By Dr. Amy Davis, M.D.

Have you ever noticed that when your stomach is upset, your mood seems off too? Or that periods of stress can lead to bloating, indigestion, or other digestive symptoms? That’s because your gut and brain are in constant communication through what scientists call the gut-brain connection.

In fact, your digestive system is… [click headline to read more]

By Dr. Gail Cloud

One of the most important things we can do for ourselves is to be truly us and to be authentic and honest. That is a huge task and requires self- reflection and the courage and discipline to see ourselves clearly.

Here is a personal example. I have had a weak left calf muscle… [click headline to read more]

Summer is the season of sunshine, vacations, and time outdoors. Still, heat, humidity, and increased sun exposure can leave skin looking dull, dehydrated, or stressed. Healthy, radiant skin starts with consistent care and a routine designed for the warmer months.

Spa Services for Radiant Skin

Looking for an extra boost? Regular facials help remove buildup, improve texture,… [click headline to read more]

Multiple Award Winner

By Ann Lapides

The fantastic Missouri and Illinois native, Wild Blue Indigo, Baptisia australis, brings stunning color and form to the landscape with showy racemes of pea-shaped indigo-blue flowers in late spring and early summer. Showy black seed pods follow the flowers and look fabulous in dried arrangements. Additionally, its ornamental blue-green foliage looks great all… [click headline to read more]

It’s Peach time and here in Southernmost Illinois the orchards, farmers markets, wineries, and restaurants are taking full advantage of what the fruit means to visitors.

Peaches provide a bounty of sweetness all Summer long. There are several stops to consider when journeying through #ShawneeForestCounty.

Flamm’s Fruits and Cream (featured on several TV shows to include Good… [click headline to read more]

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: Not what it appears, more than it seems; a colony of fall webworms at work. Image courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

Some things are not what they appear. Some are more than they seem.

You’re walking along on a balmy July day and you spy a magnificent… [click headline to read more]

This year is no exception! So pack up the family and head off to enjoy some cool tunes.

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Artwork: Glassworks by Mario Clarke

Whitaker Concert Series continues at Missouri Botanical Garden, free to the public.

Picnicking is permitted after 5:30 p.m. but the music starts at 7 p.m. This month’s lineup… [click headline to read more]

The hosts of the Mississippi Earthtones Festival are searching for an artist to design entryway banners for the 20thAnnual Mississippi Earthtones Festival on September 19, 2026. Hosts Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project, Alton Main Street, and the Jacoby Arts Center encourage interested artists to apply for this exciting opportunity.

The banners will greet thousands of… [click headline to read more]

Shawnee National Forest is seeking volunteers to assist with data collection on Snake Road during the fall season road closure. Snake Road Sentinels will be responsible for surveying the wildlife observed and monitoring visitor usage.

This year’s workshop will take place on Saturday, August 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Mississippi River Bluff Ranger Station.… [click headline to read more]

By Jerry Bennes, Midwest Lawn Care

A lush green lawn doesn’t have to come at the environment’s expense. With a few simple shifts, Missouri homeowners can grow a healthy lawn while using less water, fewer chemicals, and less time.

Start with the grass itself. Tall fescue is the most practical choice for Missouri’s climate — it’s drought-tolerant,… [click headline to read more]

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Publisher

When temperatures soar and humidity levels climb, what we eat and drink can make a difference in how we feel. While no food can lower the outdoor temperature, choosing foods with a high-water content and lighter meals can help us stay comfortable during the hottest days of summer.

For many years, I worked… [click headline to read more]

By Natalie R. Toney, M.F.A., C.H., Healthy Planet Food Editor

We are officially in the middle of summer, and where I live that usually means on any given day picnics and parties are happening under the pavilion at the park down the block, the ice cream truck makes its rounds at least once a day, and… [click headline to read more]

My dogs stay indoors most of the summer, neither of them, Jazzy or Kiba like to be outdoors for long. I take them out more in the summer since they drink more water but they don’t stay out long when they do go out. My big boy, Kiba, 86 lbs. was adopted from Los Angeles… [click headline to read more]

By Jean Ponzi

Great-ness

On June 13, 2026, I joined the Celebration of Life for Dr. Peter Hamilton Raven held at Missouri Botanical Garden, the dearly beloved place he led over nearly 40 years. A roomful of 500 souls (plus Zoom viewers worldwide) gathered to remember and appreciate the works and relations of one human – widely,… [click headline to read more]

By J.B. Lester

The price of cable television is ridiculous. We were paying around $300+ a month for so many channels, most of which we never watched. Most of the package we chose was one that included some of our favorite shows plus our local sports teams. There was no cheap package that included all of… [click headline to read more]

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

For many people, childhood was not a time of carefree laughter, imagination, and adventure. Instead, it was a season marked by hardship, uncertainty, or trauma. While other children were learning, playing, and exploring the world around them, some were focused on survival.

When a child experiences trauma, they often learn… [click headline to read more]

By Deborah Rogers Curtis, Green Schools Coordinator for Missouri Gateway Green Building Council

How can sustainability professionals support schools interested in lowering their carbon footprint, reducing their impact on the environment, and creating a healthier environment for their staff and students? Volunteer as a Green Schools Quest Mentor!

The Green Schools Quest is a free program in… [click headline to read more]

By Diane K. Wilson

Everything is energy. Every thought, emotion, word, experience, and interaction carries a frequency that influences our energetic field. While we often think of healing as something that happens solely within the physical body, true wellness begins long before symptoms appear. It begins within the energetic patterns we create, carry, and reinforce throughout… [click headline to read more]

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Publisher

When temperatures soar and humidity levels climb, what we eat and drink can make a difference in how we feel. While no food can lower the outdoor temperature, choosing foods with a high-water content and lighter meals can help us stay comfortable during the hottest days of summer.

For many years, I worked… [click headline to read more]

By Tom & Carol Braford

Photo caption: Co-op members. Left to right, Dave, Vizmaya, D.G., Sitara, Abdul, Madeline

As we celebrate 250 years as a country, it looks like we finally may have a new, highly experienced “Global Villages Cooperative” partner that gives us a combined pathway to build our cohousing / urban ecovillages and now worker-owned… [click headline to read more]

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

Okay, so this time I went to the other two grocery stores in the area, both are part of much larger chains and unfortunately, they were about the same as the two local grocery stores. One of the two did have peanut butter and coffee but, now that I think… [click headline to read more]