Educated Consumers Make Smarter Choices!

Nutrition & Cooking Classes

Viewing: Food Inc. Documentary

"Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food Inc. reveals surprising - and often shocking truths - about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation."  Taken from DVD back cover.

Prime Your Pantry

Learn how to set up your eating for success with a weekly shopping list and meal planner. By optimizing leftovers, you will save money and time! Learn what constitutes a carbohydrate, protein and a fat and how to get the right ratios of each in every meal and snack. Purge unhealthy foods from your pantry and replace them with all natural alternatives and learn the basic principals of food combining in order to optimize digestion. Recipe demos include two healthy snacks and two dinner dishes that can be versatile next day lunches.

Cooking Great Grains

We are told to increase our intake of whole grains, but we are not told how to prepare them for optimal digestion. Learn the basics of cooking most grains to avoid gastrointestinal distress, increase mineral availability, and even speed up cooking time!

Super Tonics

Before the world of carbonated high-fructose beverages, there were tonics. Refreshing, extremely hydrating, and full of minerals your body can access quickly. But that is not all; tonics prepared with whey, are lacto-fermented and possess fantastic digestion benefits! Come learn how to make them and integrate them into your health regimen.

Easy Dips and Dressings: Optimizing Healthy Fat

When it comes to fat, much can be said about cutting out the "bad" kind. But just as importantly is consuming adequate amounts of the "good kind"! Did you know that more than half of your brain is made of fat and that vitamins A, D E and K can only get into your cells if they are transported by fat? Fat will make your food more satisfying in both terms of satiety and flavor. In this class we'll discuss the benefits of pastured butter, coconut oil and show you how to make vegetables and salads healthy and delicious.

Stock

If you have heard us talk about increasing your hydration, you must know that regularly consuming bone stocks (broths) is one of the best ways to get electrolytes. Once you learn about this and many other benefits of broth it is no wonder that traditional wisdom says to eat soup when you are feeling sick: Stock-based soups has been proven to help treat colds, asthma, infection, blood sugar imbalances, and even cancer. Both soups and grains should be cooked with this important and delicious super food!

Delightful, Delicious, Digestible Dairy!

Learn why raw dairy is so good for you, and how you can't deny the health benefits of eating full-fat, pastured whipped cream! Because milk protein (casein) can be difficult to digest, culturing or fermenting dairy helps increase enzymes activity, promote optimal absorption, and increase its levels of vitamin B and C! Regularly consuming cultured dairy has been proven to lower cholesterol, protect against bone loss as well as promote a healthy digestive tract, and did we mention it is delicious? In this class you will learn how to make your own cream cheese, goat cheese, butter and ice cream. Be aware, you will never want skim milk again!

Cleanse Class

There are many types of cleanses. Whether you simply want to give your body a break and a boost from last nights heavy meal or you want to do a total body re-booting detox, come find out all about the body's many cleansing systems and what cleanse is right for you at any given time.

Mastering Marinades

Marinades, containing acid and enzymes, begin breaking down and tenderizing animal protein, which means less work for your system, and more flavor for your palate. Come learn the basic principals of marinating, and a few yummy sauces to take your meat dishes to the next level!

Healthy Snacks and Desserts

Celebrating with food is as sure as death and taxes. What is a celebration without a treat? What is a party with out a platter? That said, there is no reason delicious desserts need to be something that takes away from your health and vitality, not when healthy foods can taste this good! Come learn the principals that make a snack or dessert a healthy choice, and take away some delicious recipes that will make you want to celebrate your birthday tonight!

Routine of Healthy Eating

By now you have figured out that eating healthy requires planning and preparation ahead of time. Somehow that meat in your freezer needs to be defrosted, marinated for several hours before it is cooked, those grains need soaking for 7-24 hours before simmered in stock...(oh yea, and you have to make stock!) all to be ready by dinner tonight at 7:00. This class is designed to give you the tools to ensure the healthy meals roll out of your kitchen with ease.

Understanding Your Marvelous Body

The GI-Tract: Your Second Brain

Health begins and ends in the GI tract. Understanding how to properly care for this system is paramount to your overall health. In this session we will discuss the process of digestion, how to read the signals your gut sends you as well as what things stand in the way of optimal function of this intricate disassembly line.

Glands, Hormones, and Blood Sugar

The Endocrine System is a complex symphony of master musicians (glands) that each produces their own masterpieces (hormones). Hormones affect every aspect of your life from things like mood, stress, sleep and depression, to metabolic rate, sex drive, energy, hunger, cravings, and even your blood pressure and temperature. In this session you will not only learn about the glycemic index of foods and how stable blood sugar will protect your health for decades to come, but we will also discuss a whole host of factors that can disrupt your glands and cause them to malfunction.

The Nervous System, Stress, and Sleep

The nervous system is the main way the brain extends its control over the rest of the body. If the nervous system is overloaded with multiple stresses, the ability of the brain to combat the disease process is severely limited. Stress comes in many forms, and nothing ages you faster than stress! In this session we will discuss various forms of stress, such as chemical, structural, environmental, emotional and others, and we'll discuss ways you can reduce stress, or if nothing else, reduce the effects it has on your body. We'll also spend some time discussing tips for better sleep.

The Mind: The Most Powerful Agent of Healing

Henry Ford said, "If you think you can or you think you can't either way you are right". Since the brain is located inside the body, to think that it has no bearing on our health is naive. In fact, the thoughts we think have everything to do with the health you will or will not enjoy. The brain, just like any part of our body, gets into cycles. If these cycles are healthy, good health follows. If they are not, it is only by breaking them that vibrant health can be found. In this fascinating session, we will not only examine compelling science that shows how powerfully connected our health is to our hopes and beliefs, but we will also discuss the science of addiction, and how we can actually unknowingly become addicted to our own negative thoughts. Since such addictions are destructive we will also discuss practical ways to take negative thoughts captive so they do not become detractors of our health.

Muscle and Movement: Exercising Smarter for Life

Nothing keeps you looking and feeling younger than exercising properly on a well-nourished body. NOTHING! Still, exercising harder without exercising smarter will just leave you hurting. This session is divided into two parts. First, we will cover some of the most compelling reasons why your body needs you to exercise. Second, we will look practically at how to exercise, from form and intensity, to how long, how often, and what types of exercise are appropriate. By looking at exercise through the lens of a lifestyle commitment, we will examine ways to keep it full of variety and fun, while progressing toward a goal and retaining ability as you age. We will also discuss how to cycle through important phases of training to help avoid injury and plateaus.

A World of Healthcare Options

Health Economics: Systems, Mindsets and Savvy Consumers

Prevention and health recovery both start with coming to understand the situation of life you are in, and then developing an appropriate mindset and strategy for your situation. Health Economics is designed to look at the things most Americans are oblivious to that affect our health everyday - the mindset and systems we were born into. In the process of discovering this we begin to uncover some of the deepest seeded roots of illness-roots that go well beyond genetics, poor diet, and lack of exercise. In this session you will see what are likely the biggest factors affecting your health and you will learn more about the ways in which your mind and money are fought for on a daily basis. Understanding the economy of health will keep you from getting lost in the particulars of everyday health choices. If you want to know how to think for yourself, this session is not to be missed.

Viewing: FOODMATTERS  Documentary

"FOODMATTERS is a hard hitting, fast paced look at our current state of health. Despite the billions of dollars of funding and research into new so-called cures we continue to suffer from a raft of chronic ills and every day maladies. Patching up an over-toxic and over-indulgent population with a host of toxic therapies and nutrient-sparse foods is definitely not helping the situation.
Join the world's leading authorities on nutrition and natural healing as they uncover the true cause of disease. Find out what works, what doesn't, and what's killing you. Becoming informed about the choices you have for you and your family's health could save your life. FOODMATTERS sets about uncovering the trillion dollar 'Sickness Industry', and exposes a growing body of scientific evidence proving that nutritional therapy can be more effective, more economical, less harmful and less invasive than most conventional medical treatments."  Taken from DVD back cover.

The Roots of Illness

There is something distinctly different about the health of Western nations vs. the rest of the world. Why do we suffer such high rates of chronic illness and disease compared to other nations? In this class we will discover how we are set up for poor health from the womb to the grave, and begin to point the way to what we can do to overcome it all and enjoy vitality. This may be one of the most eye-opening hours of your life.

Healthcare: Finding the Right Help When I Need it Most

There are a myriad of ways you can approach a health challenge, but everyone is limited to the options they are aware of. The purpose of this hour is to broaden our awareness of the many healthcare options we do have - from allopathic to naturopathic to osteopathic to chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, rolfing, hydrotherapy and more. In this class we will not only look at these options we will discuss how our current healthcare system became what it is. We'll discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and let you decide for yourself what is best for you. Perhaps the most important take home of this is the all-important difference between treatment illness and helping the body heal.

Services Intro: Self-Defense, MAT, Personal Training, & Pilates

Self-Defense

You never want to have to defend yourself from an attacker, but should you ever need to, this knowledge could save your life. Come learn some simple self-defense strategies from our ultra-talented martial artist Ty Dewees.

MAT: Muscle Activation Techniques

MAT looks at muscle tightness as a form of protection in the body. Weak or inhibited muscles can create the need for other muscles to tighten up in order to help stabilize the joints. Come learn from Jeremy Rucker how MAT works and see a demonstration of how it can get at the root of pain or injury by addressing muscle weakness rather than muscle tightness. In this session you'll learn how restoring normal body alignment can decrease pain and reduce the risk of injury.

Personal Training

If you've ever wondered if Personal Training is for you, here is your chance to find out. Come see a presentation of what a trainer can do for you and bring your toughest fitness questions.

Pilates

What is Pilates? How is it different from other forms of exercise? Who can benefit from Pilates? Can you really exercise on that medieval tortured looking device in your studio? Am I someone who could do Pilates? All of these and more will be answered in this introduction to this fascinating discipline?