MIND your Health.

The mind and body are one entity, so we should maintain a balanced lifestyle for optimal health. Christopher Bergland outlines 7 methods we can keep our minds and bodies active. So, stay away from the 7 deadly sins and read up on the 7 tips to keep your mental and physical health on track here!

Juice away to mend our health day by day.

As we re-introduce colors to our wardrobe for Spring, why not introduce some color to our diets? Michelle writes about how juicing fruits and vegetables can help us restore our bodies from bad health habits caused by addiction. Juice blends are quick, inexpensive and good on the go. Check out the benefits in juicing here

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Amanda Baten on the Dr. Oz Show!

Congratulations to co-founder, Dr. Amanda Baten, for her appearance as a guest expert on the Dr. Oz Show on February 11, 2014. Dr. Amanda Baten discusses the different dieting personalities and provides great suggestions on how we can all stick to our goals and stay healthy.

                                          Click here to watch part of her
                                     guest appearance!

Go Green and Feel Serene

Fingers crossed, we are soon coming out of the heart of winter and the record temperatures that have kept us indoors. Spring is (hopefully) around the corner and we can look forward to spending more time outdoors and in nature. Medical News Today posted an article on how green areas positively affect our mental health. Follow the link to read about case studies on people who move from cities into rural areas. Although we are missing our usual green leaved trees during the winter season, investing in a potted plant for the apartment may be a healthy new addition to the aesthetics of your home.

                                                                  Image from PICHOST

Revive your Resolution!

When mid January rolls around, its hard to stick to the goals we set ourselves on the 1st. But this article might give us that motivating push we need! Food Babe lists seven Do’s and Don’ts for your New Years Resolution. To check them out click on the link below! Stick with your resolution; stay healthy!

  "Only 8% of People Keep New Year’s Resolutions – Here’s What To Do Instead"
                                                          By Food Babe
                

Relabeling Our Food

Do you find food labels obtuse?  The New York Times recently wrote an article that shared a project by UC Berkley School of Journalism where students are trying to redesign the way you process nutrition facts. Changing fonts, colors and titles, students are flipping food labels on their heads to make nutrition facts more transparent. A cool way to make nutrition easier to understand. Check out the full article here to see examples of the potential future of the back of your cereal box.

For all the latest news about The Center, keep checking our website.

Welcome Allegra Parks to The Center!

The Center of Integrative Practices would like to welcome our newest practitioner, Allegra Parks! Allegra is a state licensed psychotherapist who received Masters Degrees in both social work and early adolescent education. In her practice, Allegra focuses on helping adults and adolescents deal with trauma, health issues, anxiety, conflict and other related issues. For more information, check out Allegra Parks on The Center's website. Keep checking back with us for more updates and upcoming events!

Staying Cool this 4th of July

It may be a rainy couple of days in New York City, but the humidity and heat can make any 4th of July BBQ a little unbearable. The Mother Nature Network posted an article a couple years ago about unusual ways to stay cool and healthy during the summer. Some surprising methods they found were eating light foods, eating spicy food (spice makes you sweat without raising your body temperature!), and running cool water over your pulse points. All these great ways to stay cool and more can be seen here. The city can trap you in a dense heat often, especially if you are taking the subway or have to walk to get around town. Here are some ways to cool yourself off while stuck without air-conditioning in the city:

1) Map out the free Museums in the city. Always air conditioned, you know you can seek respite here, if only for a few minutes.

2) Use the water ways! On a breezy day, walking along the East River or Hudson is a great way to get from point A to point B and will provide you with a little relief from the dense heat you would feel walking along Lexington or Madison Ave.

3) Seek shade! Central Park is a perfect place to seek shelter in the summer with paths dotted with trees.

4) Public pools are open for the season, a sure way to cool you down on even the hottest days. For a full list of pools, click here.

5) Enjoy smoothie season to it's fullest! Here's a fun July 4th recipe.

Stay happy, stay healthy, and stay tuned for more news from The Center.

Style and Psychology: A Delicious Blend

Welcome back to The Center for Integrative Practices blog! It's been a while and we are excited to share some exciting news with you. It isn't often style and psychology are mixed, but the New York Times style section featured our very own Dr. Amanda Baten this past week! The article discusses beauty products that are created out of food and the possibility of wearing these food-scented products as a dietary technique.  If you didn't have a chance to read this article yet and see what Dr. Amanda Baten has to say on the subject, check out the online article here! For more information on The Center for Integrative Practices, follow our blog or follow us on Facebook. We'll see you back here soon!

Keep your Body Clean while Playing Outdoors

Happy daylight savings! Sunday may have not been fun if you realized too late that you lost an hour, but the prospect of more daylight should boost your spirits. Having longer days means more time to do your favorite outdoor activities like biking or running through Central Park or picking up a game of basketball after work.  The prospect of being outside more is exciting, but an article posted on FitnessMagazine.com warns that pollution may be problematic for the health of the everyday outdoor player.  But don't fret! The article suggests that exercising outside early in the morning or in the evenings reduces your exposure to air pollution. The article also suggests limiting your exposure to grass sprayed with chemicals and checking the air quality levels in your area. Keep yourself healthy this spring and check back with The Center for Integrative Practices for more information on keeping your body and mind healthy.

A Diet focused on the Heart

To celebrate the end of American Heart Month, we wanted to share with you a great article posted on the New York Times website this week. The article talks about a diet that is solely focused on keeping your heart healthy. Referred to as "The Mediterranean Diet", this diet is not a new innovative concept but rather dictated by the foods people have access to in the Mediterranean. There is now overwhelming research that shows that while the Mediterranean diet may not help with weight loss, it can help prevent high risk individuals from stroke and heart disease. The best part? Mediterranean food is delicious and accessible. It even includes red wine! To find out more, check out the full NYTimes article and keep checking in with us for more health related news.

Remember the Sun

I'm sure you have all noticed that it's been getting colder in the city! Stay healthy and remember sunnier days with some of our favorite green smoothie recipes:

Strawberry + Banana + Romaine
This recipe is a twist on the classic strawberry/ banana. Add a little romaine for extra hydration. 1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, 6-7 leaves of romaine, 2 cups water, blend.

Peach + Spinach
Sure to blast you right back to summer. 6 peaches, 2 handfuls of spinach leaves, 2 cups of water, blend.

Mango + Weeds
Sending you mentally to the tropics with a kick! 2 Mangos and 1 handful of weeds (lambsquarters, stinging nettles, purslane etc.), blend and enjoy.

Recipes from The Copperhead Resort and Spa courtesy of Dr. Amanda Baten.

Supplement your Detox

We are half way through December! Time to check up on your cleanse. You've cut out all those toxic foods Dr. Amanda Baten shared with you last week(or pondered it at least). Dr. Amanda Baten recommends some supplements to support your ongoing detox activities:

1.    A good multi vitamin. This should be taken two times a day. Rainbow Light or Natural Factors are recommended and are targeted for gender. 

2.    Distilled Essential fatty acids. At The Center for Integrative practices, we use clean professional products, but a good mainstream product for your home is Nordic Naturals.

3.    Dandelion teas. Other herbal teas such as mint and chamomile also support the detox process.

4.    Milk thistle. This has been thought to aid in repairing damage to your liver but milk thistle can also affect the metabolism of medications, including birth control pills, so be aware.           

Detox with Dr. Amanda Baten

Detox December is underway! For the next couple of weeks,  Dr. Amanda Baten will be blogging  her knowledge and advice on detoxing.

And now, our guest blogger  Dr. Amanda Baten on the first steps to detoxification:

Cleansing can happen in several ways; fasting, juicing, or eliminating foods and drinks that build up in the system.  We recommend all three, but done in steps and supported by your physician or health practitioner.

Let’s start this week with an elimination diet:

1. Avoid the following: sugar, caffeine, wheat, gluten, dairy, alcohol, drugs
2. Transform to a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables, with a significant reduction in the intake of processed foods.
3. Start the day with warm water and lemon.  Then have glass of filtered water with 1 tbsp of psyllium husks and a ½ tsp of chlorophyll.
4. Use a body brush (you can purchase this at whole foods) every morning for 10 mins.  Brush towards the trunk and up. This creates detoxification through the lymph nodes.  Remember that skin is an organ of elimination.
5. Switch to organic products.
6. Alter your animal intake. Try leaner meats that are organic, free range, and without hormones or antibiotics.
7. Reduce fish intake and avoid the big fish like tuna, large mackerel, swordfish, and shark.
8. Read labels carefully.  Avoid processed food, dyes, and chemicals.

Here are a list of foods that will promote the elimination diet and support cleansing:

1.     Beets – an excellent source of betaine, which supports detoxification in the intestines, blood, and liver. It is also a great anti-oxidant.

2.   Lemon and Orange Peels – these aid the liver in neutralizing carcinogens 

3.    Chicory, Endive, Radicchio – these greens promote discharge into the GI tract of bile,  a substance that assists in carrying away toxins. 

4.    Cruciferous Vegetables – cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts help the liver detoxify chemicals, drugs, pollutants. 

5.    Raisins – lessen the burden on the liver by stimulating the kidneys and clearing out poisons in the gut. 

6.    Oatmeal, Apples, Pears, Strawberries, Peas, and Beans – provide soluble fiber to soak up toxins in the intestines and escort them out of the body. 

7.    Asparagus, Avocados, Potatoes (boiled in their skins), Raw Spinach, Okra, Walnuts, and Chicken –  aid in the removal of fat soluble toxins. 

What are the outcomes of a detox diet? You will feel revitalized!  Expect radiance, vitality, and energy, as well as clear skin and better sleep.  Equally as important is increased immunity, better focus and concentration, decreased depression and anxiety, greater self regard by nuturing and taking care of yourself! The other benefits are combating depression, which is affected by a sluggish liver. Our body, mind, and emotions are all influenced by the foods we eat and the toxins that we take into our bodies.

Many, Many Thanks

Hey there friends of The Center! We just wanted to first thank everyone who came to the art opening and meet-and-greet last Saturday. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. The combination of the peaceful atmosphere at The Center, the good company, the beautiful art and the sample services provided by Shelley Poovey, Michael Grego and Dr. Noam Sadovnik made for a wonderful event. We had a great time, Thank you!

On the subject of thanks, this happens to be the week for it. After a long week of family and food, it's time to take a moment to relax. Life is hectic, but the holidays shouldn't have to be. Take some tips from our practitioners who shared what they like to do to relax: 

Maya Carlet stays likes to stay active through yoga, outdoor recreation and dance but also loves to cook. "Finding time to create healthy and nourishing meals is extremely important way for me to de-stress and to support my own health and wellbeing."

Dr. Jada Turco chooses exercise as her stress relief activity. "Any kind of exercise first thing in the morning, walking, yoga, going for a hike, especially in the fall."

Shelley Poovey recommends meditation. "I love to meditate. I spend at least a half an hour a day or more meditating. I have a technique for breathing into my heart that cultivates an overall sense of peace and gratitude. I use it when I run and work out as well. I find that working this way keeps my stress levels low and a positive outlook more available to me throughout the day."

Whatever happened this Thanksgiving, take a little time for yourself, and you'll be better able to appreciate your friends and family. Hope you had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! 

From Acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal medicine, craniosacral and trigger point therapy, to myofascial release and chinese therapeutic massage, Maya Carlet does it all. In her new interview featured on The Center for Integrative Practice's website, Maya shares how she treats pain, dermatological issues, stress, sleep and digestive disorders. "The body and all of it’s systems are programmed to return to a state of balance and health, and when we address the whole person we can help the body return to its natural state of health. " 

Want to learn more about Maya's work? Check out this article on the New York Times website that explains how Acupuncture can assist in relieving pain.

For more information on The Center for Integrative please visit our website or like us on Facebook. More events and updates coming soon!

Holistic Medicine with Dr. Jada Turco

Dr. Jada Turco truly epitomizes holistic medicine with her multi faceted practice. Dr. Turco combines traditional and holistic approaches while practicing psychiatry and neurology. Dr. Turco explains her practice in her new interview on The Center for Integrative Practice's website: “My focus is on nutrition, diet, nutraceuticals and the use of supplements and other complementary approaches in lieu of or combined with traditional psychotropic medications and treatments. I also offer psychotherapy which is influenced by my training in psychoanalysis, attachment theory, mind-body medicine, interpersonal neurobiology and metaphysics.” For more information and to read the full interview Visit Dr. Turco's page on The Center's website. 

Fall is Delicious

It's hard to remember that New York City is part of a state abound with farms, but it is, and fortunately all city dwellers can take advantage of it. Right now happens to be the best time of the year to do just that as the fall harvest reveals some of the healthiest and most versatile produce of the year:  beans, squash, apples, herbs, tomatoes, beets and greens. As the weather get's colder, as it inevitably does in New York, it is easy to start eating more comforting and less healthy foods. Fortunately, fall foods are so versatile, they can become your comfort food. Squash is a great example of this. Squash contains essential vitamins and minerals that maintain cellular structure to keep your bones and ligaments healthy. It also happens to be delicious baked with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and some rosemary. Take advantage of these foods while they are in season. The Center for Integrative Practices encourages everyone to find there local famers markets for the freshest produce  in New York City. There are markets all over Manhattan that you can find here.

Next week, we will be featuring our newest practitioner, Social worker and Psychotherapist Jennifer Warner. Have a happy and healthy week and stay tuned!

Make Your Week Stress Free

Relaxation is an important part of keeping your body and mind healthy. It can be hard to remember to take the time to relax, especially in the city that never sleeps. At The Center for Integrative Practices, our practitioners support a healthy amount of relaxation everyday. For some relaxation tips, we asked our practitioners what they do to unwind. Micheal  Grego said: 

'Confucius said, "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." I get the best stress relief by doing what I love, helping people with massage and other techniques that help restore them to their maximum potential. After that I enjoy being outdoors, meditation and contemplation.' 

It can be difficult to find  meditative spaces in New York City, so here are a list of five public spaces that we find relaxing in Manhattan:

1) Sheep Meadow in Central Park 

2) Bryant Park and The New York Public Library

3) Riverside Park

4) Stuyvesant Cove

5) Battery Park 

For more information on The Center for Integrative Practices, check out our website or facebook page. 

Have a stress-free week!

Interview with Michael Grego

More website updates! Michael Grego, LMT, Massage, Manual and Neuromuscular therapist at The Center for Integrative Practices talks about the versatility of his practice and what inspired him to get into integrative health in this new interview featured on The Center for Integrative Practices' website: 

"Michael’s empathy gives him a unique approach to therapy and he understands that a patient needs more than a massage to get back on their feet. His practice is two-fold: 'Traditional massage is the best choice for stress relief or to get more from your Chiropractic adjustment.  For those that have pain, structural or functional problems and want results as fast as possible, patients have the option of an Integrative Manual Therapy approach.'" Read more here

Look for more interviews from our other practitioners coming soon!