We at Village Wellness feel very blessed to have amazing healers working for our community. We hope you find our Q & A with Ellen Freudberg: BFA, Wellness Coach and Gabrielle Geib: M.Ac., Licensed Acupuncturist, useful and if you’d like to dive deeper with us for any health need of yours, please reach out!

What do you hope to achieve at Village Wellness?

Ellen: I want to help people learn how to make health their hobby. I want to meet people of all ages and all health conditions who want to be healthy and balanced but not knowing what the first step is, or what subsequent steps will be. I am here to teach people about that, and about how to eat real foods, how to move their bodies, how to meditate and how to prevent disease, sharpen thinking, boost energy, get quality rest, and how to take charge of their wellness.

Gabrielle: My goal is to help improve people's lives. This can range from helping people heal physical pain and ailments to calming anxious thoughts, and so many things in between. My goal is to help people live healthier and happier lives. 

What’s the best health tip you’ve received/ you follow/ you want to share with the world?

Ellen: There are so many! But one of the absolutely most important tips is known as the  "12-hour window." Basically, the 12-hour window is about modified fasting -- which is much easier and more beneficial than you can imagine. The body needs about 8 hours to digest everything it ate that day, and other 4 hours to detox and clean house. If we don't respect this, our bodies become less healthy and robust and becomes kind of a petri dish growing all kinds of unwanted things. So in my house, we eat early and fast for 12-14 hours. If you think that sounds rough, think of it this way: If you finish your evening meal by 6pm and then don't eat again until 7am. you've just completed a 13-hour fast. It's important to respect the window and consume absolutely nothing except water or herbal tea.

Gabrielle: You have control over a large part of your mental input. You don't have to "fill" your time taking in information or doing three things at once. Do one thing at a time. Spend time "not doing anything". I find that "not doing anything" is actually when I do the most thinking. Give your mind a chance to think. You may be surprised at how you feel, and what you notice, and what you realize.

What are you focusing on now in your health journey?

Ellen: Boosting immunity (by eating real foods and supplements), moving my body (with walking and yoga), especially now that most of our normal activities have been curtailed, and avoiding emotional eating. 

Gabrielle: I am prioritizing running twice a week, and eating more leafy greens!

What’s your favorite herb/ oil/ tincture and why?  

Ellen: Celery, believe it or not is an herb and I am in my 19th month of drinking fresh celery juice every morning on an empty stomach. Here are just a few things celery juice has done for me: majorly reduced body inflammation, alkalized my stomach, improved my digestion and boosted my energy. For me, celery juice is a miracle.

Gabrielle: I'm an acupuncturist, and so I'll give you my favorite acupressure point. It's the very top of the head, called Du20, or Governor Vessel 20. This point can help with many things, including stress, headaches, brain fog, sinus congestion, and tinnitus. Personally, I think of it as "popping the top off the kettle to let the steam out." It's easy to rub with your fingertip, and it's often tender when you need it.