The new monthly ongoing series is being organized by Mubarakah Ibrahim (on the left in photo with three of the presenters), founder of Balance Fitness Studio across the parking lot from Edge on Whalley Avenue. She has taken on the role of volunteer “community wellness educator.”

The more than 30 people who filled the store’s upstairs meeting/eating room last Wednesday evening were drawn by their previous contact with her or by the flyers in the store.

The first workshop was titled, “Finding Our Paths to Wellness.” A chiropractor, a Chinese medicine specialist, a naturopath and a holistic health counselor described their philosophies and practices. And just about all of them emphasized, “Eat more vegetables!”

Chiropractor Thezlay Alpizar-Diaz (pictured) explained how the slings and arrows of life — like babies passing through the birth canal, toddlers falling down, and youth and adults getting injured playing sports — can create stresses and strains on the body’s muscles, bones, nerves and joints. Chiropractic works to promote a “triad of health” - the mental, chemical and especially structural aspects of the body that can restore homeostasis, “an organism’s ability to efficiently respond to stressors and restore a state of balance,” as her PowerPoint presentation explained.

Jean Fuqua, doctor of naturopathic medicine (pictured), said she decided to pursue her chosen field after visiting several medical doctors who couldn’t diagnose what a naturopath finally told her was a common ailment. “I couldn’t figure out why all these doctors couldn’t tell me what was wrong,” she said, finally concluding, “It was hard to diagnose because they were not listening to me.” Instead, they just prescribed more and different drugs. “People don’t realize how much can be done without having to resort to a drug, so I’m always happy to introduce people to the things we can do that just help our body to do what it naturally wants to do and knows how to do anyway.” She said once the naturopath she consulted told her, “I don’t know what’s wrong but here’s how we’re going to find out,” she trusted her completely.

Fuqua said NDs (naturopathic doctors) use many of the same diagnostic tools as MDs, but have a different “philosophy of the body,” and use different treatment modalities, including diet, herbs and tinctures. She concluded her short talk by advising the audience to eat more vegetables and to find time to meditate, saying studies show that even five minutes a day can lower blood pressure.

Char Marie (pictured) practices acupuncture, herbal medicine and qi gong, a practice that stimulates the body’s energy for healing and wellbeing. “Qi” (pronounced “chee”) is the Chinese word for energy. She said art and science both have a place in healing, and she emphasized the role that individuals can play in their own healing, such as holding a qi gong posture of standing meditation for a half hour.
She warned against taking in toxic substances used to cure illness as practiced in western, allopathic medicine, such as chemotherapy to treat cancer. “Just because it’s approved by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] doesn’t mean you should be putting it in your body.”

Wendy Battles (pictured), a certified holistic health counselor, was the cleanup batter. She strode back and forth in the small available space near the rows of chairs, affirming to her listeners that they know they need to eat right, reduce stress, exercise and get more sleep — they just need help in making it happen. “Slowing down and tuning in is the key to optimal health,” she said. Click here for a light-hearted take on the importance of eating slowly.

During the Q&A, Ibrahim asked the first, very practical question: Do these practitioners accept health insurance? The answers varied, but even those who don’t said they would work to come up with a realistic payment plan for anyone wanting to use their services.

“Is obesity an imbalance in the body?” Dawn Slade (pictured above) asked the four speakers; the consensus was that imbalances certainly contribute to obesity. Slade also asked a question about vegetables — which is better, raw or cooked? The consensus was that sometimes one is better than the other, but if cooked, they should be steamed or lighted sautéed — never cooked to death in water or fried. Other questions concerned employing alternative healing in cancer treatment and more questions about weight loss.

That just so happens to be the topic of the next bi-weekly Wednesday night presentation, on Jan. 23, by Ibrahim herself: “Eating Healthy But Still Can’t Lose Weight?”

Many who attended stayed after the workshop formally ended to share stories and exchange information. Edge of the Woods proprietor Peter Dodge (pictured) said he was pleased with the content of the first session, the attendance, and the interest it generated.

“We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and I don’t have time to do it. I’ve just gotten to know Mubarakah very well and I’ve seen her energy. I said, ‘Why don’t you come over here and let’s talk about doing this.’ And pretty much she’s done it. We’ve conferred about what we’re going to do, but she’s done all the legwork on this.”

Click here for information on upcoming workshop.