Posted by Erica Steele on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 @ 09:23 AM
Cynthia dedicates herself to teach the professionals of our community how to companion the mourner. Society tends to have a ‘suck it up’ and ‘get over it’ attitude mainly due to ignorance and being uncomfortable. Awareness of the grieving process can enrich you, the professional, and the connections with your clients, patients, customers, and colleagues, therefore developing stronger, safer and more productive relationships and referrals. Cynthia’s mission is to help educate with compassion, insight, and love. Listen as Cynthia speaks to Dr. Erica Steele at Essential Wellness Center.
Posted by Erica Steele on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 @ 12:33 PM
Rex Hammaker, and wife Lisa got the most devistating news in 2006. At 44, Rex had been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. In an effort to restore his health and quality of life, Rex sought expert alternative medicine advice and beat the odds to restore his natural health through nutritional medicine. In this hour long podcast Rex speaks of his journey thorugh natural health and his desire to heal form the inside out.
Posted by Erica Steele on Thu, Jan 12, 2012 @ 09:27 AM
Dr. Erica Steele sits down with Doula Leslie Cuffee to discuss the role of a doula in Natural Childbirth. Leslie Cuffee is an affiliate of Essential Wellness Center and provides emotional, physical, and informational support during labor and delivery. She also provides Comfort measures, breathing, as well as positioning and is a natural/normal birth advocate for our prenatal, perinatal patients.
Birthing Bundles Website
Posted by Erica Steele on Wed, Jan 11, 2012 @ 09:36 AM
In this edition of Bridging the Gap: How to choose a Natural Primary Care Provider
10 Steps to Choosing a Natural Medicine Provider, comprehensive guide to a natural medicine clinic
1. Knowledgeable - Receiving quality care means that your primary care physician has knowledge of patient treatment from all aspects of care. Understanding conventional practices as well as natural ones is a fundamental aspect of quality care. Ensuring that the practitioner is able to advise on options from all levels and is not afraid to refer you out of their scope of practice.
2. Skilled - The practitioner you select should have an understanding and clinical training as well as experience in your condition. Asking your primary care physicians about specializations is helpful when determining which practitioner is going to be best address your needs.
3. Compassionate - In natural medicine it is imperative that your primary care provider be a good listener, understands your needs, and is able to assist you in your health goals in a loving and supportive manner. Often times natural health providers treat holistically which is consistent of emotional, spiritual, mental, as well as physical aspects of healing. One that will honor all aspects of self is imperative so that you are able to feel safe enough to get well.
.jpg)
4. Open Minded - It is important that your natural medicine primary care provider does not take an "us against them" stance. This is often why EWC does not like the term alternative medicine, because it lends itself to believe that you have to choose which aspect of care you receive. We work in conjunction with conventional medicine to bring you comprehensive integrative health care.
5. Based in Science - Just like conventional medicine, your natural medicine provider should base their findings on science. Surely, clinical application is just as important but without definitive evidence how is the best course of treatment determined? Advanced testing is what makes conventional medicine so powerful and the natural approach is what makes our approach integrative.
6. Convenience - When your child is sick and needs to get in to see someone quickly, where do they go that will serve them naturally? When you have a question about a product or ailment that is minor is it important to schedule or will an email do? Having a practitioner that has availability to suit your needs and can be available when needed is important especially one that serves natural medicine.
7. Affordability - Although price should never be a factor when choosing the right practitioner making sure your natural health care provider fits into your budget can provide a sense of security and feelings of encouragement throughout the whole process. In fact, if you feel as though you are enduring financial strain from the added expense this can be a henderance to your health. Looking at payment plans, cost depreciation, flex spending options, and the like can help offset some of the upfront expense of natural medicine.
8. Philosophy - If you desire to live your life a certain way the natural medicine doctor you choose should understand and respect your values and desire for treatment. Choosing a practitioner that understands and believes in how you choose to be treated and removes their ego as well as their own agenda from treating can help to encourage your personal growth and healing.
9. Comfort - Natural healing is hard, otherwise everyone would do it. Sometimes the processing can be difficult and emotions come up, set backs are made, and inevitably you may feel as though you are standing still instead of moving forward. Finding a practitioner that can recognize your impatience, can empathize with you, as well as be honest with you even if it is not easy in a gentle, loving, and supportive way can make a huge difference in your growth.
10. Bed Side Manner - This last variable lends itself to the 9th aspect of comfort, how is the practitioner at curbing their own issues while making way for yours to come through. Often in natural health things are mirrored to us in treatment (from a practitioner standpoint) being able to disconnect from the mirror to continue to help the patient rather than creating a role reversal is imperative in honoring your healing process as a patient.
Posted by Caitlyn Downey on Mon, Jan 09, 2012 @ 09:18 AM
2012 Mission Statement Podcast With Erica Steele
Posted by Essential Wellness on Fri, Jan 06, 2012 @ 08:38 AM
At Essential Wellness, our mission is to bring affordable, natural primary care medicine to all those that seek alternatives to conventional practices through metabolic testing and natural remedies including homeopathy, botanicals, and herbs. We focus on facilitating the bodies innate self healing process regardless of the patients age, gender, sexual orientation, or creed to bring spiritual, emotional, physical, mental pain relief, prevention, as well as renewed health to all those seeking natural healing.
Founder's Message
In 2012, We mark the beginning of a very exciting time for the center as well as for those that we serve at Essential Wellness in Virginia Beach. We will have fully completed our transition to our Primary Care facility. So not only will you enjoy detox services, massage therapy, chiropractic, and the like we are now here to serve you in the best capacity possible as your natural medicine resource and primary care provider. I have been working for the last 11 years since my beginnings in natural medicine to bring a center that offers complete natural medicine to the masses in an affordable manner. In the upcoming weeks you will learn more about what our new Primary Care system has to offer and how you can access the benefits and art of natural medicine for the cost of less than a cell phone payment. Gain the healing insight that you deserve with a team of wellness professionals interested in listening to your needs. We thank you for your continued support of Essential Wellness Center and encourage you to come in and see the new Essential Wellness Center in 2012 !! ~ Sincerely,
Dr. E, ND ; founder of Essential Wellness Center
Posted by Essential Wellness on Mon, Jan 02, 2012 @ 01:51 PM
When embarking on any new health endeavor whether that is quitting smoking, weight loss, a new excercise regimen, and the like it is important to take things one step at a time. Remembering that a lifestlye change takes time is important to your overall mental health. Not beating yourself up about mistakes made, and patting yourself on the back for small success will prove to move you forward in your quest for better health. In 2012, make it about progress not perfection so by 2013 you are moving on to bigger and better things !
Posted by Erica Steele on Sun, Sep 18, 2011 @ 01:46 PM
So, even though my goal for this detoxification is not to lose weight, but rather get healthier; I am finding that I tend to crave food more towards the evening. I am not sure if that is a feeling of comfort or cozyness that I crave. I remember when I use to eat cooked foods, instead of raw food in the evening time, I would go right for potatoes. Something about a baked potatoe with veggies, soothed my soul.
For awhile I felt that way. French fries, dairy free mashed potatoes, etc it almost represented a feeling of womb like sensation. What kind of power does a starch have to create such sensation. I looked deeper to find answers. For one, even after eating the potatoes I did not feel more satisisfed, yet instead felt gross. By gross I mean heavy. YuCk! What is this brick that just hit my stomach? Nonethless I go for it again the next night.
Food is medicine and food is healing. The feel of the fluffy consistancy, melting in my mouth like a freshly fluffed pillow. I think I just fell in love. Was I recapturing a simplier time in my life by eating this way? Surely. It must be. How else could I explain why I would eat something like this, even still I can intellectualize to myself what my body will do to with this potatoe once I consume it.
As the bulbous emulsifies, breaking down into smaller and smaller molecules I begin to explore WHY I continue to eat this way. And then it hit me, an oral fixation. Even as I grind with my RAWdom I acknowledge that I am not hungry. I haven't eaten since 6pm and I feel satisfied, my belly is full and I feel complete. Yet, I want to put something in my mouth, food sounds delicious until it hits my stomach. WHY would I gorge myself. It is SO unhealthy.
I begin to relate my conudrum back to birth. I rememember reading a David Wolfe post about oral fixation and truly I am beginning to understand. Our love affair with food, our sickness with food runs so much deeper. By putting something in my mouth (anything) I feel comfort. I feel loved, acknoweldged, at peace> what have you. I feel like I can handle things. I feel like an infant in the womb and breastfeeding. After all, those are some of our first associations with food; through breastfeeding (or for some formula) but still a nipple. Are we all trying to achieve that 'high' we once got from breastfeeding. That nurturing sensation or feelings of security completness and wholism. Will me eating potatoes right now retore that feeling, unfortunetly not. So what is the point? Why should I eat it? I shall never regain that feeling once more, so I should grow up and find a new sensation, perhaps ballet or singing, old movies, or board games. Something that won't kill me silently, cunningly without me even knowing. The only symptom of a heart attack is the heart attack itself. I thought I would point that out. XoXoXo with my thought of mashed potatoes, I love you dear friend but I think it is time to break up. Don't worry its not you its me, I think I want different things for my life and we are going in seperate directions. So long, far well, it's been swell but the swelling has gone down ~ your pseduofriend miss e
P.S. It has been three weeks since our break up and I have to tell you this time apart has been great. At first it was hard, but now I feel great. Hope life is great with you and that you have a new friend. For me I have my life back free from fatigue, irritability, gas, bloating, and the like. This has truly been for the best, I just want you to know that. Peace.
Posted by Erica Steele on Thu, Sep 15, 2011 @ 02:27 PM
Once upon a time their was a disc. Her name was 4. This disc was a sweet disc she was flexible, agreeable, understanding and best of all she had lots of friends. All of her friends were from different families you have the Cervical family, the Thoracic Family, and at the end of the street you have the Lumbar family which 4 belongs to.
One day Lumbar 4 was walking home from school when she ran into Lumbar 5. They usually walked home from school together but this time things were different. Lumbar 5 was a little irritated today, since he had a bad day at school.
"My teacher doesn't understand me, " he said.
"We are not communicating well, I feel like I talk and talk and I am not being heard."
Lumbar 5 was referring to his teacher, and mentor the Spinal nerve of the Lumbar Segment.
"Today I was trying to communciate with her when she cut me off, without notice. I tried not to create a bulging disc or a herniated disc. No matter how much I try we still lack communication".
"Then out of nowhere she shoots her pointer at the end of the hall and creates Sciatica for all the other discs to see. Next thing you know pain referral happens, acheiness, fatigue, I can barely walk with the weakness that is in the leg and feet. She just kept going and going making my disc hotter and hotter until I LOST it !!"
"Enough was enough, I couldn't allow her to create so much pain, nerve radiation, tingling, burning, and a series of other sensations just because she couldn't control her temper."
"What did you do", L4 asked
"Well that is why I am coming to you, I need your help"
" If I cannot get any relief from the other lumbars I can depend on you, we need to fight back. We need to go out of alignment and create a subluxtion as soon as we are able to so that we can stop her in her tracks "
L4 gulped , " Your talking about a degenerative disc ".
"Yes", If she doesn't stop we are going to have to begin to take matters into our own hands and begin to contract around that nerve, and muscle tissue after all the Lumen is only so big and the two of us shealry cannot fit" !!
"I don't know, L5 that seems rather risky"
" Watch me, she isn't going to do anything to help us, like cut out inflammation, sleep better, eat better, avoid allergic foods, and continue to exercise, we might as well create more trouble!"
Suddenly a hand pressed down on the entire Lumbar family and in a blink of an eye the feud between the Nervous system and the Lumbars ended. A sigh of relief washed over the entire body as the Chiropractor saved the day.
Posted by Erica Steele on Fri, Sep 09, 2011 @ 09:59 AM
We understand that our bodies and our environment are a very toxic place. But how do we know if the toxicity has taken over and is creating an imbalance for disease. Is there a test you can take or skills you can develop to acknowledge if detoxification is the best choice for natural health solutions?
This is a list of sure fire signs and symptoms to determine if detoxification is the answer to your woes.
1. Congestion - Congestion comes from excess mucus and can be stimulated from toxicity. Often if you wake up with or are battling allergies on a daily basis, it may be time to detox.
2. Fatigue - Toxic metals, chemicals, and the like can bog down organs from operating efficiently. When the body is bogged down it cannot function properly if you wake up after a "restful" night sleep and still want to hit the pillow good chance that you are toxic.
3. Irritability - We all have stress, however some of us are better able to deal with it. Bacteria, fungus, and the like can invade and wreak havoc on the body as well as the mind. If you find that you are more grumpy than normal their could be underlying issues that detoxification can help alleviate.
4. Halitosis - Bad breath can happen to anyone especially after a garlic-filled meal, but aside from food if your breath is less than stellar; toxicity may be the culprit. Ensuring that the body is free from harmful substances such as yeast can turn your mouth from a breeding ground to an inviting place.
5. Foggy Mind - If you are having difficulty concentrating, feel like your head is not clear or lack that extra mental agility that you may need; detoxification could be your savior in completing a difficult assignment, working through projects, and just maintaining shear awesomeness!!
6. Pain - Usually excessive amounts of pain is a sign of increased inflammation that has built up. Inflammation is characterized by burning, tingling, nerve pain, throbbing, and heat, which can be decreased via detoxification.
7. Lack of Flexibility - If inflammation is to come and play, though it can collect anywhere, its favorite place is the joints. Joints create movement and thus if you lack movement you may be inflammed. Detoxing can help you turn your downward cat into a downward dog!
8. Stool smell - So this is not a friendly subject, but if you leave the bathroom and people with gas masks go running in, there may be a problem. Your stool, even though it is waste, should not smell like a rotting carcass rather, omitting no odor whatsoever.
9. Perspiration - We are changing seasons and although the humidity may still be available, it is not intense. Furthermore if you sweat standing still, sitting down, or just sweat profusly doing most normal activities your body is trying to tell you something. Sweating is your bodies natural ability to detox, so excessive perspiration can be a good barometer to your need to cleanse.
10. Body Odor - Can you smell that? If your body omits a strong odor (anywhere) feet, crotch or the like, this is a sign and symptom of toxicity and potential infection. Cleansing the body is your first step on your path to recovery, so detoxification is a simple, safe, noninvasive means to heal.
11. Heavy Pharmaceutic Usage - Lastly, if your medicine cabinet looks like the back bar at Walgreens chances are you have inheriated many binders, fillers, and perservatives that are used to keep those chemicals fresh. Although using medication may be necessary at times it is important that once you come off of them that you seek detoxification and replenishment. To detox the harmful things that they could have contained and reenergizing your body with the minerals that they deplete.
Although, this is not an full list of reasons, signs or symptoms of a need for detox, this is a good start. Naturally, consulting with your Natural Health Care Practitioner will assess your full needs for detoxification as well as how to do a detox safely. It is important not to rush into detoxification too quickly as it will jeopordize your internal ecosystem. Some symptoms of a rushed detox include irritability, fatigue, exhaustion, illness, and the like so it is important to consult your Natural Health Care Practitioner before investing in your health. Google has many listings but does not have your health history and physical. ~ XOXOX