Massaged kale, pate, and lots of fun: Whole Foods Cooking class, Dec. 8 & 9

What do massaged kale, nut milk, dolmas, pate and lots of laughter have in common? One of The Wellspring School’s Whole Foods Cooking classes! As part of our Wholistic Nutrition Program, students are required to take two whole foods cooking weekends, where they learn how to create menus, work with real foods to address various sensitivities and dietary requirements and build the tools needed to help future clients.

And did we mention fun and lots of food? The cooking classes are open to the public, space permitting. The next cooking class is coming up on Saturday and Sunday, December 8th & 9th, from 9:00-5:00 both days. The class is led by Tressa Yellig, owner and executive chef of Portland’s Salt, Fire and Time. December’s class will include lessons on fermentation, working with ingredients on hand, adding spice to dishes, menu planning and so much more!

For more information or to register for the class, click here. Below are some photos from our last Whole Foods Cooking class. We had a blast!

Currently enrolling for our Wholistic Nutrition Program, starting in January 2013!

Get the Skinny on Blood Sugar and How to Manage It!

The media is teeming with articles warning us of the meteoric rise of Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes in the US.  Do you have the most current information?

Do you wonder how you might best prevent blood sugar problems for yourself and/or for your clients and loved ones?  Michael Gaeta LAc, CND, will be offering a Sunday morning micro workshop on Optimizing Glycemic Control.  This class will give you a snapshot of how to deal with blood sugar issues wholistically.   You will leave better educated, and with the necessary tools to maintain healthy glycemic levels for life.

This class is open to student and health care practitioners, as well as the community.

The class is eligible for Continuing Ed credits.

I want to personally encourage you to consider taking this class with us at The Wellspring School.  I can say firsthand that Michael is an inspired and informed presenter.  I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Michael for 22 years. We were Amma Therapy classmates, back in the day, and our professional paths continued to cross over the years. Michael used to travel to Idaho to teach our business classes and was so well liked that he still provides mentorship to a handful of practitioners who graduated from those programs.  Michael has taught for Standard Process and Mediherb all over the United States and is always well received.  We are fortunate to have the opportunity to bring him to the Wellspring.  Let’s give him a cheery Portland welcome!

The class is Sunday, Nov. 4th from 9-1pm $40.

Portland Wholistic Nutriton Program – Enrollment & Classes Start in January!

We’ve been waiting a long time to be able to make this announcement! Our Portland school branch is now formally licensed by the Oregon State Department of Education and we are officially opening enrollment for our very first Wholistic Nutrition Program in Portland from January 2nd through February 15th, 2012. We will be accepting applications from students who’ve been taking individual classes with us as well as new students who are interested in pursuing program level certification for this nationally recognized program.

Check out our current schedule of classes and download a copy of the current student handbook that includes all of the required registration and application materials as well as info on pricing, payment plans, etc.

Classes for this program will run January 2012 through June 2013. The enrollment period is in tandem with new classes starting up. There are some really great discounts that we will offer to  this first group only!

The next class is Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine on January 21st & 22nd, 2012. After that we have Wholistic Nutrition I & II in February (25th & 26th) and March (17th & 18th). We still offer our classes to the community as well, so if there’s a topic that’s of interest to you, we welcome you to take the class. Check out the classes page on our website for more information on all of these classes.

The program incorporates Eastern (Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory) and Western principles and is a unique opportunity for acupuncturists, Asian body workers, physical therapists, personal trainers, healthcare practitioners, individuals seeking to start a stand-alone practice, or anyone wishing to expand their knowledge of Wholistic Nutrition!

The 280-hour program consists of 18 classes that meet one weekend a month to accommodate busy work schedules and real life demands! This format is ideal for commuters, full-time jobs and anyone with a busy schedule. Classes can also be taken individually for continuing education credits or personal enrichment.

Our past and current student body for this program include RN’s, PT’s, OT’s, Amma Therapists, Bodyworkers, Teachers, and many folks from different professions, all of whom tell us this program has given them some of the best tools possible in applying the benefits of nutrition.

It’s really a great program that we believe can make a difference. What are you waiting for? Contact us with any questions. 503.688.1482 or info@thewellspring.org.

“Currently I am incorporating the knowledge and wisdom(learned from The Wellspring School Wholistic Nutrition Program classes) to enhance my already established physical therapy practice. The combination couldn’t be better.” 

T. Hindson, CPT, CHN

National Association of Nutrition Professionals December E-Zine – Nutritional Tips, Recipe & Spotlight on The Wellspring School!

This month the National Association of Nutrition Professionals has some great tips on maintaining adrenal health through the holidays and beyond in their December E-Zine. In addition, there is a great recipe contributed by one of our current Boise Wholistic Nutrition Program students, Florence M-R (shown in the pic cooking away!) and yours truly for a pumpkin pudding/pie that’s sure to please for a holiday dessert that’s GF, DF and just plain yummy!

Even more exciting is that we are officially launching our Wholistic Nutrition Certification Program in Portland in January 2012!  We are very pleased to be able to bring this program in its entirety to the Portland community. Contact the school office at 503.688.1482 or send us an email at info@thewellspring.org for more info on how to register.

Rachael Myles

Director, The Wellspring School for Healing Arts

 

Education & Community Service – A Recipe for Success!

Wholistic Nutrition Program Student - Jessica W.

One of my favorite aspects of  The Wellspring School program students is the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of community service activities.  Through Amma students  providing bodywork to a hardworking group of teachers, or nutrition students educating various groups on the benefits of healthy, whole foods based eating, it is exciting to see people become interested in something they might not have had access to previously. Whether it’s through touch, mindful movement, diet or an exciting new recipe, we love seeing our students actively bridging the gap between the community in educating folks on leading healthier lifestyles in a way that is enjoyable.

As part of both Amma Therapy and Wholistic Nutrition students must participate in a minimum of 18 hours of community service. Recently in Boise, a group of Wholistic Nutrition Program students and I participated in a meeting of the new organization, Idaho Cancer Wellness Community, whose charter is to create a place where “people living with cancer can get the comprehensive social, emotional and educational support they need.” The Wellspring School was invited to prepare food for the event, being cognizant of a wide variety of food sensitivities and ensuring fresh, healthy and tasty snacks for the group.

Our menu included roasted root veggies, teff/quinoa & corn polenta topped with roasted red pepper and poblano chili pestos, fresh figs with walnut cream sauce and (DF,SF, GF) brownies and hazelnut cookie drops. While at the event we were  pleased to be able to provide recipes and information about the snacks and nutrition in general. It’s always amazing and satisfying when people discover that food can be healthy and tasty at the same time!

Below some pictures from the evening as well as a recipe for nut cream. The cream sauce is a great recipe to have on hand for the holidays. Substitute for whipped cream on pies, as a thickener for soups and topping for hot cereals or stewed fruits. It’s dairy free and super yummy!

Nut Cream

3 cups walnuts soaked overnight or cashews soaked for 1-2 hours (Whatever nut you like…softer nuts take less soaking time. Make sure to rinse when done and toss out the soaking water.)

½ Tsp. vanilla extract (for sweet cream use)

1 TBS maple syrup (for sweet cream use)

1/4 tsp sea salt (Optional)

3Tbs. coconut oil  (Optional, lends to a thicker texture, like a hard cream.)

Water – quantity depends on desired thickness

Preparation:

1. Put everything in a blender on low speed.

2. Gradually add water until the mixture is smooth and the desired consistency. It may take a few minutes so be patient!

3. Remove to a bowl and allow to chill thoroughly (about 30 minutes)

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