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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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‘Tis the Season for Self-Care

With the holiday season in full swing, there’s no doubt that your stress level may be in high gear as well.

According to an article published by Healthline News, stress can affect your health in ways you’ve never realized. From early aging to heart-related problems, chronic stress can also make it difficult to control your emotions, can ruin your teeth and gums, can affect your love life, contribute to obesity and wreak havoc your immune system.

As you prepare for the upcoming festivities and seasonal gatherings, remember to take care of yourself by scheduling time to relax, de-stress and actually enjoy the season.

Ideas for self-care include going to a movie, taking a long walk, or treating yourself to a massage, a manicure or a pedicure. Attend a meditation class, go to a local concert, or take yourself out for a healthy meal and read while you savor a quiet reprieve from the hustle and bustle. Whatever it is that helps you unwind and decompress, do it for you!

Winter fairs are also fun. On Saturday, December 10, Wellness Rocks! will host their Annual Holiday Extravaganza from 11am to 6pm. The fair is focused on holistic health, wellness and eco-friendly gifts offered by a variety of vendors and practitioners alike. Consider giving the gift of wellness to those near and dear. The first 100 visitors will receive a goody bag. Sit and enjoy a few refreshments and enjoy a free hug (from me) and learn the healing benefits of touch.

In addition to free hugs, and assorted goodies, In Your Arms, LLC will be offering alternative touch therapy through cuddling to help individuals find relief from everyday stress, anxiety and loneliness induced by our virtual world with platonic physical interaction: cuddling, holding hands, conversing, or any combination therein, all in a safe, warm and confidential environment.

Each gift certificate package includes an introductory phone call, a meet and greet, the session itself, and an aftercare call the next day.

Virtual hugs will also be available, with all proceeds donated to an organization dedicated to supporting the healing power of touch, or will be used to bring the healing power of touch to those in need including veterans, hospices, children’s hospitals, etc. More information will be at the In Your Arms table the day of the fair.

Self-care is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and your loved ones. Be good to yourself this season.

Karen Schweiger has over 25 years experience in the customer care industry and is a certified cuddle professional. Contact Karen Schweiger at [email protected] or visit CuddleInYourArms.com.

Holiday Extravaganza Location: Wellness Rocks!, 28 Center Street, Clinton. For more information on vendors, visit AwakenHealth.center.

Hugs Local Insights
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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