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!

National Massage Therapy Week!

Massage lovers and newbies alike are invited to celebrate National Massage Therapy Week with The Center for Integrative Practices! Find out the many therapeutic benefits of massage and manual therapy with our in-house massage therapist, Michael Grego. This week (October 22-25) we will be offering $20 off a massage or manual therapy with Michael Grego to celebrate.

                                             Photo Courtesy of ABMP

Check out The Center's Website for more information and to make an appointment today!

It's All in the Eyes

The New York Times recently featured a quiz to test how well people can read ... people! Check out this article and take the quiz to see if you can read emotions or if you need a few lessons from the pros. The New York Times also posted an article that features studies saying that reading certain types of fiction can improve your emotion-reading IQ.

For more health and psychology news and the latest on The Center, keep checking back here!

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.

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!

Mindfulness Can Lead to Happiness

This past January, mindfulness expert Andy Puddicome gave a great TED talk about the importance of being mindful and present. This video gives an overview of his methods and the importance of meditating for 10 minutes a day in order to take care of your brain. Meditation, according to Andy, can be any activity that allows you to focus your brain so that you are not juggling your thoughts but are focused on the present moment. Whether you achieve this through deep breathing excercizes, physical exercise, or any one of our meditative services at The Center is up to you. Take the time to reward your brain for it's hard work and watch Andy's video (it's worth the effort!)

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.

The Benefits of Chinese Herbal Medicine

You could say that Chinese herbal medicine is a time-tested technique. It has been around for thousands of years, and this form of therapy doesn't seem to be going out of style any time soon. In fact, this ancient remedy seems to be getting more and more popular as research continues to find applications for it. Maya Carlet who practices Chinese herbal medicine at The Center for Integrative Practices has shared this article on the benefits of the traditional therapy on dermatological conditions. Other applications include treating stress, physical pain, sleep disorders and helping with digestion. Check out The Center for more information regarding therapy and integrative treatment methods.

Dr. Amanda Baten's Top Juice Cravings

With so many fruits and vegetables to choose form,  it can be hard to decide what the best juice recipes are. To help you on your way to finding your personal favorite juice, we've asked Dr. Amanda Baten to share her favorite juice recipes. She has shared recipes that will not only make your mouth happy, but that will also relax you, settle your stomach and refresh you after a long day of work. Enjoy these amazing formulas:

Relaxation Juice = 4 carrots + 1/2 cucumber. Wash, cut into sections, juice. Relaxation made simple.

Stomach Soother = 5 1/2 heads of cabbage + 1 beet (with leaves) + 2 kiwis. Wash, cut into sections, juice.

Renewal Juice = 8 large carrots + 1/2 beet + 1/2 turnip + 1/2 parsnip + 5 celery stalks + 1/4 rutabaga + 1/8 head red cabbage + 5 radishes + 1 apple. Peel, wash, cut into sections, juice.

We hope these recipes have piqued your interest. Stay tuned for more updates from The Center!

Personalize your Juice!

It's the start of a new year! There are so many new years resolutions to uphold, and here at The Center, we hope to help keep you healthy in your body, mind and spirit. A fun way to do that? JUICE! The juice cleanse has become a popular part of the detox process, but along with detoxifying your systems, juice can provide you with many health benefits if incorporated into your daily diet.  To help you on your way to feeling great, try this website that let's you choose the ingredients that you love (or the ones you happen to have in the refrigerator at the moment) and concocts a juicy creation complete with detailed recipes, nutrition facts and information about each juices health benefits. Dr. Amanda Baten will be sharing her favorite juice recipes soon so stay tuned!

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.           

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! 

Art Opening at The Center!

You've gotten to know what The Center is all about, now it's time to see it in action! This coming Saturday, November 17th, The Center will be hosting and art opening featuring the artwork of Ben Hotchkiss and Roger Ricco. The Center's practitioners will be there offering sample services. Wine will be served. Sound like a great way to spend you Saturday afternoon? It is. Please RSVP to our facebook event or by respond to our evite. We hope to see you there!

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. 

Shelley Poovey talks BodyTalk

More Website Updates! This week, The Center for Integrative Practices has a new interview with Shelley Poovey who practices The Pilates Method of Conditioning and The BodyTalk System at The Center . What is BodyTalk you ask? Shelley says "We can use the basic techniques of focus, intention, breathing, and movement or light touch to restore balance. Pilates does this through a focused method of body conditioning, and BodyTalk does this by allowing me to be guided to the area in need of attention and then applying the appropriate BodyTalk technique. Both are very effective, very gentle, completely non-invasive, and not contraindicated with any other treatments." Shelley has shared this helpful link to The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Healthcare where you can learn more about BodyTalk and the future of alternative medicine. Keep checking our facebook page and our website. for more updates and upcoming events!

The Center welcomes Jennifer Warner

A warm welcome to our newest practitioner,  clinical social worker and psychotherapist Jennifer Warner! Jennifer has a unique approach to health and wellness that fits with the center's mission. Jennifer explains, “My approach is insight-oriented, practical, and holistic: assist clients to heal both their minds and bodies through the understanding of the impact of life experience on behavior, and building the skills to effect real change in their own physical, nutritional, and mental health.” For more information on Jennifer Warner, check out her new page on The Center's website and her full interview here.