Whether you were “green” before the color was fashionable or whether you’re just ready to find the “shade” that works best for you, here’s information about doing just “one green thing.”

No matter how you are getting there — plane, train, boat or automobile — packing lighter has to be a “greener way” somewhere along the way. Here are just a few thoughts …

If you don’t have the perfect piece of luggage, somebody does, so borrow what you need. Make sure it rolls so you aren’t straining. If you think you have the right size bag, choose something smaller. I don’t care where or when you are going, you don’t need as much as you plan to take. And if you are moving from place to place, you will thank me.

Going for 10 days? Take undergarments for five and wash them out. Or, there’s the “Allison” plan. She taught me to take my most worn items and throw them away as I travel. This works for all clothing, I’ve found.

Plan your wardrobe around just a couple of colors. Black works for me (doesn’t show dirt as much), but khaki blends in well, too. Just mix and match the items so several blouses/tops go with several pants/skirts … you get the drift. Toss in a couple of colorful (but lightweight) scarves for accents.

Cotton is my favorite fabric, but always choose lightweight and natural fabrics. Take items for layering rather than taking sweaters. If you must have a pair of jeans, wear them, as they take up too much room in the suitcase. One good pair of walking shoes (wear them) with a pair of ultra-lightweight tennis shoes in the bag will get you through almost anything anywhere, honest. Take a jacket (only if you must) and wear it.

Ready to pack? Roll your clothing like a sailor. You may discover you can take an even smaller bag, and your back will thank you!

For more information, e-mail Jan Herbert at JanHerbert@RockfordParkdistrict.org.

From the May 23-29, 2012, issue

ROCKTON, Ill. — Rockton Chamber of Commerce and Rockton United Methodist Church will offer a farmers’ market from 4-7 p.m., every Wednesday, May 23-Oct. 31, in the parking lot at Rockton United Methodist Church, 102 Chapel St., Rockton, Ill.

“We started the farmers’ market to bring the community together, and give them something they’ve been wanting for a long time,” said Denise Conway, a representative from the church. “We think this farmers’ market is going to really take off.”

For more about the market or information about becoming a vendor, call the chamber office at (815) 624-7625. Vendor applications can also be downloaded from the chamber’s website, www.rocktonchamber.com.

From the May 23-29, 2012, issue

PECATONICA, Ill. — The Illinois Vipassana Meditation Center (Dhamma Pakasa) invites Rockford-area residents to its ninth annual open house from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 20, at 10076 Fish Hatchery Road, Pecatonica, Ill.

Guests will be offered guided tours, an informational video screening, an opportunity to ask questions of a Vipassana meditation instructor, and plenty of delicious refreshments.

Dhamma Pakasa, founded in 2003, hosts10-day residential retreats at its 20-acre site just across the street from the Four Lakes Forest Preserve. During retreats, participants learn a non-sectarian form of meditation called Vipassana, as taught by S.N. Goenka. Vipassana means “insight” or “to see things as they really are.”

Currently, 20 10-day retreats are offered throughout the year to nearly 1,000 participants.

Visit www.pakasa.dhamma.org or call (815) 489-0420 for more details.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

FitMe Wellness has unveiled its latest program geared toward the improved health and wellness of the Rockford community. Starting May 1, FitMe members and non-members will be able to purchase a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share from Hazzard Free Farm and pick it up at FitMe Wellness on Thursdays from May 17 through Oct. 25.

“We have members who are here day in and day out, burning calories and working hard at their own health and wellness,” said Greg Georgis, owner of FitMe Wellness. “It occurred to me that we could do more to bring in options for them to consume better calories.”

FitMe Wellness is at 2595 N. Mulford Road, Rockford, and can be reached at (815) 904-6000.

Georgis said the decision to expand the offering to non-members is part of his personal commitment to improving the health and wellness of the Rockford community.

“We hope you stay here and exercise,” said Georgis, “but sometimes healthy eating is where people start, and if we can provide that doorway into a healthier lifestyle, than that is a step in the right direction.”

To complement the CSA offering from Hazzard Free Farm, FitMe is also offering classes with a certified nutritionist to support you in your health and wellness goals. The first seminar, free to the public, was May 1. Other classes are to follow, with at least one per month. These seminars are for members only, with memberships starting at $29.95 and no charge to join.

Hazzard Free Farm & CSA offers 14-week memberships for the Summer Session starting at $25 per week for the half-share box containing six to eight items per week. Big Box shares start at $35 and contain nine to 12 items per week. Boxes contain items such as locally-grown stone ground grain, honey, mushrooms, herbs, spinach, cucumbers, carrots and much more.

Hazzard Free Farm & CSA is a community farm growing grains, vegetables, herbs and more. Their Certified Naturally Grown produce is available through their CSA, farmstand and at many local organic grocers and restaurants. Its focus is on sustainability, quality, diversity and convenience.

“We’re excited to partner with FitMe Wellness and bring our healthy, locally grown food to more of the Rockford community,” said Andrea Hazzard, owner of Hazzard Free Farm & CSA. “We share a goal of making a healthy lifestyle the norm for more Rockford residents, and we are excited about this opportunity.”

For more about FitMe Wellness and its unique health and wellness programs, visit www.fitmewellness.com or https://www.facebook.com/fitmewellness.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

Brenda Richter

By Brenda Richter

Grocery stores offer more than 40,000 products, the majority of which are processed foods.

According to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, at least 75 percent of the processed foods contain one or more genetically modified (GMO) ingredients.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture continues to approve genetically modified foods, which is debilitating to the health of our society.

Many people do not realize the majority of GMO crops have been genetically engineered to withstand spraying of herbicides, such as Monsanto’s Roundup. Its active toxic ingredient, glyphosate, is systemically transported throughout the plant and into our environment and food chain.

According to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, “there is more than a casual association between GMO foods and adverse health effects.” The U.S. government does not require labeling of GMO foods.

How do you avoid GMOs? Choose organic fresh produce and reject products that likely contain GMOs, such as soy, corn, dextrose, corn starch and soy lecithin. Purchase organic seeds and plants for your garden. Move toward a high raw food, plant-based diet, and learn to make yummy foods, chemical-free that provide you with living quality nutrient value.

My raw food classes offer a lot of variety with nutritional information. Join my monthly e-mail newsletter for free recipes, attend a seminar at the Green Festival or Health Freedom Expo in the Chicago/suburban area.

Brenda Richter is a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, where she received her certification as a Raw Culinary Arts associate chef and instructor. She’s passionate about sharing the living foods lifestyle, and teaches raw culinary arts classes in the Rockford area.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

Staff Report

A new wholesale business, created from a vacation to Mexico, has landed in Rockford. Enfuego Productions specializes in biodegradable sun block and insect repellent and organic bath and beauty products made from natural ingredients.

Enfuego Productions is the exclusive U.S. wholesale distributor for Maya Solar Natural Sun Protection and Batab Ancient Mayan Formula products.

“Our products use natural ingredients only found in the Yucatan Peninsula, such as the minerals from the Chicxulub Crater,” Lynn Gubbe, owner of Enfuego Productions, said. “We are the only wholesale outlet for these products in the United States.”

Batab is a creative fusion of four elements: traditional Mayan healing knowledge; indigenous flora of the Yucatan Peninsula; potent minerals of the Chixculub crater; and modern skin care technology.

The company imports six beauty products, three different SPF sun blocks in two sizes, a chemical-free insect repellent, an after-sun care product and a pre-tanning lotion.

Batab sunscreens and insect repellent and MayaSolar bath and body products use nutrients from plants and minerals indigenous only to the Yucatan, where an asteroid hit Earth 65 million years ago. The asteroid spawned the growth of distinctive plants and flora.

Mayans have used the ingredients for thousands of years to protect and beautify their skin and hair. Batab Ancient Mayan Formula revitalizing body oil, lotions, chocolate shampoo, seaweed treatments and chocolate bubble bath are used by residents and tourists throughout Mexico.

The products utilize the ingredients of tropical plants that include achiote, chaya, abeja, beeswax, coconut extracts and beta carotene.

“Batab suncare products protect the skin from sun, accelerate the normal tanning process and bring relief to sun-damaged skin,” Gubbe said. “The emollients of the suncare products moisturize your skin and prevent dryness from the sun with natural UVA/UVB filters. It is biodegradable, making it safe for plants, animals, lakes, rivers and ocean reefs, and it will not harm pool or spa filters.”

The minerals, in particular, are the key, the Batab company says, to curative powers.

“We found them while on vacation in Mexico and could not find any other product like it in the U.S.,” Gubbe said. “In the Yucatan and at many water parks in Mexico, only biodegradable sunscreens are allowed for use. The Mexican people are committed to not contaminating their oceans, water parks and cenotes.”

All Batab products are safe for children. Some profits made creating Maya Solar products go directly to the Mayan people. The labels and boxes are made from recycled paper, and labels are in Spanish and English. Batab has been selling products to hotels, spas and salons throughout Mexico for the past six years.

“Our insect repellent is also earth-friendly and already is one of our best sellers,” Gubbe said.

As part of its ongoing initiative to create a better environment and preserve oceans, rivers and streams, The Rock River Times has joined with Enfuego Productions to offer biodegradable sunscreen and insect repellent to the public at its 128 N. Church St. location.

Other retail outlets carrying Batab products include Sonco Pools at 1928 E. Riverside Blvd. in Loves Park and Phoenix Traders at 215 Seventh St. in Rockford.

For more about Enfuego Productions, call Lynn Gubbe at (815) 520-5523 or visit their website at www.ancientmayanformula.com.

From the May 9-15, 2012, issue

CHICAGO — Green Living Project (GLP), the leading film production and marketing company focused on global sustainability-related stories, has partnered with Lincoln Park Zoo to feature its Second Annual Chicago Film Premiere Thursday, May 17.

GLP’s Chicago Premiere event includes seven GLP original short films, three of which were shot on location in Illinois in partnership with local organizations including Lincoln Park Zoo, Angelic Organics Learning Center and Working Bikes Cooperative.

The Second Annual Chicago Film Premiere will be from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Café Brauer, 2021 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago.

All of GLP’s films highlight thought-provoking sustainability initiatives found domestically and abroad. The three films, shot on location in Illinois, bring light to a variety of topics, including urban wildlife, sustainable farming and agriculture, and re-usable resources and alternative transportation.

The Lincoln Park Zoo film features the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo, which provides wildlife with a sustainable ecosystem in the heart of Chicago. This world-class zoological institution is working to connect people with nature through urban wildlife experiences and educational programming.

Kevin J. Bell, Lincoln Park Zoo president and CEO, said: “We appreciate the opportunity to be featured in this significant project as we focus our efforts on the interaction between urban development and the natural ecosystem. Creating partnerships with nature and conservation organizations is critical to furthering our understanding of ecosystem health in an urban setting.”

The film produced in partnership with Angelic Organics Learning Center (AOLC) highlights the organization and its mission to help urban and rural communities build local food systems. AOLC offers opportunities to grow healthy food, connect with farmers and the land, and learn agricultural and leadership skills through their programs at partner farms and urban growing sites in northern Illinois.

AOLC Founder John Peterson said: “We are grateful to Green Living Project for featuring our work to build the local food system. Through Angelic Organics Learning Center, the farm is building new leadership for the local and organic food movement — from beginning farmers to urban youth. We are excited to be able to tell their stories through this film.”

Peterson, who is the subject of Taggart Siegel’s award-winning feature documentary film The Real Dirt on Farmer John, also will speak at the Chicago Film Premiere at 8:15 p.m., May 17.

The Working Bikes Cooperative film brings to light the organization’s work to promote cycling as transportation through redistribution of donated and discarded bicycles.

Four additional films are featured in GLP’s Second Annual Chicago Film Premiere: Spanish Creek Rainforest Reserve, a 2,000-acre nature reserve in Belize; Potters for Peace, a social justice organization in Nicaragua that helps women better their lives; Semilla Nueva, a Guatemala-based organization that fosters environmental and social stewardship in rural farming communities; and Wisconsin’s Pinehurst Inn’s commitment to sustainability and its positive effect on the guest experience.

GLP’s Film Premiere events present an opportunity to showcase adventure-focused multimedia storytelling about important issues with the goal of educating and inspiring change. Each event features approximately six to nine films that highlight important topics with varying sustainability themes. The films also highlight the travel and adventure associated with each film expedition as the film crew explores unique and sometimes undiscovered travel destinations around the world and in the U.S.

Each event allows individuals, communities and organizations to learn about and become directly involved with important local and global initiatives to bring about positive change. Since 2007, GLP has produced more than 70 short films in 19 countries in North America, Central and South America, Africa and Asia.

Tickets to the event are $20 if purchased online, $25 general admission at the door, free for teachers and $10 for students with an ID. A VIP reception will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Visit www.greenlivingproject.com/portland2012/ for more details.

From the May 9-15, 2012, issue

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An advocate for local foods, Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon (D) is urging local food producers to apply for a federal grant that promotes farmers’ markets.

The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced the availability of $10 million in competitive grants for FY 2012 through the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP).

Grants are targeted at projects that help improve and expand farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture and road-side stands.

Deadline to apply for FMPP funding is May 21.

“I encourage Illinois’ local food producers to take advantage of this opportunity to grow and gain access to new markets,” said Simon. “As a state, we spend more than 95 percent of our food dollars on products grown outside of Illinois. Strengthening our local food system will keep dollars in our local communities and help grow our economy.”

Priority status will be granted to those projects that expand healthy food choices in food deserts or low-income areas where the percentage of the population living in poverty is 20 percent or greater. Entities eligible to apply for grant funding include agricultural cooperatives, local governments and nonprofit corporations.

As chairman of the governor’s Rural Affairs Council, Simon has advocated for expanded use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at farmers’ markets. SNAP sales at farmers’ markets totaled nearly $70,000 in 2011, an increase of more than 522 percent since 2009. The number of farmers’ markets and direct-marketing farmers certified to accept the Link cards that access SNAP benefits has increased from 35 in 2009 to 49 in 2011.

“SNAP use at farmers’ markets benefits the health of SNAP recipients, local economies and farmers,” said USDA Food and Nutrition Service Midwest Regional Administrator Ollice Holden. “These grants will put resources into rural and urban economies, and help strengthen efforts to provide access to nutritious and affordable food.”

In 2011, four grants from the FMPP were awarded to organizations in Illinois: the Southern Illinois University (SIU) Board of Trustees, Food Works of Carbondale and Chicago organizations Growing Home Inc., and Faith in Place.

The SIU board is using a $81,000 grant to establish the Illinois Farmers Market Association, which will provide professional development, resources and support for farmers, markets and community members, including a farmers’ market manager training manual and a statewide database to connect farmers to markets. The association expects to start accepting members in January 2013.

Pat Stieren, coordinator of the Illinois Farmers Market Association, said: “The Illinois Farmers Market Association will help provide resources and solutions to the challenges markets face in administering federal nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs. With over 20 percent of the population in Chicago living in ‘food deserts’ without access to fresh, healthy foods, and with one in 10 Illinoisans receiving SNAP benefits, creating a Farmers Market Association is a crucial step toward helping markets learn how to expand fresh food access and improving health outcomes while supporting local agriculture.”

For additional information about grant eligibility and how to apply, visit www.grants.gov.

From the May 9-15, 2012, issue

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful volunteer Steve Vee at a previous Metals & Electronics Drive. (Photo provided)

Staff Report

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful (KNIB) will host a Spring Metals & Electronics Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 5.

Residents are invited to bring electronics, appliances and scrap metal to the drive for recycling. The drive will be at Machesney Park Mall, 8750 N. Second St., Machesney Park, in the south parking lot near the JCPenney Outlet.

As of January, the Illinois Electronic Products Recycling & Reuse Act (State Bill 2313) banned the disposal of computers, monitors, laptops, printers and an array of electronics from landfills.

“We will take all of these items and more,” said Lori Gummow, executive director of KNIB. “The only fee involved is the $10 we ask for the removal of Freon from refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers per EPA requirements.”

Televisions are not accepted. Virtually all metal items will be accepted for free.

For more about KNIB, call (815) 637-1343 or visit www.knib.org.

From the May 2-8, 2012, issue

Asana (the practice of yoga postures) is the most visible part of yoga and the thing that usually comes to mind when people think about yoga. But what is asana beyond a physical workout, and what is its purpose?

Sutras II. 46, 47 and 48 in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali state that “Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit. Perfection in asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached. From then on, the practitioner is undisturbed by dualities.”

BKS Iyengar has formulated a three-fold approach to asana focusing on precision, timing and sequencing to fulfill the purpose stated in the sutras. Iyengar’s method enables a practitioner to go beyond a physical workout to experience the deeper benefits of asana.

Iyengar classes are known for their detailed instruction and the holding of poses for longer periods of time, using props, if necessary, to achieve specific alignment and support. “Firmness of body and steadiness of intelligence” are nurtured through this precision of alignment and timing of poses.

BKS Iyengar states that “The technical details are not the complexities, but the intricacies. They provide the means to go beyond the peripheral physical body. Precision is an entry point to the deeper layers of being.”

The details of instruction are not given to confuse the mind with the anatomy of the body, but to draw the mind inward through the subtlety of alignment. Staying longer with sensitivity and focus prevents the mind from wandering, builds a firmness in the body from the outside in, and steadies the intelligence toward the self. This self-intelligence leads to self-knowledge, the ultimate goal of yoga.

Timing reinforces precision to help bring effortlessness to our efforts. Holding poses moves us beyond mere external stiffness and action and transforms initial quick-burst energy into stamina and stability. Over time, we develop asanas that feel more settled, steady and balanced. We are able to “be” in the pose instead of just “doing” the pose. We learn that timing has meaning beyond chronological minutes.

In the beginning, we may set an external timer, but as we mature and evolve in asana, we learn to watch the timer of our inner self.

“Timing is important from the point of view of creating and developing a circulation in the body, which is peculiar to that asana. When each cell is sensitive to being in the present, it is timing,” according to BKS Iyengar.

Through sequencing, the last of the three-fold Iyengar approach, the beauty and art lying latent in the practice of asana is uncovered. Just like any other art, a good sequence brings about the lightness and “benevolence of spirit” that we look for from our asana practice.

Sequencing does not mean simply that one pose follows another. It is the process that causes the effects of practice to accumulate at a deeper level.

Although we hold each posture individually, moving our awareness through a well-planned sequence of related poses takes us to a deeper state of quietude and equanimity.

According to BKS Ieyngar, “When each cell can flow harmoniously into the next moment, it is sequencing.”

So, what does it mean to be “undisturbed by dualities” in asana? How do we move away from the single-pointed focus on physical detail to the promised, all-encompassing sense of oneness? We can see the process simply in the experience of learning a pose. At the start, we focus the mind by means of physical instructions like “move your foot here,” “tuck your tailbone” or “extend your spine.” Once our physical alignment is steady, we experience more ease in a pose, our breath fills space more readily and our energy spreads more evenly. Our mind is able to move away from the disturbances of the external body and to come to a state in which it experiences the oneness of “being” in the pose, instead of the physical duality of “doing” the pose.

Of course, this requires time spent in study and in practice. But, despite the difficulties inherent in the attempt to quiet our mental fluctuations (the definition of yoga), the three-fold Iyengar method of precision, timing and sequencing can draw us nearer to the goal.

“Independently, they will be beneficial on one plane, but blended together, they will take the student on a different plane,” according to BKS Iyengar. So, though asana can be simply a great workout, it also offers access to a more profound experience on every plane of being.

(Quotes for this article come from a booklet commemorating an archival exhibit of BKS Iyengar’s life in celebration of his 90th birthday: Pune, India, December 2008.)

For more information about Pranayama Yoga Studio, visit www.yogarockford.com or call (815) 968-9642.

From the April 25-May 1, 2012, issue

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz

By Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz, N.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

I first became interested in Naturopathic Medicine when my mother was given so much radiation to the breast area that they burned her lung, and she ended up dying of lung cancer, not of breast cancer. My mother never smoked cigarettes a day in her life. I will never forget her medical doctor calling me and telling me that they gave her so much radiation to her breast area that they burned her lung, but she was dying of cancer, anyway.

Can you imagine getting a phone call like that? I can, for it happened 25 years ago. There is so much cancer in my family that because of my history and because of the medical mistakes when my mother died, that was how I got into Naturopathic Medicine. The year I graduated as a Naturopathic Doctor was the year I found out I had breast cancer. I truly took it as God saying, “Julia, I gave you the tools, now do something.”

Because of my cancer story, I truly believe each person has the ability to restore their health as well as achieve optimal wellness, but this optimal wellness comes from colon cleanses and detoxes. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I strive to educate my patients, but I can only give you the tools; you have to implement them.

Hundreds of patients walk into my clinic with stomach issues. When I get them on my examining table and start to feel their abdomen area, it is not their stomach that hurts, it is their large intestine. Zoning in on their large intestine, it is their ileocaecal valve or their valve of houston. These two valves are the main health of the large intestine. The digestive and elimination tract is one long tube from your mouth to your anus. This is just shy of 30 feet. There is only one way in and one way out, which is the mouth, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus.

Colon disease and colon cancer is an auto-immune disease and is caused by many things, but the main thing to me is what we put in our mouths. If you eat live foods, you will be vibrant and alive. If you eat dead foods, you will be dead. Here are some interesting facts.

The average American eats in a lifetime:

• 12 — 3,000 pounds of cows

• 6 whole pigs

• 3,000 chickens, turkeys and birds that fly

• 3,000 fish and scavenger meat

• 30,000 quarts of cow’s milk

Prescription drugs:

• 30,000 aspirin and pain killers

• 20,000 over-the-counter and prescription drugs

• 2,000 gallons of alcohol

Dead, processed foods:

• 500 doughnuts

• 400 candy bars

• 300 soft drinks

• 170 pounds of white refined sugar

Just imagine all of that dead, decaying flesh, junk food and drugs going into your mouth and it passing through your digestive tract and then into your bloodstream. I see this every day when I look at patients’ live blood cells. You can actually see dead, processed food in your blood. This is how i am able to educate people about their health.

If I can ever help you with bringing your health to a higher level, please call my office to make an appointment. Your health is in your hands, but it is up to you to make that commitment.

Dr. Julia is a Naturopathic Doctor who is celebrating two milestones this year. She is celebrating 12 years cancer free without doing chemical therapy and radiation and has been in private practice for 30 years. You may reach her at her Rockford office at (815) 962-3326.

From the April 25-May 1, 2012, issue

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested that meat and poultry producers cease giving antibiotics to their animals. Although this is a formal request, there is no force of law attached.

The reason for the request is to stop the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause serious infections.

Two years ago, the FDA advised against the use of these growth stimulators, but little became of it.

The elimination of antibiotics would mean a loss of revenue to the general beef and poultry producing farmer or rancher. A corn-fed cow given hormones and antibiotics can weigh 50 percent more than an organic-raised cow.

Don’t expect farmers to conform tomorrow, or the next day. But the intent is there. The FDA has requested a response by all major meat producers within three months.

Antibiotics have been added to animal feed and water since the 1960s, when they were found to keep animals from getting sick but also made them grow faster. Concerns about bacteria becoming resistant to those antibiotics came about in the 1970s, but restrictions never followed.

Antibiotics, the same ones humans get, would and could still be prescribed by a veterinarian if the request by the FDA comes to fruition.

Perhaps we’re starting to catch up to Europe. But if U.S. meat and poultry producers want to go further, they need to consider purified water to stem the use of nitrates from herbicides and pesticides. Then, they can cut down on inoculations, growth hormones and corn, and get back to green grass.

Cows that eat green grasses have more CLAs. CLA is a newly-discovered good fat called “conjugated linoleic acid” that may be a potent cancer fighter. In animal studies, very small amounts of CLA have blocked all three stages of cancer: initiation, promotion and metastasis. Most anti-cancer agents block only one of these stages. What’s more, CLA has slowed the growth of an unusually wide variety of tumors, including cancers of the skin, breast, prostate and colon.

Human CLA research is in its infancy. A recent survey determined that women with the most CLA in their diets had a 60 percent reduction in the risk of breast cancer.

The most abundant source of natural CLA is the meat and dairy products of grass-fed cows. Research conducted shows that grazing animals have from three to five times more CLA than animals fattened on grain in a feedlot. Simply switching from grain-fed to grass-fed products can greatly increase your intake of CLA.

Many people take a synthetic version that is widely promoted as a diet aid and muscle builder, but pills may have some potentially serious side effects.

2,4-D lives to kill

The toxic herbicide 2,4-D, linked often to cancer, hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, Parkinson’s disease and birth defects, lives on to destroy more.

Dow Chemical has succeeded in convincing the United States Environment Protection Agency (EPA) that the “Agent Orange” dioxin is safe for Americans.

The killer known as 2,4-D was an ingredient of Agent Orange, a defoliant used in the Vietnam War that wreaked decades of harm to Vietnamese civilians and American and Vietnamese soldiers.

Environmentalists are concerned that the EPA’s failure to ban or limit the use of 2,4-D enables Dow Chemical’s new genetically-engineered 2,4-D-resistant corn to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This will increase use and further poison the planet with dioxins, one of the worst pollutants in our realm. Today, 2,4-D is used little on corn.

First used in the late 1940s, 2,4-D is one of the most widely-used weed killers in lawn-care products.

The EPA has reviewed the safety of 2,4-D several times, particularly with regard to links to cancer. Some studies have shown a higher risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among farmers. There was no proof that one chemical would be the sole cause.

While some past studies suggested that high doses of the chemical could be harmful, they did not establish lack of safety, the EPA said. Whatever that means.

Dow came up with their own studies to show otherwise, and the EPA swallowed it because causation in studies and lawsuits is always difficult to prove.

Richard Gubbe is an award-winning journalist of 38 years, public relations specialist and Reiki Master Teacher. He is a long-time Rockford resident who has taught preventive health, visualization and Reiki at Rock Valley College since 2003.

From the April 18-24, 2012, issue

The Just Label It (JLI) Campaign announced that 1 million Americans have signed a petition telling the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to label genetically engineered (GE) foods. Along with this news, the campaign announced a new national survey showing that Americans across the political spectrum were united in support of labeling food that has been genetically engineered.

Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a JLI partner, called attention to items such as pink slime in processed meat, deadly melons, tainted turkeys, and BPA in soup, all of which have raised concerns among the public. He called on the FDA to restore public confidence in our food system.

Since October, JLI (www.juslabelit.org), the national campaign to require GE-food labeling and its 500-plus partner organizations have solicited public comments for a GE-foods labeling petition. March 27 was the date the FDA was required to respond to the petition. In less than 180 days, the record number of 1 million comments was accumulated.

However, as of March 30, as reported by Kurt Nimmo on Infowars.com, the FDA sided with Monsanto and said it had not made a decision and “needs more time to think it over. It also said the petition with over a million signatures — far larger than any other the agency has ever received — counts as only one signature.”

“The agency says that if 35,000 people, for instance, sign their name to the same form letter, it only counts as one person or ‘comment.’ And if tens of thousands sign a petition, they are only counted as one ‘comment,’ too,” reported the Chicago Tribune.

The Mellman Group, which conducted a survey for JLI, found that consumer support for GE-food labeling in the U.S. is nearly unanimous. The survey found that Democrats favored it by 93 percent, Independents by 90 percent, and Republicans by 89 percent.

Just Label It (JLI) is a national coalition of 500 diverse organizations dedicated to the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, also called genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. For updated information, visit the Just Label It website (www.justlabelit.org).

Nimmo’s report concluded, “Every major poll on genetically engineered food labeling is overwhelmingly supported by Americans despite efforts by Monsanto and the GMO industry to convince them otherwise.”

From the April 11-17, 2012, issue

This month, Cartridge World — Rockford encourages the Rockford community to “refill” their commitment to Earth Day, April 22. This store is just one of 600 Cartridge World locations across the U.S. and Canada that is promoting recycling programs that help save the planet and help local organizations, schools and businesses save money.

Cartridge World offers the following three recycling programs:

• Cartridge World offers a recycling and fund-raising program in which parents raise money for their local school by dropping off empty printer cartridges at the school. In exchange for the empty cartridges, Cartridge World will pay the school based on the quantity collected.

• Cartridge World provides drop-off recycling boxes for businesses, organizations and schools to collect empty cartridges.

• Customers may also recycle their empty ink and toner cartridges at Cartridge World — Rockford.

Laser cartridges that are not recycled have a significant impact on the planet, taking up to 450 years to decompose. Plus, every remanufactured laser cartridge saves nearly 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic waste from being deposited in landfills.

Robert Opperman, of Cartridge World — Rockford, explained: “Cartridge World has a long-standing commitment to recycling. Keeping printer cartridges out of overloaded landfills is a simple way to make a significant impact. Less than 10 percent of all ink and toner cartridges used in homes and offices are recycled. Cartridge World’s recycling programs are a win/win for everyone. We’ll encourage recycling at our store until it becomes second nature in our community.”

Cartridge World makes recycling easy by providing recycle boxes to community organizations, schools and offices and picking them up when they are filled. To participate in a recycling program, contact Opperman at Cartridge World — Rockford, 6139 E. State St., Rockford, at (815) 316-7722 or ropperman@tds.net.

For special offers and more information about Cartridge World’s 100-percent guaranteed, eco-friendly ink and toner products, visit www.CartridgeWorld.com. Business customers receive free delivery when placing orders (see store for details). Online customers can also receive free shipping with a $50 order.

From the April 4-10, 2012, issue

Brenda Richter

By Brenda Richter

Everyone knows it’s healthy to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day. That isn’t a new concept. The raw food diet simply suggests these foods should be most of what we eat.

When you prepare fruits, vegetables and other natural ingredients without cooking, you preserve the maximum nutrition in these foods. You don’t have to eat 100 percent raw or even be a vegetarian to get started. Anyone can enjoy improved health and vitality by eating at least 50 percent raw foods.

“Raw” does mean uncooked or unheated, but it also means food in its natural or “raw” state. Raw food is food that is unprocessed, unrefined and untreated with heat. The three main raw food groups are fresh fruits, vegetables (particularly green leafy vegetables) and natural fats.

Where do you get your protein and calcium? It’s all right here in raw foods.

Many people are too acidic, which causes many of our illnesses, ailments and diseases. People on the Standard American Diet (or SAD) consume too many acidic foods, which many times is the cause of society’s health issues.

Come to a FREE “Why Raw?” talk and learn about the following:

• The effects of heat and cooking on proteins, fats, micro-nutrients and enzymes;

• The raw food groups;

• Where you get your protein;

• Food combining for better digestion;

• How to maintain your ideal weight;

• How to adapt to a raw food diet;

• How to make raw food prep easy;

• How to increase your stamina and energy;

• The lack of nutrients in SAD; and

• How to prevent and/or reverse degenerative diseases, illnesses and ailments.

Brenda Richter is a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, where she received her certification as a Raw Culinary Arts associate chef and instructor. She’s passionate about sharing the living foods lifestyle with others, and teaches raw culinary arts classes in the Rockford area.

From the April 4-10, 2012, issue

In the wake of news about the sexual exploits and financial mismanagement committed by the founder of the popular Anusara Yoga tradition, William Broad, a science writer at the New York Times, has published another article full of misinformation about yoga.

The confessions of Anusara founder John Friend inspired Broad’s most recent article, in which he equates Tantra Yoga with sex and the Kama Sutra, disregarding the extensive history of the Tantric tradition. He even claims, incorrectly, that Tantra is the basis for all other modern forms of yoga!

It is unfortunate that Broad’s knowledge of the history and science of yoga seems to go no deeper than new-agey, pop-culture lore. And, it is baffling that anyone could justify sexual prowess through yoga when the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (the first and foremost written work on the practice of yoga) teaches self-discipline and sexual restraint.

This article addresses just a few of William Broad’s misconceptions and historical oddities about yoga.

Tantra Yoga is not based on sex. Because of its breadth of practices and ideas, Tantra has influenced many spiritual traditions besides yoga. Simply stated, Tantra teaches that all experiences and practices are divine, including everything from extreme asceticism to gluttony. This teaching arose in opposition to the historically ascetic practice of yoga. Not surprisingly, only the sex part became popular and has resulted in some pseudo-spiritual mega-personalities justifying sexual misconduct as somehow spiritual. More about the actual Tantra tradition can be found in history books by experts like George Feuerstein, but even Wikipedia seems to have better information than Broad.

Tantra Yoga is arguably not the forerunner of all yoga practiced today. The Yoga Sutras were written down in the last decades B.C., documenting the longstanding, unwritten practices of yoga in India. Tantra does not appear until later, in early A.D.

The Yoga Sutras are very clear on moral conduct and personal practices, building the foundation of yoga on the first two limbs of practice, the Yamas and Niyamas. Yoga philosophy has long been interpreted or changed to accommodate the needs or desires of certain ambitious practitioners, producing the spectrum of yoga traditions we see today. However, if we adhere closely to the wisdom of the sages, there is not much room for error.

The Yamas are the universal moral precepts of non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence and non-greed. Misconduct perpetrated by yogis like John Friend goes against all of these, but the meaning of “continence” (brahmacarya) is most instructive.

“Continence” is self-restraint, traditionally a refraining from sexual intercourse. This has been widely discussed in modern yoga circles made up of married yogis with children, never to be renunciates or monks. Common practice is to now emphasize “restraint” instead of “refraining from” altogether.

The ancient sages acknowledged sexual energy as a powerful force, one best reserved for the spiritual quest, not to be wasted on a physical act. Yoga Sutra II.38 states that “for the practitioner who is firmly established in continence, knowledge, vigor, valor and energy flow.”

B.K.S Iyengar, father of six and a lifetime yogi, writes that continence is “a positive process of disengagement (from sex), not a sterile rejection, and procreation by those practicing continence will tend to be of a higher order than that which is carried out thoughtlessly or promiscuously.”

The Niyamas are personal observances of cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline, self-study and surrender to a higher power. Sutra II.40 states that “Cleanliness of body and mind develops disinterest in contact with others for self-gratification.”

Being content with who we are and what we have keeps us from grasping for new experiences and/or new sexual partners. Self-discipline and self-study cannot be stressed enough throughout the practice of yoga.

Some Indian sages warned against transplanting yoga to the West. They feared that “Yoga and meditation practices would become engulfed by American materialism … and its practitioners, ruled by status competition and consumed with an endless quest for personal ‘fulfillment’ through glamor, beauty and sex, would no longer be avatars of enlightenment but agents of psychic domination.”

How did those sages know that even credentialed writers like William Broad and respected teachers like John Friend wouldn’t be able to avoid their compulsion to define yoga in terms of sex and power? Yet, despite their apprehension, yoga has come to the West. We must decide whether we will accept ancient wisdom or continue to change it to fit our materialistic and sensual ambitions. Only a willingness to learn and practice with intelligence, awareness and discipline will lead us along the true path of yoga.

For more information about Pranayama Yoga Studio, visit www.yogarockford.com or call (815) 968-9642.

From the March 28-April 3, 2012, issue

This is the story of two men out of many people who have regained function in an area thought to be gone, beyond hope.

Harvey was a hard-working, 19th-century entrepreneur who lost his hearing after heavy lifting.

Bob is a 21st-century man who noticed one cold autumn day that the “crickets” were still chirping while the snow was falling. That’s when he realized it wasn’t crickets in his head — his hearing was vanishing in a haze of tinnitis. What’s the matter?

All the tissues in the head, including the hearing apparatus, are nourished by nerves that come out of the upper back. This is a simple fact from biology.

In 1895, Dr. D.D. Palmer rediscovered the application of this fact for the modern world. From Hippocrates’ time, it has been known to “look to the spine for the cause of disease,” but somehow this was forgotten.

Palmer noticed something out of place, made an adjustment to Harvey Lilliard’s spine, and his hearing was restored instantly.

Although Palmer initially thought he had discovered the “silver bullet” for deafness, he later realized a larger principle was at work that could affect any condition. Palmer had discovered that the flow of information in the “computer network” nerve system can be interrupted by spinal segments locked out of position.

Research throughout the last 107 years continues to support Palmer’s hypothesis. Clinicians around the globe have observed cases of deafness resolve with chiropractic care.

The Illinois Prairie State Chiropractic Association is a nonprofit organization that seeks to protect and teach the philosophy, art and science of chiropractic. Throughout the 1950s, chiropractors were prosecuted and jailed for “practicing medicine without a license.” The IPSCA helped to set up licensing rules and legislation so all people could have the opportunity to get well naturally, without the use of drugs or surgery, through improved access to doctors of chiropractic.

As a result, Bob was able, more than 100 years after Harvey, to have easy access to his chiropractor, who did the proper adjustment that began his healing process. Two weeks after his initial adjustment, Bob’s wife, sitting across the dinner table, was astonished to see Bob suddenly open his mouth in surprise. “It’s quiet!” Bob exclaimed. “The noise is gone, and I can hear clearly now!”

As long as Bob holds his adjustment, his hearing is fine again, but when he loses his adjustment, he knows what to do about it, naturally.

For more about the IPSCA, look at www.illinoischiropractors.org. For references on the influence of chiropractic care on deafness, look at www.DynamicChiropractic.com/columnist/kent.

Dr. Philip Schalow is the owner of 1st Step Chiropractic, S.C., Rockford’s center for the NUCCA procedure. Call his office at (815) 398-4500, or visit myrockfordchiropractor.com.

From the March 28-April 3, 2012, issue

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz

By Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz, N.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

I know that summer is upon us, for all the phone calls that are coming in are all about losing weight. What I try very hard to pass on to patients is that when I think of weight loss, I think of self-control. Self-control in health, self-control in our finances, and self-control in our own truth. When it comes to self-control about our health, this is the foods that we eat, making sure that we get enough exercise, making sure that you get good quality sleep, and the fresh air that we receive.

Let’s look at results when it comes to weight loss. I see results every day in my practice when patients take control of their health and are truthful with themselves. Losing weight is very hard, and that is why I started the HCG program over here many years ago. This program works, and I see it every day with patients, friends, family and myself.

When we are stressed because of finances, family, our job and just life, the adrenal gland pumps more cortisol into our bodies, and too much cortisol will cause baby fat. This baby fat is visceral fat and causes many health issues, but the main health issue is obesity. HCG resets the hypothalamus gland to eliminate hunger, increases metabolism and pulls out the stored fat.

Not only does HCG help with weight loss; I do this protocol two times a year to pull out excess estrogen in my body, since my breast cancer was estrogen related. Too high an amount of estrogen is stored in baby fat and will cause an estrogen overload.

If I can help you with your weight issues or issues of having too high estrogen levels, please call my office to make an appointment for a consultation and start getting results with your health this summer. Make a promise to yourself to see a new you.

Dr. Julia is a Naturopathic Doctor who is celebrating two milestones this year. She is celebrating 12 years cancer free without doing chemical therapy and radiation, and has been in private practice for 30 years. You may reach her in her Rockford office at (815) 962-03326.

From the March 28-April 3, 2012, issue

Whether you were “green” before the color was fashionable or whether you’re just ready to find the “shade” that works best for you, here’s information about doing just “one green thing.”

Since I don’t use these, I must be honest … none of these has been tried. If you have fabric softener sheets around the house (you know, the ones that go in the dryer), give these “re-use” ideas a shot. Yes, supposedly the dryer sheet can already have been used for its original purpose. So, what could be better than getting a second use?

• Hard water makes water spots on chrome (faucets and handles). A dryer sheet will buff them to a spotless shine.

• You can fight the static cling of pet hair! Roll the sheet against the item with fur where you don’t want it. If this is true, someone has solved an age-old problem.

• Toss a fabric sheet into that casserole dish you baked in (macaroni and cheese, lasagna, etc.), along with some warm soapy water to diminish the elbow grease needed to clean the pan. By tomorrow morning, you should be able to easily finish the job.

• You know those annoying gnats? A study says there are chemicals in the sheets that prevent gnat larva from bothering your indoor potted plants. (It didn’t report if you just toss one into the bottom of a pot, or if you have to rub the leaves with the sheet.)

• And, of course, the most obvious, these sheets are scented. Add them to offensively smelling areas such as sneakers, in the kitchen wastebaskets or a school gym bag.

Let me know if the more weird of these work … I’ll be over to pick up your used sheets!

For more information, e-mail Jan Herbert at JanHerbert@RockfordParkdistrict.org.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

Backyard birds, bees, mushrooms and more! University of Illinois Extension and the Winnebago County Local Foods Workgroup present the Third Annual Openfields Local Foods Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, March 17, at Atwood Center, 2685 New Milford School Road, Rockford.

The Openfields Local Foods Conference is designed to help interested community members gain knowledge and develop a greater understanding of local foods, from the farm to the table. This year’s conference is geared toward individuals interested in learning more about growing their own food and/or growing food for the local foods market.

Keynote speaker Jennifer Murtoff of Home to Roost Services in Oak Park, Ill., teaches new chicken owners about bird health, feed options, and coop space and placement. She will share her experiences and ideas about raising chickens with conference attendees in her presentation titled The Charm of Chickens: Reasons to Raise Backyard Birds.

“Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consulting was hatched upon finding that people in urban and suburban areas are flocking to chicken raising. Why is this trend catching on? One of the main reasons is eggs,” said Murtoff.

Additional sessions about backyard beekeeping, growing gourmet mushrooms and growing fruit will be offered to all participants.

The Openfields Local Foods Conference fee is $20 per person and includes the keynote presentation, three educational sessions and a lunch made by Toni’s of Winnebago, featuring locally-grown and produced foods; registration is $25 at the door. To register, visit http://web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw/ or call (815) 986-4357.

From the March 14-20, 2012, issue

Brenda Richter

By Brenda Richter

Originally, all foods were “organic” or grown without pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other manmade chemicals. Large-scale and modern, “conventionally grown” foods began around the time of World War II.

Conventionally grown foods are deficient in minerals as a result of being grown in depleted soil, and are full of chemicals and pollutants.

Purchasing organic produce not only tastes better, but protects your health and that of our planet, and supports work environments where farm laborers are not exposed to daily chemicals.

Certified organic produce is not allowed to contain any genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). Genetic modification is a process of artificially inserting genes into the DNA of food crops or animals. For example, a gene from a salmon may be injected into a gene of a tomato.

The U.S. does not require labeling of GMO products. In all likelihood, you are ingesting GMOs regularly if you are not exclusively eating organic produce.

Crops such as corn, soybeans, canola and cottonseed are some of the common crops that are genetically modified. GMOs are present in baby food, candy, ketchup to cereal.

The Standard American Diet places a high impact on water pollution, wildlife, landfill waste, GMOs, pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, greenhouse gases and gas consumption. The ratio of impact respectively decreases for vegetarians, vegans, organic, and raw organic vegans.

A diet rich in raw organic produce not only enriches our society but your health, vitality, and well-being. Learn to create your favorite foods deliciously raw, organic and vegan. Visit www.myrawenergy.com or e-mail: myrawenergy@yahoo.com.

Brenda Richter is a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, where she received her certification as a Raw Culinary Arts associate chef and instructor. She’s passionate about sharing the living foods lifestyle with others, and teaches raw culinary arts classes in the Rockford area.

From the March 7-13, 2012, issue

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz

By Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz, N.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

If you have ever been to my office, you know Hannah, my golden retriever.

My office is not the conventional doctor’s office. I never wanted it to be conventional. I wanted an office where you could come in, have a cup of tea and do many naturopathic health services, and I have achieved just that.

Many of my patients have auto-immune diseases, and they have been given a death sentence from their doctors, or the medical treatments that they are doing they just found out are not working. They come to my office to be educated about colon detoxes, I.M. therapy, I.V. therapy, organ cleanses and just what foods will give them energy and what foods they are allergic to.

A new patient will walk into my office, and there is Hannah greeting them at the back door with her mouth grinning, her butt and tail wagging, and Kay, Kim or Lois will introduce them to Hannah and tell the patient to follow her. Hannah takes them to the waiting room and waits with them until I come in to meet with them.

There is now a huge void in my office. Hannah passed away Saturday, March 3, at 10:02 a.m. I was honored to be able to have adopted her six years ago. She has been a blessing in my life, but she has been a blessing to all of my patients.

It would be nothing for Hannah to be hanging around in the back with Kay, Kim or Lois, and a patient walks in to ask me a question or to pick up their supplements, and all of a sudden they would stop talking to me and ask me where Hannah was. I would call her name, and she would come from the office with one of her toys in her mouth (that’s the retriever in her), wagging her butt and greeting the patient. The joy Hannah gave to all of us will be terribly missed.

Many, many years ago, Hannah and I were at Anna Page Park sitting on a blanket, and I was writing notes to myself on what I was going to do that day, and I wrote down the word DOG in big letters to remind me to pick up some treats for Hannah, and I said to her, “Yes, Hannah, you are truly a gift from GOD, for just look; DOG spelled backwards is GOD, and you are a gift from GOD.”

I love you so much, Hannah, and I will miss you, and I thank you for the six precious years I had you.

Dr. Julia is a Naturopathic Doctor who is celebrating two milestones this year. She is celebrating 12 years cancer free from breast cancer by not doing the chemical therapy and radiation, and is celebrating 30 years in practice. You may reach her in her Rockford office at (815) 962-3326.

From the March 7-13, 2012, issue

Yoga students often ask me about meditation — whether I teach it or where they can learn it. My answer is always the same: find a Vipassana Meditation Center and find the time to take a course. Learning this technique of meditation could be one of the best things you could ever do for yourself.

My own slightly reluctant meditation journey had a disappointing beginning. Beautiful visualizations at the end of class with my first yoga teacher were nice, but failed to focus my mind at all. A once-a-week course in a form of Thai meditation was too sporadic to take hold. And, although an introduction to Zen helped to quiet my mind a little, it was only for short periods of time. So, when a friend in my yoga class finally introduced me to Vipassana Meditation, as taught by S.N. Goenka, I was skeptical. But, when I took my first course in 2005, it immediately changed the way I looked at meditation, at myself, and at my relationship with my own mind.

Seven years and six courses later, and having heard many other student accounts of failed meditation experiments, I am convinced that Vipassana as taught by S.N. Goenka truly gives the practice needed to change your mind and change your life for the better.

I believe my story is a pretty typical one. All of us look for the fastest, shortest, easiest and most palatable healing techniques that might just “fit in” to the life we already lead, forgetting that real change requires real change. As with yoga, “meditation” has been popularized and commercialized in ways contrary to its actual definition, steering us in “quick-fix” directions that may ultimately be more distracting than helpful.

Dhyana (meditation) is the seventh limb in the practice of yoga, the one right before full enlightenment. So, there is good reason to wonder about techniques of “meditation” that are learned in a weekend or less, supposedly bringing you to a mental state that has taken Indian sages (including the Buddha himself) a lifetime to achieve. Although the effects of these weekend retreats or 20-minute fixes aren’t harmful, they may just give us brief escape at the surface layer of the mind, and we find ourselves disturbed once again as we return to our daily routines.

For more permanent results, we must dig beyond the surface of the mind into the deep roots of our mental habits to change our emotional and physical reactions for good. And, as with every other limb of yoga, this takes time, discipline and a lot of practice.

This is why Vipassana Meditation, as taught by S.N. Goenka, works. The 10-day residential courses are taught in a methodical and step-by-step manner at retreat centers around the world, one of which is right here in nearby Pecatonica. During a 10-day course, you are given the chance to immerse yourself in the process of learning the technique of Vipassana Meditation. All distractions of the mind are taken away (no phones, no books, no communication); and you are fully taken care of by other volunteer meditators, allowing you to fully focus on the task at hand.

The first three days are devoted to just training the mind to focus its attention (the technique of anapana). On Day 4, you learn Vipassana. By Day 6, you know the whole technique. The last days are for practice. With time, the mind is able to learn and develop new patterns that are useful once the course is over.

As I look forward to sitting my seventh course, I am reminded of the benefits Vipassana Meditation has brought to my life. Although not always perfect, my practice of the technique gives me the opportunity to reflect on my mental habits and reactions and gives me the time and space to change. I am less anxious, manage emotions better, and have a much clearer view of the world within and around me.

We are lucky to have a center so close, and courses run in Pecatonica all year round.

May all beings be happy, may all beings be peaceful, may all beings be liberated!

For more information about Pranayama Yoga Studio, visit www.yogarockford.com or call (815) 968-9642.

From the Feb. 29-March 6, 2012, issue

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz

By Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz, N.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

It is well documented that omega 3s are beneficial for your heart. In foods, this mainly is in fish such as salmon, sardines and herring. In a recent study through the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, healthy elderly individuals who regularly ate these types of fish lowered the risk of heart attacks, and as an added bonus, lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Vitamin C and heart health go hand in hand. People who have low Vitamin C levels not only have a hard time healing from sores and bruises but have a higher risk of complications as a result of heart failure. Low Vitamin C levels were also linked to more emergency room visits and hospitalization because of these low Vitamin C levels.

Studies have shown that people drinking two or more dead, sugary, processed drinks a day developed more of a risk of heart disease. Sugar is the culprit in high triglyceride levels. When patients come to me for help because of high triglycerides, the first thing I do is educate them about the foods they are eating that are causing high triglycerides. All foods that are high in sugar or turn into sugar are the culprits in this. Taking Lipitor or Crestor is not the answer. Diet is, and heart health and diet go hand in hand. Another issue I have to educate patients about is that heart problems and diabetes go hand in hand.

I have been doing my own clinical research on the statin drugs, and they truly scare me. Our brain is composed of cholesterol, and what I have found clinically is that statin drugs and Alzheimer’s go hand in hand. This, again, is what I have documented over at my office. Our brain is made up of cholesterol, and to take a drug that removes cholesterol never made any sense to me. But doing chemical therapy when I found out I had breast cancer never made sense to me, either.

If I can help you with unsolved health issues that you know are causing heart and blood sugar issues, please call my office. Let’s get 2012 to be a healthy, happy year for you and your loved ones.

Dr. Julia is celebrating 12 years cancer free by not doing chemical therapy and radiation. If she can help you with your health issues naturally, please call her office at (815) 962-3326 to schedule an appointment.

From the Feb. 22-28, 2012, issue

Whether you were “green” before the color was fashionable or whether you’re just ready to find the “shade” that works best for you, here’s information about doing just “one green thing.”

If you have a REAL fireplace, now is NOT the time to enjoy it — you will just be blowing your heat right up the chimney. We weatherize ours right after Christmas. We have already had the professional chimney sweep clean it, check the bricks, the damper, etc. So next, we “seal it up” as best we can. I check to make sure the damper is closed, then in goes a piece of foam (the rubber/flexible kind such as is used to make a cushion out of), then a piece of Styrofoam that I have whittled out of packing materials to fit the opening. Then, the doors are closed.

As a safety measure, we also have an additional “screen” we place in front of the fireplace when in use (nothing like a hole in the carpeting to teach you a lesson), and so this goes next along with an old Army blanket draped over it and smushed up tight against the fireplace. The last ingredient varies by year, but this year is the electric heating unit we use on the coldest of evenings. Then, we stand back and admire our homemade handiwork.

Just read about a “balloon” used to help prevent the cold air from coming down the chimney. Sounds sensible, but I wonder just how much it might cost compared to the “recyclable material using” method of mine.

Shucks, just realized I didn’t clean the doors. Mother Nature Network has an interesting method “… avoid chemicals altogether and opt for old newspapers dampened with water and dipped in fireplace ashes. Although it’s counterintuitive and requires a bit more effort on your part, scrubbing glass fireplace doors with the what-in-the-heck-do-I-do-with-this residue left from a raging wood fire does indeed do the trick.”

For more information, e-mail Jan Herbert at JanHerbert@RockfordParkdistrict.org.

From the Feb. 22-28, 2012, issue

Local chiropractor Dr. Philip Schalow will lead a workshop about the F.M. Alexander Technique Saturday, Feb. 18. Dr. Schalow is a certified instructor of the Alexander Technique.

The value of the Alexander Technique has been recognized in such diverse areas as early childhood education, rehabilitation and pain centers, and the performing arts. Research supports the use of Alexander Technique in improving breathing, reducing back pain and improving blood pressure.

The technique is also an important adjunct to upper cervical chiropractic by giving people a method for reducing tension that creates spinal misalignments.

Dr. Schalow is the owner of 1st Step Chiropractic, Rockford’s first center for the NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) procedure for correcting the atlas misalignment. He has been studying and teaching the Alexander Technique since 1979. For more information, call (815) 398-4500.

1st Step Chiropractic is at 4519 Highcrest Road, Rockford. Visit www.myrockfordchiropractor.com for more details.

From the Feb. 15-21, 2012, issue

Examination for the supine leg-length inequality as a sign of neuromuscular dysfunction is a common screening procedure used in upper cervical chiropractic. The National Upper Cervical Research Foundation recently published a study showing the reliability of this procedure in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics (JPMT 2011;34:239-246). This study showed good reliability in determining the presence of a leg-length inequality.

Dr. Philip Schalow, owner of 1st Step Chiropractic and a NUCCA practitioner states, “The leg-length check is one of the most important screening tools we use in spotting a compromised brainstem. When the control centers at the base of the brain are seriously impaired, one leg will pull up, making it appear shorter. There are other screening tools, but it is good to have the published research that lets everyone know that what we are doing on the clinic “front lines” is really observable.” Free screenings are available at 1st Step Chiropractic. Call (815) 398-4500 to make an appointment for a free screening.

From the Feb. 15-21, 2012, issue

LOVES PARK, Ill. — Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful now offers access to information about recycling “just about everything” available at www.knib.org/recycling/green-guide. The Green Guide provides information for the responsible disposal of household items. This recycling and disposal guide will help you determine the best way to handle unwanted items while creating a healthier environment. It provides options for reusing or donating, information on what can be recycled and how to recycle it, and information on special handling or disposal. Information listed is intended for household users only with no endorsement of any businesses, vendor or product intended or implied.

Maintaining a clean and beautiful environment is a goal of Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful, whose recycling center in Roscoe is open on Saturday mornings throughout the year from 9 a.m.-noon. For further information about items collected for recycling there, visit www.knib.org/programs/recycling-center.

Since 1988, Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful has positioned itself as an outcome-based organization engaging all elements of the community to enhance neighborhoods by reducing, reusing and recycling our world’s resources for future generations.

Visit www.knib.org, find them on Facebook, or call the office at (815) 637-1343.

From the Feb. 15-21, 2012, issue

University of Illinois Extension will present the 16th Annual Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20, at Midway Village Museum, Rockford.

The cost per person is $40; each additional family member or business colleague can register for $30. After Feb. 16, the registration cost is $50 per person.

The conference fee includes continental breakfast, lunch, four general education sessions, and a choice of two breakout sessions. To register or for a complete conference schedule, visit http://web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw or call (815) 986-4357.

“This annual conference provides relevant, practical information for the fruit and vegetable speciaty grower — it’s a great opportuity for both learning and networking,” said U of I Extension Local Foods and Small Farms Educator Maurice Ogutu, Ph.D.

The annual Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference sessions are led by educators and experts from University of Illinois Extension, USDA-NRCS, Royal Oaks Farm Orchard and more. Education topics include small farm risk management, direct marketing, farm to school programs, pest management, use of cover crops, organic soil amendments and more.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

SPRING VALLEY, Wis. — The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) hosts its 23rd Annual Organic Farming Conference Feb. 23-25 at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis.

The annual Organic Farming Conference (OFC) is the nation’s largest and foremost educational and networking event for the organic farming community.

The farmer-centered OFC will feature more than 65 informative workshops, 160-plus exhibitors, nationally-known keynote speakers, and locally-sourced food and live entertainment. MOSES expects attendance to be about 3,000 farmers and agricultural professionals.

Held Thursday, Feb. 22, prior to the OFC, the Organic University will offer 10 full-day courses about various organic agriculture topics for novices and experts alike.

“We’re really focused on farmer-to-farmer education and networking at our conference,” said Conference Co-Director Chris Blanchard.

Keynote speakers

Two nationally-recognized authorities are featured presenters at the OFC.

Friday, Feb. 23, Margaret Krome, policy program director of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, will present “Growing Food, Health and Democracy: How Farmers, Activists and Consumers are Finding Our Power and Transforming the Food System.”

Saturday, Feb. 24, Heinz Award-winning filmmaker Curt Ellis will present a rich multi-media presentation titled “Growing Forward: The New Faces of Food and Farming.” King Corn filmmaker Ellis is co-founder of FoodCorps.

Organic Farmer of the Year

MOSES also will announce and feature the 2012 Organic Farmer of the Year Award recipient. The award is granted annually to an outstanding organic farmer or farm family who are innovators; who excel in managing farm resources; and who serve as educators and examples in their communities and to the next generation of organic farmers.

Young Organic Stewards

Young people have always been at the heart of the OFC. The Young Organic Stewards program recognizes, honors and supports the next generation of organic farmers through targeted workshops and social activities.

Attendance details

Cost to attend the conference is $195, which includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, workshops, general sessions, admission to the exhibit hall and evening entertainment. Supper is available at the conference for $15 for adults.

The fee for the in-depth Organic University sessions Thursday, Feb. 22, is $170.

The deadline for OFC and Organic University advance registration is Monday, Feb. 13. Walk-ins will be accepted after that for an added fee.

Numerous events will be offered for children and teens throughout the conference, including childcare as well as discounted meals and attendance fees.

For more information, call MOSES at (715) 778-5775 or visit http://mosesorganic.org/conference.html.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

Earlier this month, The New York Times published a dramatic and misinformed article sensationalizing the disconnect between the claims of yoga as a healing practice and the occurrence of injury among yoga practitioners. Distorted and incorrect information aside, the article made a point that elicited a lot of discussion and reaction within the greater yoga community. What is the “yoga” we are practicing? And, before we blame yoga as a whole, can we first consider that in many ways we aren’t practicing yoga at all?

For many in the West, asanas (poses) are considered “yoga,” though they are merely one aspect of an eight-limbed practice. When exercising our physical body for any reason, including in asana, we pose a risk of injury. Injury in asana can happen for many reasons, including lack of knowledge and guidance, distraction, and/or the pressure to do more from our own ego or overeager teacher. It is only when asana is practiced within the full eight limbs of yoga (Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi), with discipline and awareness, that a practice can truly be called yoga and offer the possibility of the healing we may seek. A focus only on asana, whether positive or negative, can create a distorted view of this very vast subject.

Yoga teaches us to study ourselves, so we must look at our practice and the environment we have created for the study of this profound discipline. The boom in yoga popularity has brought about an immense increase in practitioners and a demand for more instructors, many of whom end up not having much more experience than the students they teach. Yoga is offered widely in gyms with music pumping, heat turned up, and movements as fast as aerobic steps, becoming just another workout where the purpose is to sweat more, go longer and push harder.

Advertising bombards us with each “new and improved” yoga style — tweaked for someone’s personal preference — so we forget that yoga has a long tradition and philosophy with more than physical improvement or ego-gratification at its core. By definition, yoga’s fundamental purpose is to “still the fluctuations of the consciousness” (Yoga Sutra I.2). While popular media sell yoga as an easy cure-all characterized by sweating away in fashionable yoga-wear and committing to the latest food fad, the texts of yoga describe a disciplined life-practice that brings about mental focus and personal transformation.

After spending time in India and encountering personally the more than 70-year dedicated life-practice of BKS Iyengar, I am humbled by how little we understand the subject of yoga. The Iyengar method taught in the West, as with all Hatha Yoga traditions, begins with asana and the body as a tool to focus the mind. Detailed instruction of alignment in asana, a hallmark of the Iyengar tradition, is an exercise in discernment on the physical level, but is not only for physical benefit. This focus and discipline in asana sharpens mental acuity and aligns the body energetically. With diligent practice, it creates a pathway of increased awareness that moves to deeper levels of our being.

The Iyengars remind us that practice limited to poses assumed in the classroom cannot be called yoga. BKS Iyengar himself does not claim to teach “Iyengar Yoga” (a term coined by his students), but stresses Patanjali Yoga, the full eight-limbed path of yoga as laid out in the Yoga Sutras. He challenges us, like Patanjali’s writings have done for thousands of years, to study ourselves and practice the full breadth of yoga without distraction to be successful in a quest for inner peace.

Being conscious of and honest with ourselves about what we have done to yoga will guard us from false expectations and over-reactions. If we only don the clothes, eat the veggies and contort ourselves into countless poses, we can’t blame yoga for our injuries. Asana is a great choice for developing physical strength, balance and flexibility, and a well-trained teacher may help to minimize our risk of injury. But only yoga practiced in its entirety with uninterrupted devotion, discipline and awareness (Yoga Sutra I.14) offers the opportunity for transformation and healing on every level.

For more information about Pranayama Yoga Studio, visit www.yogarockford.com or call (815) 968-9642.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Brenda Richter

By Brenda Richter

Everyone knows it’s healthy to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day. That isn’t a new concept. The raw food diet simply suggests these foods should be most of what we eat.

When you prepare fruits, vegetables and other natural ingredients without cooking, you preserve the maximum nutrition in these foods. You don’t have to eat 100 percent raw or even be a vegetarian to get started. Anyone can enjoy improved health and vitality by eating at least 50 percent raw foods.

“Raw” does mean uncooked, or unheated, but it also means food in its natural, or “raw,” state. Raw food is food that is unprocessed, unrefined and untreated with heat. The three main raw food groups are fresh fruits, vegetables (particularly green leafy vegetables) and natural fats.

Where do you get your protein and calcium? It’s all right here in raw foods.

Many people are too acidic, which causes many of our illnesses, ailments and diseases. People on the Standard American Diet (SAD) consume too many acidic foods, which many times is the cause of society’s health issues.

Come to a free “Why Raw?” talk and learn about the following:

• The effects of heat and cooking on proteins, fats, micro-nutrients and enzymes;

• The raw food groups;

• Where you get your protein;

• Food combining for better digestion;

• How to maintain your ideal weight;

• How to adapt to a raw food diet;

• How to make raw food prep easy;

• Increase your stamina and energy;

• The lack of nutrients in the SAD; and

• How to prevent and/or reverse degenerative diseases, illnesses and ailments.

Brenda Richter is a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, where she received her certification as a Raw Culinary Arts associate chef and instructor. She’s passionate about sharing the living foods lifestyle with others, and teaches raw culinary arts classes in the Rockford area.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

The OSF Saint Anthony Center for Health Fitness, 5510 E. State St., is offering group fitness classes at the following times and dates in January 2012. The fee for any of the classes is $5 for an all-day pass to attend any or all of the classes offered that day. The monthly fee is $30 per month with automatic withdrawal with a credit card; $35 cash or check per month; or $25 Corporate rates to attend an unlimited number of classes and to use the fitness center facility.

Edge, a class designed to enhance athletic performance, is offered from 4 to 5 p.m., on Mondays and Wednesdays. The program helps athletes improve their speed, agility, power and strength.

Body Combat, an empowering cardio workout, is held from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This highly energetic program is inspired by the martial arts and draws from a range of disciplines, including karate, boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi and Muay Thai.

A Mini Body Combat is offered from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Zumba, which fuses easy-to-follow moves with Latin rhythms to create a dynamic fitness program, is offered from 6 to 7 p.m. and from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays; from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The classes teach routines that include interval training with fast and slow rhythms. Resistance training and Latin zest are combined to tone and sculpt while burning fat.

Yoga, an all-level gentle yoga class, is offered from 6 to 7 p.m. on Mondays; 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays; and from 7:20 to 8:05 p.m. on Thursdays. The class helps participants increase flexibility and balance while relieving stress and promoting relaxation.

Tai Chi is held from 4 to 4:45 p.m. on Fridays. The class consists of a series of slow, graceful, circular movements that enhance strength, endurance and balance. People of all ages and abilities can improve their flexibility, decrease their stress and help make daily activities easier.

Qigong, which teaches slow, graceful movements to serve as an introduction to Tai Chi, is offered from 1:15 to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Balance, a group class that requires pre-registration, is held from 1 to 2 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. It is also offered from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The class focuses on helping participants increase their stability and balance.

Advanced Balance, which helps participants who have completed the initial Balance class advance to a higher level, is held from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Pre-registration is required. Call (815) 395-4591 for registration.

“Loosen Up,” a full-body session designed to release muscle tension through stretching and flexibility movements, is offered from 10:30 to 11:10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Body Pump, a class that combines cardio and strength training for a total body workout, is offered from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

A Mini-Body Pump session is offered from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Boot Camp is held from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. on Saturdays. Combining cardio and strength training for a total body workout, the class rotates between stations to provide maximum effort and calorie burning.

Golden Motion classes, which are geared toward those age 50 or older, are held from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The first part of the class offers cardio workouts through individual gym time on the treadmill, bike or Nu-step, and the second part is an instructor-led class for upper and lower body weight training, core work, balance and flexibility.

Senior Aerobics classes are held from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The low-impact aerobics class offers easy-to-follow moves, beginning with chair aerobics and ending with standing low-impact moves.

For information or for registration for the “Balance” and “Edge” classes, call the OSF Saint Anthony Center for Health Fitness at (815) 395-4591. The OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center website is www.osfsaintanthony.org.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue

University of Illinois Extension has launched a newly-revised website version of Recipes for Diabetes.

Today, 25.8 million children and adults in the U.S. — or 8.3 percent of the population — have diabetes. Because of the high incidence of this disease, U of I Extension offers this website with a variety of recipes with nutritional analysis for people with diabetes. More than 80 photographs have been added that show what each dish looks like.

These recipes have been either part of Illinois Extension’s Dining with Diabetes or Living Well with Diabetes programs, or have been featured in the Illinois Extension newsletter Diabetes Lifelines.

Each recipe also contains an approximate nutritional analysis for calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sodium and cholesterol. Exchanges have been calculated based on the exchange list of the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association. For those using the carbohydrate counting method of meal planning, carbohydrate units are also provided.

The site was developed by Karen Chapman-Novakofski, Extension specialist, Foods and Nutrition.

Visit the site at urbanext.illinois.edu/diabetesrecipes/.

From the Jan. 4-10, 2012, issue

A new year is upon us, and once again, we are faced with the resolutions and the excitement of the blank slate that lies ahead. For some reason, we feel that this time, this once-a-year time, is the only time (or maybe just the best time) to “start again.” However, it is actually in every moment and in every breath that we have the opportunity to start anew, to make a different decision, to react differently, to learn, to be aware, to change.

Yoga and many forms of meditation teach us to be “present” in each moment. And though that sounds nice, how do we actually achieve this? How do we create a situation where our awareness in each moment allows for the space and the “time” we need to act differently, to change our behavior, and maybe ultimately even change our mind? How can we look at each moment as a blank slate where anything is possible?

With yoga, we start at the most obvious and knowable level, the body. Any form of Hatha Yoga (Iyengar, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Anusara, etc…) uses the body as the first means of increasing awareness of movement and reaction in given and fixed situations (asanas). The asanas (poses) teach the mind to stay present, no matter what may be going on around us. We use Trikonasana (triangle pose) or Bhujangasana (cobra pose) to better align the pieces of the body into a more unified whole.

In stretching within the pose or struggling with limited strength, we experience physical difficulty or, perhaps, other obstacles. But ultimately, the work of yoga removes those obstacles, and unifies body, mind and breath.

Aligning body, mind and breath brings awareness to each movement in each moment. The mind draws away from outside distraction and becomes more present on the inside. “Advancement” in yoga is not moving toward more complicated positions, but developing the ability to be still in the simple positions over longer periods of time. (The more complex poses merely present more obstacles for us to encounter and overcome.) Historically, all asanas — no matter how complex — have one goal: to enable us to sit longer and more comfortably in meditation.

Yoga is often referred to as “mediation in action,” since it involves developing awareness and being present while still in motion. It offers the opportunity to experience our self within numerous small and controlled situations that then transfer, off the mat, to larger, more uncontrolled situations. This may not get us to the root of the mind, like sitting in meditation would. With yoga, there is still a connection to the outer body. However, yoga does prepare us to face our everyday lives with more confidence and presence of mind.

Once the outer and the inner body become firmly connected, and the mind becomes present with every breath, then the new opportunity that each moment holds becomes much more apparent. The same promise and potential we feel facing every new year becomes our reality within every breath. So, start again with the new year, but continue starting again with yoga.

For more information about Pranayama Yoga Studio, visit www.yogarockford.com or call (815) 968-9642.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

URBANA, Ill. — Where can you find chocolate goat cheese truffles, organic okra and Ginger Gold apples in the same place? The answer is www.foodmarketmaker.com, an online marketing resource that was created by a team from University of Illinois Extension and has grown to include almost 20 states.

MarketMaker was initially developed in 2004 to assist and educate livestock farmers on marketing strategies for value-added meat products. The current site has developed into a tool that can benefit everyone in the food supply chain, from farmers, to processors, distributors, retailers and the consumer looking for unique food products.

Since its inception, MarketMaker has grown to include profiles for more than 500,000 producers and other food-related businesses. Each state has its own unique site, but all sites access a common database. This allows users to conduct multi-state searches. MarketMaker’s interactive mapping capabilities provide the user with easy location of all businesses.

Large corporations such as Wal-Mart are utilizing this web-based instrument to find produce. Darlene Knipe, MarketMaker principal investigator and University of Illinois marketing specialist, said MarketMaker was able to provide training to buyers that were interested in local produce on how to use MarketMaker for fulfillment in their stores. Because of Wal-Mart, some farms in Illinois, such as Frey Farms Produce in Wayne County, are maximizing their business.

This past year, MarketMaker joined forces with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) to provide a region-wide tool to connect fisheries to markets as part of the economic recovery plan after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of 2010. This accessible seafood section caught the attention of Louisiana when Louisiana State University launched MarketMaker as a means to assist a struggling shrimp and fishing industry after the oil spill.

Michigan is using MarketMaker to help connect producers with food banks to provide fruits and vegetables for those in need. Toril Fisher, director of Programs and Member Services for the Food Bank Council of Michigan, began using MarketMaker to identify farms within 50 miles of its member food banks’ warehouses, and proactively contracted with several of them to provide more than 600,000 pounds of produce through the Michigan Farm To Food Bank pilot program. More than 1 million people utilize these food banks and were able to have fresh produce with the help of MarketMaker and Fisher’s efforts.

Recently, Farm to School and MarketMaker united to link producers and educational institutions, giving farmers access to new markets through schools. The benefits are twofold — supplying local schools helps diversify the producers’ markets while students reap the benefits of healthy, flavorful, local foods.

“MarketMaker continues to grow and is a work in progress,” said Knipe. “We are adding new states every year, and are looking to diversify into more sectors such as horticulture, the timber industry and agritourism.”

Knipe said they are hoping to start work with the international market as well.

In 2010, National MarketMaker program was awarded the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Partnership Award for their work in providing consumers with better access to fresh, local foods and for helping farmers profit through a successful, multistate partnership.

The vision of MarketMaker is to be a national information technology platform that enables all food producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers electronic access to geographically referenced data. The platform will enhance the opportunity for food and agricultural entrepreneurs to identify and develop new and profitable markets, and improve the efficiency and profitability of food systems in the United States and, eventually, globally.

From the Dec. 21-27, 2011, issue

I am blessed to have celebrated another year cancer free. In 2000, I was told that I had breast cancer, and because of my belief system and my education, I personally could not do the chemical therapy and radiation. My oncologist told me that I would never see my son, Scott, graduate from high school if I did not do their treatments. I have been blessed to see Scott graduate not only from high school, but with his BFA and currently receiving his MFA.

My cancer was estrogen driven, as with many of my patients. Scientific studies have shown that many of the following symptoms and conditions may be caused by hormonal imbalance caused by high levels of estrogen. If you have ever come to see me, you will know that I preach and have information about why we should not eat soy. Soy is a phyto-estrogen, and high levels of soy will lead to breast and prostate cancer. To counteract high levels of estrogen, I suggest using a natural progesterone cream. Here are issues of an imbalance of estrogen/progesterone.

1. Breast tenderness

2. Cervical dysplasia

3. Decreased sex drive

4. Depression

5. Endometriosis

6. Fat gain around abdomen, hip and thighs

7. Fibrocystic breast 8. Fibroids

9. Hot flashes

10. Infertility

11. Insomnia

12. Irregular periods

13. Miscarriages

And on and on and on the list goes.

All estrogen without the balance of progesterone will increase cell proliferation, and to me, this is the precursor of cancer. If you have ever had a thermogram, you will see high levels of estrogen. Because of my breast cancer story, I only do thermography. In my case, for three years I felt a lump in my right breast, and my medical doctor told me that there was nothing there. The mammogram never picked up my breast tumor until it was 3 cm big. Because of this, I had to do my own research, and I then educated myself on thermograms. I found a medical doctor in Madison, Wis., who did thermograms, and I have been doing them ever since.

I truly believe if I would have done thermograms before I felt my lump, I could have balanced my estrogen/progesterone. Why am I so confident? After my breast cancer surgery, my medical doctor here in Rockford told me my left breast was fine. After doing a thermogram, I was so high in estrogen, I was an accident waiting to happen. I did think it was funny that my medical doctor told me that my left breast was fine when they never did an estrogen test. I also wondered why my medical doctor would only think my right breast could have high levels of estrogen. Another thing that I found interesting was that my surgeon suggested because I have a history of cancer in my family, I should remove both breasts. I then had to educate him on the fact that my ovaries are making the estrogen, not my breast, so I will keep an eye on my estrogen levels, and if there is an issue, I will remove my ovaries.

Let us look at why so many women need progesterone. When there is not a balance of estrogen/progesterone, this will cause EOS (estrogen overload syndrome). Every day we are living in a world where we are bombarded with estrogen — from birth control to hormone replacement therapy to synthetic chemicals, soy and so much more. Natural estrogen is produced by our body, xeno-estrogen is in our pesticides, plastics solvents, industrial waste and car exhaust. Estrogen is pumped into our livestock to make them grow faster and fatten them up, and phyto-estrogens are in our foods such as soy.

Doctors realized that there were problems with hormone imbalance, and to solve this issue, they started adding synthetic progesterone to birth control. But as we all know, the body cannot break this down, and it cannot be absorbed, which then causes serious side effects. These altered synthetic chemicals have been documented in the PDR (Physician’s Desk Reference), which includes blood pressure, blood clots, headaches, changes in libido, just to name a few. Natural progesterone works without any side effects. If you have a history of cancer in your family, you need to know what your estrogen levels are. You need to be proactive with your health. If you have concerns, and your doctor will not order this test, then, by all means, pay for it yourself. I carry hormonal kits in my office (both female and male), for we should all know what our hormonal panel is telling us. If I can help you with your hormonal issues, please feel free to call my office and talk to my Physician Assistant, Kay. She will be able to help you with any questions and concerns.

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz is a Naturopathic Doctor who has an office in Rockford, Ill. You may reach her at (815) 962-3326.

From the Dec. 21-27, 2011, issue

Vernon Hershberger in July 2010. (Photo by Richard S. Gubbe)

By Richard S. Gubbe

Small farmers across the country, beware, your local authorities and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are out to put you out of business.

Raids have taken place against small farmers in Maine, Pennsylvania, Nevada, California and Wisconsin against farmers for a variety of reasons, including selling organic and raw foods, as well as the sale and distribution of raw milk.

While it is legal in Illinois to buy raw milk at a farm, protests have sprung up, including the raw milk protest held in Chicago last week without incident. A half-dozen mothers reportedly transported raw milk from Wisconsin to Chicago, where they accepted payment for some of the milk and passed out the rest to demonstrators protesting FDA regulations. A previous rally in Maryland was held without incident last month.

But while the peaceful rally was held in Independence Park in Chicago last week, Wisconsin farmer Vernon Hershberger was charged by the state’s Department of Justice with four counts, all misdemeanors, for laws he allegedly broke dating prior to July 2010. Also, Amish farmer Daniel Allgyer was arrested recently in Pennsylvania for selling raw milk in Maryland to a food club.

Why indiscriminately torment Mennonite and Amish farmers who run farm co-ops for organic foods and raw milk, you ask?

Simply put, this is a show of power by government agencies to thrust their mighty will upon the people. While the call for less government is heard over and over again at state and federal levels and promised in debates, state and federal governing bodies have found the time to impale small, organic farmers.

There is one member of Congress who is questioning the role of the FDA after a spate of raids from coast to coast.

Small farm and raw milk advocates have support from U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, who wrote in November to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg questioning the agency’s recent enforcement actions against small farmers while lauding their inaction against some raw milk advocates who have distributed their dairy products across state lines.

Pingree said she believed the FDA’s lack of action on individuals who purchase and transport raw milk is a “step in the right direction,” but she also “continues to have concerns about some of the practices of the FDA.”

In Pingree’s Nov. 18 letter, she wrote: “During tight budget times, it appears that the Agency has chosen to commit scarce resources to activities like farm raids and what many believe to be overly zealous enforcement of the ban on the interstate sale of raw milk. When consumers increasingly want to know where their food comes from and that it’s safe, why does the FDA choose to put so much energy into these enforcement activities aimed at small farmers? It also doesn’t make sense to me that, given the numerous food safety scares involving large-scale producers, resources are being diverted to prevent consumers from choosing the type of milk that they want to drink.”

How about more inspections of large processing plants to avert E-Coli outbreaks?

Hershberger has been fighting this fight for a while now, as reported in TRRT last week. Readers can find a YouTube video of the serving of the summons on his Sauk County farm by a county sheriff, even though the local law enforcement agency didn’t take the action.

“This shows why we, the common people, will have to stand up on our own instead of relying on the people who are supposed to have the power to give us justice,” Hershberger said.

The state charged him with a retail food violation between Aug. 6, 2009, and June 3, 2010, a raw milk producer violation between Feb. 15, 2010, and June 3, 2010, a dairy plant violation between Feb. 15, 2010, and June 3, 2010, and a “holding order” violation between June 2, 2010, and July 8, 2010. Hershberger ignored the raid and went back to business as usual of supplying small amounts of organic products to members, or in his view, fellow owners.

Hershberger has a Jan. 4 court date. The summons was signed by Wisconsin State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.

Pete Kennedy, an attorney for the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, told the Baraboo News Republic last week: “My question is: Where’s the injury here? It looks like the only injury that is going to occur is if he’s prevented from distributing … and people don’t get access to this food.”

Hershberger’s Grazin’ Acres farm in Loganville was raided soon after then-Gov. Jim Doyle (D) vetoed a bill that would have allowed for limited sales of raw milk in Wisconsin. State officials have said the case had nothing to do with the debate over raw milk, but rather a licensing spat.

Hershberger continues to distribute products and says consumers are leasing animals and consume the products derived from them, exempting him from state licensing requirements. The complaint makes no mention of his current arrangement, only the past, despite the fact current state law provides an exception for “incidental sales” of raw milk from farmer to consumer.

Hershberger has never laid claim to being a retailer.

Many state regulatory agencies and public health officials say raw milk exposes people to disease-causing pathogens. Advocates say pasteurized milk destroys enzymes, hormones and bacteria that have health benefits.

Why wasn’t he charged locally? Sauk County District Attorney Pat Barrett told the News Republic her decision to request a special prosecutor in the case, which she said has “statewide implications,” was because of caseload pressures, not politics.

“There is no reason for us to tackle a case that would be so time consuming when the AG’s office has such expertise and is ready and willing to assist,” she said.

Why the fuss by state and federal agencies over little farms, raw milk and organic foods?

Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods at the FDA, was called out by Pingree for his past association as a lobbyist and a former executive of the Monsanto Corporation, which backs only large-scale farming.

Pingree said in her letter to the FDA: “There is a perception on the part of many people that it may be difficult for him to remain neutral on issues like local food issues, food sovereignty and food safety issues that reflect the scale of the producer. Would it not better serve all types and sizes in the United States to have someone in this position with less of a perceived bias toward large-scale, genetically-modified agriculture?”

There has been a movement recently to oust Taylor.

Meanwhile, the money spent on raids and court cases by states and the FDA certainly could be used in a more productive manner. Quit picking on the little guy.

Richard Gubbe is an award-winning journalist of 38 years, public relations specialist and Reiki Master Teacher. He is a long-time Rockford resident who has taught preventive health, visualization and Reiki at Rock Valley College since 2003.

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz

By Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz, N.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

The day after Thanksgiving, I celebrated 12 years free of breast cancer. My oncologist told me I would never see my son graduate, and I have been blessed to see him graduate three times. I personally did not do the chemical therapy and the radiation. I saw my mother given so much radiation to the breast they burned her lungs, and to see her gasping for air as a result of the devastating effects of radiation treatment will always be with me.

Cancer is a much-feared disease because of the treatments. Do you know that cancer is now the second-leading cause of death in America with heart and cardiovascular disease at No. 3, and mistakes made by medical doctors and hospitals at No. 1? (See: Death by Medicine by G. Null)

I believe modern medicine will never find a cure for cancer as long as the focus remains on the development of toxic chemical therapy drugs. With medical mentality of slash, burn and poison, no one is being educated about environmental causes such as parasites, fungus, yeast/candida, virus, heavy metals, chemicals, solvents, pesticides, hormonal disruption and, of course, DIET.

I treated my cancer naturally, and I see many patients who have had cancer. I always educate them about detoxing, supplementation for healthy organs and diet. When it comes to diet, everyone needs to eliminate dead toxic foods. These include all sources of simple, refined and artificial sugars and sweeteners, all sources of trans/hydrogenated fats and oils, all sources of refined carbohydrates, non-organic commercial wheat, soy, corn and other genetically-modified food products and all sources of cow’s milk. Then, I suggest you go one step further. Let us find out what your blood type is, and we give you a booklet about how to eat according to your blood type.

I.V. therapy, I.M. therapy (inter-muscular), nutritional supplementation is a must for people who have gone through chemical therapy treatments. Chemical therapy destroys your immune system. Your immune system needs to be strong for you to be healthy. If a foreign matter overcomes the body, the immune system jumps into action. This system is composed of lymph nodes, blood protein and specialized white blood cells. The lymph nodes cleanse and filter the blood. This filtration process prevents bacteria, cancer cells and other infectious agents from entering the blood and circulating through the system.

When your immune system is so suppressed because of chemical therapy, it is very hard for you to be able to take all of your needed nutritional supplements. You are so depleted in all nutrients that I.V. therapy or I.M. therapy is recommended. As I tell my patients, you would have to take a boat full of supplements, and even then you would still not be able to take enough. This is because you would not be able to absorb and assimilate them. I always wondered, when someone finds out they have cancer or any autoimmune disease, instead of putting chemical therapy into people’s veins, why aren’t they putting vitamins and minerals into their system? I think we all know the answer to that one. Follow the money.

Dr. Julia has an office in Rockford, Ill. You may reach her at (815) 962-3326.

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

Whether you were “green” before the color was fashionable or whether you’re just ready to find the “shade” that works best for you, here’s information about doing just “one green thing.”

Get your car ready for winter:

• Wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights. The water repellent in it will prevent the messy mixtures of winter from sticking to your lights (and who doesn’t have at least one container of car wax lying around?).

• You can help prevent your car doors from freezing shut by rubbing some cooking oil on the rubber seals around car doors — the water doesn’t go into the rubber.

• When locks are frozen, use hand sanitizer on the key and the lock.

• Replace a missing gas cap to avoid gas vaporizing into the air.

Won’t be long before we file income tax reports. Have you checked your home for the possibility of improvement projects that qualify for tax credits? Visit the website that follows, or talk to your tax person: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index. These could help you do something you were going to do anyway and give you some tax relief. We can all use some of that.

Following are some ideas on using beer:

• Fertilize your indoor plants. Use flat beer, just a small amount, at the base of the plant.

• Loosen rusty bolts. The acids in beer may dissolve enough rust to help you get them loose.

• You can polish brass pots with a soft cloth and gentle rubbing of the beer onto the pot. Let it sit for a while, then rinse and dry with another cloth. Beer works wonders on many metals.

Get ready for the cold and sniffles season: find Grandma or Grandpa’s handkerchiefs and save a tree (and the cost of tissues).

For more information, e-mail Jan Herbert at JanHerbert@RockfordParkdistrict.org.

From the Dec. 7-13, 2011, issue

For most of us, yoga practice is the hour-and-a-half (or sometimes less) we spend in our favorite gym or studio class. But this has to be just the beginning. Yoga is not the usual workout you do listening to your iPod, watching TV, or reading a book perched on the treadmill handlebars. Yoga is about developing awareness and learning about yourself through movement and breath. It is the practice of stilling the fluctuations of the mind by aligning and uniting the body, mind and breath. The teaching of yoga in a class is the guidance you need to begin, but to extend your practice, you have to take yoga home.

Starting yoga in a classroom setting is, for most of us, necessary. Books are great, but with only a book, you do not have another pair of eyes to check your progress or alignment. Numerous videos are available, but you risk distorting your practice as you crane your neck to see the TV — or just continue to be distracted by the person on the screen. In a classroom, you are introduced to the whole practice, guided by a teacher and given personalized instruction to help you progress. But, even the voice and the presence of the teacher draws your consciousness outward, when the true practice of yoga involves traveling deeper in.

A once-a-week class is a good start, two-times-a-week even better, but we miss the beauty of yoga that appears with a daily practice. The problem is, it is hard to get started. We make excuses about too little time or not enough space. We fear ignorance or injury without a teacher watching over us. When the teacher isn’t there, we have to learn to rely on our own inner guidance.

So, how do you get started? First, remember that you do not need to carve out an hour-and-a-half of your day. Start small, with 10 to 20 minutes and one or two poses. After a class, remember something you really liked and something you really hated. The thing you hated is the thing you need, and the thing you liked will keep you coming back. Those two things can be the foundation to beginning your home practice. Then, arm yourself with a good instructional book. Different books are available for the various traditions of yoga, so ask your teacher. A good book will supplement the guidance of your teacher while at home and also help you dig deeper into the poses (not to mention, help you to learn the actual Sanskrit names).

Once you begin yoga at home, you will quickly see the benefits. Yoga will no longer be that temporary “escape” once or twice per week that is somehow separate from “real life.” The positive effects on body and mind will transfer off the mat and begin to seep into every aspect of your life. The way you move, the way you breathe, the way you carry yourself, and the way you react to different situations will all be touched by yoga. Spending the time in practice alone, away from a full class, will bring awareness of your deeper being in each pose and give you insight into a quieter and deeper consciousness. At home is where the experience of a pose becomes the microcosm corresponding to the macrocosm of experience in the outer world — offering all the tools you need to live a more fully conscious life.

Definitely do yoga in class. Find a teacher that speaks to you and gives you what you need to learn, but be aware that the classroom can be just another distraction from the reality of yoga. As we are guided, we must learn, and as we are corrected, we must remember so the information we are given in a class transfers to a deeper level when we carry it home. Each day we change, and each day we bring something new to the practice, so it is really at home where the depth of yoga is understood.

For more information about Pranayama Yoga Studio, visit www.yogarockford.com or call (815) 968-9642.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz

By Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz

Mondays and Fridays are my In-Home days. I have been doing In-Homes for 24 years. This is how I started my first business called “That Special Fit.” I went to patients’ homes and did lymphatic massage, and I would then fit them with the appropriate prosthesis that they needed.

I started In-Homes because of my Mom. When my Mom found out that she had cancer, at the time I was working at Ruth D. Clark as a surgical fitter. I told my Mom that I would take her to Ruth D. Clark for a fitting, and she said to me, “Julia, if I go into that store, everyone will know that I have cancer.” I was shocked, for Ruth D. Clark did not just sell prostheses, they sold many other garments for women, but that was how my Mom viewed the store. I told her not to worry, and I would bring everything to her. I did my first In-Home on my Mom. I then realized if my Mom thought that way, many other women may think that way. After Mom died May 1, 1987, “That Special Fit” was born.

As I am driving around on Mondays and Fridays, I see that the dreaded “fear” signs have already started. “Flu Shots Available Here” is all over Walgreens, CVS and even Walmart. Walk-ins welcomed. No wait. Even loudspeakers’ announcements trying to make everyone aware to get their flu shot. What I find so interesting is that if the flu shot really worked, wouldn’t we have less flu each year? Instead, each year, more and more people get the flu. And what type of flu are we going to get — swine, Asian or even the new one that I just heard about yesterday from one of my patients? Her daughter went to the doctor’s office and was told she had an intestinal flu called the gas flu. We laughed so hard in our office, we all had side aches. But getting back to the subject, here are my concerns that I have with the flu shot.

1. Each year, the “experts” guess what type of flu we will get. I certainly hope they do their homework, for there are hundreds of strains of flu out there.

2. It is toxic. Please come to my office and see what is in a vaccination. But just to name a few, there are thimerosal, ethylene glycol, phenol, formaldehyde and aluminum.

3. It is not effective. In fact, because of all these viruses and toxins in the vaccination, many people experience side effects.

Let us look at the toxic issue that I have just shared with you. Thimerosal is mercury, and it is the toxic issue that I have just shared with you. Thimerosal is mercury, and it is the second most toxic substance known to man. Ethylene glycol is antifreeze, which affects the central nervous system, and is a heart and kidney irritant. Phenol is carbolic acid. Formaldehyde is used to embalm bodies and is a known carcinogen, and aluminum is a toxic metal.¹

The serious side effects that some people have experienced are paralysis, brain inflammation, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and debilitating neurologic condition. ²

Whoa, people, it is just the flu. You really should ask yourself if the above symptoms and side effects are worse than the flu itself. I, personally, do not think it is.

Feel free to call my office and order your winter cold and flu kit. It will build your immune system and is certainly less toxic than formaldehyde.

* 1 and 2 are from an article from Lifesource

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz is celebrating her 30th year in business and 12 years cancer free. You may reach her at her Rockford office at (815) 962-3326.

From the Nov. 23-29, 2011, issue

Whether you were “green” before the color was fashionable or whether you’re just ready to find the “shade” that works best for you, here’s information about doing just “one green thing.”

You can figure out winter is not my favorite season … I’ve been thinking about creams for dry skin and sweaters to keep warm.

To feel warmer this winter, humidify the air in your home. Of course, greenies don’t want to plug in a humidifier, so here are some “no-plug” ways to do it.

When I was growing up, there was often a clothes rack sitting in the dining room because we didn’t have a clothes dryer. Today, that’s a great way to bring moisture into the air of your home. You don’t have to go back to a wringer washer, but you may have to look hard to find the rack! Don’t use your furniture for this purpose, however; damp clothing is not good for wood or upholstery.

Grow some plants! They do more than purify your air. Avoid purchasing plants that thrive in the tropics … your northern Illinois home is not the best environment for them.

Open your bathroom door after you shower, and if you take a bath, leave the water in the tub and open the door. How simple is that?

We accidentally discovered one way to humidify … the cascading water in the cat-watering device entices the kitty to drink more water and helps keep us more comfortable at a lower temperature!

The old-fashioned way many of us know best is small dishes of water placed around the home. Stop at a thrift store and grab a few mismatched pieces of pottery and keep them full of water.

Then, haul out a big pot and make some soup. Any cooking done on stovetop instead of oven or microwave makes more moisture in your home. Want a recipe? Ask me for Beefy Black Bean Stew, yumm.

For more information, e-mail Jan Herbert at JanHerbert@RockfordParkdistrict.org.

From the Nov. 23-29, 2011, issue

Brenda Richter

By Brenda Richter

Let’s face it, eating healthy and staying on track is easier in the warm summer months, as many of us tend to eat lighter and enjoy the fresh vegetables from our gardens and the plentiful fruits of season.

Many find it challenging to eat right in the colder months, as many seek the hot comfort foods. The colder months also introduce a number of holidays, and between the extra treats at work and the gatherings with family and friends, our energy levels may be left drained as a result of sugar spikes and overindulgence. Why is this and why is this a repeat pattern?

Consider that many of these foods are low in nutrient value. They may simply be high in sugar and fat without nutrient value, and/or cooked to a point where the nutrients are greatly diminished.

Overeating is a signal of lack of nutrients. By eating raw, fresh foods (fruits and vegetables), not only are you not compromising the vitamins and nutrients in the food, but you also absorb more of the nutrition from your foods when they are in their raw state. Fresh, raw foods are also rich in fiber, which aids in digestion, assimilation and elimination, which are key factors to overall good health.

You don’t have to deprive yourself of foods you love to look great and feel great this holiday season. Discover how to make nutrient-dense meals that taste great and save time. Satisfy your palette with everyone’s favorites with a raw feast, from stuffing to pumpkin pie.

Raw treats and desserts are ideal for anyone who loves sweets but is trying to avoid refined carbohydrates and sugars, dairy products and unhealthful fats. Any dessert you can make cooked — pies, tarts, crisps, ice creams, cookies, cakes and candies — you can make raw. But your family and friends will never know these desserts are raw and healthy, since they taste as rich and sweet as their traditional counterparts.

Brenda Richter is a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, where she received her certification as a Raw Culinary Arts associate chef and instructor.

From the Nov. 16-22, 2011, issue

The University of Illinois Extension will be hosting “Horticulture for the Holidays” — a celebration of gardening, nature and the holiday season from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3. This program offers participants a special keynote presentation, Creating a Year-Round Garden for Birds, and their choice of four hands-on, make-it-take-it workshops.

Kick off your holiday decorating and gift giving with this seasonal program and workshop. Make ‘n take two projects while enjoying spiced cider and morning treats. Participants have their choice of either paint a cement leaf casting birdbath or seasonal candle wreath in session I; and pine cone and ribbon swag or globe ornament and botanical card set in session II.

For more information or to register for Horticulture for the Holidays, go online at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/sw or call (815) 987-4357. Space is limited. The cost to attend is $20 per person. Horticulture for the Holidays will be held at the Winnebago County Farm Bureau, 1925 S. Meridian Road, Rockford.

From the Nov. 16-22, 2011, issue

Holistic Moms Network of Rockford is hosting a forum from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16, to discuss how to bring the meaning back to the holidays and spend less money. The meeting will be at JustGoods, 201 Seventh St., Rockford.

The Rockford Chapter of Holistic Moms Network is a support, education and social network for parents interested in green living, alternative health care, and gentle, responsive parenting. Visit www.holisticmoms.org for more details.

No matter what holiday you celebrate in December, you may puzzle about how the holidays have grown so commercial that they have become more of a burden than a joy.

Betsy Taylor, president of the nonprofit Center for the New American Dream, said post-holidays, Americans should be able to feel “refreshed and reconnected, instead of depressed and overspent.”

Yet, as the credit card bills roll in, depressed and overspent is exactly how many of us feel. According to the American Consumer Credit Council, the average American spends $935 on Christmas each year and carries an average credit card debt of $8,562.

The Center for the New American Dream aims to uphold the traditional values of America: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, not the pursuit of materialism. They have provided the public with ideas to de-commercialize the holidays on their website, www.newdream.org.

As with the center, authors like environmentalist Bill McKibben, are calling for a more meaningful, less wasteful holiday season. In his book, Hundred Dollar Holiday, McKibben traces the history of the commercialization of the holidays and gives useful ideas of how to celebrate with more meaning and less money and waste.

From the Nov. 9-15, 2011, issue

Whether you were “green” before the color was fashionable or whether you’re just ready to find the “shade” that works best for you, here’s information about doing just “one green thing.”

Every generation points out to the next that times were harder for them. I guess it is my turn.

As I rolled past the nearby grade school yesterday morning, I noticed the driveway was full of cars with moms and kids waiting to be dropped off. As if an assembly line, the next car in line would pull up, one kid would get out, and the car would pull away.

Now, I was thinking it was a pretty nice morning yesterday, and these kids are pretty well taken care of. But the price of their “comfort” is at the expense of our environment and the air the rest of us breathe every day.

Those cars are idling the entire time going through the line (and maybe even in the driveway at home). So, here it comes … in my day, I walked to the end of our driveway and waited for the bus to arrive. No matter the weather … cold and snow meant boots, hats, gloves, and rain meant we took an umbrella. My mother would have laughed at a request to take us to school.

Then, as a part of my reading yesterday, I ran across something that talked about our houses making us fatter. When the temperature is lower, we have a tendency to move around more. And when we are warm, our bodies are not experiencing the mild thermal stress needed to ignite calorie-burn activity. (The Time article also points out the average temperature in British living rooms went from 64.9 to 70.3 degrees between 1978 and 2008.)

I wonder where public buildings and schools set thermostats? With the rising costs of heating in an uncertain economy, at our house we’re going to remember what my mother said and go put on a sweater.

For more information, e-mail Jan Herbert at JanHerbert@RockfordParkdistrict.org.

From the Nov. 2-8, 2011, issue

I will soon be traveling for my third time to India to study yoga. In the Iyengar tradition, students with at least eight years of study may go to Pune, India, for a month or two at a time, to learn directly from the Iyengar family: BKS Iyengar, now 94 years old; his daughter, Geeta; his son, Prashant; and now his granddaughter, Abijata. During this time, we do a two-hour class and three-hour practice daily, plus a weekly pranayama class and a class specifically for women.

The Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI), named after Mr. Iyengar’s late wife, is an institute of study, self-reflection and practice. It is neither a retreat center nor ashram. The Iyengars teach yoga as the self-practice that it is. They are not there to do the work for you or enlighten you. They are there to teach. You are there to learn, to work, to grow.

In most traditional Indian lineages, there is a guru (teacher) and a sisya (student). Guru in Sanskrit means “bringer of light,” meaning a guru sheds light on a certain practice or, in the case of yoga, removes the clouds that cover the light of your own true self. There’s a mistaken idea that this relationship is one where the sisya surrenders completely to the teacher, with the expectation that this guru would be the one to enlighten them.

Many travel to India to find just that: a guru who will give them enlightenment, miraculously remove all obstacles, and grant peace without much individual effort. But this, I would claim, is merely a surrender of one ego in favor of another.

BKS Iyengar is a guru in the true sense of the word. Throughout the world, he has shed light on the practice of yoga, guiding his students with the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to empower self-awareness. Those who have studied with him know there is no room for ego in his class. He teaches you, ultimately, to get out of your own way, to remove the clouds that cover your own self. The surrender you give is not to him, but to the practice. He has devoted his entire life to yoga, and he expects nothing less of his students. To surrender to him and not to practice would be pointless.

As a student of yoga — and particularly Iyengar Yoga — you must learn detachment. You must be devoted to a teacher, but not attached to him/her. Class is a time to learn, not to blindly follow. You must take home what you learn and practice, practice, practice. The Iyengars stress that we must not just “do” yoga, but “be” yoga. In fact, it is the blind devotion to yoga without practice that seems to aggravate them the most. Students bowing and scraping before them, but then not showing progress is insulting. Their love is shown through their great effort to teach. Our devotion is shown through our great effort to learn.

Study at the institute is a great experience on every level. Along with immersion in the practice of asana (posture), there is immersion in the life and culture of India, giving opportunity to practice the other aspects of yoga as well. You are challenged to find contentment (santosha) out of your norm in a foreign experience where sensation and awareness is heightened, where obstacles of confusion and ignorance are ever present. Without being cloistered away, you must increase your tapas (energy of practice), distracted by the city with all its foreign smells, noise and activity. Most of all, surrender to every moment (Isvarapranidhanani) is key to inner peace among the outer chaos.

And through it all, the teacher watches, awaiting opportunity to cast light on your path.

I love India, and I love to study there. I choose to be immersed in the culture to experience something new and foreign and to be challenged on all levels. I look forward to each opportunity, and I look forward to sharing all I learn with my students when I return.

For more information about Pranayama Yoga Studio, visit www.yogarockford.com or call (815) 968-9642.

From the Oct. 26-Nov. 1, 2011, issue

Whether you are a competitive athlete, moderate exerciser or simply perform everyday tasks like concentrating, it is essential to supply your body with foods that provide energy and quality nutrients.

Eating the proper foods enables the body to look and feel younger, and provides the ability to repair and re-grow the cells that make up your muscle tissues, which means faster recovery from workouts.

It is essential your body is properly fueled. The benefits are experienced in basic everyday tasks, such as concentrating, playing with your kids, having energy after work to be productive and completing intense workouts.

A younger body is essentially a body that has regenerated its cells regularly and enables you to perform, act or bounce back faster than a poorly nourished body of equal biological age.

Calorie intake and calories burned does not guarantee you will be fit or able to achieve your fitness or weight control goals. Foods that are easy to digest deliver optimum energy and/or performance.

Dates provide instant energy, and your body does not have to break it down or convert it to a different form to use the energy.

Coconut oil (or coconut meat in a smoothie), is a good source of fat, but is also a medium-chain triglyceride that goes directly to your liver to deliver energy without having to be processed first. Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes to help keep you hydrated.

Dulse is also a great source of electrolytes, and is great on salads or raw soups.

Chlorella is alkaline-forming, stimulates cellular regeneration, and detoxifies. Chlorella is also helpful in clearing the lactic acid that builds up in muscles after exertion.

Maca is an energy-booster and also helps to cope with stress, balance hormones and prepare your body for the stresses of intense activity.

See the new fall Raw Food class schedule: www.myrawenergy.com.

Brenda Richter is a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, where she received her certification as a Raw Culinary Arts associate chef and instructor. She’s passionate about sharing the living foods lifestyle with others, and teaches raw culinary arts classes in the Rockford area.

From the Oct. 19-25, 2011, issue

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz

By Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz, N.D.

After puberty, your body virtually ceases to produce elastin (this is the elasticity of your skin) and the production of collagen (this is the hydration to prevent wrinkles). This reduction happens at a rate of 1 percent to 2 percent per year. Ongoing loss of these critical elements and the impact of gravity on muscles and skin contribute to the aging process.

For the past two years, I have been taking classes and educating myself on anti-aging. I started these classes to help women with mastectomy scars. I cannot believe how many of my clients have had to undergo mastectomies and how they were left butchered after surgery. I know, for if you have followed my cancer story, I had breast cancer. For three years, I felt a lump in my breast, and the mammogram never picked it up. I did all the self-examinations and felt a lump for three years. My doctor never believed me because the mammogram never saw anything. I asked for an ultrasound but was told it was not necessary. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I chose to have my breast removed but could not do the chemical therapy and radiation.

I did this therapy for my mastectomy scar, and through this therapy, it was able to soften and release my scar tissue. Micro-current therapy is painless and affordable. Not only does it work with scar tissue, but it works on your whole body. There are no dangerous, unnatural or artificial results. I wanted to take my health to a higher level internally and externally, and I feel that I have completed my circle with diet, antioxidants, lymphatic massage, oxygen therapy, colon hydrotherapy and now the micro-current therapy.

Let’s look at what micro-current does. In Chicago, this 30-minute treatment is called “lunch hour facials.” Here is what a 30-minute micro-current will do:

Reduction of fine lines, reduction of creases, reduction of wrinkles, hydrates skin, smooths skin, softens skin, tightens sagging jowls, tightens fatty cheeks, visible firming and contouring, reduction of pores, reduction of dark circles, reduction of puffiness under eyes, reduction of scars and pitting, restoration of youthful tones.

Stomach and arms (30- to 45-minute session): Body shaping and toning, tightening of loose skin, reduces stretch marks, improves muscle strength as much as 1.5-inch loss first treatment, smaller waists.

Legs and buttocks (75- to 90-minute session): Overall fat and cellulite reduction, lifting and toning buttocks, increases lymphatic drainage, no bruising, spider vein reduction.

The treatment is appropriate for any age, and results are seen with the first treatment. I invested in this wonderful micro-current machine for my scars, and I cannot believe how it has been able to help so many issues.

If I can ever help you with ugly, unwanted scars, body sculpting, stubborn cellulite that will not disappear even after working hours at the gym, or a rejuvenating facial, please call my office for your first appointment. You will love the way you will look

Dr. Julia Whipkey-Michniewicz is celebrating her 12th year cancer-free. Her office is in Rockford, and you may reach her at (815) 962-3326.

From the Oct. 19-25, 2011, issue