Publisher's Letter March 2025

With spring equinox just around the corner, it’s time to get ready for the new season! And while March in Chicago can bring massive swings in the daily forecast, signs of spring are all around us. Over-wintering birds like goldfinch begin to show their yellow summer plumage and migrating red-winged blackbirds seem to suddenly return to the area. Tree buds are thickening, and early spring bulbs along with early native ephemeral flowers will soon start to greet us. Despite the variable March weather, the sun’s rays are growing stronger, and days with southwestern breezes carry the warm, earthy scent of the soil thawing from winter’s grip. Ahhhhh…

March marks National Nutrition Month, and in this month’s issue of Natural Awakenings, we’re celebrating by delving into how our food choices affect wellness. Our feature article, “Personalized Nutrition: Fine-Tuning the Dinner Plate,” highlights some of the latest research on how individual dietary needs can vary. The Nutrition Institute, a leading global food research organization, has ranked targeted nutrition among their top five trends for 2025. This trend underscores a shift towards focusing on individual “need states”, emphasizing the growing importance of catering to an individual’s unique health goals and specific conditions like heart, joint, bone and/or gut health.

Lately, I’ve seen an uptick in discussions about cooking oils and growing health concerns over long-term use of “seed oils” such as canola, safflower and others commonly found in packaged foods, fast food, restaurant choices and grocery shelves. Research is showing that choosing the right oils can help with chronic inflammation, and may even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, which we explore in “Cooking With Healthy Oils: The Secret to Anti-Inflammatory Meals.” Additionally, we highlight ways of  “Fueling Exercise Recovery,” reviewing some of the best nutritional strategies to support muscle repair and post-workout healing.

Early spring is a great time to get outside and soak up some well-needed sunshine, perhaps by looking for early growing native skunk cabbage plants in an area forest preserve, attending a maple syrup festival or walking through your yard to plan this year’s garden. In this month’s Natural Chicago section, Sheryl DeVore explores “The Growing Presence of American White Pelicans in Illinois” and offers tips for where you may spot some of them this month. And if you’re creating your spring plant sale wish list, be sure to get some inspiration in “Drought-Resistant Gardening: Conserving Water in the Backyard.”

As always, I encourage you to step outside every day, look for signs of the changing season and relish early spring, regardless of what the thermometer reads. Listen for bird songs or an owl’s call on a starry evening, and notice how the soil changes appearance as it warms and new plant growth appears. Observe the sun’s changing angle as the days lengthen. Enjoy this transitional month of March as we eagerly anticipate the full arrival of spring.