GoodHealthKC.com
BEAUTY + FITNESS + NUTRITION + WELLNESS
| You've CAM a long way, KC! |
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Recently, while I was interviewing the very lovely Barb Hamilton of Body Wise Nutrition and Kathy Hale, founder of CanIHaveaBite and the 28-Day Challenge, our conversations extended far beyond what I could fit into my 700 word-count limit. (OK, maybe I still stretched it to 1,000--Good Health KC mag Senior Editor Kate Brousseau knows I love words--and her--just a tad, heehee!)
The ladies of Body Wise Nutrition/28-Day Challenge and I have a lot in common when it comes to our healthfully hinged ideologies. We also share a major love for Kansas City. Historically, KC hasn’t exactly been known as an alternative health mecca--places like Sedona, Ariz., and of course, LA, take the gluten-free cake for such a destination designation. However, as has been the case for KC in virtually every other realm of progress in the progressive, we’ve got quite the growing garden of all varieties of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities, and that’s very exciting! Signs of such progress are everywhere--even in places one might have traditionally least expected to look: The University of Kansas’ School of Medicine houses an Integrative Medicine Clinic, where med students at the award-winning university can opt for a rotation here. It’s my theory that this shift naturally follows another one we’ve seen in KC--the fabulous foodie movement currently sweeping through KC. From Alex Pope’s beautiful butchery, The Local Pig, to gastropubs like Waldo’s Remedy and The Plaza’s Gram & Dun, Kansas Citians are experiencing an awesome awakening of tastebuds everywhere! (Though we’ll talk the foodie/locavarian movement in a soon-to-come dish here on GHKC.) Even still, Barb says, KC’s got a long way to grow when it comes to an all-out alternative health awakening. She said that while KC is blossoming in the realm of complementary health, “KC is still in the infant stages of the movement but is quickly converting and adding complementary alternatives to their wellness agendas.” So, yes--perhaps we do have a long way to go before we can declare KC the place to flock and be well, but, be disenchanted not, fellow followers of healthful lifestyles beyond the book of Western medicine. To me, “room to grow” translates to “opportunity for impact.” We can encourage KC’s movement toward the holistic end of the health spectrum by supporting practitioners who offer alternative ways to be well (even if it not covered by insurance), patronizing eateries with a commitment to local and organic (even if it means spending a little more). And be sure to check out our profile on Body Wise Nutrition, coming up in next month's issue of Good Health KC magazine!
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