Celebrating the Solstice with a Potluck Social - June 20

After a winter and spring of inspiring presentations, in June we'll get to connect and play in at a potluck social.

If you've been looking to chat with other holistic parents and get your kids outside and enjoying some healthy food, this is the place to be on June 20, the night before the summer solstice.

Bring the whole family and a dish or snack to share, labeled with ingredients.

Please note the earlier time and special location of this June 20 meeting:  

5:00-8:00 p.m. at  

Fort Scott Park 

2800 S. Fort Scott Dr.

Arlington, VA 22202

This lovely park is tucked away on a hill just off the beaten path near Arlington Ridge Road and 23rd Street (close to Crystal City and Arlandria). The site has a pavilion, restrooms, ball field and playground with swings, climbing equipment and a sandbox.

Fertility and Birth Control: Options in a Holistic Framework

How does our overall health affect our ability to conceive? And how does contraception fit into our overall picture of health?

Join us on May 16 when our speakers Shep Saltzman,R.N. of Vienna Complementary Medicine and Vital Mind/Body Therapies, and Katy Vega, N.D. and midwife-in-training will put fertility in a holistic framework.

Our speakers will explain the complex interactions of the endocrine system including thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, pancreas and address how these glands work and are affected by hormonal contraception like the Pill and the patch. They will also discuss how digestion, allergies and overall immune system function can affect fertility.

How can you read your body's cues for family planning? A discussion of the basics of Fertility Awareness will explain how to read your body's cues -- and how to address your lifestyle and environment -- to control your fertility.

We also plan to have information to share about other birth control methods and their effects on the body beyond fertility.

 

7:00-9:00 p.m. 716 S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA

Please arrive on time so that we can be sure to hear everything both speakers have to say!

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!