The Healthy Planet Magazine is proud to announce its 41st Natural Living Expo, March 26, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Complex, 33 East Glendale Road, 63119. See the coupon to the left and scan or take a photo for FREE ADMISSION.

Dozens of exhibitors will be sharing information, products and services about… [click headline to read more]

By Simon Yu MD

In August, I saw a 56-year-old man from Chicago with diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in 2019. He said he had every test under the sun, including a bone marrow biopsy and genetic testing. He received chemotherapy and developed cardiac atrial fibrillation, had a minimal response to chemo, and switched to… [click headline to read more]

Oh, where to even begin? 2023 is starting off with so many exciting new things on the horizon and I am absolutely bursting with energy and hope for this adventure that I am embarking on and sharing with all of you!

This year, I am celebrating being a doula for thirteen years! Some of you may… [click headline to read more]

By Gail Cloud, DC

What winds of change are speaking quietly or loudly into your ear?

Do you recognize its call?

Taking time to just be and to listen to those voices is harder than it sounds in most of our worlds. There is so much stimulation and pulls, it can be challenging to slow down to hear… [click headline to read more]

By Dr. Amy Davis, M.D.

COVID 19 and the problems that have arisen in the aftermath of even mild cases are confounding doctors across the country. Hospitals have been overflowing for months. Symptoms commonly include, fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, poor endurance, anxiety and sleep disruption. Many other issues are being seen including joint and… [click headline to read more]

By Mike Smith

For years I suffered from back pain. After playing golf I would feel pain in my lower back for days. I didn’t want to give up the sport I loved.

Complaining and giving up aren’t my mode of dealing with difficulty. I used inner guidance and contemplation—a form of non-directed prayer. Every morning I… [click headline to read more]

By Tom & Carol Braford

It is a well-known cliché, and some may say a fact, that “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.” A corollary to that might be that throwing your hat over the wall is a guaranteed way to create necessity, if you want to get your hat back. Of course, the higher the… [click headline to read more]

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: A nine-banded armadillo sniffs the ground for its next meal. Photo courtesy the Missouri Department of Conservation

Four of a kind can be a winning hand in the game of poker. Apparently, in the game of life it is for the armadillo, too.

The nine-banded armadillo is truly a unique… [click headline to read more]

Spring Training for Gardeners is back at EarthDance, and this year, we are offering it to everyone on a Pay What You Can basis! This means that if you are interested in greening your thumbs and growing and eating the most local food there is, you can join us for any or all of the… [click headline to read more]

By Abby Lapides

A favorite Missouri native perennial, Rose Verbena, gives us clusters of rose-pink blossoms from late spring through late summer and well into fall. Its sprawling, low-growing habit makes it an ideal ground cover. It resembles its annual cousin, but this beauty queen is hardy!

Rose Verbena makes a top choice for the garden, containers,… [click headline to read more]

By Amy Williams, Licensed Massage Therapist and Esthetician at Vitality Unlimited Spa

Reflexology feels amazing, but it is so much more than a great foot massage! 

In a Reflexology treatment, pressure is applied to specific trigger points on the feet or hands to stimulate and heal other parts of the body. There are millions of nerve endings… [click headline to read more]

By Donna Linn, Healthy Planet Columnist

Guitarist Bill Lynch: A Sweet Inspiration

We all have moments in our lives that can be considered serendipitous. For musician Bill Lynch, his inspiration came on February 9, 1964 when Bill, along with an estimated 73 million Americans, tuned into the Beatles’ historic debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. They performed… [click headline to read more]

By Natalie R. Toney M.F.A., C.H.

“May you live all the days of your life.” And may those days be filled with plenty of Irish soda bread! Perhaps that’s not exactly what Irish author, satirist, and Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Jonathan Swift was referring to in his famous quote, (though he is also attributed to… [click headline to read more]

By Jean Ponzi

Bumbershoots

Rain or shine, gal or fella,

Wear a smile AND your umbrella.

Even in the blazing summer sun, I stay shady with a cool umbrella.

Single-handed, still or strolling, I can shield head, shoulders, ankles – even a friend. Umbrellas block intense rays as well as they shed raindrops. Under their cheerful protection I can avoid… [click headline to read more]

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

So you survived the winter, again. Way to go! If you’ve been following my articles, starting in the September 2022 issue, you should be getting some areas of your life organized. The heaviness of the cold, the excitement and exhaustion from the holiday season, and the lack of sunshine, are… [click headline to read more]

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

What does it mean to cultivate connections, and how do we do that? Let’s start with the word cultivate. The leading definition as outlined by Dictionary.com: cultivate (verb), is to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops. Cultivate by another definition: to seek to promote or… [click headline to read more]

By Julie Villa, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council Board Member

Perhaps it was the memory of standing awkwardly on the edge of a crowd at an event early in my career, and hoping to spare another young professional that feeling. Or it was the desire to have an impact on the next generation of green building… [click headline to read more]

By Melissa Vatterott

Photo caption: Jeanne Heuser

At the 2022 Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) annual meeting, Jeanne Heuser received MCE’s R. Roger Pryor Citizen Activist Award for rallying citizens to support conscientious defense of the environment.  Roger was described as “a Missourian in the best sense of the word: pragmatic, humble and, when need be,… [click headline to read more]

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Gardens can be habitats that support and nurture all stages of a butterfly, moth and insect life. Insects need that habitat during all four seasons. Winter’s habitat of fallen leaves is as necessary as summer’s blossoms. We can thank a 17th century female artist for showing… [click headline to read more]

Feral Cats & Coyotes In Webster Groves?

By J.B. Lester

When the daffodils begin to bloom in February, it gives us hope that Spring is just around the corner. Some of our biggest snowstorms have been in February and March in St. Louis, so we are not out of the woods just yet. But the warmth of… [click headline to read more]

By Sarah Wilson, MA, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Needles provide major advantages to tough trees in tough conditions. Needles are leaves, just different-looking leaves the way a dachshund is a dog, just a different-looking dog.

What are some advantages that needles offer?

A Waxy CoatingJust as heavy skin cream helps keep our skin moist, the waxy coating on… [click headline to read more]

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Silence is believed to not have a sound, but within silence lies our thoughts. This leads us to misinterpret silence at times as being uncomfortable or unsettling, but rather it leaves the question why do we feel this way? What is it about silence that provokes these emotions when… [click headline to read more]

Never mind the latest MVP. This month is all about MPV — Musical, Performance, Visual art!

Photo caption: Dance St. Louis presents Dorrance Dance, March 25

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Chamber Music Society of St. Louis performs “From Baroque to Classical” on March 6 (that’s a Monday!), 7:30 p.m. at 560 Music Center. Can’t get… [click headline to read more]

I went to my first Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo many years ago. It has always held a special place in my memories with JB Lester and Niki, his wife, putting on a great event with the help of their daughters.

Here I am, 20 years later, and JB has now passed the torch to me,… [click headline to read more]