Serena, Adam & Jaxon Silberman
The Institute for Natural Medicine (INM) September newsletter features CHWB’s Dr. Adam Silberman, and his family, in their ‘Ambassador Family Highlight’. Below is the interview in it’s entirety.
What does it mean when two INM Ambassadors live under one roof with their 2-year old son and another baby on the way? The whole family becomes an ambassador for Naturopathic Medicine!
The Silberman family: Adam, Serena, Jaxon, and Baby-On-The-Way, are constantly engaged and thriving members of their community. In the last month alone, Dr. Adam Silberman was a panelist at a TED talk in San Diego for the UCSD Center for Integrative Health Inauguration Event, and Serena was featured in photograph and story in the San Diego Union Tribune teaching natural healing cooking classes at UCSD.
Maintaining active and healthy lifestyles while being spokespersons for natural medicine with a toddler (and soon an infant added to the family) sounds challenging, so Adam and Serena sat down to tell us a little more about how and why they make an intentional effort to be so involved.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BE AN AMBASSADOR THROUGH INM?
We wanted to be part of a unified revolution to educate and inform the public about naturopathic medical care as well as contribute to the ongoing advancement of the profession itself.
HOW DO YOU SERVE AS A FAMILY OF AMBASSADORS, ESPECIALLY AS A GROWING FAMILY? (CONGRATS)!
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR OTHER FAMILIES?
With a toddler that copies everything you do and say you realize the importance of living in alignment with your values as you see a reflection of yourself in their eyes.
The practical tips and tricks include:
1. Value complete and total presence be it with family, friends, and patients – we turn off the cell phones when we get home for at least an hour, sometimes longer, so we can connect as a family each day.
2. Non-Negotiable Nutrition – delicious and nutrient dense food is ingrained in what we do as a family. We take Jaxon to the farm and get fresh veggies as well as grow our own in our backyard that he picks. He cracks eggs with us when we cook, helps us juice, breaks up the kale for salads, etc …
3. Prioritize Daily Movement – Jaxon picks out yoga poses for us to all do as a family. We are jealous of his squat, down dog, cobra, and balance poses.
4. Annual Planning – organization creates liberation. Every year we set out our intentions and review our finances so we can endeavor to use our time, energy, intention, and money in accordance with our values. We quarterly evaluate our goals and objectives against our monthly activities to make sure we keep a balance between family, friends, ourselves, and service.
WHAT MESSAGE DOES A FAMILY OF AMBASSADORS FOR NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC? WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE YOUR FAMILY PLAYING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY?
We endeavor to embody a way of being that prioritizes healthy living, community service, environmental stewardship, family, self care, quality of life, tribe, and living in alignment with core values.
In addition to talks to the community, teaching cooking classes, etc … most importantly we try to lead by example. Yesterday we went to a picnic as part of a big group. Where most everyone brought donuts, chips, cheeses, crackers, and other processed foods … we brought homemade quinoa salad with every color of the rainbow, an “anti-inflammatory” dressing with turmeric, basil from our garden, and ginger, a desert of fresh berries with collagen, nuts, topped with an edible flower, and reusable “real” plates and silverware. As you can imagine it spiked interesting and informative conversations!
ANYTHING ELSE? INSPIRING THOUGHTS FROM SUCH AN INSPIRING BUNCH?
Whenever we are trying to make a change or get something done we dedicate 15 minutes a week to it and break up the goal into baby steps. It doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but things definitely get done this way.
We also smile and laugh a lot. It reminds us that we are blessed … period.
We continue to be inspired by those who are paving the way for us and honor their continued efforts, support, and mentorship. People who care about the mission like Heather Carrie, ND’s like Michelle Simon and Tabby Parker, MD’s like Mimi Guarneri and Dean Ornish, the entire UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine Team, and many more inspiring individuals who continue to show us that what seems impossible is indeed not only possible but within our reach
Courtesy of INM/Article written by Dr.Griffin McMath