Each month, we bring our readers tools and information to assist them on their path to personal wellness and healthy living...naturally! We feature articles by national authors as well as from local leaders in the fields of natural, integrative and complementary health, nutrition, fitness, organics, personal growth, nature, sustainability and natural pet. Have something you'd like to read about? Contact us directly!
That Natural Glow
Radiant Skin with Fewer Health Risks
For basic hygiene and improved appearance, we wash, slather, hydrate, scrub and cover up, often forgetting that our skin is our largest organ and much of what we expose it to can be absorbed and accumulated in the body over time. If we are using products with...
Pollinator Haven
Create a Toxin-Free Yard for Critical Critters
Aimée Code has stopped trying to grow roses in her Eugene, Oregon, backyard, where the ground is too muddy for them to flourish. If we stick to plants that do well in our own region, they’ll be less susceptible to...
The Great Nature Gym
Outdoor Workouts Make the Most of Summer
Summer is the prime time to skip the gym and exercise in the fresh air. Studies show that outdoor workouts improve mental well-being and result in greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement. Exercising in nature can reduce...
The Art of Doing Nothing
Most of us can remember having the glorious ability to do absolutely nothing of practical significance as children. We rolled in the grass, laughed ourselves silly with friends on the street corner and happily...
Jeffrey Smith on the
Threat of Gene-Edited Microbes
When most people didn’t know what a GMO (genetically engineered organism) was 25 years ago, Jeffrey Smith, the founder and executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, was one of the leaders of...
Canine Calm
Anti-Anxiety Tips for Dogs
When they signed the Declaration of Independence, little did our country’s founders know that more than two centuries later, their revolutionary act would lead to millions of dogs trembling, cringing and running for cover. As many as 45 percent of American pet dogs are ...
Earth-Friendly Hiking
Hiking in the great outdoors is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable sports on Earth, especially in the summertime, when the weather is temperate and the sun shines upon us. Unfortunately, nature’s charm can quickly fade when...
Healing Trauma
Emerging Therapies Offer Fresh Hope
Refugee children with tear-stained faces, the frail elderly being wheeled away from floods or fires, the sobbing families of gunshot victims—the faces of trauma are seen in every heartbreaking newscast. And the faces are even closer to us than that, walking down the street: a woman that recoils from touch, a child that has withdrawn into himself, a man with incoherent...
Planet-Friendly Pours
The Rise of Sustainable Wine and Spirits
Iconic food and beverage magazines such as Bon Appetit and Food & Wine affirm that sustainable and socially responsible wines and spirits are becoming a major force in the market, yet consumers wanting to pour an Earth-conscious tipple need a sobering amount of research to sort through what’s truly...
The Healing of the Modern Man
Men Redefine Their Emotional Power
For generations immemorial, men have been builders of culture, solid providers and inspired adventurers, but gender roles and sometimes-conflicting cultural expectations have taken a heavy toll on both the individual and community. The pervasive “tough guy” paradigm has denied half the human race its...
The Exercise Power of E-Bikes
Get a Workout on an Easier Ride
The familiar adage, “No pain, no gain,” doesn’t really apply to e-bikes. Although a pedal-assist electric bicycle is zippier and easier to ride than a conventional model, researchers are finding that as long as we’re pedaling, we’re still getting our heart pumping, building stamina and experiencing some of that cardio magic...
Unplugged Adventures
Eco-Tripping for a Digital Detox
Smartphones come in handy for emergencies or checking directions while traveling, but a brief glance at a website or social media can quickly turn into a lengthy scroll session, distracting us from why we go on vacation in the first place. For those that want to truly...
How to Raise Empathetic Kids
Simple Ways Parents Can Cultivate Compassion
Empathy is the foundation of a caring society. While we are all born with a certain amount, cultivating it is a skill that can be strengthened with practice, and it is critical that the learning process start early, say childhood educators. An empathetic child can better...
Frank Bruni
on Living With Afflictions
One day in late 2017, Frank Bruni, a writer for more than 25 years for The New York Times—including as a White House correspondent, op-ed columnist, Rome bureau chief and restaurant critic—woke up with partial loss of sight in his right eye. He found out that his condition was...
Eco-Volunteering
Hands-on Ways to Help Our Planet this Summer
Helping nature while enjoying the great outdoors is a classic win-win opportunity. Here are a few ideas to join the fun while contributing...
Misbehaving Dog Walks
Ways Humans Get It Wrong
One of the primary activities we do with canine family members is to take walks because they love them and benefit from them. But just as some dogs, for a variety of reasons, are difficult to walk, some people are less...