Detox: Spring-Cleaning from the Inside Out!

Spring is a natural time to cleanse your body of toxins. If you have any fatigue, skin issues, digestive issues or any general feeling of needing to let go, there are many means by which to support your body in ridding itself of whatever it doesn't need.

On April 18, health and nutrition coach Ryan McGrath of Blissful Living will present on the whys and hows of doing a detox or a cleanse by means of food, fresh juice and other healthy protocols.
Learn

• What cleansing is, and is not
• The benefits of cleansing for skin, mood, digestion, energy and overall health
• What's safe to do while pregnant or nursing
• How do take care of yourself during a cleanse 
• Methods of cleansing in addition to food and drink

Get clean and get healthy this spring!

Unlocking the mystery of female hormones in March

What happens to your hormones after childbirth?
And as you age?
How are thyroid and adrenal and reproductive hormones connected?
What can we do to address hormonal imbalances?

On Thursday, March 21, Dr. Cindy Durakis, DC, will cover these questions and more. On the agenda include the following topics:

·         Fertility

·         Thyroid problems

·         Adrenal stress

·         Peri-menopause & menopause

·         Sleep problems

·         Anxiety/depression

·         Painful, heavy periods, fibroids, and polycystic ovaries and how they relate to “Estrogen dominance” as well as causes, diagnosis, and effective treatments including herbs and bioidentical hormone therapy.

 

Chocolate: Vice or Nice?

February marks the kick-off of a new series in which we will explore the pros and cons of something controversial. Up first: Chocolate.

One week after Valentine's Day, join us to hear from Certified Nutritionist Alana Sugar and Janice Curtain, chapter leaders for the Weston A. Price Foundation.

We will discuss antioxidants and other potential selling points for including chocolate as part of a healthy lifestyle as well as reasons to be wary of it. We will also discuss fair trade and social justice issues.

See you February 21, 7-9 p.m. at AUMC (716 S. Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA 22204). Bring a mug for some hot cocoa!

Ringing in the New Year with fabulous meeting topics!

January 2013 marks 4 years -- four years! -- for our chapter. Happy birthday to us!

We are celebrating with a steamy topic this month: "Intimacy." 

Our friends in the Northern Virginia chapter gave us the idea, and we're excited to welcome a speaker from the Old Town Alexandria store Lotus Blooms to help us talk about strategies for keeping the spark alive, even when there are children in your bed!

We'll also discuss how to have good communication and will hear about non-toxic products and accessories for the boudoir. Please join us on January 17. While children are always welcome, you might possibly want to leave them home for this one! ;-)

And a preview of what's to come for the rest of the first half of this year:
February kicks off our Vice or Nice? Series with a presentation about the pros and cons of chocolate.

In March, we'll learn the A-Z of female hormones for the childbearing years and beyond. And if yours are out of whack, maybe our "Detox!" meeting in April will help you get your groove back.

We are looking into speakers for our May meeting on birth control options to explore what effects different mainstream methods might have on our bodies -- especially those of us with sensitivities and compromised systems -- and will also explore Natural Family Planning/Fertility Awareness.

In June, we will have an early evening potluck/family playdate and celebrate the summer solstice.

A season of gratitude

What a delightful end-of-the-year we had! Just before Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a motherblessing for Michelle and Sylvia and a belated celebration to welcome Amy's baby, who came too early for our fall motherblessing. Too early even for the midwife!

Congratulations to Sylvia on the birth of her little boy, and est wishes to Michelle as she awaits her new bundle.

Later in the month, we welcomed winter with an Advent Garden and Solstice Celebration followed a few days later by a cozy social meeting where we sipped warm beverages, caught up on each other's lives, and enjoyed a toy swap.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our group this year, our third year as a chapter. We will sorely miss co-leader Sanchia, whose family has moved out of the area. We will also miss the regular fellowship of publicity manager Lisa, who has moved further west. We thank Sanchia for her leadership and we thank Lisa for her years of public relations work.

Our chapter still enjoys four leaders, but there is always room for more, and it is the participation of members that makes our group such a wonderful resource. We hope to see you in 2013!

 

Holistic on a Budget!

Interested in eating nutritious whole foods, or using safer cleaning or personal care products, but not sure how to do it and stay within budget? Or want to discuss how can we keep our spending habits more in line with our values?  



Being healthy and green doesn't have to break the bank! Join us on November 15 as we share tips and tricks to save money. This is a member-led discussion with handouts. We expect to share lots of great ideas at our meeting to add to our resources! Feel free to bring catalogs, link lists, directories...





Topics will include (but are not limited to)

·         Food

·         Clothing

·         Babies/Kids/Toys

·         Personal and Household Cleaning Products

·         Leisure/Entertainment

·         Healthcare

·         Education

As always, this meeting is open to members and first-time visitors (with children always welcome!), 7-9 p.m, the third Thursday (November 15) at AUMC, 716 S. Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA 22204

Learning to breathe!

What a wonderful meeting we had in October! Amy Arnold of VitalSelf showed us many different ways to breathe and the benefits of different breathing exercises. It was powerful

Here are a few shots from the evening, including after-meeting parking lot nursing with one of our two newest additions! So exciting to see the mamas on the other side birth (in this case, two amazing homebirth stories!) Congrats to our new mamas, and thanks to Amy Arnold for a wonderful meeting!