Letter from the Publisher

Whether you note the start of meteorological summer on June 1, as I happily do, or wait for the solstice, June has always felt like the season is finally arriving in its full regalia. Growing up on the Northwest Side of Chicago, some of my favorite memories are of simple evenings spent outside after our family supper, my dad sitting in an aluminum folding lawn chair with the woven white-and-green checkerboard straps and me perched on the back steps, watching the sky slowly change color as dusk settled in. We’d listen to the robins singing their evening song from our parkway elm and backyard apple tree. My dad taught me how to whistle back to them, something I still do today.

June memories are also anchored to our family’s summer vacations, which we took in early June before the crowds, traveling the back roads of the country in a rented mini-motorhome and often celebrating my dad’s birthday—and sometimes Father’s Day—in a national park or somewhere else along the way. My associations of summer were formed early on with an appreciation of this beautiful yet fleeting season. They were built on being outdoors, staying active, exploring new places and paying attention to the world around us.

This month’s issue of Natural Awakenings Chicago explores vitality through the lens of men’s health. From hormonal balance and restorative sleep to movement and time spent outdoors, our articles remind us that feeling our best often begins with paying closer attention to the basics.

Low testosterone is often misunderstood or simply attributed to “getting older,” yet it can affect far more than libido, influencing energy, sleep, mood, motivation and overall vitality. Marlaina Donato explores the topic further in our feature article, “The Facts About Low Testosterone: What Every Man Should Know.” Stress, poor sleep and other factors can also play a role in hormonal health and long-term well-being, themes that continue in “Sleep Health for Men: Foundational Habits for a Better Life,” by Hannah Tytus. We also take wellness outdoors in “The Resurgence of Rucking: An Ancient Activity for Modern Fitness,” a reminder that sometimes the simplest practices are still some of the best: get outside, move the body and reconnect with the outdoors.

The season brings opportunities to gather outdoors, cook fresh foods and enjoy the abundance of local farmers markets across Chicagoland. In “Smarter Summer Grilling: Making Barbecue More Flavorful and Healthy,” we explore healthier, creative approaches to summer grilling that are satisfying and full of summer flavor. In his latest Local Food Dispatch, Bob Benenson takes us on a tour of what’s arriving at area farmers markets this month.

Gardens invite us to spend more time outdoors, slow the pace a little and reconnect with the natural world. In “Turn Any Patio Into a Pollinator Haven,” Jacob Burns, curator of plant collections at the Chicago Botanic Garden, explains how even small patios and balconies can become vibrant container gardens filled with native plants and colorful annuals that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. And in this month’s Natural Chicago, Sheryl DeVore looks at some of the invasive plant species spreading across the region and what we can do in our own backyards to help reduce their impact.

As always, I encourage you to spend as much time outdoors as possible this month, whether that means a walk at dusk, a visit to your local farmers market, time in the garden or simply sitting outside on a warm evening and listening to the birds settle in for the night. And try to stay outside as late as possible on the solstice. We are gifted just one longest day each year, and it’s worth savoring.

Happy Solstice!