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Dr. Abrams began her career in healthcare when she graduated from medical school from the Pavlov Institute (former Soviet Union) with high honors and completed an internship in internal medicine and a residency in anesthesia and intensive care. She came to the US, arriving in Seattle Washington in 1996. Dr. Abrams confirmed her U.S. medical diploma in 1999 successfully passing the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam and Clinical Skills Assessment exam. She went on to study naturopathy and herbal medicine at Bastyr University, and graduated with a Doctorate in Natural Medicine (ND) and a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MSOAM). Dr. Abrams is the Medical Director of Water’s Edge Natural Medicine. She blends traditional western medicine with naturopathic remedies, acupuncture and Oriental medicine to offer patients safe and gentle therapies for hormone imbalances, weight loss, digestive problems, immune deficiencies, and much more. In addition to helping patients at Water’s Edge, Dr. Abrams holds an adjunct faculty position at Bastyr University. Water’s Edge Natural Medicine offers highly personalized naturopathic health care, gently treating disease at the root cause and strengthening the body’s own innate ability to heal. They work closely with patients to develop a treatment plan customized to meet their specific needs and goals in order to help optimize current and future health. At the Salon: Did you know your gut helps control your complete physical and mental health? Digestive issues can play a huge part in your physical strength and your mental wellbeing. If you are looking for a way to increase your energy, bolster your immune system, and have improved mental stamina and focus, your gut health is the place to start. At this salon, Dr. Abrams discussed how our digestive health affects our immune system and overall health in many profound ways. She also shared healthy solutions to help us rid our bodies of pro-inflammatory substances. Ultimately this will help us to feel most vibrant in mind, body, and spirit. Water's Edge Natural Medicine Offices in Seattle, WA; Beverly Hills, CA; Menlo Park, CA 150 Nickerson Street, Suite #211 Seattle, WA 98109 Phone: 206-900-8980 Web: naturopathic.com Click here to see the salon powerpoint presentation. #digestion #immunesystem #health #gut

Clia's style of teaching incorporates both yin and yang elements into an aligned vinyasa practice. Clia believes the benefits of yoga and meditation are immense, and she teaches in order to share them while also introducing more calm, clarity and connection to and among mind, body and spirit. She believes that through our yoga and mindfulness practices we can learn to be more present, with awareness and compassion, to live our lives authentically. Clia’s education and experience includes an MA and certification in Educational Therapy, Yoga Alliance Certification, Mindful Schools mindfulness curriculum training and certification through Transform Coaching Academy. She currently teaches yoga privately and through PAMF (teen and prenatal yoga), hosts Mindfulness Workshops for all ages and stages and works one on one with women as a transformational life coach. At this salon, Clia took us through a practice that included both physical asana and mindfulness practices. The sequence was appropriate for all levels of interest - from first timers to experienced yogis. The theme was "renew and rejuvenate" with the intention to learn something new that can be practiced at home. After the yoga and mindfulness exercises, we relaxed while enjoying delicious, healthy and tasty smoothies. There was also massage therapists available to continue the “renewal, recharge and rejuvenation” process. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CLIA: http://cstierney.wix.com/asantewellness https://www.facebook.com/asantewellnesscoaching/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliatierney Smoothie demonstrations by Jill Andrews and Kristi Patterson. Click here for the smoothie recipes. Click here for the salted flourless chocolate chunk cookie recipe from Pamela Salzman. Massages by Llumier Wellness: CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone: 650.362.3882 2115 Broadway Street, Studio 10 Redwood City, CA 94063 Email: bookings@Llumier.com Website: www.Llumier.com #vinyasa #yoga #mindfulness #massage #wellness

Dr. Sangani has been practicing Internal Medicine for the last 15 years. For the past 8 years she has been a concierge physician at The Village Doctor in Woodside, CA. In addition to her medical training at the University of Rochester Medical School, and UC Berkeley for her Masters in Public Health, Prerana studied with an Ayurvedic practitioner in India while in Medical School and Residency. Growing up in the US, her culture influenced her greatly, especially when it came to food. Her mom, a vegetarian, prepared delicious Gujarati food every day and Prerana learned to cook her own combination of Indian and American dishes over the years. As she learned the principles of Ayurveda and homeopathy, the healing properties of many of the spices used in Indian cooking became clear. Turmeric, fenugreek, cumin and ajwain all have centuries of medicinal uses and the incorporation into food not only adds flavor but also health benefits. Prerana has enjoyed incorporating the Eastern influences into her daily practice of Internal Medicine. At SOUL food salon, Prerana is looking forward to sharing some of the science behind the healing nature of spices. She will prepare some tasty and flavorful Indian dishes too. Click here for the salon recipes.

Dr. Edna Esnil is a licensed Counseling Psychologist in private practice in Menlo Park, CA. With over 20 years of specialized training and experience, she provides evidence-based interventions (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness) to help patients with symptoms of anxiety, depression, panic, trauma, and a host of other psychological problems related to stress. Both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness are scientifically supported approaches. A recent review of 39 scientific studies of participants receiving mindfulness-based therapy for a range of medical conditions demonstrated robust improvement of anxiety and depressive symptoms and these results were maintained at follow-up assessment. (Hofman, Sawyer, Witt, & Oh, 2010) You may be asking, what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a mental state marked by nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment experience. When we are mindful, we are not tangled up in the past or future or judging what is happening in the moment. Rather, we are present in the moment with our thoughts, sensations, bodily states, consciousness, and environment. A state of mindfulness encourages openness, curiosity, and acceptance. (Germer, Siegal, & Fulton, 2005) Dr. Esnil has a daily meditation practice. She loves travel photography and being physically active in the beautiful Bay area. Dr. Esnil collaborated with the American Psychological Association (APA) and California Psychological Association in this public service announcement educational video about the negative effects of stress on the body and mind. At SOUL Food Salon, Dr. Esnil discussed how stress can negatively affect our everyday lives and how it can lead to chronic medical and psychological conditions. She introduced us to mindfulness and lead us in several practices of mindfulness meditation as an approach to reducing stress and enhancing well-being. Contact information: Edna M. Esnil, Psy.D. - Licensed Psychologist #PSY 20471 Counseling & Psychological Services 655 Oak Grove Ave, #846, Menlo Park, CA 94025 edna@psychologyworksca.com www.psychologyworksca.com 650.501.0244 CLICK HERE TO READ: 60 minutes with Anderson Cooper on Meditation and Mindfulness with Jon Kabat-Zinn #meditation #mindfulness #Psychology

Lynda Marren A returning Soul Food Salon guest speaker, Lynda teaches cooking classes at Kitchentown in Burlingame and Draegers in San Mateo. She recently started a company called Just Add Salt that creates events with food as a backdrop, focusing on corporate team building and cooking parties. Lynda is working on a cookbook scheduled to come out in 2016. Her specialty is teaching approachable, make-ahead seasonal recipes for families and entertaining. As the weather shifts from sunglasses to sweaters and families are forced into fall schedules centered around sports practices, evening meetings and long hours of homework, we all crave more structure around dinnertime preparation. At SOUL Food Salon, Lynda focused on providing tips and techniques for making meals ahead of time. She also shared a few of her favorite uncomplicated yet delicious family dinners. CONTACT INFO FOR LYNDA: Justaddsalt.com Instagram: Justaddsalt_ Twitter: @justaddsalt_ 2 Sisters Baking Company launched in September 2015 as the collaboration of Angela Polk and Jennifer Feldman (a.k.a. the “2 Sisters”). For years they had been making pumpkin bread for friends, families, and functions and had been asked again and again, “why don’t you sell this?” California law recently changed to allow cottage food operations to produce food in home kitchens… and this prompted them to begin the 2 Sisters adventure! 2 sisters, in 2 cities, with 2 families and 2 very busy lives … Check out their website at: www.2sistersbakingcompany.com and place your orders! #familymeals #chef #cookingclass #PumpkinBread

Dr. Jennifer Hartle is an environmental health scientist who researches the connections between chemical exposures, food policy, and human health. She is most concerned about endocrine disrupting chemicals that can mimic, block or stimulate hormones in the body and how we are exposed to them in our food every day. Dr. Hartle is trained in exposure science and food systems. She began exploring dietary environmental exposures during her doctoral research at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. For her dissertation, she examined exposures to bisphenol A (BPA), (a hormonally active compound used widely in canned food linings and plastic food containers) to identify vulnerable populations and to develop exposure prevention strategies. A second aspect of her doctoral research investigated public school nutrition programs and modeled potential BPA exposures from school meals. Dr. Hartle’s current research at Stanford University investigates whether exposures to environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals are connected to obesity. In collaborative research, Dr. Hartle is studying the connection between prenatal exposure to environmentally persistent chemicals, or chemicals that do not break down in the environment, and childhood obesity. Her work can be found in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, Current Environmental Health Reports, Obesity, the Civil Eats blog, and the first food systems textbook Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Public Health, Environment, and Equity. At SOUL Food salon, Dr. Hartle told us about her top chemicals of concern in the food system. She uncovered some of the food policies that allow us to be exposed to chemicals on a daily basis. She also explained practical ways we can actively advocate for a safer food environment and overhaul our kitchens to protect ourselves from chemical exposures in our diet. Contact information: jhartle@stanford.edu Click here to view the powerpoint presentation from the salon. #EnvironmentalHealth #ChemicalExposure #FoodPolicy #Chemicals

Lia Huber believes you don't have to be a chef or "foodie" to cook fabulous tasting food, and you don't need to be a nutritionist to make healthy choices. A widely pubished food writer and media personality, Lia followed her calling in 2009 and founded NOURISH Evolution to inspire and equip people to make a lasting shift from processed food to real food in real life. Her latest venture, NOURISH Evolution’s flagship program Cook the Seasons, is a revolutionary meal-planning program with a Pinterest-like interface that puts seasonal vegetables at the center of the plate. Sign up for the Cook the Seasons waitlist atcooktheseasons.com and visit nourishevolution.com for recipes and free resources that will help you on your evolution from processed food to real food. Lia is also a widely-published writer and recipe developer for magazines like Cooking Light, Eating Well, Prevention and Health. She speaks frequently on television and in person to rally others to the NOURISH Evolution. At SOUL Food Salon, Lia took a look at the concentric circles of impact that surround our choices with food. We started with two plates – one filled with processed food and one with a meal of real food, and then looked at the ripple effects of the impacts, starting with our bodies, moving to the planet, and on to our world. Lia also showed us how simple—and delicious--it really is to have a positive impact on all three as she made a Simple Summer Sauté and Last of the Season Tomato Farrotto. Click here for the salon recipes. CONTACT INFO FOR LIA: lia@liahuber.com http://facebook.com/liahuber http://linkedin.com/in/liahuber http://liahuber.com #Chef #Cooking #ProcessedFood #Seasonal

Brie Mathers conducts connective school-wide body image events about media literacy and mindfulness. She has spoken to 60,000 teen girls worldwide with her multi-media mental health event Love the Skin You’re In. She is inspiring young women to find compassion within themselves and for one another, and to lead a new conversation about their bodies and beings. Everywhere Brie goes she inspires a new and healthier legacy. She leads a team of young women that run Love the Skin You're In's social media platforms whose affiliations include National Youth Week New Zealand, Bay Area TEDx, Amanda Todd Legacy, Center for Partnership Studies, One Billion Rising, and YWCA. Brie is Canadian-born and a McGill University graduate. She divides her time between eastern Canada and California. She is the author of Freedom to Blossom and is currently co-directing a new documentary, You Got This: Owning Body Image. Brie is a dedicated student of Zen and yoga, an activist writer and hip hop artist. At SOUL Food Salon Brie discussed the many aspects of girl culture she speaks about with young women. She addressed body image, to media hypersexualization of young women and the sexting that follows. We looked at the cultural portrayals of women at large and the impact this has on all of us. Our conversation landed in the power of interpersonal and intrapersonal connection. With mindfulness and conscious action we can aspire to a place where body image meets embodiment and where presence and bodily awareness meet self-trust. Brie's talk explored how we can come home to rest in our bodies and lead irrepressible, high-spirited lives. CONTACT INFO: USA: Jikoji Zen Center 12100 Skyline Blvd., Los Gatos, CA CAN: RR #1 Port Carling ON P0B 1J0 phone: 831.277.7222 e-mail: brie@lovetheskinyourin.net web: lovetheskinyourin.net LinkeIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/briemathers Click here to see a short salon video. Love the Skin You’re In video: 3 DAILY AFFIRMATIONS Stay Strong and Sparkle On Talk to yourself the way you talk to someone you love. Love yourself from the inside out.

"Brain Food - The secrets of nurtruring the most important organ of all. An exploration of the lifestyle and dietary interventions that support a sharp and happy mind." WHO: Alex Dimitriu (Psychiatry & Sleep Specialist) Alex Dimitriu, M.D. completed medical school and residency in psychiatry at SUNY Stony Brook, and continued his training at Stanford Medical Center with a fellowship in sleep medicine. He is currently in private practice in downtown Menlo Park. He sees patients with a wide variety of conditions, ranging from depression to anxiety, to insomnia and other sleep disorders. He practices an integrative model of psychiatry, which aims to improve various domains of people's lives. He has always believed in the power of the mind, and the power of the spirit to heal the body. He consistently encourages integrated solutions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and brief therapeutic interventions towards a multimodal approach to treatment. Since living in Northern California, Dr. Dimitriu has fallen in love with the people, natural beauty and energy of the Bay area. He is married and is the father of two beautiful young children. In his spare time, Alex is a lover of art, music and the outdoors. He enjoys live music, kiteboarding, and sailing. He grew up programming an Apple IIe, and enjoys flying RC planes with his son. At SOUL Food Salon, Dr. Dimitriu discussed how our brains are the fundamental basis of everything we see, feel, recall and experience. In our busy lives, between family and work, it is so easy to overlook this essential organ that makes us who we are. We looked at how our brains develop and work, and proceeded to a more general discussion of the dietary and lifestyle habits to keep our minds sharp, happy, and healthy. Dr. Dimitriu is currently in Private Practice in Menlo Park 1225 Crane Street, Suite 205 Phone: 650-326-5888 Email: alex@doctoralex.com Website: www.doctoralex.com Notes from the salon: The Brain weighs about 3 pounds. 20-25% of the calories we consume gets used in the brain. Jill Bolte Taylor- TED talk: My stroke of insight http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight Synaptic connections in the brain change over time. Brain maturation- synaptogenesis occurs until around puberty, 13 years. 10% decline in neurons as we age. Myelination of the nervous system occurs until age 26. Prefrontal cortex is the last area to myelinate. BDNF- Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor: similar to Miracle Grow Hippocampus (involved in short term memory and storing memories) relies on BDNF to encourage new neuronal growth. Boosters for BDNF: exercise, change in sunlight, eat a healthy diet, restrict calories, learn new stuff, turmeric High intensity exercise- increases BDNF Green Tea: EGCG More potent BDNF enhancer than resveratrol. Decaf with a bag- decreases in lead WATCH THE BRAIN FOOD VIDEO HERE:

SOUL Food Salon went on a field trip to the amazing garden of Lisa Putnam! LISA PUTNAM Lisa has a BS in Agricultural Economics from UC Davis. She also studied nutrition science there. She currently operates a small sustainable organic farm in Woodside and is a lifetime gardener, a UC Master Gardener (1999) and Master Composter (2010). Lisa’s passions are composting and the soil food web. She teaches both summer and winter vegetable gardening at Lyngso’s, Common Ground and several local garden clubs. KATHLEEN PUTNAM Kathleen is a professional organic vegetable gardener and a certified arborist serving the Mid-Peninsula. She has a degree in Environmental Horticulture from City College of San Francisco and is a UC Master Gardener. She teaches classes about vegetable gardening and fruit tree pruning throughout the Bay Area, at Common Ground, Lyngso, San Francisco Community Gardens, Los Altos Garden Club, Portola Valley Garden Club, San Mateo Master Gardeners and the San Francisco Professional Gardeners Association. We are so lucky to live in a place with year-around gardening opportunities. This time of year is perfect for planting your summer garden and enjoying succulent tomatoes, gorgeous eggplant, vibrant peppers, unusual and tasty cucumbers, summer squash, summer grown winter squash, fresh corn, edamame, basil … summer abounds with possibilities! In this class we touched on fall, winter and spring vegetable gardening, from seed to harvest. There was a focus on soil health and best practices for keeping your soil alive and well. We also reviewed how and why to compost to feed your soil, which in turn, feeds your plants! Click here for the warm and cool vegetable planting chart. Click here to view the salon powerpoint. RESOURCES Book: ‘Golden Gate Gardening’ by Pam Peirce and ‘Teaming with Microbes’ by Jeff Lowenfels UC Integrated Pest Management: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu Irrigation Store- SF http://www.urbanfarmstore.com/ Seed sources: Baker Creek, Gourmet Seed International, Johnny’s, Kitazawa, Seed Savers Exchange, Seeds of Change, Southern Exposure, Territorial, Tomato Growers Supply. Questions: UC Master Gardeners- http://smsf-mastergardeners.ucanr.org http://mastergardeners.org lisaputnam65@gmail.com NOTES FROM SALON: SOIL: It is important to maintain and enhance the life in the soil. How to keep it alive- add organic matter in the form of compost. Carbohydrates produced in photosynthesis are stored in the roots of plants. Roots support the life of the soil. The microbes in the soil need the carbohydrates. The plants need nitrogen and phosphorus and many nutrients which they get from the microbes. If weeding your garden - leave the roots. All roots are good. Grow a diversity of plants, the enhance the diversity of microbes that live in the soil. Put compost (either your own or Diestel Structured Compost from Lyngso) 2-3 inches high and then put straw mulch on top of the compost. The mulch helps hold water. Feed the soil food web rather than the plant. The plant will fend for itself. Seed and seedlings- shop at Half Moon Bay Nursery, Wegman’s or Sloat. Heirloom variety- the seeds will be true to itself. These have been around for a long time. Hybrid variety- a combo of the mom and dad. It is unpredictable. TOOLS: Hand pruners by ARS or Filco Soil knife - AM Leonard (also called a horihori - it is a Japanese tool). Dramm redhead - 1000 holes

Stephanie Willard, owner and chef of Rolling in Dough food truck and Amanda Bernshteyn, MPH, NC "Gluten: The How and Why of Cooking Gluten Free" Stephanie Willard Stephanie found a passion for cooking when she was a child watching and helping her mother in the kitchen. She had always loved entertaining and feeding people. There is nothing more rewarding than making food that makes people happy! Four years ago Stephanie was introduced to a company that imported Italian ovens. She purchased the ovens and designed it to be on a trailer; hence Rolling in Dough, a unique catering experience was established. She had found her calling! Rolling in Dough specializes in Wood Fired Neapolitan Style thin crust pizza as well as other wonderful entrees and delicious desserts. Their passion for quality and excellence is what they strive for. Going a step further, Rolling in Dough is Neapolitan certified by the Naples government. A few years ago Stephanie started having some digestive issues and decided to begin eating gluten free. She is now feeling much better and spreading the word. CONTACT INFO FOR STEPHANIE: Stephanie Willard- Rolling in Dough | www.rollingndough.com | 650-474-1700 Amanda Bernshteyn Amanda is a nutritionist with a holistic attitude about health. She graduated from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a pre-med concentration. To further round out her holistic beliefs, she studied with some of the top public health professionals in the world at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to obtain a Masters degree in Public Health Nutrition, with a concentration in Health Promotion. After continuing to study and spread the word about nutrition, food, and health for several years, Amanda completed a program in Holistic Nutrition at Bauman College in Berkeley, California. Amanda is a Certified Nutrition Consultant practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact her for one on one nutrition counseling where together you will create an actionable plan individualized for your needs and lifestyle. CONTACT INFO FOR AMANDA: Amanda@get-body-wise.com | www.get-body-wise.com At SOUL Food Salon Stephanie made an array of gluten free items including her delicious biscotti! She also had some dishes already prepared to taste. In addition, Amanda taught us all about gluten, its presence in many food items and why some people may benefit by eliminating or reducing gluten consumption. Click here to get the recipes from the salon.

SOUL Food Salon hosted it's first health panel FEATURING: Eric Weiss, MD, Jennifer Miller, MD, Amanda Bernshteyn, MPH, NC, Sandee Birdwell, MD Jeanne Rosner, MD (as moderator) "Separating the Forest from the Trees" A Panel Discussion on how we might best analyze and maneuver through conflicting messages in the nutrition space ERIC L. WEISS, MD Building on years of academic medicine at Stanford University and UCSF, as well as entrepreneurship at several Silicon Valley startups (not to mention being a father of three), Dr. Eric Weiss founded, and now directs, The Village Doctor, a family oriented “concierge medicine” practice in Woodside. From there he continues to be interested in caring for the whole person and the role of complimentary medicine in the pursuit of overall patient health and wellness. Other interests include technology in medicine, nutrition, meditation, and Sacred Heart football. JENNIFER A. MILLER, MD A Bay Area native who has had the dream of caring for local patients as a doctor since early in childhood, Dr. Jennifer Miller spent years at Stanford University both studying medicine and successfully founding multiple non-profits including the now largest student run pre-med group at Stanford (S.C.O.P.E.), the Courage Project, several overseas clinics (e.g. Honduras and Dharmasala), the Happiness Science Project, and BeAGoodDoctor.Org. Dr. Miller was subsequently awarded a Fulbright scholarship for these efforts and completed a public health internship in Roatan, Honduras. She has served as an advisor to innovative medical companies and is interested in cutting-edge medical technologies. Clinically, Dr. Miller is especially interested in geriatric vibrancy and believes in integrative medicine and promotion of health as equal to the prevention and treatment of illness. Currently Dr. Miller practices internal medicine at The Village Doctor in Woodside, CA. www.villagedoctor.com Phone: 650.851.4747 | Fax: 650.851.4343 2979 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062 SANDEE BIRDWELL, MD Sandee is a radiation oncologist, clinical advocate and integrative practitioner. She attended Princeton University and studied Molecular Biology. She went on to Stanford University School of Medicine for her medical degree and then completed a residency in Radiation Oncology at Stanford Hospital. She worked in the department of radiation oncology at Stanford Hospital for 10 years. Most recently Sandee trained to become a clinical advocate while also completing the Dr. Andrew Weil Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. As Medical Director of Hartman Hope Clinical Advocacy, Sandee focuses her time as a clinical advocate providing comprehensive help for people with serious or complex conditions who wish to intensively investigate their treatment options. AMANDA CLAIRE BERNSHTEYN, MPH, NC Amanda is a nutritionist with a holistic attitude about health. She graduated from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a pre-med concentration. To further round out her holistic beliefs, she studied with some of the top public health professionals in the world at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to obtain a Masters degree in Public Health Nutrition, with a concentration in Health Promotion. After continuing to study and spread the word about nutrition, food, and health for several years, Amanda completed a program in Holistic Nutrition at Bauman College in Berkeley, California. Amanda is a Certified Nutrition Consultant practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact her for one on one nutrition counseling where together you will create an actionable plan individualized for your needs and lifestyle. Amanda@get-body-wise.com www.get-body-wise.com Click here to get the salon handouts. Click here to view a short video of the salon. #health #nutrition #vitamins