Hosted by the Endometriosis Research Center of Greater Seattle

at the Mercer Island Public Library

Thursday April 16, 6:30pm

Come learn how daily decisions about food and exercise impact endometriosis, and how to use your diet therapeutically.

This free event is open to the public—contact me to register.

Please help the women in your life who struggle with endometriosis by inviting them to this talk.

Explore how daily decisions about food and lifestyle impact endometriosis, and how to manage your symptoms through the tiny decisions that make a huge difference.

In this intriguing and important class, we will uncover:

• a holistic perspective of endometriosis
• the link between diet and nutrition
• foundations of a health-promoting anti-endo diet

Space is limited–contact me for more information and to register!

Here’s what Karen has to say:

Join us for 7 nights and days of serenity and practice at La Duna (“The Dune”) Ecological Center for Creative Renewal. La Duna is a unique place set amidst a majestic cardon cacti desert against the open blue horizon of the Sea of Cortes. It is a place to visualize positive ideas outside the routine of everyday life.

The theme and destination of our second retreat share a common name: peace. Our group will enjoy tranquil and comfortable accommodations, daily yoga and meditation practice, and healthy cuisine.

We’ll be taking a boat ride to Espiritu Santo Island to snorkel with sea lions and bask in the glorious reflection of the sun against the Sea of Cortez. We’ll ride horses through an ancient canyon, and hike through the beautiful desert landscape while learning from our naturalist proprietor, Gabriela, about the area’s local ecology.

Wow, doesn’t that sound great?! As of today (3/10), you can still find airfares on kayak.com to Cabo (SJD) for 420, a car for less than 200, and your retreat price of 1085 includes lodging, all meals, classes, and 3 excursions (or two excursions and 1 massage).

More information: http://www.phyzzyoga.com/blog/?p=320
Register: retreat@phyzzyoga.com
Questions? Call Karen at 206.214.5169

Remember, register by 5pm today and mention my name for $50 off your retreat fee… And bring back some sun!

Studies from various countries indicate that fertility problems are indeed more common in women with untreated Celiac Disease, compared to women who do not have it.

The risk of suffering other gynecological and obstetrical problems like miscarriage or preterm birth is also higher for those with Celiac Disease.
Joseph Mercola, “Why Haven’t Infertile Couples Been Told These Facts?”, 2/23/2010

Follow the link to read more about what Dr. Mercola has to say about Celiac Disease and its affects on fertility.

Take a look at some of the recent press around Health Coaches:
• Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks on CNN about the need for health coaches in America.
• ABC News reports on health coaching – what it is and how it can help you.
• Dr. Andrew Weil’s Self Healing magazine reports: “When athletes want a competitive edge, they hire a private coach to monitor their progress. When it comes to your health, using this mindset could also be beneficial. Health coaches are increasingly being hired by corporations to help employees stay healthy and by individuals seeking to improve well-being. For some, these coaches offer assistance in managing dietary constraints (due to conditions such as celiac disease or diabetes), and for others, they might focus on teaching stress-reduction methods. In some ways, the health coach picks up where your physician left off, helping you implement wellness strategies suggested after a check-up or diagnosis.” In the article, Integrative Nutrition graduate Christi Collins recommends finding a coach who has received training from a reputable program, and whose personality resonates with your own.
• CBS News reports: “Congress will miss the boat if it ends up perpetuating a system that reacts to illness rather than preventing it. Chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes wreck our quality of life and cost a fortune. In recent years, a new and intriguing concept has emerged in the prevention and treatment of chronic illness: the health coach.”
• NY Times article on coaches.

Our bodies and every thought, mood and emotion we experience are made up of what we consume – what we eat, what we drink, what we breathe — and it’s our gut which takes that information from the outside world and conveys it into something the inside can use. So what we can get from the GI tract literally makes up every cell of our body. 

In episode “G” of the ABC’s of Gluten Free podcast series, we cover gut health from a holistic perspective so you can learn to improve your digestion from the core.

In this episode we take you beyond just the food you ingest, and discuss how to enhance absorption of important vitamins and minerals, how to reduce uncomfortable symptoms of gas and bloating, and natural therapies which repair the digestive system, even if you have food sensitivities.

Want to know more?

Check out the podcast series with Tiffany Pollard, founder of Eating for Evolution, and we’ll help you out with every aspect of  living a healthy and exciting gluten free life. Here’s the link: http://community.eatingforevolution.com/articles/?ac=dg4h6rib

Oh, and if you haven’t already, sign up for my free report on the Top 10 Digestive Health Tips in the upper right hand corner of this page!

Need a good excuse to go get a massage? Not only are massages great for reducing stress, but they can also increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. When looking for a fertility masseuse, consider practitioners that have mayan abdominal massage training to enhance your chances of conception.

Mayan Abdominal Massage uses deep abdominal work to reposition the pelvic organs and treat a pro-lapsed or tilted uterus. Massaging the abdominal region can also help to break up any adhesions or blockages that may be preventing conception. Mayan abdominal massage benefits fertility in the following ways:

1. Improves egg quality by flooding the ovaries with fresh blood supply and oxygen

2. Helps to balance irregular menstrual cycles

3. Breaking down scar tissue and adhesions

4. Reducing stress

5. Improves digestion

6. Increases overall vitality and energy

7. Prepares the muscles and ligaments for childbirth

I’m impressed with how thorough the list of benefits she provides here is! Another point shes addresses in other posts is the emotional and energetic component. This kind of bodywork, especially through a self-care massage that we teach, provides a way for the woman to connect with and enhance the sexual energy of her body–helping heal painful past experiences and brighten the feeling of being safe and powerful in her sensuality. Thanks for helping spread awareness, Kathryn!

Mayan Abdominal Massage is a gentle, external and non-invasive manual therapy technique which aligns the uterus and other organs of the abdomen back into their proper positions, from whence they may have shifted from falls, injuries or trauma. With this encouragement towards correct placement, organs receive the blood flow they need to be adequately nourished by the body’s hormones and chemicals, rid themselves of their waste products through lymphatic flow, and can do their jobs unobstructed. Organs function most optimally when congestion is reduced, and metabolic processes enhanced, and physical health problems related to digestion, menstruation, etc. can be subsequently resolved. 

Most women’s pelvic health complaints, such as cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, and difficulties conceiving and giving birth, are caused by a displaced uterus. Dr. Arvigo estimates that over 90% of American women have a displaced uterus–something which can be corrected through these specific abdominal massage techniques.  Mayan Abdominal Massage as she teaches it places a strong emphasis on client “self care,” so women who receive such treatments become empowered to do a more basic version of the massage techniques on themselves each day to maintain pelvic health.

Originally from Chicago, IL, Rosita has studied traditional Belizean medicine for over 30 years, since meeting Don Elijio Panti, one of the last traditional Mayan Shaman healers, and making Belize her permanent home. Don Elijio Panti, who became her friend and mentor, taught her that the uterus was a center of a woman’s being, so if her uterus was out of place, the rest of her life would mirror that disarray. She watched him day after day treat imbalances of the body by massaging the abdomen, and she combined this knowledge with her scientific understanding of the body’s ligaments, muscles and bones, and began teaching it to others to carry on this powerful healing art. Rosita currently holds trainings in Belize and visits the United States to impart these massage techniques and herbal applications to other healthcare professionals. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to study with Rosita firsthand, and to continue mentoring with her as the profession advances, as well as incorporate this effective work into my practice with clients.

Dr. Arvigo currently runs a natural health clinic in San Ignacio, Belize, using rainforest remedies and bodywork to treat a variety of health conditions, specifically those of the female reproductive kind, and has been instrumental in providing documentation of the healing properties of native plants, endangered of being destroyed through deforestation and development, to demonstrate the importance of preserving our precious sources of medicine.  She has founded both the Ix Chel Tropical Research Foundation and the Traditional Healers’ Foundation, and has written a number of books, among them Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer and Rainforest Home Remedies: the Maya Way to Heal Your Body and Replenish Your Soul.