, gently lift you breast bone, slightly pull shoulder blades back, pull in the lower abs and have a bend in the knees.
• Perhaps not with the sharp knives, but with stirring and mixing try using your non-dominant hand.  This reduces repetitive strain to your dominant side while also building neural pathways to your brain, strengthening movement patterns related to your non-dominant side.

Eat well!
Nancy

Chinese Nutrition Tips

Benefits of Taking Your Time

Inherent in Traditional Chinese Medicine food is a part of the treatment plan.  Food and food choices can enhance the outcomes patients seek.  Flavors, colors and consistencies all factor in some way toward a balanced ingestion of life giving nourishment.  What we put in our bodies is only half the process; breakdown, absorption and elimination complete the process. 

Chew with mindfulness. Distractions and conversations cause people to under-chew and ingest air.   Both impede healthy digestion.  The stress response inhibits the digestive tract from absorbing nutrients by diverting blood flow from the organs.  So, eating under calm, quiet, contented conditions can be an easy step anyone can take to improve their health.

In our next food issue I will explain how cravings are interpreted within Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Nurture-Attitude

- John Charlesbois L. Ac.