Harvest and Health #264

Stefanie Manning:

You know, you think back 20 years or so, there was a lot, a lot going on. And then, you know, fast forward 10 years ago to when we had the opportunity to purchase the Miss Portland Diner from the city. And it was really when 10 years ago was really when the food scene was taking hold. And what's funny is that the same year that the diner that we established, the new Miss Portland Diner, was the first year of Harvest on the Harbor.

Alban Maino:

It's funny you're mentioning Arnica too, because Roberto Foleo, who's an international ballet dancer that will be in the panel discussion in the afternoon along with Dave Cohens, was mentioning Arnica as one of whether it's in gel or in its homeopathic form as a natural go to remedy to prepare for those types of injuries.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Bottom is a time for gathering what we have grown for nourishing ourselves in preparation for the winter ahead. Today we speak with guests who are offering events during which we can nourish ourselves. Stephanie Manning is the new co owner of Harvest on the Harbor, a multi day food and drink event being held here in Portland. Alban Maino and Dr. Sarah Kotzer will be discussing the upcoming symposium on Integrative Health in Sports Practice being present by the center for Health Leadership. Thank you for joining us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

My next guest is an individual who is helping make new and exciting things happen in the city of Portland today. I have Stephanie Manning here with me who along with Gabrielle Garofalo is one of the new producers of Harvest on the Harbor. Their partnership began over 20 years ago when they started working together at Newsweek magazine in New York City. Since then they have remained business colleagues and friends with a passion for marketing events and all things culinary. In 2010, when working together on a multi day event for O, the Oprah magazine, they decided to put their talents and resources together to create their own business. In 2016, that was realized with the purchase of Harvest on the harbor from the Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau who created the event in 2008. They are honored to have the opportunity to take this brand to the next level. Their vision for Harvest on the harbor goes well beyond a multi day food and drink festival. Their mission is to use this event to celebrate everything about the food and drink culture in Maine and to have a lasting and residual impact on the Maine food economy. Thanks so much for coming in here today, Stephanie.

Stefanie Manning:

Thanks for having me, Lisa.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It's really exciting to be watching you take something that has been successful and already bringing people to the city of Portland for really enjoying what Maine has to offer, but taking it into a different direction and maybe to a whole new level.

Stefanie Manning:

We hope to do both of those things. I was presented with the opportunity when I had kind of heard through the grapevine that the Convention and Visitors Bureau was looking to get out of the events business, which is not really their primary business. And considering my background and really passion for bringing people together in an experiential way, it was just one of those opportunities where I was like this sounds like it could be the thing for me. So I just kind of jumped at it. I was fortunate enough that my friend and business colleague Gabrielle wanted to do it with me. Together we've got years and years of experience producing multi day national scale events and we really feel like we can bring that expertise to bear for the city of Portland, which we're really, really excited about.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You currently live in Cape Elizabeth with your husband who grew up on Munjoy Hill and actually is the owner of the Miss Portland Diner.

Stefanie Manning:

Correct. So my husband husband is a, is a Mainer through and through. The first time I visited Maine in, oh yeah, the early 90s, I knew this was a place that eventually I wanted to come and live and raise a family and was thrilled to have the opportunity to do that. The diner really was the thing that kind of propelled us to moving our family here from New Jersey. So we did that in 2013. And you know, in addition to the diner, I'm the VP of Marketing and Circulation at the Portland Press Herald, which is, you know, a big job. We're doing really fascinating things there. Our business has changed A lot in the last three years. And then this opportunity crept up and here I am producing a four day culinary experience. About 12 events that are going to really kind of touch on all of the key pieces of what makes the food and drink culture here what it is.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, tell me what it is about Maine that got you so excited and maybe about Maine food specifically.

Stefanie Manning:

Right. So when I think back to the first, first time I was here, I mean I remember walking around the old port and just being so fascinated with the development that was going on because you know, you think back 20 years or so, there was a lot, a lot going on. And then, you know, fast forward 10 years ago to when, you know, we had the opportunity to purchase the Miss Portland Diner from the city. And it was really when, you know, 10 years ago is really when the food scene was really was taking hold. And what's funny is that the same year that the diner that we established, the new Miss Portland Diner, was the first year of Harvest on the Harbor. And I remember like, I remember, you know, reading the Press Herald, like my hope, my whole world is connected by those three things. You know, I remember reading the newspaper and hearing about this multi day food festival and being like there's just something going on in Portland and, and watching that happen and evolve over the years and being a part of it has been really thrilling.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So Harvest on the harbor has been around since 2008 and a lot of things change in that period of time and you have a new and different vision for this. What is it that you and Gabrielle are trying to accomplish?

Stefanie Manning:

So the convention of Visitors bureau created Harvest on the harbor as a marketing platform as a way to showcase what was going on in the food culture here to people from away. I mean that's their job is to drive tourists to our town and to put people in hotel rooms and to get them into the restaurants and to get them into the retailers. And so Harvest did that for many years. And I think the reason I go around town and a lot of people haven't heard of Harvest on the harbor, which is actually pretty amazing considering it's been around for all that time. But when you really think about it, it had been marketed to people from away. It hadn't really been marketed as an opportunity to bring the community together to celebrate. And for me, that's the missing piece. You know, what we've built here is incredible. There are so many people from so many walks of life and so many different parts of Maine who are working really hard to kind of keep this food Economy growing. And we need a party. We need an opportunity to celebrate and to bring all those people together and to bring the community together to support them in their efforts. So for us, it's really about highlighting the kind of key things that make our food economy what it is and just having a really good time doing it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What are the dates for Harvest on the Harbor?

Stefanie Manning:

Harvest on the harbor will take place here in Portland from Thursday, October 20th through Sunday, October 23rd.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So tell me what people can expect over that period of time.

Stefanie Manning:

Sure. So we're producing, I guess it's about 10 custom events on our own. And then we're also working with the community to have opportunities to promote other people's events that are going on during the same time, as well as shopping opportunities that'll be going on all over town during the same time. So really trying to infiltrate Portland and really create, you know, a lot of ways for people to get involved, you know, our schedule of events, everything that we're producing will happen at 58 Fourth street, the Portland company. And we're really excited for the opportunity to bring people together.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I remember over the years seeing sort of the big tent peaks for Harvest on the harbor, like right on the harbor itself. So 58 Fourth street is not that far away, but it is a slightly different venue. Why did you decide to choose to go there?

Stefanie Manning:

So they actually stopped doing the tents a couple of years ago. And, you know, I think for us, you know, 58 Fourth street gives us the same square footage that a tent would, and it really kind of takes away the weather factor. Right. The end of October, who knows what we can expect? So, you know, for us, while 58 Fourth street is what it still is, we just figured that we would take advantage of the big cavern space that's there. We'll be utilizing different parts of the building for different events to change up the experience and the look and feel of things.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why October? Why was that chosen to be the time when Harvest on the harbor took place?

Stefanie Manning:

So, you know, we. I mean, we're following. We purchased Harvest on the harbor in February, and that just seemed too late to be rethinking the timing of the event. It originally was put post Columbus Day to extend the tourism season. Again, the cvb, it was a marketing platform, and they had their reasons for picking the timing. That's definitely something that we will think about and consider going into 2017. For us, 16 is about executing with excellence. It's about changing the way that we talk about Harvest on the harbor and change the. The events themselves and really to execute with excellence and to prove to the community, both from the chef standpoint and our sponsor standpoint and also the attendee standpoint, that these are going to be fantastic events no matter what time of year they are. Then going into 2017, we'll rethink the timing probably.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Who are some of the partners that you've been working with?

Stefanie Manning:

The first event that we're going to do is called the Sustainable Seafood Soiree and Supper. And we're thrilled to be working in partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute promotes all of the seafood that is pervasive here in Maine. And they've got a bunch of partner chefs. So we'll be bringing those chefs together to curate a fantastic past hors d' oeuvre cocktail party and then a plated multi course sit down dinner. We've got, but we're so fortunate to have Steve and Michelle Corey leading the charge on that event. Their chef, Kyle Robinson, will be one of the chefs who, who works on the event. We also have Melissa Bouchard from DeMillo's and Andrew Chadwick from In by the Sea, all of whom are culinary partners of gmri. So we're really psyched about that event. I think it'll be a really great way to start four days of fantastic food events.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So from what I understand, sustainable seafood really is focusing on maybe the under loved species of fish. Exactly. Trying to get away from species of fish that are overfished and showing people that we can actually make something really great and tasty out of something that we have more of rather than something we have less of.

Stefanie Manning:

Exactly. And that's what will be on our menu.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And who else, what else do you have going on?

Stefanie Manning:

So on Friday, we're doing typically at Harvest on the harbor, there has been a main lobster chef competition. And we've decided in our first year to take the competition out of play. What we learned from the community is that local chefs don't really like to be pitted up against each other.

[Unidentified voice]:

Right.

Stefanie Manning:

Like we're a community. And why should we? Why should we? Why should we be competing with each other? I mean, obviously the nature of the business is to be competitive, but we don't need to do that in an event format. We decided instead to do a Lobster Chef celebration. And this, working in partnership with the main lobster Marketing collaborative, will bring together about a dozen chefs to feature 12 very different lobster recipes. It'll be a pretty traditional tasting event where we do pairings with beverages of all sorts. The timing's happy hour on Friday and that's going to be a fantastic event. Also participating in that, we've got Nick Krunkala from Liquid Riot and Isaac Aldridge from the Pilot House at the Sebasco Harbor Inn. Matt Ginn from Evo, who actually is the reigning champ of the Maine Lobster Chef competition. So we're pretty psyched with the lineup for that too.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you're not just bringing people from the Portland area, you're actually, your reach goes far beyond that.

Stefanie Manning:

Yeah, I mean, I think ultimately we want to be representative of the main food economy. You know, it's very easy here in Portland to be Portland centric, and because this is where we live in work, you know, it's easy to connect with these folks. But yeah, by all means, we are more than interested in representing Maine as a state.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you have a few more days of events.

Stefanie Manning:

I know I feel like I could go on and on and on. On Saturday, our signature event is called Market on the Harbor. This will be. We're doing this in two sessions and for all intent purposes, it's the biggest food sampling opportunity there is. We'll bring together about 100 food purveyors to sample their products, but also to vend their products. We're really excited to be partnering with Whole Foods, who will be bringing a bunch of their local suppliers in and doing a pop up experience where you can taste and purchase their products. You know, there are so many people doing such amazing work in the food space and not in restaurants. Right. Like people who are making fantastic energy bars and amazing granola and potato chips and, you know, foods of all sorts. And we really want this to be the opportunity for them to showcase what they're doing, give people a taste and sell.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So for people who are, say, vegetarian or gluten free or have some sort of other dietary needs or maybe just are a little bit more picky, will there be lots of options to choose from?

Stefanie Manning:

The goal is lots of, lots of options at all of our events, frankly, we do recognize that crafting your culinary choices is definitely part of the food experience. So we'll work really hard to represent everybody. It's hard to promise that because we're really relying on a lot of people to help us execute well, but that's our goal.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And what else, Anything else going on in your lineup?

Stefanie Manning:

The only other event that I, that I wanted to mention today is our chef showcase, which will be our finale event on Sunday. And we're thrilled to have Harding Lee Smith helping us out and kind of leading the charge on bringing together the top chefs around Maine. You know, the people who really started all of this, right, who, like, put a stake in the ground and said, there's something here, we're going to create it. So this also will be a pretty traditional tasting event. We're also really excited to have the opportunity to feature a handful of mixologists at this event because the beverage scene is equal to the food scene, or at least growing to be equal. And we're excited to have the opportunity to showcase some of the people who are doing amazing work in mixology. We've got Venus Fizz House signed on to do one of the bars. They're doing pretty incredible work and selling a lot of local product also. So that'll be our grand finale event.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Stephanie, I know that one of the things that chefs in our area really like to focus on is helping bring food to people who maybe don't have the same access that maybe the festival goers harvest on the harbor goers have. You have a charity that you're working to support. Tell me about that.

Stefanie Manning:

So we have. We are working hand in hand with full plates, full potential. We believe strongly as to working mothers that eradicating childhood hunger, specifically in Maine, but also across the United States, is probably one of the most important things that we need to do. So we are thrilled to be working with full plates. They do really incredible work. I think. I think more than any other organization, they're really spreading the love. They work hand in hand with, you know, with the folks who are on the front lines to make sure that the monies are distributed in a way that really makes a difference. So we couldn't be prouder to align ourselves with the work that they're doing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you also have some great sponsor partners that have come in to help you out.

Stefanie Manning:

Yeah, we're so fortunate to be getting the kind of reception that we are from folks of all kinds. I mean, really, there's not a person that I talk to that's not encouraged or excited about what we're trying to accomplish here. We're thrilled to have Bangor Savings bank on board as a partner for our sustainable seafood event. We've got Whole Foods, as I mentioned, as a partner, we're working with Native Maine, who is a supplier to a lot of the chefs who are participating. Native Maine is a great partner and will be helping us to execute at the highest level.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So if you're someone from the Portland area or someone from away that is looking to do just an entire weekend full of fun, what Would you personally envision that weekend to look like. Would it be not just the festival, but also getting out into the old port, doing some shopping, heading around town?

Stefanie Manning:

Absolutely. So we're actually. Thanks for bringing this up. We're actually partnering with Portland Downtown, which is organization that is in collaboration with the city about really creating the downtown experience here in Portland. We will be working with them for ticket holders to have access to all sorts of shopping opportunities in town. And that'll include everything from, you know, specials at restaurants to discounts in shops, you know, maybe even tasting opportunities around town and some of the places that won't necessarily be at our events. So there'll be a whole list on our website, harvestontheharbor.com of the locations around town that ticket holders will be able to go into and benefit from as part of their weekend experience? I mean, we hope, you know, we're taking a very pointed approach with our events, and we understand that not everything will appeal to everyone. And part of the, you know, part of the rationale for that is that we want people in the restaurants, we want people in the stores, and we want, you know, we want people to make a weekend of it and really experience Maine outside of the Portland company. I mean, what we'll be doing will be fantastic, but there's a lot to do and see here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It seems as though the idea of a food and wine festival has really become more important to people, really across the country and across the world. I know there are big, big festivals that take place in Charleston, I think in Aspen and San Francisco, New York. Why is it that we are so enamored of this idea of the food and wine festival?

Stefanie Manning:

I mean, I'm sure that it rings true in most communities, is that the food sector, and I know this firsthand from watching my husband do the work that he did. It's really hard work. It's really super hard work. You know, there just needs to come a time where the community pulls together to, you know, not only support, but also celebrate. To celebrate what. What has happened. I also think it gives us an opportunity. You know, Portland is very much on the national kind of food scope. Right. Like the national media. You know, we have the attention of national media, and I think this is just another way to showcase who we are and what we do and, you know, gives Maine a voice and a look and a feel that's packaged up beyond just a restaurant experience.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So impressed with the fact that you and Gabrielle are just jumping into this with both feet. Well, four feet, I guess, from the two of you and that you really just transitioned into this February. So once you've got this one under your belt and I'm sure it's going to be very successful and everybody's going to want to go to this event in October. What do you envision after that?

Stefanie Manning:

So we've been bouncing around a ton of ideas. We went into this with the intention of really seeing through 2016 before we decided what it looks like afterwards. We're learning something new every single day. This is no small undertaking and it really does require a ton of people banding together to make the vision happen. So honestly, right now it's hard to see beyond October 23rd, but we have ideas and I don't know that I'm ready to share them yet, but we've got ideas and for us it's really not about. We don't want it to be about a four day event experience. Right. We want there to be an always on presence and a way that we can support the community on an ongoing basis. And, you know, while we love the brand Harvest on the harbor, it does feel a little restricting to a certain time of year. So, you know, we again committed to doing this for October and then have a bunch of ideas about how we'll evolve it going forward. We need to prove ourselves first and we know that and we're excited to do it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Anything else you think that people who are listening might want to know?

Stefanie Manning:

Just a plug, really. Our entire event schedule will be available on harvestontheharbor.com which is also where you can see everyone who's participating, all of the shopping opportunities. You'll be able to buy tickets from there. There's a link to Full Plates, Full Potential and How to get Involved in Eradicating Childhood hunger, which we feel really, really strongly about. So everything you want to know is on harvestontheharbor.com well, very good.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And on our Show Notes page, we will also have your website.

Stefanie Manning:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I know that I will see you at Harvest on the Harbor. I'm very much looking forward to this event. I think you're going to do a great job, you and Gabrielle. We've been speaking with Stephanie Manning, who along with Gabrielle Garofalo is the new producer. Both of them are the new producers of Harvest on the harbor right here in Portland, which will take place in October. I encourage people to check out the website and go to the event and make This a great success for this year and the years to come. Thanks for coming in.

Stefanie Manning:

Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I enjoy doing the most as in, well, I guess as a non doctor because I like being a doctor, I like being a radio show host, but I really like working with people during events. And today I get to speak with two individuals who I'm working with in an upcoming event. This is Albin Maino who is the program director for the center for Wellness Leadership which is holding its 2016 symposium on Integrative Health in Sports Practice on October 29th at the University of Southern Maine. Dr. Sarah Kotzer, who is speaking at the symposium, is a Portland based family practice, naturopathic doctor, author and teacher. And I have both Alban and I'm sure I'm pronouncing your name incorrectly so you can definitely tell me if it's wrong. And also Dr. Sarah Kotzer here in the studio with me today. Thanks for being here.

Alban Maino:

Good morning.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

Good morning.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you are pronounce your name for me now.

Alban Maino:

Albon.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Albon. That's right. Because of the French?

Alban Maino:

That's right.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Because you're from France.

Alban Maino:

Nobody's perfect.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes, well, I'm definitely not perfect. Although with my French background I should have a little bit better take on the accent. How long have you been in Maine?

Alban Maino:

I've been coming to Maine for about 25 years, but I've been a resident of Portland, Maine for three years now. Happily so.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you have a link to Swan's Island?

Alban Maino:

I do, yes. I spent most of my summers for the past three decades on Swan's island attending an idle house Swan's Island. So that was a lot of fun attending the Sweet Chariot Music and Art

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Festival, which I believe that Maine Magazine will be doing an article on next year.

Alban Maino:

I saw Maine magazine there this summer. Yes. And some photographics, great photographies of old time sessions were taken there. Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Which is intriguing to you because your background is in documentary filmmaking.

Alban Maino:

That's correct. Actually, I started to go to Swan's island and to that festival in order to document because it was extremely visual. And since you know you cannot stay on Swan's island, the only way to get there is to actually go on boats. There's no restaurant, there's nowhere to stand. And so the public actually arrives on beautiful schooners and the performers come and sing songs to them. And I thought, wow, this is a documentary ready to happen. But then I moved to Swan's island and it became my family. So I stopped. I continued to document it for many, many years. But I. I didn't pursue that documentary idea.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And, Dr. Sarah, you have come through Maine, different avenue, different channels. Tell me about that.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

I grew up in northern Vermont and I went out west to get my naturopathic medical degree. And I thought, I'll come back to Vermont and settle in. In the woods. And I got to Vermont and I realized there were so few people, I didn't think I could make a living. So I started looking around in New England and I was looking for a place that had a walkable downtown and little cute coffee shops and bookstores that were independent. And I drove into the downtown and I thought, this is the place. And the next day I signed a lease on a medical office space. And then I had to find a place to live and sort of love at first sight. So I've been here about nine years and love Portland.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So I'm intrigued by the work that you do as a naturopath doctor because you're working in the same field that I'm working in, family health. But you approach it from a different angle. You have a lot of medical background, but naturopathic doctors, they have a very different set of classes that they take in their training.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

That's right. So naturopathic doctors are trained in the sort of current medical sciences. We do human dissection, we learn about anatomy and physiology and all that. But we start with the basics of the least invasive methods first, with nutrition and lifestyle medicine and herbs and homeopathic remedies and physical adjustments like chiropractors do, and mind body medicine. And we try to use those tools before we use pharmaceutical medication and so we are also trained in the use of drugs. And here in Maine, we can prescribe some drugs. We have a limited formulary that we can use, but it's a great profession. And I just totally love showing up and doing what I do. Every day feels like a party.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, few people in the medical field say it feels like a party, so I know it seems like probably something people should check out from, like a patient standpoint.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

Yeah, absolutely. There are about 30 naturopathic doctors licensed in Maine. We've been licensed for the last 20 years. We can operate as someone's primary care physician if they don't need certain drugs. We can't prescribe, but we can diagnose and treat disease. We can order lab work. We can do physical exams and gyna exams, that sort of thing. So for some people, it's a perfect fit. And for a lot of people, they have a conventional doctor and then they have a naturopathic doctor on their team to give them feedback about how they could be eating, what supplements they might want to take, you know, a more alternative approach. So.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I have a number of patients that also have naturopathic doctors, and it works out really well for me because I always learn from the patients. They'll come back and they'll say, my naturopathic doctor said this, this, and this. And I'll say, well, that's really fascinating. I need to learn more about that. And it seems like it can be a really nice collaborative effort.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

Yeah, absolutely. It's not an exclusive thing, you know, where you can only see a naturopath and people can't be on medications. It's severe blended method.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It seems as though what you are trying to do, Alban from the center for Wellness Leadership, is this integrative type of care. The symposium is actually called the Symposium on Integrative Health in Sports Practice. So you're trying to bring together the worlds of all the different health practices to see what you can offer to people.

Alban Maino:

That's right. The center of Wellness Leadership is a young organization, but as Sarah mentioned during our conversation prior to here, it's a world that has been in motion since several decades. And we're just newcomers here, but we felt that there was a need to raise awareness and to bring together that community that has a really wide scope of practitioners. And Maine is extremely rich. We have lots of incredible acupuncturists and Chinese medicine healers and naturopath and homeopath. And we decided that we would start this organization around three pillars, which were education, research, and provide resources for also the general public to understand what is homeopathy? It's for you who have been in that field for many years, when we talk about osteopathy or acupuncture, it's something that seems very natural, but I think there's a strong need for education. And this is why we came here and we decided to launch that organization about a year ago and give it birth with our main event, who's Coming, as you mentioned, Lisa, October 29th at USM and focus on something that we all do here in Maine in the states, and focus on athletic performances and see how, from the point of view of prevention, but also post injuries, how those alternative health modalities can be used to prevent those injuries or to heal them quicker, faster.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Sarah, you're going to be speaking at the symposium.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

I am.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Give us a little preview of what you're going to be talking about.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

So my colleague Nancy Frederick and I will be speaking about homeopathic medicine and its use in preventing and treating sports illness and injury. One of the things that we both specialize in in our practices is the treatment of head injuries with using homeopathic remedies. And often there, while there are things that can be done, you know, immediately after head injury, from the conventional point of view, you know, if there are lingering side effects from those head injuries, they're a there are not a lot of options for people. People can get put on like antidepressants because they aren't functioning the way they used to or whatever. But I think homeopathic medicine really has a lot to offer in terms of that. So we're really excited to share the possibility of people living with head injuries and using homeopathy for that. And then we're also going to give people a sort of short rundown about, first of all, what is homeopathy and how does it work? But then based on the types of sports, people might be practicing two or three common injuries that come along with practicing those sports. And then what remedies could be helpful for that so that if they want to try this out at home, they can, you know, use some of these natural medicines on themselves and see, you know, we could sort of give them a little teaser about how to get started doing that. So.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So if I were to come to you as a patient and ask you what is homeopathy and as a runner, what could you recommend?

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Would you be able what would you give me for an answer?

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

So what is homeopathy? Homeopathy is a 200-year-old system of medicine that was discovered in Germany by a German physician. And it is basically the use of highly diluted natural substances that stimulates the body's self healing mechanism in a very specific way. Each remedy is for a different type of injury or situation. And so remedy that I might use in a runner who, let's say, you know, people who do long distance running, they overdo it, they can't stop themselves. They might need a remedy called arnica, which is for overuse. You know, they, it's for injuries like if you broke a bone, it would help you heal faster, but also just for wear and tear on joints for people. A runner who let's say says they do a run the next day, they're so creaky and it takes them, you know, a half hour to warm up. They might need a remedy called rust tox, which is a remedy made from the poison ivy plant, actually. And that is a remedy that's for joints that are much better once they get moving and also better from applications of hot water. So when people say, oh, I'm so much better from the bath and my joints are better after I warm up a little bit, then rust tox is often a remedy that gets it the root cause of that and takes away those symptoms. So I've also used that actually for cases of chronic lyme disease where people have that sort of joint problem, that rusty gate kind of joint problem.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, this is interesting because I have used arnica for patients before. It's usually bruising. That's what I think about arnica for.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

It's good for that. But it can also be from surgery. It could be from, from, you know, a fall or a broken bone or just an overuse. Usually the person who needs arnica feels like they fell off the back of a truck. They're just sort of like achy all over. Everything hurts. So however you get to that state, it could be helpful to, to help reverse that.

Alban Maino:

It's funny you're mentioning arnica too, because Roberto Foleo, who's an international ballet dancer that will be in the panel discussion in the afternoon along with with Dave Cohens, was mentioning arnica as one of the, whether it's in jail or in its homeopathic form as a natural go to remedy to prepare for those types of injuries. So we're going to be talking also about very practical ways of dealing with that from not only the practitioner and the provider and healthcare provider, but also from the other hands. When athletes or you and I really actually need that, what do we do?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

And how do you take it in? Where do you find it?

Alban Maino:

Where do you find Arnica?

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

You can find Arnica at the Whole Foods or a natural food store. They're very inexpensive. A little bottle of arnica costs about $7.50.

Alban Maino:

So is it reimbursed, Sarah?

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

It depends. I think if you have a health savings account and your physician says that it's a required medicine, you can usually use your health savings account money. But. But I don't think an insurance company will cover your Arnica.

Alban Maino:

This is one of the things that we actually would like to see happening in the future with CWL's work as advocacy for more free health care and alternative ways of dealing with our health. And not only the pharmaceutical companies being that. So, you know, coming from France, where we have sort of a free education and free health care, I think this is the model that we should be trying to. To implement slowly. And I think it's coming slowly, but we're going to be working at it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

During the Olympics this summer, I was watching with my daughters and occasionally my son, and they're all have been athletes or are athletes. And we saw a lot of cupping going on. We saw the little. They almost looked like bruises, often on backs or shoulders or knees of swimmers. And I was explaining to them that this is related. This is acupuncture. This is mock Sebastian. These are things that are being done which have been done for thousands of years in other parts of the world, and we're bringing them now into the mainstream. That must be kind of encouraging to see when you're watching the Olympics.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

It's awesome.

Alban Maino:

It is. We did actually on the blog, we just launched what I call the Media vault journal on wellnessleadership.org on our website where you can find all sorts of. So it's a really interesting approach to different modalities, but also very practical. And we did blog articles about cupping during the Olympics. And you're right, it's something that has been used for a long time. I remember in all the flea markets buying old cups from the 1940s and wondered. And I bought some decades ago. I didn't know they were actually used. Materialized. And Chinese medicine has been around for thousands of years and underused. So this is why we're here for, is to say there are so many different ways in which we can help.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I think the thing that I like the best about the integrative approach is that you're offering things that people can do for themselves. And I think naturopathic medicine is particularly good at that because you talk a lot about diet, lifestyle, homeopathy and that's. I would like to see mainstream medicine get closer to that because I like that approach a little bit more than come see me, I'll give you a medicine. I like it when people engage in their own care because I really think that that's ultimately how they're going to become the healthiest.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

Absolutely. Because if you can teach them how their body works and why it's doing what it's doing, then they have more buy in for like, oh, I'm exhausted because I'm not eating or my digestion is off or something, then they can fix that on their own. It's not that they're in this passive role of I'm ill and now you have to come rescue me with some high and mighty medicine or something. So yeah, it's great to see a patient learn about themselves.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Alban, tell me what else we can expect to see at the symposium. Who are some of the other speakers?

Alban Maino:

Well, first of all, we wanted this day to be exciting for all of us. So we made and had a really fun path. We wanted to be interactive and most of the students speakers will come and speak for 15, 20 minutes and we'll have time to get Q&As during and after. There will be vendors. It will be really something that anyone should attend. Not only practitioners that want to enhance their practice or learn about new practice, but also students. I want to mention that it's free for all students and is a very affordable day for everyone who wants to attend. So go on wellnessleadership.org and you can find the whole detail. So we're going to have a crescendo day. We're going to start with Dr. Schneider who's going to tell us about integrative health and what has been happening in Maine for the past 20 years. And then Dr. Gillespie, who was actually the main head for the Red Claws physician, will come and tell us about how from a very practical point of view, Western medicine was used and is used currently for athletic performances. Following those two great keynote speakers, we'll have Dr. Diane Aiden from Natural Meg who will come and tell us about what can transform an athlete into a champion, which is I think, a really fascinating topic. And then we'll have a little coffee break. And after that Sarah and Nancy will come and tell us about homeopathy. And then we'll lead on to some actually case studies, very short interactive case studies with Dan Kass. He'll come and tell us about acupuncture and Chinese medicine. And then Tom Gilson will come and tell us about osteopathy. I'm sure some of your listeners are not familiar there. Lots of them probably are. And then after our lunch break in the afternoon, we'll move on to fun interactive panel discussions. Dave Cowens from the Celtics will be there. We'll have also thanks to Maine Live events, which was incredible. I met Help me out the luge. Incredible. Julia Koukou, Julia Houky, who accepted to come and will come and be a speaker as well, along with Roberto Forleo for an hour talk where we can get some very practical feedback from international athletes on how they use integrative health in their daily practice. That's pretty much the sense of the day.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I've become interested lately in not just preventing injuries or dealing with injuries that one has, but also optimizing performance. And I think you mentioned this a little bit. I know that since Title 9, women have been involved in sports more actively. And we never really realized how much the variations in women's cycles actually could impact what was going on athletically. And I just read a book about this and it was really fascinating. Fascinating to me. And it's something that I would assume that people who are doing naturopathic medicine have probably paid closer attention to for quite some time.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

Wow. What were the basic findings about performance in women's cycles?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, the interesting thing was that, so as the cycle begins, you would expect that women would feel more depleted when they're out running a marathon, for example. But really what they're finding is once the hormone levels have changes and the cycle is happening, women are actually more similar to men in their performances. So that's actually not the most difficult time to be out running a marathon. And I think we're fairly early on in trying to understand what actually does happen over the course of time with women and their hormones. But it's something that, it's kind of like a no brainer. Why weren't we paying closer attention to this from the very beginning? Because hormones can impact, impact muscles and bones and joints and ligaments and all of our internal organs, our respiratory rate, our heart rate. But I think until people started to, until women really were in the mainstream doing athletics, nobody was really thinking about it at all. And also aging, that's another thing that I think we are, I think I'm fascinated by too. Probably because I like everybody. I'm aging. There are things that happen to our bones, joints and muscles. It happened to everybody as we get older. So how do we maximize and optimize the performance no matter who we are, male, female, older, younger? And I'm assuming that some of these conversations at your symposium will start to touch on this.

Alban Maino:

Absolutely. And you're mentioning aging, and I thought this was a very important topic to address it all, by all means, because we all are in the process of using integrated medicine and approach is, as Sara described it, a holistic approach to health in general. But it's also very related to very concrete things that we do every day. The way we eat, the way we exercise. So it's not necessarily something that's provided by a provider. You need to go and see your physician to get better. There are very simple remedies that we do apply. And as we're getting old, there are also very simple things that we can do to exercise and adapt the body. So, yes, hopefully we'll be tapping into that. I wanted to have a speaker that would come and speak specifically about that. Maybe it will be for another symposium where we can address those issues.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Sarah, circling back to the conversation about head injuries, I'm wondering if there is a larger conversation that will be generated about things like dementia, which I know all about. You have a special interest in, and seizures and some of the other strokes, some of the other neurologic things that have happened, which I know that Chinese medicine has dealt with really well over the years. And I know, Alban, you had done some work with music and memory and dementia. But is there a broader application, Sarah, to the work that you're going to be, to the. To what you're going to be talking about at the symposium?

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

Absolutely. I think my dad actually had a stroke a couple of years ago, and so it has been a learning journey with me helping him regain some of his language and his functioning. And he's in his mid-70s and it's a challenging road, but to look at him, he's sort of the case study of someone who's really in the conventional world. And also we're trying to keep his functioning as high as it can be. He keep the quality of his life as high as it can be. And so, yeah, I think I sort of have a special interest in these sort of neurological kinds of conditions because it seems to me that. And maybe this is just my. That I don't know, but it seems to me like the allopathic approach tends to be there's a certain limit to what can be, what's hoped for, what can you regain after you've had a stroke, what you can. What can you get back after you've, you know, you have a seizure disorder. Oh, now you just have to be on all these medications. And I don't necessarily think that's true. And so I feel excited to be in a position to be able to offer another possibility. And certainly I never tell people, oh, just go get off your meds and do whatever you want. I like to work in conjunction with other physicians. It's certainly, you know, it's a dance that we do and the, the patient directs that dance. But also I think there is the potential for the, for people to get themselves back after these really life threatening, life changing kinds of either injuries or accidents, you know, and that to me is exciting to share that because man, life can be really good even after some of those things.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What's your thought thinking on this?

Alban Maino:

I was reflecting about my own personal experience. My brother passed away when I was 20 years old from a disease that was very similar to als. And I was involved in that palliative care approach very early on. That's what got me excited about alternative medicine, because I realized that allopathic health in general didn't have any solution to take care of those people and started documenting it because I wasn't a physician myself. And later on, when my grandmother a few years ago was affected by dementia and Alzheimer's, I realized that we could really have a direct impact on the well being of people by using alternative methods such as meditation. And meditation is a very easy thing to do, breathing is a very easy thing to do. And when you're affected by dementia or Alzheimer's, at whatever level it is, we can help people dream. And so I used my background as a cinematographer, as a music passionate to bring together those two worlds, the world of virtual reality, for the lack of a better world, using guided imagery and passive meditation, bringing back the music, the sound, even the olfactory stimulation to a pathological situation. And we realized very quickly and geriatric physicians got really interested in the work that we were doing because we realized that the impact was directly in correlation with diminution of medication, for example, and that we were able to increase the well being of people. And so we're talking about a specific pathology, but I think this can be applied to any one of us. And using integrative medicine in our daily lives can improve our productivity at work, our interaction with other human beings everywhere we go. And it's a natural exercise that is not very complicated to do. And when I discovered that a few years ago, I said, wow, this is good. This is something that I can work on and help disseminate and use my domain of expertise as a storyteller to tell the world.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I encourage people to learn more about the center for Wellness Leadership. We will have information about the center and also the 2016 Symposium on Integrative Health and Sports Practice on our Show Notes page. We've been speaking with Alban Meyneau, who is the Program Director for the center for Wellness leadership, and also Dr. Sarah Kotzer, who is speaking at the symposium. Thanks so much for coming in today. We'll see you at the symposium.

Dr. Sarah Kotzur:

We'll see you there today. Thanks for having us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have been listening to Lovemain radio show number 264, harvest and health. Our guests have included Stephanie Manning, Alban Maino, and Dr. Sarah Kotzer. For a preview of each week's show, sign up for our E. Newsletter and like our LoveMain Radio Facebook page, follow me on Twitter as DRLISA and see my running travel, food and wellness photos as bountiful1 on Instagram. We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think of Love Maine Radio. We welcome your suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you have heard about them here. We are privileged that they enable us to bring Love Maine Radio to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle. I hope that you have enjoyed our Heart Harvest and Health Show. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Been doing this for how long now?

[Unidentified voice]:

We had our 10th anniversary in August, so it's pretty amazing. If I'd ever thought, you know, I would say Lyle Lovett and Aaron Neville would be my backyard, I would, you know, think you were crazy. But everybody else thought we were crazy. And we did do it, I guess. But it's been Great. It's kind of a respite for artists, which was thing I really wanted to do. I wanted it to be special for artists and for the audience. So it's. It's definitely different. It's. It's a little frozen in time. We're not on Facebook. We're not connected socially like everybody else is. We're just kind of up there in the middle of nowhere. And when people drive up, I'm still shocked that they. They drive up the road and they come. And when the room fills up, it is kind of that. Oh, my. Oh, my God. What were. What were we thinking? And how lucky did. How lucky did we get that they actually did come? Because this could have been a really stupid idea, but. But I guess. But I think the bigger shows that's been in it. That was always something I wanted to do, was bring big artists to a small room so you would get to see them in that original way of seeing them perform when they used to play small rooms and small clubs, because you get to see their hands and their face, and they talk to the audience in a way they don't do in a big room because you just can't. So it's a very different experience to see those kinds of artists up close. And it's been awesome. And they really love it, and they love the way we've made sure that they have what they need and there's nothing there. So we have everything from batteries to, you know, anything they could need. Any, you know, Rolaids, you know, just everywhere they go, there's baskets of little pockets of things that they. They might have to stop at a store for, but we've got for them, and we feed them like crazy, and they come back. And that's the whole idea.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It is. I've been out to Brownfield, believe it or not, many times. We used to go regularly to the Sakopee Valley. We used to go on the Saco River.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That was where we. And you're right. There isn't really a lot out there, but it was really very beautiful. I remember it. You know, there's. There's a lot of fields and trees, and then there are these bodies of water that just kind of spring up. And there's something very, I don't know, peaceful about it.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

In a way that doesn't seem frenetic like the coasts can be sometimes.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah. And I love the coast. It's. It's not us versus the coast, but it is. It has got a. I think more people are living there Year round. I think just the economy in those rural towns versus the coastal economy, it's different. You know, the people that are coming to our place are also working in our hospitals and our stores. And I always say, there's a carpenter for every tree In Brownfield, everybody's a carpenter. Everybody, you know, everybody that works there is, is that lives there is kind of the same class too. I think financially people are closer in their, you know, in their income bracket than a lot of towns in Maine. It's not that extreme like some towns in Maine. So there's a feel there that's kind of normal, you know, that's kind of constant. It doesn't get that changed by the. By the seasons or the tourist seasons. So it's. It was really important to me. When I would come off the road, there would be nothing to do in the area unless we came to Portland or traveled. So I. I often would rent. I used to rent this church nearby and do a Christmas concert. And I thought, you know, I can't be so great that people are coming to see me every year for this. This stupid thing. They're coming because there's nothing else to do. It's Saturday night, it's near the house, and they're coming. And it just made me feel like in rural towns you have to make your own kind of world and your own entertainment. And they do in many ways. That's what the grange halls have always done and those kinds of places. But I did want to take it a step further. I wanted to really great music to come up to our area in a special way. So I hope I've done that. And I think we have. But it's really become a tourist place too. I would say 75% of our audience is coming from outside of Maine, which is kind of amazing. Lots of Massachusetts folks coming up for the weekend to see an artist they love in this way. So I'm hoping it also helps the local economy. It's getting people in hotels and restaurants and that kind of thing. So hopefully it's a trickle down place too.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What type of feedback do you get from the artists who come out and perform with you?

[Unidentified voice]:

They really love it. It's not like anyplace else. And. And they know everybody. The artists, the big artists that have come back remember people's names. They have a routine. You know, when Bela Fleck comes, he always knows. He always says, you know, did you make the veggie chili? Or, you know, like they remember the food or they remember how they're taken care of. And they say it on stage and think they really mean it. You know, artists always say, you know, hey, we love Brownfield, you know, but there's a way that they speak about our place that's so moving. When we had our 10th anniversary, lots of them sent us little clips and little photos and just saying, you know, we love Brownfield and we love Stone Mountain, and it's just. They're more involved with us, I think, than most venues. When Mavis Staples comes, it's like our aunt is here to visit, you know, and she. Every time she comes, she calls me up on stage and I end up singing a tune with her, which, if I died tomorrow, that would. I would have already done such a great thing in my life, and that would be it. That would be like, the thing you just. Okay, I'm good. I can go now. Because singing with her and being involved with her, and she'll come out on stage and say hi to everybody and thank everybody and remember my mom and remember my sisters that were only there a couple of times when she was there. So it's a very personal experience for the artists. When they come to us, they talk about it a lot. We hear other artists that come see us for the first time say, we've been hearing about this place for a year. We've been on the road. That's all we ever hear about. That's great.