Natural Awakenings Chicago ~ March 2023 Welcome to our March 2023 Issue Letter from Publisher March is National Nutrition Month, and we’ve devoted this issue of Natural Awakenings Chicago to exploring how our food choices, especially ones rich in plant-based foods, aid in reducing inflammation, curbing debilitating illnesses and autoimmune conditions, and contribute to overall wellness. Read More » Sweet Lullaby - Better Sleep For Children Sleep is essential for both survival and the ability to thrive, yet as children’s schedules get busier and they spend more time in front of screens, their average sleep time often decreases. Read More » Winter Blooms and Greenery Chicago Region Conservatories Connect Humans with World’s Plants Local conservatories feature greenhouses that are teeming year-round with blooming orchids, hibiscus and cacti; tall, swaying palm trees; and banana and coffee tree plants. Read More » Launch A Food Business From Home The time couldn’t be better to start a food business from a home kitchen. Read More » Four Local Craft Beverage Makers Bring Change to Industry and Community Here, we highlight four of our area’s breweries that are making big strides in incorporating local, organic and botanical ingredients, sustainability and equity into their brews. Read More » Savory Tomato Soup Makes a Heart-Warming March Dinner This is the perfect month to use the last of your frozen or canned tomatoes from last summer’s garden and make a comforting, warming and nutritious soup. Read More » Fasting and Autoimmune Disease For a patient with a history of chronic systemic inflammation, precursors like an inflammatory diet or a psychological stressor can act as a trigger to precipitate the onset of autoimmune disease or a flare-up. Read More » Chicago Chef Shares Journey Toward Anti-Inflammatory Foods Chef Beau, William Beau Blackburn, has experienced firsthand the healing power of food. After resolving his own neurological issues by changing his diet, Blackburn was inspired to train as a chef, serving craft menus of clean foods with ingredients that lower inflammation. Read More » Diveheart Film Garners Ninth Award The movie follows Marsh on a transformational journey after losing his son to an opioid overdose on Thanksgiving Day one week before he was to join Diveheart on an adaptive scuba diving trip to Cozumel, Mexico. Read More » Buckthorn-Free Garden Flags Are Available to Lake County Residents Flags are available free of charge to Lake County residents that do not have European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) on their property. Read More » Forest Preserve Launches Take It Outside Campaign Participants will be asked to take photos at specific spots, use the app to check in at trailheads and other preserve locations, hike to a preselected spot in a preserve or correctly answer trivia questions. Read More » Climate Change Conference Explores Worldwide Refugee Impacts From floods to wildfires and droughts, climate change increasingly drives extreme weather events that force people from their homes, adding to the growing number of displaced people worldwide. Read More » Cutting-Edge Treatment for Airway Issues Airway issues, left unaddressed, can result in crooked teeth, grinding, sleep apnea, snoring, ADHD, bedwetting and even anxiety and depression. Read More » Free Green Living Fair Returns to Lake County Close to 50 green organizations will be exhibiting, including environmental clubs from area high schools. Read More » Gemz and Boardz Seeks Local Vendors for Chicago Retail Location Gemz and Boardz, in Chicago, is expanding and accepting vendors, giving others an opportunity to showcase and sell their work. Read More » Hyperbaric Chicagoland Offers Cost-Effective Oxygen Treatment Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment which enhances the body’s healing process by inhalation of 100 percent oxygen in a total body chamber, where atmospheric pressure is slowly increased and controlled, providing oxygen to damaged tissues and allowing the body’s natural defense mechanisms to fight infection and kill bacteria. Read More » Innovative Technology at Brookfield Health and Wellness Brookfield Health and Wellness assessment tools include the Qi-5 body scan, NuVision, ONDAMED and AmpCoil, all of which can help identify system imbalances, microbes, organ weaknesses and immune and detoxification dysfunction. Read More » Midwest Allergy Has New Office Locations Midwest Allergy usees a biofeedback system to test and treat over 400,000 different substances—anything from barometric pressure to motion sickness, food items, chemicals, pollens, molds and fungi, dust/dust mites and pet dander. Read More » Natural Wellness and Self-Care Fair in Highwood Participants will experience free mini-sessions to relax, revive and revitalize along with obtain other health benefits. Read More » Orchids, Orchids, Orchids This year’s show will illustrate what makes an orchid an orchid, with exaggerated elements that feature more than 10,000 orchid blooms. Read More » Take the Will County Triple Crown Hiking Challenge Participants must hike the 22-mile Wauponsee Glacial Trail, 14 miles of Old Plank Road Trail, in Will County, and 13 miles of the I&M Canal State Trail from McKinley Woods to Brandon Road. Read More » Visit Unique Chicago Fair Trade Museum The museum’s mission is to spread the message of fair trade to new audiences and educate visitors while encouraging and inspiring them to be fair trade advocates and supporters. Read More » Blackened Salmon Tacos A salmon and plant-based dish from the Multiple Sclerosis Diet Plan and Cookbook. Read More » Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice A delicious plant-based recipe for healthy kidneys. Excerpted from Multiple Sclerosis Diet Plan and Cookbook. Read More » Crackdown on Musical Bows Made from Rare Wood For centuries, brazilwood (Paubrasilia echinata) has been used to make the finest bows for classical stringed instruments due to its unmatched ability to project sound. Read More » Eco-Friendly Water Heating When it comes time to replace the water heater, homeowners have an opportunity to save money and significantly lower their carbon footprint by choosing more efficient appliances. Read More » Finding Hope in Action: Saving Earth and Water with Small Steps Everything we do for the environment has an impact on the Earth and our water. There are many positive examples of our personal impact on our vanishing resources including improvements to the ozone layer and policies to reduce plastics. Read More » First Honeybee Vaccine Approved According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) more than 100 U.S. crops depend on pollination by honeybees and other insects. Read More » Human-Grade Dog Foods Lead to Less Poop Although human-grade foods for pets are commercially available, little research has been done on their health impacts. Read More » Injured Whale Makes Long Journey At the end of 2022, an extraordinary whale named Moon made the 3,100-mile journey from British Columbia to Hawaii with a broken back. Read More » Loving Our Kidneys: Edible Allies, Integrative Treatments and Lifestyle Tips The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in seven adults are diagnosed annually with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Managing CKD requires a multilevel approach, including lifestyle and diet changes. Read More » Nations Agree to Protect Biodiversity Scientists have warned for years that as forests and grasslands are disappearing at unprecedented rates and oceans are pressured by pollution, humans are pushing Earth beyond tenable limits. Read More » Natural Remedies for Pets: Seven Non-Toxic Treatments for Common Ailments Natural remedies and healing therapies are not just for humans, they also help pets overcome illness and maintain optimal health. Read More » PLANT-BASED RESOURCES Documentary Films, Websites and Cookbooks to help you on your plant-based lifestyle. Read More » Supplements That Help the Heart A new study conducted by researchers at Brown University has identified certain supplements that may be beneficial for heart health. Read More » Terry Wahls on Managing Autoimmune Disease With Lifestyle Interventions Terry Wahls, M.D., has used her personal battle with multiple sclerosis as a platform to research ways to help others. Read More » The Cellular Magic of Compassion According to sources cited by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, neurotransmitters stimulated by compassion have a stronger influence on health and longevity than exercise and other positive lifestyle factors. Read More » Thriving With Multiple Sclerosis: How to Reduce Inflammation and Promote Neuroregeneration Thanks to advances in lifestyle-related research, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can slow or reverse disease progression. Read More » Veggies for the Win: Five Reasons to Choose a Plant-Based Lifestyle Plant-based eating is about proportionately choosing more foods from plant sources. The benefits of making this dietary shift include disease prevention, clean eating, anti-inflammatory properties, environmental sustainability, and improvements in mental and emotional health. Read More » Walnuts to Relieve Exam Stress Stressed college students might benefit by adding walnuts to their diet before their next exam. Read More » Wooden Wind Turbines Wind turbines provide one of the cleanest sources of energy; the power they produce is free, helping us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Read More » Work Harder and Smarter: Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training A High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout consists of a series of short bursts of intense activity interspersed with periods of rest or low-intensity movement called “active recovery”. Read More » Gut Microbiome May Influence Obesity A new study may shed light on why some people gain more weight than others regardless of diet and activity levels. Read More » In-Print Sleep Fitness Plant Based Diet Healthy Eating Conservatories Kidney Health