April 2022 Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast AL/MS by Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast AL/MS

E R F

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

CELEBRATE

EARTH DAY 2022 FAITH-BASED GRASSROOTS CHANGE EATING WITH THE PLANET IN MIND THE HEALTHY RISE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

April 2022 | Gulf Coast AL/MS Edition | NAGulfCoast.com

letter from publisher

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

What do you care about? GULF COAST EDITION PUBLISHER Michelle Smith EDITOR Julie Peterson LAYOUT Melanie Rankin DISTRIBUTION MGR. Stephanie Klumpp

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Dear Friends,

This month, in the pages ahead, you will read about how to celebrate our Earth, how to be gentler with her and how to spare and share her resources. You’ll read about the profound costs of continuing to destroy our natural world. Think about what this means in your lifetime, in your children’s lifetime and in their children’s lifetime. Will they have the wonderful parks, the wild places and the nature spaces that we have access to right now? Will they even have clean water? When I was growing up, a couple of my favorite programs on TV were “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” and “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.” Yes, I have been around a while. These two nature-oriented shows made an impact on my life. I wanted to go there and relish in the wild places I saw on TV—places like the coral reefs in the Florida waters, the Everglades and the places they went to rescue sea turtles. These programs and others like them are what sparked my interest at a young age in ecological and environmental affairs. Plus, all the fishing and swimming with my family at Moon Lake in Mississippi, where we spend weekends, solidified in my heart my love of nature. Natural resources are among the many things I care about, but it’s a big one. At the end of our feature article this month, “Why We Need Wild Places,” I found some very helpful resources to learn more about how important the environment is to each of us as individuals. One of these is The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative, by Florence Williams. I can’t wait to read this. I always knew that being in nature made me happier, but it’s a delightful bonus to find that it also makes me healthier and more creative! And yes, I seem to think better when I sit by the water or under the trees. I feel connected. Another article I found inspirational is “Brian Sauder on Faith-Based Grassroots Change.” He says, “Everything is connected, and the ecological crisis is a spiritual crisis. The healing of me and the healing of you and the healing of Earth are bound together, and this mutuality is core to all our different spiritualities and traditions.” Truth! No matter what our differences, we are linked by the underlying need to belong, to be healthy and happy, to aid in the health of the earth, which in turn can heal us. In my heart, it all boils down to this bible verse that I keep close, from Romans 12:10, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” What do you care about? I would love to know. It’s easy to reach me by email or by phone, my contact info is in the left column of this page. Better yet, visit our Facebook page, Facebook.com/ NaturalAwakeningsMag, and post your passion! We will always post ours. God bless you and keep you,

Michelle Smith, Publisher

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

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April 2022

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 27 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

Contents 15 EARTH DAY 2022

Focuses on Collective Responsibility

16 WHY WE NEED WILD PLACES

How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes

22 EATING FOR THE PLANET Diet for a Climate Crisis

25 SPRING IS A STATE OF MIND

26 BRIAN SAUDER

on Faith-Based Grassroots Change

28 SPIRITED STRIDES Power Walk to Better Fitness

30 BUZZ-FREE DRINKING The Healthy Rise of NonAlcoholic Beverages

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 251-990-9552 or email MichelleS@NAGulfCoast.com. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: MichelleS@NAGulfCoast.com. Deadline for editorial: the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit dated and ongoing calendar events online at NAGulfCoast.com. Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication. REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-434-9392. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com. 4

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32 NATURE SPEAKS Storytelling Connects Kids to the Natural World

DEPARTMENTS 5 event spotlight 7 local briefs 10 health briefs 12 global briefs 13 eco tip 20 holistic

28 fit body 29 event spotlight 30 healing ways marketplace 32 healthy kids 22 conscious eating 35 calendar 25 inspiration 36 directory 26 wise words 39 classifieds

event spotlight

EARTH DAY MOBILE BAY

arth Day was instituted on April 22, 1970. Now, 52 years later, it has resonated with conservation concerns and environmental ethics, spurring creation of the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and dozens of other landmark pieces of environmental protection legislation. To a remarkable degree, Earth Day forever changed protection for the land, air and water. Today, we still work to preserve and protect our health, our families and our livelihoods by investing in our planet, because a green future is a prosperous future. Saturday, April 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., South Alabamians can celebrate the gulf coast’s largest Earth Day festival in the beautiful parks at the Fairhope Pier in Fairhope. This free event is filled with family-friendly and pet-friendly fun, including live music throughout the day. The attractions include educational activities for all ages, Raptor Trek (Alabama’s 4H educational program on birds and reptiles), the Blessing of the Animals, Aerial Silk Artists, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and many more memorable and meaningful experiences. Free bike valet parking from The Baldwin County Trailblazers will be available. Earth Day Mobile Bay 2022, which is sponsored by Earth Day Mobile Bay volunteers, the City of Fairhope and the Mobile Bay Sierra Club, will present some of the environmental issues that the Alabama Gulf Coast faces through activities and exhibits that are aimed at education and an invitation for everyone to integrate sustainable practices into everyday life. Citizens will be encouraged to live in partnership with the planet, to solve the climate crisis, to restore nature and build a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for our children and their children. The festival will also observe the 11year anniversary of the BP oil disaster by featuring the many organizations involved

in a healthy and sustainable Gulf Coast recovery. Exhibits will be hosted by community groups, environmental organizations, government agencies (federal, state, county and city), museums, schools and local green businesses. New 2022 hybrid and electric vehicles will be on display with available information provided. Attendees can also learn about local sources for organic foods and organizations supporting the development of a stronger local food economy. Recycling options will be showcased with information to help people recycle every day. In addition, the City of Fairhope will sponsor free onsite electronic recycling for attendees to drop-off unwanted household electronics. Acceptable items include computer monitors, computer towers, desktops, CPUs, keyboards, printers, scanners, fax machines, stereo equipment, television sets, cellphones and ink and toner cartridges. Exhibitors are still being accepted. If you would like to host an earth-friendly exhibit and can showcase renewable energy, environmental technology, green lifestyle choices or the tools and inspiration to pursue earth-friendly solutions to help save the environment, lower cost of living and improve health, please reach out. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, some interactive exhibits may be scaled down as spacing requirements will be observed. Earth Day Mobile Bay is a non-profit organization dedicated to the environmental education of the Gulf Coast. It is inspired by

the worldwide Earth Day Network, which promotes environmental citizenship and steers environmental awareness around the world. Earth Day Mobile Bay seeks to grow the environmental movement on the Gulf Coast and sees it as an effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. Exhibitors should be promoting year-round civic participation and developing a sense of environmental responsibility among all citizens. Location: Fairhope Pier Park, Fairhope, AL. For directions and more event details: EarthDayMobileBay.org. For information on exhibiting, contact 702-496-5050 or McadamsDavis@earthlink.net. See ad, page 3. April 2022

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local briefs

Pain Relief Through Dry Needling

ry needling is used by trained physical therapists to ease muscular pain through very fine needles placed in trigger points in the tissue. Dry needling practitioners say the needle helps release the knot and relieve any muscle pain or spasms and the benefits are maximized when used in conjunction with physical therapy. At Bishop Physical Therapy, dry needling has produced positive outcomes for patients with back pain, neck pain, post-surgical pain, myofascial pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel, nerve pain, plantar fascitis, arthritis, jaw pain, headaches, migraines, all sports injuries and many other conditions. Daniel Bishop, DPT, brought dry needling to the Mobile Bay area in 2009 after being trained by acupuncturist and American Dry Needling Institute founder, Yun-Tao Ma, PhD. Since that time Bishop has successfully treated more than 15,000 patients with chronic, debilitating pain, helping people return to a higher quality of life. He has continued his training with ‘Myopain’ seminars, Master Dry Needling courses and has obtained certifications in sports medicine, trauma, pain management and pelvic health. “If you haven’t tried dry needling or completed a full plan of care in our clinic, you have not exhausted your natural pain solutions,” says Bishop. “Dry needling alleviates tension in tight tissues and initiates a healing response in injured tissue and can be your answer for your unresolved pain issues.” Location: Bishop Physical Therapy, 1203 US-98 Ste 1C, Daphne, AL. For more information, call 251-626-7778, or visit BishopPhysicalTherapy.com. See ad, page 20.

Mental Health Fair and NAMIWalks Your Way April 30

he local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI Baldwin County, is hosting the first free county-wide Mental Health Festival and NAMIWalks Baldwin Team on Saturday, April 30, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, in Robertsdale’s Honey Bee Park, Hwy 59 North. This will be the NAMI Baldwin kickoff for May as Mental Health Month. The event is free, family friendly and open to the public and car caravans are being organized from Fairhope, Daphne, Bay Minette, Foley, Elberta, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Participants will join the thousands of concerned citizens in over 85 communities across the nation who will walk together to raise money and awareness to ensure that free NAMI programs and services are available when needed. Through NAMIWalks’ public display of support for people affected by mental illness, American communities are changing to ensure that help and hope are available for those in need. Participating organizations at NAMIWalks Baldwin include the Association for Suicide Prevention, Local Crisis Intervention Teams, AltaPointe, Peer Helpers, Hands on Art for Children, The Bar: Fitness for Women & Youth and music by Cody Green. Booths are still available.

When Slowing Down Isn’t Just Getting Old

“W

e may smile at an older dog’s greying muzzle, the new cloudiness of ‘old dog eyes’ or give a knowing nod to how getting up from the floor with any semblance of grace has become an accomplishment. We often tell people of how they are ‘slowing down’ in their old age,” says Lydia Sullivan, DVM, at EverLoved Veterinary, who does in-home appointments for pets in Mobile and Near Eastern Shore, Alabama. “Many accept this slowing down in pets without question and don’t seek veterinary guidance as to whether their difficulties are normal or due to pain.” Common observations that Sullivan hears from pet parents about their older pets include: “He can’t walk as far as he used to. She doesn’t play with toys anymore. She hasn’t climbed onto the couch in months. He used to run down the steps. It takes her a long time to sit down. He has weakness in his hindlimb. She slips a lot on the tile floor.” But what some pet parents don’t realize, Sullivan points out, is that they’re describing the symptoms of arthritis, a painful inflammatory condition. Older dogs and cats don’t need to suffer with arthritis pain. While it cannot be cured, the pain can be managed with medications, physical therapies and acupuncture. Unlike medications, acupuncture has no adverse effects, so it can be safely used on dogs who have other chronic conditions such as liver or kidney disease. Acupuncture not only reduces the pain associated with arthritis, but it also helps slow the progression. “If your pet has been having trouble navigating stairs, slipping, walking slower or is slow in getting up or sitting down, please consider a consult for in-home acupuncture services,” says Sullivan. For more information about EverLoved Veterinary, call 251-229-1043, email CareCoordinator@EverLovedVeterinary. com or visit EverLovedVeterinary.com. See ad, page 11.

NAMI Baldwin County, AL is a 501.c3 nonprofit organization that provides support, education and advocacy on behalf of individuals and families affected by mental health conditions. For more information on NAMI Baldwin, NAMIWalks or obtaining a booth, call 251-279-0573. NAMIBaldwinCounty.org. April 2022

Nature’s Virus Killer Copper can stop a virus before it starts

By Doug Cornell

cientists have discovered a with a tip to fit in the bottom of the natural way to kill germs fast. nostril, where viruses collect. Now thousands of people When he felt a tickle in his nose are using it against viruses and bacteria like a cold about to start, he rubbed the that cause illness. copper gently in Colds and his nose for 60 many other seconds. illnesses start “It worked!” when viruses get he exclaimed. in your nose and “The cold never start multiplying. got going. That If you don’t stop was 2012. I have them early, they had zero colds spread and take since then.” over. “We don’t Copper kills viruses almost In hundreds of make product instantly studies, EPA and health claims,” university researchers confirm copper he said, “so I can’t say cause and effect. kills microbes almost instantly just by But we know copper is antimicrobial.” touch. He asked relatives and friends to try That’s why ancient Greeks and it. They reported the same thing, so he Egyptians used copper to purify patented CopperZap® and put it on the water and heal wounds. They didn’t market. know about microbes like viruses and Soon hundreds of people had tried it. bacteria, but now we do. Feedback was 99% positive if they used “The antimicrobial activity of copper copper within 1-3 hours of the first sign is well established.” National Institutes of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or of Health. a scratchy throat. Scientists say the high conductance Users say: of copper disrupts the electrical balance “It works! I love it!” in a microbe cell by touch and destroys “I can’t believe how good my nose it in seconds. feels.” Some hospitals tried copper “Is it supposed to work that fast?” for touch surfaces like faucets and “One of the best presents ever.” doorknobs. This cut the spread of “Sixteen flights, not a sniffle!” MRSA and other illnesses by over half, “Cold sores gone!” which saved lives. “It saved me last holidays. The kids The strong scientific evidence had crud going round and round, gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. but not me.” He made a smooth copper probe “I am shocked! My sinus cleared, no ADVERTORIAL Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition NAGulfCoast.com 8

more headache, no more congestion.” “Best sleep I’ve had in years!” The handle is curved and textured to increase contact. Copper can kill germs picked up on fingers and hands after you touch things other people have touched. The EPA says copper works just as well when tarnished. Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the science teams. He placed millions of viruses on a copper surface. “They started to die literally as soon as they touched it.”

Customers report using copper against: Colds Flu Covid Sinus trouble Cold sores Fever blisters Canker sores Strep Night stuffiness Morning congestion Skin infections Infected sores Infection in cuts or wounds Thrush Warts Styes Ringworm Threats to compromised immunity CopperZap® is made in the USA of pure copper. It has a 90-day full money back guarantee. Price $79.95. Get $10 off each CopperZap with code NATA28. Go to www.CopperZap.com or call tollfree 1-888-411-6114. Buy once, use forever. Statements are not intended as product health claims and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not claimed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Spring into Good Wellness Habits with Massage and Aromatherapy

any people do spring cleaning as nature wakes from winter dormancy. It’s also a great time to think about revitalizing and doing spring cleaning of the body with a therapeutic massage. Elements Massage Mobile has added three additional Massage Therapists to the existing talented staff of therapists. Zack, Antika and Shasha bring many years of massage therapy experience along with the ability to provide a

massage specific to any client’s needs. Elements also has a new online booking system that allows anyone to book an appointment from the convenience of a smartphone and pick a therapist that most closely meets personal needs. In addition, the aromatherapy has been revamped to include choices such as Sweet Orange, Soothing Lavender and Fresh Eucalyptus essences. Aromatherapy is designed to bring the mind and body into the present for a beautifully effective massage session. Taking on a few good habits and losing some not so-good ones can benefit health and general wellness. Spring is the perfect time to incorporate these new good habits, such as massage with aromatherapy. Location: 6 Princess Anne Rd., Suite 11, Mobile, AL. For more information, call 251-3426415 or visit ElementsMassage.com. See listing, page 38.

Hard Core Restore Yoga for Full-Body Restoration

ertified yoga teacher Angel Curtin is offering a new yoga class designed to deliver peace to both body and mind. Hard Core Restore, a monthly class available to all ages and abilities, uses a unique format that incorporates relaxed, supported positions to break down stress and relax the body, allowing the brain to follow suit. The benefits can also extend far beyond the mat. By restoring the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, it helps practice staying alert, clear and focused in the face of stressful situations without jumping straight into fight or flight. But don’t be fooled by the name—the most extreme Angel Curtin aspect of this beginner-friendly class is the full-body restoration it brings each session. “To me, effective restoration is when we can slow down from all the stresses of life enough to tap back into that wellspring within us, live our best lives and be of service to others,” says Curtin. “The title is meant to challenge us to rethink what ‘hard core’ means, encouraging us to step out of our comfort zones and restore—big time.” Hard-Core Restore meets monthly for 90 minutes. You can contact Curtin directly or through her website to reserve a spot. Curtin also teaches weekly classes at 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays at her Fairhope location. Since 2001, Curtin has been a licensed realtor and currently works with Baldwin County Properties out of Fairhope. Through Journey with Angel, Curtin offers group and private yoga lessons and life coaching services, specializing in recovery coaching. Through all her endeavors, Curtin hopes to help her clients achieve balance and move through life with ease, both on and off the mat. Location: Yoga: 368 Commercial Park Dr., Fairhope, AL. For more information, call Angel Curtin 251-423-7535 or visit JourneywithAngel.com. See ad, page 14.

The Healing Benefits of Copper

opper is a naturally occurring metal that readily conducts electricity and heat and so it’s found in electrical and device wiring. Since humans are electrical beings, copper can assist with the electrical currents that move the life force throughout the body and aid in circulation, inflammation relief, cardiovascular health, immunity building and mineral absorption. “On an energy and vibrational level, copper energizes the body and mind, works as an amplifier to crystals and their natural frequencies, aids in restoring one’s energy and physical body to a state of balance and is an excellent conduit of energy, consequently a great tool in the healing arts such as Reiki and healing jewelry,” says Charlotte Stutts, King’s Dedication Healing Jewelry CEO and Creative Director. Copper is also used in drinking vessels to cleanse water and has been used for thousands of years to purify water of microbes and bacteria. In addition, the even heat conduction makes copper great for cooking. When wearing copper as jewelry, the skin may turn green due to the copper reacting with oxygen in the air, oils on the skin and salt within sweat. Over time, this can cause a blue-green discoloration on the copper. This process is natural and not harmful to humans or to jewelry. Copper can be cleansed by submerging in one cup of water and adding three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and allowing the copper to sit for three to four hours. The oxidation reaction of copper is different according to the person. “The more we are hydrated, and our body care products contain clean, natural ingredients, the better our daily hygiene and the clearer our energy fields are from emotional and mental imbalances, the less this oxidation reaction will take place,” says Stutts. Find out more about copper, crystals, chakras and purchase healing jewelry by visiting KingsDedication.com or King’s Dedication’s newest location inside of Florida St. Vintage at 158 South Florida St., Mobile, AL. See ad, page 13. April 2022

health briefs

Avoid Formaldehyde to Sidestep Cognitive Problems

A new type of immunotherapy that enables T-cells to fight cancer cells is proving hopeful for people with the deadly skin cancer melanoma, and a new study has found that a high-fiber diet improves the effectiveness of the therapy. Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported in Science that, by analyzing the gut microbiome in hundreds of patients, they found that higher dietary fiber intake was linked with disease nonprogression among patients receiving immune checkpoint blockade therapy compared to patients eating little fiber. The results were strongest in patients that ate the most dietary fiber, but did not take probiotics, a finding that was replicated with lab animals.

Consider Berberine and Probiotics to Improve Cholesterol

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When used together, the plant alkaloid berberine and the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve work synergistically to significantly improve total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, reports a new study in Gut Microbes from Shanghai Jiao Tung University, in China. Researchers tested 365 diabetes patients at 20 centers throughout the country, giving them either a placebo, one of the two substances or both. Comparing post-meal blood samples after 12 weeks, patients that had taken both the berberine and the probiotic had significantly better cholesterol readings and experienced positive changes in the gut microbiome, as well as better fatty acid metabolism. 10

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Workers exposed over years to formaldehyde may experience thinking and memory problems later in life, researchers at the University of Montpellier, in France, have concluded. Their study published in the journal Neurology surveyed and tested more than 75,000 people with an average age of 58. Of those, 8 percent were exposed to formaldehyde through their occupations as nurses; caregivers; medical technicians; workers in the textile, chemistry and metal industries; carpenters and cleaners. The risk of developing thinking and memory problems was an average of 17 percent higher in people that were exposed to formaldehyde on the job than those with no such exposure. People exposed to formaldehyde for 22 years or longer had a 21 percent higher risk of cognitive impairment.

Try Fenugreek to Boost Male Fertility and Health Fenugreek, an herb used in Indian curries and Middle Eastern cuisine, has been shown in studies to increase breast milk production in women, and a 12-week study of 100 men has found that it also boosts male testosterone and fertility. A research team at King George’s Medical University, in Lucknow, India, gave 500 milligrams a day of an extract made from fenugreek seeds to men that ranged in ages from 35 to 60. Sperm motility, or movement, significantly increased at eight and 12 weeks of treatment, while abnormal sperm morphology significantly decreased at 12 weeks. Testosterone levels, cholesterol markers and libido also improved. Higher levels of alertness were documented, along with lower blood pressure.

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Eat Lots of Fiber to Improve Melanoma Outcomes

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Practice Good Dental Care to Lower Heart and Cognitive Risks A whopping 47 percent of U.S. adults over 30 have periodontal disease, and the consequences can be severe for their physical and mental health, suggests a new study in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers from the UK University of Manchester followed 64,379 people diagnosed with periodontal disease, including gingivitis, marked by swollen and red gums, as well as periodontitis, in which gums pull away from the tooth and bone or teeth are lost. The subjects, with an average age of 44, were compared over an average of three years to 251,161 people without the disease. Those with periodontal disease had a 37 percent higher risk of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and serious mental illness; a 33 percent higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases like arthritis, Type 1 diabetes and psoriasis; an 18 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, stroke and vascular dementia; and a 26 percent higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. “This research provides further, clear evidence why healthcare professionals need to be vigilant for early signs of gum disease and how it can have wide-reaching implications for a person’s health, reinforcing the importance of taking a holistic approach when treating people,” says Caroline Aylott, head of research delivery at the University of Birmingham Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research.

Offering veterinary acupuncture and end-of-life care in the comfort of home. EverLoved offers in-home acupuncture for all age pets as well as compassionate and comprehensive care for geriatric and terminally-ill patients. As an essential businesses we’ve adopted extensive sanitation protocols to protect the health of each household we serve. Find us on Facebook for details!

Lydia M. Sullivan, DVM, CCRP, CVMA Serving Mobile and the Eastern Shore

Learn more today: 251-229-1043

EverLovedVeterinary.com

coming in the may issue

Be a part of our 2022 Gulf Coast WOMEN IN WELLNESS May feature.

Are you passionate about women’s health? Are you a holistic healer or provider of healthy products and services in the Gulf Coast area? We want to include your story in May’s Natural Awakenings. Call or email Michelle Smith. 251-990-9552 • MichelleS@NAGulfCoast.com April 2022

global briefs

Inconvenient Convenience

Sea Change

Himalayan Glacier Retreat Bodes Consequences for Millions

Glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains have been growing for millions of years, but researchers at England’s University of Leeds conclude in a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports that they are melting at an exceptional rate compared to other glaciers around the world. The Himalayas are home to nine of the world’s 10 highest peaks, including Mt. Everest, and the source of Asia’s longest river, the Yangtze. They contain the third-largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic. Study coauthor Jonathan Carrivick, deputy head of the University of Leeds School of Geography, says, “Our findings clearly show that ice is now being lost from Himalayan glaciers at a rate that is at least 10 times higher than the average rate over past centuries ... and coincides with human-induced climate change.” These glaciers release meltwater that forms the headwaters of several Airless Tires Increase Safety, Limit Waste major rivers, and their disMichelin’s new airless tires don’t puncture, so they should last longer, which means fewer appearance could threaten tires will need to be produced, thus limiting waste. Their Unique Puncture Proof Tire Sysagriculture, drinking water tem (UPTIS) is an important step on the road to sustainability. The company notes that and energy production in millions of tires end up in landfills early because of puncture damage, along with all the countries such as India, tires that are old and worn out. Disposed tires can become fire hazards, releasing gases, Afghanistan, Pakistan, heavy metals and oil into the environment. The U.S. alone produced more than 260 milNepal, China, Bhutan, lion scrapped tires in 2019. The new tires can also be made from recycled plastic waste, Bangladesh and Myanmar. according to industry publication Interesting Engineering. But the impact is not only UPTIS, in development for more than a decade, combines an aluminum wheel with a regional, it includes the special “tire” around it comprised of a plastic matrix laced with and reinforced by glass effect on sea level rise and fibers. This outer tire is designed to be flexible, yet strong the damage that could enough to support the car. Michelin Technical and Sciwreak on coastal comentific Communications Director Cyrille Roget says, “It munities globally. Carwas an exceptional experience for us, and our greatrivick says, “We must est satisfaction came at the end of the demonstration act urgently to reduce when our passengers ... said they felt no difference and mitigate the impact compared with conventional tires.” Goodyear has anof human-made climate nounced that the Jacksonville, Florida, Transportation Authority will be piloting the company’s own version of change on the glaciers and meltwater-fed rivers.” an airless tire on its fleet of autonomous vehicles.

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A poll by Ipsos conducted for the ocean conservation group Oceana last November found that 82 percent of registered U.S. voters responding would like the National Park Service to stop selling and distributing single-use plastic items. The survey revealed broad appreciation for national parks, with around four in five respondents saying they had been to a park and 83 percent of previous park visitors looking forward to a return visit. Oceana Plastics Campaign Director Christy Leavitt says, “These polling results indicate that Americans, whether Republican or Democrat, want our parks to be unmarred by the pollution caused by single-use plastic.” The results show broad support for a campaign led by Oceana and more than 300 other environmental organizations which sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland asking the parks to end the sale and distribution of plastic beverage bottles, bags, foodware and cutlery, and plastic foam products. The proposed Reducing Waste in National Parks Act would see such a policy enacted if passed. “The National Park Service was created to preserve these natural and historic spaces, and in order to truly uphold that purpose, it needs to ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic items, many of which will end up polluting our environment for centuries to come, despite being used for only a moment,” says Leavitt.

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Plastic On its Way Out at National Parks

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Flat-Free

eco tip

Expiration Dates

A Healing Jewelry Company

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When to Eat or Toss Food

Americans waste about 40 percent of the food supply every year, which translates to billions of pounds of edible food rotting in landfills and generating dangerous greenhouse gases, along with the dollars leaking out of our wallets. We squander limited resources like water and fuel and needlessly uptick our carbon footprint to produce and transport food that will never be consumed. One major contributor to this problem is expiration labeling—those ambiguous “best before” or “sell by” dates on canned goods, prepared foods, egg cartons, milk jugs and meat packages. Consumers are not quite sure what they mean, and as a result, they often throw out ingredients that are perfectly good to eat. Except for baby formula, the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not require or regulate date labels. Generated by food manufacturers, these cryptic markings convey information about the quality and freshness of products rather than their safety. Experts advise that food that doesn’t show signs of spoilage after a specified date can still be eaten. Instead of allowing a package date to dictate the lifecycle of food, we can rely on an

item’s look, smell and taste to make that decision. To become better stewards of the environment, we need to become food conservationists—purchase only what we will consume, plan meals to cook the most perishable items first, scrape the fuzz off sour cream or yogurt, snip off the mold on a block of cheese, freeze items we aren’t going to consume in a timely manner, and eat everything on our plates.

Raise Your Vibration at King’s Dedication We create healing jewelry using the power of crystals, copper, and intentionality to raise the vibration and love of humanity and the planet. We offer one of a kind custom jewelry, life coaching, and more.

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WHAT LABELS MEAN Best if used by/before date indicates when a product is at peak quality and flavor. Freeze by date denotes when an item should be frozen to maintain peak quality. Sell by date tells a retailer how long to display the product for sale.

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ACTUAL FOOD LIFE SPAN Milk lasts seven to 10 days after the “sell by” date. If it smells bad, chuck it. Otherwise, it’s safe. Eggs typically stay fresh in the fridge three to five weeks past the “pack date.” Meat should be cooked or frozen within two days of bringing it home. Cheese lasts refrigerated from one to eight weeks. Harder, aged varietals last longer. It’s safe to remove mold and continue enjoying the rest. Canned goods don’t expire. The “best by” or “use by” dates only relate to peak freshness, flavor and texture. Store in a cool, dark place, and don’t buy bulging, dented, leaking or rusted cans. Fruits and vegetables with blemishes taste the same, are a fraction of the cost and safe to eat.

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EARTH DAY 2022 Focuses on Collective Responsibility

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by Ronica A. O’Hara

Invest in Our Planet

As 1 billion people around the globe gather to mark Earth Day on April 22, they will be focusing on an increasingly critical goal: the need for everyone—governments, citizens and businesses—to do their part to combat climate change. “Everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable,” is the day’s emerging motto. While Earth Day themes over the past 52 years have often centered on specific issues, such as plastic pollution and deforestation, this year’s broader theme, “Invest In Our Planet,” reflects a growing consensus that, at such a critical point for the Earth’s future, governments will not solve the climate crisis by themselves. “Like the industrial, space and information revolutions, all sectors of society can and must play major roles—this time with the extraordinary responsibilities to get it right,” reads a statement from EarthDay.org. Activism involves not only lowering carbon emissions, but also making sure that the benefits of the coming Green Revolution are spread evenly throughout society, the statement says. “In 2022, we all must enter into one partnership for the planet,” says Earth Day President Kathleen Rogers. Events, such as rallies and social media campaigns, aim to encourage action and legislation, as well as educate on corporate and personal sustainability. Art shows allow attendees to visualize a better future while data collection for citizen-based sci-

ence research and workshops find ways to build local green economies. All are appropriate ways to participate this Earth Day, as well as clean-up campaigns and tree plantings. To learn about personal actions, including step-by-step instructions on how to organize an event, visit EarthDay.org. Help the Mobile Bay area celebrate victories and support future progress by participating in Earth Day Mobile Bay 2022, in Fairhope. See pages 3 and 5 for details. Also, celebrate the beautiful outdoors with these two April events:

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Why We Need

WILD PLACES How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes by Sheryl DeVore

n a blustery day, Julian Hoffman stood outdoors and watched wild bison grazing in the restored grassland of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, fewer than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. For him, it was a wild place, affording a glimpse of what North America looked like hundreds of years ago when bison roamed the continent by the millions. “We’re witnessing, in a way that’s both terrible and tragic, just what the profound cost is of continuing to destroy the natural world,” he writes. Saving wild places is critical for human health and well-being, say both scientists and environmentalists. But defining what a wild place is or what the word wilderness means can be difficult, says Hoffman, author of Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our

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Wild Places. “If wilderness means a place untouched by humans, then none is left,” he says. Even the set-aside wildernesses where no one may have ever stepped have been altered through climate change, acid rain and other human interventions. Humans are also losing the wilderness that is defined as land set aside solely for plants and creatures other than humans. Prominent naturalist David Attenborough, whose most recent documentary is A Life on Our Planet, says that in 1937, when he was a boy, about 66 percent of the world’s wilderness areas remained. By 2020, it was down to 35 percent.

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A wild place can be as spectacular as Yellowstone, a 3,500square-mile national park in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, filled with hot springs, canyons, wolves, and elk. It can also be as simple as a sky filled with a murmuration, or gathering, of thousands of swooping starlings, which once caused two teens to stop taking selfies and photograph the natural scene above them instead, as Hoffman witnessed in Great Britain. Such regions that offer vast tracts of natural beauty and biodiversity are even found in and around major cities like Chicago, says Chicagoland nature blogger Andrew Morkes. “A wild place is also where you don’t see too many people, or any people, and you can explore,” he says. “You can walk up a hill and wonder what’s around the next bend.” “A wild place could be a 15-minute drive from home where we can walk among plants in a meadow, or a tree-lined street, or front and back yard, if landscaped with wild creatures in mind,” says Douglas Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard.

Sustaining Our Species

because people in the early 1900s fought to protect and preserve what they could already see was rapidly diminishing,” Hoffman says. “In the year 2022, we are the beneficiaries of those past actions. Yet less than 5 percent of those old-growth redwood groves are left, and we live in an age where we’re losing an extraordinary range of wild species; for example, 3 billion birds have disappeared from the skies of North America in just the past 50 years. That’s why people need to continue to fight for wild spaces.”

“We need these places to save ourselves,” says Tallamy, who heads the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. “Humans are totally dependent on the production of oxygen and clean water, and that happens with the continued existance of flowering plants, which are dependent on the continued existence of all the pollinators. When you lose the pollinators, you lose 90 percent of the flowering plants on the Earth. That is not an option if we want to stay alive and healthy.” Our mental and emotional health is also at stake. According to a recent overview in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, studies have shown that natural settings can lower blood pressure, reduce depression and anxiety, and help the immune system function better. People have saved wild places over time, of course. “The world’s ancient redwoods are still with us today

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Community Crusaders In researching his book, Hoffman went looking for wild-space struggles. In Glasgow, Scotland, he met people that fought to save an urban meadow from being turned into a luxury home development. “I’d never experienced as much joy in any one place as when I spent time with the community fighting to preserve this tiny meadow,” he recalls. “They campaigned and lobbied politicians, and eventually, the government backed down. And now the whole community is able to enjoy this site where a lot of urban wildlife thrives.” Once-wild places may also need human help to again become wild refuges. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, where Hoffman saw the buffalo, “was once an arsenal for the production of extraordinary quantities of ordnance for a number of wars,” he says. After hundreds of die-hard volunteers dug out invasive plants, scattered seed and documented wildlife on the 18,000-acre prairie, visitors can now walk among big bluestem and golden alexander, and listen for the sweet song of meadowlarks in the grasslands and chorus frogs in the wetlands. Conservation volunteers working to save wild places hail from every state. In fact, nearly 300,000 volunteers contribute more than 6.5 million hours of volunteer service a year to the U.S. National Park Service, from leading tours to studying wildlife and hosting campgrounds. April 2022

CREATING A WILD SPACE AT HOME In their book The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, University of Delaware ecology professor Douglas Tallamy and landscape designer Rick Darke show how to create wild spaces in yards, including what and where to plant and how to manage the land. They advise homeowners to: Stop using pesticides and herbicides. Replace non-native plants with those native to the region. Reduce lawn space, converting it to native plants. Leave leaf litter, withering plants and dying trees alone to provide shelter and food for wildlife. n Create a small pond or another water feature. n n n n

“Mourning cloak butterflies overwinter as mature adults. If you say, ‘Hey, let’s just clean up all of that so-called leaf litter,’ you could be cleaning up the habitat of mourning cloaks and killing them,” says Darke, who has served as a horticultural consultant for botanic gardens and other public landscapes in Texas, Maryland, New York, Illinois and Delaware. “That’s not litter. It’s meaningful habitat. “A dead tree in your home landscape, called a snag, often contributes as much to the local ecology as a living tree,” he adds. “For example, woodpeckers build nests in holes or cavities in a snag, and countless insects find shelter and nourishment in the organic material of the snag.” One doesn’t have to be an environmental crusader to save wild places, Hoffman stresses. Exploring local wild places and sharing them with others can help save them, as well. “We can only protect those places that we love,” he says. “And we can only love those places that we know.” Sadly, roughly 100 million people, including 28 million children, do not have access to a quality park within 10 minutes of home, according to The Trust for Public Land. Projects, such as the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, which enables urban communities to create outdoor spaces, can help. The U.S. Department of the Interior committed $150 million to the program in 2021. “Every child in America deserves to have a safe and nearby place to experience the great outdoors,” says Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

A Homegrown National Park Tallamy says one of the most important ways to get people to appreciate and save wild places is to begin in their own yards. “We have wilderness designations. We have national

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forests. We have national parks. We have 12 percent of the U.S. protected from development,” he says. “Yet, we are in the sixth great extinction. Our parks and our preserves are not enough. My point is that we have got to focus on the areas outside of parks and preserves.” He urges what he calls a “homegrown national park,” in which homeowners, land managers and farmers create a habitat by replacing invasive plants with native species. Tallamy speaks from experience. He lives on a 10-acre former farm in Oxford, Pennsylvania. “It had been mowed for hay and when we moved in, very little life was here,” he says. “We have been rebuilding the eastern deciduous forest here, getting invasive plants under control and replanting with species that ought to be here.” He’s now counted more than 1,400 different species of moths on his property and documented 60 species of birds nesting within the landscape. “We have foxes who raise their kits in the front yard,” he says. Lots of acreage is not required, he says. In Kirkwood, Missouri, homeowners created a wild place on six-tenths of an acre on which they’ve documented 149 species of birds. “If one person does it, it’s not going to work,” he stresses. “The point is to get those acres connected. When everybody adopts this as a general landscape culture, it’s going to help tremendously. By rewilding your yard, you are filling in spaces between the true wild places and natural areas. The reason our wild spaces are not working in terms of conservation is because they are too small and too isolated. Even the biggest national parks are too small or too isolated.”

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Tallamy says people can create wild spaces in their yards by reducing the amount of lawn they have or even getting rid of it. They can grow native plants and discontinue the use of pesticides and herbicides, which are disrupting ecological function of wild places the world over, as research shows. Hoffman agrees, “We’ve cultivated a culture of tidiness. It’s actually very easy to welcome wildlife into your home places, often by doing fewer things, by not bringing the leaf blower out and by leaving some dead wood where it fell, which creates important shelters for insects, for example. “Such wild yard spaces encourage wonder. Suddenly, the kids are out there and they can be absolutely fascinated by a small glittering beetle. For me, to experience the wild is to go to the shore of a lake, to be present in the mystery, to be among the lake’s reed beds, to see a marsh harrier sleek out of those reeds and to know you’re part of something much larger,” he says. “There’s so much joy and beauty and complexity in being in the presence of other lives besides human.” That in itself is reason enough to save wild places. Sheryl DeVore has written six books on science, health and nature, as well as health and environmental stories for national and regional publications. Read more at SherylDeVore.wordpress.com.

LEARN MORE The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative, by Florence Williams Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places, by Julian Hoffman

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A Life on Our Planet, Netflix documentary by David Attenborough Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard, by Douglas Tallamy The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy

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April 2022

conscious eating

Eating for the Planet DIET FOR A CLIMATE CRISIS

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by Sheila Julson

hat we choose to put on our plates influences not only our physical health, but also the health of the environment. While much of the climate conversation focuses on the burning of fossil fuels, commercial food production—particularly livestock—uses large amounts of land, water and energy. Wasted food contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Leigh Prezkop, food loss and waste specialist for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), says agriculture accounts for 22

about 70 percent of the world’s fresh water use, while pasture and crop land accounts for about 50 percent of the Earth’s habitable land. “The environmental impacts begin with the soil,” Prezkop explains. “Soil that’s depleted of nutrients loses its ability to capture carbon and produce nutrientrich foods. The long chain continues with the processing and packaging of that food, and then transporting it to grocery store shelves and, eventually, to the consumer’s home.”

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Eat Less Meat

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, argues author, screenwriter and playwright Glen Merzer in his latest book, Food Is Climate: A Response to Al Gore, Bill Gates, Paul Hawken & the Conventional Narrative on Climate Change. “When we have 93 million cattle farmed in the U.S. and 31 billion animals farmed globally each year, they create mountains of waste,” says Merzer, a dedicated vegan of 30 years. “That waste infiltrates water supplies and causes contamination, such

“When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted— the water, the fertilizer and the land.” –Leigh Prezkop as E. coli outbreaks, in foods like lettuce and tomatoes that are grown downstream.” He adds that cows belch methane, a far more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and that grass-fed cows belch even more of it than grain-fed, feedlot cows. In addition, nitrogen fertilizers used to grow animal feed run into waterways. Overfishing and ocean warming threaten populations of phytoplankton, which sequester carbon dioxide and seed clouds. Deforestation to create grazing land may be the single greatest future threat to our climate because forests also sequester carbon and provide a home for diverse flora and fauna.

Инесса Шустикова/AdobeStock.com

Make Simple Swaps Prezkop emphasizes that despite these problems with the industrial food chain, changing the way we produce food is also the solution. The WWF works with suppliers to educate and promote regenerative production practices. On the consumer side, changing the way food is produced can be achieved by changing people’s dietary demands. “We don’t prescribe people to eat a certain way. We do believe different people and cultures have different dietary needs,” she says. “The global north eats a lot of meat, so we do recommend a plant-forward diet while still incorporating animal proteins, depending on individual dietary needs.” Merzer argues that we have little control over fossil fuel burning, but we can control our diets. He promotes plant-based eating as a primary solution to climate change. Changing mindsets about “normal” traditions, such as having hamburgers on the Fourth of July or turkey on Thanksgiving, can be difficult, but achievable with the planet at stake, he says. Sophie Egan, founder of FullTableSolutions.com and author of How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good For You, Others, and the Planet, advises to start small by looking at the foods eaten most frequently and identifying ways to make simple swaps. “If you have toast with butter every morning, that could be changed to a nut butter. A sandwich with cold cuts every day for lunch, that can be replaced with a roasted vegetables and hummus sandwich or an avocado sandwich. You can still eat something in a familiar form, but replace ingredients with loweremissions options,” she says. If someone is intimidated by switching to an all plant-based diet, a flexitarian option emphasizing foods from the plant kingdom while enjoying meat only occasionally may be more sustainable throughout a person’s lifetime. Her book contains a “protein scorecard” from the World Resources Institute that lists animal

SCRAP VEGETABLE STOCK Those potatoes that start to sprout, the straggler stalks of celery wilting in the back of the crisper drawer or that pompon of green carrot tops can all be used to make vegetable stock. This is a very general recipe with plenty of creative license to get more mileage from leftover vegetables that normally would have been discarded. Start by collecting vegetable scraps that typically aren’t used— thick asparagus ends, carrot tops and broccoli stems. Even wilted kale or limp carrots that are no longer good to eat fresh, but are still free from mold or mush, can be added. Coarsely chop scrap veggies and put them into a freezer bag. Store them in the freezer until four to five pounds of vegetable scrap have been accumulated. yield: about 3 quarts 4 to 5 lb vegetable scraps (can include the freezer bag of vegetable scraps, green tops from a fresh bunch of carrots, slightly wilted kale, turnips that are starting to turn soft or any combination) 2 bay leaves 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 medium onions, cut into quarters 6 quarts water Salt to taste Coarsely chop all vegetables and add to a large stockpot. (If the vegetables are still frozen, dump them into the stockpot; they’ll begin to thaw during the cooking process.) Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently. Cook for about two hours or until the liquid is reduced by about half and the color begins to fade from the vegetables. Let the mixture cool. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Compost the vegetables, as they are now flavorless; all of the flavors have been cooked into the broth. Strain broth a second time through a cheesecloth or sieve for an even clearer broth. Salt to taste and portion into Mason jars. Store in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, or freeze if saving for later use. Courtesy of Sheila Julson.

April 2022

kravtzov/AdobeStock.com

MUNG BEAN CURRY

3 cups water 1 cup dried mung beans 2 dry bay leaves ½ medium onion, chopped 3 cloves raw garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp yellow curry 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro or sweet basil 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice Black pepper to taste

Scoop away the white foam that forms on the surface of the water and discard. Simmer covered for about 40 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric and curry, and continue simmering for an additional 20 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro or basil, lemon juice and black pepper. Serve over rice or another grain.

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Courtesy of Joanna Samorow-Merzer, reprinted with permission from Own Your Health, by Glen Merzer.

Prezkop says approximately 40 percent of the food produced globally is lost while still on the farm or further up the supply chain. “When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted—the water, the fertilizer and the land.” A recent WWF report entitled Driven To Waste cites new data indicating that food waste contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions—nearly twice the emissions produced annually by all the cars in the U.S. and Europe. Egan suggests using a shopping list; impulse buys can be forgotten and are prone to spoiling. Keeping food visible by putting fruits and vegetables front and center ensures they won’t be forgotten. Leftovers can be kept from languishing by designating a section of the refrigerator for food to eat first or a day of the week to eat leftovers for dinner. “You can freeze just about anything,” Egan says, from leftover bread to cheese, which can be shredded before frozen. Even scrambled eggs can be poured into a freezer container to use later. (For more ideas, check out SaveTheFood.com and Dana Gunders’ Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook.) Nonprofits throughout the country are creating solutions to divert food waste from the landfills. Keep Austin Fed, a nonprofit comprised of mostly volunteers, helps neighbors experiencing food insecurity by redistributing wholesome, nutritious, surplus food from any food-permitted business. Volunteers pick up leftover food from urban gardens, rural farms, grocery stores and caterers serving area tech firms. All prepared food accepted and redistributed is handled by licensed food handlers. Executive Director Lisa Barden says that Keep Austin Fed redistributed 982,428 pounds of food, or the equivalent of 818,695 meals, in 2021, thus keeping it out of the waste stream. Similarly missioned organizations exist nationwide. FoodRescue.us, with 40 locations in 20 states, provides assistance and even a dropoff/pickup app for people starting local groups. Since its founding in 2011, it has provided 85 million meals and kept 109 million pounds of excess food out of landfills. Its website offers a potent plea: “Fight Hunger. Help the Planet. Be the Rescue.” Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

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Cut Food Waste

Rinse the mung beans, then soak overnight in water. The next day, discard the water, rinse the beans again and add 3 cups of water and bay leaves. Bring the beans to near boil and reduce heat to simmer.

and plant sources in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein from the worst offenders to the least, with beef (along with goat and lamb) being at the top. Prezkop recommends eating a wide variety of foods. “Currently, 75 percent of food produced is from 12 plant species and five animal species, despite that there are thousands of varieties. This means there’s less diversity happening in the field. Diversity helps with regeneration and healthy soils. Producing the same crops over and over means there’s no crop rotation and no diversity happening, leading to degraded soils and deforestation to produce more of the same crop.” Egan adds that diets that are over-reliant on just a few food sources like corn, wheat, rice and soy threaten the Earth and can lead to food insecurity. “Think of it as risk management with a financial portfolio: We have a diversified portfolio of foods available to feed a growing population, but as the climate warms, extreme weather events threaten yields because lack of fresh water and unhealthy soil threaten the planet and, ultimately, food production.” Eating food that is as close as to its original state as possible is better for the planet. “The more food is processed, the more resources it took to get it to market,” Prezkop notes.

inspiration

Spring is a State of Mind

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by Marlaina Donato

very year, spring lifts us from lethargy, her blossomed enthusiasm nudging us to take down the curtains for an annual wash, clean out the closets, and plot this year’s garden. If we pause and listen carefully, we can also hear an invitation to shake off the winters of our lives—the failures, aborted plans and could-have-beens. All of life depends upon nature’s green ambition, yet we tend to take it for granted, not unlike the faint whisper of discontent that hints at the need for change. In the darkness of our fear-based comfort zones, there is a thwarted impulse to take that class at the community center, plant new ideas or try our hand at something new. “I’m too old,” we proclaim. “I can’t do that,” we assume. “They’ll think I’m crazy,” we say. But spring begs to differ. The most delicious possibilities are those that give us stage-fright butterflies in the belly and wake us up at night with the nagging question, “What if?” Perhaps, if the caterpillar could foresee its winged destiny, it would be too overcome with self-doubt to even begin. Author Marianne Williamson says, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

“Spring, in all her punctual glory, teaches us the vital necessity to court our passions, and there is no better time than now.” As April puts on a new playlist of birdsong and our gardens remind us how to grow one inch at a time, we can make a point to wear that colorful shirt, begin the first chapter of a long overdue memoir or decide that we are deserving to fall madly, happily in love. For today, make an appointment with delight and put fresh flowers on the desk, walk barefoot after the rain or simply try on a new perspective. If we tune out the naysayer in our brains, we might even hear loved ones cheering us on. Spring, in all her punctual glory, teaches us the vital necessity to court our passions, and there is no better time than now. Marlaina Donato is an author, composer and visionary painter. Connect at WildflowerLady.com. April 2022

wise words

“One way to describe justice is love in action.”

Brian Sauder on

Faith-Based Grassroots Change by Sandra Yeyati

ith degrees in natural resource management, environmental science, religion and business administration, Mennonite Reverend Brian Sauder is an adjunct professor at two Illinois seminary schools, as well as president and executive director of Faith in Place, a Midwest nonprofit headquartered in Chicago that helps diverse faith-based groups become community leaders in a shared quest for environmental, social and racial justice.

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How are places of faith uniquely positioned to address environmental and racial justice?

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If you look at the history of the U.S. environmental justice movement, from Warren County, North Carolina, where black church women laid their bodies on the road to stop toxic waste dump trucks in their community, to Dr. Benjamin Chavis’ coining of the phrase “environmental racism” through the United Church of Christ, there’s a legacy of people of faith and diverse spiritualities calling out environmental racism and organizing the community to take action. We view ourselves in that historical lineage, with a mission to provide the tools, resources and programming for our faith partners to continue to advance these valuable pursuits.

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How does Faith in Place work?

It’s very grassroots. We believe in a Green Team model, which is a core group of people within a faith community, anywhere from three to 30 individuals, depending on the size of the community. Through coaching, we help teams evaluate the community’s needs and assets, set goals for the year, and create a strategic plan to address needs through programming, advocacy and a network of nonprofit partners.

Why are Green Teams effective in bringing about change?

The messenger matters. When you work with a community, it’s the people in that community that are going to understand the culture, the theology, the context, the history, the politics of the local body; so they understand how to meet people where they’re at and how to talk about these issues in a way that’s effective and attainable.

Can you describe a noteworthy Faith in Place project?

We partnered with a Green Team that wanted to address the need of hunger in their community by turning four acres of land that they had into a congregationsupported agriculture project (CSA), where people paid upfront to get a weekly bushel of produce grown on the land, while the church tithed 10 percent of it to local food pantries. Over several years, we helped them write a business plan, approach the committee structure of the church, hire a farmer, set up a legal structure and launch Sola Gratia Farm, which today is employing a bunch of people and stocking local food pantries with fresh tomatoes, kale, fruits and vegetables grown right there in the community. Once Faith in Place shared this story, other faith partners wanted to replicate it. We now support five different CSAs across Illinois.

Does Faith in Place welcome all denominations? Absolutely. Whether it’s an institution of

religion or a spiritual tradition, people are bringing the wisdom of the ages to bear on understanding the moment we’re in. Everything is connected, and the ecological crisis is a spiritual crisis. The healing of me and the healing of you and the healing of Earth are bound together, and this mutuality is core to all our different spiritualities and traditions. At our annual Green Team summit, people from different regions, backgrounds and religions come together, all united by the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land where our food is grown and a deep sense of calling and purpose. It’s hope-inspiring in a world that is so divided.

What areas of environmental justice do you focus on? A Green Team might say, “We have an issue with lead pipes in our communities,” or, “We have an issue with high schoolage youth needing employment.” Our programs, which are shaped by the needs of our Green Teams and are constantly being reevaluated and reshaped, cover sustainable food and land use, climate change and energy, environmental advocacy, youth empowerment, and water and flooding prevention. We also advocate to policymakers. Last year in Illinois, Green Teams helped pass the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act by convincing legislators to not only reduce carbon emissions, but also prioritize employment opportunities in the new green economy for highunemployment neighborhoods.

What is your philosophy concerning the intersection between faith and environmental and social justice?

We’ve got to be committed to the transformation that we seek. Our spirituality calls us to remember how connected we are. One way to describe justice is love in action—a love that begins with ourselves— and as we love ourselves more deeply, it spurs outward action that seeks to dismantle injustice. Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer and editor. Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

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fit body

Spirited Strides POWER WALK TO BETTER FITNESS by Marlaina Donato

e all know that the more steps we take in a day the better. The Mayo Clinic advocates walking regularly to keep bad cholesterol in check, maintain a hearthealthy weight and keep blood pressure within a normal range. Power walking—going a mile in under 15 minutes—amps up cardiovascular benefits and takes metabolic conditioning to a new level. Power walking involves taking longer strides, moving at 4.5 to 5.5 miles per hour and using the arms to propel motion, with or without light weights. “With this more intensive exercise, in comparison to everyday walking, one should note that their breathing is harder and their heart rate is faster with power walking. Compared to someone who walks at a casual pace, a power walker can expect lower blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar and cholesterol numbers,” says Jason C. Robin, M.D., director of cardio oncology at North Shore University Health System, in Glenview, Illinois.

In cases of severe coronary artery disease, certain heart muscle disorders, known as cardiomyopathy or valvular diseases, Robin recommends seeing a doctor before taking up fitness walking, but emphasizes, “Obvious injuries or illnesses aside, power walking is great for all ages, genders, sizes and fitness levels and is, in general, very safe with very few contraindications.” He suggests aiming for 15 minutes or less on a first endeavor, and after one week increasing the time to 20 to 25 minutes, eventually working up to 30 minutes. To complement power walking, he recommends resistance training to increase muscle strength and tone, protect joints from injury, and improve flexibility and balance. Dave McGovern, walking coach and author of The Complete Guide to Competitive Walking: Racewalking, Power Walking, Nordic Walking and More!, points out, “The impact forces of walking, even high-level racewalking, can be one-third of what runners experience, so it’s a lot easier on the joints. Power walking doesn’t have many rules.” A 30-year veteran of the U.S. National Racewalk Team, McGovern underscores the importance of starting out with a regular, easy walk before progressing to a more vigorous pace. To avoid and reduce injury, he advocates mindfulness of correct posture and taking shorter, faster steps rather than long, stomping strides. He trains on a variety of surfaces, including everyday roads, tartan (rubber) running tracks, treadmills, 28

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Walking as a Workout

dirt trails, grass, and even the occasional concrete sidewalk. “Changing up surfaces uses your muscles in different ways, which can help prevent overuse injuries that crop up from too much training on the same surfaces day in, day out,” he says.

Practical Essentials For optimal results on any surface, proper footwear is vital. “We would typically recommend a running shoe for any fitness-based walking,” says Josh Saint Cyr, store manager at New Balance, in Highland Park, Illinois. He notes that the right shoes are designed to help align gait and avoid pronation or supination that prompts the ankle to roll inward or outward with movement. “For a more customized experience, someone with medium or lower arches would want a shoe from the stability running section, and someone with higher arches would want a shoe from the cushioned running section.” In cases of tight calf muscles, Saint Cyr recommends stretching as a daily practice, even on non-exercise days. “Rollers or massage guns can be useful for immediate relief, but ultimately, stretching will help by reducing or eliminating tightness.”

Taking it Up a Notch Racewalking, the competitive and highly technical variety of power walking, takes place at track meets. “After you’ve built a base of miles, you can start sprinkling in some longer and faster workouts, and maybe even think about competition,” says McGovern. “There is a bit more technique involved in competitive racewalking, but once you get the hang of it, it will allow you to go much faster.” In the end, having a goal can be the best motivator. “For the athletes I coach, many of them in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond, racewalking and power walking gives a purpose to their workouts,” says McGovern. “One of my athletes has said that she hates to work out, but loves to train. Having the goal of a race over the horizon gives a lot of athletes a reason to get out the door every day.” Marlaina Donato is an author and composer. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

event spotlight

The Grandman Triathlon is Back

obile Baykeeper has hosted The Publix Grandman Triathlon since 2004. Although the pandemic canceled it for a time, it’s back, presented by Altaworx, on Saturday, May 21. Beginning at Fairhope Pier, the race is a short-distance “sprint” which features a one-third-mile swim in Mobile Bay, an 18.6-mile bike through the rolling countryside of Fairhope and a 3.1-mile run that culminates in Fairhope Municipal Park. The event, whose proceeds benefit the work of Mobile Baykeeper, is open to individual racers and teams. Mobile Baykeeper is also hosting the Grandman Kids’ Triathlon on Sunday, May 22. For many longtime racers, the Publix Grandman Triathlon is a testament to the charm of this unique corner of the Gulf Coast, with its laconic view of Mobile Bay and serpentine streets canopied with live oaks. “I like the area of Fairhope and the hospitality that’s put on by everyone living here, and it’s a great cause,” said Dwight Ward of Tortugaman Tri Hearts Club in 2021, who’s raced the Grandman five or six times. There are six categories for the Grandman race: Individual Sprint, Relay Team Sprint, Clydesdale, Athena, Fat Tire and FirstTimer. The Individual Sprint category is broken down into age divisions. The Relay Team Sprint May 21 is open to teams of Fairhope Pier two or three and does not have age Kids' Race restrictions. ClydesMay 22 dale and Athena are Presented by heavyweight classes. Altaworx Clydesdales are men over 220 pounds and Athenas are women over 165 pounds. Fat Tire is a Mountain Bike division. First Timer is a category for all Triathlon First Timers. Register for the Grandman and the Grandman Kids’ Triathlon at TheGrandman.com.

The Publix Grandman Triathlon

TheGrandman.com April 2022

healing ways

Buzz-Free Drinking THE HEALTHY RISE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES by Ronica O’Hara

photo courtesy of Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi

SOUR MOCK-A-RITA 1 cup and 2 Tbsp lime juice ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp orange juice 3 Tbsp agave nectar, plus more to taste 2½ cups and 2 Tbsp coconut water Few dashes of salt Lime wheels for garnish Lime wedges and sea salt to rim the glasses To salt the rims of four to six lowball or margarita glasses, pour a thin layer of salt onto a plate or a shallow bowl. 30

Slide a lime wedge around the rim of the glass to wet it, or use a finger to apply the juice to the rim, then dip and twist the glass in the salt. Combine all of the drink ingredients in a pitcher. Stir. Fill the rimmed glasses with ice. Divide the margarita mix among the glasses. Garnish with lime wheels. From Mocktail Party: 75 Plant-Based, NonAlcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion, by Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi.

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

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s a former bartender, Katie Cheney enjoys mixing drinks for friends, and one night recently, in her San Francisco apartment, she tried out something new: an alcohol-free “Noquila Sunrise” made with a distilled, plant-based spirit. “I was actually pleasantly surprised. Even though we were drinking nonalcoholic drinks, we still had just as much fun as usual!” recalls Cheney, who blogs at DrinksSaloon.com. In New York City, Marcos Martinez has begun drinking virgin piña coladas when out on the town with friends. “The feeling is surprisingly great since I don’t wake up with hangovers. More importantly, I’ve realized that I don’t have to use alcohol as a crutch for my social anxiety,” says Martinez, who owns the black gay lifestyle blog TheMenWhoBrunch.com. At Chicago’s Kumiko Japanese cocktail bar, owner Julia Momosé offers a menu of what she calls “Spiritfrees,” crafted without alcohol and with ingredients like yarrow, ume—a Japanese fruit—and cardamom. “Folks comment on how they appreciate that it is ‘more than just juice,’ or how surprised they are at their depth, texture and complexity,” she says. The “sober-curious”—people experimenting with alcohol-free beverages as a way of prioritizing their health and fitness over a short-lived buzz—are changing America’s drinking culture. For the first time in 20 years, fewer Americans are regularly drinking, reports Gallup, and tipplers are drinking measurably less than they did 10 years ago. No longer stuck with a seltzer while dodging questions from inquisitive imbibers, today the sober-inclined can sip from a vast array of sophisticated choices—from

photo courtesy of Vanessa Young/ ThirstyRadish.com

“You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning.” –Kerry Benson faux vodka in exotic, crafted drinks to prize-winning sparkling wines to low- and no-alcohol craft beer. No-booze options can be easily ordered at restaurants, picked up at supermarkets or delivered at home with a few online clicks. “The best part about having a fun, non-alcoholic beverage in hand is that you get the taste and experience of a cocktail or beer, just without the alcohol and potential negative side effects,” says dietitian Kerry Benson, co-author of Mocktail Party: 75 PlantBased, Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion. “You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning. And alcohol-free drinks are usually less expensive than their alcoholic counterparts.” Sober-curious strategies range widely. Some people start tentatively, but increasingly turn to non-alcoholic drinks because they prefer the taste, price and lower calorie count, as well as the diminished risk of heart and liver disease. Others may go cold turkey for a month or two to break a pandemic-induced habit, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at a game or bar to avoid getting tipsy, or drink a Bloody Mary for a weekend brunch and virgin versions during the week to enhance work productivity. The sales of non-alcoholic beverages shot up 33 percent to $331 million in 2021, reports Nielsen, and online sales of non- and low-alcoholic beverages skyrocketed 315 percent. To compete for the Millennials-heavy market, distillers like Seedlip, Suntory and Lyre’s have created beverages evoking tequila, Campari and vodka; breweries like Guinness, Budweiser and Carlsberg and small crafters are offering robust-tasting near- and no-alcohol beers; and wineries are using distillation and reverse osmosis to produce fine, low-alcohol Cabernets, Chardonnays and other varieties. Niche products are growing: for example, Los Angeles-based Optimist Botanicals bills its gin-, vodka- and tequila-like botanical blends as being vegan, gluten-free and paleo- and keto-friendly. On the home front, people are making their own concoctions, often with natural and herbal ingredients, such as pears, tomatoes, cilantro and spices. “Garden-grown produce, windowsill herbs and farmers market finds are the ideal foundation for recipes, from tea sangrias to shaken mocktails,” says New Jersey cooking instructor and recipe developer Vanessa Young, creator of ThirstyRadish.com. As an example, she says, “A slice of brûléed fruit gives a non-alcoholic drink a touch of smoky sweetness, plus it is so appealing in the glass.” Substance abuse counselors caution that beverages that mimic alcohol may not be a good route for recovery from serious alcohol abuse because they can reawaken destructive patterns. And con-

sumers are advised to look carefully at labels. “Alcohol-free” beer contains 0.0 percent alcohol. “Non-alcoholic” beer can contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol, but some have been found to contain up to 2 percent—not desirable if pregnant or in recovery. Still, says Karolina Rzadkowolska, author of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You, “The popularity of alcohol-free drinks is changing a culture. We are going from a culture that glamorizes drinking at every social situation, with little valid excuse to decline, to a culture that gives people healthier options.” Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be contacted at OHaraRonica@ gmail.com.

MAPLE PEAR SPARKLER ½ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup filtered water 1 rounded tsp fresh pomegranate arils (about 12 arils, or seeds) 1 tsp fresh lemon juice ½ oz maple simple syrup 2¼ oz pear juice 2 oz sparkling mineral water Bartlett pear slices for garnish For the syrup, whisk to combine ½ cup maple syrup with ¼ cup filtered water in a small saucepan, and heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edge. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. In the meantime, to prepare the jewel-like pomegranate arils, score a fresh pomegranate cross-wise. Twist to separate into halves. Loosen the membrane around the edges and tap firmly with a wooden spoon over a bowl to collect the pomegranate arils. Continue to loosen the membrane and tap to release all the arils. For each drink, gently mash the pomegranate arils with lemon juice in a muddler, then add the mixture into a cocktail shaker, along with the syrup, pear juice and ice. Shake to chill, and strain into a glass to serve. Top with sparkling mineral water. Add a slice of ripe Bartlett or brûléed pear. Courtesy of Vanessa Young of ThirstyRadish.com. April 2022

healthy kids

Nature Speaks STORYTELLING CONNECTS KIDS TO THE NATURAL WORLD

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

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solutions to problems using the tools they have access to and creative thinking.” Weaving storytelling into their programs helps children understand their outdoor experiences. “Regular time spent with experienced nature mentors, playing games, exploring unique plants and animals and getting excited about the possibilities of nature is how a connection begins. When children are outside, the characters of these stories are the plants, animals, rocks and landforms around them. The suburban tree that was always an obstacle on the sidewalk can be seen through new eyes as a dragon, monkey bars or a red alder,” Carlson explains.

martina/AdobeStock.com

hildren are natural storytellers with imaginations that shape their play and learning. In outdoor settings, everything from puddles to pine cones can engage children and draw them closer to the natural world, opening up a lifelong appreciation of natural environments. Connecting with nature also improves creativity, academic performance and attentiveness, while reducing stress and aggressive behavior, a body of research shows. Organizations, like the Wilderness Awareness School, a Duvall, Washington-based nonprofit, work to help children and adults cultivate healthy relationships with nature, community and self. “We find that children who feel at home in the outdoors are often more resourceful, creative and allow for curiosity to naturally unfold,” says Leah Carlson, director of marketing and communications at Wilderness Awareness School. “Allowing them to play freely and explore in nature is a wonderful way to build resilience and resourcefulness. When children can be intrigued through a story, it also allows them to understand their own outdoor experiences. They become more adept at finding new

natalia/AdobeStock.com

by Carrie Jackson

Megan Zeni, a public school teacher in Steveston, British Columbia, says there is a global body of research that shows every measure of wellness is improved through time spent outside. She teaches solely outdoors, ensuring that her students have exposure to nature regardless of which neighborhood they live in. “In our modern world, higher-income families generally have better access to green spaces. Incorporating outdoor activities into the school day gives children equitable exposure to nature and outdoor learning,” she explains. Zeni uses both non-fiction and fiction storytelling approaches to teaching. “To learn about water cycles, I’ll have kids jump in puddles, observe where the water goes and track where it is in the community. They’ll then relay a fact-based story based on their observations and experiences. For a lesson on squirrels, I’ll ask the students to imagine where their habitat is, who their family is and what they eat. We use loose parts, which are open-ended items, such as pine cones and sticks, to creatively illustrate the story. “By using storytelling as a measure of knowledge, it is more equitable for students who don’t perform as well using traditional test and essay methods,” she says. Listening to a child’s story can also reveal misconceptions that can be clarified through further exploration and instruction. Storytelling can take on many forms and be enhanced with the use of props. As the artistic director of Rootstock Puppet Co., based in Chicago, Mark Blashford performs puppet theater rooted in stories that promote mutual kindness and ecological awareness. “Puppets are remarkable storytelling agents because, not only can they play characters and support narrative through movement, they can also tell a story from the very material they inhabit,” he says. “Puppets invite kids to exercise empathy by compelling them to accept and invest in the thoughts, feelings and life of another entity.” By making puppets out of wood and using them to weave environmental awareness into his shows, Blashford helps to put the natural world in perspective. “My show TIMBER! is about an entire forest and a single tree which is home to a family of spotted owls. I want children to see the role of both the forest and the tree in the lives of an owl family. When they fall in love with little wooden puppet owls, they are able to convert the giant concept of deforestation into a manageable scale,” he says. He encourages parents to regularly engage their children with their natural habitat. “Go to your local forest or park, find a tree, name it and check on it as often as you can. Prompt children to ask questions about who they think lives in that tree, why the branches stretch out how they do and what happens at night. As children learn to see the outdoor world as part of their own characters and setting, the stories will develop naturally,” he advises.

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Connect with writer Carrie Jackson at CarrieJacksonWrites.com.

LEARN MORE Rootstock Puppet Co.: rootstockpuppet.com Wilderness Awareness School: wildernessawareness.org Megan Zeni: meganzeni.com April 2022

Ancient Herbal Medicines

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Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

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Park Dr, Fairhope, AL. 251-423-7535. Angel.Curtin@ gmail.com. JourneyWithAngel.com/yoga-classes.

calendar

Gulf Coast Creation Care – Every 1st Thursday of the month at 4pm by Zoom. An alliance of faith communities working to focus the Gulf Coast community’s moral attention on the climate crisis. info@GulfCoastCreationCare.org. GulfCoast CreationCare.org

SATURDAYS

SUNDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

Discounts on Supplements – Every Sunday 15% off supplements at Fairhope Health Foods (251-928-0644) and Virginia’s Health Foods (251479-3952). 280 Eastern Shore Shopping Center, Fairhope, AL and 3055-A Dauphin St, Mobile, AL. VA-FairhopeHealthFoods.com.

MS Support Group – 11-12:30pm, second Wednesdays. Meeting for lunch every month at Cafe 98 in Fairhope. Family, friends and caregivers welcome. Cafe 98, Corner of 98 and Fairhope Ave, Fairhope, AL. Weezer: 251-928-7606.

Fairhope Unitarian Sunday Service – 11amnoon. Held inside and streamed on Zoom. Different guest speakers each week—either a member of our congregation or someone from the surrounding community. Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship, 1150 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope, AL. FairhopeUnitarian Fellowship@gmail.com. FairhopeUU.org. Open Table United Church of Christ – Sunday School 9:30-10:20am. Worship 10:30-11:30am, rear chapel of All Saints Episcopal at 151 S. Ann St, Mobile, AL. Wednesdays 6:00-7:30pm online book study: Sleeper, Awake on Facebook, Facebook. com/WhereTrueLoveIs or by Zoom. Office@Open TableUCC.org. OpenTableUCC.org. Mobile Bay Makers Market – 11am-3pm, 2nd and 4th Sundays. Open air, sustainably driven market showcasing 25+ local artisans and growers. Music. Food trucks. Year-round, family and dog friendly. Free. South Park of Fairhope Pier, Fairhope, AL. MBMakersMarket@gmail.com.

TUESDAYS Yoga Flow & Go – 8-9am. A powerful yet accessible flow to get your day started by skillfully connecting your mind and body. $10. Venmo accepted. Yoga classes for all levels. Ask about the new 1.5-hour Hard Core Restore healing yoga class that meets once a month. It’s a unique class that will truly peel away the layers of life’s stresses and get to the core of who you are. This Restore class is quite pampering and limited in size so as not to dilute the experience. Journey with Angel, 368 Commercial Park Dr, Fairhope, AL. 251-423-7535. Angel.Curtin@gmail.com. JourneyWithAngel.com/yoga-classes. 30-Min Sun Salutation Class – 5:30-6pm. A powerful way to end your day with a short, strong flow to ensure you sleep like a baby. $5. Venmo accepted. Yoga classes for all levels. Journey with Angel Studio, 368 Commercial Park Dr, Fairhope, AL. 251-423-7535. Angel.Curtin@gmail.com. JourneyWithAngel.com/yoga-classes.

THURSDAYS Yoga Flow & Go – 8-9am. A powerful yet accessible flow to get your day started by skillfully connecting your mind and body. $10. Venmo accepted. Yoga classes for all levels. Ask about the new 1.5-hour Hard Core Restore healing yoga class that meets once a month. It’s a unique class that will truly peel away the layers of life’s stresses and get to the core of who you are. This Restore class is quite pampering and limited in size so as not to dilute the experience. Journey with Angel, 368 Commercial Park Dr, Fairhope, AL. 251-423-7535. Angel.Curtin@gmail.com. JourneyWithAngel.com/yoga-classes. 30-Min Meditation Class – 5:30-6pm. Excellent chance for beginners and practitioners alike to practice together once a week for stabilizing the busy monkey mind and the calming effects of others doing the same. $5. Venmo accepted. Yoga classes for all levels. Journey with Angel Studio, 368 Commercial

Peaceful Warrior Yoga with Angel – 10-11am. Powerful yet accessible flow for all to get your day started by skillfully connecting your mind and body. Yoga classes for all levels. Ask about the new 1.5-hour Hard Core Restore healing yoga class that meets once a month! Venmo accepted. 60-min classes $10; 30-min classes $5. Journey with Angel, 368 Commercial Park Dr, Fairhope, AL. 251-423-7535. Angel.Curtin@gmail.com. JourneyWithAngel.com/yoga-classes. Prism United – 2-4pm. Find community. Be yourself. Serving LGBTQ youth in Mobile and Fairhope through facilitated, activity-based support groups for pre-teens, teens and families. info@ PrismUnited.org. 251-219-8441. PrismUnited.org.

savethedate EARTH DAY MOBILE BAY 2022 Saturday, April 23 10am-6pm EarthDayMobileBay.org

Free admission. Entertainment. Environmental film festival. Interactive earth-friendly exhibits. Raptor Trek. Local green and earth-friendly vendors. Sponsored by the City of Fairhope and the Alabama Sierra Club Foundation. Located at Fairhope Pier Parks, Fairhope, AL. For directions and more event details: EarthDay MobileBay.org. For information on exhibiting, contact 702-496-5050 or mcadamsdavis@ earthlink.net.

Web Exclusive at NAGulfCoast.com TECHNOLOGY MEETS NATURE Apps Bring Us Closer to Flora and Fauna

Plus: PEST CONTROL FOR PETS

Plans Change–Call Ahead April 2022

community directory Connecting you to local resources for natural and green living. To find out how you can be included in the directory, email MichelleS@NAGulfCoast.com or call 251-990-9552.

HEALTHY &

GREEN LIVING

DIRECTORY 2021

Contact us to find out where you can find a copy of our 2021 Healthy & Green Living Directory issue or read it online at NAGulfCoast.com.

BREAST SCREENING

B-BUTTERFLY SALON

THERMOGRAPHY ADVANTAGE

salon offering B-Butterfly Aorganic products

SALON

and services including hair color and shampoo. Make a difference today in your hair, your life and the Earth. Visit us for a free hair exam today and go organic! See ad, page 15.

KAREN WATSON

TruAura Skincare Specialist/Makeup Artist Daphne, AL • 256-508-0389 TruAuraBeauty.com/trubeauty4u Skincare, anti-aging, cosmetics and body care that are pure, clean, safe and effective with zero harmful ingredients. Prebiotic/probioticbased and microbiomefriendly. See ad, page 13.

TMAC’S HAIR STUDIO

Old Government, Mobile: 251-607-6666 2101 Hwy. 98, Daphne: 251-725-4334 TMACsHairStudio.com A relaxing salon environment that is free of harmful chemicals, impurities and fragrance. Offering customized hair services and regenerative treatments with 100% vegan organic products and essential oils. Ask about following the lunar calendar effective hair treatments. See ad, page 13.

3055 A Dauphin St., Mobile, AL 251-479-3952 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com

Comprehensive health food store offering a range of CBD products: caps, soft gels, gummies, sprays, tinctures, topicals, mixed with ghee, teas, waters, hot cocoa, infused honey, pedicure powders. See ad, page 14.

COMMUNITY FELLOWSHIP

BEAUTY 103A N. Bancroft St., Fairhope, AL 251-990-9934

VIRGINIA’S HEALTH FOODS

Carolyn Olson, Certified Thermographer Gulf Coast Locations from LA to FL 251-623-2225 ThermographyAdvantage.com FDA registered thermography offers breast screenings that are non-invasive and radiation-free, without compression or bodily contact. Valuable for detecting early stage breast disease and more. Also offering ElectroLymphatic Therapy. See ad, page 33.

CBD HEALTH & WELLNESS FAIRHOPE HEALTH FOODS

280 Eastern Shore Shopping Center 251-928-0644 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com Comprehensive health food store offering a range of CBD products: caps, soft gels, gummies, sprays, tinctures, topicals, mixed with ghee, teas, waters, hot cocoa, infused honey, pedicure powders. See ad, page 14.

SIMPLY CBD

Aaron VanHauter,owner 2005 Hwy 98 Daphne, AL 251-586-8890 • Simply-CBD.net At Simply CBD our goal is to provide our customers with the highest quality hemp-derived CBD products in a multitude of ways, helping you experience the healing benefits you deserve. See ad, back cover.

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

NAGulfCoast.com

FAIRHOPE UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP 1150 Fairhope Ave., Fairhope, AL 251-929-3207 • FairhopeUU.org FairhopeUnitarianFellowship@gmail.com

Welcoming people of any age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or cultural background. We seek truth and knowledge, care for the Earth and show kindness to others while creating an atmosphere of love.

OPEN TABLE UCC

151 S. Ann Street, Mobile, AL 36604 Pastor@OpenTableUCC.org • 251-333-0435 OpenTableUCC.org We are believers, seekers, and skeptics. We are Open Table. Worship Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. Providing progressive biblical scholarship and ministries for racial reconciliation, care of creation, and LGBTQ+ support. See ad, page 15.

DEMENTIA MIND PERFORMANCE CENTER, LLC (Located inside Path To Wellness) 240 W. Laurel Ave., Foley, AL 251-597-8787 MindPerformanceCenter.com

Our non-invasive, drug-free approach helps dementia patients that originally scored in the teens on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment be restored to the point of scoring normal (26-30). See ad, page 20.

DEPRESSION MIND PERFORMANCE CENTER, LLC (Located inside Path to Wellness) 240 W. Laurel Ave., Foley, AL 251-597-8787 MindPerformanceCenter.com

Offering Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Brainsway—a proven tool in the fight against depression that is non-invasive, painless and drug-free) with functional medicine and brain pathway rehabilitation for the most robust changes possible. See ad, page 20.

FARMERS’ MARKETS COASTAL ALABAMA FARMERS & FISHERMENS MARKET

20733 Miflin Rd. (Co. Rd. 20), Foley, AL 251-709-4469 CoastalAlabamaMarket.com O p e n y e a r- r o u n d Tu e s d a y s ( 1 0 a m 3pm, Nov-Mar; 2-6pm, Apr-Oct) and Saturdays (9am-2pm). During COVID19 pandemic, open Saturdays only. Featuring local farms with seasonal produce, meat, eggs, honey, jellies, baked goods, seafood, hand-crafted soaps and more. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

FOOD & NUTRITION FAIRHOPE HEALTH FOODS AND THE SUNFLOWER CAFÉ

280 Eastern Shore Shopping Center 251-928-0644 • Café: 251-929-0055 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com Comprehensive health food store and organic café serving the public for 40+ years. Extensive supplement selection; organic groceries, produce and meats; bath and body products; bulk bins; pet supplies; baby products, CBD and more. See ad, page 14.

VIRGINIA’S HEALTH FOODS AND THE SUNFLOWER CAFÉ II 3055 A Dauphin St., Mobile, AL 251-479-3952 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com

Comprehensive health food store and organic café serving the public for 40+ years. Extensive supplement selection; organic groceries, produce and meats; bath and body products; bulk bins; pet supplies; baby products, CBD and more. See ad, page 14.

MONTHLY PLANNER may

women’s wellness

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE GOOD LIFE HEALTH COACHING National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health & Wellness Coach 251-635-6250 GoodLifeHealthCoaching.com

Attention health conscious, men and women struggling to prioritize the things that will prolong your life—healthy meals, exercise, recovery. Health Coaches help you make changes when change is hard. I’ll take you by the hand to offer guidance + tools that work. See ad, page 6.

june

men’s health

INTEGRATIVE HEALTHCARE OF LOWER ALABAMA

620 N. McKenzie St. Ste 200, Foley, AL 251-210-8615 AlabamaIntegrativeHealth.com

Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner Tara McLellan addresses the root cause of disease with integrative medicine—a blend of traditional western medicine and science-based functional medicine. Ask about our custom weight loss program. See ad, page 21.

july food connection

HEALING JEWELRY KING’S DEDICATION JEWELRY

Charlotte Stutts, Creator and Owner 404-665-6614 KingsDedication@gmail.com KingsDedication.com We create one-of-a-kind healing jewelry with the intention to raise the vibration of humanity and the planet through healing energy exchange and healthy self-awareness. See ad, page 13.

learn about marketing opportunities at:

251-990-9552

April 2022

HEALTH & WELLNESS SPA

KOMBUCHA

PERSONAL GROWTH

HYDRO ZEN AT PEAK ALKALINITY

WILD MAGNOLIA KOMBUCHA

ENERGY MODEL OF THERAPEUTIC CHANGE

217-B Fairhope Ave., Fairhope, AL 2724 Old Shell Rd., Midtown Mobile, AL 251-270-7200 • 251-586-8198 PeakAlkalinity.com

A Coastal Alabama Kombucha Company Info@WildMagnoliaLife.com WildMagnoliaLife.com We take pride in providing handcrafted, small batched kombucha infused with love, laughter and a dash of southern sarcasm. #blessyourgut Check our website for retailers. See ad, page 18.

Offering cleansing far infrared sauna sessions followed by a hydrating collagen shower and detoxifying foot spas. Ask about package specials. See ad, page 11.

ENRG WELLNESS

3099 Loop Rd., Orange Beach, AL 620 N. McKenzie St., Ste 200, Foley, AL 251-240-0842 • enrGIV.com

Vitamin IV lounge and functional medicine clinic.IV vitamin therapies provide relief, healing and recovery for people with health concerns ranging from dehydration to chronic illness. Call us for a free consultation. See ad, page 21.

HEALTHY LIVING GOOD LIFE HEALTH COACHING

National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health & Wellness Coach 251-635-6250 TryMyCoach@gmail.com GoodLifeHealthCoaching.com

MASSAGE THERAPY ELEMENTS THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE 6920 Airport Blvd., Ste. 111, Mobile, AL 251-342-6415 ElementsMassage.com/Mobile

A therapeutic massage handcrafted just for you. Reduced stress, elevated mood and a strengthened immune system are all part of experiencing a therapeutic massage The Elements Way. Schedule an appointment today. See article, page 9.

JUBILEE HEALING ARTS

Jennifer (Adams) Killgo, LMT #3263 28170 N. Main St., Ste. C, Daphne, AL 251-616-4201 • JubileeHealingArts.com Intuitive integrative massage techniques are used to facilitate the body into a state of healing without the “no pain no gain” mentality. Over 15 years experience in the bodywork and natural wellness field. See ad, page 27.

MED SPA ENRG WELLNESS

3099 Loop Rd., Orange Beach, AL 620 N. McKenzie St., Ste 200, Foley, AL 251-240-0842 • enrGIV.com

“You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.” ~Alan Watts

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

NAGulfCoast.com

Mary Beth Svatek, M.A. Certified Hypnotherapist, IMDHA

251-300-9912 • EnergyModelOfChange.com

EnergyModelOfChange@gmail.com

35 years experience with Anxiety, PTSD, Weight loss, Smoking Cessation, Removing Blockages, Regression, Behavior Modification, Energy Healing & Streamlining, Pain Management.

GOOD LIFE HEALTH COACHING National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health & Wellness Coach 251-635-6250 TryMyCoach@gmail.com GoodLifeHealthCoaching.com

SOUTHERN INSTITUTE OF NATURAL HEALTH

Betty Sue O’Brian, N.D., MS, CII 228-257-1946 • BettySueObrian.com SouthernInstituteOfNaturalHealth.com SINH offers virtual classes worldwide; based in Mississippi and Carolina Coasts. Check website, text or email for more information. Online classes available 24/7 in Iridology, Traditional Naturopathy, Herbalism and RBTI Reams Testing and others.

PET CARE & SUPPLIES EVERLOVED VETERINARY

Lydia M. Sullivan, DVM, CCRP, CVMA Serving Mobile and the Eastern Shore CareCoordinator@EverLovedVeterinary.com 251-229-1043 • EverLovedVeterinary.com Providing in-home, veterinary medical acupuncture (for all ages), plus gentle care of geriatric and terminallyill pets in the comfort of your own home. Hospice and euthanasia services available. See ad, page 11.

FARM TO TREAT HOLISTIC DOG TREATS

Anna Grantham, Certified Canine Herbalist and Dietician 251-455-3738 • DogmaBistro@gmail.com FarmToTreat.com From the farm to the treat in 72 hours or less! Providing holistic paw- and skincare, dog treats and fresh food. Recipes created to promote canine wellness. Facebook. com/FarmToTreat

PHYSICAL THERAPY BISHOP PHYSICAL THERAPY

Dr. Daniel Bishop, DPT, SMT, CIDN 251-626-7778 • BishopPhysicalTherapy.com Office@BishopPhysicalTherapy.com

Our goal is to truly help patients overcome pain and conditions in a timely and cost-effective manner. We offer a unique experience by combining physical therapy, dry needling and joint alignment. See ad, page 20.

RESTORATIVE YOGA JOURNEY WITH ANGEL, LLC

Angel Curtin, E-RYT 500, YACEP 368 Commercial Park Dr., Fairhope, AL 251-423-7535 • JourneyWithAngel.com Certified yoga teacher and real estate agent Angel Curtin offers weekly yoga classes and Hard Core Restore—a new monthly 1.5 hour class to focus on true restoration and healing. See ad, page 14.

ROLFING EASTERN SHORE ROLFING Pam Reaves, Certified Rolfer® 22806 Hwy. 98, Fairhope, AL 706-681-2935

PLANT-BASED FOOD

Rolfing® is a holistic approach to manual therapy that seeks to improve your health and function by reestablishing the natural alignment and structural integration of the human body. More information at EasternShoreRolfing.com. See ad, page 18.

THE SUNFLOWER CAFÉ

THERMOGRAPHY

320 Eastern Shore Shopping Center, Fairhope, AL 251-929-0055 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com An organic cafe offering vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairyfree options. Open for lunch Monday-Saturday. See ad, page 14.

THE SUNFLOWER CAFÉ II

3055 A Dauphin St., Mobile, AL 251-479-3952 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com An organic cafe offering vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairyfree options. Open for lunch Monday-Saturday. See ad, page 14.

classifieds

THERMOGRAPHY ADVANTAGE

Carolyn Olson, Certified Thermographer Gulf Coast Locations from LA to FL 251-623-2225 ThermographyAdvantage.com FDA registered thermography (digital Infrared thermal imaging) offers breast screenings that are non-invasive and radiation-free, without compression or bodily contact. Valuable for detecting early stage breast disease and more. See ad, page 33.

HELP WANTED THERMOGRAPHY ADVANTAGE IS LOOKING TO HIRE two part-time holisticminded individuals from the Mobile area. No experience needed. We will fully train for lymphatic therapy. Will work 2-3 days weekly including travel with company car provided. Please call Carolyn for more information at 251-644-4692.

CLASSES/TRAINING ADVERTISE your products, services or help wanted here.

FOR RENT/LEASE ADVERTISE your products, services or help wanted here.

FOR SALE ADVERTISE your products, services or help wanted here.

OPPORTUNITIES ADVERTISE your products, services or help wanted here.

SERVICES ATTENTION BUSY PROFESSIONALS—Struggling to prioritize eating well, sleeping well, transforming stress into positive energy, or just get moving? Board Certified Health Coach Michelle Smith will take you by the hand to help you get back on track. GoodLifeHealthCoaching.com. 251-635-6250. TryMyCoach@gmail.com.

find out how to be

included IN THIS SECTION

Classifieds are $1 per word, per month. To place listing, email content to MichelleS@NAGulfCoast.com. Deadline is the 10th of the month.

call 251-990-9552

April 2022

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April 2022 Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast AL/MS

Articles inside

EATING FOR THE PLANET

BUZZ-FREE DRINKING

SPIRITED STRIDES

WHY WE NEED WILD PLACES

BRIAN SAUDER

SPRING IS A STATE OF MIND