Natural Awakenings Chicago ~ July 2023

Alfalfa Bluegrass Festival Supports Farming Education

Entertainment includes live acoustic music, an acoustic open stage and local bluegrass performers, including headliner Miles Over Mountains. Read More »

Bird City Network Expands Avian Conservation

The Bird City Network serves as a collaborative platform designed to promote sustainable urban planning, create bird-friendly communities and raise awareness about the vital role people play in supporting bird populations. Read More »

Enjoy Peak Berry Season With A Gluten-Free Strawberry Trifle

This easy-to-make summer dessert recipe features this sweet seasonal fruit that offers many health benefits, including antioxidants and vitamin C. Read More »

Farmers Markets Serve Communities Throughout Chicagoland

Here are six examples of neighborhood Chicago markets to consider, each with its own distinct character. Read More »

Food Choices Can Help With Perimenopause Symptoms

Perimenopause, the transition into menopause, is a tumultuous time in a woman’s life as reproductive hormones fluctuate and decrease until menstruation stops. Read More »

Free Webinar: Learn How Integrative Health Coaching is a Game-Changer for Everyone

The Integrative Health Coaching Certificate is a program of 16 weeks designed to educate professionals that are interested in coaching others to optimal health and wellness. Read More »

Green Expo Vendor Registration is Now Open

Northern Illinois’ largest sustainability and green event. Read More »

Letter from Publisher

In this July issue of Natural Awakenings Chicago, we’re exploring the importance of the soil microbiome and the relationship of soil health to the nutritional value of the food it grows, and ultimately, our own gut microbiome and health. Read More »

Lyme Disease: A Holistic Treatment That Truly Heals

Sponsored Content The use of bioenergetic modalities have been found to be extremely effective in helping people compromised with Lyme, and other co­infections to heal. Read More »

Magic Hands Adds Office in Bartlett

Helping adults, children and babies to release pain and tightness, and find comfort through the Gillespie Approach. Read More »

McHenry County’s New Food Shed Co-op Partners with Gallant Building Solutions

Their mission is to offer only the best-quality, sustainable, local and organic produce available in the marketplace. Read More »

Moths and Fireflies Are Declining As Summer Night Insects

As the summer sun sets, butterflies cease patrolling flowers for nectar, go to roost and rest. But many moth species are just beginning their day under the cover of darkness, and nighttime active birds called whip-poor-wills come out to eat these insects. Read More »

Summer Strawberry Therapy

It’s a sure sign of summer when bright, red berries begin to peek out from underneath the green leaves at the strawberry farm. Read More »

Two New Locations for Serenity Dental

How the teeth, jaws and face develop and function can adversely affect overall health. Read More »

Women’s Conference Explores Wonderful World of Mushrooms

Join the seventh annual Mycelium Mysteries Women’s Mushroom Conference, instructing women on how mushrooms can be used medicinally, nutritionally, cosmetically and spiritually. Read More »

Anne Biklé on The Nexus Between Soil and Human Health

Anne Biklé and David R. Montgomery, a husband and wife team, collaborated to write What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health. Read More »

Cheesy Cauliflower Mushroom Steaks

This dish can be served as a meal or cut into smaller pieces and presented as party appetizers. Cauliflower provides vitamins B6, K and C, magnesium and fiber. Read More »

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. Read More »

Colombia Protects its Birds

Colombia has the most bird species in the world—1,966 registered species, or 20 percent of all birds worldwide—and has updated its strategy for protecting this rich avian life. Read More »

Effects of Cannabis Use Before and After Surgery

In January 2023, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine published guidelines recommending that all patients undergoing anesthesia be screened and questioned about cannabis use. Read More »

Environmental Justice from the White House

In April 2023, President Biden signed an executive order to expand the administration’s goals to address persistent environmental injustices involving toxic pollution, underinvestment in infrastructure and services and other harms due to a legacy of racial discrimination. Read More »

Fighting Climate Change in the Garden: Regenerative Techniques for a Healthy Ecosystem

Reversing global warming may feel like a problem that is out of reach, but anyone can make a difference by planting an ecologically supportive garden. Read More »

Green Exercise: Reconnecting With Nature

Prompted by a growing focus on reconnecting with nature, combined with the well-known benefits of physical exertion, outdoor workouts are all the rage in natural settings and urban parks. Read More »

Gut Health for Kids: Clever Strategies for Picky Eaters

By creatively offering children healthy, diverse foods, presented in ways to please even finicky palates, parents can support microbiome health while establishing a lifetime of good eating habits. Read More »

Hues of Health: Benefits of a Colorful Diet

Rich in essential vitamins, minerals and fiber, vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables also contain phytonutrients such as antioxidants, flavonoids, carotenoids and polyphenols that contribute to the color, flavor and aroma of such foods. Read More »

Marinated Beets and Goat Cheese Crostini

Deriving their deep red color from phytonutrients called betalains, beets are rich in nitrates, which help to lower blood pressure. Read More »

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. Read More »

Natural Ant Control for the Home

Conventional pesticides and ant traps can be toxic to humans, pets and the environment. This season, consider using one of these safer ant control alternatives. Read More »

Pilot Program Reveals Benefits of Four-Day Work Week

The nonprofit 4 Day Week Global conducted a six-month pilot of more than 2,900 workers from 61 companies in the United Kingdom from June to December 2022 in which the work week was reduced from a standard 40 hours to 32 hours for the same pay and benefits. Read More »

Protecting Pets From Lyme Disease: Prevention and Symptom Management Tips

When the weather is nice and we crave outdoor adventures with our pets, we may not want to think about Lyme disease, but it’s a good idea to take precautions to avoid an infection. Read More »

Repairing the Planet’s Lungs

The oceans, sometimes called the lungs of the Earth, have absorbed 30 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions since the Industrial Revolution and captured 90 percent of the related excess heat. Read More »

Saving the Fading Night Sky

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C., “Lights Out” exhibit is helping people understand that light pollution is a global problem with broad impact. Read More »

Seniors Want Fewer 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. Read More »

Solar Community Hubs

Nearly half of the world’s population is without access to the internet. Dell Technologies, in partnership with Computer Aid International, is addressing the gap for people that might benefit the most. Read More »

Summer Broccoli Soup With Herb Croutons

This vibrant, lime green-colored soup is an excellent source of potassium, fiber, vitamins B6 and C, iron, magnesium and calcium. Read More »

The Microbiome Connection: How Soil and Human Health Are Related

The human gut microbiome, which is critical to fighting off disease, and soil microbiome, which enables plant growth, are vitally important to maintaining all life on our planet. Read More »

The Sweet Tapestry of Summer

Summer’s apex brings wildflower tapestries woven with cricket-song and evenings punctuated by rolling thunderstorms, but it also can be a time for us to take a deep dive into the miracle of interconnectedness. Read More »

Too Much Histamine: Natural Solutions to an Excessive Allergic Response

Histamine is an organic chemical produced by the body as a protection from allergens. It is also found in some of the foods we consume. Read More »