“Simply Music,” an integrative and revolutionary Australian-developed piano and keyboard method that offers a breakthrough in music education, is now available in the Reno and Truckee communities.  This program has students of all ages playing a variety of musical styles, with a curriculum of contemporary, jazz, classical and accompaniment songs, learning 30-50 songs their first year.  Play great-sounding music from day one!  For more info and a FREE INTRODUCTORY SESSION, go to www.tahoepianolessons.com or call (530) 414-4464.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a way of learning to become aware of whatever is happening in this moment.  By developing this skill it is possible to begin to take charge of one’s own life by simply noticing what is happening in the mind and body while it is happening. equilibrium-mbsr offers an eight week program that will help integrate the qualities of mindfulness into your day-to-day life.  Allowing you to experience deeper feelings of connectedness and happiness.  Find out more about mindfulness or our free introductory class visit our website or give us a call today. equilibrium-mbsr  775-322-8181

www.equilibrium-mbsr.com

Attention: Massage Therapists, Spas, & Healing Centers

Touch, smell, and feel first. No more ordering on-line.

Mandala Massage Supply & Apothecary offers massage supplies and specializes in carrying natural bulk products for crafting massage oils, aromatherapy blends, soaps, lotions, and natural medicines. Mandala can help you customize your own blends to help make your practice complete, give your clients fresh, pure, healing products and aromatherapy scents.  Prices are lower or comparable to online without the shipping. Local business support is always a plus for the community. Free consultation with a professional aromatherapist and herbalist. Mandala Massage Supply & Apothecary 775-322-3252

The Nevada Women’s Expo celebrates its 10th anniversary on

March 31-April 1

at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.  One of the many features for this year’s event will be the the EXPO-nential Woman Awards program, recognizing women who have made positive contributions in our communities.

Nominations are open through February 15, 2012, and anyone may submit a nomination. Nominees and their nominators will be recognized on the Expo website, at the Expo, be eligible for a $100 shop the show drawing and also will be eligible for show prizes.

Details for nominations available at:

http://www.facebook.com/NevadaWomensExpo (Expo-Nential tab) http://www.NevadaWomensExpo.com

Organic Farming Expert Eliot Coleman

Bestselling author, researcher and farmer Eliot Coleman presents two days of workshops for the Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute.  “Four Season Farming” meets Saturday, Feb. 11, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., at Reno High School Theater, Cost is $75 by January 27, and $85 afterward. Lunch is included.

Sunday, Feb. 12, at Rail City Garden Center, 1720 Brierley Way, Sparks. Session 1 is 10:30 a.m.-noon, and Session 2 is 1:30-3:00 p.m. Cost per session is $45 before January 27 and $50 afterwards.

Registration is required as enrollment is limited.   Ann Louhela -775-351-2551 or louhelaa@wnc.edu.

Nevada Humane Society Launches New G.I. Dogs Program

Transforming Abandoned Animals into Service Dogs and

Pets for Veterans

Thousands of Nevada’s military personnel are returning home confronted with reintegration into civilian life at a time when our country and especially our state is facing tough economic challenges. On top of that, many of these men and women also face the burden of physical and psychological disabilities.

It has been shown that pets help decrease signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression, even decreasing the amount of medication used to control such conditions as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Science is confirming what animal lovers knew all along—people with pets live healthier, happier lives.

Nevada Humane Society’s G.I. DOGS program was the brainchild of Mitch Schneider, a veteran, experienced dog trainer, and former manager of Washoe County Regional Animal Services. It will provide both service dogs and companion pets for Nevada’s military veterans at no cost to the veteran. The most suitable animals will be selected for this program from the thousands of animals that are abandoned each year. Service dog requests will be made through appropriate veteran services organizations and these dogs will be trained to perform specific tasks that meet the needs of the individual veteran. Companion pets are completely free to all military veterans as well as the immediate families of active duty and fallen military personnel.

All pets are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped and vaccinated; veterans will also receive free pet food and a starter kit of supplies. Veterans requesting a companion dog will be assisted in the selection of their dogs through an experienced dog trainer.

Pets help people weather stressful experiences, including loss and loneliness. This program will take these benefits to a new level—transforming abandoned animals into service dogs and pets for the benefit of our veterans. It saves the lives of homeless pets and gives veterans a chance to lead happier, healthier lives.

For more information on the G.I. DOGS program, call at 775-856-2000.

When I was asked to take over Lois Ehlers’ culinary column in this wonderful health magazine, I felt I couldn’t do so without writing a transition tribute to Lois, who was one of the most active, energetic, creative, and compassionate women I have ever known. She was my mentor in many ways, especially in the kitchen. She also happened to be the “matriarch” of our large family after our mother passed away, and most of all, my beloved eldest sister.

The mother we shared, with our eight brothers and two sisters, was famous in our rural area for “making something out of nothing” when unexpected company arrived at meal- time. Most people looking in her cupboards would think she was some sort of magician; as there were no “pre-fab” meals there, but rather a copious amount of “staples.” That dying art of real home cooking was passed on to Lois, and thankfully, to me. Over the past decade, I have seen a resurrection in appreciation for meals that please the palette and satisfy the soul, even if they do take more time in the kitchen. In fact, many start right in the home organic garden, as mine do.

Lois was passionate about “homemaking” in general, and about cooking and baking in particular. I remember many times during my high school years, while staying with Lois’ family, she would devise some new recipe, either by accident or design, and experiment with it until it became a delight!

My sister Lois knew there was much more to turning out a delicious, nutritious meal than just the mechanics of it. She knew that the most important “secret ingredients” in any recipe or meal were love and generosity. Sharing her culinary creations with family and friends gave Lois immense satisfaction, and those who shared her table some of their most memorable meals.

Thank you, Lois, for having been a “staple” in my life…and in my kitchen.

Kate Maxon

Lois Maxon Ehlers waltzed into this world at the end of a long prairie winter, on March 29, 1932, the fourth child of twelve, and the first daughter, of L.E. (Lornie) and Mary (Ament) Maxon.

She continued her dance of life with spontaneity, energy and creativity. From a young age she learned to sew her own clothes, which was a great help to her big ranching family during the Depression. Her tireless energy helped her mother “mother” her eight younger siblings…and sometimes her older ones too! She kept everyone entertained with her own cowboy answer to Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn with her characters, “Buckwater Pete and Farley Blue.”

While teaching Home Economics and Physical Education in Wakpala, S.D., Lois met and married Lt. O. Kirk Ehlers, a graduate of West Point, De- cember 28, 1955. Together they raised six children while being stationed in Germany and different parts of the U.S.

Before moving to Spearfish, Lois taught in the high school at McIntosh, SD, and also worked for Social Services in Timber Lake, SD. She left her job in Timber Lake to care for her mother in McLaughlin, SD. After her mother passed away, Lois made her home in Spearfish, SD, where she married Richard (Dick) Titus in 2002.

For the last six or seven years, up to the spring before her hospitalization, Lois was enrolled in the Grandparents Program at Spearfish Coop- erative Preschool where she read to the children, made scrapbooks and sewed animal costumes for them.

Lois was truly her father’s daughter, making friends out of strangers everywhere she went, throughout her entire life; she carried in her heart her mother’s faith and kindness as well, making her one of the most memorable of women.

RE-ENERGIZE yourself this year with natural scents in FRESH, LUSH perfumes, bath salts, & moisturizing oils. Reno’s new natural product apothecary and massage supply store. We carry all the basics for therapists and spas along with pure bulk ingredients for cosmetic crafting, vibrant essential and exotic oils, and introducing the generously endowed with therapeutic aromas, Temple of Life spa products to be enjoyed by everyone. Come sit at our Aroma Bar, smell yummy oil blends, and create fresh, customized gifts for pampering yourself or others. We provide an experienced staff and a peaceful place with ambiance to get inspired.

NEW LENDING LIBRARY POLICY: STARTING JANUARY 2012 PLEASE HELP! - For five years now, we resisted applying fines for overdue items, but we have lost close to $5K in books, DVDs, and CDs from our lending library! We have many items that have been overdue for months, even years. Therefore, we updated our library policy to include a three day grace period for overdue items, and on the 4th day, a fine of $.25 per item/per day will be applied. Please return/renew all overdue items before January 1st, 2012. Thanks! For more info, call 530-550-8981 or email info@goodnesssake.org.

BLOSSOM INSTITUTE

Are you struggling towards your future or powerfully guiding yourself? Are you ready for a profound life transformation? New groundbreaking program offers an in-depth and comprehensive template towards self-mastery as you become a certified Holistic Health Practitioner. Free introductions to Holistic Health Degree Program Dec 29th & Jan 5th  6:30 – 8pm, Blossom Institute.

BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2012, ALPENGLOW SPORTS CHALLENGES THE TAHOE BACKCOUNTRY COMMUNITY TO A CUMULATIVE GOAL OF 15 MILLION VERTICAL FEET OF UPHILL TRAVEL. This is the region’s first ever free, community–wide fundraising initiative, benefitting the Sierra Avalanche Center. The ultimate payoff: $3,000 donation to the Sierra Avalanche Center, given by Alpenglow Sports.

The event continues to April 30, 2012, and data will be recorded at www.tahoevertical.com. Podium prizes will be awarded for the top three men and women, and best camera edit pertaining to the event. Any skier/rider who registers data is also eligible for a bimonthly raffle! For more info, go to www.alpenglowsports.com.

The annual Lake Tahoe Women’s Wellness Weekend will be hosted by Granlibakken at the Granlibakken Conference Center & Lodge in Tahoe City, November 12-13. The event fuses Eastern tradition with Western practices to offer a balanced weekend of information, inspiration, activities, food & wine. Registration is only $99. For information, call (530) 583-4242 or call 1 (800) 543-3221 to register

Nutritional Zeal for Life

Zeal for Life is an All-In-One natural nutritional drink.  A synergistic blend of whole food concentrates providing an excellent source of nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins.  Zeal targets the 7 major health challenges: Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Weight Gain, Body Discomfort, Low Energy and Poor Immune System.  Contact John for a Free issue of “The Doctor’s Report” (775) 232-6767

The Business of Farming

Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute offers a QuickBooks workshop to help small farm owners learn accounting fundamentals. Workshop led by Marie Gibson, Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisor, university instructor, and member of Intuit’s National Speaker/Writer Network. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 7-8, 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., at WNC Fallon campus, 160 Campus Way in Fallon, NV. For information/registration, contact Ann Louhela at 775-351-2551 or louhelaa@wnc.edu

Message from the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe
Many people have been forced to give up their pets due to the slowing economy.  The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe wants to help ensure people can keep their animals and that all pets are healthy and well fed. If it is financially difficult for you, or someone you know, to feed their pet the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe can assist with your pet’s nutritional needs. Give them a call at (530) 587-5948 or (530) 581-3199 to learn how to obtain free pet food.

REIKI AND CHRONIC PAIN

Many clients comment that Reiki does reduce or remove the intensity of pain.  Reiki also balances your body energies, induces relaxation, reduces stress, removes energy blockages, and aids in detoxifying the body.  An ancient Japanese method.  A spiritually guided life force energy that promotes healing. Betty Franklin, Reiki Master, Deeksha/Oneness Blessing Giver, Ear Candling, Tarot & Angel Card readings. Carson Valley, Reno, Lake Tahoe Regions (775) 790-0767

During her experience in TV, Radio and Newspaper, Ffjorren fine-tuned her writing and editing skills. She also worked closely with corporate marketing teams, developing pitches, slogans and overall advertising campaigns for T-Mobile and CBS radio.

She began writing free-lance articles for HB magazine in May, 2007. Ffjorren is excited to take on the role of Editor and is looking forward to providing professional, effective and ethical standards when addressing the content of Healthy Beginnings Magazine.

Ffjorren currently resides near the San Francisco Bay Area. She and her four children visit Reno and its surrounding areas as often as their schedule allows. She enjoys a plethora of outdoor activities including running, hiking and skiing. She is also heavily involved in her
local theatre and music community.

This summer, she will instruct three youth drama camps. She will perform in “A Streetcar Named Desire” as Stella, this coming fall.
Her children also keep her busy. Ffjorren’s three-year-old twins are involved in tennis and swimming. Her 12-year-old daughter plays basketball and soccer. She is currently writing her first book. Her two-year-old son loves the water and is looking forward to soccer this fall. He recently perfected his “Cookie Monster” voice.

We all have busy lives and the world around us adds to the pressure and speed of our daily routine. It is comforting to know that “local” still exists. Healthy Beginnings Magazine offers intelligent, well-researched and inspiring information. Our readers anticipate articles that are global-forward, yet offer solutions at the local level. While keeping her eye on the future, Ffjorren is happy to continue that tradition.

Your editorial comments are always welcome. E-mail Ffjorren at editor@hbmag.com.

To find your nearest e-waste collection site, check out the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s web site, http://ndep.nv.gov. Use their Programs drop-down menu and select “e-waste”. You can also call the Northern Nevada contact, Chet Sergent, 775-687-9466 or in Southern Nevada, Kathryn Fergus, 775-486-2850 ext. 251.

Written by Mike Adams |

MASSIVE MEDICAL FRAUD EXPOSED

Here’s a must-read article for anyone interested in learning how the pharmaceutical industry really operates. It’s a case of aggressive marketing gone bad, with a mixture of corrupt physicians, underhanded payola and a near-total disregard for patient health. And yet it’s business as usual in the pharmaceutical industry: drug maker Schering-Plough, one of the largest drug companies in the world, has been outright bribing physicians to prescribe drugs and operate sham clinical trials.

Here’s how it would work: doctors who prescribed the drug company’s products and avoided competing drugs were paid “consulting fees” of tens of thousands of dollars. And what kind of consulting did these doctors do? The kind of consulting that requires nothing more than signing a blank sheet of paper and cashing the check, of course. And thousands of doctors participated in this criminal scam, collecting untold sums of money in exchange for hyping Schering-Plough’s pharmaceuticals to patients. (Medical ethics, anyone?)

Doctors were paid even more money to conduct fraudulent clinical trials that would require patients to take the drugs for twelve months at a time, which of course rang up even more drug profits for the manufacturer and resulted in more kickbacks to the doctors. That’s right, they’re literally playing doctor with your life while pocketing the drug money.

If all this sounds outrageous, think again. This is precisely the kind of criminal activity that now typifies the pharmaceutical industry and organized medicine in general. These companies will do anything to make a buck, including outright bribing doctors with lavish meals, free gifts and even trips to Hawaii and other exotic destinations, all under the guise of “continuing medical education” (CME) courses. It’s all a scam, and the vast majority of physicians just go right along with it, pocketing the benefits and dosing up their patients with whatever drug they’ve been told to prescribe.

Prescription drugs are so profitable – some drugs are now sold at more than 500,000 percent markup over the actual cost of their raw ingredients – that drug companies will do practically anything to sell more pills. They invent fictitious diseases and urge doctors and parents to dose their children with powerful narcotics. They conduct fraudulent clinical trials, making sure to bury any negative results that would show how dangerous their drugs really are. They buy the favor of the media by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into magazine, television, newspaper and online advertising. They pressure the FDA into delaying the ban on extremely dangerous drugs in order to squeeze out another twelve months of profits even while patients are dying from drug-induced liver failure.

And the scam works: drug profits are up. Way up. Meanwhile, the American people are sicker than ever. Drugs aren’t helping the population at large, all they’re doing is turning the United States into a nation of chemical zombies who suffer from the extremely toxic side effects of taking dozens of prescriptions in combination.

It’s the greatest con in American history. It’s the racket of the millennium. The drug companies are running the show, cutting off drugs from Canada, monopolizing the U.S. market, running the FDA, bribing doctors and killing patients all the while. Even based on statistics from conventional medicine, prescription drugs are right now killing 100,000 Americans each year and injuring another two million. And that doesn’t count the tens of thousands of additional deaths caused by NSAIDs and over-the-counter

painkillers.

It’s not an exaggeration to call this a medical holocaust. These drug companies seem determined to dose the entire population with as many simultaneous prescriptions as possible, as long as it generates profits for their shareholders. Business ethics are nowhere to be found in the pharmaceutical industry these days: it’s all about money, profits, power and control.

And the funny part about all this is that these drugs are almost entirely unnecessary. There’s not a single chronic disease that’s actually cured or reversed from any prescription drug in existence. All these drugs do is treat symptoms and barely keep the patients alive long enough to write another check to cover their growing medical debt. Chemotherapy is a sham and has absolutely no scientific merit whatsoever. (Yes, it shrinks tumors, but it adds nothing to a patient’s lifespan.) Statin drugs are a con, and yet they’re being over-prescribed for all sorts of chronic disorders that actually need to be treated with nutrition and exercise, not drugs. And over-the-counter drugs are both extremely dangerous and highly ineffective. NSAIDs kill some 40,000 patients each year from intestinal bleeding – and yet offer no real benefit to patients that couldn’t be achieved from simple changes in diet and exercise.

The FDA, meanwhile, watches all this and focuses its own efforts on discrediting herbal supplements like ephedra. The agency seems determined to outlaw or regulate all nutritional supplements, thereby making vitamins illegal and practically guaranteeing another decade of outrageous profits for drug companies. It’s no surprise: most FDA employees used to work for drug companies (or plan to in the near future). Many FDA employees maintain strong financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. They’re simply out to crush the natural health industry and thereby boost their own personal profits from pharmaceuticals.

Modern medicine is in shambles, folks. It’s a train wreck. We’re sicker, fatter and more depressed than ever. And the really good advice that people need isn’t reaching them. Good health is really simple, as it turns out. Get lots of natural sunlight on your skin daily. Eat super foods like chlorella and spirulina. Avoid all refined carbohydrates and processed foods. Ban soft drinks from your life. Never touch cigarettes. Pick up strength training, yoga, Pilates, cycling, jogging or some other physical exercise activity. And breathe, people. Breathe consciously. Your body needs oxygen. Learn how to put yourself in control of your own health.

In a way, the massive fraud now being exposed in Western medicine is a blessing in disguise. Big Medicine has gone so far over the top with aggressive marketing and downright evil (if not criminal) tactics that the whole profiteering orgy is going to come crashing down on them. Big Medicine will soon be history – remembered as just a moment of insanity in the history of modern civilization. Some day, people will say, “Do you remember when the whole country was dosed up on chemicals?” They’ll shudder with the thought of it – how we were all duped by the drug companies, by our family doctors, and by the Bush Administration’s complicity in the whole scheme. They’ll ask, “How could an entire country go mad like this?”

Reprinted from www.naturalnews.com

How To Get Rid of

Unwanted Direct Mail at Home and at The Office

Is your mailbox cluttered with junk mail? Have you ever asked yourself how some of these companies even got your mailing address to begin with?

Every time you provide your name and address when buying a product you’re signing up to receive direct mail pieces. This occurs when you buy a car or a house, use a shopping card, sign up for a credit card, subscribe to a magazine, buy something from a catalog, give money to a charity, or fill out a product registration form. Once signed up, your name is put into a database for that company. Often companies will

rent out their database lists to other businesses for direct marketing.

There is a way to cut back the amount of direct mail you receive. By contacting the Direct Marketing Association you can register to have your name removed via the Mail Preference Service. This will take your name off most major catalog list rentals. You can register online or by mail. The Direct Marketing Association also allows you to pick and choose what direct mail pieces you receive. Sometimes it’s nice to not have to go the store to see what is on sale.

This year, go green by eliminating excess waste. You can end the annoyance of mail pieces that go straight from your mailbox to your trash.

To register by mail:

Mail Preference Service

Direct Marketing Association Inc.

Box 9008 Box 282

Carmel, NY 10512

To register online:

www.dmachoice.org

Despite partisan stalemate over a number of issues, the Nevada legislature made serious reforms in education, clean energy, and open government this session.

In a major education bill, the legislature passed an increased budget that, among other things, increases per-pupil spending by 13% over two years, funds after-school programs, provides incentive pay for teachers in at-risk schools and hard-to-fill subject areas, adds full-day kindergarten to 63 schools, and creates 29 “empowerment schools”, where principals and teachers have a greater say in how the school is run.

The Nevada legislature also passed a raft of clean energy & environmental legislation:

SB 422 enacted new rules that require the state to compile an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, although the provision of the bill that would have required mandatory emissions reduction was removed.

AB 115 increased staffing at the state Division of Environmental Protection to regulate and monitor mercury emissions.

AB 178 creates a net metering system that allows customers generating renewable energy to pump surplus power into the power grid and draw on credits later, while also banning the sale of low-efficiency light bulbs by 2015.

SB 347 encourages schools and other public entities to use renewable energy such as wind and solar, while creating new residential incentives for energy conservation by requiring utility companies to evaluate energy consumption for residential properties.

AB 396 restricted the power of Homeowners’ Association from restricting members from installing solar panels or other insulation measures to promote energy efficiency.

The state also fixed overgenerous tax breaks previously offered to “green” buildings.

• To promote more open government, the legislature expanded open meeting rules to apply to the state Tax Commission to bring greater scrutiny of large corporate tax breaks and require government bodies to make requested public records available within five business days.

• On criminal justice issues, the legislature expanded “good time” credits to encourage the release of more than 1200 inmates in the next two years. The legislature also changed the treatment of mentally ill people convicted of crimes by restoring a “guilty but mentally ill” plea abolished in a previous session and maintaining treatment for inmates released from state hospitals.

• The legislature restricted payday loans and banned balloon payments and extensions at the end of the loan term. The bill also banned collection action against families of military personnel who are deployed in combat.

• While more comprehensive health care reform is needed, the legislature did pass a prescription drug card program, which lets all residents acquire the cards for free and secure a roughly 20% discount on drug prices.

For more info, go to:  http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/NV.cfm

Body Wisdom, founded and owned by Sally LeDuc, sheds a whole new light on Physical Therapy. To begin, the office itself is painted in a serene sage green and the waiting room greets you with sounds of running water that help relax the mind. While you’re waiting, settle into the Zero Gravity chair and let your tension melt away.

After your short sojourn in the waiting room, you will find that the rest of the office is similarly inviting to your senses. Each private healing room has a unique theme such as “Transformation” or “Wisdom” depicted by a mural painted on the wall. Once you have become acclimated to your surroundings, you may find that your body is centered and prepared for the healing process.

This overall experience truly manifests the concept behind Body Wisdom. Sally wanted to provide a comfortable, calm setting that offers an integrative approach to healing. Along with her staff, Sally focuses on a specific problem her patients may have, but also examines their life and lifestyle on every level (emotional, mental and physical).

Subtle signs of issues that might trigger a specific problem or anything that may be aggravating it are being sought. The goal is to help each patient find a path to healing that will easily transpose into their life. Sally would like to provide each patient with training in self-healing techniques. These lessons will provide healing tools that patients can incorporate into their daily lives, for the rest of their lives. The goal for each patient is to prevent problems from reoccurring.

Sally speaks from experience. She has endured a significant number of injuries that she has successfully recovered from. Though her healing did not happen overnight, Sally maintained and continues to maintain a self-healing program on a routine basis. She can now participate in recreational activities that she has enjoyed throughout her life. Sally feels that her injury and recovery experience “helps her understand [her] patients better.”

Even before experiencing any injuries, Sally wanted to help people heal. She began working in a Physical Therapy (PT) office in Vermont during high school. She went to college for PT in Vermont as well and has been working in the industry for 27 years. Sally moved to Reno in 1981 and was able to make her life long vision of Body Wisdom a reality in May 2007.

Since then, she continues to merge new and innovative modalities into Body Wisdom’s current offering of services. For instance, many of the healing techniques use Pilates, Yoga, breathing, balance and Tai Chi. Sally also offers a Wellness class that is open to the public. Students learn a variety of skills that include relaxation, effective stretching and movement techniques.

One of the latest techniques, called Visceral Motility Enhancements, works on problems with digestion, back pain and abdominal pain. Sally explained that patients come in with these problems and do not always respond to traditional treatment. Therefore, it may be an internal problem. The term visceral refers to your internal organs. If your organs are not moving properly, it can affect other areas of your body. Again, it’s looking at a patient’s specific problem from a different angle and utilizing a holistic approach to healing.

Just as the purpose of Body Wisdom is “wholeness,” it is Sally’s aim to extend that ideal to her patients’ wellness.  Along with her dedicated staff, she will give you all of the steps you need to find the path of healing that fits your lifestyle. It is up to you to do the rest; you have to “do your work, to be as good as you can be,” Sally said.

By Erina Fischer |

“You have to invest in yourself to get the return.”

Dr. Rhonda Henry is a unique practitioner in the alternative medicine arena. She can be described as being set apart from the rest thanks to her compassion and authentic understanding of a person suffering from illness.  Her empathy is due to experience, as she was once obese, unhealthy and struggling with diabetes.  That was until 26 years ago, when she decided to draw from her strong-will and curiosity to educate her self about nutrition’s link to health and permanently change her life.

Dr. Rhonda Henry, Doctor of Nutritional Science, calls herself a “health detective” or “nosy”, she laughs.  Dr. Henry is open about her previous struggles with obesity.  At the age of 35, her heaviest, she was 311 pounds.  Common to many people’s struggles, she tried every weight loss diet, pill and gimmick in the book with no success, hence she adopted the term “DIE-t”.  The one time she did lose a large amount of weight, she also lost her energy, hair and complexion.  She recognized the need to use a different approach.

Dr. Henry began to research nutrition and the role it plays in health and the puzzle pieces began fitting together.  She lost a great deal of her weight, regained her health and gained control of her diabetes.  In 1980, at a size 10, Dr. Henry graduated with her Doctorate in Nutritional Science and began a crusade to help educate and treat others who shared her health history.  But it wasn’t easy…

“When you get into this business, you buck a lot of traffic.”  Dr. Henry said.

And not everyone was looking for help, or not looking for it in the right places.  According to Dr. Henry, the search for information on health and the resources available are for the most part well-intentioned, but ineffective.  At her office in Carson City, Dr. Henry is focused on “listening to a person’s symptoms” to decide the root cause of their ailment.  Dr. Henry deciphers an individual’s metabolic nutritional needs, which requires extensive, but effective testing.  Her goal is to correct a “nutrient-deficient body to a nutrient-sufficient one, so that it can heal itself.”

Dr. Rhonda Henry believes that approaching the obesity epidemic and health afflictions in the United States should be done proactively, starting with educating children.  She is a weekly contributor to Carson City’s newspaper, The Nevada Appeal.  Her column is geared to parents and gives practical ideas and tools to teach proper nutrition to children before they reach adulthood.

“There is a misconception that eating healthy is expensive and time consuming,”  Dr. Henry said, “And people look at food as their enemy.”

Dr. Henry not only works with nutrition as a key player in health, but also emphasizes the importance of our emotions and controlling the stress in our daily lives.  Depression is a common trait among her unhealthy patients and is a direct result of a body being out-of-balance.  Dr. Henry capitalizes on nutrition as not only a factor in physical health, but mental health as well.

“There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all to get results,” Dr. Henry said, “When your body is well it works for you, not against you.  You have to invest in your self to get the return.”

Besides using individualized metabolic testing as a diagnosis and health planning tool, Dr. Henry gained an interest in Eastern medicine and now includes this older version of medicine in her practice.  She also uses a MEAS machine, which tests the meridian points of individuals in order to receive feedback from the major organs and gauge the stress level and nutrient deficiencies of a person.

“It is quite exciting to see how Eastern and Western medicine gels.”  Dr. Henry said. Dr. Henry emphasizes that if you are unhealthy, you need to become focused on healing.  Only with hard work and strength of commitment can an overall life change occur.

As Dr. Henry ends all of her articles with, so too shall this one be ended:

“Plan for tomorrow’s good health today.”

• Drug reactions / medical errors 420,000

• Bedsores 115,000

• Infections 88,000

• Unnecessary procedures 37,136

• Surgery-related 32,000

These numbers correspond with the numbers that the American Medical Association released in the Feb. 1999 issue of JAMA. The AMA found that over 400,000 deaths a year due to iatrogenic (doctor/treatment) causes. In fact, medical malpractice was listed as the 3rd leading cause of preventable deaths. The first was tobacco use, second was alcohol, fourth was auto accidents, and fifth was firearms. So staticically, it is safer to drive recklessly with a loaded gun in the backseat than it is to visit the Medical doctor!

Submitted by Dr. Scot Bennick, DC. (775) 815-3048

Source: Null G, Dean C, Feldman M, et al. “Death By Medicine” Life Extension Magazine, August 2006:67-87