Nature as Healer...

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Assistant Joann Dalnoky

Design & Production C. Michele

Sales & Marketing Michelle

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Natural Awakenings – Pittsburgh

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Phone: 724-271-8877

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When you are stressed or just need to clear your mind, nature is your refuge. I am lucky to live in the country, where I am surrounded by nature, trees, bees, wildflowers, lightening bugs, nature’s aromas, the singing of birds and fresh air. If I stop to embrace the real beauty, I know right away how wonderous it is, and it makes me deeply happy. I know it’s not always easy for everyone to be immersed in nature, but even a walk down a city street gives you some nature, and there are parks and trails all around.

Gabrielle W-Perillo

Lisa Doyle-Mitchell

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©2023 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.

There is a trail right around the corner from where I live along a river with a wonderful diversity of plant life, pawpaw trees, may apples, ramps, redbud trees, mushrooms, a great diversity of herbs and more. There are state game lands nearby too, with rivers and trilliums, morels and ramps. Even in the city, there are beautiful parks, green spaces and trails. When I’m out distributing my magazines, I love to stop at parks to take a break and a breather. Aspinwall Riverfront Park is one of my favorites, but there are so many! Sometimes I bring my dog, Olive, with me and we love to walk the parks together. Our rivers are a wonder, too, and I am in awe when I see them. They really are magnificent and deserve more than we give them. They give us so much.

There are countless studies on the positive impact the natural world can have on us. Touching the microbes of the soil, grounding (touching the earth with your feet or skin), just sitting in nature and listening to the sounds or letting the sun hit your skin is healing and soothing, and can calm your soul. Studies have found people that spend time in nature are healthier and happier. I remind myself, and all of you, to remember how fortunate we are to be surrounded by such amazingly beautiful and abundant nature. If you are sad, stressed, anxious, having health issues, worried or just overwhelmed, nature is a part of the prescription for feeling better. Try to make time for it, even if it’s just sitting on your porch!

Michelle Dalnoky, RN, BA, Publisher

Natural Awakenings is a network of natural lifestyle magazine publishers empowering local communities with knowledge, resources and connections to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

10 KEEPING EYES SHARP

A Holistic Approach to Vision Health

12 CONVERTING FOOD TO ENERGY

Learning How Metabolism Works

16 WHAT EVERY MAN

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Organic Hair Care with Zoe Anew hair salon, Organic Inspired

With Zoe, is located at 2045 Mackenzie Way, Suite 2B, in Cranberry Township.

Owner and stylist Zoe Morris-Almasi, “Everyone deserves a healthier option for their hair care and salon services. Organic hair care gives you the option to maintain a healthy lifestyle and look your best.” She has more than 10 years of experience and passion for the industry.

For appointments and more information, call 321-604-8169 or visit OrganicInspiredWithZoe.GlossGenius.com. See ad, page 7.

Eye-Opening Bicycling Adventure

The annual Grounded Bike Tour event, with gentle grades and a slow to moderate pace, will feature projects in Larimer and Homewood, with Bakery Square as a starting point at 9 a.m., July 22. Before the ride there will be POGOH bikes available for those that do not have one.

The Pittsburgh region has more than 30,000 vacant lots, many of which are overgrown and unmaintained. Importantly, most of these vacant lots are concentrated in low-income black and brown communities, creating an environmental and racial justice emergency.

Grounded elevates community champions and their efforts to reclaim these abandoned spaces and turn them into vibrant community assets for everyone to enjoy. Participants will see these sites firsthand and meet the neighborhood advocates making change happen. At each stop, the group will speak to community partners, learning about their journey and the transformation of vacant spaces into activated places.

Location: 6425 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh. Sign up at Tinyurl.com/ GroundedBikeTour or GroundedPgh.org.

Kudos

Joan T. A. Gabel has been named the 19th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh and first woman in that role since its founding in 1787. She says, “I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead this world-class community of learners, leaders and discoverers from Pittsburgh and Bradford to Greensburg, Johnstown, Titusville and beyond.” The election concluded an extensive search launched after Chancellor Patrick Gallagher announced last year that he would transition to the faculty as a professor.

Under Gabel’s leadership since 2019, the University of Minnesota developed its first comprehensive systemwide strategic plan that resulted in record-setting graduation rates and annual research expenditures, as well as increased numbers of startups and patents. She previously served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina and dean of the University of Missouri College of Business

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Smartphones Make Poor Babysitters

Parents are busy people, often juggling multiple commitments. Add a toddler meltdown to the mix, and it is easy to understand why parents may reach for a tablet, smartphone or other screen to calm and occupy the child. A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children pay a price for this strategy.

Researchers at the University of Michigan concluded that the frequent use of mobile devices to calm young children may displace their opportunities for learning emotion-regulation strategies over time. The cohort study involved a sample of Englishspeaking parents of typically developing children aged 3 to 5. The scientists gathered baseline data at the start of the study, as well as follow-up evidence after three months and six months.

The participating parents used a five-point scale to report how often they used mobile devices to calm upset children. At each follow-up, the child’s executive functioning and emotional reactivity were assessed. The study found that the frequent use of mobile devices for calming young children was associated with increased emotional dysregulation, especially in boys, and included rapid shifts between sadness and excitement, greater impulsivity and sudden mood changes.

Low Vitamin D Linked to Risk of Death

Annals of determined that vitamin D deficiency increases mortality risk. The findings were based on a survey of the vitamin D levels and genetic data of more than 300,000 people aged 37 to 73 that participated in the UK Biobank, a large-scale cohort study that began in 2006. Almost 19,000 deaths from all causes, as well as from specific causes such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory illnesses, were recorded through 2020.

Researchers discovered that the risk of death decreased steeply with increasing concentrations of vitamin D, until reaching 50 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). The odds of death from all causes were estimated to increase by 25 percent for participants with vitamin D levels of 25 nmol/L, compared to those with 50 nmol/L.