Natural Awakenings Chicago ~ May 2021

2021 WOMEN IN WELLNESS

Welcome to our inaugural Natural Awakenings Chicago Women in Wellness feature, part of our month-long salute to women’s health! We’re highlighting some of the incredible integrative and natural health professionals and businesswomen in the Chicagoland area, and celebrating women everywhere who make wellness a priority and a passion in their lives. Read More »

Benefits of Optimized Hormones

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a way to replace identical hormones to those the body produces that men and women lose over the course of their lives. Some common symptoms include exhaustion, stress, unclear thoughts, weight gain, sleep disturbances and fibromyalgia. Read More »

Celiac Disease Awareness Month ~ Living and Thriving with Celiac Disease

According to research, the average patient can take up to 14 years to properly receive a celiac disease diagnosis. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and include diarrhea, bloated belly, weight loss, malnutrition, skin rashes and in children, even a diagnosis of failure to thrive. Read More »

Dementia Is Not Inevitable

Mindwise Healthcare, in Northbrook, takes a functional medicine approach to cognitive decline. They pursue in-depth diagnostic testing and use the information to help clients implement the targeted nutrition, lifestyle and supplement interventions that will optimize their brain health. Read More »

Fulfill a Longing for Happiness

The Holistic Center of Health and Happiness is offering small group meditations and events, as well as private consultation, shamanic healing, past-life regressions and wellness retreats. Read More »

Healing with Natural Light Therapy

Photonx Wellness therapy is a standalone choice for a wide variety of medical conditions including acute and chronic infections, chronic diseases such as fatigue, lack of energy, diabetes, heart disease, neurologic diseases, autoimmune diseases, mold disease, mood disorders or any condition causing pain and/or inflammation such as interstitial cystitis, neck and back pain, headaches, migraines or nerve pain. Read More »

Immune Response Varies by the Individual

Alla Arutcheva, M.D., Ph.D., ND, developed a special personalized protocol to increase immune system resilience and boost anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory immune response. Read More »

Letter from Publisher

Before summer is upon us, please make it your priority to take in all the joys that May has to offer and to share that wonder of discovery with others in your life. Enjoy the unmistakable aroma of a warm spring rainstorm, watch for new birds at a feeder or in a local park and visit a natural area to soak up some spring sunshine. Read More »

Many Dental Issues are Preventable

Several factors can contribute to our ideas of “inherited” bad teeth or surprise dental issues. The most common of these are actually diet and brushing techniques. Read More »

Peptide Therapy Helps to Promote Cellular Healing

Peptides are short strings of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, which control many of the fundamental processes in the body. Peptide therapy uses specific combinations of these amino acids that communicate with different parts of the body and aid in cellular repair. Read More »

Pinpoint Root Causes with AO Total Body Scan

The AO Scan Digital Body Analyzer uses infrared and electromagnetic signals to detect frequency imbalances in the subtle energy of organs, tissues, cells and even DNA. It scans more than 80,000 individual points, instantly compares those frequencies with a database of known healthy frequencies and displays the results in minutes. Read More »

Recipes: Gluten-Free Mother’s Day ‘Breakfast in Bed’ with the Hinton Girls

Mother’s Day is a special time for families, as it provides an opportunity for children to show their appreciation to Mom, Grandma and other important women in their lives. Here are a couple of gluten-free recipes mom is sure to enjoy from GF Mom Certified and the Hinton Girls. Read More »

Relieve Stress Without Leaving Home

Massage therapy helps to increase levels of the positive hormones (endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, etc.) encouraging the body to relax and renew itself and reverse the effects of stress. Enjoy $30 off for a variety of professional mobile massage services. Read More »

Return of the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards 60-Second Garden Video Challenge

Gardeners anywhere can create one-minute videos of their gardens to be included on the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards YouTube Channel. Viewers then use the “thumbs up” to vote for their favorite videos, top vote getters can win some great prizes! Read More »

Saving the Monarchs ~ Community Scientists Provide Backyard Data for Field Museum Project

The Field Museum, in Chicago, is leading the way in community science to better understand monarch butterfly programs. Chicago area residents can become natural area and backyard monarch monitors to help scientists with this key conservation work. Read More »

The Worst is Over – Build Back Fairer

Chicago Fair Trade is sponsoring Build Back Fairer as part of World Fair Trade Day 2021, to be observed on May 8 with a three-part challenge to educate, activate and celebrate. Read More »

Three Ways To Say ‘Yes’ to Self-Care

Every day, we make choices that lean toward optimal well-being or away from it: We can’t exercise—too many errands. We can’t go to bed early—too many deadlines. We’ll meditate when we have more energy. We’ll clear the clutter when we have more time. Turn “can’t” into “can” and “no” into “yes” with these three tips. Read More »

Tool Library Provides Level Playing Field for Chicago Gardeners

The Chicago Tool Library, a community nonprofit organization with a mission to provide equitable access to tools, equipment and information to allow all Chicagoans to learn, share and create, is open for the spring season. Read More »

World-Renowned South African Artist and Sculptor Daniel Popper to Exhibit at Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum’s newest outdoor art installation, Human+Nature, will open this month. This will be the first major U.S. exhibition by renowned South African multidisciplinary artist and sculptor Daniel Popper, and his largest exhibition to date anywhere in the world. Read More »

Artificial Intelligence Joins Fight Against Marine Litter

MARLIT, an open-access web app based on a deep-learning artificial intelligence algorithm, will promote the detection and measurement of floating plastics in the sea. Read More »

Avoid Coffee When Pregnant to Safeguard Brain Development

A mother’s coffee drinking during pregnancy can change important pathways in an infant’s developing brain, raising the risk of behavioral issues, attention difficulty and hyperactivity. Read More »

Baby Bites: Healthy Homemade Food for Tiny Tummies

Save money and control what goes into little tummies with these tips for introducing and feeding healthy homemade baby foods. Read More »

Baby Blueberry Smoothie

This 5 ingredient recipe for homemade baby blueberry smoothies is the perfect way to get little ones started with solid foods. Read More »

Baby Superfood Purée

Make simple, healthy, homemade baby food purée with these superfood ingredients. Read More »

Climate Change Makes Pollen Season Worse for Allergy Sufferers

A study found that pollen seasons have been getting longer and more intense over the last 30 years with an increase in mean annual temperatures being the strongest driver. Read More »

Composting Human Remains is a Reality

Environmental activist Katrina Spade founded Recompose, the country’s first human composting funeral home, in Seattle, Washington, where composting as a form of human burial is legal. Read More »

Critters React to Warming Temperatures in the Rockies

A study reveals that the popular golden-mantled ground squirrel and 46 other species of rodents and shrews in Colorado are climbing uphill to escape warming temperatures in the state. Read More »

Curbing Cancer in Cats: Ways to Keep a Feline Healthy

1 in 5 cats will be diagnosed with cancer, but the risk of contraction and severe outcomes can be lowered with these holistic treatment options and healthy preventative tips. Read More »

Devaki Lindsey Berkson on Bioidentical Hormones for Long-Term Health

Hormone scholar and nutrition and gut expert Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson discusses plant-based bioidentical hormone therapy (BHT) and its role in women's health. Read More »

Don’t Rely on Money for Happiness

People in the “poorest of the poor” communities in which money is not a high value can feel as happy as people in high-income Scandinavian countries. Read More »

Eco-Cosmetics: Choosing Sustainable Beauty Products

Reduce environmental harm and waste with these sustainable cosmetic tips and eco-friendly beauty brands. Read More »

Gas Utilities Knock Electric Appliances

As cities phase out the installation of gas lines in new buildings to cut down on methane emissions, gas utilities have been staging adversarial campaigns nationwide. Read More »

Homeopathy to the Rescue: Create a Family First-Aid Kit

The emergency remedies of homeopathy are straight-forward, low-cost and easy to administer for first aid to cuts, burns, bumps and bruises, insect bites, and poison ivy. Read More »

Integrative Women’s Wellness: Five Top Health Concerns and What to Do

Holistic, integrative approaches for women's top five health concerns including cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances and depression. Read More »

Natural Mama: Holistic Approaches to a Healthy Pregnancy

Eating organic, detoxing the house, practicing meditation or yoga and other holistic approaches for expectant mothers to follow during pregnancy for delivering a healthy baby. Read More »

Nix Baby Foods that Harbor Toxic Metals

A recent report issued by the House of Representatives found “dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals,” including arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, in baby foods made by major companies. Read More »

Pregnancy Apps

Tracking exercise, nutrition, baby bump images, the joys of the journey and the baby’s development are available options in a variety of the best holistic pregnancy apps. Read More »

Sip Non-Alcoholic Beer to Improve Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic beer is booming in popularity, and it now poses a health benefit as a study-proven dietary supplement for people with cirrhosis of the liver. Read More »

Sleep Deeply to Reduce Anxiety

Researchers report that a sleepless night can trigger up to a 30 percent rise in anxiety levels, but a full night of slumber stabilizes emotions. Read More »

Stay Fit with Bodywork Therapy: Enhance Workout Performance and Recovery with Massage

Therapeutic massage and other bodywork modalities before or after exercise can combat post-workout soreness and stiffness, maximizing our fitness investments in and out of the gym. Read More »

Sustainably Stylish: Eco-Fashion that’s Kind to the Planet

The “fast fashion” of cheap designer knock-offs is costly to the environment, but sustainable fabrics, resale shops, and creative mending can provide eco-friendly, stylish options. Read More »

Three Steps for Facing Difficult Emotions

We can build resiliency and find greater clarity, calm and well-being when facing change, uncertainty and stress with these three key steps using mindfulness and compassion. Read More »

World’s Largest Wildlife Highway Crossing Opens in San Antonio

The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge connects people with nature in San Antonio across a six-lane highway at Phil Hardberger Park, the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the U.S. Read More »