letter from the editor

Surprised by Life

Don’t you love it when little surprises happen? A few years ago, I was on my front porch tending hanging plants. I had lowered a trailing petunia to pluck withered blossoms and, as I moved the greenery about, something caught my eye. To my surprise, it was a small bird’s nest, and in its bed were three tiny, slightly speckled eggs. I was delighted. I’d seen nests from time to time in the upper reaches of trees, but I’d never had the opportunity to view one so close. It was like peering into a different world—a very tiny one that only needed a quiet section of a potted plant to feel secure enough to renew the cycle of life. Like an echo of truth, the image has reverberated in my mind.

Each time something like this happens I am reminded that surprise is fundamental to awareness. We worry about what we think might happen, but we learn by what surprises us. Sometimes it’s a “good” surprise, sometimes a “bad” one but regardless of how we judge it, that which surprises us carves a nest within our consciousness, sparking new thoughts and connections. In essence, the force behind surprise is creative—its nature is to renew the cycle of life within our own awareness by shaking up the status quo in our minds.

As you walk this journey of exploration, may you find surprise in every path. Enjoy the Day!

Kathy Tarbell Managing Editor

Publisher Joe Dunne

Publisher@NABuxMont.com • 908-405-1515

Managing Editor Kathy Tarbell Kathy@NaturalAwakeningsNJ.com

Contributing Writer Kiki Powers

Layout Design Melanie Rankin

Sales & Marketing Joe Dunne

Digital Marketing Kristy Mayer

Accounting/Billing Asta Dunne Asta@NaturalAwakeningsNJ.com

Contact The Publisher

Joe Dunne

Cell: 908-405-1515 • Fax: 239-920-5147

Publisher@NABuxMont.com NABuxMont.com

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RegeneSpine Opens

New Office in Parsippany

RegeneSpine is a pain management and interventional orthobiologic practice that serves patients from around the world. In June, the practice announced the inauguration of an additional location in Parsippany, NJ. The new facility will enable the practice to extend its services to a wider area. Dr. Stephen Roman, founder, also sees patients at his Manhattan office in New York City.

Locations: 299 Cherry Hill Rd., Ste. 105, Parsippany, NJ and 1230 Whitehorse Mercerville Rd., Ste. C, Mercerville, NJ. For more information, call 1-888-352-3038 or visit RegeneSpine.com/contact-us. See ad, back cover.

Get Ready for Farm Days Festival 2023!

Thank

Ethos

Farm Project (EFP) is excited to announce Farm Days Festival 2023 this fall, a weekend long event on September 9-10, to be held at Ethos Farm, a historic 342-acre farm located at 177 West Mill Road, in Long Valley, NJ. This weekend-long event with inspiring speakers focuses on the ethics of eating and how whole plant-based food is medicine.

Expert speakers from across the country will be presenting, including Peter Singer, Rich Roll, Dr. Dean Sherzai, Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, Dr. Columbus Batiste, Dr. Meagan Grega, Sara Farley, Brittany Jaroudi, Bob Quinn and EFP Founder Dr. Ronald Weiss. These luminary speakers will speak about the impact of our diets on health, climate change and how what we eat impacts the rights of nature. In addition, there will be yoga, tours of the regenerative and organic farm, movement and mindfulness activities, and whole food plant based (sugar-, oil-, salt-free) food for sale courtesy of The Kellyn Foundation. Weiss states, “I tell people that there is no reason to feel powerless when it comes to improving their own personal health, acting to reverse climate change and the decline of species. Three times a day, every time we sit down to eat, each one of us has the opportunity to regenerate our health and the health of our planet. So, consider what’s at the end of your fork; it’s the single most powerful thing you can do every day.” saw

Ethos Farm Project is a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to address the interconnected nature of how agriculture affects human health, planetary health and our relationship with nature, all while producing truly nourishing food to feed our community, restoring the land, and cultivating and empowering a new generation of farmers, doctors and nurses through their hands-on educational programming.

As Greta Thunberg says, “The only thing we need more than hope is action.” Come to Farm Days Festival 2023 to learn more about how each of us can be part of the solution.

Location: 177 West Mill Rd., Long Valley, NJ. Email Inquiry@EthosFarmProject.org for scholarship requests. For tickets and information, visit EthosFarmProject.org/FarmDays. See ad, page 27.

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Close Relationships May Influence Physical Well-Being

A new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science has found that a person’s close relationships may either benefit or undermine physical health. The three-week study involving 4,005 participants looked at how both positive and negative relationship experiences affect the body, and how daily fluctuations in those interactions may influence changes in well-being, as reflected in self-reported stress levels and coping abilities, as well as blood pressure and heart rate reactivity biomarkers.

The researchers observed that people with more positive experiences and fewer negative ones reported lower stress, improved coping skills and better physical functioning. They also noted that ups and downs in negative relationships were especially predictive of outcomes like stress, coping and overall systolic blood pressure.

Seniors Want Fewer Prescriptions

Mislabeled Melatonin Gummies

New research published in JAMA Network found that melatonin gummies may contain far more of the dietary sleep aid supplement than what is indicated on the label. Researchers from Cambridge Health Alliance and the University of Mississippi analyzed 25 different melatonin gummies and found that 22 contained a greater amount of melatonin than stated on the label. One product contained only three-quarters of the amount advertised on the label, another contained 347 percent more than what was listed, and one product contained no detectable melatonin.

These concerns come on the heels of a 2022 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found a 530 percent increase in the number of accidental pediatric ingestions of melatonin reported to U.S. poison control centers over the last decade, resulting in 27,795 emergency department and clinic visits, 4,097 hospitalizations, 287 intensive care unit admissions and two deaths. Most ingestions were unintentional (94.3 percent). Among those children with reported symptoms from accidental melatonin ingestion, most involved the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular or central nervous systems.

willing to stop taking one or more drugs if their healthcare provider said it was possible, and 26 percent had already stopped taking at least one drug they had been taking for more than a year. When asked which meds they would be most interested in stopping, 43 percent named their heart disease pills for high blood pressure or high cholesterol, 13 percent mentioned diabetes medicines and 10 percent included pain management prescriptions.

In a new National Poll on Healthy Aging by the University of Michigan involving adults aged 50 to 80, the vast majority of respondents expressed an interest in cutting back on prescription medications. Eighty percent would be

These results reflect a growing trend dubbed “deprescribing”. According to Deprescribing.org, a researcher-led online resource, it is the planned process of reducing or stopping medications that may no longer be of benefit or could be causing harm. The goal is to reduce medication burden or harm while improving quality of life. Seniors interested in cutting down on the drugs they are taking should consult their healthcare provider to ensure it is safe and helpful to do so.

Unresolved oral inflammation contributes to systemic disease and illness. Dental risk factors remain one of the most overlooked aspects of health and wellness. The Lanap & Implant Center has utilized an integrative biohealth methodology for accurate diagnosis and treatment for over 25 years.

Our solutions include:

• Biocompatibility testing, health risk assessment

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We incorporate acupuncture, laser bio stimulation, reflexology, massage, oral detoxification, nutrition and homeopathy for optimal outcomes.