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Success Stories: Waste Reduction, Recycling, & Feeding Children During A Pandemic

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding programs for recycling and waste reduction. The service area includes the City of St. Louis, […]

ARTful Happenings February 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through February 15
PERSONAL SPACE
52 works by 42 artists; Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine; for info, call 314-241-4810 or visit www.artstlouis.org.

Through February 18
CREATURES
Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine; for info, visit www.artstlouis.org.

Through March 9
BEYOND THE LENS XI
Framations Art Gallery, 218 North Main Street in St. Charles; for info, 636-724-8313 or visit www.framations.com

Through March 31
ART […]

Coalition Report

By Heather Brouillet Navarro,
Executive Director Missouri Coalition for the Environment

www.moenvironment.org

Missouri Parks Challenge

It’s the season for day trips and weekend adventures. Do you know where to go to play in the cool, clear water of a spring fed creek? Or where to hike along the bluffs of the Meramec? Or where to see the skeleton of a […]

Coalition Report

By Alicia Lloyd, Clean Water Policy Coordinator,
Missouri Coalition for the Environment

New Federal Flood Standards Good Start to Stopping Irresponsible and Dangerous Development

The St. Louis area has a long, soggy history with floods. Whether it’s flash flooding or the devastating damage wrought by the major floods of 1993, 2008, 2011, and most recently, 2015 on the […]

Coalition Report

By Rebecca Dowd,
Missouri Coalition for the Environment Intern

www.moenviron.org

“We The People 2.0” Fight the American Oligarchy

The Trump administration calls our current framework for environmental protection “burdensome” and “unnecessary” and he has advocated for its elimination. Now is the time for unity and activism.

Across the United States, the public does not have a right to clean […]

Coalition Report

By Heather B. Navarro
Executive Director
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Trouble Lurks in the Legislature Get Outside Quick!

Something’s working in Missouri, so why are some in the General Assembly trying to take it away? It’s not uncommon for Missouri to hover at the bottom of the charts for things like air quality, smoking, and emotional health. However, when […]

Healthy Planet Celebrates 30th Natural Living Expo Sept. 27 In Webster Groves

The Healthy Planet magazine is proud to host its 30th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, Sept. 27, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center in Webster Groves. “We are very excited to be holding our 30th event in 18 years,” said J.B. Lester, Publisher of The Healthy Planet magazine. “ We love […]

Laumeier Sculpture Park Launches 40th Anniversary Year with Large-Scale Sculpture Installation

Laumeier Sculpture Park announced the recent installation of Alexandre da Cunha’s Mix (Americana), 2013 in honor of the Park’s 40th Anniversary year. The large-scale artwork was gifted to Laumeier’s Permanent Collection by the Brazilian artist and CRG Gallery, New York, following exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) as the fifth MCA Plaza […]

Missouri Botanical Garden Offers Sensational Summer Nights Happy Hours Thursday Evenings Through Labor Day

This summer, spend your Thursday evenings at the Missouri Botanical Garden for Sensational Summer Nights. The Garden will be open Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day for visitors to enjoy garden-style happy hours.

Guests can experience the garden with all their senses. Flora-inspired cocktails and light food will be […]

Publisher’s Corner: Autumn Bern And Life Cycles

I had a political conversation with my two twenty-something daughters recently about the importance of voting. They were both Bernie supporters and now are saying they just won’t vote because they don’t like either Hillary or Donald. It wasn’t so long ago, well I guess it was so long ago, that my young heart was […]

Publisher’s Corner: Left To My Own Devices

My young adult daughters love to make fun of me and my awkwardness when left to my own devices. I have always been behind the curve when it comes to electronics. I like to think of it as being old-fashioned and traditional, but apparently I am a techno-dinosaur. It all started with my first 35mm […]

The Art of Relating: Getting Rid of Resistance in Your Relationship

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Now accepting Insurance
visit www.ChristineKniffen.com

Fixing your relationship does take work, but just how much work and how much energy has everything to do with you. Resistance is the greatest hurdle to overcome. Resistance slows the process as a whole and it is why you have probably come to couples counseling in the […]

‘GARDEN GLOW’ Lights Up Missouri Botanical Garden This Holiday Season

Tickets are now on sale for Garden Glow 2013, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s first-ever winter light exhibit. Visitors will have the opportunity to stroll through the Garden at night surrounded by a spectacle of unique light installations. The exhibit opened Nov. 23, 2013 and runs through Jan. 4, 2014. Tickets are date-specific and sold in […]

‘Healthy Cities’ Events May 12, 13

By Joyce LEE, FAIA, LEED Fellow, Indigo JLD, (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” according to the World Health Organization.

Healthy cities – what comes to your mind? Fresh air, citizens walking, bicycling or jogging, smiling faces, just to name […]

‘Heart of Love’ – 28th World Peace Day

By Jeannie Breeze

We know that peace is an “inside job”, one that begins with us, and we know that peace radiates from us when we express from the Heart of Love. Because we literally live in the Heart Center of “Turtle Island” (North America), where major arteries come together – the Mississippi, the Missouri, the […]

‘Living in Harmony with Nature’ Retreat At Rockhaven Ecozoic Center May 27-29

By Phyllis Thorpe

“Living in Harmony with Nature” is a topic which has great appeal to HEALTHY PLANET readers. This is the theme of a retreat at Rockhaven Ecozoic Center this Memorial Day weekend May 27-29. It will be led by David Lorimer, whose book PROPHET FOR OUR TIMES introduces a spiritual teaching, preserved throughout years […]

‘Wildlife Rescue’ to open at the Science Center this October

New exhibition explores animal rescue and rehabilitation

This fall, visitors are invited to practice feeding a California condor chick, guide young whooping cranes as they learn to fly and care for injured turtles – all in the new special exhibition, Wildlife Rescue. Using interactive exhibits, multimedia and hands-on activities, Wildlife Rescue shares the compelling stories of […]

“The Dog Logue”

By Phil BerwickPhoto: Visitors writing in The Dog Logue

Those who pick up and open a Healthy Planet Magazine are two categories of humans; Folks olden in body, and young in spirit, or young ones in body and olden in spirit. The Healthy Planet Magazine was founded on a passion to help people make our earth […]

“Don’t Pollute. Switch Up Your Commute. $ee the Savings” This Air Quality Forecasting Season

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Transportation is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution. In conjunction with the start of the Clean Air Partnership’s daily air quality forecasting season on May 1, more than half a dozen partners, who collectively provide an array of transportation options that extend beyond driving in single-occupancy vehicles […]

“Grow Solar” Programs Deliver Solar to Gateway Region Homes

By Peter Murphy, Solar Program Director for Midwest Renewable Energy Association 

With many working from home since March, you may have noticed just how much electricity you use every day: a light left on, an always-running laptop, devices with their tangle of chargers. For Julie Downs of Waterloo Illinois, and Robert McMullen of University City, these devices […]

“Heart of Peace”: 30th World Peace Day, December 31st

By Jeannie Breeze

As we prepare for the 30th annual World Peace Day, “Heart of Peace”, Thursday, December 31, 2015, 6 a.m. at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman (at Kingshighway) in St. Louis’ Central West End, the intention, as always, is to create a joyous, holy celebration of love and community, where our differences fade away […]

“I Can Do That” Honoring Your Child’s New Found Independence

by Lisa Trout, Admissions Director 
and Lise Riet-Lague, Director of Advancement
Chesterfield Montessori School

“Wow, my child can do THAT?” is a frequently heard exclamation from parents of children enrolled in a Montessori school. The answer is always a resounding, “Yes!”

In an authentic Montessori environment, children acquire many new skills that enable them to act with independence, confidence […]

“It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!”

Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness,
Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring into computer monitors, […]

“It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!”

Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring into […]

“It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!”

Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring into […]

“It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”

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

“There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays”, “Joy to the World”, “Winter Wonderland”…we’re all familiar with the carols of the season. They often begin pouring over speakers in department stores just after Halloween, and carry us through ‘til New Years. Songs of twinkling lights, sparkling snow, dancing sugar plums, snowmen […]

“Known & Grown” Farmer’s Market Guide

By Jenn DeRose Know & Grown Manager Missouri Coalition For The Environment

Every season, Known & Grown STL (a program of Missouri Coalition for the Environment) creates a Farmers Market guide to make finding food from local, sustainable farmers in our program easy.

In order for a market to be included in our guide, they must have […]

“Love Is The Answer” – 34th Annual World Peace Day Celebration

By Jeannie Breeze

Bright and Beautiful Beings! If you attend the annual World Peace Day celebrations, please know that I consider you a part of my family, my Family of Light! This year marks the 34th annual World Peace Day Celebration – “Love Is the Answer”, happening Tuesday, December 31st, 2019, 6 a.m. at Central Reform […]

“Now Is theTime!” – The 33rd Annual World Peace Day

By Jeannie Breeze

Bright and Beautiful Beings! Children of Infinite Possibilities! NOW IS THE TIME! Please join us for the 33rd annual World Peace Day Celebration, December 31st, at 6 a.m. at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman in St. Louis’ CWE. Now is the time for many things. Faith, Hope, Charity… clarity of purpose, courage of […]

“Over The Rainbow” – 31st World Peace Day, December 31st

By Jeannie Breeze

We are living in a time of monumental shift – a time that can feel both exhilarating and challenging, a time that can feel both enlightening and terrifying. As with any birthing there is a sense of urgency, a sense of pressure. Some of you may be feeling overwhelmed and unhappy following recent […]

“PAWSPICE” = Hospice Care for Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Pawspice care, hospice care for pets, is a relatively new concept in veterinary medicine.  Dr. Alice Villalobos, a well-known and respected veterinary oncologist, practices medicine with an emphasis on compassionate care for terminally ill pets.  Dr. Villalobos coined the phrase and integrates the philosophy of pawspice care on a daily basis in […]

“Pawspice” = Hospice Care for Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Pawspice care, hospice care for pets, is a relatively new concept in veterinary medicine. Dr. Alice Villalobos, a well-known and respected veterinary oncologist, practices medicine with an emphasis on compassionate care for terminally ill pets. Dr. Villalobos coined the phrase and integrates the philosophy of pawspice care on a daily basis in […]

“Teaching” Mindfulness to Our Children

By Monisha Vasa, M.D.

Can we actually teach our children how to be mindful? Or are we just trying to preserve the inherent consciousness that they already seem to have? In other words–is mindfulness truly taught, or is it just “unlearned” over time?

I remember watching my children eat when they were four or five years old. […]

“The Gentle Strength of Letting Go”: The Benefits of Yin Yoga

by Jee Moon, Yin Yoga instructor

When you think of the practice of yoga, your mind might jump straight to an image of a pretty model meditating in full lotus, standing on her head or balancing in a one-legged tree pose. But even those who have spent years on the mat sometimes forget that yoga isn’t […]

“VanGo” Raffle: Winning ticket selects an entity to receive the contents of the van!

The Teachers’ Recycle Center (SLTRC) is excited to announce a new opportunity for Earth Day 2023!  This year, the contents of SLTRC’s VanGo will be raffled off and donated to the winner’s choice of school, day care, summer camp, art program, educational venue, etc. The van will be chockful of creative materials and reusable resources […]

$elling the Value of $ustainable Homes

By Brandon Verhoff, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council Education Committee Volunteer

Demand for sustainable homes is surging, and it’s not just about saving the planet. A recent study by Freddie Mac revealed that homes with high energy-efficiency ratings sold for 2.7% more than their less eco-friendly counterparts. This “green premium” is attracting both environmentally conscious buyers […]

01 Stroll Through Water Gardens And Be Refreshed By Nature – June 22 and June 23

June is the perfect time of year to enjoy the outdoors. Gardens are lush and green after the Spring. The beauty of nature takes root, literally, and we are treated to landscapes rich with color, scent, and sound. Take a stroll through local gardens with spectacular water features on the 24th Annual St. Louis Water […]

02 St. Louisans Encouraged to Take Action for Cleaner Air Based on Mixed “State of the Air” Results 

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership 

The American Lung Association’s recently released “State of the Air” report finds that despite decades of progress cleaning up air pollution, 39% of people living in America – 131.2 million individuals – still live in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. This is […]

03 Smooth Hydrangea – 2024 Native Plant of the Year

By Ann Lapides

Creating an ethereal site in the shade garden Smooth Hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens, is a cherished native shrub. Honey-scented clouds of large, 2-6″ creamy white, dome-shaped flowers appear for months beginning in May. Smooth Hydrangea will flower abundantly from May through July, with a scattering of additional flowers appearing into September. Its large flowers […]

04 Patient’s Story on Lung Cancer Treatment

By Simon Yu MD

This story was written by the husband of a patient of mine, who asked that I share it:

“In April of 2022, my never-smoking wife had a 2.9 cm x 3.9 cm mass in her left lung imaged by a PET Scan. The mass was described by the radiology MD as highly metabolically […]

05 What constitutes freedom? What does it mean to be free and live free? 

By Dr. Gail Cloud

So what is freedom? The full moon of Scorpio is an opportunity to bring to light all that lies in darkness; hence the full light of the sun to guide us. The two planets touching each other, Jupiter and Uranus, infuse in us the influence of expansion and faith and sudden change […]

06 A Healthy Flora Creates a Happy Gut!

By Amy K Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters.

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons.

Digestion

Vitamin production – […]

07 Focus on Health and Well-Being this Father’s Day

Father’s Day provides a special opportunity to honor the important men in our lives with a relaxing day at Vitality Unlimited Spa. The demands of work, physical activity, summer weather, and daily stress can significantly impact overall health and well-being. A day at our spa offers dads a peaceful retreat to relax, rejuvenate, and recharge mentally and physically.

Give […]

08 A Fleeting Moment In The Sun

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

You may have heard a lot about cicadas lately. In fact, you may even be hearing a lot of cicadas right now. Some people say they’re ugly, gross, annoying. They call their sounds loud, irritating, and bizarre. They get frustrated to find the bugs covering their trees, deck posts, […]

09 Putting Family Wage Jobs First

By Tom & Carol Braford

There has long been a debate about how best to address poverty and all the myriad challenges that flowfrom it. Of course, there is no one simple solution.

At ICB, we have developed a suite of what we refer to as the 5Rs sustainable, social and physical community building technologies that address […]

10 “For A Good Reason”

By Wendell Phillips ‘Phil’ Berwick

I was having doubts that my plan to free fifteen families from bonded labor in Pakistan wasn’t going to happen. The closer it came to leaving, tree care operating costs were chopping my ‘freeing families from slavery money’. Then one morning as I walked with covid masked face hung low into […]

10 Healthy Fall Fruits and Vegetables

Melissa Bess, former Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, Camden County;
Edited by Jessica Kovarik, RD, LD, former Extension Associate,
University of Missouri Extension

Some fruits and vegetables are easier to come by in the summer months, but a good variety is available in the fall and winter as well. It’s important to include fruits and vegetables in your […]

10 Healthy Living Tips: Set Realistic Goals

by Crystal Moore-Stevens

Examples: “I will do yoga twice per day this month”, “I will eat a vegan diet for one month”, I will go for a 20 minute walk each day for 2 weeks” Make lists! Write down your goals! Set goal dates!

Visualize a happier you. Make a list of attributes that make up the […]

10 Plants You Can Incorporate Into Your Garden This Month

By Crystal Stevens

Newbie gardeners often associate gardening with spring. At La Vista Farm, we like to plant seeds, and transplant crops every week to ensure a continuous harvest. Having multiple successions of plants is key to keep your garden vibrant throughout the summer and fall. Plants have life cycles. Some last a few weeks (radishes) […]

10 Reasons Why A Better Night’s Sleep Means A Better You

A good night’s sleep is vital to our physical health and emotional well-being. That’s why the benefits of good sleep should never be underestimated, and why getting a proper rest on a regular basis isn’t just a good idea, it’s an essential one. And to prove it, we’ve put together the top 10 reasons why.

Sleep […]

10 Tips For Helping Older Adults Accept Help At Home

By Denise Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

Many older adults refuse to have help in the home, even when it is desperately needed. Some seniors are vehement or downright belligerent in their refusal. Often they fear a loss of independence, and most are concerned about the cost of care. Their refusal of assistance can cause worry and […]

10 Ways To Support Local Farmers During The Pandemic

By Crystal Stevens

1) Shop at local farmers marketsTower Grove Farmers Market

U-City Farmers Market

S.O.L. Food Farmers Market

Alton Farmers and Artisans Market Lake St. Louis Farmers Market

2. Shop at local grocers/ Co-Op’sCity Greens MarketThe Grove neighborhood 4260 Manchester AveSt. Louis, MO 63110

Golden GrocerCentral West End335 NORTH EUCLID AVEST. LOUIS, MO 63108

Local Harvest GroceryTower Grove neighborhood3108 Morgan Ford RdSaint […]

10th Annual Celebration of St. Louis Beer

June 11 At The St. Louis Riverfront

The 10th Annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival is the premiere showcase of the St. Louis beer scene. This festival features over 100 styles of beer from over 40+ STL-based breweries, as well as exclusive brewery collaborations and home brew club tastings, live music and great food all in […]

11 Dayempur Farm Holds Herbal Workshop June 22

Dayempur Farm is the home of Dayempur Herbals. Located in the rolling hills of Southern Illinois, Dayempur Farm has always been and remains, free of chemical use in the soil, air and water. Dayempur Herbals has been growing medicinal herbs and handcrafting products since 2007. The medicinal herb garden is at Dayempur Farm: Center for Sustainable […]

12 Strategies To Enhance Your Immune System

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

It’s that time of year when our immune systems, which defends us from invaders, gets tested. School is back in session; less time is spent outdoors, and summer vacation is over. We are constantly exposed to viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds and flu.

When the immune system is […]

12 Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and […]

12 Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections. 

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections.  The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System!

by Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections. 

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Strategies To Enhance Your Immune System!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Strategies To Enhance Your Immune System!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak, infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Strategies To Enhance Your Immune System!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

12 Supporting School Gardens over the Summer

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

School gardens are becoming more common across the United States as teachers look for hands-on learning opportunities for their students. Gardens provide an incredible number of benefits, but they also come with challenges. One of the most significant issues is that the […]

12th Annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival Returns To Forest Park July 14

By Troika Brodsky
Executive Director, St. Louis Brewers Guild

St. Louis, which was recently named the nations’ “best beer scene” by USA Today, is gearing up to host its premier beer event, The 12th Annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival, Saturday, July 14, 2 to 6 pm at the Grand Basin in Forest Park. The Heritage Festival […]

13 Peach, Basil, and Balsamic Pizza… Perfect for Poolside or the Patio!

By Natalie R.Toney, B.F.A., C.H., Healthy Planet Food editor

The summer season is upon us, as is the season for parties poolside, on patios, by the lake, and really anywhere else we can soak in the sun (with appropriate SPF, of course!) after long stretches indoors. This season also brings an abundance of fresh fruits such […]

13th Annual Fair Trade Market at Manchester United Methodist Church

On Saturday and Sunday, November 21 & 22, and Friday through Sunday, November 27, 28 & 29, 2015 from 9 am to 3 pm, shop the 2,500+ sq. ft. marketplace of fair trade items from all over the world and “Design your life around Fair Trade!” This is the largest Fair Trade Market in the […]

14 ARTful Living  

June! It’s officially summer in St. Louis, and what an ARTful summer this promises to be!

By Michelle “Mike” Okonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo caption: Pottery by Jennifer Falter, Webster Arts Fair.

The Whitaker Music Series at the Missouri Botanical Garden, which began on May 29, celebrates summer evenings in Missouri Botanical Garden every Wednesday through July […]

14th Annual Fair Trade Market at Manchester United Methodist Church

On Saturday and Sunday, November 19 & 20, and Friday through Sunday, November 25, 26, & 27, 2016 from 9 am to 3 pm, shop the 5,000 sq. ft. marketplace of fair trade items from all over the world and “Design your life around Fair Trade!” This is the largest Fair Trade Market in the […]

14th Annual Pond-O-Rama Pond and Garden Tour Offers Wide Variety of Water Gardens

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society members offer a wide variety of private spaces for the 14th annual Pond-O-Rama pond and garden tour. There are 47 locations on the two-day tour, 43 of which are private gardens of SLWGS member that are on display only for this tour. Of these 22 will be open on […]

15 Publisher’s Corner

Spring Cleaning Leads to Unforgettable Memories

By Susan Hunt-Bradford

I’ve been spring cleaning and decluttering for the last few weeks. I’ve lived in my current house for 21 years, and I have accumulated a lot of items. Many are lovely items that I’ve never used but thought I needed to purchase. Some are well-worn items that have seen […]

15th Annual Pond-O-Rama Pond & Garden Tour Set For June 27-28

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society members offer a wide variety of private spaces for the 15th annual Pond-O-Rama pond and garden tour June 27 & 28, including sensational waterfalls and new pond options. There are 45 gardens on the two-day tour, many of which will offer new views and new ideas. The ponds and […]

16 Earthworms’ Castings: Father’s Day on the Links

By Jean Ponzi

You Too Can Be a Weiner

My dad, Bert Ponzi, loved the game of golf. He loved to play it – and yak about it – with his buddies or any three guys he’d get to know. He loved live tournaments on TV before you could record to skip commercials.

He’d boost his music teacher’s […]

17 “…I wasn’t taught THAT in school.” Some Health Essentials!

By Diane K. Wilson

In the rush of modern life, crucial lessons often slip through the cracks.Here are some vital topics not always taught but essential for well-being:

Aura & Frequency: “Your vibe attracts: health, wealth, tribe.”

Brain, Heart, Gut Cohesion: “The gut is the second brain. Your heart contains brain cells!”

Breathing Techniques: “Inhale the future, exhale the […]

17th Annual Fair Trade Market Nov. 23-24 and Nov. 29-Dec. 1

The largest Fair Trade Market in the United States

We are the nation’s largest Fair Trade Market with over 3,000 sq. ft. of merchandise from around the world. By choosing Fair Trade products, you get great value, and ensure equitable wages and treatment for farmers, artisans, and their communities. Our Fair Trade Market offers unique holiday […]

18 Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Practical Friendship

On a sunny weekday in spring 2020, I socialized at the social distance from Katie, one of my life’s best friends, as we felted cool wool stuff on her back deck.

This was practical friendship in more ways than one. We enjoyed (understatement, in that uncertain time) each other’s company, maintained mutual […]

18 Fireflies in the Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing EditorFireflies and lightning bugs are two common names for a special kind of beetle that fills our summer evenings with their magic of bioluminescence. Their scientific name is lampyridae. One of the most special times of summer is when fireflies start their evening light show. Flickers […]

19 EarthDance Organic Farm School

EarthDance Organic Farm School here in Ferguson is a teaching farm, offering food and educational programs on a Pay What You Can basis for learners of all ages. Growing healthy soil, food, and community is central to their mission. The EarthDance team believes and works to ensure that health begins in the soil.

The farmer educators […]

20 Founder’s Forum: Cicada Summer, A Needed Distraction

By J.B. Lester

With all that is going in the world right now, wars, climate disasters, former president on trial, it is a welcomed relief that we can all be talking about the cicada invasion. The sounds of these buzzing insects, along with the twinkling of fireflies, are normally the harbingers of summer. Only this year […]

2013 Green Homes, Great Health Festival set for September 28 At Missouri Botanical Garden

by Jean Ponzi

This 12th annual celebration of sustainable living brings together our region’s top options for protecting and improving health for people and the planet – in one resource-packed day of family fun!
Discuss your home improvement ideas with our region’s experts on all things Green. More than 100 displays and exhibits by local businesses and […]

2014 Earth Day Action Grants Announced

By Cassandra Hage
Executive Director, St. Louis Earth Day

Competition among proposals was tough this year! In addition to having many qualified and exciting proposals, St. Louis Earth Day experienced a dip in funding that decreased the amount of available grant funds. Many thanks to the William A. Kerr Foundation; with the Foundations assistance, St. Louis […]

2014 Green Homes Festival Set for June 7 at Missouri Botanical Garden

By Jean Ponzi

This 13th annual celebration of sustainable living spotlights our region’s top options for Greening up your home and lifestyle – in one resource-packed day of family fun!
New features for this year’s event start with our new spring date and inspiring new location: the beautiful grounds and building of the Garden’s William T. Kemper […]

2016: The Year Of You

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Make 2016 the year of you. There is nothing more loving that you can do for yourself than to make sure you are living the healthiest and longest life possible. Most of you out there understand that health and longevity require some effort. However, there are a lot of people who […]

2017 OneSTL Regional Sustainability Summit April 5 & 6

Setting Targets for Our Shared Future

Several St. Louis area nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions and regional government partners have joined together to present a regional summit on sustainability. The theme for the event, Setting Targets for Our Shared Future, will follow multiple tracks in an effort to illustrate intersectional issues and efforts falling under the […]

2017 Summer Camp Guide


Ackermann’s Swim Program

A Sports Facility – Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety for 65+ years. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two week […]

2018 Healthy Planet Natural Living Holiday & Gift Guide

Kim’s Herbs & Detox Center
Kim’s Herbs & Detox center is a specialty herbal store centrally located in Olivette, Missouri.  Make sure you come by and purchase some of our awesome products for gifts this holiday season.  We carry high quality herbs and more that aren’t typically found at supplement stores in the metro area. Nature’s […]

2018 Native Of The Year: Missouri Primrose

By Abby Lapides
Sugar Creek Gardens

A cherished Missouri native perennial, Missouri Primrose, Oenothera, boasts brilliant 3-5” cup shaped yellow flowers. They begin to appear in late spring and continue into early fall. Each delightful softly fragrant blossom only lasts one day, usually opening in late afternoon and remaining until the following morning. Stunning winged 2-3” seed […]

2018 Pond-O-Rama Set For June 23-24

The St. Louis Water Garden Society will present its 18th annual water garden and pond tour, Pond-O-Rama, Saturday, June 23and Sunday, June 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The 2018 tour has 33 private gardens owned and maintained by Society members. Tickets covering both days of the tour are $15 each and […]

2018 Pond-O-Rama Set For June 23-24

The St. Louis Water Garden Society will present its 18th annual water garden and pond tour, Pond-O-Rama, Saturday, June 23and Sunday, June 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The 2018 tour has 33 private gardens owned and maintained by Society members.

Tickets covering both days of the tour are $15 each and are […]

2018 Summer Beer Guide

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Company
4 Hands Brewing Company, located in the LaSalle Park neighborhood, will provide the craft beer enthusiast a handcrafted portfolio inspired by the American craft movement that pushes the limits of creativity. They have 6 year round beers , a large variety of seasonal offerings and a barrel aged beer program. […]

2019 Pond-O-Rama Set For June 22-23

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society will present its 19th annual water garden and pond tour, Pond-O-Rama, Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The 2019 tour will have over 20 private gardens owned and maintained by Society members. Tickets covering both days of the tour are […]

2019 Pond-O-Rama Set For June 22-23

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society will present its 19th annual water garden and pond tour, Pond-O-Rama, Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The 2019 tour will have over 20 private gardens owned and maintained by Society members. Tickets covering both days of the tour are […]

2019 Summer Camp Guide

Ackermann’s Swim Programs
A Sports Facility. Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety since 1949. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two week sessions. Hours […]

2020 Sustainable Backyard Tour Cancelled

As the impact of Covid-19 continues to grow, it has become apparent to the Sustainable Backyard Network that we cannot in good conscience continue to plan for a June Sustainable Backyard Tour this year.

We are disappointed to have to make this decision, but the 10th Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour, originally set for June 14, 2020, […]

2021 – Planting Seeds of Hope and New Beginnings

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

2021 is a year of new beginnings and hope as we start to leave behind the horrors of Covid, political unrest and so much more. January is traditionally the time of envisioning what we want to come into being. This January we can let gardens inspire […]

2021 Pond-O-Rama Tour June 26-27

The St. Louis Water Garden Society (SLWGS) is celebrating 31 years as a society sharing information about fish, ponds, and gardens. This year is the Society’s 21st annual water garden and pond tour,

2021 Pond-O-Rama, Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The 2021 tour will feature private […]

2021 Virtual Green Living Festival Help your family, friends and coworkers live green!

Join the EarthWays Center online June 2-4 for a virtual series of workshops, panel presentations, family-friendly activities, and exhibitor spotlights that explore the links between sustainability, conservation, and a healthy environment. 

The Virtual Green Living Festival will help you explore: Energy and Efficiency, NatureScaping and Planet and Personal Wellness. 

Presented by Ameren Missouri and hosted by […]

2022 Missouri Native Plant Of The Year

By Abby Lapides

A beautiful Missouri native grass, Pink Muhly Grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, is adored for its satin-like thin green blades and stunning clouds of rich pink fall flowers. Its tall 12″ wands of airy pinkish-red flowers last for months and remain attractive through winter. Its flowers make beautiful indoor arrangements, and birds love its tasty […]

2022 Perennial Of The Year: Twinkle Toes Lungwort, Pulmonaria

By Ann Lapides

A charming shade perennial, Twinkle Toes Lungwort, Pulmonaria, will make you want to frolic with joy with its periwinkle-blue spring flowers and unique foliage. Starting in mid-spring dainty blue flowers cover a low mound of fascinating speckled foliage. After the flowers fade, you can enjoy its dark green leaves that are delightfully sprinkled […]

2023 Native Plant of The Year

By Ann Lapides

Bring refreshing bright color to your sunny areas with the outstanding native Missouri perennial, Rose Verbena, Verbena canadensis. This delight 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 […]

2023 Native Plant of the Year — Rose Verbena

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, […]

2023 Perennial of The Year

By Abby Lapides

 Stand By Me Clematis – Thousands of open bell flowers bloom nonstop until frost! 

Stand By Me Bush Clematis paints the garden with gorgeous bell-shaped flowers for months. In late May masses of the clear blue, adorable flowers adorn its 1-2′ tall stems, looking like perfect little hats for garden fairies. This strong bloom continues […]

2023 Tree Of The Year: Red Buckeye

By Ann Lapides

One of the hardest to find and most desirable Missouri Native trees, the Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia, has long panicles of bright red blooms in spring that attract ruby throated hummingbirds. Large glossy green palmate leaves with distinct veining form into an excellent multi-branched tree. This versatile tree can be used as a […]

2023… My year to stay present

Another year has started and to me January brings some type of excitement that no other month can bring.  Every month has their place but January strikes up the feelings of newness and new beginnings. 

I haven’t made a new year’s resolution in a long time.  I never stick to them so why bother.  But then […]

2024 Perennial Plant Association Perennial Plant of the Year

Best Performer In Top Field Trial “…attracted more butterflies than any other garden phlox…”

Jeana Phlox brings months of beautiful color and excellent disease resistance. Its many sweetly fragrant flower heads are made of hundreds of petals in lovely shades of rosy pink. At a recent field trial at the world-renowned Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware, […]

2024 Perennial Plant Association Perennial Plant of the Year: Jeana Phlox

By Ann Lapides

Best Performer in Top Field Trial “…attracted more butterflies than any other garden phlox…”

Jeana Phlox brings months of beautiful color and excellent disease resistance. Its many sweetly fragrant flower heads are made of hundreds of petals in lovely shades of rosy pink. At a recent field trial at the world-renowned Mt. Cuba Center in […]

2024: NOT a RESOLUTION but a Roadmap to Success!

By Diane K. Wilson

It’s that time of year again… ”New Year’s Resolutions”. I can feel you cringing (as I do) about the mere thought of it. By avoiding the wimpy word ‘resolution’ and choosing more positive affirming words we set an intention similar to scoring a goal in sports!

Also, you may be successful with S.M.A.R.T. […]

21 Inspirations for Life! Live!!!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet columnist

GO for it! Life is too short to live without your true desires. Put your efforts into getting them, and set fear and doubt aside.

This is segueing into my next set of articles. I started writing for the Healthy Planet magazine with a year of monthly organizing tips, then a […]

21-Day Detox/Purification Program

Purify Your Body of Toxins for Better Health

by Hugh St. Onge,
Nutritional Services, Inc.

Co-sponsored by eight health clinics in the St. Louis area, an August 2 evening lecture at the Doubletree Hotel, Chesterfield, attended by 75 people, outlined a 21-Day Detox/Purification Program.

Although our bodies are designed to rid themselves of the harmful, external toxins to which […]

22 Nature? Nurture? Cowbirds Know

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Cowbirds are the world’s most obnoxious neighbors. They lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, forcing those birds to raise the cowbirds’ young.

As you can imagine, this is not popular with the 200+ species cowbirds use in this way.

The other birds fight back. Species such as the Yellow Warbler […]

22nd Pesto Feast Plans for GMO-Free Midwest

by Don Fitz

Are genetically modified organisms (GMOs) being used to enable a few corporations to dominate the world’s food supply? In September, there will be events across the world regarding Monsanto’s increasing control of food and its aggressive development of GMO technology. Called “Occupy Mon-santo” globally the St. Louis portion of the events is “GMO […]

23 The Symphony of Living

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Knowing every decision that we will make in life simply strips away the beauty of spontaneity, an essential element that vibrates our soul due to the unpredictability. There may be moments where we will yearn for foresight to dictate the path that we should follow, but this reduces life […]

23rd Pesto Feast Takes Deep Green Look at Monsanto

by Don Fitz

It’s more than food. Decades ago, Monsanto contributed to the contamination of East St. Louis and Sauget, Illinois. And Anniston, Alabama. Its toxic PCBs plagued the workforce and community surrounding Carter Carburetor. There are Agent Orange veterans of the Vietnam War and environmentalists concerned with the effects of pesticides on bees, monarch butterflies […]

24 Recycling 101… Plastic Bags

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

So today we’re going to start with the plastic that is without a doubt at the top of many peoples list when it comes to recycling and that is the plastic bag. Those pesky ones that are used at many of our small and major grocery stores, as well as […]

24th Annual Bark in the Park Set For May 20 in Forest Park

The 24th annual Bark in the Park will be held on Saturday, May 20 at Cricket Field in Forest Park!

Presented by Purina, Bark in the Park is a 5K Run, One-Mile Walk and Pet Festival benefiting the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Fund. Register as a “Pack” and raise dollars by asking friends, family […]

25 Organized for Life: Prepping for Summer!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Getting organized now for the summer leaves you more time to enjoy it.

Want to be organized and get more done? Make a list! Set a timer for 30 -60 minutes! Then stop and do the next task or get up and move/stretch if you’ve been sitting…

OR: Write on a timetable what you […]

25th Annual Bark in the Park Set For May 19 in Forest Park

The 25th annual Bark in the Park will be held on Saturday, May 19 at Cricket Field in Forest Park! Presented by Purina, Bark in the Park is a 5K Run, One-Mile Walk and Pet Festival benefitting the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Fund. Register as a “Pack” and raise dollars by asking friends, […]

27th Annual Bark In The Park May 21 In Forest Park

Grab your friends and your four-legged companion and join us in Forest Park on Saturday, May 21st for the 27th annual Bark in the Park, presented by Purina!

All your favorite activities are back: 5K Race, One-Mile Walk, and Pet Festival for you and your furry friends to enjoy.

Early Bird Registration is $25 ($35 after May […]

2nd Annual Maplewood Molly Groundhog Day Event

From January 1 to February 1, 2018, area businesses team up to raise awareness about native wildlife in urban areas.

Celebrate Groundhog Day with us by making a donation to Missouri Wildlife Rescue and cast your vote: will Molly see her shadow, or not? All participants’ ballots go into a drawing for prizes from […]

3 Easy Steps To Prevent The Flu

By Dr. Emily Hudson, ND

It’s that time of year again! The crunch of leaves under your feet, the brisk Autumn air on your face, and of course, the fevers, chills, congestion, and body aches that come with another potentially record breaking cold and flu season. If this year is anything like last year, it is […]

3 Easy Ways to Use Stone to Manage Water

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff WriterAs storms get wetter and stronger, all of us with yards are on the frontlines of water management. If each of us managed our water a bit more effectively, we would help save people downstream heartache and our towns the expense of expanding stormwater management systems.

When we use stone […]

3 Reasons to Grow and Eat Organic

by Brigitte Zettl of Crown Valley Organics

What is Organic exactly?

To know for certain that something is organic, look for the USDA Certified Organic logo.
There are two main guidelines required for farms and greenhouses to be certified:
The plant must be grown without the use of synthetic chemicals. An organic grower works with nature simulating the balance […]

3 Tips for Getting Your Dog Ready for Back to School

By Sarah Wilson

After a summer of love (and attention and everyone being home), is Buster ready for school to start? Is Sparky ready for more time alone?While some pups may take this sort of major shift in stride, others stress out and, well, if the shift hits the fan, they may chew, bark, make potty […]

35th Annual World Peace Day Virtual Event

By Jeannie Breeze

Bright and Beautiful Beings, this year’s World Peace Day Celebration will be a virtual event, available starting at 6 a.m., December 31st, 2020, on The Center for Divine Love’s FaceBook page, and hopefully on the peace website at www.wpdaystl.com, and possibly YouTube. You can check the website or email me at jjbreeze46@gmail.com for […]

3rd Annual St. Louis Earth Day Fundraiser Taste of Green October 25

Taste of Green Fundraiser 2018 is set to satisfy your appetite on Thursday, October 25, 2018, with proceeds benefiting St. Louis Earth Day programs, Green Dining Alliance and Recycling On the Go.

Green Dining Alliance is the premier restaurant sustainability certification program in the nation. Restaurants are shown how to reduce their environmental impact by completing an […]

3rd Annual St. Louis VegFest to Take Place in Forest Park

St. Louis Animal Rights Team (START) will be hosting their third annual St. Louis VegFest on Sunday, October 24, 2021 from 10am-5pm at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park. This family-friendly festival is 100% vegan, with guests travelling from all over the country. With an attendance of about 8,000 visitors in 2019, START is […]

4 Columns To Wellness

by Ava Frick, DVM, CAC

Keeping a body healthy these days can be difficult. Our pets are exposed to many chemicals and toxins and the food system is, for the most part, very processed degrading the true food nutrient value. Getting a body healthy once it has started to falter can be even trickier. It becomes […]

40 Day Fast for Parasite Eradication Fasting May Save Your Life or Else

by Simon Yu, MD

Fasting can save your life. Or, it can be a sure way of starving to death. At least, you will be imagining starvation and agonizing in hunger pain. Just the idea of fasting will make you hungry. Is there a therapeutic role for a medically supervised fasting? I am not an expert […]

40th Anniversary Activities At Laumeier Sculpture Park

Laumeier will kick off its 40th Anniversary festivities with a free, outdoor performance of musical selections in celebration of the Park on Saturday, July 16, at 11:00 a.m. in the Public Plaza outside the Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center. The event features Dr. James Henry with Vocal Point, Dr. Gail Fleming with Melodia and Vaughans […]

489 and Counting: Unintended Consequences of Nasty 17

By Simon Yu, MD

Millions of people are suffering from unexplainable, unexpected symptoms. They are often given a “medical sentencing” of life threatening conditions that defy conventional thinking. This happens in spite of their living a “clean life” including a positive attitude, exercise, eating organic foods, and enjoying a supportive family life. Here are the stories […]

4th Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour Set For Sunday, June 22, 2014

by Terry Winkelmann, Sustainable
Backyard Tour, Founding Director

Ahhh, the backyard: ignored and unvisited six months out of the year in St. Louis, yet vitally important to our world every day. Aesthetically, backyards can make or break a neighborhood especially if they wrap around to include the front yard and side yard. And whatever they look like, […]

5 Little-Known Things That Make Autoimmune Thyroid Worse

By Dr. Adam Hughes

If you are managing your autoimmune thyroid disease through diet and lifestyle, then you probably know about the autoimmune diet, supplements, non-toxic home and body products, and getting enough rest.

But are you aware of hidden sources of stress that may be triggering autoimmune flares?
Common autoimmune diseases today include Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, multiple sclerosis, […]

5 Reasons To Support Your Local Organic Farmers

By Brigitte Zettl of Crown Valley Organics

Buying local food decreases your carbon footprint and increases food security: The distance your food travels from farm to table is known as food miles. Much of the produce consumed in Missouri travels for several days on a truck before arriving. This transport releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere […]

5 Ways to Best Support Your Monthly Uterine Cleanse

By Kate Lamprich

The human body is made with many functions that support balance or homeostasis. At any given time our autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, circulatory system, and many other processes are functioning to keep our bodies moving and shaking and balanced and healthy.

“Homeostasis is defined as the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between […]

50 Years of Learning: The College School 1963-2013

by Kevin Navarro (Class of 1989)
and Assistant Head of School

In 1963, Webster College President, Sister Jacqueline Grennan, served on President Kennedy’s advisory panel on educational research and development. Sister Grennan was a pioneer in developing the best practices in education across the country. In St. Louis, she worked to transform the Webster College Education Department […]

53 New Year Tips For Healthy and Sustainable Living

Breathe, Relax, Smile
You’re not “doing it wrong.” You’ve simply forgotten who you are, and why you are here. Dive into this moment and remember. Breathe. Relax. Smile. How do you know that you are exactly where you need to be? Because this is where you are. Everything You Need Is Right Here.
Kimberly Schneider, M.Ed., J.D., […]

5th Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour Set For Sunday, June 14

By Terry Winkelmann, Sustainable
Backyard Tour, Founding Director

It’s almost here! The grassroots event you’ve been waiting for all year is just weeks away. The Sustainable Backyard Tour celebrates its fifth year on June 14 2015.

What’s a sustainable backyard, you ask? Well, that depends. There are certainly many ways to live more sustainably, celebrating and protecting Mother […]

6 Minutes a Day to Feeling Better in Your Body

By Kate Lamprich

HEALING the BODYOur magical human bodies are capable of healing themselves; but the lives that we live get stuck. Our experiences, traumas, illness, disease, thoughts, and more get stuck in our physical, mental/emotional, and energetic bodies inhibiting the natural healing functions. 

As a practitioner, it is my job to provide a safe and comfortable […]

6th Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour Set For June 12

By Terry Winkelmann

You may have heard of — or even gone on — a unique event in St. Louis called The Sustainable Backyard Tour. This year, June 12th will be the sixth year for the tour — a free open-house-style peek into private yards and gardens throughout the city and county.
Why is it called a […]

6th Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour Set For June 12

By Terry Winkelmann

You may have heard of — or even gone on — a unique event in St. Louis called The Sustainable Backyard Tour. This year, June 12th will be the sixth year for the tour a free open-house-style peek into private yards and gardens throughout the city and county.

Why is it called a Backyard […]

7 Reasons to Consider Regenerative Therapies in Lieu of Surgery

After suffering a debilitating shoulder injury, Jim Seidel, 57, initially thought he had just two options: living with the chronic pain brought on by the injury or undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Continuing on with the pain was out of the question, but Seidel was concerned about the risks associated with surgery and the recovery time […]

7 Things You Can Do With Recycled Wine Barrels

Mount Pleasant Estates Now Offers Half and Whole Wine Barrels

With Pinterest, Tumblr, and HGTV people are inspired to turn recycled products into fashionable and functional décor. Mount Pleasant Estates, located in the rolling hills of Augusta, Missouri, is now selling half and whole wine barrels. For the “do-it-yourself-ers,” here are seven things you can do […]

7th Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour June 11

By Terry Winkelmann

Cats are great. Dogs are great, too. Anything you can snuggle up to that snuggles back, tends to be great. The Earth can be harder to snuggle, given its immensity and many sharp, pointy things and oh…snakes. But if you love the Earth as much as the cats and dogs that only the […]

8 Easy Ways to Use Less Plastic

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Standing in Target looking around, I suddenly saw every item as future trash. Everything in the building – much made of or packaged in plastic — is, someday, going to be thrown away. And that was just one of 1900 stores in the US. Same with Walmart (4700 stores).

I […]

9/11: The Heart of a Dog

 Sarah Wilson, MA

Imagine being on the 71st floor the North Tower of the World Trade Center the morning  of 9/11/2001.

Imagine feeling an impact, then hearing the sounds of a building struggling not to come  apart.

Now, imagine you are blind.

That was what Omar Rivera faced. Blind, but with a partner: Salty, his five-year-old,  yellow Labrador guide […]

9th Annual Celebration of St. Louis Beer Featuring 33 Local Breweries Returns to Forest Park June 12 & 13

Join thousands of St. Louis beer lovers in Forest Park on June 12th and 13th for the annual outdoor celebration of local beer and local breweries called, The St. Louis Brewers Guild Heritage Festival. This year’s Heritage Festival will feature over 100 beer styles brewed by 33 local breweries (33!) as well as some incredible […]

A Bird’s Eye View of Your Landscape

by Cindy Gilberg

The young male goldfinch flies along in the open cautiously, keeping an eye out for the neighborhood cooper’s hawk, as he seeks the safe haven of a group of shrubs or small trees. His keen eyes are fine-tuned to also spot food, but in this neighborhood there is very little in the way […]

A Butterfly and Moth Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Butterflies and moths give flight to beauty and mesmerize us with their movement through the garden. The winged patterns of colors from dark to light and bright to subtle take our breath away. Butterflies and moths also speak to our souls in a deeper way with the transfiguration of caterpillar to winged […]

A Buzz-Worthy Plant

By Ann Lapides

Here’s a plant that has created considerable buzz in the plant world. Redemption Elephant Ears, Colocasia, has many talking about its stunning foliage. In spring, rippled, shiny green leaves emerge and quickly turn jet-black. As the leaves mature, a neon-pink center blotch forms with veins, growing larger and radiating outward like a starburst. The rich […]

A Cinderella Story

By Suzanne Gassner

Allow me to tell you the story of Annie. Annie is a mixed breed of undetermined heritage, probably part sheltie, maybe a little spaniel. Annie’s story begins, as so many of the amazing animals I have had the honor of assisting, with cruelty. She was a victim of severe beatings, starvation, disease and […]

A Circle Of Renewal

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

The cycle of renewal and growth is the pulse that sustains life on earth. It is the inward and outward expression of life. We experience it with each breath, breathing in and breathing out, with the rest and activity of night and day. The seasons also cycle through the resting time of […]

A Cool Treat For Your Hot Pups

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 […]

A Day Trip to Our Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Green & Growing Editor

Now is the time for an easy summer day trip into your outdoor garden space. The cicadas have retreated into the ground for another 14 or 17 years. The garden is what it is and will be that way for a while. It’s too early for fall planting and […]

A Deeper Look at Spiritual Healing

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 […]

A Dog’s Guide to Happiness

By Sarah Wilson, MA, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Every time Lou comes home, Daisy stops what she is doing, grabs a favorite toy, and stands near the side door, wagging so hard she hits her sides. She is waiting for the moment he enters.

People told me many times as a dog trainer how they wished their […]

A Few Facts About Air Pollution

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Every day, the average human breathes in approximately 2,000 gallons of air. As a source of life, it is important to be aware of the air one breathes, as breathing in polluted air can impact one’s health. Air pollution is a critical environmental concern that affects all of us, […]

A Flower A Day – A May Journal

By Linda Wiggen Kraft Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

May is the busiest month of the gardening year. All gardeners are busy digging in the dirt, planting new perennials, annuals and larger plants. Once planted those plants need watering and nurturing. The gardening season is full swing in May.

In the rush of May, we often […]

A Framework for Healthy Summer Meals and Snacks

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Summertime is often a jam-packed time of the year – longer days filled with activities from cookouts to vacations to swimming and more – summer just provides so many opportunities for things to do! And with all those activities keeping you busy, healthy eating can […]

A Functional Approach to Diabetes

By Dr. Adam Hughes, D.C.

Anyone with diabetes knows it’s important to manage insulin levels. Functional medicine offers unique tools to manage insulin and blood sugar — including diet, exercise, stress management, detoxification, and maximizing essential nutrients. To understand how all these tools apply, it’s helpful to know how insulin works.

Insulin and Blood Sugar: A Balancing […]

A Functional Medicine Approach to COVID-19

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing us to reevaluate so much of our lives, to focus on those we love, and what is important. As an act of self-preservation and as an act of service to our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and fellow Americans it is imperative that we now, more than ever, […]

A Functional Medicine Perspective on the Coronavirus Pandemic

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

As the Coronavirus COVID-19 spreads rapidly across our communities there are limited treatments available. If you develop symptoms (fever greater than 100.4, dry cough, shortness of breath) please get tested. 

Here are some steps that can be taken to boost your immune system and to aid in treating viruses. 

Immune enhancing suggestions:

Get plenty […]

A Garden for All to Enjoy

By Vincenzo Parisi

Good Day.

On North Ballas Road, there lies a glimpse of bright colors as people pass by. I have been planning, planting, and maintaining my gardens of many roots and bulbs for 20 years.

I chose an assortment of colors consisting of a broad spectrum of fragrant Asiatic Oriental Lilies, Iris (bearded and rainbow). There […]

A Garden For Lovers

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

“My love is like a red, red rose” – Robert Burns

A red rose is the symbol of eternal love. We give red roses on Valentine’s Day to honor the lover that cupid’s arrow has chosen for us. The red rose and cupid are not the symbols of St. Valentine. They are the […]

A Garden for Lovers

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

“My love is like a red, red rose” — Robert Burns

 A red rose is the symbol of eternal love. We give red roses on Valentine’s Day to honor the lover that cupid’s arrow have chosen for us. The red rose and cupid are not the symbols […]

A Garden of Awe and Gratitude

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.”

– William Blake

William Blake knew awe. His poem shows what happens when a person is captured by the sense of awe. In our […]

A Garden of Edimentals

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

What is an edimental, you may ask. It is a word combination of edible and ornamental. Garden plants are usually classified as one or the other. Plants that are grown for their beauty only are called ornamentals. Plants that are grown to be eaten, are called edible. Usually edible means eaten by […]

A Gateway to Sustainable Development, Kicking off the Year at USGBC-Missouri Gateway’s State of the Chapter & Social Jan. 23

By Brandon Verhoff, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Education Committee Chair

Sustainable development is significant to the future of our environment and society. Sustainable development demands an integrated approach to not only combat climate change, but also work to resolve social injustices. To ensure current and future generations are equipped with the right information to make the best possible […]

A Green Building Game Changer

By Marion Smith, AIA, LEED AP, Engine House No. 1and USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Founder

As we celebrate the 20-year anniversary of our local USGBC Chapter this year, it has been a good reminder to reflect on what the green building movement looked like at the founding. Before our U.S. Green Building Council St. Louis Regional Chapter […]

A Guide To Winter Wellness

By Dr. Alex Chen

The winter season is a notoriously challenging time for many people. Cold weather conditions, fewer daylight hours and holiday pressures often lead to an increase in physical aches and emotional stress. However, if viewed differently, you might see that winter presents a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of a new pace of […]

A Healthy Diet Is Essential For Optimal Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

The Standard American Diet is heavily laden with calorie dense nutrient-poor food and beverages, processed foods and includes few fruits and vegetables. It has been linked to the growing problem of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease to name a few. An inactive lifestyle, large portion size, and high stress worsens […]

A Healthy Diet is Essential for Optimal Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

The Standard American Diet is heavily laden with calorie dense nutrient-poor food and beverages, processed foods and includes few fruits and vegetables. It has been linked to the growing problem of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease to name a few.

An inactive lifestyle, large portion size, and high stress worsens the […]

A Healthy Diet is Essential for Optimal Health

By Amy Davis, M.D.         

The Standard American Diet is heavily laden with calorie dense nutrient-poor food and beverages, processed foods and includes few fruits and vegetables. It has been linked to the growing problem of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease to name a few. An inactive lifestyle, large portion size, and high stress worsens […]

A Healthy Diet is Essential For Optimal Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

The Standard American Diet is heavily laden with calorie dense nutrient-poor food and beverages, processed foods and includes few fruits and vegetables. It has been linked to the growing problem of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease to name a few. An inactive lifestyle, large portion size, and high stress worsens […]

A Healthy Flora Creates A Happy Gut

By Amy K. Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters.

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons.

Digestion

Vitamin production – […]

A Healthy Flora Creates A Happy Gut!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters.
The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons.

Digestion
Vitamin production – […]

A Healthy Flora Creates A Happy Gut!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters.

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons.

Digestion
Vitamin production – […]

A Healthy Flora Creates a Happy Gut!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters. 

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons. 

DigestionVitamin production – […]

A Healthy Flora Creates a Happy Gut!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters. 

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons. 

DigestionVitamin production – […]

A Healthy Flora Creates a Happy Gut!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters.

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons.

DigestionVitamin production – […]

A Healthy Mind is the Only Kind…

By Clint Green

In my orbitI absorb it.

Like Spartan’s spearpiercing through negative thoughtsno longer caughtI persevere.

Confidence, Compassion, GratitudeCravings on the frontlineAn insatiable appetiteMy mind’s grand design.

If any doubtshould overshadow my cloutlet it be knownthat positivity

Will always win out.

A is for Acorn, Not Analog – Nature Words Gone From a Dictionary

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Imagine our world with no acorns, apricots, blackberries, clover, crocus, ivy, mint, nectar, ravens, tulips, violets or wrens. These are just some of the words that the publishers of the 10,000 word Oxford Junior Dictionary, for seven year olds, deleted from its most recent publication. The editors at Oxford University Press claimed […]

A Landscape Challenge

by Cindy Gilberg

One of our All-American icons is the lawn—expanses of irrigated, fertilized, pest-free and well-groomed green carpet. So popular is this verdant blanket that turf is considered the #1 crop in the U.S., with an estimated 40 million acres in cultivation. The American lawn comprises a majority of our human landscapes and requires a […]

A Look Back at 15 years of Green Building, a Look Forward to the Work Ahead

By Johanna Schweiss,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

Fifteen years ago, 15 dedicated volunteers came together to form an organization dedicated to green building education and advocacy, to making every building a green building, because they knew that Green Buildings Are Better.

In honor of this milestone, the U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway […]

A Memorial to David Lobbig

By Jared Opsal; Executive Director, Missouri Coalition for the Environment

With sorrow, we are reporting to you the passing of our longtime friend and supporter, David Lobbig, on January 1, 2023. David always made time for people and for conversation, both in person and via email. He was known for being patient, attentive, thoughtful, thorough, and […]

A Method to the Madness

Monarch Butterfly Event Sept 16

One can only guess that news of the decline of the world’s largest population of migrating insects would drive a naturalist mad. So mad that they would rally fellow master naturalists and master gardeners into taking affirmative action. In 2015, Bob Lee did just that. His vision encompassed the entire state. […]

A Method to the Madness

One can only guess that news of the decline of the world’s largest population of migrating insects would drive a naturalist mad. So mad that they would rally fellow master naturalists and master gardeners into taking affirmative action. In 2015, Bob Lee did just that. His vision encompassed the entire state. It partly involved planting […]

A Montessori Perspective on Reality & Imagination

by Barbara O’Brien, Ph.D.

A young child has many developmental tasks, but one of the most critical is his ability to orient to his own place and time. As adults, we need to be as helpful as possible to the child in understanding his world. This is a big responsibility; one not to be taken lightly. […]

A New Chapter

By Dr. Gail Cloud

What does a new chapter look like for you? How do you address a new chapter regarding a health incident or illness or injury? How might you look at your relationship with food, and what would a new chapter look like for you? We can always write a new story for ourselves […]

A New Labyrinth in the Garden, An Ancient Design

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Where will soon be a new public outdoor labyrinth in St. Louis, based on an ancient design called the Jericho labyrinth. It will be installed on Sept. 7th and 8th at Central Reform Congregation in their garden in the Central West End. It will be created in a mindful, meditative noble silence, […]

A New Season Brings Awareness of the Importance of Self-Care

Summer is ending, and school is back in session. Along with all the excitement and opportunity of a new school year comes a new set of challenges. From getting everyone out the door on time in the morning to managing a hectic schedule of homework and activities, parents find themselves busier than ever.

As hard as […]

A New Solution For Dry Mouth Syndrome

By Michael Rehme, DDS, CCN
(Certified Clinical Nutritionist)

Several months ago, I attended a biological dental convention. Several excellent speakers presented insightful information regarding heavy metals toxicities found in the oral cavity, chelation techniques for our patients, ozone therapies for dental applications, and biocompatibility testing for dental materials.

But there was one lecture that really caught my attention. […]

A Peace & Healing Garden – 2021

After the trauma of 9/11, 2001, I wanted to create a healing space for people to collectively process what just happened. I created a Peace & Healing Garden. Now almost 20 years later I am creating a second Peace & Healing Garden to help myself and others process and heal from the traumas of 2020 […]

A Pilgrimage to Ancient Tree Wisdom

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

The wisdom of long-life experience is not limited to humans. There is wisdom to be shared by the long lives of ancient trees that have made their homes on the soil of what is now called North America. There are living trees that are over 4,000-5,000 […]

A Season of Enlightenment

Calm the triggers and grow a healthier mind

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

The onset of a powerful season is quickly approaching as we turn the corner into June. The summer solstice will occur on Wednesday the 21st, bringing with it longer hours of sunlight, warmth, and steady growth. What better time to nurture and […]

A Smart Garden Journal

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Garden journals are the best way to keep track of what your garden is now and what you would like it to be in the future. While standing and working in the garden thoughts will come up about changes to be made in this year’s or next year’s garden. If those thoughts […]

A St. Louis Micro, Artisan Coffee Roaster

Peter Cohen, Owner of Stringbean Coffee Company

Hi, my name is Peter Cohen, I am the owner and roaster at Stringbean Coffee Co. For me, roasting coffee started as a hobby to cure my thirst for bold, non-bitter coffee. I had a good job, though wingtips and preppy banker ties don’t compare to my new wardrobe […]

A Staycation Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft,Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

We are all living in a different world. Limiting our everyday travels and our travels to far off destinations means our vacations may be staycations. A staycation is staying at home and having a vacation there. It doesn’t have to be a disappointment, in fact the perfect […]

A Summer Day at the Beach

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Summer is officially here! The heat is setting in with the sun shining its beaming rays onto our skin. This time of year is filled with endless opportunities as we reach half way through the year wondering what else the future has for us to unfold.

When the heat is […]

A Taste of France From My Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

A plant that should be in everyone’s garden is my favorite and easiest to grow edible: garden sorrel. The tangy tart lemon flavored leaves are a green that can be used in salads, sauces and soups. Most people aren’t familiar with this plant because it is not usually sold in stores or […]

A True Pet Emergency?

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Blood Loss
Difficulty Breathing
Loss of Conciousness
Traumatic Incident
Possible Poisoning
Other

After 36 years as a veterinary practitioner, several of those years working at the Animal Emergency Clinics, and handling after hours calls for my own clinic, I have come to realize how difficult it is for pet owners to determine whether they have a true […]

A Truly Family-Friendly New Year’s

For a New Year’s celebration that’s as much fun for the kids as it is for the adults, and for families that want to stay together to play together while ringing in the New Year, YMCA Trout Lodge is the place to be! Located 90 minutes south of St. Louis on 5,200 wooded acres with […]

A Valentine’s Day Gift For Your Heart

By Dr. Rosa Kincaid, MD

As Valentine’s Day fast approaches, most of us will be rushing to make that last minute purchase for that special significant other in our lives. It could be a wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, mother, father, sibling or close relative or friend. Whom ever that special person might be and whether you […]

A Very Unique YMCA In Our Own Backyard

Nestled in the eastern Ozarks, there’s a place that believes in family-friendly fun and bonding, where the mountains of southern Missouri meet the bright blue sky, and people of all ages are playing, relaxing and exploring – away from the ordinary. Meet YMCA Trout Lodge, a year round resort located 90 minutes south of St. […]

A Very Unique YMCA In Our Own Backyard

Nestled in the eastern Ozarks, there’s a place that believes in family-friendly fun and bonding, where the mountains of southern Missouri meet the bright blue sky, and people of all ages are playing, relaxing and exploring – away from the ordinary. Meet YMCA Trout Lodge, a year round resort located 90 minutes south of St. […]

A View Into the New Year

By Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C.

Do you ever wonder what themes you might be experiencing in a new year? Do you think about what your dreams are and how you might achieve them? Do you look at your weaknesses and also your strengths and see how they can work together? I love to ask these questions […]

A Walking Meditation in Winter’s Garden

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Winter is a time to settle into silence, to find that sweet inner space of soul’s pure essence and to be one with nature. There is quiet in the winter. The soft sound of snow falling is a gentle silence not heard at any other time of the year. The quiet essence […]

A Winter Is Upon Us. Take Heed!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

We are just getting a taste of winter weather, albeit with little snow, but more than enough frigid cold. What are our pet concerns this time of year? Many should be obvious, but nonetheless, we will review them for our reading audience.

Cold can be threatening, but wet cold and wind are […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

Empowerment Comes From Inside

Do you believe that freedom comes only when you make enough money to be comfortable and have the things that you want, or when your boss leaves you alone or the kids finally listen to you and behave the way that you would like for them to […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

Building Emotional Intimacy In Relationships

What is intimacy? Contrary to popular belief, emotional intimacy is more than sharing time or space together or including each other in daily decisions and activities. True intimacy has much less to do with the quantity of time spent together than it does the level of […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

Learning To Care for Ourselves

One of the harshest realities of childhood is that children are not taught or encouraged to grow emotionally, much like they are in terms of their physical progression through life, or even their cognitive development that unfolds over their school years. Most parents do a decent […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

Remembering Your Body

As a culture, we are proficient and instinctual at disconnecting from our physical bodies. We live in a society that is heavily based on a “Western medicine” approach for attending to physical symptoms. When we have a headache, we are immediately encouraged to take an aspirin to relieve […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

A Picture of Your Soul (part 1)

When we are born, we are born integrated, body/mind/spirit functioning effortlessly with each other. What happens is that pretty early on, we all begin to receive messages from the world around us about who we are and who we are not, or how we […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

A Picture of Your Soul (part 2)

Last month, we talked a bit about “wounding” that a child receives when they are small and trying to make sense of their world. By no means an exhaustive list of all the ways that wounding occurs, what happens as a result of this […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

Why Do I Feel This Way?

When we talk about our soul, a common universal symbol or image used to refer to this soul self is the image or symbol of a child. We all have an inner child that exists inside of us, waiting to be discovered and brought out […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

Find Ourselves Again

For many people, being in touch with the true adult self inside is an unfamiliar experience. Most people, before deep emotional healing work, are very familiar with the wounded child inside, and have lived the majority of their existence operating out of this wounded child. Despite being uncomfortable […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

Going Forward In Our Life

Our soul is waiting for us to mirror back to it all its gifts and strengths. As children, we looked to our parents for this kind of mirroring, and in the absence of healthy parents or caregivers, often received inaccurate or faulty mirroring of who we […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

A New Year Resolution You Can Keep

January, for many, is considered a time of new beginnings. We come charging into a new year, full of resolutions to lose those few extra pounds that we’ve gained, to be more productive, or to quit smoking. But what often happens, is that after […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Love. The quintessential four letter word. Confounds everyone, can feel quite elusive at times, and yet seems to be the underlying desire that motivates most people in their lives, that is, to feel loved by someone. The desire to experience unconditional love is so […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

New Beginnings

Spring is around the corner, and along with its arrival come all sorts of new beginnings. We begin to hear the birds returning to the trees, the buds of long dormant flowers start to emerge, and the greens of the grasses and leaves on the trees begin to push […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

The Earth As Our Spirit Guide

If you have ever spent time by the ocean, you’ve experienced the healing beauty of the earth in the water, sand, sunshine, wind and critters that take up residence by the sea. There is a profound sense of solidity that comes from knowing that the […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

So…You Want To Be Happy?

According to Carl Jung, each of us are born with an innate preference for how we energize ourselves, how we take in information and learn, how we make decisions, and organize the world around us. Although we each are born with innate preferences in terms of […]

A Word To The Wise

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

The Process of Letting Go

When someone dies or we experience a loss of something to which we have been attached on any level, it is very appropriate to feel sadness or grief. Loss includes any kind of losing: the loss of a person, a relationship, a job, a career, our […]

A Word To The Wise: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

The holidays are officially upon us, and if you’re like most people, you are riding them out with mixed feelings, vacillating between anticipation and dread as you hustle off to the next party or family commitment, wondering how you will sit through one more minute of small talk, stress, or […]

A Word To The Wise: You Make Me So Angry!

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

If only it were that easy. If only we could blame all of our problems and our unhappiness on others- it sure would make our lives easier, wouldn’t it? We could then walk around, focusing our time and energy on other more important things, like how to figure out more […]

About Missouri Environmental Fund

Raising Funds for Environmental Work
36 Environmental Organizations working in Missouri – in One Package!

By Laura Neuman-Howe,
Deputy Director,
Missouri Environmental Fund

The organization “Missouri Environ-mental Fund” was established in 1993 as a workplace giving campaign for environmental organizations. The organization has been operating as “Earth Share of Missouri” for the past 12 years, but recently re-organized and is […]

Acci-Dental Blow Up in Medicine: Battle Plan for Asymmetric Threats Cancer, Post-Lyme, & Chronic Diseases

By Simon Yu, MD

What would you do differently if you find out that persistent, post Lyme-like syndromes, and certain cancers, are caused by unrecognized hidden parasite infections and/or dental-related problems? Have you ever wondered why you got sick, and wondered why your medical doctors did not know why, and what is wrong with you? If […]

Accidental Cure for Macular Degeneration: Vision Loss Affects 37 Million Americans

By Simon Yu, MD

Going blind by impaired vision is one of the most common fears for losing our independence as we grow older. Vision loss affects 37 million Americans over 50 years old including one in four who are older than 80 years old. Low vision is defined as central vision acuity of 20/70 with […]

Acid Reflux – Why?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Acid reflux is a big problem. 44% of Americans have heartburn at least once a month. 25-35% have reflux. Acid-blocking drugs or what we call PPIs, like Nexium, Prevacid, and Prilosec, are the third most prescribed medications in the country. Reflux causes tremendous problems, and nobody is asking why. Why are […]

Acne Can Be A Problem At Any Age

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

While acne may not seem like a serious problem to some, anyone who has experienced recurrent break-outs can attest to how difficult and stressful acne can be, both socially and professionally. We all know acne can be a problem for teenagers, but adult acne is an increasing epidemic in this country. […]

Action In The Face Of Change

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the challenge of climate change. In October 2018, the Intergov-ernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report that calls for significant emissions reductions over the next decade to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. In order to keep warming […]

Activate Your Own Dormant Stem Cells, Economically

Stem Cells make up every part of your body

By Gary Bates

The biotechnology industry is exploding. It is expected to reach 3.2 billion dollars in the next few years.

Here’s how you can use the new technology economically to improve your health. But, first let’s look at how it works. I am not talking about expensive injections […]

Acupressure Massage For Better Health

Acupressure is an ancient healing art using the fingers to gradually press key healing points, which stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. The pressure to the key points of the body alleviates the buildup of toxins in our tissues that cause stiffness in the body which encourages the body to undergo natural self-healing, such as […]

Acupuncture Helps With Emotional As Well As Physical Pain

By Traci Bredenkamp, LAc
Acupuncture on Main

Have you been stuck? Have you been looking for answers to your health problems and getting nowhere? Have you gone to doctors and specialists and feel unsettled with your current options? Have you lost a spouse, parent, child or friend recently or seem to repeat patterns in relationships and don’t […]

Acupuncture Meridian Assessment (AMA) Training for Detecting Parasites and Dental Problems

Training Designed for MDs, DOs and Dentists
March 18-20 and August 26-28, 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri

Training By Simon Yu, MD

Do you have life-time chronically ill “professional” patients that simply aren’t healing no matter what you do? Or may appear to be improving but don’t really get well? What is missing in your medical evaluation and […]

Acupuncture Meridian Assessment (AMA) Training for 2023

By Simon Yu, MD

Medical and Dental (MAD) JEDI Project

Hidden parasites and dental problems are one of the most difficult, unexpected medical challenges. They serve as an “Interference Field” why patients are not responding to medical treatments. I have been training medical doctors and dentists how to detect and treat hidden dental, parasite, fungal and allergy-immunology […]

Acupuncture Meridian Assessment Training for Detecting Parasites and Dental Problems

Training Designed for MD, DO, and Dentists
March 27-29, 2015 in St. Louis, MO

By Simon Yu, MD

Do you have life-time chronically ill, professional patients that simply aren’t healing no matter what you do? Or may appear to be improving but don’t really get well? What is missing in your medical evaluation and treatment plan? The parasites […]

Acupuncture: Where East Meets West

by Dr. Sharon L. Fitelson

One can benefit from the wisdom of the ages with Acupuncture treatments and blend it with the innovation of the 21st century diagnostics at the same time. Dr. Fitelson is highly trained, being a diplomat of the National Council of Chinese and Oriental Medicine and Chiropractic Council of Acupuncture as well […]

Add a Native Tree from Forrest Keeling to Your Yard this Spring

Spring is a great time to add a tree to your home or farm. Trees add beauty, wildlife value and wind protection to our homes and farms. Trees also clean the air, reduce heating and cooling costs, and add value to your home.

Planting a tree is a significant investment in money, resources, and time. Proper selection is key to achieving […]

Adopting A Senior Pet: Is it In Your Future?

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Almost every senior dog and cat that finds itself in a shelter or rescue group has a sad story to tell. How and why did the animal wind up there? Was there a death, divorce or job loss involving the former owner? Was there a health or housing crisis and the pet […]

Adrenal Fatigue

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Adrenal fatigue is a condition estimated to affect approximately eighty percent of people around the world. The prevalence of adrenal fatigue is predominantly due to something most of us are dealing with: stress. 

What are Adrenals?Your adrenal glands are two thumb-sized organs that sit above your kidneys and are part of the […]

Adrenal Fatigue: Stress Is The Likely Culprit

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Adrenal fatigue is a condition estimated to affect approximately eighty percent of people around the world. The prevalence of adrenal fatigue is predominantly due to something most of us are dealing with: stress.

What are Adrenals?
Your adrenal glands are two thumb-sized organs that sit above your kidneys and are part of the […]

Advanced Laser Therapy Techniques

By Dr. Brian Harasha,
Certified Laser Practitioner

My previous articles discussed very basic information on Laser Therapy and its success with musculoskeletal conditions. This article will delve into more advanced uses.

Advanced Technology
Super Pulsed is the latest laser technology available that allows devices to pulse at speeds up to 100,000 times per second. This pulsing allows high […]

Advancing Sustainability via Missouri Green Schools

By Stacey “Parker” Parker, Missouri Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA & Sierra Shields, Missouri Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

Educating the next generation on sustainable practices is one of the most important efforts we can make to ensure the future of our planet. Missouri Green Schools (missourigreenschools.org), a new tracking and recognition program for PreK-12 schools across the […]

Adventure Tribe Retreats Brings Back YAM Fest May 14-16

 Adventure Tribe Retreats in collaboration with Lost Hill Lake are hosting the second Yoga Arts Music Festival aka YAM Fest on May 14-16, 2021. This fully-outdoor community weekend will include camping, live music, yoga, craft workshops and healing outdoor activities.

 The Friday – Sunday weekend camping festival will feature the conscious music of Satsang Duo, Aaron […]

After 35 years, Hair Salon Makes Decision to Go Organic!

Katherine Affolter has been doing hair in the Overland area for over 35 years. She began her beauty career in the same spot as her business operates today. Ultimately, purchasing the salon and expanding the business to include a tanning salon offering UV & vegetable-based custom spray tanning! After 35 years in the same location […]

Air Pollution Brings Increased Risk For Asthma Attacks in Kids Heading Back to Class

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

With the arrival of August, many area students are preparing to head back to school. For most kids, the start of the school year is an exciting time, filled with fun, friends and new adventures. But for kids with asthma, the new school year can come with serious health […]

Air Quality Forecasting Resumes for 2024

Air quality forecasting made its return to the region on May 1st, and the ozone season is kicking off with a reminder that the importance of keeping the air we breathe clean is at an all-time high. Millions of people living in America – including those that fall within the bi-state region’s non-attainment area – […]

Air Quality Is A Year-Round Issue

Article courtesy of the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

With the dog days of summer now upon us, it’s hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. In a matter of weeks, cooler temps will begin settling in. As they do, many assume that the threat of poor air quality will disappear with […]

Alert: Christmas Trees Can Prove Injurious to Your Pet’s Well Being

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Who would ever have thought that those beautiful, warm Christmas symbols, the Christmas Tree, or Chanukah Bush, can be such a concern for our beloved family pets?!?!? Let me explain why!! The potential concerns arise in relation to behaviors that are innate to our family critters. Whether they are puppies, kittens, […]

Alice In Wonderland Style Gardens

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Last year I got the best compliment about my garden ever. A dog walker who came by daily told me my garden looked like an Alice in Wonderland garden. Although it is mainly organized chaos and a Midwestern version of English Cottage style, I like to think of it as a wonderland […]

Allergies & Home Immune Therapy

By Dr. Rosa Kincaid, M.D.

Allergy season is upon us again. The winds of fall have been known to blow your nose to the hospital. So while you may be used to clearing your throat, sneezing, and refusing some of those sedating antihistamines, there are now other options available. The newer effective and convenient therapy involves […]

ALS Patient’s Unexpected Journey: My Patient as My Teacher

By Simon Yu, MD

Several years ago, I wrote an article, Time to Heal at Last: The Story of Rons ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). The odds were against him to live more than few years after diagnosis of ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” at the ALS Clinic at St. Louis University Hospital. ALS is […]

Alternative Building & Sustainable Living Farm Tour – June 10

You are invited to the Alternative Building and Sustainable Living Farm Tour, June 10, hosted by Solis Farm in conjunction with Farwig Farm and Silver Seed Farms. Entry to the Farm Tour is free but the sponsors ask that you bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to a local food bank. There will […]

Alternative Building & Sustainable Living Farm Tour June 10

You are invited to the Alternative Building and Sustainable Living Farm Tour, June 10, hosted by Solis Farm in conjunction with Farwig Farm and Silver Seed Farms. Entry to the Farm Tour is free but the sponsors ask that you bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to a local food bank. There will […]

America Recycles Day and Missouri Recycles Day, November 15!

America Recycles Day is celebrated on November 15 to remember and acknowledge the need to recycle. Recycling is one of the main steps we can take to protect our deteriorating environment and this day commemorates this.

 Why America Recycles Day?These days we’re living in a nightmare. We’re in the middle of a mass extinction event. Carbon […]

An Apple A Day…

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

You’ve heard the old adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” but that familiar phrase may ring truer than you’d think. Apples are not only delicious, versatile, affordable and long-lasting, they’re also very nutrient dense, providing plenty of beneficial nutrients while being low […]

An Art Piece A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

By Kris Ash,
KARMA~NATURALS

Given our societal obsession with health, it is no wonder that we are always on the lookout for another way to increase our wellness. Endeavors such as regular exercise, massage therapy, proper diet, and meditation are important in maintaining optimal health. One physiological benefit of these choices is increased blood flow – a […]

An Awesome Autumn Adventure Awaits

It will soon cool down, but at YMCA Trout Lodge, they’re just getting warmed up. Nestled in the eastern Ozarks, 90 minutes south of St. Louis, Trout Lodge is a year round country-style resort, conference center and Ranch that believes in family-friendly fun and bonding. Rates include lodging, buffet-style meals, many activities, and children 0-5 […]

An Earth Day Celebration That is Uniquely St. Louis!

Experience the tradition of the 26th annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 26th from 10 am to 6 pm on the Muny Grounds of Forest Park. Participate in a variety of hands-on educational activities, meet area non-profits that share the mission of Earth Day, and learn about sustainable products and services offered […]

An Herbalist’s View Of Covid-19

By Kimberly Ward, Herbalist

COVID-19. Unfortunately, a common name amongst most households these days. Lots of questions too… How is it spread? How do we fight it? How do we protect ourselves against it?, etc… We’re in some crazy times!!!!! But, we will get through. As an owner of an herbal store, Kim’s Herbs & Detox […]

An Inspiration for Urban Gardeners Garden Heights Nursery

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Lou D’Agrosa’s love of the outdoors and plants lead him to a horticulture degree from Mizzou and the opening in 1996 of Garden Heights Nursery in Richmond Heights. Lou’s passion, and his staff’s, is to help every homeowner bring beauty to the outdoor spaces of their home. A love for creating beautiful […]

An Integrative Approach to Biological Dentistry

by Michael Rehme, DDS, CCN
(Certified Clinical Nutritionist)

If you ask most people, “What effects do your teeth have to do with your overall health and wellness?” the answer most likely given is, “I never really thought about it,” or “I didn’t know that my teeth had anything to do with my overall health.”

However, if you ask […]

An Urban Food Forest Near Grand Center Arts District

By Linda Wiggen Kraft Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Photo caption: Custom Foodscaping worked with On Olive’s internationally renowned architect Tatiana Bilbao Estudio, to create the concept. Other architects involved in the project include: MOS, Productora, Macias Peredo, Michael Maltzan Architecture, and Howeler + Yoon.

On Olive is a 3+ acre residential development in Grand Center […]

An Urgent Plea for the Bees — How You Can Help

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

It sounds like a Hollywood horror story, but it is real and happening right now. Honey bees are dying by the millions all over the world. Over ten million hives have been decimated since 2006 when colony collapse disorder was identified. Last winter over 30% of the honeybee hives in the US […]

Animal Energetics & Healing

by Jennifer Scalia

There is a circle that becomes full when you witness an energetic healing with an animal. Picture an animal companion as part of a family unit, and not less than the other members but as important. I am not suggesting that you have your pets eating with you at the dinner table, but […]

Announcing The 2017 USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Educational Lineup!

By Johanna Schweiss,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

The Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council’s State of the Chapter & Social is always enjoyable – full of opportunities for building community, building connections, learning from one another. And, each year, it’s the day we release our annual Educational Catalog. This year that […]

Announcing the Builders Fall Home Show Fenton, the Newest Show from the Home Builders Association of St. Louis!

St. Louis (September 14, 2023)–The first-ever Builders Fall Home Show Fenton will be held at STL Athletic Center November 4-5, 2023. The Show is being produced by the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri, which also produces two successful suburban home shows – the Builders St. Charles Home Show and the Builders Home & […]

Announcing the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter’s 3rd Annual Photo Contest!

By Johanna Schweiss,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

At the U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter, we know members of our community and members of our Chapter are as passionate about sustainability and green building as we are! And through our 3rd Annual Photo contest, we’re looking for photos that celebrate the transformation of the […]

Annual Best of Missouri Market

Missouri Botanical Garden Celebrates 24th Anniversary of Sustainable, Local Shopping Event Oct. 2, 3 & 4

The Missouri Botanical Garden announces the 24th annual Best of Missouri Market & More. The Best of Missouri Market & More will take place at the Missouri Botanical Garden on Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, 2015 from 9:00 […]

Annual Best Of Missouri Market Expands, Welcomes New Exhibitors

Missouri Botanical Garden Celebrates 23rd Anniversary
of Sustainable, Local Shopping Event,

The Missouri Botanical Garden announces the 23rd anniversary of the Best of Missouri Market and will now welcome vendors from neighboring states. The BEST OF MISSOURI MARKET & MORE will take place at the Missouri Botanical Garden October 3-5, 2014 from 6 to 9 p.m. on […]

Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour Set For June 23

The Sustainable Backyard Tour, held each year in June, is becoming a much-anticipated event heralding summer in St. Louis.

A unique opportunity to see firsthand how homeowners in the St. Louis region are transforming their yards into heavenly havens of green, the tour is June 23, from 11 to 4 p.m. With dozens of stops in […]

Antiparasitic and Antifungal Medications Targeting Cancer Cells: Repurposing Drugs for Neglected Tropical Diseases for Cancer

By Simon Yu, MD
and Frederick T. Guilford, MD

Is it possible to treat cancer as a neglected infectious disease? Is cancer a metabolic disease, with tumors growing – and metastases spreading – like a metabolic parasite? It may sound farfetched, but there is growing evidence to support this novel idea that can change the way we […]

Appetite Stimulants For Dogs & Cats

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Dogs and cats can develop anorexia (no appetite) or dysrexia (decreased appetite) for many reasons. Usually it is because of diseases such as cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, heart failure, and inflammatory bowel disease. Pain from pancreatitis, GI ulcers, bone fractures or joint inflammation can decrease appetite. Acute infections can also lead […]

Apple Berry Stevia Crumble

Original Recipe by Julie M. Hale and Matt Allen

(Serves 6 people)

Preheat oven to 350°f

Ingredients:

3 Honey Crisp Apples 6oz Blackberries 6oz Raspberries 1/2 pint Blueberries 9 Tbsp Unsalted Butter1 ½ cups All Purpose Unbleached Flour2 tsp Cinnamon1 tsp Nutmeg1 ½ cups Baking Stevia

Method:

Apple Berry Filling:

Melt 3 tbsp of unsalted butter in a medium sized saucepan, then add 1/2 cup of […]

Apple Cider Vinegar: Is It Beneficial For Your Dog?

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apples and apple pectin and is usually an amber color. When purchasing apple cider vinegar please choose raw, unpasteurized vinegar in a glass bottle. This product will contain live bacteria and enzymes that supply health benefits. Glass bottles are preferred over plastic since they do […]

Applicants Needed For 2018 Earthdance Farm & Garden Apprenticeship Program

The Farm and Garden Apprenticeship is a part-time, hands-on, education in organic gardening, market farming, and applied permaculture at EarthDance Organic Farm School.

The Program Runs April-September. Apply by February 1st.

The Program Includes:

Part-time gardening and farm shifts
Field and market training
Weekly classes
5 tours of nearby farms and gardens
Project opportunities in the Seven Generations Garden
Take home a weekly […]

APPLY NOW for EarthDance Organic Farm School’s 2019 Farm & Garden Apprenticeship Program!

The Farm and Garden Apprenticeship is a part-time, hands-on, education in organic gardening, market farming, and applied permaculture at EarthDance Organic Farm School. The Program Runs April-September. Apply by February 1st.
The Program Includes:

Part-time gardening and farm shifts
Field and market training
Weekly classes
5 tours of nearby farms and gardens
Project opportunities in the Seven Generations Garden
Take home a […]

Are Frozen Foods Nutritious?

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

March is Frozen Foods Month, which begs the question: Are frozen foods good for you? Frozen foods often get a bad rep for being nutrient-poor, calorie-dense foods, and while this can certainly be the case some of the time, there are plenty of healthy frozen […]

Are Nutritional Supplements Right For You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

I am commonly asked from my patients, “Can I get all the nutrients I need from food?”
In an ideal world, eating organic, whole, fresh food, would provide all the nutrients our bodies require to function optimally. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we still fall short. Some of the reasons for the […]

Are Wood Floors Really Eco-Friendly?

By Richard Olson

At first thought, using lumber in any type of mass production lends one to remember pictures of barren hillsides that had been raped of their trees by logging companies. It’s difficult to imagine or calculate how forests can replenish themselves when harvested in such massive quantities. My mind could not wrap around these […]

Are You a Flower Lover? – Create Your Own, Fun Fantasy Flowers

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Can’t have enough flowers? Do you swoon at the sight of the miracle of a flower’s colors and shapes? Do you love spring through fall because that is when your garden blooms? Do you  want flowers around you all year round?  

Why not create some unique […]

Are You Aware of the New Changes in Medicare Benefits?

By Michael Cohen

Medicare alone is not enough! Medicare Supplement insurance is available for those of us who are 65 and older. When was Medicare started? In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill for the start of Medicare. Medicare pays only for Plan A which covers part of your stay in the hospital. The […]

Are You Aware of the New Changes in Medicare Benefits?

By Michael Cohen

Medicare Alone Is Not Enough! Medicare Supplement insurance is available for those of us who are 65 and older. When was Medicare started? In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill for the start of Medicare. Medicare pays only for Plan A which covers part of your stay in the hospital. The […]

Are You Dealing With Excessive Gas?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

We’ve all experienced it, and probably at inopportune times. It’s embarrassing and uncomfortable. So, what’s the deal with gas? Are some of us doomed to be gassy forever? The answer is no. Let’s take a look at some of the major causes of gas and how to treat them.

Food Sensitivities
Of […]

Are You Eating Your Allergies?

by Jamila Owens-Todd, ND

Have you started on a holistic plan and your symptoms started to slowly return? Consider a food allergy. We are aware of the common food allergens such as dairy foods, red meat, corn, soy or sugar. There is a possibility that you can be allergic to broccoli, lentils or peaches. The IgG […]

Are You Ready To Heal?

By Jamila Ownes-Todd, ND

Illness serves a purpose. Let me first start off by saying, you do not have to be sick. A sickness is a reflection of where you are in your present physical state and does not have to hang around longer than it is needed. How long is it needed? Only you will […]

Are You Still Drinking Milk?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

By now, most of my patients and readers know how I feel about dairy: it’s nature’s perfect food—but only if you’re a calf. We have no biological requirement for this food, and yet, we’ve been told over and over again that dairy is a great source of calcium, milk makes healthy […]

Are You Struggling In Your Relationship?

Your Personal Relationship Coach
Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Are you currently struggling with some aspect of your relationship or do you feel that there is certainly room for improvement? A relationship is like a car. It has many components and all need to work seamlessly together in order for a satisfactory ride.
Perhaps you have even tried […]

Area Residents Encouraged to Take Steps to Improve Air Quality in Light of Stricter EPA Standards

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Last October, the Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone to 70 parts per billion (ppb), down from 75 ppb, in an effort to further protect public health. As the St. Louis area settles into its first air quality forecasting season highlighted […]

Art & Nature Summer Camp Offered By Local Elementary Art Teacher

by Glenda Moore

When I was a child, I played outside all day, every day, catching tiny frogs and fireflies, watching the clouds for the pictures that they created, building tiny gardens for small unseen friends. These days children are inside more than ever connected to the world through screens, large and small. This modern trend […]

ART Makes The World A Better Place

By Michelle “ Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

The arts make us more expressive, more understanding, more inclusive. See if you don’t agree:

Bryan Haynes is a well-known, local artist recognized for his works depicting Missouri scenes. He’s done some great historically-inspired paintings of the Lewis and Clark journey. But there’s another reason to recognize Bryan Haynes. […]

Art Of Entertaining Celebrates 20 Years of Great Food/Service

By Denise Christen
Healthy Planet Lifestyles Editors

Ann Marie Lemcke grew up loving to cook and working in her family’s catering business, Butler’s Pantry (now owned by her brother Richard Nix, Jr.) She saw a void that their full service catering business did not offer which was smaller servings for carry out – and the idea for […]

Art of Folklore Returns In Witch Doctor Storytelling

By Benjamin Petty

Here at Witch Doctor Storytelling we reach perfection every time we perform for you or your event.

We also offer variety to meet your every need, choose from four different storytelling packages and characters.

Kingla Kuk is a woodland witch doctor. He specializes in stories dealing with creation and Native American myth. His show is […]

Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Self-Improvement In The New Year

www.ChristineKniffen.com

Where do I start? Are we talking weight loss, less credit card spending or going back to school for an advanced degree? Much of the time it is these types of things that initially come to mind when asked to list typical areas for self-improvement. However, many […]

Art of Relating – Shifting ‘The Energy’ This Holiday Season

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Visit: www.ChristineKniffen.com

Have you paused long enough recently? Have you stopped, taken a step back and just felt the soothing, gentle wind and its calming effect? It is a light, but brisk reminder of all that it good about nature and its ability to restore balance, hence sanity to our souls. Dr. […]

Art that Changed Science, Maria Merian 1647-1717

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 […]

Art Walk At Garden Heights Nursery Kicks Off Sustainable Shopping Season

By Crystal Stevens

The Holiday Season only adds to the detrimental effects that consumerism has on the earth. We all know the devastating effects that factories and big box stores have on the earth, especially the air and water quality. The influx in money spent at big box stores is at its peak during the holidays. […]

ArtFul Happenings

 

NEW EXHIBITS

June 30-August 11
MIAMI CENTERFOLD
Architectural photography by Keith Mosier; opening reception, 6-10 p.m.; $10 donation at door benefits Food Outreach; PHD Gallery, 2300 Cherokee; for info, visit www.phdstl.com.

July 6-August 9
MAIN GALLERY: MONOCHROME
GALLERY TWO: THERESA SCOTT
Opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; Framations, 218 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, call 636-724-8313 or visit www.framations.com.

July 13-19
FRESH 2012: STUDENT […]

Artful Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

Through August 18
TRADITION
Works inspired by Jewish culture; Gallery at Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar; for info, visit www.art-stl.com/gallery.

Through September 7
BAM! POW! ZAP!
Comic art and illustrations; Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, call 636-255-0270 or visit www.foundryartcentre.org.

August 3-September 16
URBAN WANDERERS
Works by local artists inspired by stray dogs and cats, opening […]

Artful Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

August 30-September 21
ST.LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ART FACULTY EXHIBITION
Opening reception, 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Humanities East Bldg., 11333 Big Bend Road;  314-984-7632.

August 31-September 29
CRAIG WEDDERSPOON:
BIOTEXTURAL LANDSCAPES
Opening reception, 6-10 p.m.; Good Citizen Gallery, 2247 Gravois; 314-348-4587 www.goodcitizenstl.org.

September 1-October 14
ED MARTENS: IN RETROSPECT
First St. Louis exhibit; Sept.7 reception, 6-8 p.m.; Northwest Coffee Roasting Company, 8401 Clayton;  314-791-6466.

September 5-29
FRANK ENGER: HOMAGE […]

Artful Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

September 28-November 30
MARK MAKING: PRINTS FROM WILDWOOD PRESS
Large scale works by artists from St. Louis printmaking studio, founded by Maryanne Ellison Simmons; St. Louis University Museum of Art, Lindell Blvd.; for info, call 314-977-2666 or visit http://sluma.slu.edu.

Through October 20
PAPER: A GROUP EXHIBITION
Works involving paper, by fourteen artists; The Gallery at Regional Arts Commission, 6128 […]

Artful Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

October 29-December 27
ART ST. LOUIS XXVIII, THE EXHIBITION
Opening reception, 7-9 p.m. on Nov. 10; Art Saint Louis, 555 Washington Avenue, #150; for info call 314-241-4810 or visit www.artstlouis.org.

November 2-29
CUBA: POLITICS & PEOPLE
Photographs by Deborah Weinstein; opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; The Gallery of University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar; for info, call 314-727-3150 or visit […]

Artful Happenings

ArtFul Calendar
NEW EXHIBITS

Through February 3
SPEAKING LINES
Abstract paintings by Timothey E. Wagner; drawing by Galina Todorova; reception, 6-8 p.m.; January 11; Northwest Coffee Roasting Company, 8401 Maryland (Maryland & Crandon); for info, call 314-791-6466.

Through February 1
WATERCOLOR II: PIGMENT & PAPER
Juried works from around the world; Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, […]

ArtFul Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

Opening June 29
A NEW VIEW: CONTEMPORARY ART
YOKO ONO: WISH TREE
St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

Through September 27
BLACK & WHITE 
PAPER & BOOK ART
Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, call 636-255-0270 or visit www.foundryartcentre.org. or visit www.foundryartcentre.org.

Through July 28
MICHAEL BOLTON & JOANNA HOGE: FRESH PAINT & INK
Northwest Coffee & […]

Artful Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

Through August 11
JOSH FAUGHT: SNACKS, SUPPORTS, & SOMETHING TO RALLY AROUND
Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington; for info, visit www.camstl.org. or call 314-535-4660.

Through August 11
BIENNIAL FACULTY EXHIBITION
Craft Alliance; 6640 Delmar; for info, call 314-725-1177 or visit www.craftalliance.org.

Through August 12
THE WARTIME ESCAPE: MARGRET & H.A.REY’S JOURNEY FROM FRANCE
Exhibition on the creator of “Curious George” and his […]

Artful Happenings

New Exhibits

Opening August 26
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PHOTO EXHIBIT
A coordinated project of the mayors & arts organizations along the Mississippi River; opening 5 pm; Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar; for info, visit www.art-stl.com.

Through October 5
EXPOSURE 16: PRIMAL FORMS
Group exhibition of works by three artists; Gallery 210 on UMSL campus;314- 516-5976 or http://gallery210.umsl.edu.

September 6-October 5
LESLIE LASKEY: WINDOWS
[…]

ArtFul Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

Correction: PHD Gallery is located at 2300 Cherokee, not 2600 as was listed erroneously in the Sept. issue. CABINET OF CURIOSITIES: PICTORIAL & DIMENSIONAL ODDITIES continues through October 26. For info, for info, call 314-664-6644 or visit www.phdstl.com.

October 4-November 22
VIRTUAL REALITY
Digital media exhibition; Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, […]

ArtFul Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

Through November 17
HYBRID TERRAIN:
DICKSON BEALL & BARB FLUNKER
COCA Gallery, 524 Trinity Avenue; www.cocastl.org.

Through December 7
ALEX RIVERA: ANIMAQUILADORA
CAPE DORSET PRINTS: THE KINNGAIT STUDIOS
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit gallery210.umsl.edu.

Through December 26
ART ST.LOUIS XXIX: THE EXHIBITION
Annual juried exhibition; Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine; for info, call 314-241-4810 or visit […]

Artful Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

December 6
SOLO EXHIBITION: PETER PRANSCHKE
December 13
MICHAEL BEHLE: START ALL OVER, RE VOLLA TRATS
Through December 17; opening receptions, 6-8 p.m.; Luminary Center for the Arts, 2701 Cherokee; for info, visit www.theluminaryarts.com.

Through December 21
AN UN-STILL LIFE: THE ART OF LIDILA TROUP-BURIAN
Over 100 drawings and paintings by Czech-born Lidila Troup-Burian (1924-2013); Creative Art Gallery, 3232 Ivanhoe; for […]

ArtFul Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

January 3-31
ARCHIVE
Paintings & drawings by Chicago artist Anne Lindbergh; opening reception, 5-8 p.m.; The Gallery of University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar; for info, call 314-727-3150.

January 4-February 28
HENRYK PTASIEWICZ: CELEBRATING HEART
PAUL JACKSON: WATERCOLOR
Opening reception, 5-9 p.m. on Jan. 17; Green Door Gallery, 21 N. Gore; for info, call 314-402-1959 or visit www.greendoorartgallery.com.

January 10-March […]

ArtFul Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

Through February 15
DUET: RUBEN OCHOA & B.J. VOGT
Sculpture exhibition; 3526 Washington Ave., Ste. 300; for info, call 310-614-7338 or email duetstl@gmail.com.

Through February 20
PICTORIALIST
Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine; for info, call 314-241-4810 or visit www.artstlouis.org.

February 4-27
THE ART OF FOLK
Outsider art by the artists of Turner Center for the Arts; opening reception Feb. 7, 6-8 p.m.; […]

ARTFUL HAPPENINGS

NEW EXHIBITS

Through March 29
LATINICIDAD
Gallery at Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar; for info visit www.art-stl.com/gallery.

Through April 5
MATERIAL ATTRACTION: DIVERSE REACTIONS
Ceramics exhibition; Jacoby Arts Center, 627 East Broadway in Alton, Illinois; for info, call
618-462-5222 or visit www.jacobyartscenter.org.

Through May 18
THRESHOLDS: PART TWO
MOCRA on SLU campus, 221 N. Grand; for info, call 314-977-7170 or visit www.slu.edu/mocra.

March 1-31
IRINA TEVZADZE: FASHION […]

ARTful Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

Through August 20
ART OF ITS OWN MAKING
The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts; 3716 Washington; for info, visit www.pulitzerarts.org.

Through September 28
PORTRAIT/PROCESS
International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum; 3415 Olive; for info, call
314-535-1999 or visit info@iphf.org.

Through July 11
SQUARED OFF
Works by multiple female artists; The Gallery at the Regional Arts Commission
6128 Delmar; for info, visit www.stlrac.org.

Through August […]

ARTful Happenings

NEW EXHIBITS

Through May 10
REGINA DeLUISE
VAST BHUTAN: IMAGES FROM THE PHENOMENAL WORLD
MOCRA; 221 N. Grand on SLU campus; for info, call 314-997-7170 or visit www.slu.edu/mocra.

Through May 21
FROM LIGHT TO DARK
Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine/Park Pacific Bldg.; for info, call 314-241-4810 or visit www.artstlouis.org.

Through June 28
20th CENTURY VISIONARIES: PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION
St. Louis […]

Artful Happenings

October 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through October 11

THRESHOLDS
STEVE FEMMER: BLACK & WHITE

Framations Art Gallery, 218 N. Main Street in St. Charles; for info, call 636-724-8313 or visit www.framations.com.

Through November 8
SICK TIME, SLEEPY TIME, CRIP TIME: AGAINST CAPITALISM’S TEMPORAL BULLYING
The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee Street; for info, visit www.theluminaryarts.com.

Through December 30

ALWAYS AT THE FRONTIER: ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY 1818-2018
A LIFETIME IN […]

ARTful Happenings


NEW EXHIBITS

Through November 30
JANET FONS: POINT OF DEPARTURE
Grafica Fine Art, 7884 Big Bend; for info, visit graficafinearts.com or call 314-961-4020.

Through March 4
HARRY BENSON: KINGS & QUEENS
Photography exhibition; World Chess Hall of Fame; 4652 Maryland Ave.; for info, call 314-367-9243 or visit www.worldchesshof.org.

November 7-December 30
ART IS A LIFELONG GIFT
Multi-media exhibition; reception Nov. 16, 5-8 p.m.; Green […]

ARTful Happenings – April 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through April 20
GEOMETRIC BY DESIGN
Framations Gallery, 218 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, 636-724-8313 or visit www.framations.com.

Through April 28
CARMON COLAGELO: HERE BE DRAGONS
YVETTE DRURY DUBINSKY: ON THE MOVE
JACOB LAWS: PILFERAGE
FRANK SCHWAIGER: ONDINE
MONIKA WULFERS: OPEN LIGHTS
Opening reception, March 30, 5-9 p.m.; Bruno David Gallery, 7513 Forsyth Blvd., for info, call […]

ARTful Happenings – November 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through November 17
PHYLLIS MacLAREN: PORTRAITS OF COURAGE
Human rights paintings inspired by real people; Gallery of Contemporary Art at St. Louis Community College-Wildwood, 2645 Generations Drive; free; for info, call 636-422-2241.

Through January 12

IMPRESSIONS OF WAR
Free; Galleries 234 & 235, St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org

Through January 22
TOYS OF THE 50’s, 60’s 70’s
“Living room […]

ARTful Happenings – September 2014

NEW EXHIBITS

Through September 12
ROBERT MESSICK: CONTROLLED ELEGANCE
Cathy Gregory Studio Gallery, 2000 S. 39th Street; for info, call 314-773-3935 or visit www.cathygregory.com.

Through November 30
VINTAGE CAMERAS
Presented by International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum; Concourse C in Terminal 1, Lambert International Airport; for info, visit www.iphf.org.

September 3-October 31
PIECES OF IMPRESSIONISM
Reception Sept. 12, 5-9 p.m.; Green Door Gallery, […]

ARTful Happenings – September 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through October 8
ARTISTS CHOOSE ARTISTS
Established & emerging St. Louis artists; Millstone Gallery at COCA, 524 Trinity Avenue; for info, call 314-561-4868 or visit www.cocastl.org.

September 1-October 12
CONNECTIONS
All-media exhibition; Framations Gallery, 218 N. Main Street in St. Charles; for info, call 636-724-8313 or visit www.framations.com.

September 2-October 7
ALEX COUWENBERG: IN PONO
GROUP EXHIBITION: LA PAINTING—FORMALISM TO STREET ART
Opening […]

ARTful Happenings — August 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through September 22
BALINESE ART
St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

Through October 20
THE BAUHAUS & ITS LEGACY: OSKAR SCHLEMMER’S TRIADIC BALLET
St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

Through December 22
CARLOS ZAMORA: cART
Ongoing project and exhibition; Laumeier Sculpture Park; 12580 Rott Road; for info, visit www.laumeiersculpturepark.org.

August 3-September 5
AMERICAN CONVERSATIONS
Multi-media by 54 St. Louis area artists; […]

ARTful Happenings — February 2020

NEW EXHIBITS

Through February 23TEA & COOKIES: 17th BIENNIAL TEAPOT EXHIBITIONCraft Alliance Center of Art + Design, 6640 Delmar; for info, visit www.craftalliance.org. 

Through March 27HIGH SCHOOL TEAPOT EXHIBITIONSpirtas Gallery, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, 1201 South Warson; for info, visit www.craftalliance.org. 

February 7-April 19MULTIPLIED: EDITION MAT & TRANSFORMABLE WORK OF ARTTRUTHS & RECKONINGS: THE ART OF TRANSFORMATIVE […]

ARTful Happenings — November 2014

NEW EXHIBITS

Through December 4
WORLD OF ART & ART OF RICH GORDON
Framations Art Gallery, 218 N. Main Street in St. Charles; for info, visit www.framations.com.

Through December 6
NEW IMPRESSIONS FROM HAMILTON
SNAPSHOTS & POLAROIDS
EVAN MEANEY: THE WELL OF REPRESENTATION

Through January 4
ATUA: SACRED GODS FROM POLYNESIA
Main Exhibition Galleries, St. Louis Art Museum; ticket required; for info, […]

ARTful Happenings April 2014

NEW EXHIBITS

April 4-May 3
CARMON COLANGELO: STORMS
THOMAS SLEET: MODEM: TOPOLOGY
LANA Z CAPLAN: WOMAN IN THE DUNES
Opening Reception 5-9 p.m.; Bruno David Gallery, 3721 Washington; for info, call 314-531-3030 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

April 4-June 15
GOOD AS GOLD
Gold-themed exhibition in celebration of Craft Alliance’s 50th Anniversary; opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; 6640 Delmar; for info, call 314-725-1177 or […]

ARTful Happenings April 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

April 2-29
DANA RICHARD SMITH: GRAVEYARD SHIFT
Paintings of band Uncle Tupelo; reception April 10, 6-8 p.m.; The Gallery of University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar; for info, call 314-727-3150 or visit www.ucpl.lib.mo.us.

Through April 11
HEATHER BENNETT: FOUR STORIES
Bruno David Projects, 1245 S. Vandeventer; for info, call 314-449-6438 or visit www.brunodavidprojects.com.

Through April 18
COUNTERPUBLIC
Featuring Alberto Aguilar, Damon Davis, […]

ARTful Happenings April 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through July 2
CAMERA WORK EXHIBITION
Photographs by Alfred Stiegletz and colleagues; International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum; 3415 Olive; for info, call 314-535-1999 or visit www.iphf.org

April 1-May 8
TERRY M. BOYD & AMANDA McCAVOUR: DARK MATTER
Opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, 6640 Delmar; for info, call 314-725-1177 or visit
www.craftalliance.org

April 8
ALTERED STATES WITH THE […]

ARTful Happenings April 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through April 16
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JODIE MAURER
Longview Farm House Art Gallery, 13525 Clayton Road; for info, call 314-587-2838.

April 3-May 19
FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
Winning entries; Manchester Police Facility Gallery, 200 Highlands Blvd. Drive; for info, call 636-227-1385 x404 or visit www.manchestermo.gov/arts.

April 5-May 13
I.M.A.G.I.N.E. PEACE NOW
Co-presented by Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design and Maryville University; opening […]

ARTful Happenings April 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through April 6
FINDING COMMON GROUND: PHOTOGRAPY OF ORAIEN CATLEDGE & JACK STOCK
International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum, 3415 Olive; for info, call 314-535-1999 or visit www.iphf.org.

Through May 5
SOUTHWEST WEAVINGS: 800 YEARS OF ARTISTIC EXCHANGE
St. Louis Art Museum; free; for info, visit www.slam.org.

Through May 27
CURRENTS 116 & NEW MEDIA SERIES: OLIVER LARIC
St. Louis Art […]

ARTful Happenings April 2020

Due to COVID-19 please visit the event websites to confirm rescheduling and cancellations.

NEW EXHIBITS

Through April 26REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL EXHIBITJacoby Arts Center in Alton, Illinois; for info, visit www.jacobyartscenter.org. 

Through May 31LEON BRONSTEIN: BETWEEN THE FANTASTIC & THE REALSt. Louis University Museum of Art, 3663 Lindell; for info, visit www.slu.edu/sluma. 

Through May 31THE CIVIL WAR: IMAGINED & REALPius […]

ARTful Happenings August 2014

NEW EXHIBITS

Through August 27
AMONGST THE TRANSMISSIONS
Dark Room; 615 N. Grand; for info, call 314-531-3416 or visit www.thedarkroomstl.com.

Through August 30
MODERNISM: ART + DESIGN
Including works by Lichtenstein, Picasso, Osver, Leger; Kodner Gallery, 9650 Clayton; for info, call 314-993-4477 or visit www.kodnergallery.com.

Through August 30
LOCAL INSPIRATION
Works by 3 artists; Green Door Art Gallery, 21 N. Gore; for info, […]

ARTful Happenings August 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through August 15
SKIN: FIGURATIVE ART GROUP EXHIBITION
Featuring the work of 7 local artists; Cathy Gregory Studio Gallery, 2000 S.39th Street; for info, call 314-773-3935 or visit www.cathygregory.com.

Through August 16
LAURIE SIMMONS: TWO BOYS & THE LOVE DOLL
NOMAD STUDIO: GREEN VARNISH
MICHAEL STANIAK: IMG
LIAT YOSSIFOR: PRE-VERBAL PAINTING
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis; 3750 Washington; for […]

ARTful Happenings August 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

July 29-October 12
EXQUISITE EVERYDAT: 18th CENTURY DECORATIVE ART OBJECTS
THE ORDINARY MUST NOT BE DULL: CLAES OLDENBURG’S SOFT SCULPTURES
RAUMLABORERLIN: 4562 ENRIGHT AVENUE
Summer exhibitions, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington; for info, visit www.pulitzerarts.org.

August 2-30
ANDY LEICHT: OBITUARY PORTRAITS
Opening reception Aug. 5, 6-8 p.m.; The Gallery of University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar; for info, visit […]

ARTful Happenings August 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through August 13
BIENNIAL FACULTY EXHIBITION
Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design’s Gallery, 6640 Delmar; for info, call 314-725-1177 or visit www.craftalliance.org.

Through August 30
THE ILLUSTRATED BOOK
University City Public Library Gallery, 6701 Delmar; for info, call 314-727-3150 or visit www.ucitylibrary.org.

August 5-September 7
RABBIT HOLE
Multi-media exhibition of works by 48 regional artists; opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; Art Saint […]

ARTful Happenings August 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through August 13
WORKS FROM THE STUDIOS
8th Biennial Juried Exhibition; Craft Alliance Center of Art +Design, 6640 Delmar; for info, call 314-725-1177 or visit www.craftalliance.org.

Through September 29
FRANK SCHWAIGER: MEDITATIONS
Bruno David Projects, 1245 S. Vandeventer (The Grove); by appointment, 314-696-2377.

Through September 30
CHINESE BUDDHIST ART, 10th-15th CENTURIES
Gallery 225; St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

August 1-September […]

ARTful Happenings December 2014

NEW EXHIBITS

December 1-January 16
HOLIDAY CELEBRATION X
Opening reception Dec. 6, 5-9 p.m.; Cathy Gregory Studio Gallery, 2000 S.39th Street; for info, call 314-773-3935 or visit www.cathygregory.com.

Through December 14
REBECCA NIEDERLANDER: AXIS MUNDI
MOCRA on St. Louis U. campus; for info, call 314-977-7170 or visit www.slu.edu/mocra.

Through December 24
GLASS ORNAMENT DISPLAY
Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, 6640 […]

ARTful Happenings December 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through January 2
GARDEN GLOW LIGHT EXHIBIT
Wed-Sun nights through Dec. 17, nightly Dec. 18-Jan. 2, 5-9:30 p.m.; admission charge; Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw; for info, visit www.mobot.org/glow.

Through December 31
CONTEMPORARY VISION: CONCEPTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Works by Maryville University Photography students, alumni and faculty; The Dark Room,
615 N Grand; for info, call 314-531-3416 or visit www.thedarkroomstl.com.

FUN THINGS TO […]

ARTful Happenings December 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through January 20
FACULTY ART SHOW
St. Louis Community College-Wildwood, 2645 Generations Drive; for info, call 636-422-2000.

Through February 4
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
Photographs by the newly inducted Hall of Fame Class of 2016:Sebastião Salgado, Ernst Haas, Steve Jobs, Graham Nash, Thomas and John Knoll, Ken Burns and Annie Leibovitz; International Photography Hall of Fame, 3415 Olive; for info, call […]

ARTful HAPPENINGS December 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through December 8
CHINA: PAST & PRESENT
Photographs by Richard Sprengeler; part of the IPHF International Photography Collaborative; Schmidt Art Center, Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Avenue, Belleville, IL; for info, visit www.swic.edu/theschmidt.

Through January 1
GLASS ORNAMENT DISPLAY
Windows of Craft Alliance in the Loop; 6640 Delmar; for info, visit www.craftalliance.org.

Through January 20
ANDREA STANISLAV: COSMIST RECONSTRUCTIONS
Bruno David Gallery, […]

ARTful Happenings December 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through December 30
SANFORD BIGGERS: BAM
New sculpture inspired by Michael Brown has been added to the Sanford Biggers exhibition; Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington; for info, visit www.camstl.org.

Through January 13
DAVID HUTSON: MEMORY & DESIRE, A PERSONAL EXPLORATION OF NEON ART
Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott Road; for info, visit www.laumeier.org.

Through January 20
SEEING SANTA CLAUS: THOMAS NAST’S […]

ARTful HAPPENINGS December 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through December 9
MONOCHROME III
All media exhibit; Framations Gallery, 218 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, visit www.framations.com.

Through December 12
THE ART OF ME
Self portraits by 16 invited artists; St. Louis Community College at Wildwood; for info, visit www.stlcc.edu.

Through December 23
ART ST. LOUIS XXXV, THE EXHIBITION
Works by 52 regional artists; Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine; […]

ARTful Happenings February 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through March 2015
TIMOTHY WAGNER: CITY SCAPES
Maryland Height Government Center, 11911 Dorsett Road; for info, visit www.tewagner.com.

Through May 10
REGINA DeLUISE
VAST BHUTAN: IMAGES FROM THE PHENOMENAL WORLD
MOCRA, on St.Louis University campus at 221 N. Grand; for info, call 314-977-7170 or visit http://www.slu.edu/x99722.xml.

February 6
MARCO BRAMBILLO: MATERIALIZATION/DE-MATERIALIZATION
Opening reception, 5-9 p.m.; Spanish language tour, 6:30 p.m.; Contemporary Art […]

ARTful Happenings February 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through February 14
CURRENTS 111: STEVEN & WILLIAM LADD: SCOUTS OR SPORTS?
Gallery 250 & the Alexandria & Charleston period room; St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

Through March 31
WORKS BY MARK WITZLING, JEANNE VOGEL, PAUL BAYER
Opening reception, Feb. 5, 5:30-7 p.m.; Chesterfield City Hall, 690 Chesterfield Park West; for info, call 636-812-9523 or […]

ARTful Happenings February 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through February 5
BTWN: EVERYDAY APPLICATIONS FOR WEAKNESS
Works by Garrett Clough; The Gallery of University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar; for info, visit www.ucitylibrary.org.

Through February 25
PASTEL PAINTING
MARY ENGELBREIT ORIGINALS
Green Door Gallery, 21 N. Gore; for info, call 314-402-1959 or visit www.greendoorartgallery.com.

Through February 28
ALL COLORS
Presented by Portfolio Gallery at St. Louis Artists’ Guild, 12 […]

ARTful Happenings February 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through February 23
ANN METZGER MEMORIAL NATIONAL BIENNIALEXHIBITION
All-media, juried exhibition; St. Louis Artists’ Guild, 12 N. Jackson Avenue in Clayton; for info, call 314-727-6266 or visit www.stlouisartistsguild.org.

Through March 1
CARMON COLANGELO: INFINITE ABSTRACTIONS
BARRY ANDERSON: FRAGMENTS OF SPACE
GRASSHOPPER: DAILY LIFE
Bruno David Gallery, 7513 Forsyth; for info, call 314-696-2377 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

FUN THINGS TO DO

Through February […]

ARTful Happenings January 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through January 22
NESTS & NATURE: WATERCOLOR BY LEE WALTER
Framations Gallery, 218 North Main Street in St. Charles; for info, call 636-724-8313 or visit www.framations.com.

January 1-February 26
FOR THE LOVE OF ART
Opening reception, January 23, 5-9 p.m.; Green Door Art Gallery, 21 N. Gore; for info, call 314-402-1959 or visit www.greendoorartgallery.com.

January 9-March 1
DESIGNATED AREAS
Collaborative exhibition between […]

ARTful Happenings January 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

January 15-March 20
INTERPRETATIONS: 15TH BIENNIAL TEAPOT EXHIBITION
Opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, 6640 Delmar; for info, call 314-725-1177 or visit www.craftalliance.org.

January 15-April 3
SPRING EXHIBITIONS
Lisa Yuskavage: The Brood
Arcangelo Sassolino: Not Human
Peter Sutherland: Forests and FiresTala Madani
Arlene Shechet: Urgent Matter
Ned Vena
The Propeller Group
Opening reception, 7-9 p.m.; […]

ARTful Happenings January 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through January 7
MICHAEL JANTZEN: DECONSTRUCTING MY CHAIRS
Bruno David Gallery, 7513 Forsyth; for info, call 314-696-2377 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through January 12
PRESENCE II
Main Gallery, Framations Art Gallery, 218 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, call 636-724-8313 or visit www.framations.com.

Through January 29
MOHAU MODISAKENG
Indoor exhibit of photographs & videos by South African artist; Laumeier Sculpture Park, […]

ARTful Happenings January 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through January 18
GROUP EXHIBITION OF SMALL WORKS
Bruno David Gallery, 7513 Forsyth; for info, call 314-696-2377 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through January 26
SHAWN CORNELL: ART IN THE AFTERNOON
Norton Fine Art & Framing, 2025 S. Big Bend; for info, call 314-645-4040 or visit www.nortonsfineart.com.

Through May 26
RACE & REPRESENTATION: EURO-AMERICAN DEPICTIONS OF NATIVE AMERICANS & THEIR CULTURES
St. Louis University […]

ARTful Happenings January 2020

NEW EXHIBITS

Through April 26JAPANESE ART OF THE RINPA SCHOOLGallery 225; St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

Through June 7JAVANESE BATIK TEXTILESGallery 100; St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

January 4-February 29EXPRESSIONS OF PURE JOYOpening reception January 17, 5-8 p.m.; Green Door Art Gallery, 21 N. Gore; for info, visit www.greendoorartgallery.com.

January 17-April […]

ARTful Happenings July 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through August 2
SELECTIONS FROM THE MOCRA COLLECTION
Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, on the SLU campus; for info, call 314-977-7170 or visit www.slu.edu/mocra.

Through August 4
CHRONICLE FERGUSON: PHOTOGRAPHS BY SANTIAGO BIANCO
The Dark Room; 615 N. Grand; for info, call 314-531-3416 or visit www.thedarkroomstl.com.

Through August 1
2014 CRITICAL MASS: VISUAL ARTS CREATIVE STIMULUS AWARD […]

ARTful Happenings July 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through July 21
HONOR AWARDS 2016
Exhibition featuring works by 10 award-winning artists from 2015 exhibitions; Art Saint Louis, 1223 Pine; for info, visit www.artstl.org.

Through September 11
SELF-TAUGHT GENIUS: TREASURES FROM THE AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM
St. Louis Art Museum; exhibition admission fee; for info, visit www.slam.org.

July 5-29
QUILTED BIRD NEST
Mixed media by Gloria Douglas and quilte by Mike […]

ARTful Happenings July 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through July 12
ROBERT McELYEA: SURREALITY
THE SCIENCE OF IT ALL
Framations Art Gallery, 218 N. Main in St. Charles; for info, call 636- 724-8313 or visit www.framations.com.

Through July 27
ANN WIMSATT: KEEP IT WITH YOU
LISA BULAWSKY: EVERYTHING IS STILL HAPPENING
Bruno David Gallery, 7513 Forsyth; for info, call 314-696-2377 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through September 8
BASEBALL: AMERICA’S GAME
THE […]

ARTful Happenings July 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through July 18
HONOR AWARDS 2019
Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine Street; for info, visit www.artstlouis.org.

Through September 7
FRANK SCHWAIGER: MEDITATIONS
Bruno David Projects in The Grove, 1245 South Vandeventer; for info, visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through October 27
LEAFING THROUGH HISTORY: PLANTS THAT MAKE PAPER
Special display of sculptures by internationally-renowned origami artists; Stephen & Peter Sachs Museum at Missouri Botanical Garden, […]

ARTful Happenings June 2014

NEW EXHIBITS

Through June 21
CHRIS D. SMITH: INTERACTION
MARTIN LANG: FOREVER UNTITLED
Bruno David Gallery, 3721 Washington; for info, call 314-531-3030 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

May 30-June 22
BLOOMING ARTISTS PROJECT EXHIBITION
Local established artists mentor young artists; opening reception 6-9 p.m.; Clayton Fine Art Gallery, 21 N. Bemiston; for info, visit www.claytonfineartgallery.com.

June 1-30
UNDER THE MOON: PAINTINGS BY ANDREA VADNER
Opening reception, […]

ARTful Happenings June 2015

NEW EXHIBITIONS

June-September
NOMAD STUDIO: GREEN VARNISH
Outdoor installation; Contemporary Art Museum; 3750 Washington; for info, call 314-535-4660 or visit www.camstl.org.

June 5 – August 28
JENNY MURPHY: GOODS
Opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; COCA Millstone Gallery, 524 Trinity Avenue; for info, visit www.cocastl.org.

June 6-July 23
HONOR AWARDS 2015
Opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine Street; for info, visit www.racstl.org.

June 19-July […]

ARTful Happenings June 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through June 19
MISSISSIPPI RIVER PHOTO SHOOT OUT
Juried exhibition of Mississippi River photography; Jacoby Arts Center, 627 East Broadway in Alton; for info, visit www.MississippiRiverPhotoShootOut.com.

Through July 2
WORDS+TEXT+NUMBERS
St. Louis Artists’ Guild; 12 N. Jackson Avenue; for info, call 314-727-6266 or visit www.stlouisartistsguild.org.

Through July 3
2016 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENT EXHIBITION
Featuring Jessica Andersen, Virginia Eckinger, Tamryn McDermott , Emilie Mulcahey and […]

ARTful Happenings June 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through June 22
THE EDGE OF EXCESS II
Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center in St. Charles; for info, call 636-255-0270 or visit www.foundryartcentre.org.

Through August 11
STORIES OF IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE MUSICIANS of THE TEXAS ROOM
Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington; for info, call or visit www.pulitzerarts.org.

June 1-August 12
SIMON MARTIN: MINI GOLF PHOTOGRAPHS
GOLF THE GALLERIES INSTALLATION
Playable, […]

ARTful Happenings June 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through June 21
YVETTE DRURY DUBINSKY & VICKY TOMAYKO: STEAMROLLER
TAYLOR YOCOM: ROMANCE
THOMAS SLEET: VOLCANOA (Window on Forsyth)
Bruno David Gallery, 7513 Forsyth; for info, visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through June 29
GLENDA HARES: NOW
Norton’s Fine Art & Framing, 2025 S. Big Bend; for info, visit www.nortonsfineartcom.

Through June 30
2019 ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE EXHIBITION
Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, 6640 Delmar; […]

ARTful Happenings March 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through March 27
VILLA DUCHENSE STUDENT PRINTMAKING EXHIBITION
The Green Center, 8025 Blackberry Avenue in University City.

Through March 28
JOE CHESLA, MOMENTS OF ILLUMINATION: DRAWN FROM THE LIMINAL
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit gallery210.umsl.edu.

Through April 11
MEGHAN GRUBB: HOUSE OF STORIES
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976.

Through May 10
REGINA DeLUISE
VAST […]

ARTful Happenings March 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through March 12
JILL DOWNEN: AS IF YOU ARE HERE
BARRY ANDERSON: FRAGMENTS OF SPACE [THE ROOM] (Media Arts Room)
T. M. MacLOWE: 2016/20,000
GROUP EXHIBITION (Project Room)
Bruno David Gallery, 3721 Washington; for info, call 314-531-3030 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through March 22
VIDEO 210
Selections of video art from the collection; Gallery 210, onUniversity of Missouri-St. Louis campus; for info, […]

ARTful Happenings March 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through April 2
BERNARD MAISNER: THE HOURGLASS & THE SPIRAL
SIDE CHAPEL EXHIBITION: SUSAN SCHWALB, JUNKO CHODOS, Sr. HELEN DAVID BRANCATO, SUE EISLER
MOCRA on St. Louis University campus, 221 N. Grand; for info, call 314-977-7170 or visit www.slu.edu/mocra.

Through April 16
WORKS BY: NICOLA TYSON, DEANA LAWSON, KATHERINE BERNHARDT, LOUIS CAMERON
ArtREACH: I AM
Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 […]

ARTful Happenings March 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through April 6
GARY PASSANISE: TWENTY-SEVEN NIGHTS
DAMON FREED: THE CORRESPONDENCE OF COLOR
BEN BROUGH: FEMMES FATALES
PATRICIA CLARK: A MATTER OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Bruno David Gallery, 7513 Forsyth; 314-696-2377 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through April 22
SALVATORE SCARPITTA: RACING CARS
TRENTON DOYLE HANCOCK: THE RE-EVOLVING DOOR TO THE MOUNDVERSE
TIM YOUD: ST. LOUIS RETYPED
STANYA KAHN: FRIENDS IN LOW […]

ARTful HAPPENINGS March 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through March 16
THIS IS US
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit www.gallery210.umsl.edu.

Through April 13
PHOTOGRAPHY: OLD SCHOOL, NEW RULES
WALLACE HERNDON SMITH: PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS

Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit www.gallery210.umsl.edu.

IDENTITY: ART BY WENTZVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS
ST. LOUIS, A MUSICAL GETAWAY: THE BALKANS, INDIA & MEXICO
SANZA SOUL: […]

ARTful HAPPENINGS March 2020

NEW EXHIBITS

Through March 14WAR TOYS: ISRAEL, WEST BANK & GAZA STRIPTouring exhibition; Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit www.gallery210.umsl.edu.

Through April 11SUN SMITH-FORET: RIVERWORK PROJECTST. LOUIS, A MUSICAL GATEWAY: AFRICAMISSISSIPPI RIVER VIEWSPRINCIPAL PERSPECTIVES: THE WORK OF PHIL DURHAMCHILDREN’S GALLERY: EAST SIDE RENAISSANCEBENJAMIN PIERCE: FAIRGROUNDSSheldon Art Galleries, 3648 Washington; for info, visit […]

ARTful Happenings May 2013

NEW EXHIBITS

Through May 11
ST. LOUIS WATERCOLOR SOCIETY JURIED EXHIBITION
Creative Art Gallery, 3232 Ivanhoe; for info, www.stlws.org.

Through May 17
ANNIE SMITH PIFFEL: ARTINI
DENZIL HAWES-DAVIS: PHOTOGRAPHY
Gateway Gallery, 21 N. Bemiston; for info, call 314-402-1959 or visit www.gatewaygalleryonline.com.

Through May 31
ELAINE BLATT: SUSTAINABLE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Missouri Botanical Garden; for info, call 314-577-5100 or visit www.mobot.org.

Through August 25
THE RIVER BETWEEN US […]

ARTful HAPPENINGS MAY 2014

NEW EXHIBITS

Through May 29
SILENCE & NOISE
50 multi-media works by 49 artists; Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine; for info, call 241-4810 or visit
www.artstlouis.org.

May1-June 29
A TASTE OF GREECE & MORE
Opening reception May 9, 5-9 p.m.; Green Door Art Gallery, 21 N. Gore; for info, call 314-402-1959 or visit www.greendoorartgallery.com.

May 2-June 8
ST. LOUIS COLLECTS: A PASSION FOR CONTEMPORARY […]

ARTful Happenings May 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through May 15
LINDA SKRAINKA: REFLECTIONS
Saint Louis University Museum of Art, 3663 Lindell; for info, visit www.slu.edu/sluma-home.

Through May 21
CARMON COLANGEL: THEORY OF NOTHING
WILLIAMS MORRIS: IMMEDIACY OF DISTANCE
Bruno David Gallery, 3721Washington; for info, call 314-531-3030 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through July 2
ELLIPSIS
Pulitzer Arts, 3716 Washington; for info, visit www.pulitzerarts.org.

May 5-26
INNVASIVE INNOVATIONS
Opening reception, 6-9 p.m.; group show of […]

ARTful Happenings May 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through May 12
JAPANESE GARDEN 40th ANNIVERSARY PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
Included with regular garden admission; Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw; for info, call 314-577-5100 or visit www.mobot.org.

Through May 15
OPPOSITIONS
The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee; for info, visit www.theluminaryarts.com.

Through June 1
ESTAMOS AQUI
The Gallery at Regional Arts Commission; 6128 Delmar; for info, visit www.racstl.org.

May 4-June 3
WILLIAM CONGER: THIS/THAT
MICHAEL BYRON: FRAMED […]

ARTful Happenings May 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

Through May 12
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARTS & LETTERS STUDENTS: THE BEAUTY OF CHAOS
FACULTY & BFA CANDIDATES: HUNG TOGETHER
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5952 or visit www.gallery210.umsl.edu.

Through May 21
TRANSFORMATIVE VISIONS
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum on Washington University campus; for info, call 314-935-4523 or visit www.kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu.

Through May 27
BEYOND WORDS: COMIC BOOK ART
Millstone […]

ARTful Happenings May 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through May 24
THROUGH HER EYES
Grafica Fine Art, 7884 Big Bend; for info, call 314-961-4020 or visit www.graficafinearts.com.

Through June 30
GARY LOGAN: ELEMENTS
MOCRA on St. Louis U. campus; for info, call 314-977-7170 or visit www.slu.edu/mocra.

Through July 6
NANJING-ST. LOUIS SISTER CITY: A PHOTOGRAPHIC RETROSPECTIVE
International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum, 3415 Olive; for info, visit www.iphf.org.

Through July
RESPECT! […]

ARTful Happenings November 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through November 28
BLAKE LITTLE: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE GAY RODEO
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit www.umsl.edu/~gallery/ .

Through December 5
TOM HUCK: HOPELESS AMERICANA
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit www.umsl.edu/~gallery/ .

LARRY KRONE: THE BEST BEST OF EVERYTHING (through January 9)
OUR PEOPLE, OUR LAND, OUR IMAGES (Through November […]

ARTful Happenings November 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through November 25
LYING HEAVY: NEW WORKS BY JOE CHESLA
Bellwether Gallery of St. Louis Artists at The Sheldon, 3648 Washington; for info, visit www.thesheldon.org.

Through December 10
TRANSFORMATIONS: featuring VISIBLE CONSERVATION
Highlights from the MOCRA collection, plus behind-the-scenes view of conservation work; Museum of Contemporary Religious Art on St. Louis University campus; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; suggested donation […]

ARTful HAPPENINGS November 2019

ONGOING EXHIBITS

Through December 4
ROBERT LUCY ’84: RECENT WORK
Bonsack Gallery on John Burroughs School campus; for info, visit www.jburroughs.org.

Through December 31
JENNIFER COLTEN: REAL ESTATE ROW
The Luminary; 2701 Cherokee; for info, visit www.theluminary.com.

Through December 31
FEATURED CHESS SETS 2019
World Chess Hall of Fame, 4652 Maryland Avenue; for info, visit www.worldchesshof.org.

Through January 12
DUTCH PAINTING IN THE AGE OF REMBRANDT
From […]

ARTful Happenings October 2014

NEW EXHIBITS

Through October 11
EXPOSURE 17: NOTIONS OF THE GROTESQUE
Works by Travis Lawrence, Heather O’Shaughnessy, Edo Rosenblith; Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or email gallery@umsl.edu.

Through October 28
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION: PLATINUM VISION
The Dark Room, 615 N. Grand Blvd.; for info, call 314-531-3416 or visit www.thedarkroomstl.com.

Through November 2
MARK JANKOWSKI: POLAR EYES
Installation work; Kranzberg Arts Incubator, […]

ARTful Happenings October 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

Through October 10
SHARON CALLNER: DRAWING FOR TWO HANDS
Gallery 210, UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit http://gallery210.umsl.edu

Through October 18
PAIRINGS
Works by 80 paired fiber artists; St. Louis Artists Guild, 12 N. Jackson at Forsyth; for info, call 314-727-6266 or visit www.stlouisartistsguild.org.

Through November 6
ANDREW MILLNER: ROSE PARADE
William Shearburn Gallery, 665 S. Skinker Blvd.; for info, call […]

ARTful Happenings October 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through December 4
ERIKA DIETTES: SUDARIOS
MOCRA; 3700 West Pine Mall on St. Louis University campus; for info, call 314-977-7170 or visit www.slu.edu/mocra.

October 1-27
MIX TAPE
Art St. Louis; for info, visit www.artstlouis.org.

October 2-28
CELEBRATING THE BEAUTY OF UNIVERSITY CITY
Work by three winners of U.City’s plei air event; The Gallery of University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar; reception October […]

ARTful Happenings October 2019

ONGOING EXHIBITS

Through October 26
SOFT SCRUB
Works by 9 artists; The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee; www.theluminary.com.

Through October 31
JOY YARBROUGH SOLO ART EXHIBIT
Longview Farm Park; 13525 Clayton Road.

Through December 9
HOWARD BARRY: INERTIA
JANE CALVIN: CHICAGO COTTAGES
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, visit www.gallery210.umsl.edu.

Through December 15
GRATITUDE
Works of special meaning to MOCRA’s recently retired founding director Fr. Terrence Dempsey; MOCRA […]

ARTful Happenings September 2015

NEW EXHIBITS

September 2-October 29
JAZZ IT UP
Opening reception Sept. 18, 5-9 p.m.; Green Door Gallery, 21 N. Gore; for info, call 314-402-1959 or visit www.greendoorartgallery.com.

September 4-23
ANNIE SCHEUMBAUER: FABRICreations
Opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; variety of fabric media; The Gallery of University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar; for info, call 314-727-3150 or visit www.ucitylibrary.org.

Through October 8
FIBER FOCUS 2015
Juried […]

ARTful Happenings September 2016

NEW EXHIBITS

Through September 11
SELF-TAUGHT GENIUS
Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum; St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

September 16-November 5
KAHLIL IRVING: UNDOCUMENTED
Bruno David Gallery, 3721 Washington; for info, call 314-531-3030 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through October 23
BETWEEN THE LINES: ROY STRASSBERG & BUNNY BURSON
Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, 6640 Delmar Blvd; for info, call […]

ARTful Happenings September 2018

NEW EXHIBITS

August 31-September 29
YVONNE OSEI: WHO DISCOVERS THE DISCOVERER?
JUSTIN HENRY MILLER: HUSTLE & GLO
JON HOWARD YOUNG: THIRD POST
E.R.O.: CONCRETE TAPESTRY
Bruno David Gallery; 7513 Forsyth Blvd.; for info, call 314-696-2377 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

Through October 21
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE 10-YR ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION
Craft Alliance Center for Art & Design; 501 N. Grand; for info, call 314-725-1177 or visit […]

ARTful Happenings September 2019

NEW EXHIBITS

Through October 26
SUMMER EXHIBITION: LIZ MOORE, MICHELLE RIGELL, ERIC WIERINGA, RYAN STRONG
Curated by Art St. Louis; free; Angad Art Hotel, 3550 Samuel Shepard Dr.; for info, visit www.artstlouis.org.

Through December 7
EXPOSURE 20: SAFE SPACES
Gallery 210 on UMSL campus; for info, call 314-516-5976 or visit gallery210.umsl.edu.

September 1-26
TIMELESS FIBERS: TRADITION & BEYOND
Opening reception 9/6, 6-8 p.m.; University […]

ARTful Happenings: July 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through July 20
A COLLECTION OF SLOW EVENTS
The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee Street; for info, visit www.theluminaryarts.com.

Through August 13
GARDEN OF GLASS: THE ART OF CRAIG MITCHELL SMITH
Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; evenings 7-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw; for info, visit www.mobot.org/glass.

July 14
LIVING ARTS IN LIVING COLOR
One-night exhibition, 5-8 p.m.; featuring work created at […]

ARTful Happenings: June 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through July 2
2017 ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE EXHIBITION
Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, 6640 Delmar; for info, call 314-725-1177 or visit www.craftalliance.org.

Through July 30
LEARNING TO SEE: RENAISSANCE & BAROQUE MASTERWORKS
From the Phoebe Dent Weil & Mark S. Weil Collection; St. Louis Art Museum; for info, visit www.slam.org.

Through August 4
DIEGO & FRIDA: A SMILE IN THE […]

ARTful Happenings: October 2017

NEW EXHIBITS

Through October 26
THE GOLDEN HOUR
Multi-media exhibition; Art St. Louis Gallery, 1223 Pine; for info, call 314-241-4810 or visit www.artstlouis.org.

October 1-27
THE 2017 QUINTESSENTIAL QUILT SHOW
Works by Circle in the Square Quilters; the Gallery, University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar; for info, visit www.ucitylibrary.org.

October 6-December 1
QUILT NATIONAL ‘17
Admission $5; Gallery I, II, III at Foundry Art […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

September is a Month of Diversity of Art…

The Amherst Park Peace Festival on Saturday, September 12, 2015 is a gathering for diverse local groups in a cross-cultural event designed to promote peace and harmony. Near Skinker and Page Boulevards, the 11 a.m.-2 p.m. […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

A Consideration of Color…

Just the other day, as I was walking into a major retailer, I passed a woman exiting the store. She had blue lips. Not pale blue lips but bright, electric, royal blue lips. Otherwise, she was quite average and […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

I did a quick search of December holidays, and came up with an interesting list: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Saturnalia, Ramadan, St. Nicholas Day, Boxing Day, Omisoka, and a few others that I did not know. The common thread among them all involved […]

ArtFul Living

With Mike “Michelle” Ochonicky Healthy Planet Arts Editor

“Well, That’s Different!!”

Why do people say that when they encounter the unexpected? Of course, it’s different — that’s what makes “it” interesting! We say strange things when we don’t know what to say.

Different means interesting. Have you ever said, “Oh, it was wonderful — everything was the same […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

This Summer, Try Something
ARTfully different…

Laumeier Sculpture Park understands that even summer can get long and boring for teens. The solution? Teen Pizza & Art Night! On July 15, from 7-9:30 p.m., the 13-17 year-old crowd can enjoy an evening of creative expression and fun activities at the Kranzberg Education […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky,
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

The Hot Arts Scene Is What Makes Summer in St. Louis Cool

As Laumeier Sculpture Park continues to celebrate its 40th Anniversary year, a large-scale sculpture was recently installed. Alexandre da Cunha’s Mix (Americana), 2013, was gifted to Laumeier’s Permanent Collection by the Brazilian artist and CRG Gallery, New York, […]

ArtFul Living

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Art is often equated with beauty.
Surely, art is that — but art is much, much more.

For centuries, art has questioned, inspired, drawn attention to various concerns of societies and governments —uncomfortable topics that, perhaps, only the arts can address. For example, who can stand before Goya’s “Disasters of War” […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

As the Leaves of Autumn Turn a Wonderful Variety of Colors,
the ARTS Scene in St. Louis Presents Incredible Variety as Well

Start October with a fresh outlook when PechaKucha comes to the Contemporary Art Museum on October 6. What? You don’t know about PechaKucha? Originating in Toyko in 2003, PechaKucha […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

While art often offers beauty, it sometimes gives us cause to rethink circumstance.

Throughout the centuries, artists (whether visual or performing) have used their talents to shake us a bit, to make us see things from a different viewpoint.
Currently on view in the Gallery […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

So It’s December!

Maybe the busiest month of the year as we prepare for holiday celebrations, family gatherings, shopping, cooking, end-of-year “stuff to finish,” etc., etc. My ARTful Happenings calendar, viewable online at www.TheHealthyPlanet.com.

There a myriad of ARTful holiday happenings to enjoy this month. […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

It’s a New Year! So, do Something ARTful!!

The 1967 film, “The Graduate,” has plenty of memorable lines but one classic is when Mr. Braddock (played by William Daniels), a guest at the graduation party, offers young Benjamin, played by Dustin Hoffman, this career […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

ArtFul Instruction

St. Louis is home to some absolutely incredible ARTful institutions. And maybe we residents of the area sometimes take them for gran…ed.

The world-class programs, exhibitions and performances that these institutions bring to us require funding beyond just ticket prices. Missouri Arts Council, […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Making A Change

Trained in dance at Webster University, local St. Louis dancer Rain Stippec, 26, had performed internationally, with a promising dance career ahead of her. On February 6th, she and a companion were sitting in a car around midnight in Soulard. An […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Fall Fashion And The Arts

September signals the end of summer as we round the curve into fall. Time to pull out some autumn fashion pieces! Speaking of which, if you haven’t yet seen Reigning Men at the St. Louis Art Museum, get there […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Patchwork Art: Pieced, Layered, Stitched & Stuffed

October announces autumn with color. The very hills can be described as Mother Nature’s patchwork quilt. And, with those temperatures drop, a quilt can be the thing to chase a chill.

Everybody has a favorite quilt, […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

This month, let’s talk about two ARTful spots that may not be on your radar.

Housed on Pine, in the middle of St. Louis University’s campus, is the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, better known as MOCRA. Unless you’re familiar with the SLU campus […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

?h3>What Is Good Art?

Someone recently remarked to me, “Even when I see what I know is great art, I don’t know what makes it good. I just don’t know much about art.”

That comment prompted a discussion. It caused me to realize that my […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

March is Women’s History Month

This celebration of women’s achievements throughout history grew primarily out of International Women’s Day, established by the United Nations in 1975. It was initiated on the international level, not just a local level, and not just in our country.

The […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Someone Has To Shine A Light.
Art Reaches Out To Bring Attention To Delicate Subjects

Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design and Maryville University join forces this month to present an exhibition that makes a statement with works by 100 artists who have crafted […]

Artful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Treat Mom To Art This Spring!

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) at 3750 Washington continues to offer creative options to experience contemporary art. Stroller Tours and Morning Play Dates at CAM give parents with little ones the chance to connect and see […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Random, but ARTful, this Summer…

It’s summer in St. Louis. The Muny is in full swing and there are outdoor concerts all over the region, plus quite a few other ARTful, random things. But isn’t that what summer is all about? It’s a time […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

August in St. Louis is Never Cool… Except For the ARTS!

After frying though most of June and July, we’d all appreciate a little bit of “cool.” The weather this month may not provide that but the ARTS definitely will.

The Texas Room, organized by […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

September signals the start of fall and the opening of autumn art exhibitions and performances. The perfect way to get back into the ARTful swing of things!!

Hats serve as an avenue to explore black history and identity in Crowns, a play by Regina […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

With the holiday season upon us,
why not make it an ARTful season?!

December is a busy time of year for everyone, and that included the ARTS. There’s lots to see and do, not to mention all of the creative arts activities going on in […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

July Defines “Summer.” Say “July” and thoughts of summer relaxation come to mind.

No school for kids, maybe a lightened work schedule for adults. The pace is slower with al fresco dinners or morning coffee on the porch. The days are long and the dress […]

Artful Living

Art Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

I get a lot of submissions for things to include in my ARTful Living column. Between issues, my email inbox fills up and is generally overflowing. (I’m sure trees rejoice now that we have become a paperless society!). So, I sort through all those […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Art and Fashion…

Together they create intimate art, art that can be worn, art that can be touched.

As models strut the fashion runways around the world, there’s no doubt that what they wear is cutting-edge art. Those very oh-so-haute couture creations are then tamed down a bit and marketed to […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Happy New Year!

I guess the Mayans had the wrong date for the end-of-the-world so… time for a new calendar.

There’s really something special about calendars.

I’m talking about real calendars: the paper kind that have a different picture for every month. I’ve seen some truly awful calendar art as well as […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonick
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

As flowers explode with color in May, so does the ARTS scene in St. Louis!

One look at the ARTful Happenings calendar will prove how many opportunities to experience the arts fill this month.

The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts presents the first exhibition devoted exclusively to Donald Judd’s multicolored works, opening […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

We’re All Still Kids In The Summer

Every month I love to write this ARTful Living column. I dig through mountains of information to bring you insights into the arts in our area. But, when it warmed up today, I realized that it’s truly […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Chalk It Up… As ART!!!

I was recently asked to conduct a class on chalk drawing. Sure, I thought, how complicated could that be? After all, I drew on the sidewalk when I was a kid, so I know about chalk drawing, right? Wrong!

It’s odd how things seem to happen […]

ArtFul Living

with Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky

“We are many but we are one”… the variety of ART

Opening on September 20 is the Quilt National 2013 exhibition at St. Louis University Museum of Art on Lindell. This biennial show includes work by artists in 27 states and 7 countries. The 85 works selected for Quilt National 2013 were chosen […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Exclusive behind the scenes look from The Healthy Planet

Sometimes I go to an exhibition or a performance without doing any homework, to just experience the art for its own sake. Still, I find the ARTistic experience is enhanced by knowing the background of […]

Artful Living

with Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Insider tips for Healthy Planet readers:

Love classical guitar? Regular readers of this column know I love the flourish of an acoustic guitar. I must have been a senorita in a past life because this is music that just “speaks” to me. St. Louisans are fortunate to have the Classical […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Third Time Is Charming…

“I suppose you know what this call is about,” said the voice on the other end of the phone. “Frankly, no, I don’t!” was my instant reply. The call came unexpectedly from Governor Jay Nixon’s office in late September. To say that it shocked me is […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Welcome 2014!

With the start of a new year comes the chance to start fresh, to try new things, to make changes in one’s life. Let ART be the vehicle to bring that innovative approach to your new year. Here are a few […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Happy Valentines’s Day to ART Lovers!

As I looked over all that’s happening in the arts this month, I was overwhelmed by the variety of exhibitions and events, from February 1st right through the 28th. But I do know that, if you love the arts, you’ll love this month!!

Dance lovers […]

ArtFul Living

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

If you’re tired of being cooped up, snowed in,
or maybe bored with your burrow,
ART is the ANSWER! Read on…

Normally, I don’t put much stock into wooly worms, or groundhogs, or any other such weather predictors (yes, sometimes that also includes t.v. weatherpeople). This year, however, when Puxatawny Phil crawled […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Spring Has Sprung On The St. Louis Arts Scene…

I don’t often use “art” and “science” in the same sentence — except for this exhibition, they do belong together perfectly. DINOSAURS IN MOTION is a fascinating, interactive exhibition at the St. Louis Science Center. Kinetic sculptures blend science and art […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Summer Is For Children

For more years than I care to count, I’ve spent summers teaching art enrichment classes. It delights me to wonder which of these budding young art enthusiasts will someday blossom into a prominent artist.

Personally, I believe that artistic skill does not necessarily correlate to age. Often […]

ArtFul Living

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

So,….go!!!

It happens to everyone: you pass a place and think to yourself, “I’ll go there sometime.” But you don’t. Perhaps you pass that place repeatedly, randomly, once in awhile or often, always with the same mental note to spend some time there, later. Maybe, you’ve been to some of the […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Arts Integration + Arts Collaboration = Good for All

Arts integration is the new buzz. It’s a sad fact that when budgets are tight in school districts, the arts are first to be reduced or even eliminated. That’s a serious mistake because we know the schools that value and […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Shop Early, Shop Often For Art & Fine Craft

Have you noticed that the “holiday season” has crept earlier? I used to think that it began after Thanksgiving but serious shoppers start sooner than that. At the very least, this month seems the proper […]

ArtFul Living

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Collaborations Lead To Special Art Exhibits

When a top culinary artist and a noted landscape artist collaborate, the result is bound to be something wonderful. Gerard Craft is the owner of Niche, Pasteria, Brasserie by Niche and Taste restaurants, as well as being a James Beard finalist — definitely a […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

KNOW (even just a little) before you GO

Recently, I was invited to attend a fabulous concert (in Wisconsin!) entitled, “A Violin’s Life,” featuring Frank Almond, the Concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony, with piano accompaniment by the renowned Dr. Eli Kalman. Impressive musicians, […]

ARTful Living

February is a time to celebrate your love — your love of the ARTS! Might I suggest…

Photo caption: Yayoi Kusama presents Narcissus Garden at Laumeier’s gallery

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra offers up a performance on February 18-19 of DeBussy’s Iberia, Ravel’s La Valse and the first SLSO performance of […]

ARTful Living

Ready for some springtime-fresh ARTful opportunities???

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

At MOCRA (Museum of Contemporary Religious Art) on St. Louis University’s campus, Vincente Telles and Brandon Maldonado bring their works together in Cuentos Nuevo Mexicanos. Telles is firmly rooted in the Santero tradition (creating images of saints) while Maldonado describes his own work […]

ARTful Living

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Happy Father’s Day to those great dads!

Instead of a necktie this year, try these ARTful suggestions to make the holiday unique:

On June 8, the National Museum of Transportation, 2933 Barrett Station Road, begins its 2023 Speaker Series (who knew?!) with The Mystique of Route 66 in Missouri, by […]

ARTful Living

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Caption: 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase at the Hi-Point.

The 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase settles comfortably into Cinema St. Louis’ new home (the Hi-Pointe Theatre) July 21-23 and 28-30 with screenings, filmmaking master classes and a closing night awards party. Built at […]

ARTful Living

As Thanksgiving approaches, there is a bounty of ARTful things to be thankful for this month.

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet ARts Editor

Photo Caption: Exaltation, acrylic by Gary Lang, at Green Door Gallery

Start the month with an ARTsy outdoor adventure: Laumeier After Dark on November 4. Explore the park, 4-10 p.m., illuminated with temporary light […]

ARTful Living

Happy New Year!  Wishing you a very wonderful and wonder-filled 2024!

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Intellectual Rigor, by Mark Wetzling, in Upon Further Reflection exhibition.

A little vice might spice this winter when Art Saint Louis presents Sin City, an exhibition of multimedia works by 31 artists, based on the Seven Deadly […]

ARTful Living

March may “come in like a lamb,” but this month is a whirlwind of ARTful events

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: “Shaved Portions,” by Chakaia Booker, at Mildred Lane Kemper Museum

Varsity Art, March 1-18 at Art St. Louis, 1223 Pine, opens the 28th annual exhibition of multimedia works by regional university art […]

ARTful Living

Springs Events are in Full Bloom

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Image: Artwork by Derriana Murphy, student, University City Student Art Extravaganza Exhibition.

It was my pleasure just yesterday to speak at the Rockwood School District’s Career Fair. I love to encourage young people wishing to pursue a career in the arts, to answer their […]

ARTful Living      

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Art: Landscape Tapestry 4 by Janelle Esparza, on exhibition at MOCRA

Ah, the merry month of May has arrived! Happy Mother’s Day! Happy End-of-School! Happy Memorial Day! (Happy “Big-Birthday” to my husband!). So much to celebrate!

The Botanicals & Blooms IV exhibit opens the month at Green Door Art Gallery, […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Happy ARTful New Year, Everyone!

I love every new year, even if I do usually write the wrong year on most things for at least two months. Each new year holds such promise. Even without formal new year’s resolutions (who needs that stress?!), a […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

With Valentine’s Day at its center, February is the month of love — and we truly LOVE the ARTS!!

Each year, Missouri Citizens for the Arts, the statewide arts advocacy organization, invites art lovers from across the state to convene at its annual Citizens Day […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Life Is Better Because Of Art!

Art has made a mark on society throughout the ages. Whether grand artistic endeavors or small artistic touches, life is better because of art.

And I love to hear that the arts are STILL touching people everyday, in […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Summer is the time to kick back and relax – and in St. Louis, that means summer performances.

Missouri Botanical Garden offers its annual, free Whitaker Foundation Concert Series on Wednesday evenings. The season starts off with Terence Blanchard on June 5. Blanchard is […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Traditional American Crafts Artists On Display In Ste. Genevieve July 21-22

How memorable would it be to hold a piece of silver made by Paul Revere in your own hands? Taking that moment a step further, what would you ask if you could […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Thought-Provoking Art
Summertime ARTful experiences are sometimes breezy and light, but this month the ARTS offer up some thought-provoking samplings.

Equally Represented Arts (ERA) and Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble (SATE) present Antigone, August 14-31 on Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. This marks SATE’s thirteenth year of […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Art Is In The Air!

Saint Louis Classical Guitar is well known for bringing awesome musicians from around the globe for their performance seasons held at The Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton just west of Brentwood Blvd. The 2019-2020 Great Artist Guitar Series is “Celebrating […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Autumn Arts

The Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble (SATE) celebrates its thirteenth year in St. Louis by presenting selected plays that fit their theme of “The Season of Ritual.” (Really? They’ve been here for thirteen years and you haven’t attended one of their performances? Hmmm…). […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Winter Art

Happy New Year! With this issue, I begin my 15th year as Arts Editor here at The Healthy Planet. That milestone caused me to think of how vibrant the arts are in St. Louis.

I recently returned from a trip to the Umbria […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Savor Everything, But Especially Art!

In our last issue, I promised to share a bit about my recent adventures in Italy. It was wonderful (and wine-filled!); it was breathtaking (literally: I hiked up mountains!); it was inspiring (the art and spirituality of Umbria is […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing ArtsMichelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Art Is More Than Pretty Pictures

“ ‘twere, the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.”  — Hamlet/ William Shakespeare 

I’ve long believed that ART is […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Arts Events Could Be Impacted By COVID-19

As this goes to press, the coronavirus has been declared a pandemic and, in efforts to protect the public, events are being cancelled or postponed across the region. Things are changing by the moment so, before heading […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Let Art Online Help You Out Of The Doldrums

Much as I liked reading Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, we all now agree that falling down the rabbit hole is no fun. The Covid-19 virus has kept us cooped up too long, […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Hello? Is Anyone There?

As I write this column, the “reopening” of the metro area is beginning. 

This virus is serious indeed: many have lost loved ones, suffered through the symptoms, desperately needed income, or missed precious time with family and friends. I confess to […]

ARTful Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

How Did It Get To Be July Already?For the past few months, writing this column has been surreal: the ARTS are participatory, so closely connected to the audience. Yet, from the beginning of social distancing, it has been the ARTS that have held […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing ArtsMichelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

The St. Louis community is rich in the arts. Now it’s up to us to keep those ARTS viable.

Jessica Henthoff, Artistic/Executive Director of Circus Harmony (www.circusharmony.org ), may have described this time perfectly in a recent message she sent: “We feel like we are […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Please note: As scheduling can be unexpectedly altered in response to COVID-19 concerns, kindly verify all listed events at the provided websites.

Although COVID-19 halted many performances, Karlovsky & Company Dance presents two outdoor performances, to restore live dance to our community as we […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Please note: As scheduling can be unexpectedly altered in response to COVID-19 concerns, kindly verify all listed events at the provided websites.

And just how did it get to be OCTOBER already???

It’s a long, hard road since March, when the things screeched to a […]

ArtFul Living

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Please note: As scheduling can be unexpectedly altered in response to COVID-19 concerns, kindly verify all listed events at the provided websites.

I’ve been applauding the loudest for the ARTS in our community, for the creative ways to keep us all ARTful and […]

ARTful Living

ARTful LivingSt. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing ArtsMichelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Please note: As scheduling can be unexpectedly altered in response to COVID-19 concerns, kindly verify all listed events at the provided websites.

December delivers special traditions everyone loves. But this year is different –REALLY different. None of us needs to be reminded of […]

ARTful Living

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky; Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Gerry Brooks is an elementary school principal in Lexington, Kentucky. He knows firsthand about teaching and has spot-on insight about the challenges to staying safe in COVID-time. His 3-minute videos, usually recorded in his car, have made me double-over with laughter on dark days during the past year […]

ArtFul Living

Art In The Age of COVID-19

By Michelle “Mike” OchonickyHealthy Planet Arts Editor

photo: Karlovsky & Company Dance premieres INTERWOVEN.

March 2020 seems like eons ago. It remains incomprehensible that we still find our lives dominated by COVID-19. Just yesterday, I received notice from my county’s health department advising me that I could make my vaccination appointment. Unfortunately, […]

ARTful Living

By Michelle “Mike” OchonickyHealthy Planet Arts Editor                  

Photo Caption: “Orbit” by Nancy Grimes; Maturity & Its Muse exhibition at Art Saint Louis

If there’s anything we’ve learned during covid-19, it’s these two things:

It’s important to physical and mental health to GET OUTSIDE.It’s important to mental health to discover […]

ARTful Living May 2023

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Caption for image: Senior Solo dancers in COCA’s TRIumphant

May is packed with ARTful experiences.

Through May 18, Art Saint Louis, 1223 Pine, hosts Maturity & Its Muse: Celebrating Artistic Experience 2023. The juried exhibition showcases 63 works by 51 Missouri and Illinois artists aged 70+. www.artstlouis.org

Crossroads Arts Council, 310 […]

Artful Living – May 2017

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

So Where Are Contemporary Artists?

Bruno David Gallery presents an exhibition this month featuring the works of five contemporary—but very different—artists. “This/That” is the first solo exhibition of paintings by William Conger. He investigates formal non-representational abstraction (“This”) nuanced by the suggestion of […]

ArtFul Living – St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Bouquet of the Arts

While spring steals the show this month, bringing grand variety of plants to new life and flowers to bloom, check out this bouquet of the ARTS!

Bush honeysuckle may be spell misery to gardeners, especially those with larger-scale property, but artist Dale Dufer has an ARTful way of dealing […]

ArtFul Living – St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

“Juliet, Juliet, wherefore art thou?”
In the Glen of Forest Park, June 1-24, of course!

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis opens its 18th year with the beloved Romeo and Juliet, directed by Elena Araoz, critically acclaimed New York-based director of opera and theater. Said Araoz, “Romeo and Juliet is such a timely story for […]

ArtFul Living – St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Be In The Know This November!

Art has always spoken out on the tough topics. Throughout history, art in all its forms has served as a voice, as a catalyst, as an inspiration, as an empowerment. From stirring musical works to emotion-evoking paintings, art has never shied away from taking a stand […]

ARTful Living — October Events for Everyone

Photo caption: Reach for the Stars, quilt by Lois Hayes, at U. City Public Library

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Autumn is just a delightful time of year, with its crisp temperatures, nature’s own art show of color, and plenty of ARTful events to enjoy. Gotta love it!

Missouri Botanical Garden hosts its great Best […]

ARTful Living : Happy 2023! Cheers to a fabulous new year!

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

I propose that you include ART in your New Year’s resolutions: attend more ART events, exhibitions, or performances; draw, paint, sing or dance (no one has to see you!). I launched my own 2023 resolution early by enrolling in the Smithsonian Institute’s World Art History Certification Program. My […]

ARTful Living March 2023

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 […]

ARTful Living: Art Appreciation In Difficult Times

By Michelle “Mike” OchonickyHealthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Every Thing and More, clay works by Patti Chalmers at Craft Alliance.

Today we face more concerns than any one of us could ever imagine. I started to write, and rewrite, this column more times than I can count, distracted by too many constantly changing current events.  It’s […]

ARTful Living: Art Fairs & More Galore In October

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Everything is Golden, by Lizzy Martinez at COCA. 

Art fairs abound in autumn but reserve October 7-9 for the bestBest of Missouri Market at Missouri Botanical Garden, that is! Over 100 artists, vintners, unique food producers meet under open-air tents, showcasing (and selling) everything special to the […]

ARTful Living: Arts In St. Louis During A Pandemic

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: City Lights, by Valerie Snyder, at Art St. Louis

As I write this column, various health-safety measures are in place at theatres, galleries and museums, with several opting for temporary closures. These include the St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum. The Pulitzer is closed through March […]

ARTful Living: As summer winds down, the area abounds in ARTful opportunities

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo caption: Valley of Oaxaca after Jose Maria Velasco, by Justin Favel at CAM

Grand Center’s big start in the arts reopen September 8 with fall exhibitions:

Contemporary Art Museum, thanks to a National Endowment for the Arts grant, presents new works by Nevada-based artist Justin Favela. Favela uses familiar […]

ARTful Living: December 2022

Tis the season — for ARTful living!

There are always oh-so many things to experience during this time of year—and it’s all wonderful

As you shop for holiday gifts, please remember that some of the very best gifts you can give are those ARTful experiences: take the family to a live musical performance, stroll through an exhibition together, […]

ARTful Living: Here’s to a healthy, happy New Year as the calendar turns to 2022

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

photo caption: Speak Truth by Jill Downen, Bruno David Gallery

January is cold, but the jazz is hot this month at Jazz St. Louis, 3536 Washington in Grand Center. Check out this lineup of concerts: The Bad Plus (Jan. 5-9); Joel Vanderheyden Quartet (Jan. 12), The Kaleb Kirby Quintet […]

ARTful Living: Hot August Provides “Cool” Arts

by Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

“Hot, August night, with the leaves hanging down and the grass on the ground smelling sweet.” Neil Diamond’s lyrics accurately described August. It might be hot, but there’s a LOT of ARTful things to do this month, to keep you ‘way cool!

Performances continue through the month, as the […]

ARTful Living: Indoor Events Heat Up a Cold February 

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo: Aso Oke: Prestige Cloth by Nigerian weavers, at St. Louis Art Museum through March 10.

February might be cold but there is plenty to celebrate this month: Black History Month, Lunar New Year and, of course, Valentine’s Day, a day that celebrates love. So, check out these suggestions […]

ARTful Living: Let Your Spark Shine!

Articles from ‘December 2021’ Issue

How To Have a Sustainable Holiday Season

By Charlotte Renner

As happy as the holidays are, they have unacknowledged consequences on the environment. According to Stanford, Americans produce 25% more waste during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, compared to the rest of the year. Which is an additional 7 million pounds.

As we […]

ARTful Living: Make Plans Now For Arts Season

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky Healthy Planet Arts Editor

photo caption: Philadelphia Ballet, one of 18 companies at Dance St. Louis’ Spring to Dance.

St. Louisans love Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and returns in June (spoiler alert: Much Ado About Nothing is this summer’s play) but before then, did you know that the Festival presents an outdoor film […]

ARTful Living: March is a Month of ArtFul Options

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Martine Gutierre: Hit Movie, Vol. 1 at Contemporary Art Museum

As I write this column, pandemic precautions are still in place, but loosening. Plan to present your CDC vax cards and wear a mask (properly: over nose and mouth) at most venues. Please always check the provided website […]

ARTful Living: Much To-do About the ARTS!!!!

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

It’s back! Forest Park cheers the return of full-seat capacity for St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, June 1-26. Much Ado About Nothing promises delightful summer evenings at St. Louis’s fav picnic-theatre-in-the-park! Press release states, “6:30 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. performance.” While there are no “doors,” there are plenty of […]

ARTful Living: Music’s Place In History

ARTful Living: November Celebrates The Arts In St. Louis

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Indiana Woodward of New York City Ballet, An Evening with Ballet Stars 3, by Dance St. Louis.

November leaps into graceful dance at 7:30 p.m. on November 6 with An Evening of Ballet Stars 3. Presented by Dance St. Louis at the Touhill, featured dancers include Adiarys […]

ARTful Living: November Offers Variety of Live Performances

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: On the Edge of Something Else, by Katharina Grosse, at Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

Enjoy November’s “cool” with great jazz—at Jazz St. Louis, of course! 

The lineup kicks off with John Pizzarelli (Nov. 2-6), followed throughout the month by Marilyn Maye, Dave Grelle’s Playadors, Cecile McLorin Salvant […]

ArtFul Living: October Is Outstanding!

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing ArtsBy Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

The William Shearburn Gallery, located at 665 S. Skinker, hosts Andrew Millner’s latest body of work, entitled “Rose Parade.” Millner explores the natural world, with particular attention to the relationship between art and nature, between the natural and the artificial.
Millner photographs his […]

ARTful Living: Plenty Of Arts To Experience In October

By Michelle “Mike” OchonickyHealthy Planet Arts Editor

Hurry to see:

The Best of Missouri Market returns to Missouri Botanical Garden, October 1-3. Buy directly from the makers. www.mobot.org.

Color Within the Lines, an exhibition of works by Robert A. Ketchens, at St. Louis Community College Wildwood’s Gallery of Contemporary Art before October 8.

“Everyone loves to be scared, right?” […]

ARTful Living: September Brings Full Slate of Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Maos Organ by Barbara Chase-Riboud, at the Pulitzer

September begins with Circus Harmony flying high on September 3 with a free noon performance at St. Louis Public Library Main Branch (downtown). www.circusharmony.org. 

But that’s just the start…

As a result of two years’ planning, teaching and collaboration with local […]

ARTful Living: September Events May Need Proof Of Vaccination

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Acorns, acrylic by Mike Ochonicky.

It may still be warm but September signals the end of summer. Back in 19-oh-never-mind, the school year started after Labor Day. The sidewalks of the neighborhood where I grew up were lined with huge pin oaks. By the start of school, […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Great music and great dance add up to a great month!

St. Louis welcomes Stephane Deneve as he begins his first season as the new Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The multi-lingual conductor, who lives in Brussels, Belgium with his wife and 10-year old daughter, promises exciting performances. While […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

World Art

As Arts Editor here at The Healthy Planet, I get lots of info about ARTful exhibitions in our area. But I also get a lot of information about the arts in other places around the world.

I am out of the office as this issue goes to press. Actually, […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Cool Art In Hot August

The mere mention of “August” forms heat waves in my brain. Maybe the arts community is wise when it comes to weather, because there are lots of cool performances and exhibitions on the schedule.

Regular readers to this column may know that I am an artist, specializing […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Art Is All About LOVE!

A few years ago, I visited Le Musee des Beaux Arts in Montreal. The LOVE sculpture by American artist Robert Indiana, 1964, outside the museum entrance made me smile. It’s an iconic image, seen everywhere when it was created, a statement of its era. In a […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Spring Into Art In St. Louis

The ARTful opportunities for this month have filled our ARTful Happenings calendar!

This month promises that spring is just around the corner (well, at least that’s what Puxsutawny Phil predicted), the “green” of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations will sprout everywhere, and March 14 will mark my […]

Artful Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Fresh Art… Spring Has Sprung

Although the winter has been less harsh than some years, we still welcome daylight savings time, daffodils, and fresh art. Spring has sprung!!

Laumeier Sculpture Park presents Gigi Scaria: Time, April 16-August 14. Aptly named, the multimedia exhibition encompasses photographs, films and sculpture inside the Whitaker Foundation Gallery […]

ARTful Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

The Art is Outdoors

This June!

Revel in the ARTful atmosphere of Missouri Botanical Garden with this year’s Sensational Summer Nights, every Thursday evening starting on June 2. From 5-8 p.m., visitors can experience the garden with all their senses: floral-inspired cocktails and light fare available for purchase at Sassafras restaurant becomes the […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

March is Women’s History Month

This year, more than ever, it’s time to put the spotlight on WOMEN in the arts.

Said painter Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), “The men liked to put me down as the best woman painter. I think I’m one of the best painters.” Artist-instructor Hans Hofmann gave a “compliment” to […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Let’s Focus On Festivals This Month

Opera Theatre of St. Louis, supported by PNC Arts Alive, presents Opera Tastings on April 18 – 23. Check out this concept: Participants in this “culinary concert” series, a 90-minute event, are led through music from across the history of opera through live performances from […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Summer in St. Louis is all about performances, and you’re gonna love this summer’s ARTful entertainment!

Just before the beloved Muny Season begins, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis reigns in Forest Park. This year’s production of The Winter’s Tale opens at 8 p.m., on Fri., June 2, at Shakespeare Glen, just across from […]

ARTful Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Keep Your Summer ARTsy!

The beloved Muny is in full swing and free outdoor concerts-in-the-park abound around town. Find a complete list of July ARTful Happenings at TheHealthyPlanet.com to keep your summer ARTsy!

What’s a village to do when a May Queen is needed and the purity of their young women is in […]

Artful Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

No matter what holiday you celebrate, this season is a special time for family, friends and memories. 

We think of times past, of family members and friends who are faraway or, perhaps, gone from our lives. But, for too many people, those memories are limited or lost.

Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Art may not intend to be political, but somehow art does seem to get tied to politics.

Recently, I’ve been reading about the art of the Renaissance, and how deeply it became entwined with the politics of that era. The artists of the Renaissance, although wanting to just express their creativity, became […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Meet Me In Brussels, Meet Me At The Fair

There’s a fascinating exhibition, “Lost and Found,” at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles through June 21. It strikes a particularly personal and coincidental chord with me this month.

A couple of years ago at a consignment shop, Jeff Phillips found more than […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Three—no, FOUR Cheers for the ARTS in St. Louis!

Between connecting flights on a few trips, I’ve had some time to spend in Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport, in The Netherlands. Most travelers consider time spent in an airport as b-o-r-i-n-g. Not so at Schiphol. In fact, art-lovers may feel cheated if they […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

The American Arts Experience

The American Arts Experience began as a grassroots effort to raise awareness of the many, many aspects of the arts throughout our country. For 17 days this October, arts organizations and institutions present exhibitions, performances, concerts and all the other wonderful ARTful events that happen in our […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

What’s New In The St. Louis ART SCENE for 2015?

Maybe it happened to you over the holidays: you were at a party and someone asked you, “So, what’s new?” And maybe your response was, “Oh, not much. Same old-same old, you know.”

Right. It happens to everyone.

That is exactly the […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

The ARTS Are Important, In Many Ways!

Much of what we know about earlier cultures comes to us through the art left behind by those peoples. Art speaks to us from across the centuries. Today, we enjoy plays, concerts, dance performances, exhibitions, museums, festivals and everything else that falls under the broad […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Mystique, music, hot jazz –
find it all this month

The very mention of the Salem Witch Trials conjures mystique. What was reality and what was imagination? How could an entire village, and beyond, become involved in what history has come to recognize as mass hysteria instigated by a group of teenage girls? […]

ArtFul Living: St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Art For All!

An evening at the theatre is always special. Live performance, whether a play, opera, dance or concert, has no match. Likewise, viewing an actual work of visual art, up-close and personal, is memorable. (It’s amusing to note that when viewing the Mona Lisa, one hears whispers in multiple […]

ARTful Living: Summer Arts Are Sizzling

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Caption: Interior of Spring Church, a renovated area for art.

(NOTE: While we all hope to stay healthy and well this summer, please verify any restrictions due to unexpected Covid-19 changes on the provided websites). 

Just around the corner from The Pulitzer and the Contemporary Art Museum, on Spring Avenue, […]

ArtFul Living: Summer in St. Louis is Synonymous with Performances

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

Local parks offer free concerts; the Shakespeare Festival enlivens Forest Park for the 15th year, followed by the Muny’s marvelous season. Circus Flora again brings family fun to Grand Center under the Big Top through June 28 with its wonder-filled performances. These St. […]

ARTful Living: There is an Art to Living

By Mike “Michelle” Ochonicky Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Sunset at the River, photograph by Ruth Harrigan.

Like all of us, during the social isolation compelled by COVID-19, I did a lot of thinking. I came to recognize that life can be truly artful, despite circumstances beyond our control that may impact it. I lost four […]

ARTful Living: There’s really nothing like a St. Louis summer!

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo: The Key to My Heart, by Martha Lalinde, at Crossroads Arts Council

Okay, it’s hot…and humid…but it’s still grand! Growing up as a “city kid,” I remember vividly the evening concerts in various parks, popsicles, picnics, and simply the relaxed pace of it all. I hope you, too, […]

Artful Living… Lots of Great Events in August

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Artwork by Michael Halbert, In/Of/About Nature at Art Saint Louis

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival continues free outdoor performances this month, in 24 (!!) different park locations, August 1-27. At 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays, The Merry Wives of Windsor, set in ‘90’s sitcom style, charms audiences for 90-minute each […]

ARTful Living…. Events to Help Celebrate the Season

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo: Winter Celebrations at St. Louis Art Museum, Dec. 9-10.

It’s December 2023—really?? I sometimes wonder how we arrive so quickly to the end of a year—and how did we arrive at 2024 already?? It seems that we were just contemplating the start of a new millennium! Of course, […]

Artfully Repurposed Trash Bins in The LOOP

The East Loop Community Improvement District (CID) repurposed ten old concrete trash receptacles, each weighing a substantial 400 pounds, into planters and decorative street fixtures. This initiative addresses a hard-to-recycle item, repurposing the hefty concrete containers into artist-designed planters filled with soil and plants. The trash receptacles were adorned with artist-created designs to serve as […]

Artist Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky and Students of McCluer South-Berkeley High School Selected to Create Missouri’s Ornaments to be Included in the 2014 “Pathway of Peace” in President’s Park

The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, announced today that artist Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky of Eureka, Mo., and the students of McCluer South-Berkeley High School in Ferguson, Mo., have been chosen to design and create ornaments to be included in the 2014 Pathway of Peace in President’s Park in Washington, D.C. […]

As Autumn Arrives, Wrap Yourself in ART!

St. Louis Area Fine Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts
Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Arts Editor

From September through November, the St. Louis region (and beyond!) welcomes Innovations in Textiles STL 2019 (IT19). Exhibitions, workshops, and lectures abound with collaborations of over 45 organizations and venues in St. Louis City and County, St. Charles, plus westward to Columbia, Missouri […]

Ashtanga Yoga

By Sat Inder S. Khalsa

Ashtanga Yoga; this may bring to mind the eightfold philosophy of yoga or possibly a classical yoga discipline consisting of powerful asanas dynamically liked together with the breath. I’m here to discuss the latter.

I began this practice in 2000 and quickly realized that it was for me, being the first physical […]

Ask The Herb Lady

Ask The Herb Lady With Cathy Burkemper

Probiotics after Antibiotics and Natural Help for Healthy Nails

Q: I just finished a round of antibiotics and my doctor recommended that I supplement with some probiotics. How long should I do this?
A: I am so happy to hear that your doctor suggested probiotics, aka friendly flora. Whenever you […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Burkemper

Natural Relief From Insects and Which is the best form of calcium?

Q: I spend a lot of time outdoors in my garden and I just keep getting bitten up by mosquitoes and chiggers. I don’t want to use insect repellant because I feel they are not good for you. I’ve tried some of the natural […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Burkemper

What Do B Vitamins Do Specifically? What To Do About Heavy Periods?

Q: I feel it is important for me to take a B-Complex daily, but I would really like to know what each of the B vitamins do specifically. Can you give me a breakdown?

A: Great question. I also feel that a B-Complex is […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Burkemper

Q: Does zinc really help when you have a cold?

A: Zinc is an essential trace mineral that contains several immune-boosting nutrients which help strengthen the body’s defenses against respiratory infections, such as the common cold. It is also anti-viral and activates T-cell and natural killer cells for antibody production. If you have a […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Schram

How Much Vitamin D Should I Take?

Q: I am totally confused about how much vitamin D to take. Isn’t too much bad for you?

A: Great question. The RDA for vitamin D is 400 IU’s/day. However, recent studies by the Institute of Medicine have determined that those values are low. The new recommendations are […]

Ask The Herb Lady

By Cathy Schram

What vitamins should I start taking first?

Q: I really want to start on a vitamin program, but I am totally overwhelmed as to what I should be taking. What are some suggestions to help me stay healthy?

A: Congratulations! By asking that question, you have taken the first step in staying healthy and guarding […]

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With Cathy Schram

Herbal Remedies For PMS & Colic

Q: My 17 year old daughter has PMS every month, and I’m not sure what I can do for her. She is extremely moody and complains of breast tenderness. I don’t want her to start taking hormones. What can she do?

A: I highly recommend Evening Primrose Oil (EPO). […]

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With Cathy Schram

What Is Chlorella?
How about something for congestion?

Q: Is Chlorella good for you and can I take it on a daily basis?

A: Chlorella is quite possibly the world’s most nutrient-rich food. It contains more than 20 different vitamins and minerals and provides an abundance of naturally occurring beta carotene. It is also one of […]

Ask The HERB LADY

With Cathy Schram

Herbal Fiber Cleanse, High Blood Sugar

Q: What can an herbal fiber cleanse do for me?

A: First of all, everyone needs fiber. The recommended dietary fiber intake ranges between 30 and 35 grams per day. Most people only consume about 25%. Fiber provides benefits such as detoxification, proper bowel elimination, weight management, lower cholesterol, improved […]

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with Cathy Schram

Fish oil for kids?
What enzymes should I take?

Q: Should I be giving my children fish oil?

A: Fish oil is a great supplement to add to your child’s diet. Fish oil has come a long way in the taste department. Not only are there great tasting chewable forms, it also comes as a delicious […]

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With Cathy Schram

Magnesium & Calcium?
Tea Tree Oil For Earaches?

Q: Do I need to take magnesium along with my calcium, or can I just take it by itself?

A: You always want to take magnesium along with your calcium supplement. Whenever you are deficient in magnesium, the absorption rate and metabolism is greatly diminished, and prevents the […]

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With Cathy Schram

Any Advice for Spider Veins or UTIs?

Q: Lately, I have noticed spider veins forming in my legs. I am afraid they will turn into varicose veins. Are there are any herbs that may help improve this condition?

A: Spider veins, which are very common, often lead to varicose veins. This is considered a venous […]

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With Cathy Schram

Advice for Dry Eye Syndrome

Q: I have dry eye syndrome. What causes this and are there any supplements that may help this condition?

A: Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a very common problem, particularly among peri and post-menopausal women. The eyes have ocular layers that make up the tear film. There are three different […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Schram

Something for that holiday weight Gain?

Q: The holidays were good to me; however, they were not good for my weight. I put on a few extra pounds that I would really like to get off quickly. Is there anything I can do that is safe but effective?

A: You are not alone! Everyone gets […]

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With Cathy Schram

What’s the Scoop on Oil of Oregano and Valerian Root?

Q: I keep hearing about Oil of Oregano. What is so great about it?

A: Oil of Oregano is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic and an anti-oxidant. It is one of the most powerful immune boosters there is. It is much more powerful than echinacea or goldenseal. […]

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With Cathy Schram

Got information on Vitamin K? Gastritis?

Q: How will I know if I have a Vitamin K deficiency and what is Vitamin K good for?

A: Symptoms of Vitamin K deficiency are mainly easy bruising and bleeding, such as bleeding gums, nosebleeds, blood in the urine or stool or heavy menstrual periods. There are two […]

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With Cathy Schram

What can I take to keep my heart strong?

Q: Heart disease runs in my family. I want to make sure that I do everything possible to keep my heart strong. Besides exercising and eating healthy, what else can I do?

A: You are very smart to realize that you must be proactive in your […]

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With Cathy Schram

Any Info on B-12 and Remedies For Leg Cramps

Q: Can you tell me why there is such a price difference in purchasing B12? It seems to come in many different forms also. I was told I was low in B12 but I’m not even sure what it can do for me.

A: Did you […]

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With Cathy Schram

What is Alpha Lipoic Acid?
Is There a Non-Drowsy Antihistamine?

Q: Can you tell me what Alpha Lipoic Acid is and what it is used for?

A: Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a vitamin-like coenzyme. It is referred to as “universal”, because it is both fat and water soluble. This means that it can neutralize free […]

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With Cathy Schram

Need help for: Skin Problems? Anemia? Constipation?

Q: My teenagers all seem to have problems with their skin; acne, blackheads, etc. What can they do to really make a difference by using something natural?

A: Skin problems can be caused by a variety of reasons. Typically, there is some sort of imbalance in the body. […]

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With Cathy Schram

Health Benefits Of: Dandelions, Blueberries, Grapes and Acia Berries

Q: I love drinking dandelion tea and I even enjoy dandelion leaves in my salad. What kind of health benefits do I get from dandelions?

A: Dandelions are actually quite nutritious and have been used to treat a variety of health problems. The entire plant is […]

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With Cathy Schram

What Is 5-HTP and are Antacids Unsafe?

Q: What exactly is 5-HTP and how does it compare to tryptophan?

A: 5-HTP is the amino acid 5-hydroxytryptophan. It is the step between tryptophan and the brain chemical called serotonin. 5-HTP is better used because tryptophan must be converted to 5-HTP before it can be metabolized to […]

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With Cathy Schram

I’m Tired All The Time. Will Green Coffee Bean Extract Give Me Energy?

Q: I am tired all of the time. I have been under a tremendous amount of stress lately and I am worried that I am just worn out. I take a good multivitamin but that is not really making me feel […]

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With Cathy Schram

What is there for stress & sleep?

Q: I heard that Ashwagandha is good for helping to relieve stress. What exactly is it?

A: Ashwagandha is an Indian herb, which is known as the ìginsengî of Ayurvedic medicine. Supplementing with ashwagandha over time can improve the body’s response to daily stress. Think of it as a […]

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With Cathy Schram

What is There For Holiday Stress & Winter Dry skin?

Q: My skin gets so dry during the winter months. What can I do to help prevent the itching and scaling?

A: Cold air outside and dry warm air inside usually does make our skin dry. Using a humidifier helps a lot, but there are […]

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With Cathy Schram

After the holidays, what can I do to get back on track?

Q: I hate to admit this, but I totally over indulged over the holidays. I am feeling bloated, sluggish and really tired. Now that the holidays are over, what can I do to help get back on track again?

A: Many people will […]

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With Cathy Schram

What About Calcium and Magnesium Supplements?

Q: If I already take a calcium supplement that contains magnesium, should I take additional magnesium?

A: That depends on a number of factors. A majority of the population is low on magnesium. The RDA for magnesium is 300-420 mg. per day, although 500-600 mg. per day is recommended […]

Ask The HERB LADY

By Cathy Schram

Apple Cider Vinegar & Colloidal Minerals

Q: I have heard that taking apple cider vinegar is really good for you, but I just can’t stand the taste. Does it come in a pill form?

A: Yes! You are in luck. There are capsules that contain apple cider vinegar powder that are very effective. Typically, one […]

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Cathy Schram

Natural Diuretics
Fingernails & Health

Q: I feel like I have been retaining a lot of water lately. Are there any natural diuretics that may help?

A: Yes. There are actually a number of herbs that are classed as diuretics. There are many reasons you may be retaining water. Tissues hold water when they are damaged through […]

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With Cathy Schram

Something Natural For Pain Relief?

Q: I am a runner, therefore, I always have aches and pains, not to mention leg cramps at various times. My knees bother me the most. Do you have any suggestions for pain relief?

A: Indeed I do. First, let’s talk about why you are probably experiencing the pain. You […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Schram

What Are Adaptogenic Herbs?

Q: I have been stressed out more than usual. A friend said I should take an adaptogenic herb. What does that mean?

A: There is a class of herbs known as adaptogens. This means that by taking them, they allow your body (mainly the nervous system) to adapt to any and […]

Ask The HERB LADY

By Cathy Schram

Are There Herbs For Night Vision & Burping?

Q: I have noticed lately that I seem to be having trouble seeing while driving at night. Are there any supplements that can improve my vision?

A: Actually, there is an herb that has been studied and has been shown that it does have many benefits for […]

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With Cathy Schram

What To Do About Colds and Shingles?

Q: My kids seem to always get colds at the beginning of the school season. Is there something that I can do to do help prevent them?

A: The key to prevention is to keep the immune system strong so that it can fight off anything that starts […]

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With Cathy Schram

Weight Loss…
Cholesterol…
Sinusitis…

Q: Is African Mango used for weight loss or cholesterol control?

A: Actually, both. African Mango, aka Irvingia, has been shown to improve body weight and to reduce waist and hip circumference. It has also been shown to be helpful in reducing cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The fruit has a high-soluble fiber […]

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With Cathy Schram

Morning Sickness & Insomnia When Pregnant

Q: I just found out that I am pregnant. I do take a lot of vitamins and herbs. I am worried about morning sickness and insomnia because I had those problems with my last pregnancy. What can I take that might help me?

A: Congratulations! What an exciting time […]

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With Cathy Schram

Herbs & Vitamins For Eye Health

Q: I am a senior citizen and I take very good care of myself, however, I am worried about my eye health. A lot of my friends have macular degeneration. What can I do to help prevent this from happening to me?

A: Macular degeneration is the leading cause […]

Ask The HERB LADY

By Cathy Schram

Herbal Help For Smoking Cessation

Q: My New Year’s Resolution is to finally stop smoking. Any advice?

A: That is a great resolution! Whether you are dependent on your cigarettes or just simply enjoy them, either way, they are not healthy for you or the people around you. Nicotine acts as a stimulant on the […]

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With Cathy Schram

Heart Health Supplements

Q: Since February is Heart Health Month, what supplements can I take to help protect my heart?

A: Cardivoscular disease is a huge problem in this country. You are very smart to think about protecting your heart and prevention rather than waiting until the unthinkable happens. Of course, exercise and diet play […]

Ask The HERB LADY

With Cathy Schram

How Important Is My pH Level?

Q: How important is it to test my pH? Should I test my urine or my saliva?

A: It is very important to test your pH (potential of hydrogen). This should be the foundation of your health-building program. It is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a […]

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With Cathy Schram

What Can I Do For Spider Veins & Poison Ivy?

Q: Summer is coming and I can’t wait to wear shorts. However, I am starting to notice several spider veins forming in my legs. What can I do to help improve this condition?

A: Spider veins, which are very common, often lead to varicose veins. […]

Ask The HERB LADY

Cathy Schram

Blood Sugar & Fatty Food Issues…
What Can I Do?

Q: Do you think Berberine will help me with my blood sugar levels?

A: Berberine has been used for many years to help control blood sugar levels. There have been many studies and clinical trials using berberine not only for diabetes, but for high blood pressure and […]

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With Cathy Schram

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome & Summer Sinus

Q: My wrist has been hurting and my hand is numb and tingles. Could I have carpal tunnel syndrome?

A: What you described are indeed symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnels are conduits of bone and connective tissues that encase the bundles of nerves and tendons in the […]

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With Cathy Schram

Chlorella: The World’s Most Nutrient-Rich Food

Q: What is Chlorella and can it be taken daily?

A: Chlorella is quite possibly the world’s most nutrient-rich food. It contains more than 20 different vitamins and minerals and provides an abundance of naturally occurring beta carotene. It is also one of the highest natural sources of chlorophyll, […]

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With Cathy Schram

Difference Between Grape Seed Extract & Pycnogenol? Benefits of Vitamin B-6?

Q: What is the difference between Grape Seed Extract and Pycnogenol?

A: Both of these are rich sources of flavonoids, antioxidants which protect against free radicals that damage cells and tissues. It is obvious where grape seed extract comes from, but what about Pycnogenol? […]

Ask The HERB LADY

By Cathy Schram

A Healthy Liver – When To Take Supplements

Q: I have recently been on a variety of medications and I am very concerned about the health of my liver. What can I do to protect it?

A: Your liver is one of the hardest working organs in your body. Its job is to filter […]

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With Cathy Schram

Vitamin C and Essential Oils For Better Health

Q: I know that Vitamin C is good for you. How much should I take per day to ward off illness?

A: Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is one of our most studied vitamins. Long ago it was determined that scurvy was found to be […]

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With Cathy Schram

What About A New Year Detox Cleanse?

Q: My New Year’s Resolution is to do a good detoxifying cleanse for my body. I ate way too much junk over the holidays and it is time to do something good for myself. What should I focus on?

A: What a great way to start the new […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Schram

What Can I Take To Prevent A Heart Attack?

Q: Since February is Heart Health Month, what can I do to protect myself from a having a heart attack?

A: Cardiovascular disease is a huge problem in this country. You are very smart to think about prevention rather than waiting until the unthinkable happens. Of […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Schram

Probiotics and Antibiotics

Q: Should I take a probiotic while taking an antibiotic or wait until I’m finished with the full course?

A: Actually, the answer is both. Did you know that 70% of the immune system is located in your digestive tract? We have over 100 trillion “good” bacteria in our bodies that aid […]

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With Cathy Schram

Olive Leaf Extract & Irritable Bowel (IBS)

Q: I use Olive Leaf Extract whenever I start to feel a cold coming on but I was wondering if it has any other health benefits?

A: Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) has some pretty amazing health benefits. The olive leaf is full of plant compounds called polyphenols,which have […]

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With Cathy Schram

What Can I Do For Dry Eye Syndrome?

Q: I have dry eye syndrome. What causes this and are there any supplements that may help this condition?

A: Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a very common problem, particularly among peri and post-menopausal women. The eyes have ocular layers that make up the tear film. There […]

Ask The Herb Lady

With Cathy Schram

What Can I Do For ADD and Optimal Brain Function?

Q: My child is really struggling with being able to focus and seems to be very anxious. I am afraid he has ADD. What are some natural things I can do to help him?

A: ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder seems to one of the […]

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With Cathy Schram

Should I Take A B-Complex For A B12 Deficiency?

Q: I was told that I have a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Can I just take a B-Complex, or will I need to take a separate B12? What is the difference?

A: Taking a B-Complex will not be enough B12 if you are deficient. B-complex is a […]

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With Cathy Schram

Why Should I Have My pH tested?

Q: Why is it important to test my pH?

A: In order to stay or get healthy, your pH must be correct. pH (potential of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The lower the pH number, the more acidic the solution is. […]

Ask The HERB LADY

With Cathy Schram

Kids’ Colds & Coughs

What is 5-HTP?

Q: Now that my kids have gone back to school, they keep coming home with either a runny nose, cough or a cold. What can I do to help prevent them from getting sick?
A: You are not the only parent going through this dilemma. The kids just seem […]

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With Cathy Schram

What Can I Do For Fever Blisters and Cold Sores?

Q: Every winter, I have a huge problem with fever blisters or cold sores. I even get them inside of my mouth. They are very painful. Any suggestions?

A: Fever blisters, cold sores or canker sores are usually caused by the herpes simplex virus. Unfortunately, […]

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With Cathy Schram

What’s A Good Vitamin/Herb Regimen For The New Year?

Q: My New Year’s resolution is to begin a healthy vitamin/herbal program. The problem is, I don’t know where to begin. There are so many choices. It is all very confusing to me. What would you suggest that might get me started?

A: I am so […]

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With Cathy Schram

What To Do For Colds and Congestion

Q: If I take Echinacea every day, will this prevent me from getting a cold?

A: Although Echinacea is considered one of the best-known, safe immune strengtheners available, you should not take this herb on a daily basis. It is typically recommended to take at the first sign […]

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With Cathy Schram

Best Way To Take Supplements? Parasite Cleanse?

Q: Should I take my supplements with food or on an empty stomach? What’s the best time of day to take them?

A: It is best to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement with meals because nutrients help the body to better metabolize food for energy and they are more […]

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With Cathy Schram

What Calcium To Take?
What About Rescue Remedy?

Q: I am a 55 year old woman in good health. I believe I should be taking calcium but I am so confused as to which type of calcium to take. What is recommended?
A: Women over the age of 50 should be adding 1,000 – 1,200 mg […]

Ask The Herb Lady: Herbal Remedies For Constipation & Allergies

With Cathy Schram

Q: I have a problem with constipation. If I have a bowel movement three times a week, I feel lucky. What can I do to help?

A: Constipation is a serious problem in our society. Having only a few bowel movements per week is very unhealthy. At lease once a day is normal. If […]

Ask The Herb Lady: Natural Remedies For Seasonal Allergies

With Cathy Schram

Q: My allergies are driving me crazy. My eyes keep watering and I feel like I sneeze constantly. Besides never going outside, are there any natural remedies that might help me?

A: I guess we are called “the allergy capital” for a good reason. You are not alone in your suffering. Whenever we are […]

Ask The HERB LADY: What To Do About Spring Allergies?

With Cathy Schram

Q: I can tell spring is coming. My allergies are already acting up. Any suggestions?

A: Happy Spring! The trees are budding, the grass is green and the spring flowers are blooming. You can smell it in the air. But of course that may not be such great news for the allergy sufferers. The […]

ASL Pewter hosts guest artists July 20-21

Thomas and Patricia Hooper own and operate ASL Pewter in beautiful, historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, MO, where we handcraft traditional, functional pewter pieces. All our pewter is 100% lead free and food safe. We use a large selection of antique molds from as far back as 1650, as well as designing and making our own […]

ASL Pewter Special Event July 15 and 16

Thomas and Patricia Hooper own and operate ASL Pewter in beautiful, historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, MO, where we handcraft traditional, functional pewter pieces. All our pewter is 100% lead free and food safe. We use a large selection of antique molds from as far back as 1650, as well as designing and making our own […]

Astrology & Your Evolving Self Workshop Feb. 17

By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC

Our astrology charts are made up of symbols which eloquently describe us, how our minds work, our strengths, our weaknesses (physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual), our early wounds and also our remedies as to how we can use these elements for our evolution. In other words, our charts are a […]

Astrology and Tarot Workshop Virtual Event June 18: A Look at Our Core Wounds

By Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C.

Welcome to another astrology and tarot workshop. In this event, we look at our core wounds, our evolutionary path, and ways to walk down that path to our healing.

The purpose of this class is to look at our shadows and our blind spots and find healing in ways that are unique […]

Astrology And Your Evolving Self

By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC

Our astrology charts are made up of symbols which eloquently describe us, how our minds work, our strengths, our weaknesses (physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual), our early wounds and also our remedies as to how we can use these elements for our evolution. In other words, our charts are […]

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

By Rebecca Maynard Patient Care Advocate

For most of my life I thought I ate pretty clean. I ate according to the food pyramid; made sure I washed my fruits and veggies, and only occasionally allowed myself to entertain my Rolo & Cherry Coke addiction. For the most part, I was a steak and potato kind of […]

August 19 is National Potato Day

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

I know some people stay away from the carbs in potatoes but potatoes are actually quite healthy and low in calories. I don’t eat them every day but a baked potato can become a tasty side with a salad or a light main entrée depending on what you top them […]

August 30 is National Beach Day

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

August marks the unofficial end of summer and you haven’t gotten to a beach yet. You don’t have time to make a quick trip to the Gulf Coast so what can you do? Stay right in the St. Louis area where there are plenty of great beaches to choose from […]

August Family Travel Imposes Concerns for Pet Care!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

School semesters start just around the corner. Early August is often a final chance opportunity for families to travel one last time this summer. Obviously, there will be decisions made regarding the care of their pets. Do they stay or do they go along?? What are pet owners’ options and considerations?

If […]

August Happenings

August 11Weaving Integrative Medicine with Internal Medicine FREE Monthly Seminar and Discussion — Weaving Integrative Medicine with Internal Medicine — Learn how to build your immune system and take charge of your health. If you are suffering from chronic conditions, you’ll learn why you don’t have to live with your “incurable” symptoms anymore. Topics covered include: Cancer, […]

Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Medical Hypothesis for Parasites Influencing Autism

by Simon Yu, MD

Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and repetitive or stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autism is considered the most severe form of ASD. Milder forms are known as Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).

The causes of autism/ASD are unknown and controversial. Is […]

Autism Awareness – What have we learned in the last 25 years?

By Amy Davis, MD

In honor of Autism awareness month, I would like to share what I have learned in the last 25 years treating Autism Spectrum Disorders and raising a son with severe Autism.

Autism has risen dramatically over the last 25 years. In the 1980’s the rate was 1 in 2500 children. In the 1990’s […]

Autism Awareness — What have we learned in the last 25 years?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

In honor of Autism awareness month, I would like to share what I have learned in the last 25 years treating Autism Spectrum Disorders and raising a son with severe Autism.

Autism has risen dramatically over the last 25 years. In the 1980’s the rate was 1 in 2500 children. In the […]

AutismOne on Healing Autism: Accidental Cure by Optimists

by Simon Yu, MD

Accidents happen. We accept the reality of them as is and we usually move on. On the other hand, accidental discovery is another story. For some people, they ask questions like, “why me?” Or keep asking for a deeper meaning: Is this really an accident or a message to understand? An accident […]

Autoimmune Disease and Missing Links: A Cure for… Misdiagnosis?

By Simon Yu MD

Do you have one of those autoimmune diseases of “many names” after years of struggling and searching for help with your chronic physical ailments? The rate of the Autoimmune Disorders has risen rapidly in the last 40 years, and has become one of the most common medical diagnoses with a multitude of […]

Autoimmune Friendly Roasted Asparagus Mash/Dip

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

Spring has sprung, and with it lovely flower lined walks, blooming trees (for some of us the sneezies),and the long awaited return of hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees! An abundance of fresh asparagus will also begin cropping up at local farmer’s markets, produce stands, and area grocers. Asparagus […]

Autumn Family Activities

By Crystal Stevens

Autumn is the perfect time to be outside. The air is crisp and fresh. Vibrant colors are everywhere. Our winged friends are making great migrations. Wildlife is abundant and busy scurrying about, collecting and storing food for winter. This region has a wonderful array of outdoor activities to choose from.

Nature walks
This area has […]

Autumn Time At Edg-Clif Winery & Brewery: Harvest Moon Wine Dinner Oct. 11

Edg-Clif to host the Harvest Moon Dinner with Edg-Clif Wines and Craft Beer. Make your reservation NOW for Oct 11th, 2019, 6:30pm, to join in this fabulous event with 5 courses to include Vension Burgundy, local artisan cheeses used in appetizer, chestnut cauliflower soup, Pear and candied walnut salad, seasonal root vegetables, and Harvest Cake […]

Autumn’s Child – A Musical Smoothie To Fill The Sheldon

by Mya Duran

Autumn has always been a creative season for musician Mark Holland. Having named his musical project, Autumn’s Child partly based on this fact.

There was also the influence of color and texture that is found in nature contributing to the naming of his group as well.

Not just coincidence there is also musical color […]

Autumn’s Child 20th Anniversary Performance at The Sheldon Oct. 27, 2015

“A soul’s journey filled with wonder and grace and an abundance of groove.” This description of Mark Holland given by didgeridoo master, Ash Dargan, sums up Holland’s 20 year journey with the Native American Flute.

A celebration of 20 years of the music of Autumn’s Child will take place October 27 at The Sheldon Concert Hall […]

Autumn’s Child At The Sheldon Nov. 19

Autumn has always been a creative season for musician Mark Holland. Having named his musical project, Autumn’s Child partly based on this fact .

There was also the influence of color and texture that is found in nature contributing to the naming of his group as well. Not just coincidence there is also musical color and […]

AVMA and What They Want To Do With Raw Food Diets

by Ava Frick, DVM, CAC

By the time you see this it may be too late.  On August 2 or 3, 2012, the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) will vote to adopt a policy against raw feeding of cats and dogs. The resolution to be voted on titled POLICY ON RAW OR UNDERCOOKED ANIMAL-SOURCE PROTEIN IN […]

Avoid Alzheimer’s Through Diet

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

November is Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and research continues to prove that diet and exercise can play a huge role in preventing this unfortunate disease, which affects more than five million Americans. Alzheimer’s disease is now so prevalent that it is the sixth leading cause […]

Avoid the Killer Cleanup — Life in Leaf Litter and Stems

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

There is a cycle, a circle of life, that cannot be broken if we love birds, bees, and insects that are necessary for the ecosystem of life. This cycle of life is often broken when we do killer cleanups of our garden beds.

What is a killer […]

Avoiding EMFs + Boosting Your Energy Naturally in July Heat!

By Diane K. Wilson

Maintaining high energy, a positive mood, and good vibes can be challenging during the heat. Additionally, minimizing exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can further enhance your well-being.

Here are some practical tips to help you achieve this:

Avoiding EMFs

Limit Screen Time: Reduce your exposure to screens by taking regular breaks from electronic devices. Try […]

Avoiding Self-Rejection

By Jasmin Acosta

Everyone has experienced rejection whether it is from being rejected from a job, a romantic partner, or from family and friends. Oftentimes, this leads us to fear having hope and motivation to strive for our goals that we desire to reach, in order to avoid being rejected. However, we should not allow rejection […]

Avoiding the Heartache of Heart Disease

By Asia Muhammad, ND

Did you know that heart disease has been the #1 killer of Americans since the 20th and currently 21st century except the year 1918 where influenza killed more people? Heart disease is multifactorial and commonly results from chronic poor dietary and lifestyle choices. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for approximately 1 in 3 […]

Avoiding the Urgency Trap: Slowing Down for Climate Justice

By Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray

In climate activism, an “urgency trap” bleeds from the corporate sphere into our efforts to heal the world. Amplified by various “tipping points” and deadlines for extinction, urgency has become the climate movement’s main strategy based upon the assumption that urgency + fear = action. But I want to make the […]

Back To School Pet Basics

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Students are racing back to school during August and September each year. Whether you are heading to junior or senior high school; or, onward to college, there are considerations regarding pet management, and more.

First of all, note that many times, changes in our home schedules may directly impact our pets. Your […]

Back To School Pet Basics!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Students are racing back to school during August and September each year. Whether you are heading to junior or senior high school; or, onward to college, there are considerations regarding pet management, and more.

First of all, note that many times, changes in our home schedules may directly impact our pets. Your […]

Back To School Pet Basics!

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Students are racing back to school during August and September each year. Whether you are heading to junior or senior high school; or, onward to college, there are considerations regarding pet management, and more.

First of all, note that many times, changes in our home schedules may directly impact our pets. Your […]

Back To School Pet Basics!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Students are racing back to school during August and September each year. Whether you are heading to junior or senior high school; or, onward to college, there are considerations regarding pet management, and more.

First of all, note that many times, changes in our home schedules may directly impact our pets. Your […]

Back To School Tips For Cleaner Air

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

With the summer season over, children across the region are now settling into their back-to-school routines. If you’re one of the many parents who drive their children to school each day, now is a great time to consider other transportation options that can help reduce the emissions that lead […]

Back-To-School Nutrition

By James E. Meyer, Nutrition Specialist,
University of Missouri Extension

As a new school year approaches, parents should be reminded of the important role nutrition plays in assuring kids a successful school year. Nutrition and learning go hand in hand. Kids who are nutritionally fit are more likely to have the energy, stamina and self-esteem that enhance […]

Backyard Bird Feeding During Winter Months

By Steffie Littlefield
Garden Heights Nursery

Many Gardeners find that feeding the birds is a rewarding and enjoyable hobby in the midst of chilly winter weather. Watching the wild birds feed and setting–up feeders is also a great family activity. These easy winter bird feeding tips can help you make the most of your feeders during the […]

Baileys’ Restaurants’ Commitment to Sustainability & St. Louis

By David Bailey, Proprietor

We all know that food is a basic necessity, but we often lose sight of its importance in creating social bonds, social well being, and social stability. Growing communities through social events and gatherings is also very important to us. For example, over the last three years alone, we have raised more […]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company Offers 2,000 Varieties of Vegetables, Herbs & Flowers

By Kathy McFarland

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is a family owned and operated distributor of non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds. The company offers nearly 2,000 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers—the largest selection of heirloom varieties in the USA. Baker Creek also carries one of the largest selections of seeds from the 19th century, including many Asian […]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Hosts Spring Planting Festival May 1 & 2

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is excited about its biggest festival of the year. The 16th annual Spring Planting Festival at Bakersville Pioneer Village near Mansfield, Missouri, is Sunday and Monday, May 1 and 2. The event that started with a small gathering of gardeners in the year 2000 has grown to 10,000 attendees each […]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Hosts Spring Planting Festival May 3-4

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds celebrates spring again with its 15th annual planting festival. Browse through thousands of varieties of plants and learn how to grow them with our “Star-Studded” cast of acclaimed speakers. Join 10,000 gardeners at rural America’s premier event of seeds, plants, music, culture and the celebration of historic American gardening spirit. Enjoy […]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Hosts Spring Planting Festival May 5 & 6

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is excited about its biggest festival of the year. The 19th annual Spring Planting Festival at Bakersville Pioneer Village near Mansfield, Missouri, is Sunday and Monday, May 5 and 6. The event that started with a small gathering of gardeners in the year 2000 has grown to more than 10,000 […]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Hosts Spring Planting Festival May 6 & 7

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is excited about its biggest festival of the year. The 18th annual Spring Planting Festival at Bakersville Pioneer Village near Mansfield, Missouri, is Sunday and Mon-day, May 6 and 7. The event that started with a small gathering of gardeners in the year 2000 has grown to 10,000 attendees each […]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Hosts Spring Planting Festival May 7 & 8

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is excited about its biggest festival of the year. The 17th annual Spring Planting Festival at Bakersville Pioneer Village near Mansfield, Missouri, is Sunday and Monday, May 7 and 8. The event that started with a small gathering of gardeners in the year 2000 has grown to 10,000 attendees each […]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Hosts Spring Planting Festival May 7 & 8

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is excited about its biggest festival of the year. The 17th annual Spring Planting Festival at Bakersville Pioneer Village near Mansfield, Missouri, is Sunday and Monday, May 7 and 8. The event that started with a small gathering of gardeners in the year 2000 has grown to 10,000 attendees each […]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Hosts Spring Planting Festival May 8 and 9

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company is excited about the return of its biggest festival of the year. The annual Spring Planting Festival at Bakersville Pioneer Village near Mansfield, Missouri, is Sunday and Monday, May 8 and 9, 2022.

The event that started with a small gathering of gardeners in 2000 has grown to more than 10,000 […]

Balaban’s Offerings Include Poached Monk Fish Well Paired With a 2015 Sauvignon Blanc

By Celia Henson
Healthy Planet Destinations Editor

Out and About St. Louis Missouri…

I had the pleasure of dining at a little unknown place (at least to me it was) called Balaban’s.

Balaban’s is located at 1772 Clarkson Road in Chesterfield Missouri at the corner of Baxter and Clarkson.

In the front of the restaurant it appears to be more […]

Balance Your Energy for a Better Life

By Fair Lady Crimson

Hi Everyone! I would like to share a bit about myself:

In approximately 18 months, I experienced many of the top 10 “stressors” repetitively. Even though I had always been a very positive person and helped others, MY world fell apart!

During this period, I experienced: both parents passing, a few close friends passing, […]

Balancing The Brain For Better Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

What if there was a safe, non-invasive system that could improve conditions like ADD, Anxiety, Depression and Chronic Pain for good and even eliminate the need for medications?

Neurofeedback is a non-drug approach that can improve your quality of life dramatically. Imagine getting better sleep, improving memory, having more energy or being more alert and focused? Neurofeedback can do all of this and more!

What does Neurofeedback […]

Balancing the Brain for Better Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, M.D.

What if there was a safe, non-invasive system that could improve conditions like Attention Deficit DisorderAnxiety, Depression, Learning Disabilities and chronic pain for good and even eliminate the need for medications?

Neurofeedback is a non-drug approach that can improve your quality of life dramatically. Imagine getting better sleepimproving memory, having more energy or being more alert and focused? Neurofeedback can do all […]

Balancing The Brain For Better Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

What if there was a safe, non-invasive system that could improve conditions like ADD, Anxiety, Depression and Chronic Pain for good and even eliminate the need for medications?

Neurofeedback is a non-drug approach that can improve your quality of life dramatically. Imagine getting better sleep, improving memory, having more energy or being more alert and focused? Neurofeedback can do all of this and more!

What does Neurofeedback […]

Balancing The Brain For Better Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

What if there was a safe, non-invasive system that could improve conditions like ADD, Anxiety, Depression and Chronic Pain for good and even eliminate the need for medications?

Neurofeedback is a non-drug approach that can improve your quality of life dramatically. Imagine getting better sleep, improving memory, having more energy or being more alert and focused? Neurofeedback can do all of this and more!

What does Neurofeedback […]

Balancing the Brain for Better Health!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

What if there was a safe, non-invasive system that could improve conditions like ADD, Anxiety, Depression and Chronic Pain for good and even eliminate the need for medications?

Neurofeedback is a non-drug approach that can improve your quality of life dramatically. Imagine getting better sleep, improving memory, having more energy or being more alert and focused? Neurofeedback can do all of this and more!

What does Neurofeedback […]

Balancing The Brain For Better Health!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

What if there was a safe, non-invasive system that could improve conditions like Attention Deficit Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, Learning Disabilities and chronic pain for good and even eliminate the need for medications?

Neurofeedback is a non-drug approach that can improve your quality of life dramatically. Imagine getting better sleep, improving memory, having more energy or being more alert and focused? Neurofeedback can do all […]

Bark In The Park – May 18

Now Includes 5K Run & Pancake Breakfast

The Humane Society of Missouri and Purina ONE® present Bark in the Park, the largest dog festival in the Midwest! The annual event will be held Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at Cricket Field in Forest Park.

New this year! In addition to the 1-mile Walk for Animals and […]

Bark in the Park – May 20

Grab your friends and your four-legged companion and join us in beautiful Tower Grove Park on Saturday, May 20 for the 28th annual Bark in the Park, presented by Purina! Known for its beautiful landscaping, popular Farmer’s Market and dozens of major St. Louis events each year, Tower Grove Park is going to be a […]

Bark in the Park – Raising Dollars For Dogs May 16

Bark in the Park has been Raising Dollars for Dogs for more than 20 years! The Humane Society of Missouri’s largest fundraising event, Bark in the Park is a 5K Run, One-Mile Walk and Pet Festival benefitting HSMO’s Animal Cruelty Fund. Register as an individual, form or join a “Pack” and raise dollars by asking […]

Bark In The Park Set For May 18

The 26th annual Bark in the Park will be held on Saturday, May 18 at Cricket Field in Forest Park! Presented by Purina, Bark in the Park is a 5K Run, One-Mile Walk and Pet Festival benefiting the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Fund. Register as a “Pack” and raise dollars by asking friends, […]

Bark In the Park, May 18th

Grab your friends and your four-legged companion and join us in beautiful Tower Grove Park on Saturday, May 18 for the 29th annual Bark in the Park, presented by Purina! Known for its beautiful landscaping, popular Farmer’s Market and dozens of major St. Louis events each year, Tower Grove Park is going to be a […]

Bark in the Park, May 21 Raising Dollars For Dogs

Bark in the Park has been Raising Dollars for Dogs for more than 20 years! The Humane Society of Missouri’s largest fundraising event, Bark in the Park is a 5K Run, One-Mile Walk and Pet Festival benefitting HSMO’s Animal Cruelty Fund. Register as an individual, form or join a “Pack” and raise dollars by asking […]

Barriers To Better Being

By Don Fitz

It seems like every plan to improve the environment is met with barriers that get in the way for a month, a year or a century. November Green Time episodes delve into surmounting some of those barriers, including criminalization of medical marijuana, power grid disruption, misuse of water, or misuse of land.

Are there […]

Battlefield Acupuncture in St. Louis: Chicago and St. Louis Energy Medicine Conferences

By Simon Yu, MD

Unknown to most medical communities in St. Louis, the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) held their annual conference in St. Louis in April 2015. Several hundred medical doctors from around the world with all different medical specialties attended the conference.

The theme of the conference was: “Medical Acupuncture. Ancient Roots. Modern Applications.” […]

Battlefield Body in an Age of Pandemic II: Enlightenment and Wisdom

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

It can be said that enlightenment is not so much about achieving it, but in letting go of all of the things that no longer serve you, it brings you back to who you truly are. Throughout your life you celebrate the day of your birth, each time adding one year […]

Battlefield Body in an Age of Pandemic*

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

“He who sweats more in training bleeds less in war.” 

 – This is the Spartan warrior creed. 

A fitting thought for how you can protect yourself during the era of Covid-19 and beyond. Specifically, before you enter a battle it is a good idea to know the terrain so that you can respond […]

Be A Compliant Pet Owner!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

The onset of spring reintroduces exposure to many new challenges to our beloved pets as they begin to explore our yards and woodlands. Thereby, it turns out to be a usual time for a majority of pet owners, to receive reminders for our pets’ annual examinations and routine health care. I […]

Be A Compliant Pet Owner!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

The onset of spring reintroduces exposure to many new challenges to our beloved pets as they begin to explore our yards and woodlands. Thereby, it turns out to be a usual time for a majority of pet owners, to receive reminders for our pets’ annual examinations and routine health care. I […]

Be A Compliant Pet Owner!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

The onset of spring reintroduces exposure to many new challenges to our beloved pets as they begin to explore our yards and woodlands. Thereby, it turns out to be a usual time for a majority of pet owners, to receive reminders for our pets’ annual examinations and routine health care. I […]

Be A Guardian, Not A Gardener

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

These were the words in a recent Instagram post by my favorite garden designer, Mary Reynolds of Ireland. Mary was the youngest person ever, age 28, to win a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in London*. Her garden made of Irish soil, rabbit droppings, trees, stones and meadow plants was […]

Be a Part of the Future of Food at The MOA Conference in February

By Crystal Stevens

The Missouri Organic Association (MOA), a non-profit all volunteer organization, is gearing up for its 6th Annual Conference on February 5th, 6th and 7th at the University Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, Springfield MO. Participants are comprised of farmers, ranchers, scientists, health officials, and consumers who want to learn more about the foods […]

Be Inspired and Take the Path of Least Resistance

By Jon Patrick Frieda

Have you ever been inspired into action? Truth be told, all of us have likely been inspired before in our lives. Do you know what inspiration actually is? How would you describe it? Think about that for a moment. Inspiration is actually a process by which we become mentally stimulated to feel […]

Be Proud of Your Survival

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

No one could have ever expected the life trauma that they would live through, and the reality of those experiences becoming more alive when we reflect on those memories that impacted the person that we were. Not only were those traumas upsetting in their present, but we continue having […]

Be the Beat — Learn Hands-Only CPR

Photo Credit: American Heart Association

February is American Heart Month, and this year, the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focusing on heart and brain health, is encouraging every family in St. Louis and across the country to “Be the Beat” by learning Hands-Only CPR. Locally, the Association is offering a variety of opportunities […]

Beating the Heat This Summer to Help St. Louisans Breathe Easier

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

While the region continues to respond to the ongoing pandemic, and fewer automobiles on the roads are keeping emissions at bay as many workers continue to telecommute to minimize the spread of COVID-19, warmer temperatures are signaling a higher risk of poor air quality conditions in the bi-state area. […]

Beautiful Bean Salads

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Summer in St. Louis can get unbearably hot, and the last thing you might want to do is spend a ton of time in a hot kitchen. Fortunately, bean salads are a great way to enjoy fresh, delicious summer produce with a nutritious pantry staple […]

Beauty is the Manifestation of HEALTH

By Linda Hoff

Beauty is being true to yourself. Are you being true to yourself? What is the one thing you know to be true, but are afraid to admit? Is there an area of your life in which you are feeling stuck? That’s were a holistic health coach can help. A health coach offers support […]

Become A Backyard Host At The Fifth Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour June 14

Winter: the season of seed catalogs and graph-paper layouts, garden books, websites, and classes like those offered by the Audubon Society and Gateway Greening last month. But spring always returns and before you can say “late frost” it will be time for the Fifth Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour!

A grassroots event, the Sustainable Backyard Tour is […]

Become an Official Lazy Gardener: Leave Your Garden Messy for Wildlife

By Linda Wiggen Kraft
Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

There are many kinds of lazy gardeners. Most of us have been lazy gardeners from time to time. But to be an “Official Lazy Gardener” you need to make an online pledge* to the Habitat Network stating you will: “leave your garden messy for wildlife and not […]

Becoming A Modern Explorer

By Kat Golden, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Member

My eyes flickered under the blinding incandescent glow of airport lights. Yawning isn’t how one expects to begin an expedition, yet as I sank into my seat I felt a weight pull down on my eyelids. It was 4:30 am on Monday, November 26th; my last thoughts before falling […]

Becoming an Active Member In Our Community

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

The foundation to upholding and building up a community is through selflessness and kindness, which stems from actively participating in helping the people around us, as a community cannot function without us acknowledging that we are inherently a member in it held together through understanding that we are all […]

Becoming One: All Of Us Matter

Meditation and Astrology of our Times Zoom Event July 25

By Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C.

You are invited to a zoom event of meditation and astrology. In this event we will begin with a 45-minute guided meditation. Afterwards we will look at aspects of our charts which shed light on how we each use our minds, how […]

Bee the Change… Bee-cause!

There’s less buzzing in our world. About 40% less bees thanks to a variety of challenges. Parasites, loss of habitat and poor management practices play a role. But, exposure to pesticides is one that impacts both bees and other wildlife. One special group, neonicotinoids, is a special class of insecticides related to nicotine.

‘Neonics’ became popular […]

Beekeeping Classes Offered

Beekeeping Classes Offered At Maritz,
February 9, Sure To Be Abuzz With Activity

Do you keep bees? Have you ever wanted to learn how to keep bees?

The Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association will offer courses for both beginners and experienced beekeepers on Saturday, February 9, 2013, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Maritz in Fenton, Missouri.

Prominent scientists […]

Beer & Food Pairings At Llywelyn’s Pub: From Traditional To Light & Delicious

bstrong>By Tom Behnen
Llywelyn’s Pubs Director of Operations

4 Hands Divided Sky Rye IPA and Shrimp Curry
It only makes sense that an India Pale Ale would go well with Curry. Our Curry is a bit on the sweet side so it balances well with the dryness that the Rye in this particular IPA brings. The IPA style […]

Behind The Scene Bees: More Important Than Ever (part 2)

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Native bees are the unsung heroes of pollination. Their relatives, the European honeybees, get most of the attention and press about the need to save bees. But it is the native bees, also pollinators and way more important in the job of pollinating that most of us know, who also need our […]

Believe It or Not…You Need Cholesterol!

by Rosa Kincaid, MD

Cholesterol, the soft, waxy substance in your bloodstream and also present in every cell of your body is vital to life. Cholesterol has a bad reputation and it is time to better understand this crucial molecule. Cholesterol is present in the membranes of all cells, it is the precursor to all hormones, […]

Benchmarking Jam Feb. 25

Get Hands-on Help to Benchmark Your Building’s Energy Use

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

No matter where you live, work, play, or worship, we’re all looking to reduce costs. And if cost reductions also lower environmental impacts, well you can sign me up! Energy conservation cuts your utility bills while also lowering your […]

Benchmarking Jam: Get Hands-on Help To Benchmark Your Building’s Energy Use

By Johanna Schweiss,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

Have you recently participated in a fundraiser for your house of worship, your favorite nonprofit or your children’s school? Budgets are tight, and all of our institutions are rightly asking for community support. But there’s a way to reduce operating costs that some organizations may not have […]

Beneficial Insects As Pest Control

by Randy Greene

Beneficial organisms attack pests, not people, plants, or pets. Beneficials are not pesticides; they need some lead time to work. They should be used as part of an integrated system of pest management which also includes fertilizing, hygienic cultural practices, planting pest-resistant varieties, inter-cropping, proper irrigation, monitoring, tapping, ect. For maximum effectiveness, beneficial […]

Benefits of Aromatherapy

By  Amy Williams, Licensed Massage Therapist at Vitality Unlimited Spa

Aromatherapy, a gift from the ancient Mediterranean world, is both a science and an art. Using extracted oils from the natural world, aromatherapy offers healing properties that seek to harmonize the psychological, the physical and the spiritual well-being.Gentle yet powerful, aromatherapy can help your body heal from common maladies and boost […]

Benefits Of Hot Stone Massage

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

When you think about getting a massage, most people envision a Massage Therapist using their hands to release knots and tension in overused muscles. But there is another medium that is beneficial to massage – hot stones.

How It Works

The treatment generally consists of the […]

Benefits Of Infrared Saunas

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

You may have heard about the wonderful health claims of the infrared sauna: anti-aging abilities, detoxification, weight loss, and more. However, like with most treatments, you may be wondering if these claims are really just a bunch of hot air. In the case of infrared saunas, the truth is quite the […]

Benefits of Owning A Water Feature

Enhanced landscaping improves property value, and water features make your property stand out from the rest. A fountain in the front yard provides curb appeal, while a backyard pond increases a home’s value much like a deck or patio. The sound of a water feature drowns out noise from traffic or neighbors. In addition, water […]

Benefits of Sun Exposure: Vitamin D

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. One in eight people will get some form of skin cancer during their lifetime and one in fifty will get melanoma. This makes skin protection important for everyone. However, sun exposure is tricky because you need sun exposure to make […]

Best Foods For Cancer Prevention

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Unfortunately, we’ve probably all been touched by cancer in some way or another, whether it be from a personal struggle with the disease or knowing a friend, colleague or family member who has suffered from it. While there are many factors involved in cancer development, […]

Best Pets For College

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

College is upon us and depending on our living conditions, many students look for appropriate pets to keep close to their heart.

Humans bond with animals, and vice versa. At home, we may have traditional pets like dogs and cats. However, as students head for college, they often search out a replacement […]

Best Pets For College

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Our kids are preparing for college right about now, and for those newbies entering freshman dorms, or elder classmen or women planning life in an apartment or even a rental home, pets are always a consideration. Why not? We all love our family pets, and they provide us a genuine sense […]

Best Pets For College

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Our kids are preparing for college right about now, and for those newbies entering freshman dorms, or elder classmen or women planning life in an apartment or even a rental home, pets are always a consideration. Why not? We all love our family pets, and they provide us a genuine sense […]

Best Pets For College

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Many kids are off to college right about now, and for those newbies entering freshman dorms, or elder classmen or women planning life in an apartment or even a rental home, pets are always a consideration. Why not? We all love our family pets, and they provide us a genuine sense […]

Best Pets For College

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Our kids are preparing for college right about now, and for those newbies entering freshman dorms, or elder classmen or women planning life in an apartment or even a rental home, pets are always a consideration. Why not? We all love our family pets, and they provide us a genuine sense […]

Best Playgrounds Can Be Found Right Here In St. Louis

By Jessica Hoagland 

I’m going to make a bold hypothesis: Saint Louis has the best playgrounds on the planet. 

Let’s start with Forest Park. Much bigger than Central Park in New York or Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, it’s America’s most beautiful urban park. Forest Park is a historic natural playground all its own, even without […]

Best Reblooming Daylilies In The World

Considered the best repeat blooming Daylilies available, mature plants are known to produce over 400 flowers in a year!

By Ann Lapides

Sugar Creek Gardens
From the Netherlands comes EveryDayLily Daylilies, the longest blooming, heaviest blooming daylilies available. These long-lived perennials are loaded with outstanding characteristics including:

Bloom continually from late spring through fall.
More beautiful flowers, longer blooming period […]

Best Tasting Tomatoes

By Abby Lapides
Sugar Creek Gardens

One of the greatest joys of gardening is picking a fresh tomato off the vine and taking a big bite. My favorites:

SUN SUGAR – Voted #1 Best Tasting Tomato at the Missouri State Fair. Some say ‘Sun Sugar’ tomato is the world’s sweetest tomato. Abun-dant, candy-sweet orange cherry tomatoes, with high […]

Bethel Lutheran Church is First House of Worship to Earn ENERGY STAR Certification in Missouri

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

I am excited to announce that Bethel Lutheran Church, located in University City, is the first worship facility to earn ENERGY STAR Certification in Missouri! ENERGY STAR Certification recognizes efficient energy use in buildings. With an ENERGY STAR score of 81, Bethel Lutheran Church outperforms 81% of worship […]

Better Buildings Through Benchmarking

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter

These days, our ability to collect and analyze data is revolutionizing our lives. A fitbit can remind me to move and tell me details about my sleep. A budgeting app can remind me that I probably should hold off on a big […]

Better Buildings Through Benchmarking!

By Johanna Schweiss,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

These days, our ability to collect and analyze data is revolutionizing our lives. A fitbit can remind me to move and tell me details about my sleep. A budgeting app can remind me not to buy that extra cup of coffee. The more we know about any […]

Better Parenting Through Awareness & Self Care

By Vera Gabliani, Ph.D.

Developing your skill as a parent is an ongoing process that benefits from a thoughtful focus. So many of us are busy and preoccupied with just getting through our day that we forget to be present and actively choose the way we are in relation to our children.
So here is a gentle […]

Big Whack Theory: Invasion of Parasites, Bacteria, Virus and Fugus

By Simon Yu, MD

Have you ever heard of the Big Whack Theory? Most people have heard of the Big Bang Theory to explain the creation of the universe 13.8 billion years ago. The Big Bang Theory was developed in 1929 based on Edwin Hubble’s observation that the distance far away galaxies were moving away from […]

Bio-Cybernetics and Energy Medicine Conference In Saint Louis Sept. 13-15

by Simon Yu, MD

The 8th International Medical Conference on Bio-Cybernetics and Energy Medicine is being held in Saint Louis, MO on September 13-15, 2013 at the Frontenac Hilton Hotel (See iamconf.com for details).

Medical professionals from all disciplines are encouraged to attend. The conference is sponsored by Prevention and Healing Clinic and The Foundation for Applied […]

Biochemical Individuality and Functional Medicine

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine is focused on overall health by using personalized and system-oriented medical care. We are all truly unique in our genetic makeup and in how our environmental exposures impact us. There are two different components that contribute to biochemical individuality.

First, the genes inherited from your parents and ancestors determine physical […]

Biochemical Individuality and Functional Medicine

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine is focused on overall health by using personalized and system-oriented medical care. We are all truly unique in our genetic makeup and in how our environmental exposures impact us. There are two different components that contribute to biochemical individuality.

First, the genes inherited from your parents and ancestors determine physical […]

Biochemical Individuality and Functional Medicine

By Amy Davis, M.D.

Functional Medicine is focused on overall health by using personalized and system-oriented medical care. We are all truly unique in our genetic makeup and in how our environmental exposures impact us. There are two different components that contribute to biochemical individuality.

First, the genes inherited from your parents and ancestors determine physical strengths […]

Biochemical Individuality and Functional Medicine

By Dr. Amy Davis

Functional Medicine is focused on overall health by using personalized and system-oriented medical care. We are all truly unique in our genetic makeup and in how our environmental exposures impact us. There are two different components that contribute to biochemical individuality.

First, the genes inherited from your parents and ancestors determine physical strengths […]

Biochemical Individuality and Functional Medicine

By Dr. Amy K Davis, M.D.

Functional Medicine is focused on overall health by using personalized and system-oriented medical care. We are all truly unique in our genetic makeup and in how our environmental exposures impact us. There are two different components that contribute to biochemical individuality.

First, the genes inherited from your parents and ancestors determine […]

Biochemical Individuality and Functional Medicine

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine is focused on overall health by using personalized and system-oriented medical care. We are all truly unique in our genetic makeup and in how our environmental exposures impact us. There are two different components that contribute to biochemical individuality.

First, the genes inherited from your parents and ancestors determine physical […]

BioMat: A Quantum Health Tool That Helps 1,800 Medical Symptoms & Conditions

by Clint Raymond Willett

How is your health? Really, how is it?

What are the tools in your health toolbox for improving your health? What are the ingredients in your health recipe for your optimum health? Do you have the energy and health level that you would like to have now?

The Biomat is a quantum health tool […]

Biomats & Far Infrared Portable Saunas

Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Far Infrared Medical Foundation

The Far Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all […]

Biomats & Far Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Far Infrared Medical Foundation

The Far Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 […]

Biomats & Far Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Far Infrared Medical Foundation

The Far Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 […]

Biomats & Far Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Far Infrared Medical Foundation

The Far Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 […]

Biomats & Far Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Far Infrared Medical Foundation

The Far Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 […]

Biomats & Far Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Far Infrared Medical Foundation

The Far Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 […]

Biomats & Far Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Far Infrared Medical Foundation

The Far Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 […]

Biomats & Far Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

by Clint Willett,
Far Infrared Medical Foundation

The Far Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 […]

Biomats & Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Infrared Medical Foundation

The Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 inches into […]

Biomats & Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Infrared Medical Foundation

The Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 inches into […]

Biomats & Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Infrared Medical Foundation

The Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 inches into […]

Biomats & Infrared Portable Saunas: Quantum Tools for Your Health, from A to Z

By Clint Willett,
Infrared Medical Foundation

The Infrared Biomat helps with 1,800 Medical Issues from A to Z, with the Biomat’s technology based on a Nobel Prize In Medicine. The Quartz Enhanced Biomat allows the Infrared to gently go into your body 6-8 inches, whereas most all other Infrared Devices and Saunas only go 1-2 inches into […]

Bixby’s Announces Extended Summer Hours With $7 Bottomless Cocktail Special

Check Out Bixby’s New Look

Bixby’s, located on the second floor of the Missouri History Museum, will stay open until 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays this summer. Take advantage of the restaurant’s extended weekend hours with Bixby’s Bottomless; guests enjoy bottomless cocktails for $7.

Savor the weekends with friends and family, sipping refreshing drinks and experiencing […]

Blessed Opportuni-Teas: My Travels To India In Search Of Heritage Tea Farms

By Kateri Meyer/Traveling Tea

When I founded Traveling Tea more than 10 years ago, I hoped some day I would visit farms and meet the hard working people who create fantastic teas. I met Rajen Baruah in 2016 at World Tea Expo when he received an award for helping small farmers find voice and opportunity in […]

Blessed to be Busy

Sitting Down to a Full Plate

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

“I think you’re a person who’s happiest and functions best when you have a full plate.” He wasn’t talking about holiday meal portions, but instead the figurative plate of projects and tasks we all sit down to at the table of life. At times, […]

Blessing or a Lesson?

How Replacing Curiosity with Certainty Leads to Growth

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

When did we stop becoming curious about other people? When did we stop trying to use life’s teachings as a way to evolve ourselves? A popular podcast I listen to offered this perspective, “Certainty is the enemy of curiosity.” Everyone you encounter […]

Blood, Blood and More Blood

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Some days I feel part veterinarian and part vampire. No, I’m not sucking the blood from my poor defenseless patients. But I do draw blood from many of them with a needle and syringe and then send the blood to the lab for analysis. Animal Health & Healing is a very small […]

Blu Room Therapy: Mindscape vs Landscape

By Sara Biermann

Your mindscape is the internal landscape of your mind (your thoughts,beliefs,perceptions.) Your landscape refers to the outward manifestation of the way you think (the people in your life, the experiences you have, common themes that present.)

Take a moment to look at your landscape in this moment. Are you happy with what you see? […]

Blu Room Wellness Center Relocates;

Invites You To Visit Historic Washington, Missouri

Washington MO is a charming river town located only 45 minutes from St. Louis. Washington is known for antiquing, bed and breakfast inns, nearby wineries, and Spa Day’s. 

Did you know that the Blu Room Wellness Center has recently moved to 6 E. Front street directly across from the Amtrak […]

Bodypresencing

By Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C. 

Finding our own wayIrregardless of other people’s swayIs a hallmark of growing up

Staying young at heartIs not at all the same as being stuck in the pastNot allowing ourselves to separate the wheat from the chaffWhere we are the wheat and others are the chaff

None of this is an easy taskMaking […]

BodyPresencing™ Class

By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC

Being able to be present to ourselves and our bodies is a learnable skill, one which takes practice and work. I will be offering an 8-week class which can also be taken virtually. I call this class BodyPresencing™.  Through this 8-week process, we will learn exercises that take us into our […]

Boeckmann Family Takes Sustainable Approach To Farming

by Denise Boeckmann

Boeckmann Family Farm, located in Loose Creek, Missouri, is owned and operated by Denise and Chris Boeckmann along with our four children, Rae, Eric, Kristen and Paul. Our farm produces All-Natural Grass-Fed Beef utilizing a management intensive rotational grazing system with high quality forages.

For twenty five years, we raised poultry under a corporate […]

Boeckmann Farm Is A Family Affair

By Nancy Smith

Chris and Denise Boeckmann and their four children, Rae, Eric, Kristen and Paul represent the 2nd and 3rd generations on their farm in Loose Creek, MO. In 1963, Chris’s father purchased the farm and moved his young family there. He had been one of 13 children on the farm in Koelztown in South […]

Bone Up on Calcium for Strong Bones

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

We’ve all heard by now that getting enough calcium and vitamin D in our diets is important for building and maintaining strong bones, and these nutrients play other vital roles in keeping our bodies healthy. Growing up, you were probably told to drink your milk […]

Books for Garden & Earth Lovers

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

In this time of gift giving, books are treasures that we can give to others and ourselves. In the shorter colder days of winter, as our gardens rest, we can take time to gather wisdom, joy, hope and inspiration from the words, photos and illustrations of […]

Boost Your Immune System With Elderberry Syrup This Cold & Flu Season

By Crystal Stevens, Author, Teacher, Artist, Farmer

Cold and flu season is right around the corner. Give your body an immune boost with elderberry syrup. Not only do elderberries offer amazing immune support, but they are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Hippocrates called elderberry “the peoples medicine chest” because elderberry was used to treat […]

Boosting the Efforts of Eco-friendly Farms

by Dawn Nicklas

Missouri is one of our country’s largest producers of agricultural products, and MCE has been engaged for decades holding factory farms accountable and supporting the efforts of eco-friendly ones throughout our state. HB 2720, the Specialty Agricultural Crops Act, is a bill MCE drafted that will create a new loan program to help […]

Born To Enchant Your Garden

By Abby Elliott
Sugar Creek Gardens

From the outstanding Elizabeth MacGregor Nursery in Scotland comes the Swan Anemone Series. Like their magnificent namesake, Swan Anemones stand out above all others. Their spectacular blossoms and prolific flowering bring exceptional grace and beauty to the garden. Exquisite nodding flowers with icy white faces and violet blue undersides adorn the […]

Bountiful Fall Gardening

By Crystal Stevens

Gardening is something that is typically associated with spring and summer but fall gardening can be very bountiful, especially if you enjoy a myriad of fresh greens and roots. It’s not too late to plant a fall garden. If you have a large garden space that gets plenty of sun, prepare your space […]

Braces vs. Adjustments: Teeth & Spines Take Time To Realign Properly

By Dr. Brenda Kingen

Why do people accept that braces take months/years to fix crooked teeth, but assume ONE adjustment should fix a lifetime of subluxated vertebra?

Anyone who has ever had braces knows how long it can take to move teeth. That perfect smile doesn’t just happen. An orthodontist slowly applies pressure to move the teeth […]

Brain Mapping and Neurofeedback Training: Reboot Your Old Brain as a New Improved Brain?

By Simon Yu, MD

Can you reboot and reprogram your old brain as a new improved brain? The new neuroscience of brain mapping and neurofeedback training has been successfully used to treat ADD/ADHD, addiction, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, brain fog, chronic pain, depression, epilepsy, insomnia and sleep disorders, learning disabilities, memory loss, and even […]

Brain Neuromodulation Therapy from Cyprus for Parkinson’s, Depression, Mild Cognitive Impairment, etc.

By Simon Yu MD

I am reporting on my new experience at the SOZO Brain Center at AIMIS Clinic in Cyprus for treating neurological conditions. At my advanced Acupuncture Meridian Assessment (AMA) training in Saint Louis in August 2023, we had a case study of a Parkinson’s disease patient who was not responding to the current […]

Breaking Free From Our Realm of Comfort

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

We tend to build our comfort zone based on the experiences and environment that we are accustomed to, but at times we create a realm of comfort that is built off our misery.

What tends to happen when we endure a high amount of trauma is that our pain from […]

Breakthrough the Programming: Are You Playing the Victim, Villain or Hero In Your Own Life

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

When we are born, we do not know fear. The only thing that we may fear is that our mother may not feed us, or that she may put us down. From the time that we are born, until approximately the age of seven, we are significantly influenced by the world […]

Breast Cancer Awareness: How Do You Prevent Breast Cancer?

By Linda Weber Spradling

The subject of risk and screening for breast cancer is very complex and controversial even among medical professionals. More women are getting breast cancer and they are getting it at younger and younger ages. Most breast cancers occur in women with no known risk factors. How can you find peace of mind?

Hormone […]

Breast Cancer Survivor Offers Foundation For Optimal Health

By Jaime Zografos

I am Jaime Zografos and I found my true purpose in life about four years ago after I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I learned that life is much bigger than me and that I am here to help people when they are unsure of what they need. I was 39 years old […]

Breathe Easier With Houseplants

By Abby Lapides

Houseplants do much more than add decoration to the home; these hardworking beauties can help improve your quality of life.

In the early 90s the NASA that landed a man on the moon – released a study about air filtering houseplants. According to NASA one of the best air purifiers, mother-in-law’s tongue (pictured), also […]

Breathe Easier With Houseplants

By Abby Lapides

Houseplants do much more than add decoration to the home; these hardworking beauties can help improve your quality of life.

In the early 90s the NASA that landed a man on the moon – released a study about air filtering houseplants. According to NASA one of the best air purifiers, mother-in-law’s tongue (pictured), also […]

Bringing a Vision to Life: Serving as a Missouri Green Schools Support VISTA

By Stacey “Parker” Parker, Missouri Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

For my 50th birthday last year, I visited a nephew who resides in New York City. Like me, he left the comfort of his home to seek out adventure, and to live his dream. I spent the last 20 years as an assistant professor and working in […]

BStrong4Life: Strength-Balance-Bone Health Seminar Oct. 15

By Dr. Brenda L. Kingen

We all know that exercise is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle, yet a very small percentage of our population can commit to an effective and consistent fitness program over time. We have also learned through research that high intensity training, actions that stress muscle and bone at peak levels, […]

Building Energy Awareness Ordinance Compliance Deadline Nears

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

In January of 2017, the City of St. Louis’s Board of Alderman unanimously passed the Building Energy Awareness Ordinance, joining Chicago and a long list of other cities in adopting a policy requiring large buildings to track and share their energy and water use.

The Building Energy Awareness Ordinance […]

Building Forward: Regional Green Building Challenges and Successes

By Paul Todd Merrill,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

The US economy appears to be moving along at a good clip – unemployment is low; construction activity is strong and companies are recording record profits – how can the green economy and green design and construction continue to keep pace with this growth?

We have made much sustainability progress […]

Building Green? Think Existing!

by Cynthia Smith, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Program Committee & Architectural Woodwork Corp. 

More often than not, people don’t seriously consider existing buildings when they choose to build green. This choice would require fighting against our human nature to value things that are shiny and new more than things that are old. In other words, construction from the ground […]

Building Materials – Why They Matter

Discussion July 9 At Chapter Meeting

by Diane Beaver, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Program Committee Member

We find ourselves in an ever changing world of information and thought processes with regard to the way we live and the spaces we inhabit. How can we make sure these interior environments are safe? Are we doing the best we can […]

BUILDINGS: The Biggest Impact On Greenhouse Gas

By Cara Spencer Director of the Building Energy Exchange St. Louis,

When people think of greenhouse gas emissions, they often think of large vehicles and big factories. But buildings make up 39% of all GHG in the U.S. In cities, that percentage is even higher. In the city of St. Louis, for example, buildings produce a […]

Bulbs Can Move Themselves. Wait, What?!

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

If you plant a daffodil bulb too shallow (and who hasn’t), worry not, the plant can fix that. Many can pull themselves deeper into the ground when necessary. This fact flooded my mind with more questions.

Which plants? Some bulbs (lilies, daffodils, hyacinths, and some alliums but not, apparently, tulips), […]

Busy Schedule — Easy Meals

By Mariella Funk, Certified Chef
Nutrition Education Director
Operation Food Search

Fall is a busy time of year. Many people are rushing around between work and extracurricular activities, going to school or picking kids up from school. Ever feel like making dinner is a chore? That putting a healthy meal on the table after getting home is the […]

Butter Bean Spring

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

As I was tossing around recipe ideas for April, particularly those that would be equally suitable for cold and blustery, rainy weather, as well as during the warm, balmy, humid days, a friend arrived with empty toilet paper rolls for my rescue gerbil, “Butterbean” (gerbils are […]

Butterflies & Bees Need Our Help (part 1)

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Butterflies (especially Monarchs), bees (honey) and bees (native), along with other insects are dying for our help. Their dying isn’t just a figure of speech, it is a documented fact that insects urgently need our help.

The challenge of gardeners now, is to grow plants that bring butterflies, birds, bees, insects and life […]

Butterflies In Your Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Attracting butterflies to home gardens is part of the work of the North American Butterfly Association. To help homeowners figure out exactly what butterflies need to survive and thrive in a home garden, they recently published a 288-page book that gives detailed information about how to create habitat that supports butterflies in […]

Butternut Pumpkin Soup with Gluten-Free White Cheddar Apple Scones

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

Autumn has arrived in all its splendid glory, and with it comes beautiful, blazing colors against a backdrop of cool, crisp air. After a day at the pumpkin patch, or a long walk admiring the foliage, what better than to cozy up with a comforting, vitamin rich […]

Call For Sustainable Yards For Backyard Tour June 12

The Sustainable Backyard Tour returns for the sixth year on Sunday, June 12.

A free, grassroots, self-guided tour of residential yards (front and back!) throughout St. Louis city and county, the tour showcases a range of green living practices, including low-impact lawn care, composting and using recycled materials, organic gardening, chicken and beekeeping, gardening with native […]

Call For Sustainable Yards!

Sustainable Backyard Tour Returns June 10

A free, self-guided tour of residential yards throughout St. Louis, the tour showcases a range of green living practices, including low-impact lawn care, composting and using recycled materials, organic gardening, chicken and beekeeping, gardening with native plants, water conservation, and renewable energy.

If your backyard is green or you know someone […]

Call For Sustainable Yards!

By Terry Winkelmann

On Sunday, June 23, 2019, the Sustainable Backyard Tour returns for the 9th year showcasing green living practices, including low-impact lawn care, composting and using recycled materials, organic gardening, chicken and beekeeping, gardening with native plants, water conservation, renewable energy and much more. If your backyard is eco-friendly, and located in St. Louis […]

Call To Reason

By the Master of Wisdom,
through Benjamin Creme,
8 November 2014

The time is soon coming when men will realize that the most important problem facing this generation is the ecological imbalance which threatens vast areas of Earth. As you know, men are divided as to the extent of this problem but unless their attention is squarely fixed […]

Call Upon Your Future Self

©2012, Kimberly V. Schneider

A new year just began, so you may be thinking about how to “do it better” from now on. Maybe you’re looking for the secret for becoming that person you will someday be — that wiser, future self.

Here’s a surprise for you: no matter what’s happening in your life, you haven’t been […]

Calling All Angels: 32nd World Peace Day December 31

By Jeannie Breeze

I am Calling All Angels, celestial and terrestrial, because we need help here on Planet Earth! Now, more than ever, we need to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, to feel compassion for all our relations, to bless those who curse us, and to BE the change we want to see in the world.

One of the […]

Calling All Environmentally Conscious Teachers

By Porscha Hayes, Missouri Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

Designed for educators from all roles and environments, the Sustainability Institute for Educators challenges participants to help learners build awareness, recognize responsibility, and take action as global citizens working to build a healthier, more sustainable world. This year, Institute participants will explore the multidisciplinary nature of climate change. […]

Can a Mattress Be Eco-Friendly?

You can have a conscience as green as the sky is blue, but it’s still hard to sort out what’s real and what’s “greenwashing.” Some terms are vague and some evidence is fuzzy. Let’s look at different ways mattresses are described, so you can sort out what’s real and what’s just a pale shade of […]

Can a Mattress Be Eco-Friendly?

You can have a conscience as green as the sky is blue, but it’s still hard to sort out what’s real and what’s “greenwashing.” Some terms are vague and some evidence is fuzzy. Let’s look at different ways mattresses are described, so you can sort out what’s real and what’s just a pale shade of […]

Can Energy Therapy REALLY work?

We live in a world where we THINK we are invincible. We can just Google EVERYTHING for a resolution. Right?! We will just ‘be fine’… somehow. Wake up, eat, work, take care of many demands, then lie in bed scrolling for a tiny, temporary hit of dopamine. Repeat.

But we don’t feel like ourselves. Monkey Mind. […]

Can Playing Hooky Be Healthy?

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

When was the last time you played “hooky” and broke free from the day-to-day grind? It was a typical Thursday morning and an abnormally mild August day. With pleading eyes, my son sat on our sofa asking to do that very thing – play hooky. Considering my office workload, […]

Can Technologies Threaten Our Survival?

by Don Fitz

Technology can turn from humanity’s salvation to its nightmare as toxins spew into the air and water, undermining biodiversity, exhausting natural resources and contributing to climate change. Water is vital to our survival. But the Earth’s supply of fresh water is being seriously compromised.

In the first show of the series, Bob Criss, of […]

Can You Answer Life’s Big Questions?

Can You Answer Life’s Big Questions?
What’s Next? Where Am I Going? How Can I Get There?

by Shannon Casey Falkenstein
Executive & Career Coach

“Figure out who you are; then do it on purpose.” –Dolly Parton

What will your life look like in September? Can you imagine smelling the first crisp scent of fall and realizing that another summer has […]

Can You Use Hypnosis?

Attend the Heartland Hypnosis Conference to Learn How Hypnosis Can Help You

By William Mitchell M.Div., BCH, CI

When people find out that I am both a Protestant Minister and a Hypnotist, they want to know what can be done with Hypnosis. Most people immediately think of the entertaining hypnosis stage shows. However, Hypnotism is much more […]

Can You Use Hypnosis?

Attend the Heartland Hypnosis Conference to Learn How Hypnosis Can Help You

By William Mitchell M.Div., BCH, CI

When people find out that I am both a Protestant Minister and a Hypnotist, they want to know what can be done with Hypnosis. Most people immediately think of the entertaining hypnosis stage shows. However, Hypnotism is much more […]

Cancer Control Society’s Cancer Convention: Back to the Future by going Back to the Past

By Simon Yu, MD

The 42nd Annual Cancer Control Society’s Cancer Convention (CCSCC) was held in Los Angeles August 30 – September 1, 2014. This convention reminded me of watching the popular movie, “Back to the Future” from the 1980’s with Michael J. Fox. A time-travelling car changed his character’s future by coming/going back to the […]

Cancer is a Metabolic Disease as if Cancer is Metabolic Parasites: Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D. on Ketogenic Diet for Cancer Therapy

by Simon Yu, MD

The Ketogenic Diet has been used, with great success, since the 1920’s by John Hopkins Hospital and the Mayo Clinic for the management of brittle diabetes and seizures. However, it has not been a widely accepted standard medical therapy after the introduction of insulin and seizure medications. It became a less known, […]

Cancer Is An Infectious Disease as if Cancer is Metabolic Parasites: Evolution and Degeneration of Biology of Cancer Cells

By Simon Yu, MD

Mr. Tim Guilford, MD from California recently e-mailed me a Research Paper Review Article from Oncotarget titled, “Antibiotics that target mitochondria effectively eradicate cancer stem cells, across multiple tumor types: Treating cancer like an infectious disease.” This research paper, published in January 2015 came from, and was funded by, the University of […]

Canine Ehrichiosis

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Canine Ehrlichiosis is a worldwide tick-borne disease caused by the rickettsial organism Ehrlichia canis.

Ehrlichia lives and multiplies inside ticks. Rhipicephalus sanguineus is the tick that transmits Ehrlichia to dogs. Other hosts for the disease include wild canids and cats. These ticks love warm climates but are considered nonseasonal. Ticks are tough and […]

Capture The Magic

By Abby Lapides

Photo Caption: Little Red Head Indian Pink, Spigelia

While working in my garden I was struck by the indescribable magic some plants possess. These plants enchant our flowerbeds, turning ordinary gardens into awe-inspiring sanctuaries. I would like to share these with you and hope you enjoy these wonders as much as I do. Read […]

Cardiac Testing And Treatment At Forefront Of Kincaid Wellness & Anti-Aging Program

by Dr. Rosa Kincaid, M.D.

I have been a vegetarian since 1973. I started because I truly believe that animal flesh would not benefit me physically or spiritually. There is no struggle in it for me and I have learned, over the years, to not be too pushy in suggesting that my patients go meat-free, forget […]

Cardiometabolic Health – The Functional Medicine Way

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

An estimated 47 million people in the U.S. are living with cardiometabolic disorders, putting them at an increased risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Risk factors include hypertension, high fasting blood sugar, abnormal lipids, abdominal fat, high triglycerides, lack of exercise and smoking. The more risk factors you […]

Care For the Places Around People You Love

By Malachi Rein, Building Energy Exchange Saint Louis Director

It might be an evolutionary defense mechanism in the heart of winter, before spring life, to celebrate love. Not against the weather, but the vitriol that builds up when people are cooped up together and at least one of them (me) has a hokey sense of humor. […]

Caring For Backyard Birds All Year Long

By Mitch Leachman
Executive Director
St. Louis Aububon Society

Most people think only of birdfeeders when it comes to helping support our backyard birds. While feeders do provide supplemental food nutrition for a variety of common bird species, water and shelter can be even more valuable to the birds. Further, native plants are an exciting and sustainable way […]

Caring For Your Pets While You Are Gone

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

August is a common time for families to attempt a final vacation prior the coming school season. People call our clinic asking about boarding references again and again. It is important to educate pet owners to their options in caring for animals while they are gone.

One first option that I […]

Caring For Your Pets While You’re Away

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

August is a common time for families to attempt a final vacation prior to the coming school season. People call our clinic asking about boarding references again and again. It is important to educate pet owners to their options in caring for animals while they are gone.

One first option that I […]

Caring Solutions Helps Developmentally Disabled

Story by Sally Troutman Boyd

Here’s an interesting exercise: Do you know anyone—relative, friend, someone in your community or from your past—who has a developmental disability?

Chances are that you do.

A developmental disability is mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, head injury, autism, a learning disability related to a brain dysfunction or any other mental or physical impairment […]

Cast Announced for North American Tour of Cats

The full cast was announced for the North American tour of CATS that includes a stop in St. Louis at the Fabulous Fox Theatre December 21 – January 2.

Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the record-breaking musical spectacular has captivated audiences in over 30 countries […]

Cat Clips — A Competition in Cuteness April 7

Animal House Cat Rescue and Adoption Center is thrilled to announce the return of Cat Clips – A Competition in Cuteness. Celebrating its 3rd year, Cat Clips, a film competition and fundraiser, will include a compilation of short cat videos which will be screened on Thursday, April 7, 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm at Third […]

Cataracts In Dogs

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in dogs. Visual impairment may be difficult for owners to assess. Dogs are able to compensate for vision loss from slowly progressive cataracts. They certainly compensate well with unilateral cataracts. The three most common types of cataracts we see in the dog are genetic, […]

Cats: That One Extra Life That Is Saving Lives

By Carrie M. Hilton, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Our great city is home to Tenth Life Cat Rescue, which is well-loved by the St. Louis animal community. A rescue dedicated to helping give felines with physical or emotional limitations another chance and does not slow these cats down at all from living their lives filled with […]

Cauliflower: A Culinary Captivator

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Although kale seems to have been the trendy “it” vegetable over the past few years, it may have some competition this year. Cauliflower is poised to become the next hip veggie in 2015, which is fantastic considering the plethora of health benefits it provides. Cauliflower […]

CBD Oil Hits the Shelves at Dierbergs

On June 3, 2019 Dierbergs Markets announced that hemp-derived CBD Oil products are now available at all 25 Dierbergs locations.

CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is one of 100-plus naturally occurring phyto-cannabinoids found in hemp and all cannabis plant strains. While scientific research on its medicinal qualities is still in its infancy, there is mounting consumer interest […]

CBD Relieves Pain, Reduces Inflammation, Promotes Relaxation

By Tiffanie Jones, ND

CBD (cannabidiol) is found to reduce inflammation in the body, which takes pressure off nerves, and helps to relieve pain. Cannabidiol is one of over a hundred cannabinoids found in cannabis and is legal in all 50 states because it is derived from industrial hemp that contains less than 0.3% THC. It […]

Celebrate Earth By Re-engaging With It And Become More Aware Of Your Surroundings

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

There is much that we can learn from our planet. In fact, our senses are the practical ways by which we interpret the world around us. This body language is integral to our survival as a species on this planet that we call Earth. Consider the amount to which we override […]

Celebrate Earth Day Every Day!

By Crystal Stevens

Eat local, organic and seasonal fruits and vegetables – know your farmer! 

Join a CSA Farm.

Shop at your local farmers market regularly.

Grow a garden. Try growing and preserving at least 25% of your own food. Growing a garden can be super easy and highly rewarding. Container gardening is an option for those who lack […]

Celebrate Earth Day with the City of Sunset Hills

Saturday, April 16 come for FREE FAMILY FUN! Join in on celebrating the beauty of nature at a family fun event for all ages! The celebration kicks off at 9:30 am on Saturday April 16, 2015 and will be held at the Sunset Hills Community Center, 3915 South Lindbergh.

As in prior years, the Earth Day […]

Celebrate Earth Day with the City of Sunset Hills April 8

Saturday, April 8 come for FREE FAMILY FUN! Join in on celebrating the beauty of nature at a family fun event for all ages! The celebration kicks off at 9:30 am on Saturday April 8, 2017 and will be held at the Sunset Hills Community Center, 3915 South Lindbergh.

As in prior years, the Earth Day […]

Celebrate Energy Efficiency Day By Taking A First Step!

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

One of my favorite days of the year is fast approaching – Energy Efficiency day is October 2nd!

Energy efficiency has a huge role to play as we work to meet our climate goals. The EPA estimates that the average building wastes about 30% of the energy it […]

Celebrate Family and Nature at Innsbrook

Fall has firmly settled in around us and the peace of the season can be felt in the crisp morning air, heard in the crunch of the leaves and seen in the wildlife preparing for winter. For more than four decades, St. Louis-area families have expressed their surprise and delight at the absolute serenity that […]

Celebrate International Compost Awareness Week May 3-9 With St. Louis Composting

St. Louis Composting invites you to join in celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), May 3-9, 2015. This year’s theme is “Be Loyal to Your Soil- Compost!” This fits in perfectly since 2015 is also the International Year of the Soils.

“Healthy soil is the foundation that ensures working farms and ranches become more productive, resilient […]

Celebrate Life on the River at the 16th Annual Mississippi Earthtones Festival Sept 17

The Mississippi Earthtones Festival, brought to you by Alton Main Street and the Sierra Club, is a celebration of our river through art, music, and conservation which is held every 3rd Saturday in September. 

On September 17, 2022 from Noon-10pm, the two non-profits will offer family-friendly activities and festival goers will enjoy artist booths and live […]

Celebrate Missouri Trees During Arbor Days in April

Conservation Department Encourages Missourians to Plant Native Trees

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds Missourians that trees and forests throughout the state are valuable to our health, communities, economy, and environment. MDC encourages Missourians to celebrate the value of Missouri trees and forests on Arbor Days in April by planting native trees and practicing proper […]

Celebrate Missouri trees with MDC through Arbor Days in April

Photo Caption: Celebrate the value of Missouri trees and forests during Arbor Days in April by planting native trees and practicing proper tree care. Missouri’s official state tree, the native flowering dogwood, presents boughs of white flower clusters in the spring. Learn more from the MDC online Field Guide at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/flowering-dogwood.

Celebrate the value of Missouri […]

Celebrate Spring During “Meet Me Outdoors in St. Louis”

April 2-3 At The Missouri Botanical Garden

Kick-off spring and celebrate the Missouri Botanical Garden’s seasonal openings during the “Meet Me Outdoors in St. Louis” weekend April 2-3. Activities include the seasonal reopenings of the Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden, Tower Grove House, Café Flora and tram rides. The newly renovated Brookings Exploration Center and the […]

Celebrate Sustainability on Saturday, October 23, at the Green Curbside Hop

earthday365 honors The Grove as St. Louis’ fourth Green Dining District, welcomes guests to enjoy food and beverages  

The sustainability nonprofit earthday365 is delighted to announce The Grove as St. Louis’ newest Green Dining District! In celebration of The Grove Community Improvement District’s commitment to planet-friendly practices, earthday365 is hosting its second Green Curbside Hop on Saturday, October […]

Celebrating 30 Years Of St. Louis Earth Day

Events Include: Festival in Forest Park April 27-28,
Recycling Extravaganza April 7, Film Series, Earth Day Challenge

By Jen Myerscough, Executive Director St. Louis Earth Day

Spring has finally arrived in St. Louis! As nature begins to bare its colors, the sweet March breeze carries us into annual Earth Day festivities, where the entire month of April signifies […]

Celebrating Bold Moves: Essential Health and Wellness Opens In Crestwood

by Kate Lamprich

On November 15, 2021, Essential Health and Wellness opened our doors to the community for the first time; arising from the ashes of other businesses during the uncertain times of a worldwide pandemic, to serve as a beacon of hope for the community. The therapists at Essential Health and Wellness are dedicated to […]

Celebrating Major Milestones in the Fight For Cleaner Air in St. Louis

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

2019 is a milestone year for three local entities playing a significant role in raising awareness about all the ways people can reduce emissions to help keep the air quality in healthy ranges – making the great communities in the St. Louis region even better places to live, work […]

Celebration of Blossoms

By Linda Wiggen KraftHealthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Spring is different this year. The greening and blossoming of plants are much the same, but we are different. Life feels more precious. This spring brings much joy and gratitude along with deeper sorrow from this hopefully ending year+ of pandemic. It is a solemn year to […]

Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

News stories have downplayed the significance of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), even suggesting that it does not exist. But there is a growing body of evidence that is proving that gluten intolerance is not only real, but there is little doubt among those familiar with the scientific literature that NCGS can […]

Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

News stories have downplayed the significance of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), even suggesting that it does not exist. But there is a growing body of evidence that is proving that gluten intolerance is not only real, but there is little doubt among those familiar with the scientific literature that NCGS can […]

Challenging Work

by Barbara O’Brien, Ph.D.
Developmental Psychologist

Parents often think about what they want for their child, what they want their child to become, and what they can do to foster a happy and healthy child. When I think of what I want for my children it is based on how I want them to continue approaching […]

Change is Within Us

By Brandon Verhoff, Ph.D., USGBC-Missouri Gateway Education Committee Chair 

If 2020 has taught us anything, change is within us. While we all have stayed relatively still in our homes, we have rapidly changed and adapted. Change is not an easy thing to do, change requires new beliefs, new processes, new commitments, and new ways of evaluating […]

Change The World, Start with LED Bulbs

Article Provided by Nick Frisella, Metro Lighting

According to ENERGY STAR the average U.S. household has more than 40 sockets for light bulbs. LED bulbs use 80-90% less energy than incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs also create 80-90% less heat than incandescent which means they are safer to operate and can lower your cooling bill in the […]

CHARIS to Perform November 18 & 19

CHARIS, The St. Louis Women’s Chorus, will perform Censored: Banned Books and Forbidden Stories on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at 7:00 pm and Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 3:00 pm at Kirkwood High School Theatre, 801 West Essex Avenue, St. Louis, MO. 

Censored: Banned Books and Forbidden Stories highlights books on the American Library Association (ALA) […]

Chauvin Coffee Roasters Since 1930

Chauvin Coffee continues a tradition of coffee roasting in Saint Louis, Missouri. Until the mid 1920’s, Saint Louis was the largest coffee roasting city in the world, with over 75 major coffee roasting plants.

In the 1800’s coffee was brought up the Mississippi River by steamboats from New Orleans. Brokers and roasters would purchase the coffee […]

Checking the Mail

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

As usual, I’ve waited till the last minute to decide what to write about but, at least this time, I feel like I have an excuse. It was just last month that I left my two part-time jobs for a full-time job. Of course, I could have used my […]

Checks and Balances

by Rosa Kincaid, M.D.

Sometimes I can tell if a woman is having a “hormone problem” when she walks through the door. Often she will be crying in the waiting room or appear to be disheveled or “out of it”. The term “hormone imbalance,” usually conjures up images of old ladies with hot flashes and […]

Cheers to 35 Years

Young Friends of Operation Food Search Host Wine Tasting Celebration September 26

By Karen Klaus,
Director of Development
Operation Food Search

Join the Young Friends of Operation Food Search as they host “Cheers to 35 Years,” an anniversary wine tasting event (with beer for those who prefer hops to grapes) from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, September […]

Chiropractic Care for Everyone

Revival Health and Wellness, nestled in the picturesque town of Fenton, Missouri, stands as a beacon of holistic well-being and rejuvenation. With its serene ambience and comprehensive approach to health, Revival has become a haven for those seeking to achieve optimal wellness in mind, body, and spirit.

At the heart of Revival’s philosophy is the belief […]

Chocolate Beet Brownies

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

1/2 C. Cooked, puréed beets (about 2 small roasted)

1/3 C. Chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate bars/melts

1/3 C. Unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 1/2 C. GF flour (oat or almond recommended), or all-purpose flour

1/2 C. Unsweetened applesauce 

1/4 C. Maple syrup, Honey, Agave nectar, or coconut […]

Cholesterol and Fat Always Get a Bad Wrap: But They’re Essential for Life and as Simple as Math

By Jon Patrick Frieda,
Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Neels Pharmacy

The food that we eat on a daily basis is essential for sustaining life. As elementary as this sounds, food is arguably the main substance that we put into our body through our mouths over a long period of time, our lifetime. We begin […]

Choose Native Landscaping

By Crystal Stevens

One of the images that come to mind in the summer is a freshly mowed lawn with beautiful landscaping. Unfortunately, most landscape companies are not practicing sustainable techniques. With over 300,000 residents in St. Louis alone, non sustainable front and back yards can truly leave a negative carbon foot print. Pesticide and herbicide […]

Christine Ilewski

By Christine Ilewskiwww.chrisilewski.comwww.facesnotforgotten.org

This body of work began before Covid, a loose freedom and joy of expression; flowers in my backyard against the river twinkling at a distance. I wanted an escape from the somber heaviness of the portraits in the Faces Not Forgotten project and the serious traumas of two detached retinas. Then the pandemic hit, […]

Christmas Poem

By Deb Powell

Who doesn’t know that Christmas is,The best time of the year.There’s lots of stuff, and healthy food,And most of all, good cheer!

The parents have the best time tho,They get to do so much.They have to be both Mom and Dad,Then be Santa Clause as such.

Especially Mom who does the most,It’s like she is, […]

Christmas Tree & Holiday Lights Recycling

Christmas Tree Recycling **All trees must have tinsel, ornaments and lights removed.

 ** City recycling options: (city park sites subject to change with official announcement coming later this year.)

• St. Louis City Parks — free live Christmas tree dropoff — December 26th to January 8th

Forest Park: Lower Muny parking lot

 Carondelet Park: Grand & Holly Hills, area […]

Christmas Tree & Holiday Lights Recycling

Provided by the St Louis Jefferson Solid Waste Management District

Christmas Tree Recycling **All trees must have tinsel, ornaments and lights removed.

 ** City recycling options: (city park sites subject to change with official announcement coming later this year.)

• St. Louis City Parks — free live Christmas tree dropoff — December 26th to January 8th

Forest Park: Lower […]

Christmas Trees and String Lights

By Jasmin Acosta

December is the time of remembrance and taking the time to reflect on what the year has brought us along with what we are thankful for. The smell of gingerbread, candy canes, and hot chocolate while jolly Christmas songs are playing and seeing bright lights while hearing people laughing brings us joy since […]

Chronic Complications of COVID-19 – What Can you Do?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD.

Most people who get COVID-19 (coronavirus) recover completely within a few weeks. However, in some the symptoms may persist for months even when the initial case was mild. 

There is a growing body of evidence of persistent symptoms in all age groups – young and old. 

Most common symptoms include:

Fatigue not improved with […]

Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia are two conditions that are as fixable as they are debilitating. Most of us don’t learn how to manage our energy and bodies well. We use drugs – sugar, caffeine, alcohol, adrenalin, or worse – to manage our energy and moods. Most of us don’t connect our […]

Citizens for Modern Transit’s Great Race II Demonstrates Air Quality Benefits of Alternative Transportation Modes

Article courtesy of the St. Louis
Regional Clean Air Partnership

In May, the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership sponsored and participated in Citizens for Modern Transit’s Great Race II event, a unique competition placing four teams – TRANSIT, BIKE, CARSHARE and CARPOOL – in a head-to-head battle to raise awareness about the viable alternative transportation options […]

City House Country Mouse Flourishes, Expands To Brick & Mortar Storefront

Open house August 16-18 will celebrate its new digs and a new style of flower shop

What began in 2012 with one woman starting a flower and garden venture out of her home has grown enough to transplant into a brick and mortar storefront this August on The Hill in St. Louis city. City House Country […]

City Of Chesterfield & Parkway Schools To Host 23rd Annual Earth Day Festival

Entertainment, Recycling & Eco-Friendly Products Available

Start making plans now to attend the 23rdAnnual Earth Day event in Chesterfield to be held at Parkway West High School. The Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment will host the event on Saturday, April 26 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Festival will be at the Parkway West […]

City of Chesterfield Celebrates 25th Annual Earth Day Festival April 30 at Chesterfield Mall

The Chesterfield Earth Day Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! This festival is one of the region’s largest Earth Day events and offers a convenient recycling drive-thru, eco-friendly and up-cycled products, information exhibits, plus cultural entertainment! The Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment will host the 25th Chesterfield Earth Day Festival on Saturday, […]

City of Chesterfield Celebrates 26th Annual Earth Day Festival April 29 at Chesterfield Mall

The Chesterfield Earth Day Festival is celebrating its 26th anniversary this year! This festival is one of the region’s largest Earth Day events and offers a convenient recycling drive-thru, eco-friendly and up-cycled products, information exhibits, plus cultural entertainment! The Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment will host the 26th Chesterfield Earth Day Festival on Saturday, […]

City of Chesterfield to Host Earth Day Festival

Drive-Thru Recycling, Entertainment and Eco-Friendly Products and Information

The Chesterfield Earth Day Festival is one of the region’s largest Earth Day events and offers a convenient recycling drive-thru, eco-friendly and up-cycled products, information exhibits, plus cultural music and dance performances! The Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment will host the Chesterfield Earth Day Festival on Saturday, […]

City of Clayton Demonstrates How Municipalities Can Go Green

Article courtesy of the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

Nationwide, as communities look for ways to reduce their environmental footprint, the City of Clayton is serving as a model for municipalities in the St. Louis region.

Clayton’s efforts to go green began in 1997 when the city established its Ecology and Environmental Awareness Committee (EEAC), a […]

City of St. Louis Awarded American Cities Climate Challenge Grant

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

I don’t know about you, but I have been ready for some good news. And a few weeks ago, we got some!

The City of St. Louis has been selected for an American Cities Climate Challenge Grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. As one of 20 winning cities, St. Louis […]

City of Sunset Hills Celebrates Earth Day April 18

In Partnership with GO (Green Objectives)

On Saturday April 18, just before Earth Day, The City of Sunset Hills is honoring our environment in partnership with GO (Green Objectives).

FREE FAMILY FUN! Join in on celebrating the beauty of nature at a family fun event for all ages! The Celebration kicks off at 10:00 am on Saturday […]

Clean Air for All

By Sophie Watterson

Communities across Missouri are impacted by air pollution: whether poor air quality is driving up asthma rates or the odors from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) are driving down property values. We know the importance of clean air, and yet we have shockingly little information about what we’re breathing. There are 63 […]

Clean It Up: The 11 Toxins to Avoid

By Kris Ash

Toxic ingredients in our soaps? Seems hard to imagine, and yet with the FDA minimally regulating the cosmetic/skincare industry, companies are putting a plethora of ingredients in our cleansing products that are proving to be natural irritants, disruptors to our hormone & endocrine systems, and even carcinogenic. It’s not a wonder that people […]

Clearing the Way at a Historic African American Cemetery

By Josh Valeri, InternMissouri Coalition For The Environment

This summer, Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) will be working with the Greenwood Cemetery Preservation Association to help clear invasive bush honeysuckle plants from Greenwood Cemetery in Hillsdale, Missouri.

In recent years, volunteer teams have made much progress in uncovering graves at this historic cemetery through the removal […]

Climate Change Making It Harder to Breathe and Clean Up Ozone Air Pollution

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Scientific research done in recent years has added to the evidence that a changing climate is making it harder to protect human health. These health impacts are a concern for the future, but are also evident right now, as rising global temperatures and disruption of short- and long-term weather […]

Climate Change Theatre Action Brings Home the Impacts of a Changing World

By Robin Saidenburg,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Intern

Art has always been used as a way to highlight challenges that societies face, and make a commentary on social issues of the time. Music, pictures, paintings, and theater have the power to make people stop and think. One theater group in particular, That Uppity Theater Company, has done this […]

Coalition of Local Home Care Companies Announce Plans For Job Opportunities For 1,000 Hospitality Workers

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc for thousands of workers who have lost their jobs, a coalition of four St. Louis area senior home care providers have banded together to promote plans to collectively hire and train more than 1,000 individuals from the hospitality and related sectors to become home health care providers over […]

Coalition Report

By Maisah Khan, MCE
Water Policy Coordinator
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment

www.moevnironment.org

Woe is WOTUS — Defending the Clean Water Act in Missouri

Imagine living in a state where you could jump into any river and know that the water was safe to swim in and the fish were safe to eat. What if we made it a 10-year […]

Coalition Report

By Heather Navarro, Executive Director
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

How Did We Get Here?

Woodstock, Tic Tacs, and the moon landing are just a few of the things that the year 1969 brought us. It was also the year Missouri Coalition for the Environment was started. I wasn’t there but I can imagine what it would have been […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith
Policy Director
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Protect Food Access for Missouri’s Struggling Families

Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) celebrates our 50th anniversary of defending Missouri’s people and their environment this year. One of our major programmatic areas includes advocating for the development of an equitable food system. An equitable food system preserves the integrity of […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith
Policy Director
Coalition for the Environment

www.moenviron.org

Environmental Debrief on the 2019 Legislative Session

The right to clean water, healthy food access, and public land are a few of the environmental and social justice issues Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) has worked on during our 50 years of service to the state. Of elected officials at […]

Coalition Report

By Kayla Boschert, Intern
Coalition for the Environment

www.moenviron.org

Enriching Soil Through Food Waste

Summer meals mean BBQ, and all the seasonal dishes such as corn on the cob, tomatoes, potato salad, beans, salad, and fresh fruit. People often fill their plates with more food than they can possibly consume, and cleaning up afterward presents a more analytical approach […]

Coalition Report

By Jenn DeRose,
Known & Grown Manager
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Known & Grown STL Makes Ethical Eating Easier

Agriculture can have an outsized impact on our environment, especially soil, water, and air quality – which is why MCE created a Food and Farm team devoted to supporting farmers who are committed to sustainable practices. For nearly five years, […]

Coalition Report

Melissa Vatterott,
Food & Farm Director
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act: An Important Bill for Children’s Health and Local Farmers

Federal child nutrition programs are important investments in the health and development of children across the United States. You may be surprised to know that these programs are also great opportunities for small-scale, environmentally-responsible farmers to […]

Coalition Report

By Gabriella Simoneit, Community Engagement Asst.
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Environmental Racism in My Community

When I think of community, I think of home. Home is a safe comfortable place to spend time with family and friends. A place to sleep, eat and live. It is being able to sit on the porch and soak up the sun. […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith, Policy Director
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

April 22, 2020: Mass Mobilization for Climate Action In Jefferson City

Next year marks 50 years since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. While we’ve made progress on several fronts, human activities remain a threat to ecosystems and the survival of species. Unfortunately, cleaner air and water […]

Coalition Report

By Laura Lock,Director of DevelopmentCoalition for the Environmentwww.moenviron.org

MCE Sues EPA to Protect Missouri Lakes & Human Health

On December 3, 2019, Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for not protecting Missouri lakes for recreation and drinking water use, and therefore not protecting human health. The EPA approved Governor Parson’s weak […]

Coalition Report

By Maisah Khan, Clean Water DirectorCoalition for the Environmentwww.moenviron.org

Floods, Floodplains, and FRAWG — Oh My

We have been busy tracking flooding response and floodplain developments at MCE. Last year was a devastating, destructive year when it came to flooding and extreme weather events in our state. It was the second-wettest year in the Missouri River basin since record-keeping […]

Coalition Report

By Maisah Khan, Clean water directorCoalition for the Environmentwww.moenviron.org

2020 Flooding Outlook

Last year was a devastating, destructive year when it came to flooding and extreme weather events. It was the second wettest year in the Missouri River basin since record-keeping began, and the river spent a record 279 days above flood stage. Now, as we look to […]

Coalition Report

By Heather Navarro,Executive DirectorCoalition for the Environmentwww.moenviron.org

Is There a Democracy if There Are No People?

The General Assembly finished their legislative session last month while their constituents hunkered down at home due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Our democracy hinges on the ability of the public to participate meaningfully. While there were important measures for the […]

Coalition Report

By the MCE TeamMissouri Coalition for the Environmentwww.moenviron.org

Systemic Racism in the Environmental Movement

When you think of the environmental movement, what kind of people spring to mind? You might think of a tree hugging, Earth Day celebrating, “natural” food eating, white person in a pair of Birkenstocks. If so, that makes a lot of sense — […]

Coalition Report

By Sophie Watterson, Agriculture Policy AssociateMissouri Coalition for the Environmentwww.moenviron.org

Factory Farms Threaten Missouri’s Health and Environment During COVID-19: Here’s What You Can Do

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) — often referred to as “factory farms” — are intensive livestock facilities that confine thousands of animals in warehouse-like barns without access to sunlight or pasture. In recent […]

Coalition Report

By Anna Weber, Missouri Coalition for the Environment’s Marketing & Communications internwww.moenviron.org

Known and Grown STL: Supporting Local Farmers

If you’re interested in helping the socio-economic and environmental well-being of your community, shopping for food locally is a great place to start. Known and Grown STL, a program of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE), on behalf […]

Coalition Report

Building A Better Food System

By Jenn DeRose,Known & Grown Manager, Missouri Coalition for the Environment

www.moenviron.org

Five things you can do to build a better system that protects our air, soil, and water.

1. Know your farmer. This is actually easier than it sounds, even during the pandemic. You can learn all about local farmers in our area […]

Coalition Report

By Jenn DeRose, Known & Grown Manager, Missouri Coalition for the Environmentwww.moenviron.org

Flipping The Bird At Factory Farms

If you eat meat, there’s a good chance that what you buy comes from a CAFO, or concentrated animal feeding operation —also known as a Factory Farm. Factory farmed animals are packed nose-to-tail in cramped quarters. They are pumped […]

Coalition Report

By Alicia Claire Lloyd
Clean Water Policy Coordinator,
Missouri Coalition For The Environment

Missouri’s Lawsuit Threatens Clean Water

No sooner had the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers finalized the Clean Water Protection Rule, did states’ attorneys generals start filing suit. The rule clarifies the definition of “waters of the US” — a clause at the […]

Coalition Report

By Brad Walker
Missouri Coalition
For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

This is a story about an unrelenting water project that should never have been approved.

The Missouri Bootheel, once one of the largest bottom land forests and wetlands (some call swamps) in the country, is home of the New Madrid Floodway. The Floodway is 133,000 acres and the first of a series […]

Coalition Report

By Heather Navarro
Executive Director, Missouri Coalition For The Environment

When Was The Last Time You Signed A Petition?

I spend a lot of time asking people to sign on to environmental campaigns, such as letters to the governor or the EPA. A lot of people ask me “Does it really matter?” That’s not the right question.

I understand […]

Coalition Report

By Melissa Vatterott,
Food and Farm Coordinator
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Giving Thanks for the Foodshed: Support Local Food, Farmers and Farmland

On Thanksgiving, friends and family gather to give thanks for good fortunes and to celebrate with plentiful food. The first Thanksgiving celebrated the Pilgrims’ first fall harvest. Today, most Thanksgiving celebrations involve football and […]

Coalition Report

By Caitlin Zera,
MCE Membership Specialist
Coalition For The Environment

It’s Not What You Give, It’s How You Give…

Purchasing gifts during the holidays introduces all kinds of dilemmas for the environmentally-conscious: is the item local, fair trade, organic? There are a few initiatives like “Giving Tuesday”and “Buy Nothing Day” which challenge the traditional holiday shopping habits of Black […]

Coalition Report

By Heather B. Navarro, Executive Director Coalition For The Environment

Counting Up 2016

It’s the new year and the counting begins again. As the calendar starts ticking away the days of 2016 we start counting other markers – inches of precipitation, tons of CO2 emitted, pounds of trash generated, and ER visits for air-borne illnesses. In January, […]

Coalition Report

By Alicia Claire Lloyd,
Clean Water Policy Coordinator,
Missouri Coalition For The Environment

Why is Meat So Cheap? The Hidden Health Costs of Megafarms

By February, many of us are well into our 2016 resolutions – often to get fit and eat healthier. In efforts to curb sugar and carbs and to ramp up protein intake, we check food […]

Coalition Report

By Haley Larson
Missouri Coalition for the Environment Intern
www.moenviron.org

Legislative Update: Help Stop Polluter Protection Bills & More

The 2016 legislative session ends in May. We are supporting local agriculture bills while opposing polluter protection bills and more. Senate Bill 894 will shield the owner of a nuisance from legal action if the owner is complying with a […]

Coalition Report

By Melissa Vatterott,
Food and Farm Coordinator
Missouri Coalition for the Environment

Food Hubs: A Tool for Building up Our Local Food Economy

Local food is rising in popularity as people learn to appreciate fresh, seasonal flavors. But how can we expand local food options beyond farmers markets and specialty displays at supermarkets? Food hubs are entities that […]

Coalition Report

Alicia Lloyd,
Clean Water Policy Coordinator
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

Summer’s here! Find out what you need to know about your watershed before diving in!

Summer brings sunshine, warmth, and ample opportunities to explore and enjoy Missouri’s bountiful waterways and lakes. As you’re making plans to get out on your favorite canoeing or swimming spot, it’s a great time […]

Coalition Report

Melissa Vatterott,
Food and Farm Coordinator, Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

Increasing Opportunities for Local Food Production in St. Louis

During the week of August 8th – 13th, the nation celebrated National Farmers Market Week. Farmers markets are a great resource for supporting local farmers and providing communities with access to locally grown food. When you buy from […]

Coalition Report

Alicia Lloyd, Clean Water Policy Coordinator,
Missouri Coalition for the Environment

Dead Zone Too Big To Measure?

Despite rampant nutrient pollution and toxic algae outbreaks in the Midwest and off the coast of Florida this summer, for the first time in 30 years, there will not be an official 2016 measurement of the Dead Zone in the Gulf […]

Coalition Report

Ed Smith, Policy Director,
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

Elections Have Consequences

The food you eat and the water you drink is impacted by the wheeling and dealing of lawmakers in Jefferson City. This played out in 2016 through two bills, both of which were vetoed by Governor Nixon and both of which were overridden by the […]

Coalition Report

By Heather Navarro,
Executive Director
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Our Planet Needs All Of Us Working Together in This Next Year

The world seems to be full of surprises. In the face of unexpected news we can either let it soak in slowly and take a wait-and-see approach, or we can take advantage of the cracks that radical change […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith,
Policy Director
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

Become A Lobbyist for Clean Water and a Healthy Planet

Protecting clean water, defending family farms, supporting renewable energy, and helping families near the smoldering and radioactive West Lake Landfill are some of Missouri Coalition for the Environment’s legislative priorities this year in Jefferson City. Unlimited campaign contributions during the […]

Coalition Report

By Heather B. Navarro, Executive Director
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

I’ll See You In Court!

In eighth grade I heard Robert Kennedy, Jr. speak about a law clinic he started to fight polluters. By that time in my life I knew I was an environmentalist. In junior high I was organizing recycling drives and telling anyone who […]

Coalition Report

By Alicia Lloyd,
Clean Water Policy Coordinator,
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Who is Responsible for Allowing Factory Farms to Pollute Our Air & Water?

Overseeing Missouri’s water-related activities, the Clean Water Commission is a 7 member, governor-appointed citizen’s board. Public representation on the Commission protects our water from being compromised by special interests, but that public […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith
Policy Director
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

Legislative Wrap-up: Attacks on Solar Industry Stopped & More

A major priority of the House of Representatives was to increase the cost of solar panels for no good reason. House Bill 340 was drafted to allow your electric provider to increase your fixed cost rate by up to 75% if […]

Coalition Report

By Melissa Vatterot
Food & Farm Coordinator
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

<h3>Urban Agriculture Policy Efforts are Moving Through City Hall in St. Louis</h3>

You may recall that last summer the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition, convened by MCE, sought your input on urban agriculture activities in St. Louis. You responded and we listened! We heard […]

Coalition Report

By Melissa Vatterot
Food & Farm Coordinator
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

New Policies in St. Louis are Supporting a Thriving, Local Food System

Through MCE’s work convening the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition, we have been working to advance a thriving, local, equitable, sustainable food system for our region and we just had our first policy victory on […]

Coalition Report

By Brad Walker,
with Aitan Groener and Chris Barnett
Missouri Coalition for the Environment

www.moenvironment.org

Environmentalism Requires A Working Democracy!

In the United States today corporations have all the rights of human beings, spending billions of dollars is equated to free speech; and as a consequence our environment is ignored and devalued. Three years ago a Princeton University study […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith
Policy Director,
Missouri Coalition
For The Environment
www.moenvironment.org

MCE Pushes & Succeeds at Advancing Government Transparency at West Lake Landfill

Government transparency is driven by the public’s right to know. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a vital tool MCE uses to request documents from the federal government related to its activities and our environment. MCE […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith,
Policy Director
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

EPA Proposes Partial Removal of Radioactivity at West Lake Landfill – Now for Public Comments

The Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) provides a guide for how to get involved in support of maximum radioactive removal at the West Lake Landfill now that the Environmental Protection Agency […]

Coalition Report

By Ally Siegler, Food and Environment Outreach VISTA
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Bridging the Food Gap

Food policy is environmental policy. And in food policy, there are often two main pools of advocates: those who support local farmers and those who support low-income communities. Farmer advocates want to see that farmers make a living wage in exchange […]

Coalition Report

By Melissa Vatterott
Food & Farm Coordinator
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

Local Healthy Food and Land Stewardship are Essential. Protect Family Farmers & Conservation
in the Farm Bill.

Food food policy means a healthy, fair, and sustainable food system from farm to fork. From farm to fork, our food system should be something we are proud […]

Coalition Report

By Melissa Vatterott,
Food and Farm Director Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

Do You Eat Food? Why The Farm Bill Matters & You Should Care!

The United States doesn’t grow enough fruits and vegetables to feed every American a healthy diet based on nutrition guidelines established by the Department of Agriculture. Every five years, Congress rewrites […]

Coalition Report

By Madeleine Ruwitch, Intern
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

Can We Click Our Way To A Healthy Planet?

In this day and age, it is pretty standard for my generation to care about environmental issues. We understand that climate change, deforestation, hazardous waste, and other threats are harmful to the Earth and to our wellbeing. People may define themselves […]

Coalition Report

By Rae Miller,
Local Food Coordinator
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

We Love LAMP!

I just came back from the Pacific Northwest where I was attending a conference of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). Members of the coalition come from around the country and include environmental organizations like ours as well as traditional farming groups. Together, we advocate […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith,
Policy Director
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

West Lake Landfill: EPA Signs Record of Decision & State Settles Smoldering Fire Lawsuit

For the first time ever, the federal government committed to remove radioactive waste at the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton. The landfill sits in the Missouri River floodplain, in a seismic zone, near a neighborhood, businesses, […]

Coalition Report

By Heather Navarro,
Executive Director,

Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

We CAN and we ARE making a difference! 2018 in Review

After the legislative session closed in May, MCE sent out a report. It was a pretty dismal session for the environment but the last six months have shown that the power still rests with the people. While […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Executive Director; Missouri Coalition For The Environment
www.moeniron.org

Summer: Here’s Your Chance to Get In

Stepping into a spring-fed stream on a Missouri summer day demands fortitude as hot skin meets icy cold water. Gasping for breath, easing into the water only prolongs the discomfort. Children have the right idea, just dive in. Ahhh. Seriously. […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Executive Director; Missouri Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

No More Naked Juice

With mailboxes bulging with campaign mail, robocalls ringing our phones, pollsters shrieking on Sunday morning talk shows, and candidates slinging mud on television ads, the last thing many of us want to talk about this fall is politics.

Instead, let’s talk about our […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Executive Director; Missouri Coalition For The Environment

St. Louis Needs You

If you were in charge of choosing where to put radioactive waste to minimize the risks of exposure to future generations, you’d be smart to avoid populated areas, major rivers that serve as drinking water sources like the Missouri River, risky floodplains, and […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Executive Director; Missouri Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Greed-topia Grows in the Dark

If a foreign government poisoned our food or water, we would consider it an act of hostility. However, if a foreign corporation did it, how would we respond? Currently we have laws governing food safety and water quality, but what if those […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Alpha Beta Gamma: Deadly Discrimination Against Females

Apha, beta, and gamma may be the scariest Greek letters on the planet for mothers and daughters.

Alpha, beta, and gamma are types of ionizing radiation released by radioactive materials. When the unstable atoms in radioactive materials fling electrons off, scientists […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Let’s Take Ownership for a Healthier Region: Two Top Ten Lists

Here’s what we know:
About 40,000 tons of radioactively contaminated nuclear weapons waste (Uranium-235, Thorium, Thallium, and dozens of other radionuclides) were dumped in the northern portion of the West Lake Landfill on St. Charles Rock […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Smell The Change

The first delicious smell this spring was the wild plum blossoms. Then came the honey locust trees whose fragrance was so strong their sweet scents wafted for a block. The shrubs bloomed next with lilac reminding us of grandmothers’ backyards. Then came the […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Radioactive Baby Tooth Survey Returns

While many areas of our region remain contaminated from our role in the purification of uranium for atomic weapons, our atomic history has another side too. We can celebrate a group of scientists at Washington University and community activists who launched […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Speak Loudly For The Voiceless

More than 60,000 miles of Missouri streams, wetlands, some lakes, and ponds are threatened. We’ve been waiting.

We’ve waited for 40 years while many of our waters have been ruined by urban and agricultural pollutants. We’ve waited 40 years while the frogs, […]

Coalition Report

MCE Green Onion Gala Set For Oct. 11

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Every fall, the Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) hosts an anniversary event at which we honor individuals and organizations that have made a positive difference for Missouri’s environment. In October, MCE will honor one individual and […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Active or Radioactive?

A catchy tune by Imagine Dragons has become the unofficial anthem for many of the activists in north St. Louis County who learned earlier this year that they live in the shadow of radioactive uranium wastes now threatened by a subsurface landfill fire. […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Many Hands Move Hearts

You, and the friends, allies and members of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment have carved 2013 into history. More than most years, 2013 arrived loaded with challenges: a subsurface landfill fire in a radioactive nuclear weapons waste site in north St. […]

Coalition Report

by Brad Walker
Big Rivers & Sustainability Director,
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Should Our Trade Policy Ensure Greed Trumps Good?

A new trade agreement that has been negotiated in secret for seven years called the Trans Pacific Partnership or TPP began to emerge out of the shadows last month. The few, leaked portions of the TPP have enraged citizens […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Policy Director,
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

TPP: Undermining a Healthy Planet

Last month Wikileaks released the draft of the “Environment Chapter” of the Trans Pacific Trade Partnership agreement (TPP). It has to be leaked because the TPP has been crafted by more than 600 corporate lobbyists working in secret with government officials negotiating with foreign […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Policy Director,
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

<h3>The Choice: Healthy Food / Healthy Planet
or Poisoned Food/Poisoned Planet</h3>

The US Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to several requests to increase the levels of pesticides allowed on and in our fruit, vegetables, spices, coffee, meat and dairy. In fact, the agency is continually deluged with such requests. EPA […]

Coalition Report

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Eating: A Delicious Political Act

In his essay, “The Pleasures of Eating,” Kentucky farmer and poet Wendell Berry declares that “eating is an agricultural act.”

He skewers the industrialized food system for the severed connections between eaters and their food, their food and the land. He makes […]

Coalition Report

by Ed Smith, Safe Energy Director
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Unprecedented Problems Requires New Leadership at West Lake Landfill

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found two new areas of previously unidentified radio-active material located at the smoldering and radioactive West Lake Landfill near Bridgeton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. The discovery occurred during work to build […]

Coalition Report

By Heather Navarro,
Executive Director Missouri Coalition for the Environment

Climate Change Hits Home For Missouri

For those of us in the middle of the country, climate change can seem remote and distant. Recent stories about the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet or submerged islands in the Pacific, for example, push the impacts of climate change […]

Coalition Report

By Lorin Crandall
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Cleaning Up The Clean Water Act

Have you ever wondered why we allow industrial dumping in some streams but not in others? Although we have a federal Clean Water Act and state water quality standards, we have had to rely on the courts to address controversy over which waters deserve […]

Coalition Report

Heather B. Navarro,
Executive Director, Missouri Coalition for the Environment

Creating a Legacy at the Ballot Box

In 1969, a year when we were watching humans land on the moon, there was a dedicated group of people focused on the future of planet Earth. Faced with the increased spraying of pesticides, industrial development in our floodplains, and the […]

Coalition Report

Brad Walker, Big Rivers Director
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Troubles on the Missouri River

Millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on the Missouri River to construct massive dams upstream and to shorten, straighten, and narrow the lower portion for barge traffic and agricultural use. However, this investment is not reaping the public benefits we often hear […]

Coalition Report

Chris Burnette,Climate Organizer
Missouri Coalition
for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

A First Step Against Climate Change

Climate change has led to a loss in life, property, and economic stability. We are seeing increasingly severe flooding, wildfires, and drought, as well as troubling rates of asthma and other health problems related to climate change and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In 2012, Missouri […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

2003 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Talks West Lake Landfill

In 1980, Lois Gibbs and her neighbors took Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials captive to gain the attention of then President Jimmy Carter for a complete buyout of their community after discovering it was built on top of a chemical waste dump. […]

Coalition Report

By Heather B. Navarro
Executive Director
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

A True Believer In Climate Change

UNAVUT, CANADA – Work just finished on the first LEED certified structure in the North Pole and not a day too early. Business as usual in the North Pole was interrupted early this morning when the northwest corner of Santa’s workshop sunk 6 […]

Coalition Report

By Heather B. Navarro
Executive Director
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Bracing for Impact: Justice, Health & the Environment

The new year always seems to start off with a big, deep breath, like the kind you take as a car on a roller coaster reaches the peak and hangs for a moment before barreling down the track. If those first […]

Coalition Report

By Heather B. Navarro
Executive Director,
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

The Confluence of Food, Health & Farming

Nutritionists fighting obesity know it. Local farmers preparing the soil know it. And environmentalists studying water quality know it. The “what,” “where,” and “how” of our food has big impacts. Eating locally grown fruits and vegetables and locally raised beef, pork, and […]

Coalition Report

By Melissa Vatterott,
MCE Food & Farm Coordinator
Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

The Foodshed: Where Farmers, Foodies & Environmentalists Come Together

When we take a look at our “Foodshed,” the 100 mile radius around St. Louis, nearly half a million people or 12% of the Foodshed population live in areas of limited healthy food access. For those individuals, if […]

Coalition Report

By Ed Smith, Safe Energy Director,
Missouri Coalition For The Environment

www.moenviron.org

Smoldering and Radioactive West Lake Landfill Update

A smoldering fire is burning at the West Lake Landfill Superfund site in St. Louis County and has been since 2010 with no end in sight. People who live around the site have been concerned for years about how […]

Coalition Report

By Alicia Claire Lloyd,
Clean Water Policy Coordinator
Missouri Coalition
For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

It’s All Connected: Pollution in Small Streams Leads to Big Problems

Missouri is a river rich state. From “the Big Muddy” Missouri River to the nationally designated “Wild and Scenic” Eleven Point River, Missouri is home to extremely valuable water resources for industry, agriculture, swimming, fishing, and […]

Coalition Report

By Heather Navarro
Executive Director
Missouri Coalition For The Environment

Leave A Legacy With Your Voice

Not everyone can purchase land in large quantities to protect the environment like Leo Drey, one of MCE’s founders, did, but we can all share his foresight. If you have ever planted a tree you know it’s hard work to prepare the […]

Coalition Report: 50 Years of Earth Day — Rally in Jefferson City!

By Ed Smith, Policy Director Coalition for the Environmentwww.moenviron.org

Our country was able to adopt strong environmental protections after rivers were catching on fire because people like you showed up to rallies, voted and engaged in democratic processes. Join hundreds of Missourians from throughout the state in Jefferson City on April 22nd, the 50th anniversary of Earth […]

Coalition Report: A Thank You To Our Members and Partners

By Anna Weber & Courtney Casteel, Missouri Coalition for the Environment

www.moenviron.org

Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) is a non-profit, independent environmental organization committed to educating, organizing and advocating in defense of Missouri’s people and their environment. Founded in 1969, MCE has been protecting the environment for over 50 years, working to sustain access to clean […]

Coalition Report: Choose Your Future

by Kathleen Logan Smith
Executive Director; Missouri Coalition
For The Environment
www.moenviron.org

Welcome to November, my digest edition. Soon the pandering and political mudslinging will be over. Your job this month: Choose. Decisions are made by those who show up, so show up.

In the elections, illuminate your choices about potential candidates by tracking who gives them […]

Coalition Report: Clean Water For All

By Heather Navarro, Executive Director
Coalition for the Environment

Without any fanfare an entire department of state government gave up its most basic functions of serving the environment and people and jumped into the pockets of private, for-profit interests. The mission of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had been pretty straightforward: … to protect our air, […]

Coalition Report: Could We Meet Harvey in St. Louis?

By Heather Navarro
Executive Director,
Missouri Coalition
For The Environment

www.moenvironment.org

Warmer oceans, epic rains, and unfettered sprawl are a few of the alleged perpetrators behind the damage caused in Houston by Hurricane Harvey. How would St. Louis hold up in a similar situation? Our region is no stranger to catastrophic flooding. Like Houston, much of our region is served […]

Coalition Report: Never Forget Flint

By Heather Navarro,
Executive Director Coalition For The Environment

The story of Flint, Michigan is not over and it is not one St. Louis can ignore. I am asked a lot of questions about Flint and what, if any, parallels there are to the drinking water in St. Louis. While I was very pleased to see that […]

Coalition Report: Pollution Prevention in an Age of COVID-19

By Sienna Tuinei, MCE InternCoalition for the Environment

www.moenviron.org

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 26 a temporary policy relaxing enforcement in reaction to the evolving COVID-19 crisis. While the EPA says the policy change does not give a license to pollute, it waives many reporting and testing requirements that alert the public to their exposure […]

Coalition Report: Resources To Help You Shop Local

By Chiamaka Chukwu

Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) is a nonpartisan nonprofit that focuses on advocating for clear water, clear air, clean energy, and a healthier environment. MCE supports allied organizations working towards the same goals while providing vital information to thousands of Missourians on issues that affect their water, air, food, health, and environment. 

One […]

Coalition Report: Smoldering and Radioactive West Lake Landfill Update

By Ed Smith,
Policy Director
Missouri Coalition for the Environment

A subsurface fire continues to smolder approximately 1,000 feet from known areas of radioactive wastes at the West Lake Landfill in St. Louis County. The St. Louis County Department of Health (DOH) is moving forward with a health survey for a randomly selected group of people who live […]

Coalition Report: Taking Action in Tough Times

By Caitlin Zera, education and outreach coordinator
Missouri Coalition For The Environment

It’s no secret that being involved in environmental issues can be overwhelming – especially in the current political landscape. From devastating disasters like intensified hurricanes and wildfires to the dismantling of the Clean Power Plan, it’s easy to feel discouraged, disempowered, and even disengaged. Even […]

Coalition Report: Voting Is Vital For Our Democracy

By Laura Lock, Development Director
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

As the November elections quickly approach, many news sources will emphasize the importance of voting. We’ve heard this message repeated many times over the years from countless diverse audiences. Why is this message conveyed to us with so much passion and conviction, over and over again? The […]

Coalition Report: Where The Rivers Run

By Maisah Khan
Water Policy Director
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

One of Missouri’s state slogans is “where the rivers run” for good reason. Our state is home to over 180,000 miles of rivers and streams. The Mighty Mississippi River forms our eastern border while the Missouri River runs through the heart of our state. And, just as these […]

COALITION REPORT: Where’s America’s Farm Bill?

The House Wants You to Eat in the Dark and Pay the Bill

by Kathleen Logan Smith, Executive Director; Missouri Coalition For The Environment

In this column, we’ve been learning more about the U.S. Farm Bill, the package of legislation that impacts our food system- what is grown, how it’s grown, and how much it costs us. […]

Coalition Report: Where’s The Hope

By Heather B. Navarro
Executive Director, Missouri Coalition for the Environment
www.moenvironment.org

I’ve been an environmentalist as long as I can remember. I know the term can turn some people off, but to me, it’s the only way I know to describe how fiercely committed I am to protecting our natural resources and the right for all people to […]

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

By Leigh Hendry, Healthy Planet Food Editor

As the days get cooler nothing warms you up like a nice bowl of soup and this is a perfect fall soup! It’s delicious and super easy to make.

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

½ yellow onion, finely chopped2 tbsp olive oil2 cans of pumpkin – 15 oz1 can of coconut milk […]

Collagen Anti-Aging Red Light Therapy

by Kathleen H. Christ, LMT, NCMBT

Breakthrough treatments in Red Light therapy were discovered and researched by NASA, Mayo Clinic, National Institutes of Health, and the US Military. Red Light Therapy is a safe, all-natural process that encourages the body to naturally produce enzymes, elastin fibers and collagen that support the skin’s structure. Numerous benefits are […]

Colon Hydrotherapy For Constipation

By Pat Bauer,
NP-C Nurse Practitioner

Constipation, everyone knows what it is but only those who suffer from it know the pain and discomfort it can cause. Constipation is generally described as having fewer than three bowel movements a week. Though occasional constipation is very common, some people experience chronic constipation that can interfere with their ability […]

Colon Hydrotherapy Helps Achieve Body’s Natural Balance

By Kate Lamprich, Colon Hydrotherapist, Foundation Level 1-ACT certified

Colon Hydrotherapy is a great way to support your body in maintaining homeostasis ( a stable internal environment). Our colon (or large intestines), are filled with a balance of good bacteria and yeast for the purpose of digesting and eliminating the waste from the foods that we […]

Colonial Village Strives To Be A Wellness-Focused Pharmacy

By Dr. Steve Zielinski, Pharm.D, FACA

became the owner of Colonial Village Pharmacy on April 1, 2016. As I transitioned from the Director of Pharmacy Services at CenterPointe Hospital to an entrepreneur, I was able to achieve one of my life long goals of owning a pharmacy. Within the first year, both doctor offices behind me […]

Color Me Red, Color Me Blue: Red Light and Methylene Blue Therapy May Save Your Life

By Simon Yu MD

The Color Spectrum Therapy has been known since ancient times for medical incurables but not well known in the chemistry based, pharmaceutical dominant Western Medicine. When in doubt, let the patients get out of the cave or out of the dark room and expose them to sunlight, or heliotherapy and cosmic rays. […]

Come Enjoy The First Weekend Of Autumn At The Natural Living Expo In Webster Groves Sept. 25

The Healthy Planet magazine is proud to host its 32nd Natural Living Expo, Sunday, Sept. 25, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves

“We are very excited to be hosting our 32nd expo in 19 years,” said J.B. Lester, Publisher of The Healthy Planet magazine. […]

Come on kids! Let’s make 2013 a great year for the animals!

by Suzanne K. Gassner

Do your resolutions include making the world a kinder place for all living creatures? If so, invite the kids to help. For the kids in your home, in your neighborhood or the kid in you, 2013 holds lots of possibilities when it comes to making a difference for animals. All it takes […]

Come Play With Us!

Photo Captions: Chris Shepherd and Harp WorkshopThe Soulard B3 Fest is on May 21st from 11:30AM to 7:30PM at the Soulard Market park, and features the 3 B’s – Blues, Brews and Bites – and some of the best blues acts in St. Louis, as well as an art village & art activities, a beer […]

Coming To Our Senses — Humans and Plants

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

The garden is where humans can experience life more fully. We do this through full engagement of our senses when we are outside surrounded by nature. We sense through our nervous system, plants have other ways of being aware. We share more of the experience of life with plants than often imagined […]

Community Works Together to Manage Feral Cat Population

Story & Photos by JB Lester

Photo caption #1 Litter of Feral Kittens #2 Feral Cat Release

In the summer of 2021, my wife Niki and I were sitting on our front porch in Webster Groves, enjoying a cool beverage. Suddenly we heard a faint sound. “Did you hear that?” Niki asked. “Yes, what the heck is […]

Compassion & The Art of Loving

By Crystal Stevens

“Life’s most persistent & urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”
— Martin Luther King Jr.

The world is in dire straits. Philosophers, prophets, educators, healers, scientists, activists, environmentalists, free thinkers, dreamers and the like have been trying to find pragmatic solutions to global epidemics for centuries. In all the searching, […]

Compassion Fatigue: The Silent Strain on Our Community Professionals

Compassion is a beautiful and essential quality that enables us to connect with others, show empathy, and provide support in times of need. However, the very strength of compassion can sometimes lead to an unexpected consequence: compassion fatigue. A state of emotional and physical exhaustion that occurs when caregivers and individuals in helping professions are […]

Compost: A Gardener’s Most Valuable Resource

By Crystal Stevens

Quality soil is the most vital aspect of growing organically! A healthy, living soil is the key to vigorous and healthy plants. Compost, vermicompost, and other organic soil additions can add nutrients to your soil, improving plant vitality.

As my husband Eric Stevens says, “Building healthy soil is the key to having optimal health […]

Compounding: Practicing the True Art of Pharmacy to Meet Individualized Patient Needs

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

The compounding of medications by pharmacists is a long standing and traditional part of pharmacy practice. Compounding is the art of mixing one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients to fill a physician’s prescription order. The compounding pharmacists and technicians at Neels Pharmacy work with clients and physicians in Missouri and Illinois […]

Confluence Zen Center STL

Confluence Zen Center STL (CZC) is a small Zen center that formed because a group of practitioners saw the need for a place in St. Louis where people could practice Zazen (meditation) together at least several times a week in a quiet, welcoming environment.

We practice in the Japanese Soto tradition that honors Shakyamuni Buddha as […]

Confused About Nutrition?

Learn The Answers Nov. 17 In St. Louis

By Hugh St. Onge
Nutritional Services Inc.

Many people are confused about nutrition! We see a report to “Eat this” and the next day another article that says “Don’t eat that; eat this.” How do we sort all this out so we can more easily shop for ourselves and our […]

Congratulations to Missouri and Illinois Green Schools Quest Winners!

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

Show-Me Green Schools has announced winners of the Green Schools Quest, a six-month low- or no-cost sustainability project with the support of a School Leader and a Mentor from the community. Students chose a project meaningful to them, and they were involved […]

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2017-18 Green Schools Quest!

By Hope Gribble,

Education and Green Schools Manager

Each year, USGBC- Missouri Gateway Chapter’s Green Schools Quest challenges public and private schools within the chapter’s territory (Missouri and Southern Illinois) to devise and implement a no or low-cost sustainability initiative over a six month period of time with the help of a Green Mentor. Participating schools […]

Connecting People, Places, and Planet

By Emily Andrews, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council

A new year holds a lot of promise and opportunity. It’s a chance to reflect, to set new intentions, or to recommit to a goal or practice. This year, your local Green Building Council is making a big change while also recommitting to our mission of making every […]

Conscious Sedation for the Biological Patient

By Michael Rehme, DDS, CCN
(Certified Clinical Nutritionist)

The modern day use of dental anesthesia has been effectively administered for over 50 years. Its purpose, of course, was to reduce or eliminate the painful effects associated with most dental procedures.

Local anesthetics such as lidocaine, polocaine, mepivicaine, septicaine and marcaine are routinely used in our office along with […]

Conservation Corner

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: The common buckeye butterfly perches on a blade of grass, ready to stare down a predator! Photo by Dan Zarlenga

Eyeing the Buckeye

Did you ever wish you had eyes in the back of your head? That would be nature’s ultimate backup camera! While we humans only have one […]

Conservation Corner

July: The Flower and the Firmament 

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation 

July is when the warm nights of summer tempt us to stay out a bit later, past our normal bedtimes, drawn to the spectacle of a starry sky. It’s also the month a star of a different kind comes out—prairie blazing star. 

The name “blazing […]

Conservation Corner

The August 2017 total solar eclipse created a 360 degree “sunset” at the iconic McBain Burr Oak tree near Columbia, Missouri.photo by Dan Zarlenga

Four Minutes of Night

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

An immense, cir-cular shadow moves over the land, blocking out the sun and reveal-ing the brightest stars. It creates a 360 degree sunset, […]

Conservation Corner

Captivated by Copperheads

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

August is the perfect month to say happy birthday to a copperhead. Copperheads are one of the few snake species in Missouri that are venomous. We call them venomous rather than poisonous since snakes can inject the harmful substance when they bite. Poisons are substances which are […]

Conservation Corner

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

September Is Nuts In Missouri

You didn’t really think nuts just came straight from a jar with a peanut guy on the label wearing a top hat and a monocle, did you? They actually come from trees. Maybe even trees in your own backyard or neighborhood. September is the beginning […]

CONSERVATION CORNER

November: A Blooming Ghost of Ice

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Would you think of November as an ideal time to go out and pick some flowers? It’s true that most flowers, the kind that produce vibrant colors of red, purple, yellow, or orange, are gone by this time of year. But there’s one kind […]

Conservation Corner

December: Who Cooks For You?

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

One might think that venturing outside into nature in the middle of a December night would be a recipe for solitude. The rhythmic pulsation of the insects we hear during the warmer months is now gone, and the cold, still air is quiet as a […]

Conservation Corner

Why is January the “Other” Fourth of July? 

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Most people focus their patriotic celebrations on the Fourth of July, when we light up the sky with spectacular displays of fireworks. But there’s a reason to celebrate patriotism in January too, and the sky even comes alive with a remarkable show […]

Conservation Corner

Nature’s Valentine: The Northern Cardinal

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

February is a time we celebrate love. Red is the theme, when red hearts, red candy, and red valentines abound. Nature gives us its own special flourish of red for Valentine’s Day in the form of the northern cardinal. These beautiful birds are common statewide […]

Conservation Corner

Small Frogs, Big Noises

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Being the third month of the year, March seems a fitting time to look at a special trio of outspoken amphibians. Actually, “listen” might be more appropriate since you’re much more likely to hear than see them.

One of the biggest delights in March is an evening […]

Conservation Corner

Dutchman’s Breeches, the Flower with Ants in its Pants

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Most people wouldn’t consider getting ants in their pants to be a good thing. In fact, it sounds downright uncomfortable. But there is a pair of pants flower that welcomes them because they help it reproduce.

One of the first spring flowers to […]

Conservation Corner

Lighting Bugs, Glowing Insects with a Dark Side

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

There’s something magical about seeing a mass of fireflies pulsing in a field. It’s almost as if a cluster of stars descended twinkling from the sky. Fireflies are a real treat starting as early as May. But did you know fireflies aren’t really […]

Conservation Corner

Stinger vs. the Jewel

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

This is the story of two plants: a nettle not to touch, and a weed you may want to.

If you spend time in summer exploring moist, thick, forests and lowlands, or along wooded creeks and streambanks, it might get you before you know it! Stinging nettle. 

The […]

Conservation Corner

Cacophony of Cicadas

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

You might already be hearing them. Unearthly whines, buzzes and rasps coming from the trees and shrubs around you. Maybe they sound like alien communications, or perhaps a synthesizer gone mad. No need to fear, they are just our yearly visitors, the annual cicadas. These insects may […]

Conservation Corner

A Snap Chat on Snapping Turtles

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Snapping turtles can get a bit snippy sometimes. They used to be referred to as the “common snapping turtle”. More recently though, scientists prefer to call them simply “snapping turtles”. But that’s not what snapping turtles get snippy about.

These turtles live throughout Missouri and […]

CONSERVATION CORNER

Don’t Let Ticks Tick You Off

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Autumn is a great time to relish the outdoors in Missouri and discover nature. The Show-Me-State has so many great camping spots, hiking trails, fishing holes and float streams. And they’re perfect for enjoying as the weather cools and leaves begin to ignite with […]

Conservation Corner

Flight of American White Pelicans

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Look, up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. Or maybe it’s a little of both.

The American white pelican is a BIG bird. With an immense body of over five feet long and a massive wingspan up to nine feet, pelicans are among […]

Conservation Corner

Photo Caption: Woodcocks, also known as timberdoodles, energize open fields at night in early spring with their whimsical courtship sounds. 

February: The Wondrous, Whimsical Woodcock 

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation 

About the only thing stranger than how a timberdoodle looks, is the sounds it can make. Love makes one do strange things. 

The American woodcock, also known […]

Conservation Corner

Licensed to Trill

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: The calming trills of the eastern American toad are Nature’s ultimate relaxation therapy. Photo by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Venture outdoors in spring and you can’t help but be dazzled by the sounds of Missouri’s amphibians. It’s their mating season, and males are doing […]

Conservation Corner: Missouri’s (almost) Official Christmas Tree

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Missouri’s official state tree is the flowering dogwood. But if the Show-Me State had an official Christmas tree, it might be the eastern red cedar. It’s one of the few evergreen trees native to Missouri.

The eastern red cedar is a small to medium-sized conifer that sports a dense body […]

Conservation Corner: A Fantastic Fungus

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: The morel mushroom is a fantastic fungus, but there’s more than meets the eye.  Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

There’s a saying that beauty is more than skin deep. It turns out the mysteries of nature can be more than surface deep too. That’s […]

Conservation Corner: A Mushroom That’s A Trick, Not a Treat

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

October is the essence of autumn. It also embodies the spirit of Halloween. And for many of us, there’s nothing more iconic to Halloween than the Jack-o’- lantern. But did you know there’s also a Jack-o’-lantern mushroom in Missouri? While pumpkins are edible, in the spirit of a spooky […]

Conservation Corner: A Tradition Transformed

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: Bird lovers of all ages can participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count. Photo by David Stonner, Missouri Department of Conservation.

Christmas was once not so merry for birds and wildlife. In 1800s America, a tradition developed called the “side hunt”. Each Christmas two teams, armed with rifles, […]

Conservation Corner: A Witch’s Magic Potion

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: Ozark witch-hazel blossoms, as if by magic, in the middle of winter.Photo by Jim Rathert, Missouri Department of Conservation

Leave it up to a plant called witch-hazel to bloom in the middle of winter, cure ailments, and find water by magic Ozark witch-hazel is a shrub that grows […]

CONSERVATION CORNER: Aflutter over Butterflies

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Many people consider the month of June the start of summer. Among the many pleasures the warm season brings is a flurry of butterflies. We all admire these graceful, colorful insects, but with butterflies the beauty is more than scale-deep. There are some fascinating facts hidden under those flashy […]

Conservation Corner: As the World Terns

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: A Caspian tern, a member of a worldly species, flies over a Missouri wetland. Photo courtesy the Missouri Department of Conservation.

During the month of September, Missouri skies see many avian visitors pass by on their autumn migration paths. There is one particular bird that is especially cosmopolitan. […]

CONSERVATION CORNER: Bats – Seeing Things Differently

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: An eastern pipistrelle bat roosts in a cave. Bats are our nighttime allies, eating insects that would otherwise bother us.

Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

How cool would it be to be able to see sounds? What would they look like? What colors would they be? […]

CONSERVATION CORNER: Don’t Be A Smoothie For Chiggers!

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: Chiggers are definitely something you’ll want to watch out for when going outdoors in warm weather!

Artwork courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Believe it or not, chiggers really do have some good qualities. The adults never bother us. They don’t carry diseases. They don’t even suck blood. […]

Conservation Corner: Dragons that breathe fire of the Imagination

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: An adult eastern pond hawk dragonfly rests on a blade of grass.Photo credit: Dan Zarlenga

There truly are dragons in nature. Instead of breathing fire from their mouths like the creatures of myth, these “dragons” expel water from the rear ends.

If there’s an insect that is even […]

CONSERVATION CORNER: Fly-By-Night Birds

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: A flock of greater white-fronted geese takes flight in a wetland.Photo by Noppadol Paothong, Missouri Department of Conservation.

During November the sun’s rule gives way, and the darkness of night claims more and more hours of life’s daily cycle. Listen carefully in that darkness, and overhead it might […]

Conservation Corner: Forest Felines that are Spot-on

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: The bobcat is a most secretive forest feline. Photo by Noppadol Paothong, Missouri Dept. of Conservation

Many of us live with cats in our homes. The furry felines can make excellent human companions. But did you know there are native wild cats that live in the woods of […]

Conservation Corner: Freshwater Mussels, the Polite Parasites

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

During the heat of August, people often turn to a cool Missouri stream for relief. The calmly flowing waters provide welcome refreshment from the late summer sun. While there you might notice a very interesting aquatic critter that’s so shy that it never comes out of its shell. That […]

Conservation Corner: Ghost Pines of Christmases Past

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: A stand of shortleaf pines towers toward the sky. Photo by Noppadol Paothong, Missouri Department of Conservation.

Decorated evergreen trees in homes, offices, and stores are among the most conspicuous harbingers of the Christmas season. Favorites include spruces from Colorado, Douglas firs of the Northwest, or even Scotch […]

Conservation Corner: Hornet Origami

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Take a walk into the woods this time of year, and you’re likely to be greeted with leafless trees arrayed with bare, gangly, limbs. While some might see no need to look closer, if you do look, you might discover an amazing piece of natural paper art, rivaling the […]

Conservation Corner: It’s Snowing Geese!

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: Hundreds of thousands of snow geese can descend in winter wetlands like snow itself. Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

Sometimes it rains cats and dogs. Sometimes, it snows geese.

As one might guess, the snow goose gets its name from its brilliant white plumage. The tips […]

CONSERVATION CORNER: Kings of Carrion

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: The turkey vultures’appetite for dead things serves an important function for the living. Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

A lot of people consider the month of February to be the dead of winter. And while dead may not sound too good to us, it does […]

Conservation Corner: Missouri is Bullish on Bullfrogs

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

What if someone asked you what the official state amphibian of Missouri is? Would you be able to answer? Important information to know if you should ever find yourself in a game of Trivial Pursuit, or possibly answering the jackpot question on a TV gameshow.

Turns out the answer is […]

Conservation Corner: Missouri’s Top Banana

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: Pawpaws, freshly picked, ripe, and ready to eat. It’s Missouri’s Top Banana!Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

Did you know that you don’t have to travel to an exotic island to pick a fresh, tropical fruit? There’s one that grows right here in Missouri… and it’s […]

CONSERVATION CORNER: More Than Meets The Eye

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: Black-eyed Susans possess a beauty to bees and butterflies we humans will never see. Photo by Noppadol Paothong, Missouri Department of Conservation

As the month of July unfurls its warm and sunny days, it welcomes a parade of brilliant flowers. One of these is the black-eyed Susan. It’s […]

Conservation Corner: Moths—Not Pretty, but Pretty Important!

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: A moth hard at work pollinating the night away. Photo by Dan Zarlenga

Just because people go to sleep at night, doesn’t mean nature does. One of nature’s busiest nocturnal creatures of summer are the moths. You’d be forgiven if you were to mistake a moth for a […]

CONSERVATION CORNER: Perseus vs. Medusa

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: A beautiful freshwater jellyfish deploys its venomous tentacles.

Photo by Jim Rathert, Missouri Department of Conservation

According to ancient Greek mythology, there once existed a female creature known as the Medusa. It’s said she possessed the ability to instantly turn those who gazed upon her to stone, and that […]

Conservation Corner: Reptiles with RVs

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: Consider our fellow travelers and share the road this spring with these awesome reptiles, like this three-toed box turtle.

Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

May is the time when many of us start thinking about summer vacations. Some might even be planning to take to the […]

Conservation Corner: Showered with Gifts from the Sky

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the best of the year, and it peaks around August 12 this year. Photo by Dan Zarlenga

You can watch thousands of particles older than the Earth itself come to dramatic and fiery ends before your eyes. That’s essentially what […]

Conservation Corner: Snow Fleas  

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: Snow fleas are not really fleas at all, but actually springtails.

Photo from Flickr courtesy of Christa R. http://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z9F.

Do the cold weather and short days of January give you cabin fever? Are you itching to get outside? The next snowy day, scratch that itch to go out and […]

Conservation Corner: Something to Bear in Mind…

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: Bears are no longer just hanging out in the deep Ozarks—you could possibly see one in your area someday! Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Many people think of bears as only living deep in the remote Ozark forests of Missouri. And for a long time, […]

Conservation Corner: Spreading the Gospel of Spring

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: A Jack-in-the-pulpit spreads the gospel of spring throughout the forest. Photo courtesy the Missouri Department of Conservation

April is the time of year to spread the good word of nature. A visit to a nearby forest might seem to some like a religious experience. The miracle of life […]

Conservation Corner: Suspended Animation

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

We’ve seen the science fiction movies, the ones where the astronauts embark on a many-year mission through the galaxy. The travelers put themselves in a “cryochamber” and—using incredible technology—slip into suspended animation. Time and aging stop for them as they sleep their long voyage away.

In nature, cryogenic sleep is […]

Conservation Corner: The Armadillo’s Winning Hand

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 […]

Conservation Corner: The Avian Alarm Clock

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: The American robin is one of the most prominent singers in the springtime dawn chorus. Listen for their cheery songs among the early morning avian performers. Photo by Noppadol Paothong, Missouri Department of Conservation.

You can put away your alarm clocks for the next couple of months. Nature […]

Conservation Corner: The Bird That Could Have Won A War

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Most everyone anticipates a turkey on their table at Thanksgiving. The holiday wouldn’t be complete without it. But did you know wild turkeys are a common resident in Missouri’s forests and fields too? And according to Benjamin Franklin, they could have helped win the Revolutionary War.

Turkeys were once so […]

Conservation Corner: The Dawn of Spring

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: Vernal Equinox sunrise at Woodhenge, Cahokia Mounds Historic Site. Photo by Dan Zarlenga

March is a very special month; it’s when daytime triumphs over night.

You may have heard that spring officially begins on March 20. But what exactly is so special about that date?

We experience the change of […]

Conservation Corner: The Fox Says Happy New Year

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation 

We humans often ring in the New Year with a roar, whether it’s dropping a giant ball or a spectacular fireworks display. But if you listen closely on a cold January night, you could hear a much stranger sound welcoming in 2021. Perhaps an unusual barking; but it might […]

Conservation Corner: The Leaf that Winter Forgot

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: The leaf of the putty plant grows through winter, while its flowers (inset) bloom on a more conventional schedule in the spring.

Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

Green leaves growing in the middle of January? Impossible, right? Not so in the unusual world of nature. Take […]

Conservation Corner: The Northern Watersnake





and a Forked Tongue that Speaks True  

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: No, it’s not a copperhead . . . it’s a nonvenomous northern watersnake! Photo by Jim Rathert, Missouri Department of Conservation.

The term “speaking with a forked tongue” usually refers to someone who tells lies. Yet for a reptile like the […]

CONSERVATION CORNER: The Real Life Woody Woodpecker

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: The pileated woodpecker’s raucous calls and crested head inspired the classic cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker.

Image courtesy of Noppadol Paothong, Missouri Department of Conservation

One of the most recognized and popular cartoon characters of all time came from nature. Generations of children (and adults) have grown up hearing the […]

Conservation Corner: Those Fabulous Flying Squirrels

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo caption: A pair of southern flying squirrels seem ready to take off on a night flight.Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

Nothing says February like those fabulous flying squirrels. At least that’s the case if you’re a nocturnal nature lover.

Southern flying squirrels are the overnight shift workers […]

Conservation Corner: Traveling a Silk Road through the Sky

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation 

Photo Caption: Crab spiders, like this one, are among the amazing arachnids that can take to the air by the magic of “ballooning”. Photo by Dan Zarlenga

In the ancient world, travelers and merchants plied the Silk Road seeking silk and other valuable goods. But did you know there’s a […]

Conservation Corner: Winter Angel

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

(photo caption: A lunar halo, seen on a cold, January night.)Photo by Dan Zarlenga

Venture outside on a cold, clear January night, and you could have an encounter with a heavenly angel.

The moon is our faithful companion, both on Earth’s journey through space and as a nocturnal beacon for Earth’s […]

Conservation Corner: You Just Can’t Trust a Killdeer

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: What’s this killdeer up to? It could launch into an elaborate deception at any minute. Photo by Dan Zarlenga

Some creatures in nature are just plain deceptive. The killdeer is one of those types.

Killdeers are birds that belong to the group of shorebirds called plovers. Like most shorebirds, […]

Constipated Cats: A Common Conundrum

By Teresa Garden, DVM

My clients are often surprised to learn that constipation is a common problem in middle aged or older cats just as in people. How would you know if your cat is constipated? Symptoms are straining in the litter box, crying out in the box, or leaving hard pellets in the box or […]

Constipation and Acne: What’s the Connection?

by TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Symptoms like constipation and acne often occur simultaneously thanks to the gut-skin axis. While conventional medicine typically treats acne with a surface level approach, new research involving the gut-skin axis presents a functional medicine perspective in treating both constipation and acne.

What’s the Connection?

Constipation and acne are often symptoms of two root […]

Conversation Starters

Get your garden party off to a great start with these fun, sun-loving perennials.

By Abby Lapides

“What smells so delicious?”

Bring season long, non-stop color and spicy clove scent to your garden with ‘Georgia Peach Pie’ Pinks, Dianthus. You’ll adore this delight for its peachy-pink frilly blossoms with fascinating darker center halos of raspberry and apricot. They […]

Cook It Up Quick!

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

You are trying to eat healthy, but sometimes life can get in the way. However, it is possible to choose and prepare healthy, affordable, delicious meals in a snap. With a few simple tips, you can make sure you are enjoying nutritious food even when […]

Cool, Refreshing, & Easy Healthy Summer Snacks

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Summer is in full swing and the typical Midwest heat and humidity are back with a vengeance. During this sticky summer season, you probably don’t feel like firing up your stove to cook. Instead, why not whip up some of these cool, refreshing, and easy […]

Coping With Post Holiday Letdown

By Denise S. Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

My friends and I were talking the other day about what we liked most about the holidays. “The store windows are lit up and decorated.” “Listening to Christmas Carols.” “Buying gifts for people I care about.” “Surprising my grandchildren.” I would add “Getting together with friends and family”, “The […]

Core Vaccines: Why They Are So Important For Your Dog

By Teresa Garden, DVM 

Core vaccines are those that have been developed to protect dogs from diseases that are common and have relatively high morbidity and mortality. Core vaccines, such as Distemper, Parvo, and Adenovirus should be offered to all puppies at 9 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks of age. A booster is needed a […]

Cori Bush Headlined New Sustainability Awards at Earth Day Festival

Photo Caption: Jean Ponzi, local environmental leader and columnist for The Healthy Planet magazine.

Congresswoman Cori Bush was the featured speaker at the Opening Ceremony and Sustainability Awards at the St. Louis Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 23, at 1 pm. Organized by the local nonprofit earthday365, the Sustainability Awards highlighted achievements in sustainability over […]

Cornucopia Symbolizes Abundant & Bountiful Harvest

By Crystal Stevens

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the word cornucopia is derived from the Latin term cornucopiae, meaning horn of plenty. The cornucopia is revered as a symbol of bounty or abundance; it is typically described as a “curved goat’s horn overflowing with fruits and grains”. The cornucopia, emblematic of the bountiful harvest can actually […]

Coronavirus: A Functional Medicine Perspective

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Alot has been learned about COVID-19 since the onset. It is highly contagious and can mutate. It can be spread through asymptomatic individuals. 

Symptoms vary greatly. All body systems can be impacted resulting in respiratory, cardiovascular, immunological, kidney, liver, gastrointestinal, and neurological crises. Severity of the infection varies greatly from asymptomatic to […]

Coronavirus: A Functional Medicine Perspective

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Alot has been learned about COVID-19 since the onset. It is highly contagious and can be spread through asymptomatic individuals. Symptoms vary greatly. All body systems can be impacted resulting in respiratory, cardiovascular, immunological, kidney, liver, gastrointestinal, and neurological crises. Severity of the infection varies greatly from asymptomatic to life-threatening. 

Inflammation enhances […]

Cosmic Conciousness

by Kathleen H. Christ, LMT, NCMBT

A wearable non-invasive patch
A bridge from where you are to where you want to be –
Or temporary training wheels

A great shift has taken place in our universe recently, one that has been foretold by many of the world’s different philosophies and cultures. It is a shift of “ages” that is […]

Could Your Guts Be Leaky?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

(This is part 1 of a 2 part article. Part 2 will appear in the May edition of The Healthy Planet magazine)

Chances are you have heard of leaky gut, but you may not know exactly what it is. It sounds disgusting, right? While over 10,000 research articles have been written on the […]

Could Your Guts Be Leaky?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

(This is Part 2 of a 2 part article. Part 1 appeared in the April 2017 edition of the Healthy Planet magazine.)

In last month’s article, we discussed what leaky gut is and the wide-ranging signs and symptoms that could indicate you have a leaky gut. This month we’re going to explain […]

Counsel of Trees

Nature Wisdom
With Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

Rejuvenate yourself with a crisp walk in the early winter woods. As tree leaves blanket your path, awaken and fill all your senses. Ambling along a forest trail feeds the heart and soul. Be with a tree. Lean your back against its bark for a while. Be patient. Quiet your mind. […]

Cover Crops: A Cornerstone of Sustainable Farming

By Charlotte Renner

When farmers plant crops for harvest, sometimes the soil they grow on can pay the price. That’s why it’s environmentally responsible to utilize cover crops. 

Sohat is a cover crop? It’s a plant that helps keep soil healthy by slowing erosion and heaving, smothering weeds, controlling pests and keeping the soil in place.

A vast […]

Cover The Ground: Naturally

by Cindy Gilberg

Ground cover plantings can be tremendous problem-solvers, offering sustainable options to mowed lawn and pavement. Ground covers unify the scene by visually tying together different areas within a landscape, providing textural transitions from mowed lawn to other plantings. While most gardeners think of ground covers as low-growing perennials, the definition literally means plants […]

COVID – How Long are You Protected?

by Dr. Amy Davis, MD 

There is a lot of information and misinformation about COVID immunity from various sources. Much of the information has been speculative and emotional. People are confused as to who they can believe and are looking for better answers. I am frequently asked by my patients “How long am I protected after […]

COVID 19 – Long Haul Covid: Strategies for Support

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 […]

COVID 19 – Long Hauler’s Strategies for Support

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

COVID 19 and the problems that have arisen in the aftermath of even mild cases are confounding doctors across the country. Symptoms commonly include, fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath and poor endurance. Many other issues are being seen including joint and muscle pain, recurrent shingles, reactivation of mono, strokes, myocarditis, […]

COVID 19 – Long Hauler’s: Strategies for Support

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

COVID 19 and the problems that have arisen in the aftermath of even mild cases are confounding doctors across the country. Symptoms commonly include, fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath and poor endurance. Many other issues are being seen including joint and muscle pain, recurrent shingles, reactivation of mono, strokes, myocarditis, […]

Craft Beer Guide

Breweries

Alpha Brewing Company
14091 Washington Ave., St. Louis.

Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
One Busch Place, St. Louis.

Augusta Brewing Company
5521 Water Street, Augusta.

Buffalo Brewing Company
3100 Olive Street, St. Louis.

Cathedral Square Brewery
3914 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis.

Crown Valley Brewing Company
St. Genevieve, MO.

Exit #6 Brewery
5055 Highway North, St. Charles.

4 Hands Brewing Company
1220 8th Street, Saint Louis.

Granite City Food & Brewery
11411 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur.

Griesedieck […]

Craft Beer in St. Louis: The View From Behind The Bar

By Maureen Zegel

Tom Behnen has been selling beer in St. Louis for more than a decade. He talks beer history in compressed archeological terms to describe the craft beer movement. Layer upon layer, new beers arrived in the St. Louis market, he says, and the beer-drinking public responded with enthusiasm.

“You can see the evolution of […]

Cran “berry” Delightful!

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

Is the holiday season upon us already? The hint of peppermint mocha while pumpkin spice still lingers in the air, wafting over Black Friday deals and decorations in the aisles, indicates we are indeed! Soon meal planning, and prepping for Thanksgiving, and Friendsgiving gatherings will […]

Cranberry Cosmo Facial: Anti-aging & Skin Reparative Agent

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

With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, we would like to take the opportunity to rave about an unlikely skincare hero: the cranberry! In addition to being a staple dish on a standard Thanksgiving table, cranberries also have stellar skincare benefits that will noticeably improve your […]

Cranial Point Method Seminar May 3-5

By Kieran Burke, P.T.

This article is directed to healing arts professionals.

Most patients just want you to treat a symptom. For years, I spent long sessions discussing aches and pains, and then chasing them around the body. My work felt like an ongoing feud with my patients’ bodies and lifestyles.

Then, in 2008, I read an […]

Create an Awesome Brain – The Functional Medicine Way

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

I commonly hear these concerns from patients: “I can’t focus”, “I am so forgetful”, “I have brain frog”. If you are one of those people be assured there are solutions for you. Functional Medicine is perfect in this situation because it addresses the root cause of symptoms and can improve your […]

Creating a Garden for the Soul

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Gardens are not only about the landscape outside of our homes, they were also about the inner landscape of hearts, minds, bodies and souls. Gardens for the soul are created when there is a perfect match between a person’s soul and the soul of the garden. […]

Creating A Home For Fireflies / Lightning Bugs

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Fireflies and lightning bugs are two common names for a special kind of beetle that fills our summer evenings with their magic of bioluminescence. Their scientific name is lampyridae. One of the most special times of summer is when fireflies start their evening light show. Flickers of light fly through the air […]

Creating A Sustainable Future

By Hope Gribble,
Education & Green Schools Manager
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

Too often, we lose sight of the larger context of life, of the systems we are a part of and the implications our actions have upon people and the planet. It’s no wonder, with the constant influx of email, social media, and information at our fingertips […]

Creating an Equitable Pathway to a Sustainable St. Louis

By Maeve Elder, Communication & Outreach Coordinator at Missouri Gateway Green Building Council

For cities like St. Louis, a greenway project offers a unique opportunity to build pathways towards a sustainable future. Greenways provide well-known environmental and recreational benefits, but they can also generate a host of social and economic benefits. In addition to fostering ecological […]

Creating Christmas Ornaments And Memories To Treasure In Ferguson

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

It was an ordinary day in late September when I received an email… from an assistant in the Missouri Governor’s Office, asking me to design Missouri’s ornaments for the National Christmas Tree display in Washington, D.C. this holiday season.

It’s the fourth time I’ve been asked to take on this […]

Creating Moments of Joy for Older Adults

By Denise S. Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

I have a friend who, at 77 years of age, is afraid to retire. Its not that he has financial worries or insurance concerns; he’s afraid of boredom. He says “I don’t want to just sit in front of the TV”. Many people share my friend’s concerns and are […]

Creating Moments of Joy For Older Adults

By Denise S. Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

I have a friend who, at 77 years of age, is afraid to retire. It’s not that he has financial worries or insurance concerns; he’s afraid of boredom. He says “I don’t want to just sit in front of the TV”. Many people share my friend’s concerns and are […]

Creating Your Own Memories

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Memories are a window for us to relive the highlights of our life that have stuck out and have left an impact on us. The memories that we have can be made to provide us with the ability to look back onto the past and to see great moments […]

Creativity Abounds at the Jour de Fete in Ste. Genevieve

Are you looking for ideas for a daytrip or weekend outing that will get your creative juices flowing? With an array of craft vendors, captivating exhibits and rich French Colonial history, the Jour de Fete festival in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri could be exactly what you’re looking for. The 47th annual Jour de Fete is scheduled […]

Crispy Rice Paper Veggie Rolls with Quick Garlic Chili Oil

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

Fresh spring rolls are one of my many occasional go-to’s, yet sometimes I crave the crunchy, chewy satisfying goodness of crispy rolls. Whether hosting a Super Bowl party, Superb Owl party, or need a delicious hand-held healthy snack for movie or game night, Crispy Rice Paper Veggie Rolls are sure […]

Cryotherapy Triggers Body’s Natural Healing Response

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Whole Body CryoTherapy is the use of a brief and intense exposure to cold that triggers the body’s natural healing process. Originally developed to treat inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, it has been found to provide a wide range of benefits including sports recovery, improved resistance to stress, pain relief and […]

Culinary Cheer for a Healthy New Year

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

Photo: Zoodles with pesto and fresh mozzarella.

The new month, and new year tends to greet me with a bit of tranquility after the hustle and bustle of holiday fervor. I enjoy the decorations, music, generosity, and gratitude that is ushered in with the season, though it […]

Cultivating A Better Food System In 2013

by Danielle Nierenberg and Ellen Gustafson,
Food Tank: The Food Think Tank
www.FoodTank.org

As we start 2013, many people will be thinking about plans and promises to improve their diet and health. But we think a broader collection of farmers, policy-makers, and eaters need new, bigger resolutions for fixing the food system – real changes with long-term impacts […]

Cultivating Connections

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 […]

Cut Sodium To Cut Health Risks

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD

Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

It is no secret that Americans get way too much sodium in their diets. The recommendation for the maximum daily sodium intake is 2,300 mg (the amount in about one teaspoon of salt). People with diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, adults over 51 […]

DailyMed.com: Rx Resource EVERYONE Should Know!

By Diane K. Wilson

Below is an Rx health resource you should know about and use for personal health due diligence!You should be familiar with dailymed.com (vs drugs.com)Process:Go to DailyMed. Then type in the drug. Find the Packager/Mfg. CLICK “+VIEW MORE”.

Why DAILYMED?DAILYMED is mandatorily updated by registered submission for the National Library of Medicine. It will […]

Dare To Grow A Wild Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

I have a new hero in the world of loving and working with gardens, Mary Reynolds. She is an Irish garden designer whose new book and a movie based on her true fairytale story of winning a gold medal in 2002 at the world’s most prestigious garden show, the Chelsea Flower Show […]

Deadline May 1 To Become A Backyard Host At The Fifth Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour

Spring always returns and before you can say “late frost” it will be time for the Fifth Annual Sustainable Backyard Tour!

A grassroots event, the Sustainable Backyard Tour is a free, self-guided tour of organic yards and gardens throughout St. Louis city and county, taking place this year on Sunday, June 14th.

Sponsored in part by Slow […]

Deafness In Dogs

By Teresa Garden, DVM

It can be a source of great concern for most pet owners if they detect their pet may be hard of hearing or even deaf. In most cases the cause is either treatable or a normal part of the aging process. How do you know if your pet is experiencing hearing loss? […]

Dealing with Loss

By Dr. Gail Cloud

We all experience loss. Loss can be much more than the loss of a loved one, and a pet. Loss takes many forms. Any time we let go of something or someone, an old story, a friend or helper that has served their purpose in our lives, a house we loved, and […]

Death Certificate for the Unknown Cause: Acci-Dental Blow-Up in Medicine

By Simon Yu, MD

A request to sign the death certificate for my sixty-five year old patient, whom I had not seen in over two years, arrived on my desk. He lived out of town and apparently, he died in his sleep from the probable cause of a cardiovascular event. The mortuary in his town could […]

December Green Time Shows Discuss Health Care in a Global Environment

by Don Fitz

It is possible to provide health care much more cheaply and with vastly smaller environmental effects than the US does. Cuba is rapidly becoming a model of how to accomplish this on an international level. While guaranteeing free health care to all of its citizens, Cuba sends brigades throughout the world to […]

Decoding Food Cravings

By Stephanie Albanito, Founder of Full Circle Health Coaching Systems 

Traditionally, we think of food in terms of calories, which translate into our energy source. As a Health Coach, that is only one way I approach food. I would also like to propose the idea that all food has an energy polarity. What do I mean by polarity? […]

Deep Tissue Laser Therapy For Pain and Inflammation

One of the fastest growing treatments for pain management in the last decade has been cold laser therapy, not to be confused with surgical lasers which are used to cut and cauterize tissue. Cold lasers actual heal tissue not destroy. Cold laser therapy works by a process called photo-biostimulation. What this means is that light […]

Deep Tissue Laser Therapy for Pain and Inflammation

One of the fastest growing treatments for pain management in the last decade has been cold laser therapy, not to be confused with surgical lasers which are used to cut and cauterize tissue. Cold lasers actual heal tissue not destroy. Cold laser therapy works by a process called photo-biostimulation. What this means is that light […]

Deepening Our Commitment

By Jared Opsal, Executive Director, Missouri Coalition For The Environment

MCE has worked on nuclear and other hazardous waste issues throughout Missouri for decades, and recently we have been engaged with addressing the public health disaster at West Lake Landfill and Coldwater Creek. In partnership with Just Moms STL, we were successful in receiving a record of […]

Demonstrating the Value of Sustainable Landscapes

By Barbara Deutsch

Rooftops, streetscapes, and city parks offer indispensable recreation opportunities for urban residents. They also provide a host of other benefits such as mitigating the urban heat island effect, managing stormwater runoff, stimulating economic development, and – most importantly – contributing to public health and well-being. Yet investment in landscape elements is often cut […]

Dental Death Trap: Murder By Dentists

by Simon Yu, MD

July 2000, JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association) published shocking data that stated a total of 225,000 deaths per year occur from iatrogenic (doctor induced or treated) causes. This constitutes the third leading cause of death in the United States after deaths from heart disease and cancer.

Even more shocking data was published […]

Dental Ozone: Simple, Safe and Effective

By Michael Rehme, DDS, CCN (Certified Clinical Nutritionist)

As a dentist, working in the oral cavity can certainly create some interesting challenges. We are constantly fighting a battle with infections that are found in the soft tissue and/or the underlining bone structures. These infections can come from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Conventional methods have taught us […]

Dental Parasites, Fungal and Bacterial Infections: Dreaded Periodontal Surgery is like Oral What?!

By Simon Yu MD

Have you ever had periodontal surgery for gum disease? To see what Canadian dentist Murray Vimy calls it, see the full version of this article on my website. The initial oral surgery results appear favorable, but the benefits usually do not last very long unless you can correct the underlying problems. Dentists […]

Depression During Crisis

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

With the current state of affairs in the world, more and more people are suffering through their daily lives. Parents have more responsibility to help educate their children, and teens and young adults are more isolated from their friends. Not to mention the impact this has had on college-aged individuals looking […]

Designing an Accidental Cure: Simple Solution?

Creating Human Lab Rats for Better Response

By Simon Yu MD

Become a human lab rat and you may live longer. Would you like to know why? When I say become a rat, I meant a medical grade laboratory rat, not the stereotypical dirty, rotten scoundrel. If you don’t like the term human lab rat, you may […]

Destinations: Augusta Plein Air Art Festival in Missouri Wine Country April 20-30

The Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce is proud to celebrate the cultural heritage of historic wine country as it hosts the 15-year anniversary of the Augusta Plein Air Art Festival in Missouri Wine Country. The unique festival that attracts amateur and professional artists from across the country runs April 20-30, 2017. Art, wine and culture […]

DESTINATIONS: California Dreaming At The Mandalay Hotel & Beach Resort In Ventura County

by J.B. Lester
Publisher/Editor Healthy Planet magazine

My 85-year-old father-in-law loves four things, family, friends, work and golf. And even after being diagnosed with cancer more than a year ago, the resilient Kay Inaba still finds time for everything he loves.

My brother Bill and I recently flew out to the Los Angeles area to visit and play […]

DESTINATIONS: Grand Pacific Palisades, Torrey Pines, Aviara & Much More!

Story by J.B. Lester
Healthy Planet Editor/Publisher

San Diego, Carlsbad, La Jolla Area Is Great “Green” Adventure

From the beautifully landscaped patio area of the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort, we looked out over the Pacific Ocean into the warm late afternoon sun. Boats moved slowly across the water in all directions while the spout of a whale migrating […]

Destinations: Harbor Club South Haven Now I Know Why St. Louisans Love Michigan So Much!

by J.B. Lester
Healthy Planet Editor/Publisher

St. Louisans have a love affair with Michigan. Everyone knows someone who vacations in the Mitten State. Other than living in Grand Rapids when I was a toddler and a brief trip to Mackinaw Island in my early 20s, I had not really experienced what Michigan has to offer. So when […]

DESTINATIONS: Huntsville, Alabama Is A Real Blast of Southern Hospitality

by Leah O’Donnell, Healthy Planet Lifestyles Editor

Southern hospitality is alive and well in Huntsville, Alabama. My family set out for this incredible destination and visited the US Space & Rocket Center. Huntsville is a great place to go on a family vacation or to stay a few nights in route to a southern beach destination. […]

Detecting Dangerous Changes In The Body

by Linda Weber Spradling – Cht, CCT

Hopefully you already know that thermography is being used in conjunction with mammograms or ultrasounds for the earliest detection of breast cancer. However, you may not know that thermography is also a great tool in preventative care and early detection of many other medical conditions. A thermographic scan reveals […]

Deworming the Mummy in the Nile River: Forgotten Art of Preventive Medicine

By Simon Yu, MD

Here is an excerpt from my latest article, which I have retitled to capture your attention: 

l was in Egypt on a Nile river cruise in October. Our anthropology tour guide was describing not only ancient Egyptian history and monuments, but also frequent Nile River illness: an ancient curse of abdominal bloating, pain, […]

Dierbergs Now Offers CBD Oils & Grocery Pickup

CBD Oil Hits the Shelves at Dierbergs

Dierbergs Markets announced recently that hemp-derived CBD Oil products are now available at all 25 Dierbergs locations.

CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is one of 100-plus naturally occurring phyto-cannabinoids found in hemp and all cannabis plant strains. While scientific research on its medicinal qualities is still in its infancy, there is […]

Diet-Related Dilated Cardiomyopathy In Dogs

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a heart disease usually found only in certain breeds of dogs due to genetic risk factors. Breeds at risk for DCM are Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, Irish Wolfhounds, and Great Danes. Surprisingly, veterinary cardiologists from all over North America began seeing this disease in all types of dogs beginning […]

Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss and Longevity: It is Not as Complicated as You May Think

By Simon Yu, MD

Relax! My dietary recommendations have been updated and it is not complicated. Diet and Nutrition are the basic foundation for prevention, wellness and healing. A proper dietary program may help you lose weight and enhance longevity. So many dietary books are contradictory, confusing and illusive for many Americans. It is a […]

Digital X-rays for Biological Dentistry

By Michael Rehme, DDS, CCN (Certified Clinical Nutritionist)

Dentistry has witnessed some incredible advances over the years that have improved the ability of our profession to deliver a higher quality of care for our patients. Several examples include the air driven dental drill, light-cured composites for dental filling materials, and the intra-oral camera which offers the […]

Dine Under The Stars At Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Enjoy a Lavish, Full-Course Meal with Seasonal Produce and Family-Style Accompaniments from Bixby’s

Bixby’s, the beautiful restaurant on the second floor of the Missouri History Museum, offers a communal-dining experience at the 15th annual Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. On selects nights, guests can dine at a beautifully adorned community table and enjoy a full-course meal with […]

Dinner In The Garden

By Abby Lapides

Are you searching for ingredients for your next gourmet masterpiece? Look no further than your own back yard with these delectable delights.

‘Balsamic Blooms’ Basil. So gorgeous you’ll be torn whether to eat it or admire its beauty. Prepare yourself to get completely lost in its delicious minty flowers and spicy, sweet leaves. It […]

Disappearance of the Universe as We Know it for Cancer IAOMT Boston 2019 Dental Medical Conference

By Simon Yu, MD

Oral-dental diseases are among the most prevalent diseases globally and greatly reducing the quality of life for those affected. Can a dentist be a part of a medical-dental team to treat cancer or auto-immune disorders? Cancer may disappear after proper dental work along with antiparasitic, antibiotics and antifungal medications prescribed by a […]

Disappearance of the Universe as We Know It for WIMPs: What If Cancer Patient Doesn’t Really Have Cancer?

By Simon Yu, MD

In case you are not familiar with the history of our Universe, NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Spacecraft expedition in 2003 revealed vital information about our universe. The age of the universe is estimated at 13.7 billion years old. The universe is made-up of: 4 percent matters consisting of stars, planets […]

Disaster Preparedness: Are You Ready?

By Teresa Garden, DVM

A number of hurricanes and tornadoes have come and gone this past year. Left in the storms’ ruinous wake are shattered homes, businesses, and lives. Some will rebuild. Others will not or cannot. Could our brothers and sisters on the east coast have been better prepared for this freak-of-nature storm? Can we […]

Disconnect to Reconnect — Hiking in Northern Illinois

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

If we have MORE things, we’ll find MORE happiness. Right? That’s the ideology marketing experts sell us, and today’s world makes it all too easy for us adults, and our kids, to get caught up in that materialistic mindset. Call me sentimental, but experiences have always held more value […]

Discover how the Spirit of Gratitude can make life better at Powder Valley Nature Center program Feb. 9

Photo: Heather Feeler

This special free presentation will offer fun and practical ways to help attendees live their best lives.

Spending time in and with nature is a proven source of rejuvenation. The outdoors has a special way of bringing peace and erasing stress. In that same spirit, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is presenting a […]

Discover Nature with MDC through Eagle Days on your own Due to COVID-19

Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will not host Eagle Days events this year but encourages people to watch eagles on their own.

Did you know that thousands of bald eagles visit Missouri each winter and eagle watching in Missouri can be spectacular? From late December through early February, watch for eagles perched in large trees along […]

Discover Nature With Missouri Department of Conservation Eagle Days

Join wildlife watchers around the state to view our nation’s symbol in action.

Through February, Missouri’s winter eagle watching is spectacular. Discover nature with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) through Eagle Days events around the state, or enjoy eagle-viewing on your own.

Because of its big rivers, many lakes and expansive wetlands, Missouri is one of […]

DIY Sustainability

By Allison Macon,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Program Committee

Do you fret over the green house gasses released every morning when you drive your car to work? Do you mutter to yourself, “Geez! Why haven’t I set up my composting system yet?” while you grind valuable nutrients down the disposal? Have you experienced anguish while watering your garden with […]

Do These Essential Oils Work?

by Donna Langenbacher

It was the Saturday before Easter my son Craig and daughter Monica were riding horses. Because one them got his feet stuck in the mud while trying to climb the hill he bucked throwing Monica head first over the front of him. She remembered landing on her head and watching her feet coming […]

Do You Have A Coughing, Wheezing Cat?

By Teresa Garden, DVM

If you have a cat that is coughing or wheezing, your cat may have asthma. The preferred medical term is feline allergic bronchitis. It is a syndrome of reversible airway inflammation and narrowing. Asthma is often triggered by inhaled allergens. Sometimes the allergens can be identified. Often, they are not. Pollen allergies […]

Do You Have A Heart-Wall?

by Dorothy Tomasic, M.A.
Certified Emotion Code
and EPT Works Practitioner

Did you know that your heart beats 100,000 times every day? That’s more than 36 million times in a year! Daily your mighty heart sends 2,000 gallons of blood flowing through a network of 60,000 miles of blood vessels that feed your organs and tissues.
We now know […]

Do You Have Enough Energy For The Holidays?

By Dr. Steve Zielinski, Pharm.D, FACA

I know this isn’t something we’re always thinking about during the holidays, but maybe it’s time to charge up now before the holidays, the colds, and the in-laws get here.

All of our organs and systems in the body rely on energy to function properly. The energy used by our cells […]

Do you have medical equipment that is not being used? Do you need medical equipment? Now there is HELP…

St. Louis HELP (Health Equipment Lending Program) accepts donations of manual wheelchairs, electric hospital beds, shower chairs, canes/crutches/walkers, grab bars, elevated toilet seats, portable commodes, lift chairs, seating cushions, back supports, diapers/bedpans, folding ramps — every type of item except oxygen tanks and medications. St. Louis HELP loans the donated home medical items to individuals […]

Do You Have Medical Equipment That is Not Being Used? Do You Need Medical Equipment? Now There is HELP…

St. Louis HELP (Health Equipment Lending Program) accepts donations of manual wheelchairs, electric hospital beds, shower chairs, canes/crutches/walkers, grab bars, elevated toilet seats, portable commodes, lift chairs, seating cushions, back supports, diapers/bedpans, folding ramps – every type of item except oxygen tanks and medications. St. Louis HELP loans the donated home medical items to individuals […]

Do You Know the Potential Impacts of Solar Flares?

By Diane K. Wilson

The sun reigns as a powerhouse, illuminating Earth and nurturing life! Yet, solar flares have effects on both the Earth and our bodies.

Solar flares are colossal eruptions of intense radiation that occur when magnetic energy stored in the sun’s atmosphere is suddenly released which can both awe and impact the very fabric […]

Do You Meet Your Daily Nutritional Needs With The Food You Eat?

By Donna Langenbacher

You can now tailor your shakes to your needs.

Introducing, the first fully customizable nutritional shake system for complete dietary support.

Be Young’s Y+O+U Personalized Nutrition lets YOU manage your everyday nutrition needs. Choose the flavor you want, the nutrients you want, the price point you want, then just pour and mix into a smooth, […]

Do You Need A Masage Therapist or a Detective?

By Beth Maddox

The answer is that you need both. Why? Because for every ailment that one brings to a massage therapist, there is a myriad of possible causes. It is essential that your massage therapist can sift through the suspects and gather the evidence that reveals the true culprit. In the example of lower back […]

Do You Need To Take Supplements If You Eat A Good Diet?

By Dr. Adam Hughes

It’s a common argument: “You don’t need to take supplements if you eat a good diet.” Although a good diet is foundational to good health, supplements play an instrumental role in various health conditions.

People who don’t understand the value of supplements think they exist only to profit off of “suckers for snake […]

Do You Own a Pair of Hearing Aids? Do You Wear Them?

“Protecting My Hearing Aid Investment.”  A Webinar December 15, 3pm

An essential element to get the most out of a hearing aid investment and preserve their maximum benefit, is to follow a maintenance routine. Some of the things you should know are:

Regularly schedule your follow up appointments. They are important because a specialist can use professional […]

Does Your Family Have A Tribe?

By Angela Woodson, D.C., L.Ac.

While planning a newborn’s first chiropractic adjustment with new parents, having grace is always on the forefront of my mind. Recalling the time I was a new mother myself, I remember the feeling of being overwhelmed. Your tiny miracle takes your breath away, as well as your sleep. Not to mention […]

Dog Safety: 4 Tongue Tells of Overheating

by Sarah Wilson, MA

With dogs and overheating, their tongue tells the tale. Once you know what you’re seeing, you can keep them safer. Here are the four signs of overheating:

Mouth wide open.Your dog’s mouth and tongue are their AC system. The wider the mouth is open while panting, the more cool air they are trying […]

Dog Training Tips

By Sarah Wilson, MA, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Come: A Couple of Common Canine Confusions

Canine Come Confusion #1: What Did You Say?

“Watch this,” a man told me as our dogs played in an open field. “Max, Come!” he called out. Max instantly bolted away from him. “See how defiant he is!” the man said.

 “What if, every time you […]

Don’t Let Your Testosterone Get You Down

by Rosa Kincaid, M.D.

Many of us are aware of the change that women may go through as they approach their late forties and fifties. These changes usually involve fatigue, low libido loss of muscle mass and, let’s not forget, hot flashes. Many are not aware that men also go through a change. For a man […]

Don’t Miss The Total Eclipse Of The Sun 2024 In Southernmost Illinois

Grab your eclipse glasses and head to Carbondale or Makanda, Illinois. Both towns are in the centerline of the total solar eclipse that will occur at 1:59 p.m. CST on April 8, 2024, and will last more than 4 minutes in totality.

 So, what exactly is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse is a lineup of […]

Don’t Miss The Total Eclipse Of The Sun 2024 In Southernmost Illinois

Grab your eclipse glasses and head to Carbondale or Makanda, Illinois. Both towns are in the centerline of the total solar eclipse that will occur at 1:59 p.m. CST on April 8, 2024, and will last more than 4 minutes in totality.

 So, what exactly is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse is a lineup of […]

Don’t Miss The Total Eclipse Of The Sun 2024 In Southernmost Illinois

Grab your eclipse glasses and head to Carbondale or Makanda, Illinois. Both towns are in the centerline of the total solar eclipse that will occur at 1:59 p.m. CST on April 8, 2024, and will last more than 4 minutes in totality.

 So, what exactly is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse is a lineup of […]

Don’t Miss The Total Eclipse Of The Sun 2024 In Southernmost Illinois

Grab your eclipse glasses and head to Carbondale or Makanda, Illinois. Both towns are in the centerline of the total solar eclipse that will occur at 1:59 p.m. CST on April 8, 2024, and will last more than 4 minutes in totality.

 So, what exactly is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse is a lineup of […]

Donate Used Medical Equipment, Oct. 11 at Select Walgreens Stores

At. Louis HELP’s primary mission is to provide any individual in need with access to free Home Medical Equipment (HME) through our recycle and reuse program enabling them to live as independently as possible and remain contributing members of the community.

Our secondary mission is to divert unnecessary waste from area landfills by providing a local […]

Donate Used Medical Equipment, Oct. 11, 2014 at Select Walgreens Stores

St. Louis HELP’s primary mission is to provide any individual in need with access to free Home Medical Equipment (HME) through our recycle and reuse program. Our secondary mission is to divert unnecessary waste from area landfills by providing a local resource for the reuse or recycling of unwanted HME.

In addition to collecting and distributing […]

Donna Delights and Insights: It’s Almost Here: The Most Taxing Time of the Year

By Donna Linn, Healthy Planet Columnist

Filing taxes can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. To make your life a little easier this tax season, here is some hard-knock wisdom from Harley Linn, CPA, founder of Linn and Campbell Certified Public Accountants.

Organizing your tax information will save you time, money, and that […]

Donna Linn’s Delights and Insights

TALKIN’ TURKEY: It’s The Memories That Nourish Us 

 As Thanksgiving fast approaches, I’m reminded of my grandma’s festive holiday parties with food enough to feed a small army. I’ve always loved the smell of a roasting turkey, gobble, gobble, but those creamy whipped potatoes held a special place in my tummy. And oh, those pies, all […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

Harley F. Linn: The CPA with the soul of an artist

I want to thank our publisher, Sue Bradford, for allowing me to be a part of her amazing new journey. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!

In this issue of Donna’s Delights and Insights, I feature CPA and multifaceted businessman Harley Linn. Harley recently […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

I Do, But I Don’t!

By Donna Linn, Healthy Planet Columnist

 It occurs to me that many of us are guilty of saying yes when we really mean no. Being gracious and thoughtful human beings, we’d rather hurt ourselves than those whom we love. I remember a friend popping by who cheerfully announced she was no longer […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

By Donna Linn, Healthy Planet Columnist

Photo Dr. Jason Edwards

 JASON EDWARDS, MD, PhD

 Medical Director of Radiation Oncology, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chesterfield, MO.

 MOVING FORWARD WITH STRENGTH, COMPASSION, AND DIGNITY

The first thing you observe about Dr. Jason Edwards is his warm, welcoming smile. With a natural gift for putting you at ease, he understands the significance of empathy […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: What’s Your Dream?

By Donna Linn, Healthy Planet Columnist

It’s only natural to dream about how we’d like to spend our time, and what we’d like to accomplish. Common fantasies include starting a business, embarking on a new adventure, and winning the lottery. No dream is too big or […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

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 […]

Donna’s Delights And Insights

By Donna Linn, Healthy Planet Columnist

 Just One More Question, Ma’am

I’ve always been fascinated with the process of asking questions. As a child, I was known for gathering information. When other kids were playing with toys, I was “interviewing” our neighbors. One of my favorite questions was why; simple, yet effective. That’s when I realized when […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

TALKIN’ TURKEY: It’s The Memories That Nourish Us 

By Donna Linn, The Healthy Planet Columnist

 As Thanksgiving fast approaches, I’m reminded of my grandma’s festive holiday parties with food enough to feed a small army. I’ve always loved the smell of a roasting turkey, gobble, gobble, but those creamy whipped potatoes held a special place in my […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

Friendship — It’s the Perfect Blendship  

Every year around this time my friend Lynn drives from Little Rock, Arkansas to spend a week with me. Our friendship has endured for over 40 years, longer than most marriages. We go back to when I was a broadcast student and she was my professor. Back to when […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

Tis the Seasoning: Christmas With Andy

One of my fondest and most vivid memories is watching the Andy Williams televised Christmas special with my family. I was mesmerized by his smooth, laid back style and melodic voice. I can still see Andy in his glittering red and white Christmas sweater, something he’ll always be remembered for. […]

Dr. Doug’s Vet-Pet Rescue

Vet-Pet Rescue (VPR) is a volunteer, foster-based non-for profit (501c3), all breed rescue & adoption organization. We are located in Chesterfield MO, as a legal limited liability corporation in the State of Missouri, that was created by Dr. Douglas Pernikoff. We are dedicated to helping all types of animals from euthanasia or other harmful scenarios. […]

Drawdown: Solutions to Reverse Global Warming

By Erika Boeing, Co-Founder and CEO of Accelerate Wind, Research Fellow at Project Drawdown, and USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Education Committee member

Global warming discussions today are often full of doom and gloom, and like many others, I have certainly gone through times I was convinced that the situation was hopeless. That’s one of many reasons that […]

Dream Gardens of January: Seeds to Plant

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

The dream gardening season starts in January. It is full of perfect, abundant, beautiful acres and acres of plants we want to grow. It begins when the holiday rush is over and there is time to sit down with the garden seed catalogs. There are so many plants that we can grow […]

Dreamwalker – Mark Holland Teams With Sound Therapist Pati Pellerito On New CD & Release Concert April 9 at The Chapel

Sound therapist Pati Pellerito and Native American Flutist Mark Holland have just released a new CD titled Dreamwalker. The new CD features Himalayan Singing Bowls, Planetary Gongs and other sound therapy instruments along with a variety of wood flutes.

There will be a CD release concert April 9 at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Dr, St. […]

Dreary News Regarding Worldwide Air Pollution Highlights Critical Need for Individuals to do Their Share for Cleaner Air

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 7 million people across the globe are currently dying each year from air pollution. This startling news comes as the Clean Air Partnership prepares to kick off the start of air quality forecasting for 2014, and serves as yet another important […]

Drugging Geniuses…

by Jamila Owens-Todd, Naturopathic Doctor 

There are many options for healing our children with ADD/ADHD/ODD (behavioral disorders). Medicating young children is not always the best option. Teachers are overworked and undercompensated, therefore stressed. Parents may have unrealistic expectations of their children. Children are forced to have a mental and spiritual balance in an unsupportive system. This combination, […]

Duh Vinci Code – Cancer Code – for Tasmanian Devils: “Pop” Goes the Universe by the Bible

By Simon Yu, MD

This is my sincere attempt to clarify and/or entangle my two previous separate articles, “Duh Vinci Code for Tasmanian Devils: Cracking the Cancer Code,” and “Enhanced Interrogation Technique for Parasites by a Theoretical Internist: ‘Pop’ goes the Universe.” Superimposed, new thinking and new action become a unifying strategy using enhanced medical interrogation […]

Duh Vinci Code for Tasmanian Devils: Cracking the Cancer Code

by Simon Yu, MD

In case you didn’t know, about 70 percent of the wild Tasmanian devil population has disappeared from Tasmania Island due to a facial tumor. This has occurred just since 1996 when it was first recognized. Tasmanian devils are a carnivorous marsupial from Australia. If the current rate of decline continues, devils could […]

Duh Vinci Code for Tasmanian Devils: Cracking the Cancer Code

By Simon Yu, MD

In case you didn’t know, about 70 percent of the wild Tasmanian devil population has disappeared from Tasmania Island due to a facial tumor. This has occurred just since 1996 when it was first recognized. Tasmanian devils are a carnivorous marsupial from Australia. If the current rate of decline continues, devils could […]

Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Returns Jan. 18-19

Visitors can discover our national bird in the wild and up close at this free eagle viewing festival. 

Few words can describe the thrill of seeing America’s national symbol soaring through the air in the wild, or close enough to touch.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and its partners offer the chance to discover a […]

Eagle Days Event Moves to Powder Valley Nature Center for 2022; Takes Place Jan. 15 with New Format

Due to a renovation work on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, Eagle Days programming is moving to Powder Valley Nature Center in Kirkwood this year.

Few words can describe the thrill of seeing America’s national symbol soaring through the air in the wild, or close enough to touch. During the winter, the Mississippi River hosts […]

Eagle Days Festival Returns To Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, Jan. 18-19

Visitors are invited to view eagles through spotting scopes staffed by trained volunteers at any time during Eagle Days on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM on January 18 and 19. On both days, an educational program presented by the World Bird Sanctuary, featuring a live eagle, is repeated […]

Eagle Days Limited Due To Lack Of Funding

In January 2013, Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge – a collaborative program between the Missouri Department of Conservation, Trailnet and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources – will be limited to three weekdays to provide 1,200 underserved fifth grade students with high quality, experiential outdoor educational programming. The public weekend Eagle Days […]

Eagle Days Returns to Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary Feb. 10

 This popular annual event will once again offer visitors a splendid chance to see bald eagles in their natural habitat.

Photo: The annual Eagle Days event returns for 2024 to the Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton. The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 10 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

 Few words can describe […]

Eagle Days returns with new date and location: Feb. 11 at Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary

This popular annual event will offer visitors a splendid chance to see bald eagles in their natural habitat. 

Few words can describe the thrill of seeing America’s national symbol soaring through the air in the wild or close enough to touch. And winter is the ideal time to view bald eagles in Missouri. The metro area’s […]

Eagle Days returns with new date and location: Feb. 11 at Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary

This popular annual event will offer visitors a splendid chance to see bald eagles in their natural habitat. 

Few words can describe the thrill of seeing America’s national symbol soaring through the air in the wild or close enough to touch. And winter is the ideal time to view bald eagles in Missouri. The metro area’s […]

Early Detection Saves Lives

By Linda Weber Spradling

Digital infrared thermographic imaging or “Thermography” is a pain-free, radiation-free and non-invasive approach to preventative medicine. Thermograms detect inflammation in the body, vascular and lymphatic activity as well as hormone imbalances and estrogen dominance. Having this information gives you a tool you can use to see what is happening inside your body. […]

Earth Day Action Grant Recipients Announced!

by Cassandra P. Hage,
Executive Director, St. Louis Earth Day

In the afternoon of Monday April 8th, history was made as a small committee met to review our first round of Earth Day Action Grant proposals. We received 34 qualified proposals with a total request of $58,000. Budgets ranged from $150 – $10,000. We have awarded […]

Earth Day in Our Gardens – Plants, Planet & Plastics

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Earth Day 2024 takes place on April 22nd. It has been the same day every year since 1970 when Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson inaugurated the first Earth Day. In 1970, over 20 million people from around the country gathered in schools and communities to celebrate our […]

Earth Day, Garden Day, Every Day

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

We celebrate Earth Day* once a year, but earth day is really every day. Earth is our Mother, our home, our every thing. By saying it is our every thing, it is recognizing that it is our physical place in life, and also part of our psyche and spiritual knowing.

Before the […]

Earth Day: Healthier Eating = Healthier Planet

By Dr. Ian Wahl

How do you think most Americans will celebrate Earth Day 2019? Talking up climate change? Cleaning up trash? Planting seeds or seedlings? Composting? Recycling? Bicycling or walking (instead of driving) to their local Earth Day Festival? Nice thoughts. But most Americans will be celebrating Earth Day just like it was any other […]

EarthDance Farm Holds HOOP-A-Thon For Year-Round Hoop House

H.O.O.P.ing it up: Help Our Organic Production!

EarthDance’s Organic Farm School is conducting a Hoop-A-Thon to raise funds for a hoop house to extend its growing season and provide more comprehensive education to its farmer students.

Who are we?
EarthDance is a non-profit organization operating an Organic Farm School in Ferguson. Founder Molly Rockamann, sometimes known as the hula […]

EarthDance Grows Food, Farmers, and Community Through Hands-on Education and Delicious Experiences

Information for this article compiled by Crystal Stevens, EarthDance Farms Garden Manager

EarthDance is a 14-acre teaching farm in Ferguson, MO, which practices innovative no-till and small-scale market gardening growing techniques.

EarthDance was founded by Molly Rockamann, who had a long affinity with the land after visiting the farm at age 15 with her father to meet […]

EarthDance Offers Organic Farm School Classes At Earth Day Festival

By Crystal Stevens

Every year, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival brings together the wonderful organizations in the region whose values and missions are in alignment with earth stewardship. The festival draws a crowd of over 60,000. This year is expected to be the largest festival yet, as it will take place both Saturday and Sunday.

EarthDance […]

EarthDance Organic Farm School 2024

Why do bees and chickens need each other? How many miles of fungus are beneath our feet at the farm, and why do we care? What is your favorite vegetable, and what are some fun ways you can play with your food? What role do farms play in our everyday lives? How are they connected to […]

EarthDance Redesigns for Equity

EarthDance is a 14-acre organic teaching farm tucked away in the middle of a neighborhood in Ferguson, Missouri, where their mission is to grow food, farmers and community through hands-on education and delicious experiences. With that mission in mind, the non-profit organization has made a tremendous impact over the last twelve years, especially with its […]

EarthDance Spring Training for Gardeners Program Seeks Participants

For Andrea and Joe Randolph, EarthDance’s Spring Training for Gardeners 2023 program seeded even more than their plans for a productive home garden.

Andrea, a functional nutrition counselor who grew up in Ferguson eating vegetables from her mom’s garden, and Joe, a food-enthusiast-turned-plant-forward-chef, dug into the hands-on Spring Training for Gardeners course last year to find […]

earthday 365 Green Calendar

Engage Virtually, Act Locally!! Click here to view earthday365 and Community Events.

Earthday365 Brings Virtual Sustainability Programming To You

Although the beloved St. Louis Earth Day Festival has been postponed to October 18th, 2020 in Tower Grove Park due to COVID-19, the worldwide 50th anniversary celebrations of Earth Day continued on. On April 18-26, environmental nonprofit earthday365 adapted in the face of the pandemic to bring sustainability to you with an interactive Virtual Earth […]

Earthworm Castings

by Jean Ponzi

I float on a noodle in a country lake
On a big pink tube of fossil fuel
Compressed from bodies of Earthling neighbors
When this land lay under forgotten seas
I bob (just an extra) in a pageant of droplets
Advancing, receding with no intermission
Flowing or locked into ice-crystal patterns
Always glistening under a star
Ablaze with energy more than […]

Earthworm’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Transform

One of those words from Latin.Roman roots:as patriarchal as they come.Trans-FormThru the FormChange Formout the other sideDifferentThe original form gone away.Gives wayas a new Formembarkson Being.

Trans-Form-ation:Terrifying!Old form dies or goes awaySo something new arises.

BUT

In Nature, this happens all the time.Forms change. Living, dying, cycling throughLife’s constant round of changes.

We, the Peoplecould embrace thisChange-A-RamaIf we could […]

Earthworms Casting: Moving Stuff

By Jean Ponzi

Facing a major office move, I saw opportunity for a personal unpack.

I framed the task as a Study (anecdotal) from the (subjective) Research Question: How do I deal with moving Stuff? toward Hypothesizing: How can I move my strengths into activity where I, frankly, suck?

How I normally deal with Stuff: acquisitive in a […]

Earthworms Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Ragman Revered

I see him in my mind with wild red hair, a gangly skeezix kind of guy, in slick jeans and a vintage leather-sleeved letter jacket.

Kelly Stewart was a Tom Sawyer type, with that Hey, come on, LET’S DO THIS charisma that pulled in friends and strangers who became companions in his Rags-to-Resources […]

EarthWorms Castings

by Jean Ponzi

Summer Soliloquy 2012

This summer was a scorcher — extreme, intense — devastating for some, including people, crops, wildlife, trees. And yet-living truly acclimatized to even this season’s dry, blazing ZAP — I welcome September celebrating this summer, and every summer, for all its green and growing power.

When the calendar flips to September, summer […]

EarthWorms Castings

by Jean Ponzi

Conserving HUMAN Resources

This is typically an “environmental” column, because my vocation, my profession, my purpose in life is overwhelmingly focused around environmental issues, perspective and actions.

However, from recent, intense and involuntarily expanded hands-on experience – and with a national election rapidly looming – I feel compelled to hold forth in this month’s space […]

Earthworms Castings

by Jean Ponzi

Four Winds Wedding

I traveled to Colorado this fall to celebrate the marriage of two fine young humans. Groom David, son of dear Missouri friends, is known out there as BL for his strong position (Bow Left) on the whitewater expeditions he expertly guides for a famous rafting enterprise. April, the Bride, is an […]

EarthWorms Castings

by Jean Ponzi

Green Renew for the new year
(and then some)

It’s a cosmic bit amazing that you are even reading this.
According to the Mayans we should all be smoke.
Did you know those ancient savants predicted
An Earth-Era End in 12-12? No joke!

But Earth has a way of doing all her stuff in Cycles,
In a goes-around, comes-around […]

Earthworms Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Bare Trees

One bright morning in early November
My eyes open into a lattice of branches:
The colors are gone!
The leafy space empty!

What happened to this Growing Season?

This year’s Spring bestirred so slowly…
Chilly rains kept April creeping
Life-force, tempered, held back buds
Until a mid-May BURST of Greening

Summer days were mild, a blessing
So many nights cooled just by […]

EarthWorms Castings

with Jean Ponzi

Worms, Me & Radio: A Love Story

Across a quarter-century, as of this month, a company of spirit worms has faithfully joined me every week, for just an hour at a time, inviting anyone, anywhere to tune into GREEN ideas, through conversations beamed on airwaves.

In other words, I’ve been hosting “Earthworms” on KDHX for […]

Earthworms Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Grounded

I went away for a couple of days
For work
To a conference
Not far, just across the state

I used to travel-work a lot
Teaching, to meetings
Just pick up and zip off
Networking, learning, collaborating
Feeling like My Best Self, out there everywhere.

But the last few years I’ve reeled that in
Keeping my efforts closer to home
Zipping just around town
This […]

Earthworms Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Birds In Concert

White wings flash silently over our heads.

It’s a moon-eyed Barn Owl, swooping just above the crowd. She flies between the gloved arms of calm volunteers stepping up and down the amphitheater rows. We gasp with delight, while we’re singing with the band:

Clean water, clean water
Everybody needs clean water
Joyful music is a […]

Earthworms Castings: Growing Natives

By Jean Ponzi 

Photo captions: (top) Native spring ephemerals, delicate colors.(bottom) Golden Groundsel, a native ground cover.

I talk about them all the time!

Eco-Logical Landscaping with Native Plants has grown to be my ultra-fave Green educational focus. I will happily advocate this for the rest of my vocational life.

And I don’t just talk about native plants, I grow […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

My Honey and Bush Honeysuckle

We used to have it all around the borders of our city yard.

It was the ideal privacy hedge: early-bird first to green up in spring, last to lose its leaves in the fall; showy, snowy blossoms turn to glossy scarlet fruit. I bet you have it too, and if […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Good-Bye, Old Chair

It was a grizzly bear of a chair, built to hold you on its lap in a chair bear hug.
Wide and deep: its cushion was nearly two feet square. Broad mounded arm-slabs were perfect for a side-wise leg-sling. Its high stuffed back kindly supported a napping head.

Union Made, its label said, […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

One Word. Plastics.

When young Dustin Hoffman got this graduate party advice in 1967, everyone who saw the movie that launched his career still drank water from a glass that we washed so others could use it too.

More than a half-century later, I noticed little strips of sky-blue litter in the grass while […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Bumbershoots

Out 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 the clogged-pore feel and clinging scents of chemical sunscreen. […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Speaking Up

One thing I can do is talk.

I get to use this habit and skill in the service of principles I hold dear. Like speaking up for Nature, and how Human Kind can, and IMHO should, be both.

On Thursday, September 12, 2019 at The Pageant I will take this up a notch. I […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Subtle Turning

Even in a rainy year like this one, our Tulip Poplar trees start browning and dropping leaves in July. They’re an early affirmation of the Great Turn to come.

In dry times, we run our sprinklers just to support them. Our city place is an intentional forest, landscaped for the trees. Scant patches […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Avoid a Food Waste SNAFU

The idea of composting food waste has a huge appeal.

Not surprising since we humans have lived in Nature’s expert systems for all time, observing (first-hand, until this industrial age) how anything that once lived is literally decomposed and returned to Earth in a cycle of truly ZERO waste.

We are, […]

Earthworms’ Castings

The Longest Night

With Jean Ponzi

Mom and I sat together on her sofa, listening to music on her laptop.

Audio quality is not the best from a MacBook Pro, so we were cuddled close to the computer. That was nice; physical affection is not my family’s strong suit.

It was also poignant: December 21, 2018, was the last […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Negativity Girl

I’m launching into 2020 as an advocate for . . . NEGATIVITY. 

This is not a new focus. I gave a TED talk last year in September – a big honkin’ deal – that explored Negativity’s True Nature? from an Earth Girl’s perspective. It’s on YouTube. Google me!

In 2018, as I proposed this […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Nature’s Best Hope

One big brass key to making Green stuff work is how you talk about it.

Doug Tallamy is THE BEST communicator about ecological landscaping. He is coming to St. Louis in early March to talk to folks here. To homeowners, to land-use decision-making professionals, and to greenies like me, who can always […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Courage for Change

Received this poem from Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow, a climate action leading Elder. The poet ** is Rev. Dr. Lynn Ungar, minister and editor of Unitarian Universalist Quest for Learning. 

Pandemic

What if you thought of itas the Jews consider the Sabbath — the most sacred of times?Cease from travel.Cease from buying and […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Watering

Water is Life!

Experts at NASA, who know how living stuff works in space, shout out to H2O: our essential physical functions are all sustained by water’s unique chemical and physical properties. Without water, we humans could not breathe, digest or move a muscle. 

Our cells would shrivel up and die, including our precious brains, […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Not Flushable!

Why can a product make a false label claim that causes real damage?

Flushable as a claim on cleaning wipes is one of the worst around today. But we want that convenience of flushing “away.” So we buy the product, and its load of false claim.

Our Metropolitan Sewer District – and wastewater utilities […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Animal Sagas: Owl & Bear

When wild creatures, individuals like ourselves, connect across the boundaries we observe, of species, place and time, let us be honored to meet them.

Over 30+ years hosting my KDHX show Earthworms, I’ve had the pleasure of conversing several times with Mark H. X. Glenshaw, The Owl Man of Forest […]

Earthworms’ Castings

with Jean Ponzi

One Milkweed, One Vote, One Matters!

Our place is awash in shade. Native trees and bushes for sure. But we’ve grown a forest here. Too dim for native blossoms.

I had given up on living color for this year when, the first of March, we dismantled a structure in front of our home. Bare ground […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Recycling Forgiveness

I got lazy recycling, with awful results. 

One Tuesday night this fall I mistakenly hauled our blue cart out to the street. Wrong! Recycling gets collected on Thursdays. Yard waste morning is Wednesday, in my City neighborhood. What was I thinking? 

I wasn’t. I was flaking along, unfocused and probably crabby, distracted by whatever […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

The Shape Of Days

First of spring, a viral forceSequestered people everywhere.No one drove, went out or met. We huddled through a public scare.

Sheltering in place, how could I Carry on my working share?How could I maintain my reach To fellow humans here and there? 

Lo! through that alarming spaceAn open view, a way to share!Electrons brought us […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Resolvo Verde

Father Time has turned his pageThe calendar is cleanNow resolute upon Life’s stageI vow to grow more Green!

To set direction yearlyI must do a self-assessmentSo I can focus clearly And sustainably on YES-ment

Let’s see, in terms of daily stuffWhat habits can I tweak?I already wash my clothes in cold,My windows do […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

EarthWays Green Living Festival

Sustainable – Useful – Funfor TWENTY YEARS!

We celebrate Earth Day every April 22. On a chilly fall day in 2001, an Energy Fest in mid-town St. Louis anchored the other side of the year. One Green event in spring, one in fall. For a while, that was it!

This June 2-4, […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Self-Talk Slugfest

For many years, about myself I said, “I’m a slug.” 

Meaning preferring to fart around, fundamentally lazy. Disinclined to do stuff, especially what I’m expected to do – and how I believe I’m expected to do it. 

As an inner criticism, it’s not totally true. But worse: this description maligns a whole genus of […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Lost My Shoes

The first time was surprising.

I keep my shoes in the same place, on the bedroom floor. I put most things in the same place, to remember where the heck I put whatever-it-is. But that day, those shoes had been right where I left them . . . and a day or […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Non-Toxic Mosquito Nix

Our soaked late spring has boosted early fall mosquito populations. Wet soils and persistent pockets of standing water are ideal breeding conditions for generations of insects.

More than just a nuisance, mosquito bites can infect humans with West Nile Virus. This tropical disease affects most people with only mild flu-like symptoms, but […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Prospering in Pod-Space

I have had to become
a Pod Person
It seems to be part of my fate
To stay one with the trees
As they dance with the breeze,
And be for Nature an advocate.

With my purpose deliberately rooted
And my focus a positive choice
I am honored to be for the plant world
A hearty hand, motion, and voice.

My […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

The Best Team Ever

I’ve been working at the Missouri Botanical Garden for over fifteen years with two amazing, inspiring, wonderful women.

This official anniversary was in November, and the glow persists. Actually, we have worked together longer – for twenty years – because our team formed before we transplanted into the Garden. But who’s […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Sock Monster

Black socks
They never get dirty
The longer you wear them
The blacker they get
Some day
I think I will wash them
But something inside me
Is saying “Not yet!”

It’s true I don’t wash “sox” every time I wear them, but not because they are all black. I do conserve energy and water – and use mild laundry […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Monarchs and Mosquitoes
An Ode to Person-Power
and Eco-Choice

Your Pollinator Garden
Is a banquet for the Bees
And the Milkweeds you have planted
Flag in Monarchs off the breeze

Wild flowers, like stars, are blazing
Wafting scents and beaming hues
To attract the winged critters –
Eco-logical yoo-hoos!

Your relationships in Nature
Are a growing source of glee
As the biosphere around you
Pulses with diversity.

But […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Neighbor to Neighbor Mosquito Control

Missouri is on alert for Zika virus, even though no cases have originated here yet. Our local authorities are ramping up measures to protect our region, collaborating across city, county and state lines. But even working together, they can’t do it alone.

Dealing with tiny flying bugs takes more than […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

A (pretty easily) Acquired Taste

I thought it was a kind of cabbage soda – and I thought it was Korean. On both points, I was wrong.

In fact, it is a low-calorie, gluten-free fermented tea that originated in China 2,000 years ago. As proclaimed on the website for Companion Kombucha, St. Louis’ first brewer […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Rock Pile

I walked, talked, dreamed and played with mostly imaginary pals, roaming in the woods and fields where I grew up on the rural outskirts of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A favorite hang-out spot was a tree-hidden pile of rocks behind the home of our Superintendent of Schools and his family.

An imaginative kid who sits […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Bush Honeysuckle: Sweep It!

It’s time to take up our loppers, hand saws and – that most amazing leverage tool – the Puller Bear. To take to the parkways, streams and streets and make a dent in the infestation that’s taking over natural Missouri.

Bush Honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii, is degrading our natural areas. It’s turning […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Moving REALITY

Years ago, in my not-yet-focused youth, I played with friends in the public eye. Our antics were Street Theater. Our original material, performed with abandon, explored deep themes.

We called our troupe Reality Movers.

My great life-mentor Jeannie Breeze, a friend to many in St. Louis, was our leader. She wrote our performance pieces. […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Love Letter

Dear Earth:
My home, I love you so
In your every mood and season!
I’d like to say my species
Has a love for you, increasin’

But, dearest, as I gaze around
I feel a hollow lack
Of respect, appreciation
And – for sure – our eco-logic knack.

We humans think we know it all,
We say we have “discovered”
The truths of […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Two Treks and What I Learned On Them

Friday, January 13, 2017
While St. Louis locks down in an ice storm, I am enjoying a mild winter day in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the territory of my youth.
I drove north to visit my Mom, made it out of St. Louis the day before […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Invasive Bush Honeysuckle Whoop-De-Doo Sweeps, Hackathon and a Variety Show!

MARCH is the month to get out and take out swathes of Bush Honeysuckle, the invasive plant WE introduced that is taking over Missouri.
What opportunities!

Before ticks & chiggers wake up too,
VOLUNTEER
For a honeysuckle WHACK
Near you!

Removal events all over St. Louis are taking place in […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Requiem for a Perfect Experience

I was raised to be a shopper, the quintessential middle-class American, striving to acquire STUFF.

One local enterprise has enabled me to manage – and enjoy – this unsustainable trait, while benefitting students in a most inventive way. I have called it, irreverently, the Squalor Shop, although its stuff quality […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Tomato Forest

It grew up like magic, in and around and all over the logs and stumps of two giant Stinkweed (Ailanthus) trees we cut down last year.

Back in the farthest corner of our place, way beyond the reach of our longest hose, a forest of tomatoes volunteered, almost daily serving us bowlfuls of […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Fan Club

I’m a fan of keeping cool low-tech. All summer I rely on fans, living right here in St. Louis, where (you may have heard or read this before) my household is not air-conditioned.

This is your cue to GASP. Then please exhale with equal force, so your reaction moves some air around.

Air movement […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Going To Weddings

When my colleague Rob and his bride Mary invited our whole working team (and our partners) to their nuptials this summer, we were thrilled — and surprised. A group our size is a big chunk on a guest list. But we cleaned up nicely and, I believe, contributed to their lovely […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Spider Ma’am

I’ve heard you’re never more than three feet from a spider, anywhere on Earth. This is a tribute to the life force of spiders, whose adaptive persistence connects – I have to say it – everything in the Web of Life.

Last spring a spider spun up housekeeping around the sill of […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

KDHX is 30! A Person-Powered History

I wasn’t tuned in to earliest days of KDHX, but my best friend Sarah Linquist was. She understood the momentous achievement of ordinary voices broadcasting on the frequency 88.1 FM. “You should get involved with this, Jean,” she said. She was a very smart friend.

Sarah had been one […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

State of Recycling 2017
Around St. Louis – What’s Working?

Recycling takes the spotlight on November 15, as America Recycles Day, like Earth Day, encourages us to practice Green.

I’ve worked with recycling, since 1996, as a community enviro-educator for the EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Garden. I also serve on the executive board of the […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Illuminating! Jeannie Breeze

It’s December 31, at 6 a.m. local time. Hearty souls gather in an urban temple to celebrate, affirm and literally make Peace. Around our world, at the same time, many groups of humans tune into Peace.

Kindred spirits have been doing this since 1985, making this date World Peace Day. We in […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

I Am This Person

Stepping into 2018, a determined spark of Good Will is banked in my heart.
I won’t sugar coat this: 2017 was the hardest year I have lived through. Not because of illness or loss of loved ones. I’ve had those times. They were painful but luminous, with loving, healing, positive energies […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Endangered Species – Tuneful!

What happens when humans SING about creatures that our actions have endangered? Other humans – of all ages – can learn about these critters and learn to care about them!
FIRE DOG, a local pop-rock band with rockin’ Earth awareness, is ready this month to release a whole CD of original […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Bush Honeysuckle On Trial

The Old Courthouse, in downtown St. Louis, is the site of landmark cases:

In 1846, Dred Scott, a human being enslaved, sued for his freedom.

In 1872, Virginia Minor, a woman and a Citizen of the United States, sued for her right to vote.

In 2018, Dale Dufer, a lifelong St. Louis […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi
Two Challenges – Worth Taking

This time of year a lot of you-can-do Green Tips-type info starts flying around like spring gnats.

I’ve been working to get my fellow humans to give a rat’s patoot about the planet we inhabit (and generally abuse) long enough that I have no more use or patience, really, for […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Not Perfect

I stopped into Scheidt Hardware, a practical institution in Maplewood MO, for my weekly purchase: two dozen eggs from the free-range chickens on a nearby farm. Fresh and local, buying these brown eggs is one way I strive to live Green.

“You know about recycling,” said Ben, one of the owners. “What can […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Tenants

Mama Robin was set on building her nest in the curve of our downspout.

Despite its corrugated form, the pipe from the roof outside Dale’s studio proved too slick to hold her stuff. For more than a week, birdy building supplies just dropped to the ground, littering that end of our home with stringy […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Camp Stools
Artifacts of Simple Summers

We had four of them at my Gramma and Grampa’s house in West Allis, Wisconsin, for two girl and two boy cousins. The oldest one was me.

Clearing them out a corner of my grown-up basement revived summer memories.
Camp stools use a beautifully simple seating design: two wooden 1x2s on […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Surprise!

This year, on my actual mid-summer birthday, our place burst into leggy pink trumpeting bloom.

Every time I see these plants I cheer SURPIIIISE!!! Yes, each time. Just ask my mate.
These are towering members of the Allium family, a clan of many first cousins to garlic and onions. They have popped up all over […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi
Big Bang: Reusable Bags

Hurrah for you for drafting reusable bags into shopping routines!

Green bagging is one hot trend that helps us humans chill our carbon tootsies.
I confess to converting late to bagism, well after I became environmentally aware. Back when Earth Day and I were ardent twenty-somethings, I rudely pooh-poohed the string […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Recycling: a romance

Dear Recycling: happy AMERICA RECYCLES Day to you, my beloved friend!

You and I go back a looooong way. Not quite my whole lifetime – though I’m sure my frugal Gramma had a thang for you too – but definitely for my thirty-plus year career in these parts as “Green Jean.”

You’re going […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Life as a River of LearningDavid Lobbig – 1961-2023

“He went down into the river in a bathysphere he made himself – it was really no more than a barrel. He reached his hands out into the muddy dark water, to understand the Mississippi River from being on its very bottom.”

I knew my friend […]

Earthworms’ Castings

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 […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Keystoners, Leveraging

Like the piece at the top that secures an arch, a Keystone Species is one who holds together the structure (and health, and vitality) of their community of diverse individuals and groups.

Keystone Species are important — and everyone else in the ecosystem is too. But our Keystones uniquely contribute to their interdependent […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Ode to Leaves

Every morning in spring, through my waking-up eyes and east windows, I watch leaves filling the spaces I’ve been appreciating through Earth’s dormant season.

In winter I love seeing the bodies of trees, their stalwart trunks and arching, curving, angular branches. They are my strong companions through the still, deep restful season. […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

 Webster Groves Goes NO MOW

It started in the UK in 2019, blew like dandelions across Wisconsin towns, and sprouted this spring on traditionally trim suburban lawns of Webster Groves.

The No Mow movement aims to nourish emerging pollinators in a practical, generous, grounded way.

Up north, this means No Mow May. Prime time here is […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Give Myself a W

The first one came on a Sunday in August 2020. Deep time pandemic, stuck in high anxiety. I felt like jumping out of my skin, but I jumped into my car.

I drove to a beautiful city park for emergency walking.

All I could manage was that fundamental motion: left foot, right […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

This Milkweed was Planted for Monarchs

Look close with guest columnist Besa Schweitzer into Milkweed’s wildly bugged-out world.

My neighbor planted a Swamp Milkweed on the edge of her patio to attract monarch butterflies to her garden.

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) may be their most preferred food source of the milkweed genus, the only plants monarchs […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

Double My WsGoal setting generally leaves me cold. But I stepped into this winter season and New Year with a goal I actually care to meet: to walk at least twice as often as I did last year.

Documented! On the kitchen calendar (Missouri Natural Events), with a red wax pencil, I mark and […]

Earthworms’ Castings

How Now, No Mow?

By Jean Ponzi

Gusts of debate, swirling through local suburbs, are seeding fertile dialogue around early spring suspension of lawn-height regulations, for a month of No Mow

I caught wind of this because, on my job, I coach municipalities that do sustainability stuff. A couple of them were considering adopting No Mow April, […]

Earthworms’ Castings

with Jean Ponzi

COOLING

After a deliciously long, slow, cool and (thankfully drought-relieving) wet Spring of 2013, we find ourselves smack into Summer – the Cooling Season.

Energy use in our region’s climate jacks up when air conditioning units kick on. Utility bills skyrocket. Electrical production ramps up to meet the increased demand – with peak demand times […]

Earthworms’ Castings

with Jean Ponzi

Summer Kitchen

My kitchen changes its tune with the climate.

Temperatures rise and foods gets lighter, quicker, needing less preparation. The fruit and vegetable bowls and bins fill and empty and refill rapidly. No beverage container lingers on a pantry shelf for more than a week.

Pots and pans go on vacation while the knives […]

Earthworms’ Castings

with Jean Ponzi

The Dirt On Sidewalk Poetry

Henry’s open-air table in the Central West End was aflutter with paper – and passers-by. Fresh Poetry Ink, read his sign. An original poem on your topic in 10 minutes!
I stepped right up for my turn. Soil biodiversity, I proposed. It’s stuff I’ve really been digging into.

This self-styled corner […]

Earthworms’ Castings

with Jean Ponzi

Good-Bye to an old Friend No Longer Hangin’ Around

We worked together in the same place for nearly twenty years. Our interactions drew me gratefully out of doors, in every kind of weather, as we conserved energy (mine and the planet’s) in simple, elegant, low-tech calm. Now this quiet, helpful old partner – and […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

I Am/Not
One of Those Women Who

You know the type.
Mumbling to Fluffy, or others of the 269 cats who, bless their flea-sweet little hides, have their queenly run of the place.

I live with one cat, and one dog, and routinely converse with many of my fellow humans, including the one kingly husband who keeps […]

Earthworms’ Castings

with Jean Ponzi

Two Veterans’ Stories Preserving a Precious Legacy

The Missouri Veterans’ History Project evolved from a national Clinton-era effort to honor and record the experience of all U.S. military veterans.

Congressional grants awarded to the states in 2000, through legislative sponsorship from AARP, bought digital video equipment and jump-started use of an interview process from the […]

Earthworms’ Castings

with Jean Ponzi

Popularizing Population Viewpoints

Environmental topics, my stock-in-trade, have thankfully become a real part of our societal dialogue.

We encounter Green stuff not only in the news, but also all over popular culture: celebrity sightings, product design, comedy skits, advertising; woven into the fabric of how-was-your-day. Topics that were geek domain less than a decade ago […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Let Them Paint Cake!

Happy 250th Birthday, City of St. Louis! How about some cake?

How about 250 GIANT CAKES, painted by a fleet of artists for display all around this town throughout your semiquincentennial year!

Trés bien for a city girl, hey?

I wanted to be in that number, to contribute my tribute to my adopted […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Milkweeds for Monarchs

Let’s throw a lifeline to a beautiful bug!

Remember studying Monarch butterflies in grade school? We learned cool words like metamorphosis by watching a creature you couldn’t miss, with those gorgeous orange and black patterned wings – preceded by an astonishing yellow, green and black striped caterpillar – who hatched out of […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Honoring Cindy Gilberg: A Champion of Native Plants

This spring, the Deer Creek Watershed Alliance recognized with an award the extraordinary contributions of one woman, Cindy Gilberg, to a movement that is powerfully changing how people across St. Louis relate to nature, through native plants.
The award was presented by Rick Holton, Deer Creek Alliance […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Mentors

This summer I celebrate a milestone birthday, a good time to acknowledge some major gifts of influence in my life.

The gratitude lineup starts with my Gramma, who I lived with, off and on, until I was four. In those formative years. She was an inadvertent master of reverse psych, telling gregarious little me: […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Happy Bird Day

When I turned 60 this summer I got to experience one of my life’s Uplifting Moments.

Missouri Botanical Garden (one of my favorite places on Earth) hosted the party, featuring a stellar show by one of my favorite bands (amazing musicians and my dear friends), the Augusta Bottoms Consort. On that Whitaker […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Selective Perception (Holiday Style)

A mental Mute button automatically controls my attention this time of year. When activated, it completely blocks my ability to perceive anything Christmas! This can kick on anywhere, anytime – but it happens most in retail environments.

I’ll be walking through unlikely aisles – in the drug store or supermarket – […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Queen Sarah

There are great-hearted people in all times and lands all over the Earth whose sacred – and often unofficial – job is to keep our human celebrations lively, growing, truly meaningful, and full of joy.

This Celebration-Keeper work is so important that many ancient legends say if the ones who do it ever […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Attitude Adjustment

I asked for it from Santa and resolved to maintain it in the New Year. An adjusted attitude, and do I ever need it.

I’ve been stuck in a state of crabby reactions, angry feelings, an overall dim view of things. I sense that I am not alone, but social awareness does not […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

As The Crows Fly

Our office move occurred in the dead of winter. The transit from a quiet tree-green suburban neighborhood to stark concrete city left me feeling shocked and grim. I hated being there, deprived of any hint of nature.

Then one workday’s sunset hour, a swoop of dark shapes caught my attention. Winged […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Letter Of Intent

My Dearest Earth:

At this time,
How can I be most useful?
How can I best serve?
My ideals are out of the closet (WOW!)
Can I work (still) ahead of the curve?

I used to be a rare voice,
Harping on Green so faintly.
I’m glad to have been a harbinger –
But that doesn’t mean I was saintly.

Heck, […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Thinking About Tables

Here’s a way to transform our thinking (and actions) about an invasive species – that’s a major local environmental problem.

But let’s table the solution, for a moment, and lay out the issue.

Did you know you were seeing it everywhere in earliest spring? In that first exhilarating flush of green, along all […]

Earthworms’ Castings

With Jean Ponzi

Green Giants: Honoring Passages & Persistence

Across Missouri, a flood of late-May tributes presaged our summer rains. Their focus was the passing, on May 26 at age 98, of a conservation hero: Leo Drey.

Leo inherited his St. Louis family success when their line of Drey Perfect Mason jars was bought by the (still home-canning) […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Java Terraria Plants perk up repurposed pots

By Jean Ponzi

A retired recycling colleague rang me up seeking a use for orphan coffee pots, from the charity where she now volunteers. Naturally, I thought: PLANTS!

That call seeded a fun eco-project. The iconic home-brew coffee pot (not plastic!) growing sedums, adorable succulent plants so good at living that one of their folk-names is Never […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Anna the Wolf

With Jean Ponzi

We have a very special guest in our home. This individual nurtured her kind back from the very brink of extinction.

She’s a Mexican gray wolf named Anna.

The humans who work at the Endangered Wolf Center tell Anna’s tale. They know it because she lived in their midst, right out in west St. […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Befriend the 8-Ball?

With Jean Ponzi

We humans love and loathe the unknown. At the same time, many of us yearn to rely on an authoritative guide, from Mom to Jesus to Ouija Boards. 

Inner knowing is not the strongest suit for a lot of our kind. Seems easier to get us to pledge our allegiance to the vision and […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Bunny Karma

By Jean Ponzi

Once in the summer I went with friends to a farm with a beautiful swimming pool. This pool was built out on a sunny plateau with a long view of Ozark hills. A glorious holiday time and place.

Frolicking toward a morning swim, friend Joyce and I were shocked to discover a small brown […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Celebration Keeper

By Jean Ponzi

There are great-hearted people in all times and lands all over our Earth whose sacred – and often unofficial – job is to keep our human spirits lively and growing, appreciative, and full of shared joy.

This Celebration Keeper work is so important that many ancient legends say if the ones who do it […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Crows, Mom, Sparkle and Me

With Jean Ponzi

The nature of Crow — in America, Corvus brachyrhynchos – is a totem-in-common for my mother, Florence Ponzi, and me.

Crows are the largest group in the avian order of Passeriformes. All crows have a dense physique, strong wings and a powerful beak. I will nicely call our human family “sturdy.” However and […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Dynamic Duo Downsizing

By Jean Ponzi

Putting their Green values to work, sisters Laura Neuman-Howe and Kathy LeDuc can disperse your stuff, sustainably. 

Launched in January 2021,their Dynamic Duo Downsizing and Estate Services supports family and individual clients who need to sort, distribute and de-acquisition up to a household of goods, often in a time-limited manner. It’s a way to […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Ginkgo for Xmas

By Jean Ponzi

Trees have taught me how Love and Capacity for Care branch out at different paces. And how leaving out Awareness can get you stuck being just a stick.

The Christmas my brother was hosting our family in his family’s new home, I wanted to give them what embodied love from me, a tree. Specifically, […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Honeysuckle Sweep For Healthy Habitat March 5-13

With Jean Ponzi

Spring around St. Louis sprouts both Good News, that first refreshing flush of green, and Bad News: almost all the early leaves we see will be on only one terribly invasive species, Bush Honeysuckle.

Sure it’s pretty, with snowy flowers, scarlet berries and bright leaves. But this is a plant way too far out […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Hose Yoga

By Jean Ponzi

Reunion with a force from my young womanhood, Yoga, moved me in ways I was thrilled to find my body (at 3.5-score years of service) is still willing and able to go. Plus a few moves not so fondly recalled.

Connection catalyst, my longtime friend Sharon, celebrated her 80th birthday (!!) leading her Saturday […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Illuminating! Jeannie Breeze

By Jean Ponzi

Teacher, poet, celebrator, spirit guide! Just some of the ways a friend to many, Jeannie Breeze, has grounded inspiration around St. Louis, over enlightening decades. In her month of Aquarius, may this ode to Jeannie send well wishes winging to light her way through health challenges, on strong beams of loving peace.

World Peace […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Kind Eyes

By Jean Ponzi

Dear sister and brother humans, here’s how I see where we are now.

We’re nearing the point of One Full Year in the Big Time Out for all of our Homo sapiens species, all over our planet Earth. 

Yes, we’re seeing a way through. But let’s take a moment to review. How did we get […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Lattice

By Jean Ponzi

Random patternsLinear sketchesFine to bold as eye travels from sky to groundBodies of treesArching upTrunk lines branch upinto dendritic connectionsCapillary actionsOccasionally clotted with the leafy nestsof more mobile kin

Wisp delicate at their twig extremesEach individual’s growing edgesshow how even mighty livesreach fragile into their newest spacesTenderness at the budding tipssprouts resilience

Our tree friendsOur […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Leave the Leaves

By Jean Ponzi

As your pollinator garden fades toward winter sleep, what do all the lovely insects you have kindly nourished need? They need you to do next to nothing.

Invertebrates rely on fallen leaves for insulating cover when days turn cold. The ideal shelter is accumulating now, right in their summer places.

Most butterfly and moth species […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Lost My Shoes

By Jean Ponzi

The first time was surprising.I keep my shoes in the same place, on the bedroom floor. I put most things in the same place, to remember where the heck I put whatever-it-is. But that day, those shoes had been right where I left them … and a day or two later they reappeared.

The […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Nature o’ Change

By Jean Ponzi

My Gramma had a tailored suit

(worsted, subtle opal luster)

she sewed for herself

and wore in spring:

her Sky-Blue Pink

with the Heavenly Border.

Inherited, I clothe myself

in ideation, in perspective,

in the fun of turn of phrase,

to stand out on the little porch

(hand-built with my beloved)

up in the arms of our

Queen o’ Trees.

Saucer Magnolia.

Roseate, radiant!

Early-spring beauty

each year risking

rush […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Nearby Nature Places to Love

By Jean Ponzi

Where can you bop out to, for a Nature-rich day? 

Missouri Botanical Garden has curated a map of 50 great locations, on the Missouri and Illinois sides of our region, where you can explore biodiversity as you enjoy being out-of-doors. 

Sites on this Nearby Nature Map range from public parks to state and local conservation […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Night Sky

By Jean Ponzi

Staying an October nightwith friends in their forest cabin.Seeing starlight sparkleon Brazil Creek, a tributaryto the Meramec River,into Mississippi, Earth’s water cycle shining.

Step outside with dog friendfor the good-night pee.A pet for her headthen I look up . . .

Awestruck!Breathless!Ahhhhh! Behold:Night Sky, Celestial Glory!Silent scintillating brilliance!

Living in the City,my Night Sky is nice, but […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Night Sounds, Summer into Fall

By Jean Ponzi

Remember the sounds of your childhood? Search your audio memory and find the time before “central air” shut our species into white noise boxes as soon as summer weather broke a sweat.

How can I sleep enclosed in a machine-sound room? Short stays in summer conference hotels are as long as I can ever […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Noodle Ode

By Jean Ponzi

Photo caption: Team EarthWays: Nature Noodlers Rally for Action.

This summer husband Dale and I celebrate 26 fabulous years — of the FunNoodle in our circle of friends.

We were newlyweds on a steamy midnight date — to our neighborhood Schnucks market — stocking up together for a big annual summer party. Cruising the store […]

Earthworms’ Castings: On A Positive Note

By Jean Ponzi

You’ve got to Acc-centuate the Positive

E-liminate the Negative

Latch on to the Affirmative

Don’t mess with Mister In-Between!

When Johnny Mercer wrote this lyric in 1944, things were in a pretty critical state around the world. Yet his ditty advised Mercer’s fellow human beings to keep on plugging away, maintaining focus on the outcome that is […]

Earthworms’ Castings: On Peers Prairie

By Jean Ponzi

Golden Yellow 

Lavish Greens

Birdie warbles, twitters, trills

Breeze lilt, rattle and whoosh

Solar canopy

Cumulus piles

July Sunday afternoon heat

Ripples the vast blue dome view.

Rare treat now for human eyes:

Vista that all hues of our species

Took for granted, loved and fought,

Over ages under Nature’s rule.

Square-stemmed 

Monarda, 

bee balm,

Sturdy as tomato stakes.

Towering 

Silphium

 brush my chest.

Grasses I cannot name

Poke and whisk and flip […]

Earthworms’ Castings: On Peers Prairie

By Jean Ponzi

Golden Yellow Lavish GreensBirdie warbles, twitters, trillsBreeze lilt, rattle and whooshSolar canopyCumulus piles

Sunday afternoon heatRipples the vast blue dome view.Rare treat now for human eyes:Vista that all hues of our speciesTook for granted, loved and fought,Over ages under Nature’s rule.

Square-stemmed Monarda, bee balm,Sturdy as tomato stakes.Towering Silphium brush my chest.Grasses I cannot namePoke and […]

Earthworms’ Castings: One Day Without Water

By Jean Ponzi

Prompted by a kitchen update, this a First-World problem to have, and – full disclosure – my household flow stayed on for one toilet, tub and the bathroom sink.

My plumber (aka Husband Dale) checked and re-checked diagrams, pipe and elbow inventory, and much more. His planning layout had the meticulous clarity of mosaics […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Rock Pile

With Jean Ponzi

I walked, talked, played and dreamed with imaginary companions, in the woods and fields where I grew up on a rural edge of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My peeps were history’s great classical composers until a new girl down the hill became my first human friend.

A favorite spot to hang with invisible pals was a […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Shapeley Plastic!

By Jean Ponzi

Brrrring-RING! Thanks for calling Shapeley Plastic, what can we provide today?

I’m looking for some structural panels, various sizes, not large.

I believe we’ve got just the shapes for you. Our stock of packaging forms from LED string lights come square and rectilinear; flat panels with 1-2” depth dimension, plenty of connective openings. Mostly Milk […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Spring 2

By Jean Ponzi

Turning Pointfor an Inside Job

Going All In thru Time Out, big time

My Goals:stay wellbe kindkeep the jobOK, So?Fine, just fine, thanksTHNX THANKSAll My Relations

last time around, at this timeSPRING!first Buds a reLEAFin step outdoorsOpen Heart

opened windowsspaced apartIntent: keep connections

The Big To-Do List?home improvementswithin, withouthouse, self, kin, planetoutreach investedpersistent – resilient – sentient Be. Here. Now.

Hocus […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Ten-Minute Nativity

By Jean Ponzi

Holiday Time returns after Big Time Out for our whole species. Hurtle with me Back in Time, two-score Earth years, to a Time-Turning point. Cheers!

*  *  *

In Nineteen Hundred Ninety-Six, the Festive Season almost lost an intense competition with Work for my small family’s celebratory attention.

My husband Dale was custom-building all the kitchen […]

Earthworms’ Castings: The Reign of Blossoms

By Jean Ponzi

Before they leaf, trees burst with bloom, keeping springtime crowned in blossoms.

Missouri trees flower palest pink, rose, lilac and magenta, but I think white is our spring’s loveliest color.

Serviceberry starts the show, sometimes in March, always by first days of April. This native species is an ideal street tree replacement for Bradford Pear, […]

Earthworms’ Castings: The Restful Time

By Jean Ponzi

 I hear it often this time of year – “I cannot WAIT for spring!” – but this isn’t my refrain.

A Chicago friend lamented it recently, adding “If I could only garden all year, every day ….” OK, it’s a lot colder, longer, up where she lives, but she also hires a landscaping service. […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Why We Can’t Recycle Garden Pots

By Jean Ponzi

Very sorry to have to report that our regional Plastic Pot Recycling remains suspended.

Fellow gardeners, I know you are sustainability minded — and practical. I hope this summary of issues and some options will be useful, even while we cannot recycle our pots. 

Wasn’t Plastic Pot Recycling “suspended” in spring 2020? Why is it […]

Earthworms’ Castings: Year Of No Snakes

With Jean Ponzi

The time came, back in 2012, for my Mom to move from our family home. This was one big move.

We built our house in 1960, between Wisconsin farms and lakes, just outside Milwaukee. Our town would not become a full-fledged suburb until the mid-70s. Rural, yet close to city culture.

Woods and fields […]

Easing the Toxic Stress of Food Insecurity

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

A recent special report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “The Crisis Within – How Toxic Stress and Trauma Endanger our Children,” cites a child’s exposure to toxic stress as being linked to asthma, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and stroke later […]

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association BEEKEEPING WORKSHOP 

caption: Hands on experience at the EMBA apiary – The Eastern Missouri Beekeeping Association has mentors, monthly meetings and hands on workshops to guide you through a year of beekeeping. 

The Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association will hold it’s annual Beekeeping Workshop on February 10th, 2024, at the Aviator Hotel & Conference Center at 6921 South Lindbergh, […]

Easy Summer Meals & Snacks

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD

Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

With summer in full swing, the warmer temps and sticky St. Louis humidity can discourage people from getting in the kitchen to cook up healthy, affordable, made-from-scratch meals and snacks. However, rather than reaching for convenience foods, let’s look at some ideas for tasty, delicious […]

Easy Ways To Eat More Fruits & Veggies

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD

Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Summer is upon us and there is an abundance of fresh produce available in stores, farmers’ markets and possibly your own backyard if you’re lucky enough to have your own garden. What better time to enjoy the delicious flavors of fresh fruits and vegetables than […]

Easy, Healthy, Weeknight Meals

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Eating healthy, affordable, delicious meals during the week can be particularly difficult given how busy we all are these days. Between work, family responsibilities, household chores, and maintaining healthy relationships with friends and family, there is often little time to plan, shop for, and prepare […]

Eat With The Seasons

by Crystal Moore-Stevens

Cornucopia: Horn of Plenty

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the word cornucopia is derived from the Latin term cornu copiae, meaning horn of plenty. The cornucopia is revered as a symbol of bounty or abundance; it is typically described as a “curved goat’s horn overflowing with fruits and grains”.

Although we attribute the cornucopia to […]

Eat With The Seasons: Get Creative In The Kitchen

by Crystal Stevens

Eating locally is a vitally important way each of us can contribute to a more sustainable community and foodshed. Based on the Permaculture Zone Principles, charted in a bull’s eye pattern, each circle represents sustainable ways to access food in our own communities. According to these principles, it is best to grow our […]

Eat With The Seasons: Green Your Holiday Season

by Crystal Moore-Stevens

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season approaches, try to breathe deeply and know that there are many ways to keep your earth stewardship alive this time of year. Reduce your carbon footprint by helping to limit your part in the viscous waste cycle and shopping frenzy that is inevitable with […]

Eat With The Seasons: Preserving Autumn’s Garden Bounty

by Crystal Moore-Stevens

The Autumn Equinox sends a signal to the backyard gardeners’ cerebral cortex, gently reminding us that the harvest season has arrived and that now is the time to be preserving and putting up food for the winter. Within just a couple of short months, the garden will once again die off for the […]

Eat With The Seasons: Savor The Season of Autumn

by Crystal Moore-Stevens

In the Midwest, we are fortuitous enough to experience all four of the breathtaking seasons. Autumn is especially beautiful in this region. The vibrant colors of leaves rustling in the trees in the autumn air are striking and inspiring. The autumn offers not only a bountiful harvest, but also an abundance of art […]

Eat Your Yard: Edible Landscapes Transform St. Louis Lawns

When Matt Lebon imagines the future of St. Louis land development, he sees an abundance of food: orchards at schools, wellness gardens on corporate campuses and healing gardens in hospitals.

Lebon is the founder of Custom Foodscaping, St. Louis’s very first design and installation company for transforming underutilized spaces to beautiful food-producing landscapes.

Previously the farm manager […]

Eating For Healthy Skin

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

November is Healthy Skin Month, and all too often people forget that healthy skin starts on the inside of your body. What you put into your body is reflected on the outside, through your skin, which is your body’s largest organ. One of the […]

Eating For Renewal

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD

Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

It’s a brand new year, and what better time to think about renewing your body and soul than now. The New Year brings with it promises of new beginnings. One important step on the path to renewal is having a fresh start to your diet. […]

Eating Healthy After The Holidays

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

It’s that time of year again – everyone is trying to lose the inevitable holiday weight that lingers after the celebrations are over. Thanksgiving and the other holidays that follow are times of feasting and indulgence. If you want to get back to clean eating, […]

Eating Locally: A Global Solution

By Crystal Stevens

Eating locally is a vitally important way each of us can contribute to a more sustainable community and food shed. Based on the Permaculture Zone Principles, charted in a bull’s eye pattern, each circle represents sustainable ways to access food in our own communities. According to these principles, it is best to grow […]

Eating With The Seasons

By Crystal Stevens

The benefits of eating with the seasons are profound and can truly make a difference in your health, for the environment, for the lives of small family farmers, for the community and for the greater good. When you support local farmers, you are supporting their livelihood; you are supporting their family, you are […]

EBOO – Ozone Dialysis Therapy

For Veterans, Firefighters, Farmers and Others Exposed to Toxins

By Simon Yu MD

Let me introduce you to a new extraordinary therapy called ozone dialysis therapy, short for extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation (EBOO). Another name for EBOO is Recirculatory Hemoperfusion (RHP) therapy. I have been searching for medical facilities that can do dialysis to remove environmental […]

Edg-Clif Offers Great Destination For Wine Tasting & Missouri Country Getaway

Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard is a small family run Winery and Brewery created out of love for this special place. Here a third generation family farm has been gently refurbished to make it a comfortable yet vibrant venue for wine tasting, weddings, Field to Table dinners, family reunions and more.

Guests can also stay in the […]

Edg-Clif Vineyards, Winery & Brewery is a Winning Destination

This is the time to start planning what you’re going to do with your family or how you’re going to take a relaxing break from the city this summer. Whether you’re looking for a family retreat, a romantic getaway, a weekend outdoors with friends or some much-needed solitude, head down to Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard in Potosi, […]

Education & Enrichment

A Gathering Place Wellness Education CTR

A Gathering Place Massage School teaches massage therapy and healing modalities from the heart! With our small class sizes, we become like family. Having fun while learning is a key to helping our students prepare and Pass the National Board Exam. Our National Board Exam pass ratio for 2010 – […]

EDUCATION…

The Bridge to a Better Life for Animals

By Suzanne Gassner

In a world of fast-paced, high technology, there seems to be a loss of connection with animals and the world we share. You rise to an alarm clock, turn on the coffee, blow dry your hair, dodge traffic, sit at a computer entering data, rush home, […]

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Pathogens Biohacking, Reprogramming the Epigenome?More:

By Simon Yu MD

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) was first described over 100 years ago and is now recognized more often with many subgroups of classification. EDS is considered genetic-related hereditary connective-tissue disorder. Common symptoms include hypermobile loose joints, joint pain, stretchy velvety skin, and is associated with cardio-vascular problems including aortic dissection, joint subluxation and dislocation, […]

Election After-Effects

By Phylis Sparks

As we adjust to the outcome of the recent election, many are feeling an after-effect. If you’re like me, you’re mostly just glad it’s over. Regardless of our political perspective, what many are sensing feels like a dismantling; a breaking apart. In one of my favorite books entitled Spiral Dynamics, the authors call […]

Eliminate Five to Improve your Life: The Top Five Toxins Found in Every Home

by Gail Griswold-Elwyn,
President, Rethink Renovations

The EPA has ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental dangers, stating that allergies, asthma, lung cancer, and heart problems have all been linked to poor air quality. Below are the top 5 toxins most commonly found in your home—and how you can make healthier choices.

Formaldehyde, the same […]

Eliminate Root Canals with Stem Cell Regeneration

By Michael Rehme, DDS, CCN
(Certified Clinical Nutritionist)

What does dentistry and stem cell research have in common? The answer may be more enlightening than you can imagine. Scientists are working diligently to discover the abilities of cell regeneration within the human body. Dentistry is playing an important role in this new age research.

Is it possible that […]

Embrace Wellness: The Power of Health Coaching

By Wendy Robin

In the quest for a healthier life, the path can sometimes feel overwhelming. That’s where health coaching comes in, offering personalized support tailored to your needs and goals. Unlike one-size-fits-all approaches, health coaches take the time to understand you and craft a plan that fits your life. Whether you want to lose weight, […]

Emotional Peace For The Holidays

By Dorothy Tomasic, M.A.
Certified EPT Works
and Emotion Code Practitioner

Emotional Peace, oh, doesn’t that just sound relaxing, nurturing, centering and… well, peaceful! Breathe in Peace, breathe out worry and stress.

As we enter into the holiday season and begin expending our time and energy on extra planning, shopping, visiting, entertaining and you name it, our lives at […]

Endless Dentistry Forever Sickness: Dentists Have No Sense of Humor

By Simon Yu, MD

Dentists have no sense of humor! When I tell them that lots of medical crimes are committed in the dental chair with high-speed drills, amalgams, fluoride treatment, root canals, incompatible dental materials and implants, they certainly are not laughing. 

Dental problems are one of the major reasons adding complexity to already complicated medically […]

Energy Benchmarking: You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure!

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

The St. Louis High Performance Building Initiative’s 25×20 Voluntary Energy Benchmarking Campaign is challenging buildings in our region to reduce their energy consumption by 25% by the year 2020!

Energy benchmarking is measuring a building’s energy consumption and comparing its performance to similar buildings. Benchmarking is the first step […]

Energy Benchmarking: You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure!

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

The St. Louis High Performance Building Initiative’s 25×20 Voluntary Energy Bench-marking Campaign is challenging our region to reduce its energy consumption by 25% by the year 2020! And the first step towards conserving energy and money is energy benchmarking. You know the saying- you can’t manage what you […]

Engaging & Activating Communities During a Pandemic: A Salute to our Partners at Missouri River Relief

By Christen Commuso

We are all learning to make changes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and our partners at Missouri River Relief (MRR) are no exception. We want to highlight some of the great work they do and detail how they have been adapting their programs to ensure all staff, students and volunteers stay safe […]

Enhanced Interrogation Technique for Parasites by a Theoretical Internist:

“Pop” goes the Universe, Paradigm Shifting to Non-Empirical Science

By Simon Yu, MD

Parasites are masters of deception. They are directly engaged in a deceptive, asymmetrical biological and psychological warfare on mankind. Curing the “incurables”, by using parasite medications after I was deployed in Bolivia as an U.S. Army medical officer, has been the most rewarding experience […]

Enjoy A Fresh, Healthy Brunch At Piper Palm House’s Café Madeleine

by Leah O’Donnell
Healthy Planet Lifestyles Editor

Recently my family had the pleasure of dining at the Piper Palm House’s Café Madeleine. The experience was one we will remember and will look forward to having again. Located within the magnificent Tower Grove Park, this gem is a place to enjoy the perfect brunch. The outside plaza at […]

Enjoy Expert Resources & Earth-Friendly Fun At The Green Homes & Great Health Festival Sept. 28

The 12th annual Green Homes and Great Health Festival returns to the grounds of the Missouri Botanical Garden on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival showcases a multitude of options for sustainable living combined with positive ways to maintain the health of people and the planet. The Green Homes and […]

Enjoy The Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden This Spring

Spring into another season of activities at the Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden inside Missouri Botanical Garden. Families can explore the great outdoors and experience all the Children’s Garden has to offer: a waterfall, steamboat, cave, rope bridges, tree house and more!

Opened in April 2006, the Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden: A Missouri Adventure introduces […]

Enjoy, Explore and Protect the Planet with the Missouri Sierra Club

Photo: “Backpacking Outing at Hawn State Park. Photo by Matt Self.”

In 2024, the Sierra Club Missouri Chapter celebrates 52 years of protecting Missouri’s environment. As one of the largest grassroots environmental organizations in the state, the Sierra Club Missouri Chapter aims to protect our environment from harmful pollution and development, justly transition to a clean […]

Entering The Flow: LAMA in The Lobster Pot

By Chris Yonker

At last our much anticipated vacation to Colorado! A well earned time to slow down, connect to nature and each other! Tent, camping equipment, bicycles and suitcases packed we headed out for our planned adventure. The drive to our destination of Telluride was uneventful, Missouri familiar, Kansas tedious and Colorado fresh and invigorating […]

Entertaining With Tea — Pairing Tea With Food

By Kateri Meyer
Owner of Traveling Tea

Did you know tea is like wine, in that its flavor profile is developed by its terroir, or the environment in which it grows? For example, Assam tea is a hearty and malty tea native to the Assam region of northern India. When I sampled the result of this same […]

Environmental Advocacy Resources for the New Year

By Anna Weber

Starting off the new year, there’s never been a better chance to start making a positive impact in your community and help Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) make our state a better place. Ranging from issues with our food system to local environmental concerns, MCE has been advocating, educating, and organizing to […]

Environmental Disputes

By Don Fitz

Environmental activists often find themselves on the opposite side of the fence from powerful economic interests. March 2015 episodes of Green Time TV explore how this can happen as a result of chemical contamination in the karst topography of Missouri’s Ozarks, changing to sustainable energy, and over-reliance on antibiotics in livestock.

The first March […]

Environmental Toxic Chemicals & Mysterious Illness: A Tale of Two Leukemia Patients

By Simon Yu, MD

Synthetic petro-chemical production has been exploding since the 1940’s, along with an epidemic rise in chronic illnesses with a multitude of symptoms including fatigue, memory loss, anxiety/depression, brain fog, allergies, food intolerance, body aches and other undiagnosed mysterious illnesses. There has also been a steady rise in allergies, asthma, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia, […]

Envisioning A Circular Economy

By Fredericka Brandt, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

As humans we’ve adapted a linear approach to economics; we take, we make, we dispose. Yet, does this activity benefit our living system? Does it benefit you? Or your business? Probably not. We need to redefine growth, focus on positive society-wide benefits and build economic, natural, and […]

EPA Recognizes Metro Lighting with 2014 Excellence in Retailing Award

Local lighting company, Metro Lighting, was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the national 2014 Excellence in Retailing Award for Lighting. The award is given to organizations for their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in significant cost savings.

Award winners like Metro Lighting, Sears, Lowes and other […]

Epigenetic Signature Mapping Technology: Revolutionary Approach to Creating Your Personalized Superfood that Optimizes Body Function, Performance, and Overall Well-Being

By Michele Heizer

As a busy mom of two boys with nutritional imbalances and deficiencies, I set out to find a solution to ending those doctor visits, tummy aches and poor dietary habits. What I ended up discovering is that we all can use a little help. Can you relate?

In my “spare time” I’ve enjoyed […]

Essential Native Plants

By Abby Lapides

If you only have room for a few, these long-lived perennials are the ones to plant.

Butterfly Milkweed – Butterfly Milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, serves as an adult nectar source and a larval food source of the Monarch butterfly. Brilliant tangerine orange or vibrant yellow flowers appear for most of the summer. Its showy seed pods are […]

Essential Oils For Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Certain scents act like medicines, affecting the body on a biochemical level. Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of volatile essential oils to affect a psychologic or physiologic response. The fragrant scents used in aromatherapy are absorbed by the mucous membranes in the nose and then travel to the brain to elicit their […]

Evidence Based Medicine, Danger to Progress? Prepare for the “AcciDental Blow Up in Medicine”

By Simon Yu, MD

The term “evidence based medicine” (EBM) first appeared in a paper by Dr. Gordon Guyatt et al. as a new approach to teaching the practice of medicine in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in November 1992. The paper emphasized the examination of evidence from clinical research that is “double-blinded and […]

Exciting Announcement about Holistic Energy Therapies & Products!

By Diane K Wilson

Photo: Thank you all who were in attendance and helped!!: (Left to Right) Jennifer Janowitz, friend; Deborah Rhodes, Executive Director of the Southwest Area Chamber of Commerce; Diane K. Wilson, Founder & CEO of Crimson Cre8ive: Holistic Energy Therapies & Products; Monica Sharp, Lindell Bank; Dr. Monica A. Stewart, Community Engagement Liaison […]

Exercise and Air Quality: Finding A Healthy Balance

Article courtesy of the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

As temperatures rise you’re more likely to see walkers, runners and bikers on the roads. Dumping the gym for the great outdoors seems like the right thing to do, but some risks are involved this time of year. Exercising on poor air quality days has been linked […]

Exhibit Space Now Being Reserved For Healthy Planet Expo, Oct. 20

The Healthy Planet, St. Louis’ Green & Healthy Living magazine, hosts its 26th Natural Living Expo Sunday, October 20, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 E. Glendale Road, 63119 (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

This popular event will include more than 60 exhibit booths offering a variety of […]

Exiting Out of Our Assigned Roles

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Our existence is often defined by labels that indicate a role for us to fulfill that showcases our humanity such as being a friend, a grandma, a grandpa, a wife, a husband, a mother, a father, a daughter, a son, an uncle, or an aunt but then the issue […]

Exotic Looking Native Missouri Wildflower

By Ann Lapides, Sugar Creek Gardens

Enjoy a special delight in your garden with the mesmerizing Michigan Lily, Lilium michiganense. Although it looks exotic, Michigan Lily is a native Missouri perennial. Tall stems display this wonder’s fascinating orange-red recurved petals and sepals that bring to mind a type of cap worn by early Turks. The speckled […]

Exotic Looks Yet Hardy Perennials Scrumptious Succulents

By Abby Elliott,
Owner, Sugar Creek Gardens

Carefree, low water needs, evergreen, deer and rabbit resistant, weed smothering groundcovers, exquisite and unique flowers and foliage, exotic-looking yet long lived perennials, stunning in containers…and the list goes on. As you can see the many outstanding qualities of these jewels have made succulents highly sought after plants. Easily grown […]

Expanding Minds, Changing Lives: STLCC prioritizes Green Building in Design and Construction of Center for Nursing and Health Sciences

By Sondra Rotty, USGBC-Missouri
Gateway Chapter Education Committee

Expanding Minds, Changing Lives.” This is the inspiring motto of Saint Louis Community College (STLCC). While driving east on Highway 40 with Forest Park to your left and the Gateway Arch in front of you, a building has risen out of the ground on the right, transforming the campus […]

Experience Earth Day at the 2nd Largest Celebration in the Country

by Jeanette Reynolds,
Programs and Communication Director,
St. Louis Earth Day

Be part of a community tradition at the 25th anniversary of the St. Louis Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 27th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Muny Grounds of Forest Park. Enjoy three stages of entertainment, learn about sustainable products and services offered by […]

Experience Fall at Trout Lodge — Plan your family’s fall getaway today!

As the calendar flips to September and fall quickly approaches, now is the time to begin thinking about a fall getaway for your family to enjoy the magical experience of fall in the Ozarks.

Located only 90 minutes from St. Louis, YMCA Trout Lodge is the perfect location to unplug, reconnect, and recharge with your […]

Experience Fall at Trout Lodge — Plan your family’s fall getaway today!

As the calendar flips to September and fall quickly approaches, now is the time to begin thinking about a fall getaway for your family to enjoy the magical experience of fall in the Ozarks.

Located only 90 minutes from St. Louis, YMCA Trout Lodge is the perfect location to unplug, reconnect, and recharge with your loved […]

Explore Down To Earth & Far Out Books for Gardeners

Explore Down To Earth & Far Out Books for Gardeners

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

The gift giving winter holidays are a time to explore books that expand knowledge and ways of being in gardens and nature. For gardener wannabes and professionals alike, these books expand anyone’s understanding of the world through […]

Explore Innsbrook at the Fall Home Tour Oct. 15

By Katie Tucker

Whether your idea of a perfect fall weekend is ultimate adventure or ultimate relaxation—you can enjoy it all at Innsbrook, which offers more than 100 lakes, hiking trails, horse stables and family events for all ages—truly making it nature’s playground. With vacation A-frame chalets and year-round homes in a beautiful setting, Innsbrook has […]

Explore Night in the Outdoors at Nocturnal by Nature

Event Aug. 12 at Busch Conservation Area

See how the outdoors comes alive after dark at this free family event.

Photo caption: Stargazing through telescopes is one way visitors can explore nature at night during the Nocturnal by Nature event Saturday, Aug. 12 from 7:30-10:30 p.m. at Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles.

Nature spends half of its […]

Explore Shawnee Forest Country – in Southernmost Illinois

photo caption: Bike, or hike along the Tunnel Hill Trail

Whether you’re looking for one-of-a-kind art, wine, or antiques, or exploring the great outdoors, Shawnee Forest Country in Southernmost Illinois can take you there.

The trails begin in the rolling Southern Illinois countryside where you can sip your way along and discover truly surprising and authentic wine […]

Explore The Scenic Hermann Wine Trail

Winding through some of the prettiest scenery in Missouri, the Hermann Wine Trail hugs the Missouri River for 20 miles between Hermann and New Haven. Along the way, seven family-owned wineries are open for tasting and tours.

From quaint country farm settings to historic majestic wine cellars, you will experience our rich history and a variety of wine styles such as […]

Fair Trade Market Supports Living Wages & Safe Working Conditions For Artisans, Farmers, Children

On Saturday and Sunday, November 22 & 23, and Friday through Sunday, November 28, 29 & 30, 2014 from 9 am to 3 pm, come shop the 2,500+ sq. ft. marketplace of fair trade items from all over the world. Enjoy family activities, product demonstrations and sampling, education, movie showings, drawings for fair trade prizes, […]

Fair Trade Market: Find Ethical Chocolate, Coffee, Home Goods, Food & Gifts

The 10th Annual Fair Trade Market Offers St. Louis Hundreds of Wholesome Fair Trade Items this November

On Saturday, November 17, Sunday, November 18 as well as Friday through Sunday, November 23, 24 and 25, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., more than 2,500 sq. ft. of space will be filled with fair trade items […]

Fall for Fabulous Fall Vegetables

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Fall has finally arrived and you can now enjoy cooler weather, football Sundays, and, of course, all things pumpkin. Pumpkin spice everything will soon be flooding the marketplace and enticing our taste buds. However, there are many other fall crops that should be coloring your […]

Fall hiking in Missouri and Illinois

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Publisher

Fall is finally underway, and my hiking boots have been staring at me all summer. It’s time to brush them off and go for a hike with both of my dogs. Fall is my favorite time to hike, not just because of the colors but also because it’s cooler. Winning, all the […]

Fall Hiking in Missouri and Illinois

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Publisher

Fall is finally underway, and my hiking boots have been staring at me all summer. It’s time to brush them off and go for a hike with both of my dogs. Fall is my favorite time to hike, not just because of the colors but also because it’s cooler. Winning, all the […]

Fall in Love with Color

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Oh, the colors of fall. How can our hearts not sing with the brilliance of orange, reds, yellows, purple and other colors? All too often when thinking of garden colors, we think of spring and summer first, but fall colors are the fireworks of a garden. […]

Fall in the Garden: Celebrate Equinox & Harvest Moon

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

September is the month when our gardens begin finishing up their growing season. Most Septembers share the Fall Equinox and Harvest Moon. In 2020, the Fall Equinox takes place on Sept. 22nd and the Harvest Moon falls on Oct. 1st. There are ten days between the Fall Equinox and Harvest Moon. Let […]

Fall is for Planting: Try Natives!

It’s always hard to let go of the fun days of summer. But then thoughts turn to what waits for us on the other side. Fall’s harvests, colored leaves, golden sunsets, and warm sweaters. Fall invites us to slow down, get cozy, and take a deep breath of crisp air. Each season has its novelties […]

Fall is for planting!

It’s always hard to let go of the fun days of summer. But then thoughts turn to what waits for us in fall. Crop harvests, colored leaves, golden sunsets, and warm sweaters. Fall invites us to slow down, get cozy, and take a deep breath of crisp air. Each season has its novelties and delicacies, […]

Fall Teas, Special-teas, and Butter Beer

By Kateri Meyer

As weather starts to cool, match your longing for a cozy, warming beverage with your goals for a healthy you and a Healthy Planet with teas free from pesticides and additives. For your health and safety, and that of tea workers across the planet, 90% of the teas we offer are grown using […]

Family Travel Imposes Concerns for Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

School semesters start just around the corner. Early August is often a final chance opportunity for families to travel one last time this summer.

If your pet is traveling with you, there are special considerations. Whether cat or dog, you need to have a way to contain or secure your pet during […]

Farm to Table Meat You for Dinner

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Photo Caption: The Scott Family

Do you know where your food comes from? And, not just “the grocery store.” How do we know the foods we buy to feed our families are quality? In this day and age of chemicals and preservatives, ambiguous marketing lingo and corporate greed, it is […]

Farm To Table: Growing For The Greater Good

By Crystal Stevens

One of the joys of growing food for the community is educating others about the importance of eating local for both our own health and the health of the environment. All of the local farmers in this region educate their communities either through example, through internship programs, through school field trips and through […]

Fat Cats & Portly Pooches

 By Teresa Garden, DVM

 COVID-19 has turned the world and everyone in it upside down and inside out. When the lockdown started it seemed beneficial to our pets. They were receiving more attention and affection from their families. Dogs were being walked more and several of my patients initially lost weight, but after a while COVID […]

Favorite Flower Zinnia

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

There are many favorite flowers, but zinnias are #1 in my summer garden. They bring such joy and childlike pleasure. In fact, these feelings of innocent joy are exactly what the flower essence “zinnia” imparts in flower essence therapy. Butterflies and pollinators love them too, especially […]

February Is National Pet Dental Month

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

February starts the annual PET DENTAL MONTH, and subsequently, this is a great time to discuss dental disease in our pets, both dogs and cats. Unfortunately, pet owner compliance for pet dental care is estimated to be around 33% or less. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), presents data confirming the […]

February is Pet Dental Month!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

February starts the annual PET DENTAL MONTH, and subsequently, this is a great time to discuss dental disease in our pets, both dogs and cats. Unfortunately, pet owner compliance for pet dental care is estimated to be around 33% or less. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), presents data confirming the […]

Feed The Birds, Count the Birds, Take Action For The Birds

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Our gardens, our lives and our world would not be the same without birds. Yet a recent scientific study reports that bird populations have declined by almost 30% over the last fifty years. A September 2019 article in the NY Times titled, “Birds are Vanishing from North America”, stated: “The analysis, published […]

Feline Dementia Possible In Cats Over 10 Years Old

By Teresa Garden, DVM

For years veterinarians and pet owners have been aware of cognitive dysfunction in our aging dog population. We are just now understanding and appreciating that our aged cats are vulnerable to dementia just like people and dogs. It is thought cognitive changes are common in cats greater than 10 years old. Recognizing […]

Feline Stomatitis

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Feline stomatitis is defined as inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth. It is a painful and frequent problem in cats. Treating stomatitis is frustrating for veterinarians as well as pet owners. It is believed the immune system of affected cats overreacts to plaque, causing severe inflammation in the mouth. Symptoms […]

Femme Ferment & Craft Beer

It’s Not Just A Boy’s Club Anymore!

By Maureen Zegel

Craft beer drinkers will cite their epiphany moment, the instant they tasted their “forever” beer – a hoppy IPA, a smooth wheat beer maybe it was a hearty stout. For most of us, it changed our drinking and buying habits. For others, it changed their life.

“I was […]

Ferguson Non-profit Buys and Preserves 129-year-old Organic Farm

EarthDance creates a model for land conservation and organic farming education

When someone “buys the farm,” it’s not usually cause for excitement.

But when Molly Rockamann of EarthDance and Ron Coleman of The Open Space Council walked out of a title office on Thursday, May 24, they were elated. The Ferguson-based non-profit EarthDance purchased the Mueller Farm […]

Festive and Fabulous Gluten-Free Golden Fruitcake

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

When thinking of all of the decadent and delightful treats that are presented, exchanged, and devoured through the holiday season, most have visions of festively decorated cookies, candies, tortes, and pies in their heads (recipes for AIP/GF cookies and dye free icing in the Dec.2022 archives). Then there […]

Fibromyalgia… Is It All In Your Head?

by Dr. Adam Hughes

That is what most doctors wind up telling their patients. Then patients are left searching for answers… most of the time online. Which is a little scary because anyone can post information online. The symptoms and problems of Fibromyalgia are very real, but it is far from just a “muscle” problem. In […]

Fighting for Clean Air on Both Sides of the Mississippi River

By Joshua Valeri

On July 24th, 2021, residents from both sides of the MississippiRiver gathered at the McKinley Bridge Roadside Park to demandpolitical action on issues of regional air quality. After listening to aseries of speakers denounce corporate and political crimes againstthe environment, attendees marched across McKinley Bridge in asymbolic unification of Missouri and Illinois’ […]

Find best places to see fall foliage with MDC’s fall color forecast

Missouri is blessed with a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines that make the fall season come alive with color. You can find best places to view the changing foliage using the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) fall color report at mdc.mo.gov/fallcolor.

“Our fall color report is updated weekly from MDC foresters all over the state,” […]

Find it on the Web – Recycling Information

Associations, Organizations and Resources
America Recycles Day – www.americarecyclesday.org
Earth 911 – www.earth911.org
e-cycle Missouri – www.e-cyclemo.org
Envirolink – www.envirolink.org
Global Recycling Network – www.grn.com

Household Hazardous Waste
(HHW) Program – www.HHWSTL.com
Keep America Beautiful – www.kab.org
Missouri Recycling Association – www.mora.org
National Recycling Coalition – www.nrcrecycles.org
The Healthy Planet magazine – www.thehealthyplanet.com

Local Recycling Information – Government
City of St. Louis – www.stlouis-mo.gov
(Search Recycling, click Refuse Division’s […]

Finding A Garden Paradise Within

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

It was ten-year-olds who turned my world upside down as a garden designer. For years I had designed gardens in a traditional way. I found out what a person wanted in a garden by the inspirations they had seen in magazines, books, at public gardens and gardens of others. Then I would […]

Finding New Environmentalists Through Art

By Jared Opsal

This past August MCE hosted a traveling art exhibition titled “Americans Who Tell the Truth” in order to promote environmental ideals to a new audience and gain new followers and supporters from the arts community. The exhibition featured 11 portraits of environmental change makers from throughout the U.S. including the unveiling of a […]

Finding Peace, Health, and Wellness in the Outdoors

Trees Work for Your Health

By Holly Dentner, Natural Resources Communication Specialist, Missouri Dept. of Conservation

St. Louis Public Radio aired a story in late November 2020 about how the COVID pandemic has pushed people outdoors in record numbers. The story featured a quote from the executive director of Tower Grove Park, who noted that weekday foot […]

Finding Peace, Health, and Wellness in the Outdoors: Trees Work for Your Health

By Holly Dentner, natural resources communication specialist, Missouri Dept. of Conservation

St. Louis Public Radio aired a story in late November 2020 about how the COVID pandemic has pushed people outdoors in record numbers. The story featured a quote from the executive director of Tower Grove Park, who noted that weekday foot traffic in the park […]

Finding The Right Professional For Your Trees

By Jon Skinner
Missouri Department of Conservation

Trees provide multiple benefits to us. They provide shade during hot afternoons; reduce storm water runoff, and increase property values. By spending time around trees, we feel more relaxed and often think more creatively.

Occasionally, trees need our help. They may need pruning for various reasons or treated for a pest […]

First Ever “Go Local” Indie Business Showcase Oct. 11

By Terry Winkelmann

The first ever Go Local Indie Business Showcase will be held Sunday, October 11th, from noon to 4 p.m., at The Corner Gates, 1821 Cherokee St., across from the St Louis Swap Meet.

The Showcase will demonstrate what independently owned and operated businesses in St. Louis have to offer—who has what, who is local […]

First Line of Defense

By Ava Frick, DVM, FAIS

(Part 1 of a 2-part article)

Keeping a body healthy can be a challenge whether young or old or even in between. Stressors face your pet around every corner. Environmental chemicals and toxins in the foods, carpet, drywall, grass, asphalt, and even the air, are constantly picking away at the body’s ability […]

First Line of Defense part 2

By Ava Frick, DVM, FAIS

(Part 2 of a 2-part article)

Last month focused on the immune system, challenges it faces along the road of life and how stress plays a role in reducing the functions of this system. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances as well as exposures to various chemicals, drugs and toxins present an ongoing immunological […]

First Steps Towards Ecological Restoration

By Tim Wood, Sustainability Coordinator at The College School

The word biodiversity describes the variety of plant and animal life in a given environment. Greater biodiversity reflects the health of an ecosystem and its ability to endure challenges presented over time.

The state of Missouri is divided into four Eco regions and further divided into a wide […]

FitPAWS® “Power to the Dog, Fun Dog Fitness”

By Ava Frick, DVM, FAIS

If you are looking to find fun ways to build a stronger bond between you and your dog, then learning the FitPAWS® way could be just the ticket! FitPAWS® is a successful conditioning program designed by veterinarians, physical therapists, and trainers that relies upon in-depth communication between the Master Trainer™, the […]

Five Reasons You Should Care About Air Pollution

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Even as concerns related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic remain top of mind, there is no doubt that air pollution is also a global public health emergency to be conscious of during the remaining summer months when the potential for poor air quality conditions is higher. In recent weeks, […]

Fix Up, Clean Up, Clean Out… Recycle

By Vicky and Bob Moore

If you’re like most people, the change of seasons prompts us to start anew. We feel the urge to fix things up around the house, clean up and clean out those closets, the basement and garage, and get our lives and surroundings in order. As you go about these activities, be […]

Flance Early Learning Center Honored as a 2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School

By Malaya Siy, Missouri Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

This Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Education announced the 2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honorees, including our local Flance Early Learning Center. 

Incoming Flance Board President, Evan Fowler, shared “It’s an honor to be one of only three early education centers in the country […]

Fleeting Connections

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

My heart jolts from the recollection of visualizing the life we once shared, as you were once a stranger that turned into a familiar face, and my lips would turn upwards towards the clouds when I would see you.

At the same time that very heart would throb from your […]

Focus On a Wellness Career At Missouri College

With so much interest in healthy lifestyles today, there are many avenues someone who would like to enter this field could pursue professionally. Missouri College offers several programs focused on healthcare and wellness careers as well as other fields.

Whether you’re looking for hands-on involvement in caring for patients’ healthcare needs or in work that supports […]

Food Allergies More Common In Children Living In Urban Areas

St. Louis Allergy Specialist, Dr. Manoj Warrier, on the expert panel for the study. 

A nationwide study demonstrates the connection and prevalence of child food  allergies and the surrounding environment in which a child lives; urban, suburban and rural.

Of the nearly 40,000 families surveyed, results showed that the share of children with food allergies  was 9.8 […]

Food For Thought

by Teresa Garden, DVM

One of the most common questions I am asked as a veterinarian is “What is the best way to keep my pet healthy?” My answer, probably different from most veterinarians, is feed your pet a natural, well-balanced diet. Good nutrition is the base of the pyramid that optimal health is built upon. […]

Food Intolerance: When Food You Love Doesn’t Love You

By Amy Davis, M.D.

Food intolerance is different from true food allergies. It is delayed in its onset and is less serious (not life threatening) but can be very annoying just the same. The symptoms are a result of a delayed immune response which occurs gradually 1-24 hours after eating.

If you have food intolerance, you may […]

Food Sensitivities: The Foods You Eat Can Build You Up Or Break You Down

Last month’s article “The Story of Megan” has generated a lot of interest in food sensitivity testing. As discussed in that article, the foods you eat can either build you up or break you down. If you have a sensitivity to a particular food, eating that food will negatively impact your immune system. This will […]

FOOD-SHUI: Feng Shui Your Food & Better Your Life!

By Gina Rossi

With March bringing the discussion of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), this is a wonderful opportunity to look at the Feng Shui of our food! The Five Element Cycle and Yin & Yang, both direct how we can eat to bring more abundance, health and love into our lives, and who doesn’t want that?!

When […]

For A Greener Garden: COMPOST!

Composting is Mother Nature’s way of recycling old scraps into a beneficial meal for your garden. Your compost pile is the true hero in green gardening. By collecting grass clippings, fruit and vegetable trimmings and leaves, gardeners can create their own compost and give their garden a free, healthy, enriching treat. Composting your organic scraps […]

For A Greener Garden: COMPOST!

Compost (a soil amendment) is the product that comes from the controlled decomposition of organic material such as leaves, grass clippings, brush and yard trimmings. As the material decomposes, it generates heat that sanitizes the material and makes it beneficial for plant growth. Compost is an organic material that has the unique ability to improve […]

For Peace and Serenity, Try Falling Water…

17th Annual Pond-O-Rama Set For June 24-25

By Ginny Mueller

There is nothing so calming and peaceful as the sound of gently moving water. If it doesn’t exist in their current environments, members of the St. Louis Water Gardening Society create their own serenity in backyard gardens—and once a year, they are willing to show everyone how […]

For Peace and Serenity, Try Falling Water… 16th Annual Pond-O-Rama Set For June 25-26

By Ginny Mueller

There is nothing so calming and peaceful as the sound of gently moving water. If it doesn’t exist in their current environments, members of the St. Louis Water Gardening Society create their own serenity in their water gardens—and once a year, they are willing to show everyone how sweet it is. The 16th […]

Forest Bathing, Creativity & Connection June 20

By Linda Wiggen Kraft Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Join me for a Nature Journey titled “Forest Bathing*, Creativity, Connection” on June 20. This three-hour outdoor workshop weaves together an intimate connection with nature and creativity while experiencing and exploring the wild, tame and healing land of Forest Park. I will be leading a small […]

Forest Park’s Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape To Open June 2

Funded by donors to Forest Park Forever, the 17-acre experiential destination will open to the public June 2, 2021

Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry are pleased to announce that the new Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape in Forest Park will open to the public on […]

Forest ReLeaf Recognized for Habitat Restoration Work and Community Enrichment

On November 4, the St. Louis Audubon Society will hold its Fall Gaggle, an awards celebration and auction, at the Schlafly Tap Room in downtown St. Louis. The annual gathering raises funds to further efforts to conserve the environment and educate the community about its natural wonders. Key leaders from within the organization and around […]

Forget What You Thought You Knew About Probiotics

By Dr. Brian Harasha, DC, CFMP, ACBN

I am writing this article to question common myths about probiotics. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines probiotics as “live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”.

A common belief is that we take probiotics to re-populate our gut with healthy bacteria, and […]

FORGIVENESS… It Is NOT What You Think It Is!

By Phylis Sparks

Why is it important to forgive a person who has made you miserable? Because what that person did to you is not what’s making you miserable. What keeps you in misery is your emotional attachment to what that person did to you. Even if you don’t consciously remember it! Another word for it […]

Forrest Keeling Nursery Uses Native Plants for Better Results

Forrest Keeling Nursery is more than a nursery. Our team has devoted the past seven decades to better learn ways our natural environment works and how to best support and protect it. In fact, our vision is reflected in our corporate mission statement: ‘restoring earth’s ecosystems one tree at a time’.

Our dedication to this mission is […]

Fostering Connection with our Elders: Beating Winter Isolation for Seniors

Winter’s chill often brings a sense of isolation for seniors, but with concerted efforts, we can create a warm and connected community. Let’s explore who can help, what actions they can take, and why these efforts are crucial in combating winter loneliness among seniors.

Virtual Socializing plays a pivotal role in keeping seniors connected. Family, friends, […]

Founder’s Forum

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 […]

Founder’s Forum

By J.B. Lester

October Offers Great Potential

October is one of my favorite months of the year. The goldfinches are finishing up the spent cone flower seeds. Flocks of birds are gathering for their migration south. Kids are trying to decide on what costume to wear for Halloween. My 10-year-old grandson Jackson was named student of […]

Founder’s Forum – Mothers: Masters of Multitasking

By J.B. Lester

 I have learned so much from my mother. She was a nurturer and a best friend. She taught me to follow my dreams and encouraged my creativity and individualism. She loved to cook and taught me the basics of preparing comfort foods. In fact, she embodied the word comfort. Mothers give comfort like […]

Founder’s Forum: This Truth is Self-Evident

By J.B. Lester

I just got back from a walk at 9:30 a.m. and it’s already 85 degrees and feels like 94 degrees with the heat index (which combines actual temperature and humidity). It’s safe to say it’s darn hot outside. In fact, June 2023 was the hottest June on record nationally. I know it’s silly […]

Founder’s Forum: Be An Advocate For Your Heart

By J.B. Lester

February is heart month. It’s always a good time to remind everyone to keep an eye on your heart and be an advocate for your health. They say that knowledge is power, and I encourage you to research information about high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, especially if you have a family history […]

Founder’s Forum: Chip On The Shoulder Syndrome

By J.B. Lester

The cicada invasion has calmed down but everything else is heating up. Temperatures for the first week of summer are soaring across the country and even climate change deniers are dripping with sweat. The problem with misguided opinions and conspiracy theories is they don’t change the facts. The flat-earth lemmings are still walking […]

Founder’s Forum: Crickets, Grasshoppers & Feral Cats

By J.B. Lester

I have seen photos and film clips of the feral cat population roaming around historic cities in Italy but never really came to understand the wild felines. Then a year ago we had a feral cat birth her litter under our front porch in Webster Groves. When they became weaned, we took some […]

Founder’s Forum: Holidays, Cats & Retirement

By J.B. Lester

There is snow on the pumpkin this morning. Thanksgiving is next week and the feral cat family on our front porch prepares for the winter ahead. Their coats are getting thicker, and the five kittens are now nearly the size of the momma cat. My retirement is becoming a reality as I am […]

Founder’s Forum: Honoring Mother Earth

By J.B. Lester

The Healthy Planet magazine first appeared to the public at the Earth Day Festival in 1997 in Tower Grove Park. Needless to say, it was well received and now 27 years later, THP is still the popular voice for health, wellness and green living in the St. Louis area. 

April is a time for […]

Founder’s Forum: My First Year of (Semi) Retirement

By J.B. Lester

I must say retirement agrees with me. It has been a year now since I officially retired and handed over the reins to The Healthy Planet magazine to my good friend Susan Hunt Bradford. She has done a great job keeping the editions coming and providing the St. Louis area and beyond (via […]

Founder’s Forum: New Year Asks Us to Reflect & Persevere

By J.B. Lester

As the holidays come to a close, and we have spent some quality time with family and friends, take this opportunity for an emotional inventory of what the old year has brought us. For me, it has been a year of transition from working full time to part-time and retirement of sorts. I […]

Founder’s Forum: November Is Gratitude Month

By J.B. Lester

November brings an end to the growing season and gives us time for gratitude. We are grateful for what the gardens have given us, and we honor the Earth for offering its bounty. As the temperatures tumble, crickets and other insects are busy laying their eggs and the spiders have spun their late […]

Founder’s Forum: Our Christmas Eve Adventure

By J.B. Lester

On the night of December 24th, 1959, I squirmed and wiggled shaking the bunk bed. “Hey, Jimmy, are you awake?” My brother Bill asked from the bed below me. “I can’t sleep,” I answered. “I am too excited about Christmas.” I kicked off my covers and carefully climbed down the ladder. “Let’s sneak […]

Founder’s Forum: Points to Ponder

By J.B. Lester

Democracy Served. The January 6 committee has done its job and is showing a flagrant attempt to obstruct the counting of electoral votes and confirming Joe Biden as president. Donald Trump stood by and did nothing to stop the attack on the US Capitol and he should be held accountable for his dereliction […]

Founder’s Forum: Print Edition Returns As Founder Semi-Retires

As August winds down, I can be found recycling old papers from our office in Webster Groves and getting ready to shut down the office completely in September. This is all part of my retirement from publishing that has covered almost 45 years between the Webster-Kirkwood Times and The Healthy Planet magazine. In between there […]

Founder’s Forum: Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

By J.B. Lester

It’s hard to find anyone (especially those who read The Healthy Planet magazine) who doesn’t recycle. I mean, it’s like littering, no one with any social or environmental conscious litters anymore. Single stream recycling can be found in most urban communities making it extremely easy to recycle. Those days of separating the paper, […]

Founder’s Forum: Resolve To Create Comm-Unity

By J.B. Lester

January is the time of renewal, reflection and in many cases reversal of the direction things are going. On a personal level, we look to make our lives healthier, wealthier and wiser. This brings me to a broader topic. Society. Our society needs some serious reflection and a major tuneup.

Social issues are going […]

Founder’s Forum: Retirement After a Career Well Lived

By J.B. Lester

As I transition into retirement after 45 years in the publishing world, I am a bit reluctant to let go of those things I have created. Sort of like when a parent sees their child leave home for the first time. You know they have to leave the nest, but when they walk […]

Founder’s Forum: Side Effects and Old Age

By J.B. Lester

I was having a conversation with my 84-year-old mother-in-law about the health challenges we both have encountered in our lives and how we are amazed that modern medicine has kept us alive and kicking. We have battled cancer, blood clots, heart trouble, hernias, surgeries and more, and yet here we are sitting on […]

Founder’s Forum: Spring Brings Renewal & Repurposing

By J.B. Lester 

It’s mid-February as I write this in St. Louis and some daffodil shoots are popping through the soil next to the garden gnome standing sentry alongside our front fieldstone walk. It’s amazing how life is always eager to renew each year as the temperatures often deceive their seasonal clocks. Climate change has made […]

Founder’s Forum: The “Perfect” Folktale

By JB Lester

By the time you are 70 years old, you have plenty of memories to keep you going. Some are great and some are, well, better forgotten. And yet, we can’t forget our faux paws. Being in the publishing business, I have had a common nightmare over my 44 years in this business. My […]

Founder’s Forum: Time To Give Back To Mother Earth

By J.B.Lester

As Earth Day approaches April 22, I am taking the time to reflect on what Mother Earth means to me. In my lifetime I have enjoyed much of what our planet has to offer, whether it be a hike in the woods or lying in the grass as a child and looking up at […]

Founder’s Forum: We Need Two Fresh Teams To Rally Around

By J.B. Lester

As an independent, I used to think what we need to break this political logjam in Washington is a third party. But I came to my senses. As tempting as it sounds, the reality is it would only add to the chaos, as members of both main parties would try to coerce and […]

Founder’s Forum: Winter of Survival and Introspection

By J.B. Lester

Winter finally arrived in St. Louis and our family of feral cats is doing their best to weather the cold. We have a shelter for them and we feed them. We give them fresh water numerous times a day as the water freezes in just minutes. The cats have grown thick coats as […]

Founder’s Forum: You Deserve A New Lease On Life

By J.B. Lester

Both my parents died before they reached their senior years. They both had serious health problems that cut their lives short. Now almost 72, I have had my fair share of health issues after 50. Starting with a bad heart valve that caused me to pass out on a tennis court and then […]

Four Muddy Paws Hosts The Pet Health & Wellness Fair

Four Muddy Paws is hosting their annual Pet Health & Wellness Fair again this year on Saturday, May 11 from 11 AM – 3 PM in Lafayette Square (1711 Park Avenue). This is their biggest Pet Health event of the season. In fact, it’s so big it takes place on the Fountain Plaza across from […]

Four Tough Native Ground Covers for Dry Areas

By Sarah WilsonWhat if every homeowner in St Louis County (440,000+) planted one native plant? What a help that would be to our struggling Missouri wildlife! One native plant could supply food, shelter, nurseries, and needed rest stops. To further that dream, here are a few of the tough native ground covers to consider for […]

Four-Part Astrology & Tarot Workshop May 15 through June12

Nikki Nienhaus, D.C. and Gail Cloud, D.C. are presenting a workshop that marries basic astrology and the tarot to help you learn more about yourself and to learn how to work with the light and shadow sides of your personality. Everyone has parts of themselves which they don’t like. This workshop explains how to use […]

Fourth of July Fare

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

Independence Day is on the horizon, with grills getting fired up for BBQ’s, and celebrations in full force across the land. Where to go? What to wear? What to make, and what to bring?  Here are a few fun, healthy fare ideas for the Fourth, or for […]

Fourth of July Firecracker Sauce

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

Summer is in full blast with festivals, markets, fairs, concerts and several other outdoor events well underway! In the midst of all the fanfare is Independence Day, and whether attending the big spectacle at the Arch, a display in your local township, or even gathering at […]

Fred Dickerson: ‘Everything you dream is within reach if you chase it’

Fred Dickerson is a very ambitious go-getter who has had a lot of success in his career but continues to help people in various ways. He’s talented and is admired but also stays down to earth. 

SHB. What is your occupation?

FD: Full-time digital content creator. I specialize in creating short-form content for social media. I do […]

Free Glass Recycling Comes to Eureka

There is a receptacle for glass recycling now available at Earthbound    Recycling, 25 Truitt Drive in Eureka.

Glass can be dropped off in the mew purple bin on the north side of the parking lot near the paper bins 24 hours a day.

Please follow the guidelines below:

Accepted

Glass food & beverage containers

With or without labels

Window glass (no […]

Freezing Up Summer Produce

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

As fall gets into full swing, you may be wondering about what to do with all of your summer produce. Americans throw away hundreds of dollars’ worth of food every year, with the majority of that being produce that spoils too quickly, or dairy products. […]

French and Australian Connections on Lyme, Inflammation and Cancer: Medicine Week 2019 at Baden-Baden, Germany

By Simon Yu, MD

Medicine Week in Germany is considered one of the biggest cutting-edge complementary medical conferences in the world and there are multiple lectures simultaneously held at the huge congress hall. I gave a lecture on Parasites, Inflammation and Immune Dysregulation in the section on “Causal Therapies for Chronic Inflammation and Chronic Infection,” sponsored […]

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Sets Jan. 14 Opening for Fairview Heights, First St. Louis Area Location

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market is opening its first St. Louis area store Wednesday, January 14, 2015. The store is located in Fairview Heights at 6569 North Illinois Street. Fresh Thyme grand openings are known as an exciting event for the whole family and showcase a free bag of groceries to the first 250 shoppers through […]

From Awful to Awe Full

By Phylis Clay Sparks

If I were to ask anyone who speaks English what the word “awful” means, they would have no problem telling me. Everybody knows something awful when they see it, hear it, or otherwise experience it. Something awful is that which is extremely bad, very unpleasant or even terrible. It doesn’t take a […]

From Concrete To Abstract

by Barbara O’Brien, Ph.D.

Lately, my two-year-old has been singing, “8-9-10” throughout the day. Now, I know she does not yet grasp the meaning behind these numbers: that 8 is less than 9, which is less than 10 and so forth. This cute song serves as a reminder that much of how she learns involves transferring […]

From Well-washing To WELL Buildings

By Shannon Koberlein, WELL Faculty

While traveling recently, I happened upon a coffee shop called Well Coffeehouse. As I stood outside on the sidewalk, a familiar adage came to mind, “Wellness is the next trillion-dollar industry.”

I began to pay attention to all of the instances in which I saw the concept of ‘well’ utilized. I saw the […]

FSM (Frequency Specific Microcurrent) Therapy: The House of Wonder by a Quack

By Simon Yu, MD

In 2011, I wrote an article on FSM (Frequency Specific Microcur-rent) therapy based on a lecture by Dr. Carolyn McMakin, chiropractor, presented at the ACAM (American College for Advancement in Medicine) medical conference. In late 2015, I was re-introduced to FSM. Then within four months, I attended a FSM seminar for a […]

FSM, AMA and Pain: Spooky Parasites, Fungal and Dental Entanglements

By Simon Yu, MD

Would you like to get into the world of quantum weirdness and spooky healing? Treating pain is a huge topic these days. We have a growing opioid crisis because conventional medicine often fails at diagnosing and treating pain. What if I told you there were alternatives that can work much better? And […]

Full/Upper Body Imaging With Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI)

By Linda Weber Spradling

Q: Is there a health scan that is safe, FDA approved and economical?

A: YES, and thousands of people in the United States have taken advantage of Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) which is now offered at Medical Thermography of Metro St. Louis. A patented DITI system detects infrared radiation to measure […]

Fun and Philanthropy at “Green Ball”

Will Celebrate Sustainability Fifth annual Green Ball to Benefit EarthWays Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden

The fifth annual Green Ball will roll out the green carpet in the Delmar Loop to welcome the green-minded movers and shakers of St. Louis for a night of fun philanthropy.
Presented by Moonrise Hotel, Green Ball 2014 will be held […]

Fun and Philanthropy at “Green Ball” Will Celebrate Sustainability

Fifth Annual Green Ball to Benefit EarthWays Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden

The fifth annual Green Ball will roll out the green carpet in the Delmar Loop to welcome the green-minded movers and shakers of St. Louis for a night of fun philanthropy. Presented by Moonrise Hotel, Green Ball 2014 will be held from 7-11 […]

FUN AND PHILANTHROPY: Green Ball Celebrates Sustainability November 6

By Jean Ponzi

The sixth annual Green Ball will roll out the green carpet in the Delmar Loop, welcoming our region’s eco-minded movers and shakers for a night of fun philanthropy. Presented by Moonrise Hotel, Green Ball 2015 will be held from 7-11 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6, in celebration of all things sustainable. Proceeds from the […]

Functional Medicine – The Mind-Body Medicine Approach

By Amy Davis M.D.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to make many changes in our daily lives. We are experiencing pandemic fatigue, social isolation, anxiety, anger, sadness and loss. Because long-term stress is more constant, the body never receives a clear signal to return to normal functioning. This has real impact on our emotional and […]

Functional Medicine Just Makes Sense

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When I first started practicing medicine an excellent physician was one who used scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preference to care for patients. The primary doctor was expected to be thorough and knowledgeable in all the body systems. The last 15 years this comprehensive model has been replaced by the […]

Functional Medicine Just Makes Sense

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When I first started practicing medicine an excellent physician was one who used scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preference to care for patients. The primary doctor was expected to be thorough and knowledgeable in all the body systems. The last 15 years this comprehensive model has been replaced by the […]

Functional Medicine: A Perfect Approach for Children with Autism

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has risen dramatically over the last 25 years and the cause remains unclear. It appears there are genetic or inherited factors paired with environmental triggers that create Autism. Each child is unique and their treatment should reflect this. In my experience […]

Functional Medicine: A Perfect Approach for Children with Autism

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has risen dramatically over the last 25 years and the cause remains unclear. It appears there are genetic or inherited factors paired with environmental triggers that create Autism. Each child is unique and their treatment should reflect this. In my experience […]

Functional Medicine: A Perfect Approach for Helping Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has risen dramatically over the last 25 years and the cause remains unclear. It appears there is a genetic predisposition or inherited weakness that is paired with environmental triggers that create ASD. Each child is unique in their genes and environmental influence and their treatment should reflect […]

Fungus, Molds and Mycotoxins: International Mycotoxin Summit 2016 In Dallas

By Simon Yu, MD

Studying fungus (Mycology) was not the most exciting subject during my medical school studies. However, problems associated with fungus, molds, and their byproducts, mycotoxins, have been exploding as a hot topic for the last twenty years. I’ve written many articles on parasites over the last twenty years but few articles on […]

Fungus, Parasites and Dental Conundrum Conference: Curing the Incurables by Measuring the Immeasurable

By Simon Yu, MD

What is a conundrum? By a definition, it means a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary), or a confusing and difficult problem (Oxford Dictionary). The definition is vague and not clear to me, but somehow, I find the word, “conundrum” fascinating, as well as ambiguous and mysterious. I […]

Garden A.R.T. – Attention Restoration Theory

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

We all can benefit from A.R.T. in our gardens – attention restoration theory. As we know from our experiences, and studied by science, nature positively alters how we respond to the stresses of everyday living and extreme stress full situations.

We respond to urban environments and nature environments with two different kinds of […]

Garden Books, Gifts For Yourself and Others

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

This holiday season is unlike any other. Gifts of garden books are a balm in long cold months. They give us hope for a brighter new year and garden growing season. 

Here is my list of favorite garden and nature books for children and adults. Some are beautiful picture and coffee table books, […]

Garden Dreams and Garden Seeds

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

My gardening year starts in January when I order seeds for the upcoming growing season. It is a time of dreaming and planning, and a time of feeling awe and gratitude for the amazing life of plants. Selecting seeds is my favorite winter ritual. I set aside a few quiet hours for […]

Garden Dreams Come True With Forrest Keeling Natives!

by Judy Good

I like to say, “People don’t buy flowers, they buy butterflies in the garden.” And it’s true. We tend to plant our landscapes for the benefits of our dreams. We plant anticipating birds and butterflies, cooling shade and lush cutting gardens.

But not all plants are equal. Some have the advantage of RPM-production. RPM […]

Garden Fragrance – The Good and The Bad

story & photo by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Smell is the most direct experience of all sensual pleasures. Olfactory cells link directly to our brains in the areas of memory and emotion. Smelling garden fragrances can be a healthy life enhancing experience, or it can bring a stew of toxic chemicals into your body and bloodstream when […]

Garden Full Of Sunflowers

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

A very sunny garden needs sunflowers. There are many choices of sizes, shapes and even colors. Sunflowers bring the inspiring face of the sun into our gardens with their radiant petals and center geometry of infinity. Yet we seldom see sunflowers in our garden beds. It’s time to plant more.

We often think […]

Garden Gifts – Books & A Movie

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

December is gift-giving season. There are new garden books and a movie that will delight gardeners and others with their beautiful photography and inspiring words.

The biggest and most beautiful book is by well-known gardener, photographer and garden writer Ken Druse. The work of flower photographer Ellen Hoverkamp also graces the cover and […]

Garden Glow 2013 Set For Nov. 23 – Jan. 4

Tickets are now on sale for Garden Glow 2013, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s first-ever winter light exhibit. Visitors will have the opportunity to stroll through the Garden at night surrounded by a spectacle of unique light installations. The exhibit opens Nov. 23, 2013 and runs through Jan. 4, 2014. Tickets are date-specific and sold in […]

Garden Glow Light Exhibit Highlights Holidays At Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden’s annual light exhibit, Garden Glow, is now open through January 1, 2016 from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. with the last entry at 9 p.m. Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Ticket prices vary by date, and range from $3 to $18. Again this year, there is a special “Dine and […]

Garden Glow Light Exhibit Now Open At Missouri Botanical Garden Through Jan. 3, 2015

The Missouri Botanical Garden is excited to announce its plans for an expanded “Garden Glow 2014,” the Garden’s second annual winter light exhibit. Visitors will have the opportunity to stroll through the Garden at night surrounded by a spectacle of unique light installations. The exhibit will open Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014 and run through Saturday, […]

Garden Gnomes: Nature Spirits Of The Earth

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

There’s more than meets the eye to the small round faced bearded garden gnomes who sport pointed red hats and mischievous smiles. Garden gnomes come from the land of enchantment and have been found in myth and folklore throughout the ages. 

The first written and named description of gnomes came at the end […]

Garden Reminders of Mindfulness

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

A garden is a perfect place to be in the moment. A perfect place to let all our senses experience their fullness. The sight of living flower and foliage colors against the blue of sky fills our eyes with a beauty that awakens the heart. The sounds of birds, insects and wind […]

Garden Seeds & Love

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

In this month of love, it is important to bring love to the seeds you choose to grow in your garden. The first part of seed growing is to choose what to grow. The seed catalogs started arriving before the first of the year and are still coming. These treasure books and […]

Gardening Blogs…

By Linda Wiggen Kraft
Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Inspiration and information are two things gardeners can find online through blogs. Inspiration and information are both magical and practical. The best blogs are a combination of the two.

Blogs from different kinds of gardeners, florists, and crafts people come to my email inbox to fill my head […]

Gardening is a Verb: Cultivating Spaces that Nourish Heart and Soul

New Cindy Gilberg Essay Book Celebrates Native Plants

By Jean Ponzi

If you’ve picked up The Healthy Planet magazine or Gateway Gardener over the past few years, you’ve probably read the native plant landscaping columns contributed by Cindy Gilberg. Thousands of readers did, around St. Louis and across Missouri, as Cindy wrote for statewide publications too.

Her vivid […]

Gateway Garlic Urban Farm Smells Success

By Crystal Stevens

Mark Brown, a St. Louis transplant, has been farming in Missouri for 13 years and has been active in Urban Farming in St. Louis since 2005. Mark comes from a long line of farmers in the Northern Illinois and Wisconsin regions. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of harvesting and eating raw […]

Gateway to the Great Outdoors Presents Brain Teaser Bash in Tower Grove Park A Puzzle Hunt Through The Park August 7

Click here for flyer.

Gateway to the Great Outdoors (GGO) introduces the first ever “Brain Teaser Bash”! Solve mind-challenging, brain-teasing puzzles as you race through Tower Grove Park! All funds raised will be used for GGO programming and will directly benefit St. Louis Public School (SLPS) students in grades 4-8 throughout the 2021-22 school year.

When: Saturday, […]

GDA Certifies Sustainable Dining and Green Business Practices

Check out all the Green Dining Alliance members at www.greendininigalliance.org

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of earthday365, is now in its 11th year as the St. Louis region’s sustainability certification program for businesses in the food and beverage industry. The GDA works with restaurants, breweries, bars, coffee shops, university campus cafes, catering companies, community outreach […]

GDA Certifies Sustainable Dining and Green Business Practices

Check out all the Green Dining Alliance members at www.greendiningalliance.org

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of earthday365, is now in its 11th year as the St. Louis region’s sustainability certification program for businesses in the food and beverage industry. The GDA works with restaurants, breweries, bars, coffee shops, university campus cafes, catering companies, community outreach […]

Geisert’s Farm To You Market

Geisert’s Farm To You Market features locally and regionally produced products, focusing on clean labels, natural and organic ingredients and great taste!

For those who truly want to know where their food comes from, check out Geisert’s Farm to You Market in Washington, Missouri. Well known Natural Pork Producer, Todd Geisert and his wife, Katie, have […]

German Biological Medicine at the Crossroads: Parasites Manipulating Reality Distortion Fields

By Simon Yu, MD

Parasites are masters of deception, masters at creating fields of distorted reality. I had never heard of the term, “reality distortion field,” until I was in Baden-Baden, Germany for Medicine Week earlier this month. I gave a lecture at the Complementary Oncology Society on using parasite medications to target cancer cells […]

German Biological Medicine: It’s Complicated

by Simon Yu, MD

German Biological Medicine leads the world in natural healing. I wrote about German Biological Medicine many years ago. I have been studying German Biological Medicine for over 15 years. I feel they have the most advanced concept of natural healing.

Integration of modern science with natural healing is their strength. What I […]

German Biological Medicine: Leading the World in Natural Healing

By Simon Yu, MD

Over the years, I’ve attended the annual “Medicine Week” conference in Baden Baden, Germany many times. This year I have the good fortune of delivering a presentation at the conference. This unique conference specializes in German Biological Medicine and is one of the most advanced Natural Healing medical conferences in Europe. Medical […]

Get Glowing for Summer

Summer is a time for fun in the sun, but it can also be harsh on your skin. Between the sun’s UV rays, high temperatures, and exposure to chlorine and saltwater, your skin can become dry, damaged, and prematurely aged. At Vitality Unlimited Spa, we are dedicated to helping you achieve a summer glow that […]

Get Glowing For Summer!

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

Summer is back and so is the Mimosa Facial at Vitality Unlimited Spa! This specialty facial is packed with Vitamin C to brighten your skin. Vitamin C, also known as Ascorbic Acid, is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus fruits. This nutrient plays an […]

Get Glowing with a Proper Skin Care Treatment Plan

Unlocking Radiant Skin

Your skin is your body’s first line of defense against the harsh elements of the world. Daily exposure to sun damage, pollutants, dry air, and cooler temperatures can leave your skin feeling tired, dull, and prematurely aged. At Vitality Unlimited Spa, we understand the importance of taking care of your skin, and our […]

Get Healthy & Go Green at the Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo in Webster Groves, October 14

Enjoy the beautiful Autumn season as The Healthy Planet, St. Louis’ Green & Healthy Living magazine, hosts its 24th Natural Living Expo Sunday, October 14, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

This popular event will include more than 60 exhibit […]

Get Healthy & Go Green At The Natural Living Expo March 30 In Webster Groves

The Healthy Planet magazine is hosting its 27th Natural Living Expo Sunday, March 30, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 E. Glendale Road, 63119 (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

The Spring Expo will include more than 65 exhibit booths offering a variety of eco-friendly, healthy and natural […]

Get Healthy and Go Green at the Healthy Planet Expo September 27 In Webster Groves

The Healthy Planet magazine is hosting its 30th Natural Living Expo Sunday, September 27, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 E. Glendale Road, 63119 (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

The Autumn Expo will include more than 50 exhibit booths offering a variety of eco-friendly, healthy and natural products, […]

Get Outside & Explore: Early Autumn Nature

By Crystal Stevens

Hike!
With cooler temperatures ahead, September is a great month to get out and hike the Chub Trail, Castlewood Park, Hawn State Park, Babler State Park, Mastadon State Park, Queeny Park, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Route 66 State Park, or Pierre Marquette Park.

Bike!
Biking the Great River Road is an epic adventure fun for the whole […]

Get Unplugged At Clearwater Lake – Near Ellington, Missouri

The perfect way to get unplugged from everyday life is to head out for a couple of days of camping, fishing and boating on Clearwater Lake. Located in heart of the Ozark Highlands, Clearwater Lake is a beautiful 1700-acre lake. The crystal clear Black River and several springs empty into the lake and attribute to […]

Getting Back to the Basics – Sustainable Building and Living

Hands-On Workshops and Classes Offered

by Dan Payne, Deborah Payne, and Kella Unnerstall
Environmental Energy Consultants

In the U.S. we overlook some basic, sustainable, inexpensive and energy efficient owner-built building techniques found around the world. Dan’s goal is to teach/provide the resources to individuals to be more sustainable and self-sufficient in constructing homes of local, inexpensive, sustainable materials. […]

Getting Heart Healthy One Step At A Time

American Heart Association

A few good choices can help you feel better and stay healthier!

Getting diagnosed with health problems such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol is a wake-up call that it’s time to make major lifestyle changes.

The good news is, a few simple changes can help you avoid such a diagnosis in the first […]

Getting Lost in Nature Outdoor Adventures in the Bi-State

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

When is the last time someone told you to get lost… and meant it in a good way? Getting lost in nature not only provides countless health benefits for your physical body, but it also acts as a healing power to lighten your mood and nourish your soul. Pack […]

Getting More Out of Our Urban Landscapes

By Heather L. Venhaus,
Regenerative Environmental Design, LLC

Imagine a home or urban landscape that can ease the impacts of drought, reduce flooding, improve the water quality of creeks, rivers and lakes, cut energy costs, clean air, and capture greenhouse gases all while improving our health and happiness. Sounds awesome, right? These benefits, known as ecosystem services, […]

Getting Rid of Acne Once and For All

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

The dreaded acne. It affects more than 85 percent of teenagers. But did you know that this skin condition has increased among adults? In fact, some eight million people visit the dermatologist every year for issues with their skin. We spend over a billion dollars for prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) products […]

Getting Rolfed and How We Walk

by Sally and Alan Cina

I’m sure we all know the benefits of walking, it is a fantastic exercise. If you do a search on the internet you’ll find more information about the benefits than I can write about here. Let’s take a moment and examine from Dr. Rolf’s view how we walk. Here again the […]

GF/AIP Holiday Sugar Cookie with natural icing, that Can be Used for Thumbprints and Snickerdoodles

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

Cookies, cookies, cookies! It’s that time of year for office parties, school recitals, cookie swaps, and gift exchanges! Festive holiday gatherings are adorned with baked goods in every shape and size resembling neighborhoods of gingerbread, candy cane lanes, jolly Santa’s and Mrs. Claus, alongside reindeer with […]

GF/AIP Holiday Sugar Cookie with natural icing, that Can be Used for Thumbprints and Snickerdoodles

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

Cookies, cookies, cookies! It’s that time of year for office parties, school recitals, cookie swaps, and gift exchanges! Festive holiday gatherings are adorned with baked goods in every shape and size resembling neighborhoods of gingerbread, candy cane lanes, jolly Santa’s and Mrs. Claus, alongside reindeer with sleigh’s full of toys. […]

Gifted Resource Council’s ECO Academy Summer Program Blends Ecological Responsibility and Economic Challenges

by Susan Flesch

What do landfills have to do with recycling? Sustainability with financial profits? Politics with business plans? Academically talented students, grades 3-8, will ask these and other important questions when they explore the tradeoffs between economic desires and environmental realities in ECO Academy, June 16 – 27.

ECO Academy, blending ECO-nomics + ECO-logy, is one […]

Gifts for the Native Gardener

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Wondering what to get your favorite native gardening enthusiast? Consider these choices, the first three of which link to Amazon.

Under $25: SHALL Garden Knife

After I used one at a Wild One’s garden installation, I donated my other gardening hand tools and never looked back. A good garden knife like […]

Gingerbread For The Holidays

By Crystal Stevens

This time of year reminds us of the warming tastes and sweet aromas of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. The anticipation of the first snow and the excitement that fills our house each year around the holidays is such a pleasant feeling. While the little gingerbread men and gingerbread houses are equally fun and […]

Give and You’ll Get… Hummingbirds!

By Abby Lapides Elliott
Sugar Creek Gardens

We all want them. And if we already have them, we want even more. Hummingbirds. Planting their top food sources will bring you the hummers along with beautiful blossoms. The birds are hard wired into searching for tubular flowers. Enter Hummingbird Mint, Agastache, beautiful perennial herbs that are adored […]

Giving Gratitude to the Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

In this season of gratitude giving, being grateful “to” is different than grateful “for”. The “to” implies giving directly back. Giving back is acknowledgement, attention, thanks and love.

Our gardens, and all gardens, deserve our gratitude and thanks. They bring us food and nourishment for bodies and souls. Giving thanks to our gardens […]

Giving Thanks to the Gardens We Love

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

This time of garden pause, when green growing ends and the quiet of winter begins, is a time to gather our gratitude for all the gardens we have loved, love now and will love in the future.

There are the gardens I have loved that no longer exist. My grandmother’s fresh strawberries picked […]

Giving Yourself and Those You Love the Gift of Immuno-suppressants?

Just say no to Bugs!

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA
Vice President of Marketing
and Sales for Neels Pharmacy

The strength and resiliency of the immune system can be dramatically altered in response to stressors like diet and lifestyle choices. Interestingly, stress can influence diet. What you put into your body through your mouth in the form of nutrition […]

Gleaning Program Helps Connect Farmers to their Community by Giving Back

By Christen Commuso

Missouri Coalition for the Environment’s (MCE) Food and Farm Program not only works to diversify Missouri’s farming economy, helps environmentally responsible farmers thrive, organizes community-led food justice programs, and conserves fertile soils and clean water, but the program also helps ensure access to a healthy, secure food supply for all people. 

MCE, in collaboration […]

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) Case Studies: Biological Dentistry in Oncology Care

By Simon Yu MD

Patients who consult me are typically aware that my specialty is not confined to a specific field within medicine; rather, it encompasses General Internal Medicine and Integrative Medicine. Despite this, I consistently see cancer patients seeking second opinions, who are interested in Acupuncture Meridian Assessment (AMA) to determine potential problems. I always […]

Glistening Plastic

By Jasmin Acosta

The waves of the ocean move swiftly through the air, and the sun reflects its rays off the top of the waves. Where the waves glisten from the brightness of the sun, sparkling as if the stars have sunken into the waves.

The grainy warm sand captures the heat rays from the sun, and […]

Global Recycling Challenges Affect Missouri

By David Berger;
Executive Director St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District

If you are like me, you can remember when curbside recycling was in its infancy in the St. Louis region. Only a few materials could be recovered, stored in those tiny stackable bins, and emptied into “eager Beaver” compartmentalized trailers that had haulers chasing milk jugs […]

Gluten Free (and dairy free) Irish Soda Bread

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 […]

Gluten-Free and Beyond

by Julie Evans-Vitale

Have you transformed your pantry and refrigerator into a gluten-free zone? If so, you are not alone. Many are now following this way of eating including those who are suffering from Celiac Disease, others who just feel a little better without gluten in their diet, and some who just like to follow the […]

Gluten-Free and Paleo/AIP Holiday Stuffing Recipes

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

What is a holiday meal without a savory dressing or stuffing to compliment the main course and delectable sides? For those who suffer from gluten intolerance, Celiac, Crohn’s, other autoimmune conditions, and dietary considerations, it’s often been par for the course. Here, I offer two gluten-free […]

Go Behind the Scenes of the Missouri Botanical Garden at the Science and Sustainability Open House

Join us during the last weekend of February (25-26) as two of the Garden’s rarely seen areas will be open to the public from 1 to 4 pm each day. Get a closer look at what Garden botanists do behind the scenes at the Monsanto Research Center. Meet our scientists and learn how they explore, […]

Go For The Platinum, Gold or Silver

By Linda Wiggen Kraft
Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

If birds and wildlife could give medals for urban and suburban garden habitat that supports and nourishes them, they might give platinum, gold or silver. Fortunately the St. Louis Audubon Society takes care of doing just that by awarding certificates for life enhancing landscapes that provide homes, […]

Go Green & Get Healthy at the Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo October 14 in Webster Groves

Enjoy the beautiful Autumn season as The Healthy Planet, St. Louis’ Green & Natural Living magazine, hosts its 24th Natural Living Expo Sunday, October 14, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

This popular event will include more than 60 exhibit […]

Go Local St. Louis Urges You to Shift Your Shopping!

By Terry Winkelmann,
Co-Founder, Go Local St. Louis

Go Local St. Louis, the new independent business alliance, urges you to shift your shopping this holiday season and think local first!

The group, which formed in September and already has nearly 100 members, promotes the idea of keeping your income circulating in your community by shifting your shopping to […]

Go Local St. Louis Urges You to Shift Your Shopping!

By Terry Winkelmann, Co-founder, Go Local St. Louis

Go Local St. Louis, the new independent business alliance, urges you to shift your shopping this holiday season and think local first!

The group, which formed in September and already has nearly 100 members, promotes the idea of keeping your income circulating in your community by shifting your shopping […]

Going Green For The GENIUS: An Action Guide to A Healthy & Sustainable Future

By Dr. Katie Belisle-Iffrig
Author and Sustainability Consultant

What People Are Saying
“Dr. Katie Belisle-Iffrig has written an engaging book that clarifies our connection to our living planet and what we must do to help it (and us) survive. She explains sustainability and “green living” with humor and an array of informative sidebars that clarifies facts, provides activities, […]

Going Green from the Outside In: Exteriors by Mosby

By Ken Ware, Business Manager,
Exteriors by Mosby

Exteriors By Mosby, a division of family-owned, Mosby Building Arts, launched in March of 2015 with a focus on roofing, siding, windows and doors. We chose to separate Exteriors from the rest of the business to provide dedicated exterior experts to meet our clients’ needs.

While the possibilities of […]

Going On A Hike Soon?

by Dr. Alethea Eller

Tis the season to head to beautiful Missouri countryside and enjoy the fall colors displayed all around! Take a deep breath. Smell the crispness… and the mold… and the ragweed.

No worries. Here are three very effective tips to help you through the season.

#1) Prevent the allergy reaction. Yes it is true. Even […]

Good Medicine from the Great Outdoors

Excerpt from the February 2019 issue of the Missouri Conservationist
By Bill Graham, media specialist
for the Missouri Dept. of Conservation

Going outdoors for fun is reason enough to enjoy nature. Just ask an angler landing a big bass or a hiker smitten by a cardinal perched on a pine tree bough. Science, however, is adding one more […]

Good People Doing Good Things

Amee Colvin: ‘I can’t sit around and do nothing”  

Amee Colvin is the type of person you want on your friend’s list or work team. She is outgoing, kind and considerate, intelligent and funny. Amee is the director of mission and outreach at Green Trails United Methodist Church in Chesterfield. She also teaches part-time in the […]

Good People Doing Good Things

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

Betsy Reznicek is the executive director and founder of Home Sweet Home in St. Louis.

Home Sweet Home mission statement: The mission of Home Sweet Home is to give under-served families a sense of pride and to improve the quality of their lives by providing basic household furnishings.

SHB: What is your […]

Good People Doing Good Things

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

Lisa Pitt, is a baker, and owner of Lisa Lou’s. I’ve tasted her desserts at a couple of expos and they are delicious, the best tasting cake I’ve ever had. Lisa is not only special because of her baking abilities but she is one of the most positive and upbeat […]

Good People Doing Good Things: Dara Ashby, Helping Homeless Pets

by Susan Hunt-Bradford; Healthy Planet Publisher

Dara Ashby recently retired from a 32-year career with UPS in occupational health. Like many retirees, she’s busier now than ever. Ambitious and organized. Dara has a compassion for animal welfare that is much needed in today’s world. She is a non-stop go-getter, supported by her husband Blake; they live […]

Good People Doing Good Things: Jennifer Cobb

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

Jennifer Cobb’s list of accomplishments is more than impressive. I knew she was the perfect candidate for Good People Doing Good Things. Her notable achievements include:

NFL Super Bowl Cheerleader Alumni

Producer “House of Arms” movie

Award-winning children’s book author: “Cheer for Care”

Founder Team Gateway to a Cure

VIP Fox Representative for the Michael […]

Good People Doing Good Things: Juliet Holden, Epitome of Kindness

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

SHB: What is your occupation?

JH: Senior Director of Resource Development for Circle of Concern. I raise funds and tell our story. It’s my job to help people understand what we do and, more importantly, the people who are the reason our organization exists.

SHB: What is your personal philosophy?

JH: I was […]

Good Sound Nutrition Offers Healthy Snack Vending

Doritos, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Coca Cola are the kinds of items found in most vending machines.

Good Sound Nutrition (GSN) offers something different – All Natural, Organic Snacks and Beverages suitable for people with food allergies, dietary restriction and those striving to make better eating choices with healthy alternatives to standard vending machine fare, […]

Goodnight Gardens

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

The end of the calendar year for gardeners is like the quiet time at the end of day, when adults tuck their children into bed, read them bedtime stories and say goodnight.

Gardeners can do the same as gardens are tidied and tucked to bed before the long winter’s rest. Using the classic […]

Got Clay?

by Cindy Gilberg

Recent lack of rain has turned most soils into a hard surface with fissures and cracks, thirsty for a good autumn rain. Missouri, well known for its clay, was once famous for bricks and pottery made from that same sticky clay. Clay, an important component of soils, is electrically charged and attracts molecules […]

Grand Re-opening of InMotion Health Center March 4

By Dr. Sharon L. Fitelson

Please join us for the grand re-opening of InMotion Health Center as we have moved, both literally and figuratively! You MUST check out the expanded space and come party with us. Tours, Raffles for awesome prizes, proceeds of treatments to charity, Chair Massage and good food and drink. Spend casual time […]

Gratitude

By Crystal Stevens

The Oxford Dictionary defines gratitude as: “The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Gratitude often is only encouraged to be expressed surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. This causes a narrowing of the word and emotion that is reserved for only a specific time of year. From my […]

Green Buildings Are Better!

By Nancy Rodney,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Development Committee Chair

As Americans, we spend 90% of our time indoors. The buildings where we live, work, learn, and play have a huge impact on our health. Can you imagine if there was no one advocating for greener and healthier buildings? No one bothering to save energy or reuse building […]

Green Buildings Are Better!

By Emily Andrews,
Executive Director of the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

Green buildings are better for people, better for the environment, and better for the bottom line. They steward natural resources and lower our environmental impacts. And they are healthier places for building occupants, especially important because Americans spend 90% of our time indoors. We live, work, […]

Green Buildings: Better for Learning and Playing!

By Jennifer Thomas,
USGBC-MGC Marketing Committee

In 2013, the Green Schools Quest was launched by the U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter. This annual project-based challenge encourages public and private schools in Missouri and Southern Illinois to devise and implement creative, effective, and no- or low-cost sustainable practices for their schools. Each participating school is paired with […]

Green Dining Alliance

A Program of earthday365 Brings Sustainability to the St. Louis Restaurant Scene

By Victoria Donaldson

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of earthday365, certifies restaurants in sustainable practices, connecting them with resources to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce waste, conserve water, source locally, and more. All GDA restaurants recycle, phase in energy efficient lighting, never use Styrofoam, […]

Green Dining Alliance A Program of earthday365 Brings Sustainability to the St. Louis Restaurant Scene

By Victoria Donaldson

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of earthday365, certifies restaurants in sustainable practices, connecting them with resources to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce waste, conserve water, source locally, and more. All GDA restaurants recycle, phase in energy efficient lighting, never use Styrofoam, and set goals to improve over time. The GDA meets restaurants […]

Green Dining Alliance Benchmarking Jam Sept. 20

Take The First Step Toward Cutting Energy Costs For Your Restaurant

By Brianne Bannon,
USGBC-MO Gateway Chapter Intern

Energy efficiency isn’t typically the first thing on a guest’s mind when she walks in to your restaurant. She might be more concerned with the menu, atmosphere, or whether there’s anything left of the tasty peach pie special. But […]

Green Dining Alliance Brings Sustainability to St. Louis Restaurant Scene

The Green Dining Alliance (GDA) is a restaurant certification program that collaborates with restaurants and community leaders to increase local, sustainable dining options. Created by the nonprofit St. Louis Earth Day, the GDA works with restaurants to lower their environmental impact by improving practices, reducing and recycling waste, and sourcing better products – creating more […]

Green Dining Alliance Brings Sustainability to St. Louis Restaurant Scene

Membership Grows To More Than 100

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of St. Louis Earth Day, certifies restaurants in sustainable practices, connecting them with resources to help lighten their carbon footprint, and encourages diners to eat at GDA certified locations. GDA restaurants recycle, they phase in energy efficient lighting, they manage water use responsibly, they […]

Green Dining Alliance Brings Sustainability to St. Louis Restaurant Scene

Membership Grows To More Than 100

By Jenn Derose

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of St. Louis Earth Day, certifies restaurants in sustainable practices, connecting them with resources to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce waste, conserve water, source locally, and more. All GDA restaurants recycle, phase in energy efficient lighting, never use Styrofoam, and set goals […]

Green Dining Alliance Brings Sustainability to St. Louis Restaurant Scene Membership Grows To More Than 100

By Jenn Derose and Aspen Steiner

The Green Dining Alliance (GDA) is a nonprofit program of St. Louis Earth Day that provides sustainability certification for restaurants and helps them set goals to reduce their environmental impact over time.

Our 100 + member restaurants are provided with tools and strategies to improve sustainable practices throughout their operation. The […]

Green Dining Alliance Brings Sustainability to St. Louis Restaurant Scene Membership Grows To More Than 100

By Jenn Derose

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of St. Louis Earth Day, certifies restaurants in sustainable practices, connecting them with resources to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce waste, conserve water, source locally, and more. All GDA restaurants recycle, phase in energy efficient lighting, never use Styrofoam, and set goals to improve over time. The […]

Green Dining Alliance Brings Sustainability to St. Louis’ Restaurant Scene

St. Louis is a town with plenty of good food. Our unique culinary traditions have always drawn from the diverse farming community around us – and now, as more and more of us want to see a more sustainable restaurant industry in our town, diners can dine green with confidence when they see a “GDA-certified” […]

Green Dining Alliance Brings Sustainability to St. Louis’ Restaurant Scene

St. Louis is a town with plenty of good food. Our unique culinary traditions have always drawn from the diverse farming community around us – and now, as more and more of us want to see a more sustainable restaurant industry in our town, diners can dine green with confidence when they see a “GDA-certified” […]

Green Dining Alliance Brings Sustainability to the St. Louis Restaurant Scene

By Victoria Donaldson

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of earthday365, certifies restaurants in sustainable practices, connecting them with resources to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce waste, conserve water, source locally, and more. All GDA restaurants recycle, phase in energy efficient lighting, never use Styrofoam, and set goals to improve over time. The GDA meets restaurants […]

Green Home Remodeling and Interiors: A Cure for the Common House

By Marla Esser,
HomeNav by Sustaining Spaces

Green: concerned with or relating to conservation of the world’s natural resources and improvement of the environment.
Remodel: to reconstruct, make over.

From these definitions, Green Remodeling could be summed up as a make-over which takes into account conservation of natural resources and improvement of the environment. A pretty good definition!

Remodeling, in […]

Green Homes Festival Returns To Missouri Botanical Garden

Saturday, June 4th, 9am–4pm. Bringing Sustainability Home — For All Ages!

By Jean Ponzi

The 15th annual Green Homes Festival returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden on Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will discover affordable, practical options for sustainable living combined with positive ways to maintain personal well-being and a healthy planet.

This […]

Green Homes Festival Saturday, June 3, 9 am – 4 pm, Missouri Botanical Garden

Green Homes Festival Spotlights Plant-Based Options for Sustainable Living

Are you looking for green living ideas? Do you want to learn how to live more sustainably? Are you planning to build a new house? Have comfort issues and want to make improvements to where you live now?

Missouri Botanical Garden has resources for you, at the 16th […]

Green Homes Festival Spotlights Plant-Based Green Living Ideas

Visit the 14th Annual Event at its New Location

The 14th annual Green Homes Festival returns on Saturday, June 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the first time, the event will be held at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Faust Park. The festival showcases affordable, practical options for sustainable living combined with […]

Green Homes, Great Health Festival At Missouri Botanical Garden Sept. 29

by Jean Ponzi

This 11th annual celebration of sustainable living brings together our region’s top options for protecting and improving health for people and the planet – in one resource-packed day of family fun Sept. 29 from 9 am to 4 pm.

Discuss your home improvement ideas with our region’s experts on all things Green. More than […]

Green Is The Color Of Fall At The College School

by Adrienne Rusbarsky, School Administrator

The U.S. Department of Education named The College School a Green Ribbon School, one of only 78 schools nationwide in 29 states and D.C. to receive this special award. The College School is one of only two Missouri schools and 12 independent schools to be honored. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne […]

Green Living Festival “Summer of Sustainability”

July 9 at St. Louis Science Center

Help your family, friends and coworkers live green! The Missouri Botanical Garden’s annual Green Living Festival is back in person and will be hosted in a series of pop-up events during a “Summer of Sustainability” at institutions throughout the heart of St. Louis.

Ready for the “Summer of Sustainability”? Join […]

Green Living Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden

A Full Fun Day of Sustainable Lifestyle Options

Saturday June 1, 9am – 4pm

By Jean Ponzi

Will solar and efficiency products and rebates energize you?

Where could compost and native plants boost the HQ (Habitat Quotient) around your living headquarters, while also helping to stem your stormwater runoff?

How could Yoga, Kombucha, and Humane Wildlife Solutions to those squirrels […]

Green Real Estate Agent Helps Clients Achieve Sustainable Goals

By Maggie Lalor

My name is Maggie Lalor, and I’m a green real estate agent.

Our homes are important to us for many reasons. We spend time in our homes with our family and friends, eat, sleep, and plan gardens there. Decorations, family photos, pets, and memories fill them. A lot of time, emotion, energy, and money […]

Green Schools Quest Participants Know: Where We Learn Matters!

By Fredericka Brandt,USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

Where we learn matters! Baba Dioum, a Senegalese forestry engineer stated, “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” If future generations do not love the Earth, will they […]

Green Schools Quest: Transforming How & Where We Learn

By Katie Belisle-Iffrig, Chair,
Green Schools Committee,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter and Author, Going Green for the GENIUS

The Green Schools Quest is a project-based sustainability challenge that empowers k-12 students to become leaders in transforming their school environments. Initiated by the U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter, the Green Schools Quest provides participating schools with volunteer […]

Green Springs Eternal

by Karen Klaus, Director of Development
Operation Food Search

Being “green” means considering the possible impact of our actions on the planet and choosing to live in a way that leaves the smallest footprint. We think of reusing, recycling and reducing.

Also, when we think “green” we often think of spring! The color green symbolizes nature, growth, harmony, […]

Green The Church

Getting the Black Church involved in Environmental Justice and Climate Change

Green the Church, (GTC), is an initiative designed to tap into the power and purpose of the African American church community, and to explore and expand the role of churches as centers for environmental and economic resilience”

GTC hosted its annual summit in St. Louis, MO […]

Green Tips For The Trip Back To School

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Just as quickly as it began, the end of summer is almost here. In just a few short weeks, students across the St. Louis area will be heading back to school. Amid the rush to fill supply lists and find the perfect back-to-school clothes, the environment may not be […]

Green Wave of Change

By Karen Luning, Reading Specialist, Crestwood Elementary

Crestwood Elementary School in the Lindbergh School District is amidst a green tidal wave! Crestwood students who are part of a group called the Planet Protector Squad, the school’s environmental club, have been campaigning to turn the school and its community more “Green.” Crestwood has been a proud participant […]

Green Your Halloween

Sometimes the thought of potential Halloween trash can be more frightening than Halloween itself. Therefore, Recyclebank, the incentives and behavior change platform focused on waste, has got some green Halloween tips that are sure to scare away any waste without affecting your Halloween treats of course!

Pumpkins:
1. Make a jack-o-lantern. Can’t decide whether to carve or […]

Greening Your Community: Saving The Planet One Garden at a Time

Featuring Meteorologist Mike Roberts and Sweet Potato Project’s Sylvester Brown, Jr.


By Gail Wechsler,
Jewish Environmental Initiative

Many people have begun to use their gardens as a tool to care for our planet and to address climate change. One important way to help the planet and to assist communities in need is through creation of native and urban […]

Greening Your Home and Your House of Worship

By Emily Andrews, Executive
Director USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

Over the past few months, there has been a lot of attention given to climate change – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, recent proposed carbon emission regulations for power plants, and even comedians like John Oliver. It’s good to see the topic back in the news and […]

Grounding: The Natural Universal Anti-inflammatory

By Diane K. Wilson

Grounding or earthing is a powerful yet often overlooked remedy for modern ailments. It holds immense potential in combating inflammation and promoting overall health.

Significance of Grounding:

Grounding is crucial in preventing inflammatory illnesses, yet it remains underappreciated in the scientific community. Real-life testimonials and published data validate the profound impact of grounding on […]

Grow Better Tomatoes with Native Plants

By Harlee Custer

Over this past year, many of us have wearied of stay-at-home orders, masks, social distancing, and missing out on major life events. Last March, officials reported the first 15 COVID-19 cases in St. Louis City. The rush to buy a year’s supply of toilet paper turned into food shortages and revived “victory” gardens […]

Grow Hope

By Sarah Wilson, The Healthy Planet Staff Writer

I kneel, swinging a small pick axe at the ground. If a shovel or garden trowel would work, I’d use one. But they don’t. The lot we purchased is downhill from all the surrounding homes, roads, and apartment complexes. The flooding this causes has ripped away much of […]

Grow Your Own Field of Dreams with EarthDance Spring Training

By Laken Sylvander Development & Communications Manager

Would you love to grow your own food but don’t know where to begin? Or have your previous attempts at gardening fruits and veggies fizzled?

Get in the game: EarthDance is here to help you grow a delicious bounty! This 5-week course was designed for total beginners to gardening as […]

Growing Food is an Amazing Way to Savor the Seasons

By Crystal StevensUrban Farmer

Photo Caption: Flourish Farm photo by Virginia Harold

Fresh, homegrown food adds flavor and nutrition to every meal from spring through fall for gardeners in the midwest. There is nothing quite like slicing open a fresh, homegrown heirloom tomato in the summertime or cooking a butternut squash. You can almost taste the summer […]

Growing Green Awards

Honoring People + Organizations Transforming the Built Environment

By Jen Kissinger,
Growing Green Award Planning Committee

Nominations are now open for the 2014 Growing Green Awards! U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter is excited to host our 6th Annual Growing Green awards to celebrate and recognize people, organizations, institutions and companies that are transforming our built […]

Growing Green Awards

Honoring People + Organizations
Transforming the Built Environment
Awards Dinner March 27

U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter is excited to host our 6th Annual Growing Green awards to celebrate and recognize people, organizations, institutions and companies that are transforming our built environment and our community into a healthier, more environmentally friendly and prosperous place to […]

Growing Green Awards: Honoring People + Organizations Transforming The Built Environment

By Jen Kissinger,

Growing Green Award Planning Committee

Nominations are now open for the 2013 Growing Green Awards! U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter is excited to host our 5th Annual Growing Green awards to celebrate and recognize people, organizations, institutions and companies that are transforming our built environment and our community into a healthier, […]

Growing Green Spotlight

7th Annual Growing Green Celebration To Be Held March 26, 5:30-8:30pm, at Third Degree Glass Factory

By Steve O’Rourke, USGBC-Missouri
Gateway Chapter Marketing Committee

The Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council is proudly recognizing a special group of people who have transformed our built environment in notable ways. For the past six years, the USGBC-Missouri […]

Growing Up Psychic

By Kare of Kare Reiki a Metaphysical Center

Growing up, I had many psychic experiences. They varied in type. I dreamt, I knew things, and I saw things. There were many times it would be something that seemed insignificant to me. I knew who would win the World Series in 1984; the Detroit Tigers took the […]

Guide to a Great Cup of Coffee

CHAUVIN COFFEE
Until the mid 1920’s, Saint Louis was the largest coffee roasting city in the world, with over 75 major coffee roasting plants. Chauvin Coffee is in its fourth generation as a family owned coffee roaster, continuing the coffee roasting tradition, catering exclusively to the specialty coffee and espresso beverage markets. We strive to offer […]

Guide to a Healthy Cup of Coffee

Chauvin Coffee
Until the mid 1920’s, Saint Louis was the largest coffee roasting city in the world, with over 75 major coffee roasting plants.Chauvin Coffee is in its fourth generation as a family owned coffee roaster, continuing the coffee roasting tradition, catering exclusively to the specialty coffee and espresso beverage markets. We strive to offer the […]

Guide To Green Dining

Promoting Green Dining Alliance Members in the St. Louis Area

GreenDiningAlliance.org

MEMBERS

Atlas Restaurant,
5513 Pershing, 63112, 314-367-6800
www.atlasrestaurantstl.com

Atomic Cowboy,
4140 Manchester Road, 63110, 314-775-0775
www.atomiccowboystl.com

Bailey’s Chocolate Bar,
1915 Park Ave 63104, 314-241-8100
www.baileyschocolatebar.com

Bailey’s Range,
920 Olive, 63101, 314-241-8121,
www.baileysrange.com

Brasserie by Niche,
4580 Laclede, 63108,
info@brasseriebyniche.com

Bridge,
1004 Locust St, 63101, 314-241-8141
www.thebridgestl.com

Crushed Red,
8007 Maryland, 63105, 314-725-8007
140 S. Kirkwood Rd. 63122, 314-238-0100,
www.crushed-red.com

Extra Thyme Café and Catering,
11885 Lackland 63146, 314-573-5996
www.extrathymecatering.com

Flying Rolls,
3674 Forest Park […]

Guide To Green Dining in the St. Louis Area

Photo Caption: Perennial Artisan Ales

The Green Dining Alliance, a program of earthday365,  is now in its 10th year as the St. Louis region’s sustainability certification program for businesses in the food and beverage industry. The GDA works with restaurants, breweries, bars, coffee shops, university campus cafes, catering companies, community outreach kitchens, bakeries, and ice-cream shops.  […]

Guide to Green Dining in the St. Louis Area

Visit www.greendiningalliance.org for a complete list of participating restaurants – be sure to use our site when choosing where to dine out. This Green Dining Guide is cosponsored by The St. Louis Jefferson Solid Waste District.

4 Hands Brewing Company1220 S. 8th Street314-436-1559 • 4handsbrewery.com

Atomic Cowboy,4140 Manchester Road, 63110, 314-775-0775www.atomiccowboystl.com

Avenue Restaurant,12 N. Meramec, 63105, 314-727-4141.www.avestl.com

Bailey’s […]

Guide to Healthy Pets

Animal Health & Healing
Animal Health & Healing is a full service integrative veterinary practice blending holistic and conventional medicine and surgery to optimize the health of our patients. We have been practicing holistic medicine since 1994. The holistic therapies we offer include homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, western herbs, Alpha-Stim®, Bach flower essences, and nutraceutical and […]

Guide To Healthy Pets

Animal Health & Healing
Animal Health & Healing is a full service integrative veterinary practice blending holistic and conventional medicine and surgery to optimize the health of our patients. We have been practicing holistic medicine since 1994. The holistic therapies we offer include homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, western herbs, Alpha-Stim®, Bach flower essences, and nutraceutical and […]

Guide to Healthy Pets

Animal Health & Healing
Animal Health & Healing is a full service integrative veterinary practice blending holistic and conventional medicine and surgery to optimize the health of our patients. We have been practicing holistic medicine since 1994. The holistic therapies we offer include homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, western herbs, Alpha-Stim®, Bach flower essences, and nutraceutical and […]

Guide To Resale Shops In The St. Louis Area

Clubhouse Shop
The Clubhouse Shop at Independence Center sells upscale, gently used apparel, furniture, home décor, china, and more. Whether you’re looking to donate items, or looking for that special treasure, make Clubhouse Shop the first stop! All proceeds from the shop help provide the services and resources a person with chronic mental illness needs, including […]

Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles County Hosts Frame the Future Gala

Annual fundraiser helps provide ‘hand up’ opportunities toward homeownership for local families

 Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles County is building on its countywide holiday tradition with the 26th annual Frame the Future Gala on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m., at Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles in St. Charles, Missouri.

The Frame the Future Gala invites […]

Hamilton Farms: A Towering Success

By Denise Christen
Healthy Planet Lifestyles Editor

A flourishing year round garden in St. Louis City? Welcome to Hamilton Farms, the only commercial tower garden setup in the Midwest. This is the brain child of Paul Hamilton, purveyor of Hamilton Hospitality, who, along with his wife Wendy, have brought new life into old buildings in the Lafayette […]

Hands in Soil – Hands in Clay

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Listen closely, the very stuff we walk upon named earth calls to us. There is a calling from soil that brings gardener’s hands into the dirt to grow a garden. There is a calling from clay that brings potter’s and clay artist’s hands into the dirt to transform it into objects that […]

Hands in the Earth, Seeds in the Soil

By Linda Wiggen Kraft Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

March is the time to begin planting seeds into the ground of our gardens. It is perhaps the most sacred of gardening connections to Mother Earth. It is a ritual of communion, hope and joy that a tiny seed that holds the universe of a plant […]

Hangry? Find the Cure at the Green Dining Alliance Crawl!

By Allison Macon, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Programs Committee

We’ve all been there. It’s that moment – perhaps it’s after work, during work, could be any time really- when you need to EAT. It can sneak up on you. You’re being a perfectly nice and happy person and then you’re “Hangry.” That’s “Angry” plus “hungry,” folks, a […]

Happenings

October through December
Be Green and Save Green with Perennial do-it-yourself workshops & classes
Save green and be green this holiday season with Perennial’s reMAKE Green Gifts workshops. Craft a special project and personalize your gifts for those special loved ones. You’ll be able to pick and choose projects from our buffet of items and learn simple […]

Happenings

November 3 & 4
PRIMORDIAL SOUND MEDITATION
Primordial Sound Meditation is a meditation program developed by Dr. Deepak Chopra. Class will be held at the Midwest Mind & Body Health Center, Creve Coeur, MO. Contact Shirley Stoll for information and registration: 800-796-1144, shirlstoll@charter.net or visit online at www.MeditationConnect.com.

November 4
Cranksgiving: Cyclists to help collect food on bikes
for […]

Happenings

Every Sunday
Practice a Medicine Buddha Meditation
KDK St. Louis meets every Sunday at 11am at the Healing Arts Center to practice a Medicine Buddha meditation. All are welcomed to attend. There is no cost. The Healing Arts Center is located at 10073 Manchester Road, Suite 100, St. Louis, MO 63122. Visit www.facebook.com/KDKSTL or email: kdk.st.louis@gmail.com to learn more.

 May 4
HUGE PLANT SALE EVENT!!
The Webster Groves Women’s Garden Association will offer truckloads of donated […]

Happenings

July 6
CHAKRA AWAKENING LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATION
Bring balance, prosperity, joy, and overall wellness to your life. Use gemstones and crystals to tap into the amazing energy within you. This in-depth and practical workshop gives you the tools to understand, activate and balance the seven main chakras that influence everything from prosperity and self-confidence to communication and […]

Happenings

August 3
In-Store Holistic Fair
11am–4pm. Practitioners and readers on-site for walk-in availability. $20 Mini Readings, $25 Aura Photos, $20 Ear Candling, $1 per minute Reiki (30 minutes & up). Held at Holistic Journey – 106 E. Main St., Belleville, IL 62220 — www.yourholisticjourney.com.

August 3, 5, 7
Health of the Honeybee
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 8/03 at noon & […]

Happenings

March 7
Pints for the Planet Event: Fundraiser for the Whole Planet Foundation
5 -7 p.m., Come to Whole Foods Market Galleria from 5-8pm and have a Schlafly beer at Happy Hour! Full glass pints will be $6.00, and individual glasses will be $3.00. Whole Foods Market’s Whole Planet Foundation helps global communities through micro lending programs to […]

Happenings

April 1–30
Shoeman Water Project Shoe Drive
Ongoing, FREE, Reservations not required. All during the month of April, Whole Foods Market in Brentwood will collect gently used shoes for the Shoeman Water Project. This non-profit organization exports donated shoes to over 75 countries around the world including Kenya, Haiti and South America. Shoes are then sold to […]

Happenings

August 2, 4
The Right to Farm or the Right to Harm?
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 8/02 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 8/04 at 8:00 p.m. Wes Shoemyer explains that Missouri law guarantees rights to family farmers; but the so-called “Right to Farm” would extend these rights to corporations. That could give advantages […]

Happenings

June 2
Look Good, Feel Good
Presented by Iris Salsman and Deborah Zorensky, MS, RD, LD, CCN, 7pm. The classroom at The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit, 7647 Delmar Blvd. Attendance is free, but please register. How do you feel about yourself in terms of weight, looks and health? Are you noticing that your energy level […]

Happenings

August 1 & 3
Lead: The Unseen Burden
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 08/01 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 08/03 at 8:00 p.m. Lead poisoning damages the kidneys and central nervous, cardiovascular and reproductive systems. Don Fitz, Jed Hawkes Koball, and Bob Criss, discusses inherent problems with lead. Trade agreements, such as the […]

Happenings

September 7-October 18
6-WEEK ONLINE HEALTH GAMES
During this fun 6 week challenge you will be inspired to adopt the Habits of Health with others who want to do the same. Dr. Rebecca Gould DC from The Healing Center is your team leader and coach. This is an all online challenge where you earn points by establishing […]

Happenings

April 3
USGBC-MGC’s 12th Annual Green Schools Event
From kindergarteners to high school seniors, each year’s Green Schools Quest participants become some of our region’s best champions for sustainability. Their work reminds us that we all can make choices that have a positive impact on our region—and on our planet. The public is invited to attend the […]

Happenings

January 14Weaving Integrative Medicine with Internal Medicine FREE Monthly Seminar and Discussion – Weaving Integrative Medicine with Internal Medicine – Learn how to build your immune system and take charge of your health. If you are suffering from chronic conditions, you’ll learn why you don’t have to live with your “incurable” symptoms anymore. Topics covered include: Cancer, […]

Happenings

Wednesdays in AprilLEANING INTO OUR NEW WORLDWeekly Meditation SessionOur world is changing so quickly; really from day to day. There is so much change and so much unknown that many of us are facing challenges we have not faced before. I am offering 30 minute weekly virtual meditation sessions on Wednesday afternoons from 5:00 p.m. […]

Happenings

Wednesdays in June

LEANING INTO OUR NEW WORLDWeekly Meditation Session. I am offering 30 minute weekly virtual meditation sessions on Wednesday afternoons from 5:00 p.m. CST until 5:30 p.m. to help us all deal with what comes up inside of us in the face of this unknown. If interested, just download or go to zoom. Put […]

Happenings

Wednesdays in JulyLEANING INTO OUR NEW WORLDWeekly Meditation Session. I am offering 30 minute weekly virtual meditation sessions on Wednesday afternoons from 5:00 p.m. CST until 5:30 p.m. to help us all deal with what comes up inside of us in the face of this unknown. If interested, just download or go to zoom. Put […]

Happenings

September 8Weaving Integrative Medicine with Internal Medicine FREE Monthly Seminar and Discussion – Weaving Integrative Medicine with Internal Medicine  – Learn how to build your immune system and take charge of your health. If you are suffering from chronic conditions, you’ll learn why you don’t have to live with your “incurable” symptoms anymore. Topics covered include: Cancer, […]

Happenings

October to December 2020Healthy Planet Virtual ExpoYou can enjoy the Healthy Planet Virtually from October to December at www.thehealthyplanet.com.

October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31Virtual Meditation SessionsVirtual Mediation Sessions on Saturday mornings at 10:00 – 10:45 AM CST. Please note the new time, 10:00 AM CST. There has never been a better time for us […]

Happy Energy Efficiency Day October 6 & Energy Efficiency Month!

By Emily Andrews, LEED AP O+M, GPRO O+MExecutive Director, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

Did you know that October 6 is Energy Efficiency Day, and the entire month of October is Energy Awareness Month? Did you also know that energy efficiency in our buildings is one of the best ways we can fight climate change? Many may consider […]

Happy Holiday Visits With Older Adults

By Denise Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

Visiting with older adults at holiday time can be a wonderful experience. It often brings back happy memories, and is an opportunity for renewing family ties. Sometimes, though, seeing a loved one who is aging can be cause for worry. They may be experiencing a decline in their vision or […]

Happy Holiday Visits With Older Adults

By Denise Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

Visiting with older adults at holiday time can be a wonderful experience. It often brings back happy memories, and is an opportunity for renewing family ties. Sometimes, though, seeing a loved one who is aging can be cause for worry. They may be experiencing a decline in their vision or […]

Happy Holiday Visits With Older Adults

By Denise Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

Visiting with older adults at holiday time can be a wonderful experience. It often brings back happy memories, and is an opportunity for renewing family ties. Sometimes, though, seeing a loved one who is aging can be cause for worry. They may be experiencing a decline in their vision or […]

Happy Holidays, Natural Foods, and Holiday Heartburn

By Dr. Ian Wahl

This holiday season we are seeing more and more “All Natural” foods being offered from fresh produce and meats (why should they need an “All Natural” label) to processed foods and cereals (how do they qualify for an “All Natural” label). What does “All Natural” mean when you see it prominently displayed […]

Harmonious Hormones

By Dr. David Peterson, DC,
DCCN, FAAIM

Sexuality and sensuality for women is multifaceted. Many of my patients tell me they don’t have any sex drive and the passion just isn’t there anymore. Sleep deprivation, stress and a bad diet can cause imbalances in the chemicals that regulate libido, mood, appetite, metabolism, sleep, and fat storage. […]

Harvest In The Heartland

story by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Thirty miles east of Kansas City is a garden called Heartland Harvest Garden. It is the largest public edible garden in the country. The garden is part of Powell Gardens, Missouri’s other botanical garden. There are over 900 acres to this botanical garden that opened in 1988, with twelve acres of […]

Have Fun Learning To Green Your Home

By Jean Ponzi

The 14th annual Green Homes Festival returns to St. Louis on Saturday, June 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in a new location: the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Faust Park. Admission is free.

This family-friendly festival showcases affordable, practical options for sustainable living combined with positive ways to maintain the health […]

Have You Already Broken Last Month’s New Year’s Resolutions? Here Are Some Tips to Get You Back on Track.

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

Linda Nissenbaum is a certified professional life coach who does executive and life coaching. She has helped many clients all over the U.S. and other countries achieve their goals. I asked her some questions to help us stick with our resolutions that many of us started in January but have already […]

Have You Reviewed Your Current Medicare Supplement Insurance?

By Michael Cohen

This article is to introduce myself to the readers of The Healthy Planet newspaper.
I am Michael Cohen and I have been a resident of St. Louis all of my life. I am 69 and graduated high school in 1962. I went to the University of Missouri at St. Louis until 1967 before entering […]

Having Health Issues? Could It Be All In Your Head?

By Tom Tessereau, Certified Bio Craniopath,The Healing Arts Center

According to doctor’s findings it certainly appears this age-old adage is true.

But no one should say that your health problems are just in your imagination. We are referring to structural anatomy and physiology, namely the bones and connective tissues in the cranium. Your head.

Based on findings from Medical […]

Heading Back To School On A Healthy Note

We all want what is best for our little ones—there is no doubt about that. With fall just around the corner and school about to start, it is important to ensure that your child is heading to school on a healthy note. Here are a few simple steps you can take to help your child […]

Healing Autism Begins In The Gut

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

This past month a new U.S. government survey found that 1 in 45 children aged 3 and older have been diagnosed with Autism. Now at more than 2% of the total youth population, the future for these children, their families and their communities will be challenging. We need to focus on […]

Healing Children Through Pet Assisted Therapy

By Dr. James Feinberg, Child Clinical Psychologist

Is your child having difficulty making friends? If so, should you be worried? Given that a child’s ability to make friends, grow friendships, and maintain friendships over time not only reflects his current psychological health but his future psychological adjustment and success as an adult, the answer is without […]

Healing Children Through Pet Assisted Therapy

by Dr. James Feinberg
Child Clinical Psychologist

As your child having difficulty making friends? If so, should you be worried? Given that a child’s ability to make friends, grow friendships, and maintain friendships over time not only reflects his current psychological health but his future psychological adjustment and success as an adult, the answer is without a […]

Healing Touch Creates Tranquil Companions

by Maureen Keller,
HTA Practitioner

As a Healing Touch for Animals (HTA) practitioner, I am part of an energy medicine therapy community, whose primary goal is to restore harmony and balance to the entire body. Providing stability,mentally,physically, and emotionally, as the animals connect to their spiritual self.

We are an elite group professionals that are dedicated to bringing […]

Healing Your Brain Issues

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Many people are surprised to learn that a large number of our patients come in with so-called “brain” issues, including everything from ADHD to depression to PTSD and more. We also frequently have patients who come in for other problems but, once starting treatment with us, find that their mental, emotional, […]

Health and Fun at Library’s 6th Annual Living Life Expo!

The St. Louis Public Library has the perfect event if you’re looking for answers to health-related questions and want to have a great time. The Baden Branch, 8448 Church Road, hosts the 6th Annual Living Life Expo! on Saturday, October 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s FREE and open to the public.

The Expo! […]

Health Care and Environmental Protection

by Don Fitz

One of the greatest crises in the US is the millions of people who cannot afford health care. The “non-system” of US health care has negative environmental impacts, both from overuse by those who receive unneeded treatment and from the worsening of problems by those who are under-treated.

Green Time TV shows during October […]

Healthful Travel Advice For Summer Family Vacations

by Jim Meyer, Nutrition Specialist
University of Missouri Extension

Spring and summer months are the perfect time to squeeze in a family vacation. Too often, however, we return from our travels feeling exhausted and weary from an “unfit” vacation. The reasons are many: overeating, trying to log too many miles, sporadic sleep schedules and too little exercise.

Here […]

Healthier Foods for the Holidays

By Gail Cloud, D.C.

I thought I would talk a little bit about how to make healthier foods for the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas and Kwanzaa, Chanukah, etc. are holidays we celebrate during this time of year.

How can we cook, celebrate, enjoy, indulge some and still follow a basically healthy way of eating?

First of all, I […]

Healthy “Life” Resources

with Chaplain Paul

Renew Your Commitment To Spiritual Wellness,
Spiritual Assessment and Spiritual Care

How would you define these terms; “Spiritual Wellness”, “Spirituality”, “Spiritual Asses-sment”, Spiritual Care”? Ones answer depends completely on their perspective and definition of the divine. I remember attending a workshop led by Dr Wayne Dyer. He began by asking a profound question. “Which are […]

Healthy “Life” Resources

with Chaplain Paul

How to Resolve Emotional Injuries of The Past… Follow Up

At our July Spiritual Wellness Support Group we had a great discussion on how we resolve the injuries of the past. There were many personal experiences and ideas shared. I would like to share some of their ideas with you.

All agreed that the first […]

Healthy “Life” Resources

With Chaplain Paul

Creating Healthy Holidays

The holidays are a time that can stir up allot of things. It is a time with heavy focus on family and special times for family to get together. There are many that the holidays just magnify their aloneness and lack of family connection. Depression can often increase during this time. […]

Healthy “Life” Resources

With Chaplain Paul

2014, Here We Come!

Over the past several months I have worked with many people who are improving the quality of their health and wellbeing by addressing the toxic issues in their lives and making major changes. As part of the process they all develop a Wellness Plan of Care to implement into their […]

Healthy “Life” Resources

With Chaplain Paul

“LOVE”

It’s that time of year when countless numbers of people will be using creative ways to show their love to someone special. Flowers! Candy! Special Dinner! Gifts!

Love, what an amazing thing. Thousands of songs written, books, poems, movies, you name it! Our culture is fascinated by this thing we call “LOVE”. We chase […]

Healthy “Life” Resources

With Chaplain Paul

“Wellness” The Whole Being Body, Mind and Spirit!

As we go forward into this New Year, I am deeply concerned about the countless people who are trapped inside the toxic and destructive forces at play in their lives. A “silent killer” if you will! Unresolved emotional and cognitive issues are compromising the health and […]

Healthy Aging

How to Age with Grace Physically, Mentally, and Socially

By Bobbi Linkemer

Let’s begin with two indisputable facts: (1) Human beings age, and as we do, inevitable changes take place in our bodies; (2) Some of these changes are out of our control. They are simply part of being human. On the other hand, the more we […]

Healthy Breath In The Garden and Forest

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Breathe in, gardens and forests heal us. Breathe out, healing takes place. The simple act of breathing in and breathing out while surrounded by gardens and trees, enhances the health and healing of our body chemistry and immune system.

Research on Forest Medicine began in Japan in the early 2000s. Today Japanese universities […]

Healthy Flora Creates A Happy Gut!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters.

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons:

Digestion
Vitamin production – […]

Healthy Flora Creates a Happy Gut!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters.

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons.

Digestion
Vitamin production – […]

Healthy Holiday Habits

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

The holidays carry lots of joy and merriment. Time spent with loved ones often brings with it indulgent, celebratory, rich foods. While these tasty treats are time-honored traditions, they can pack quite the calorie punch. In order to enjoy classic holiday foods with your friends […]

Healthy Holidays…

By Crystal Stevens

When it comes to the holidays, many classic American side dish recipes come to mind such as green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, canned cranberry sauce, and the infamous instant mashed potatoes. Some folks really enjoy these holiday favorites. Unfortunately, standard holiday dishes may not be the healthiest as they tend to […]

Healthy Life Resources

with Chaplain Paul

How To Resolve Emotional Injuries of the Past

As I work with patients to address their health and wellness issues I see a reoccurring problem that seems to be an issue with everyone. People carry an overwhelming burden of unresolved emotional injuries from their past. They relive the memories and they recreate the emotions. […]

Healthy Life Resources

with Chaplain Paul

“Virtue”

OK, what is a virtue? You have certainly heard the phrase, “Patience is a virtue”.
The dictionary says that a virtue is a particular moral excellence. In my work with patients and clients I see a consistent pattern in peoples’ lives regarding the effects of “Impatience” and how toxic it can be. Patience truly […]

Healthy Life Resources: Navigating the Uncharted Emotions of Grief…

<h3>Grief: A Hole in the Soul</h3>

with Chaplain Paul

At a Hospice Volunteer training class I asked the people in the audience, “How would you define grief?”
They were quiet for a moment, and then there were several responses:
“Sadness.”
“Dealing with loss. Feeling alone.”
“Walking through the valley of the shadow
of death.”
“Yes,” I said. “You all are certainly describing the […]

Healthy Meals for Children During the Hungriest Time of Year

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

The school year is almost over and summer is right around the corner. Many families start thinking of all of the great food gatherings summer has in store — barbeques, picnics, food truck events, family dinners and trips to Ted Drewes — not worrying about […]

Healthy Planet 2018 Summer Camp Guide

Ackermann’s Swim Program
A Sports Facility. Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety since 1949. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two week sessions. Hours […]

Healthy Planet 2019 Summer Beer Guide

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Company
1220 South Eighth St. 63104.
www.4handsbrewery.com

4204-Main Street Brewing Company
www.mainstreetbrewingco.com

AB InBev
www.ab-inbev.com

After Hours Brewing Company
www.facebook.com/afterhoursbrewco

Alpha Brewing Company
www.alphabrewingcompany.com

Augusta Brewing Co
www.augustabrewing.com

Bastard Brothers Brewing Company
www.bastardbrothersbrewery.com

Big Muddy Brewing
www.bigmuddybrewing.com

Bluewood Brewing
www.Bluewoodbrewing.com

Brew Hub Taproom
Tapbrewhub.com

Cathedral Square Brewery
www.cathedralsquarebrewery.com

Center Ice Brewery
www.Centericebrewery.com

Charleville Brewing Co.
www.charlevillevineyard.com

Civil Life Brewing Company
www.thecivillife.com

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling Co
www.crownvalleybrewery.com

Design2Brew
www.Desgin2Brew.com

Deep Sleep Brewing Company
deepsleepbrewing.com

Deslogetown Brewery
www.deslogetown.com

Earthbound Beer
www.earthboundbeer.com

Edg-Clif Brewing Company
www.edg-clif.com

Excel Bottling Company
www.excelbottling.com

Ferguson Brewing Company
www.fergusonbrewing.com

Friendship Brewing […]

Healthy Planet 28th Natural Living Expo Set For September 28, 2014

Enjoy the first weekend of Autumn as The Healthy Planet, St. Louis’ Green & Natural Living magazine, hosts its 28th Natural Living Expo Sunday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

This popular event will include more than 50 […]

Healthy Planet Fall Expo Goes Virtual

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to cancel our traditional Natural Living Expo on September 27, 2020.  We are now bringing you many of your favorite exhibitors and some exciting new participants, virtually, for you to browse and discover the many resources that will help you live a healthier and more sustainable life.  At […]

Healthy Planet Fall Expo Goes Virtual in September

The Fall Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo scheduled for September 27 at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, has been canceled and the event is going virtual. Beginning in mid September, our updated Virtual Fall Natural Living Expo will be up on our website, and you can visit many virtual booths from many of your favorite […]

Healthy Planet Fall Expo September 29 — Exhibitor Reservations Now Available

Click here for registration form.

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate the first week of Autumn at its 38th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, September 29 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.
More than 60 exhibitors will share information, goods and services pertaining […]

Healthy Planet Fall Expo Set For September 30 In Webster Groves Exhibitor Spaces Now Open For Reservations

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate the first week of Autumn at its 36th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, September 30, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.
More than 50 exhibitors will share information, goods and services pertaining to health, wellness and […]

Healthy Planet Fall Expo Set For September 30 In Webster Groves Exhibitor Spaces Now Open For Reservations

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate the first week of Autumn at its 36th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, September 30, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.
More than 50 exhibitors will share information, goods and services pertaining to health, wellness and […]

Healthy Planet Fall Expo Set For Sunday, Sept. 29

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate the first weekend of autumn, at its 38th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, September 29, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.

The first 400 visitors to the expo will receive a free reusable tote bag courtesy […]

Healthy Planet Fall Expo Set For Sunday, Sept. 29

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate the first weekend of autumn, at its 38th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, September 29, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.
The first 400 visitors to the expo will receive a free reusable tote bag courtesy […]

Healthy Planet Farmers Market Guide

By Crystal Stevens

St. Louis is a thriving farm-to-table community! Did you know there are over 120 farms, over 30 CSA Farms, and nearly 100 Farmers Markets within 100 miles of St. Louis? Within 30 miles of St. Louis, there are over 200 flourishing Community Gardens that function with the guidance and support of Gateway Greening.

More […]

Healthy Planet February 2018 Happenings

February 3
Rockwoods Reservation’s Maple Sugar Festival
The annual Rockwoods Maple Sugar Festival returns in 2018 on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is open to the whole family at no cost. What makes winter so special for maple lovers? For about six weeks, from mid-January to the end of February, nature cooks […]

Healthy Planet Guide To Area CSAs & Farm Produce & Products

By Crystal Stevens

There is a dire need for a shift in the way we source our food. Individuals around the globe are becoming more and more concerned about where their food comes from. Gardens are sprouting up across cities, towns and suburbs. There is a real need for change in our current food system. There […]

Healthy Planet Guide To CSAs (Community Support Agriculture)

By Crystal Stevens
La Vista CSA Farm

(CSA) Community Supported Agriculture Farms operate under a subscription model. Shareholders or members pay up front to help the small farmer cover seed and operating costs at the beginning of the growing season. Members then receive a weekly share of the seasonal harvest grown throughout an allotted period of time, […]

Healthy Planet Guide To CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture)

Your guide to fresh, local produce grown responsibly.
Know your Farmer, Know your Food!
Living La Vida Local

By Crystal Stevens

When it comes to conscious eating, Saint Louisians have a copious amount of options. Individuals who value healthy fresh food grown within their community may support the local foods movement through many different avenues:

Shop at Farmers Markets (don’t […]

Healthy Planet Guide To CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture)

By Crystal Stevens
La Vista CSA Farm

There is a dire need for a shift in the way we source our food. Individuals around the globe are becoming more and more concerned about where their food comes from. Gardens are sprouting up across cities, towns and suburbs. There is a real need for change in our current […]

Healthy Planet Guide To Education & Enrichment

A Gathering Place Wellness Education Center
A Gathering Place Massage School prepares you for an exciting career in a growing health care profession. You can choose from classes in Medical Massage, Spa work, Eastern / Energy Medicine, Structural Bodywork and Specialty populations (i.e. pregnant women, the elderly). We prepare you for the national board exam and […]

Healthy Planet Guide To Education & Enrichment

A Gathering Place Wellness Education Center
A Gathering Place Massage School prepares you for an exciting career in a growing health care profession. You can choose from classes in Medical Massage, Spa work, Eastern / Energy Medicine, Structural Bodywork and Specialty populations (i.e. pregnant women, the elderly). We prepare you for the national board exam and […]

Healthy Planet Guide To Resale Shops

Byrd Designer Consignment Boutique
St. Louis’ premiere designer clothing consignment store centrally located in the heart of St. Louis County.  We offer coveted designer brands including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg, Jimmy Choo, Tory Burch and more.  Recognized as: Best Place to Get a Deal on Dior – Alive Magazine
“We Heart STL Best of […]

Healthy Planet Guide to Summer Camps

Ackermann’s Swim Program
A Sports Facility. Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety since 1949. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two week sessions. Hours […]

Healthy Planet Guide To Summer Camps & Programs

Ackermanns Swim Program
A Sports Facility – Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety for 65+ years. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through August 19
LANTERN FESTIVAL
Missouri Botanical Garden; 314-577-5100 or visit www.mobot.org/lanternfestival.

July 6
First Friday: Cooking on the Nanoscale
At St. Louis Science Center
6 pm – 10 pm. Watch as Chef Jones, an instructor at L’Ecole Culinaire, turns carrots into caviar through the spherification process, deconstructs champagne, bakes an angel food cake in 60 seconds and uses liquid nitrogen […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through August 19
Lantern Festival: Art by Day, Magic by Night” at Missouri Botanical Garden
Elaborate, illuminated works of art from China will take center stage this summer at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. “Lantern Festival: Art by Day, Magic by Night” showcases Chinese culture, traditions and symbolism through larger-than-life, detailed scenes crafted from colorful […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

September 1
DINO DINNER AT ST. LOUIS SCIENCE CENTER
1 – 2 PM. This exciting new program offers visitors a chance to dive deeper into dinosaur diets and make a cast of a real dinosaur tooth. The program is fun for kids, families, and adults. Tickets are $5 per person and space is limited so be sure […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

January 3
Tea Brewing with Traveling Tea
6-7 p.m. Join Kateri for this informative demonstration and class. Sample some delicious full leaf teas and learn how to brew the perfect cup of tea. Free to attend. Local Harvest Grocery and Café in Kirkwood, 12309 Old Big Bend Road, 63122.

January 5, 7, & 9, 2013
NOT A DRUG THERAPY
Airs […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

September 3, 10, 17, 24
Change Your Fragrance and Change Your Life!
12:00 – 4:30 P.M. Inspire, clear, focus or energize. Whatever your goal, empower your intentions with a handcrafted personalized perfume. September special $39. Consultation fee includes free 15 ml roll-on personalized perfume! Held at Cheryl’s Herbs located at 7170 Manchester Road, Suite A, St. Louis, Missouri. […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

October 5
In-Store Holistic Fair
11am-4pm. Practitioners and readers on-site for walk-in availability. $20 Mini Readings, Ear Candling, Reiki or Mini Chakra Balancing, $25 Aura Photos. Held at Holistic Journey, 216 Frank Scott Pkwy East, Swansea, IL 62226. Call 618-234-8280 or visit www.yourholisticjourney.com.

October 5 & 7
GMO-a-Go-Go
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 10/05 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through January 20, 2014
Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World!
The Saint Louis Science Center opened its doors for an insect invasion as it hosts Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! Oct. 19, 2013 through Jan. 20, 2014. The exhibition, which was developed by national pest control company Terminix, is a multisensory experience that immerses visitors into […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through January 5

The Annual Gardenland Express Holiday Flower and Train Show at Missouri Botanical Garden
Delights visitors of all ages with G-scale trains of many eras traveling along 900 feet of track through a miniature holiday landscape made up of festive decorations and thousands of fresh plants, accented by beautiful poinsettias and flowers. The 2013 show, […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

January 11 & 13
Threats to Dirt!
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 1/11 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 1/13 at 8:00 p.m. Sarah Heyman and Teresa Morris discuss the importance of root systems diversity and microorganisms for soil. How does adding chemicals for crop yields deplete physical and biological potentials? How do concrete […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

February 1 & 3
Passive House: The Idea
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 2/01 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 2/03 at 8:00 p.m. In 2013, St. Louis saw the construction of its first Passive House, a home that does not require central heating. It is so well designed, insulated, airtight that it uses […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

May 3 & 5
THE COAL ASH CRISIS IN MISSOURI
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 5/03 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 5/05 at 8:00 p.m. Is it fair to call coal ash “dangerous?” John Hickey, Patricia Schuba and Gary Kappler discuss coal ash dumps in Crystal City MO and North Carolina, problems with […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

June 6
Yogis and Runners Unite in the Fight Against Cancer
Yoga Six is inviting all yogis and runners to unite in a movement to end cancer by participating in the Yoga Six 6K Run to benefit Pedal the Cause. The Upper Muny parking lot in Forest Park will be the site of the 6K Run on Friday, […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

July 5
In-Store Holistic Fair
11a-4p. Practitioners and readers on-site for walk-in availability. Guests Rev. Maureen Amen-Gay and Mary Brandt. $20 Mini-Readings, Ear Candling, Reiki or Mini Chakra Tune-Up, Tuning Fork Therapy, Tibetan Healing Bowl Sessions or Reflexology. Held at Holistic Journey, 216 Frank Scott Pkwy East, Swansea, IL 62226. Call 618-234-8280 or visit www.yourholisticjourney.com.

July 5 & […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

September 5
SHAW WILDFLOWER MARKET
Get a jump start on next year’s garden! Both new and experienced gardeners will find a wide variety of native wildflowers, grasses, sedges, small-flowering trees and shrubs for home landscaping at the Shaw Nature Reserve’s fall Shaw Wildflower Market on Friday, Sept. 5 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Admission to the sale […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

October 1 – 31
Non-GMO Month
Non-GMO Month was created by the Non-GMO Project in 2010 as a platform for raising awareness on the GMO issue. Non-GMO Month is an opportunity to coordinate our voices and our actions, so that we can stand up loudly and clearly for our right to know what’s in our food, and […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

November 3
Author and journalist Paddy Woodworth
will present his latest publication, “Our Once and Future Planet: Restoring the World in the Climate Change Strategy,” which has been described as a worldwide assessment of ecological restoration as a conservation strategy, on Monday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. at the Missouri Botanical Garden. COST: The lecture and book […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

November 29 & December 1
Wilderness Act: 50th Anniversary
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 11/29 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 12/01 at 8:00 p.m. The year 2014 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Host Don Fitz explores why this law is important for protecting our country’s environment with guests Toni Armstrong […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

January 7, 14, 21, 28
MINDFEST BEGINS CLASSES
Own 2015. Add more know-how to your Life Toolbox with Mind Fest’s entertaining classes. Wednesday evenings at 7- 8:30pm beginning January 7. Limited classroom seating means small and personal classes. Advance registration guarantees your spot. Ta-da! The First Fabulous Four adds more wonder to January: January 7, 7p Be […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through March 22
Orchid Show at Missouri Botanical Garden
“Orchids and Their Pollinators” The annual Orchid Show offers visitors a once-a-year opportunity to see a rotating display of hundreds of orchids from the Garden’s expansive permanent living collection amid a tropical oasis inside the Orthwein Floral Display Hall. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Orthwein Floral Display Hall. […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN OFFERS A WIDE ARRAY OF EVENTS IN MARCH
March 7:
Webster Groves Herb Society Workshop.
Members from the Webster Groves Herb Society offer free demonstrations on the simplicity of home seed propagation, how to make a simple herb infused facial scrub, how to make their famous herbal moth repellant, and more. Participants may take home […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

April 2
Singing Bowl Therapy Workshop: Finding Your Center Through Sound and Vibration
Presented by: Vickie Jenny. 6:00 – 8:00pm. $55. Singing Bowl sound Therapy combines the elements of sound and sensation to create a unique healing environment. Hand-hammered metal bowls of various sizes and tones are carefully placed on the body and gently played. The receiver is […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

May 1 – 31
Women’s Relationship-Oriented Group Therapy Class
I’m now taking inquires for a new, Relationship-Oriented Group Therapy class for women. This women’s group is a hybrid approach to traditional group therapy. Members will experience the usual support and input from other members regarding their struggles with either finding a solid relationship or wanting to make […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

July 7
Look Good, Feel Good
Presented by Iris Salsman and Deborah Zorensky, MS, RD, LD, CCN, 7pm. The classroom at The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit, 7647 Delmar Blvd. Attendance is free, but please register. How do you feel about yourself in terms of weight, looks and health? Are you noticing that your energy level […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

October 3, 5
Residential Energy Efficiency and Our Homes
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 10/03 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 10/05 at 8:00 p.m. Sierra Club members Laura Neuman-Howe and Jeff Howe discuss energy efficiency upgrades in their home with host John Hickey. They look at energy efficiency effects on utility bills and […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

November 4
Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets Grand Openings Of Two Stores
Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets will open two new stores in the St. Louis area on November 4 in Town & Country and O’Fallon. You are invited to both Grand Openings for a ribbon cutting and the first 250 shoppers will receive a Fresh Thyme reusable bag filled […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

December – January 2
Missouri Botanical Garden Glow 2015, Holiday Light Exhibit.
Visitors will have the opportunity to stroll through the Garden at night as they are surrounded by unique lighting installations throughout the grounds. Open 5 – 9:30 pm Nov. 21 through Dec. 17. $16 adults (ages 13 and older), $12 members, $10 children (ages […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

January 2, 4
About the Sweet Potato Project
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 01/02 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 01/04 at 8:00 p.m. Sylvester Brown came up with the idea for the Sweet Potato Project, which began in 2012. They get summer jobs as they learn how to plant food, grow it, make […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

February 1
Pasta Bowl 2016 To Benefit Operation Food Search
In celebration of the anniversary milestones of LoRusso’s Cucina and Operation Food Search, LoRusso’s is hosting PASTA BOWL 2016 the evening before Super Bowl on February 1st at LoRusso’s at 3121 Watson Road on the Hill, commemorating its 30th anniversary and Operation Food Search’s 35th. At PASTA BOWL, […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

April 7
Warrior Goddess Training Workshop
Based on the book. Facilitated by Esther Scharf, MSW, LCSW. 10 Weeks, Starting April 7, 2016. 10:30 am – 12:00 noon and/or 1:00 – 2:00 pm. The Classroom at The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit, 7647 Delmar Blvd. Cost: $200 for the series, due at first class. Join Esther Scharf, MSW, LCSW and certified meditation teacher, for […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

May 2 & May 9
REINCARNATION: THE SOUL’S JOURNEY
With Rhonda Leifheit . 6:30-8:30 P.M. The Classroom at The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit. 7647 Delmar Blvd. 63130 Cost $60. According to theories of reincarnation, our present lives are influenced by events and choices made in previous lifetimes. Reincarnation reminds us that there is a divine purpose […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

June 4
Green Homes Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden
See pages 5 & 24 of this issue for complete details.

June 4, 6, 2016
Did Levees Cause Flood of 2015-16?
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 06/04 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 06/06 at 8:00 p.m. The St. Louis area was hit with record-setting floods from the end […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

July 2, 4
A Local Look at Energy Efficiency
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 07/02 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 07/04 at 8:00 p.m. Residential energy efficiency can play a key role in reducing demand for electricity. Host John Hickey discusses energy efficiency measures for homes with Jim Jordan and Stephen Mahfood. […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

August 6
Live, Love, Latch! Parenting Conference Kicks Off National Breastfeeding Month
The local celebration of National Breastfeeding Month kicks off on Saturday, August 6, 2016 with “Breastfeeding and Parenting: Making It Work!” The full-day breastfeeding and parenting conference, which is designed for new, expectant and breastfeeding mothers, as well as interested fathers, partners, grandparents and other […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

September 3, 4, 5
Japanese Festival At Missouri Botanical Garden
Join the Missouri Botanical Garden in celebrating the culture and traditions of Japan when the annual Japanese Festival returns to St. Louis! This year marks the 40th Anniversary and the Garden will commemorate by offering even more sensational programming to delight the crowds. From traditional music to […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

October 1, 3
The National MLK Streets Initiative
Airs on KNLC Channel 24 10/01 at noon and KNLC Renewable Energy Channel Channel 24-2 10/03 at 8:00 p.m. Host Don Fitz and guests Melvin White, Andre Blunt and Robert A. Powell discuss how the Beloved Streets of America vision started and how it has received support. They explore […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

November 1
CE Blitz: Energy in Buildings
Join USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter for a full-day Continuing Education Blitz exploring energy in buildings, and earn 7 continuing education units for LEED or AIA professional credentials. From global to building specific, educational content will examine energy policies, usage, systems, and financing. WHEN: Tuesday, Nov 1, 8 am -5 pm WHERE: […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Now Through January 1, 2017
Missouri Botanical Garden Glow
The Missouri Botanical Garden’s annual light exhibit, Garden Glow, is now open through January 1, 2016 from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. with the last entry at 9 p.m. Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Ticket prices vary by date, and range from $3 to $18. Again this […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

January 3
Look Good, Feel Good
Presented by Iris Salsman and Deborah Zorensky, MS, RD, LD, CCN, 7:00pm – 8:30pm. The Classroom at The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit. 7647 Delmar Blvd. Attendance is free, but please register. How do you feel about yourself in terms of weight, looks and health? Are you noticing that your […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through February
Laumeier Art Classes & Workshops
Laumeier Sculpture Park offers art courses for all ages as multi-day classes and one-day workshops for youth, teens and adults. Art Classes and Workshops provide participants with a focused experience within a particular medium, process or concept. Art Classes and Workshops are taught by local, experienced Artist-Instructors and are […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

March 4
What To Eat Seminars: Comfort Foods for Optimal Health & Wellness
Half-Day seminar, 9:30 am – 12:30pmLearn about the wisdom of our shared culinary traditions, backed by the very latest nutrition science. Gain optimal health and wellness from delicious, nutritious and satisfying comfort foods. Slim down, perk up and achieve your wellness goals. Hosted by […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

April 2
Transformational Breathwork
Facilitated by: Shelby Corson, LMT, Certified Transformational Breathwork Facilitator, Sunday, April 2, 2017, 1:00-3:30pm, The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit, 7649 Delmar Blvd. Cost: $60. Transformational Breathwork is a breathing process that helps to open restricted patterns of breathing, integrate and clear the subconscious mind and help you connect more fully with […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

May 4
Look Good, Feel Good
Presented by Iris Salsman & Deborah Zorensky, MS, RD, LD, CCN. Wednesday May 4. 7:00pm – 8:30pm. The Classroom at The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit
7647 Delmar Blvd. Attendance is free, but please register. How do you feel about yourself in terms of weight, looks and health? Are you noticing […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

June 3
Green Homes Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden
Are you looking for green living ideas? Do you want to learn how to live more sustainably? Are you planning to build a new house? Have comfort issues and want to make improvements to where you live now? Missouri Botanical Garden has resources for you, at the 16th […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Now Through August 12
Garden of Glass
Missouri Botanical Garden is always a place of incredible natural beauty. But now through August 12, the Climatron is the setting for Garden of Glass, featuring thirty fused-glass works by Craig Mitchell Smith. View the works during the day to discover colorful glass tucked under waterfalls or nestled in greenery. […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

August 2
Tower to Table Dinners
at Vin de Set August 2nd and September 6th. Limited space available. Reservations are required Please call 314-241-8989. At Eleven Eleven Mississippi August 16th, September 20th. Limited space available. Reservations are required Please call 314-241-9999. Your Tower to Table experience starts w/ a tour of the Hamilton Farms aeroponic garden where […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

September 6
Look Good, Feel Good
Presented by Iris Salsman and Deborah Zorensky, MS, RD, LD, CCN, Wednesday September 6, 2017, 7:00pm – 8:30pm. The Classroom at The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit, 7647 Delmar Blvd., Attendance is free, but please register. How do you feel about yourself in terms of weight, looks and health? Are […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

October 1
Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo
More than 50 booths offering information,products and services pertaining to health, wellness and sustainable living. For complete information see pages 4 and 5 of this edition of The Healthy Planet or call 314-962-7748.

October 5
The Green ($) Behind Going Green
The benefits of green building extend beyond energy efficiency and increased occupant […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

November 4
Slovak Festival
Saturday November 4, 2017. Meals from 11 am to 6 pm. St. Lucas Lutheran Church. 7100 Morganford Road, 63116. Authentic Slovak Dinners and Slovak Bake Sale. Separate Carry-out line. Music with Larry Haller from 11am to 2 pm. Joe Polach and the St. Louis Express from 3 to 6 pm. Stuffed Cabbage rolls […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

December 1
Powder Valley Nature Center welcomes renowned Missouri nature photographer Matt Miles
The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Nature Center will welcome accomplished Missouri nature and wildlife photographer Matt Miles for a special presentation on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. Miles, who recently published the book Missouri Wild and Wonderful, will share […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

January 6
Alton-Audubon Eagle Ice Festival
10:00am to 2:00pm , Alton Visitor Center, 200 Piasa Street, Alton, IL 62002, (618) 465-6676. Join us for the kick-off of the much-anticipated eagle watching season with this family friendly event! See a live bald eagle up close and personal at the Alton Visitor Center, 200 Piasa St., Alton. Then let […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

March 3
Herbs & More 20th Anniversary Sale
Mention The Healthy Planet magazine and get 15% of your entire purchase.
Morethanherbsonline.com. 636-207-6673.

March 3
Science & Sustainability Open House Weekend
Go Behind the Scenes of the Missouri Botanical Garden at the Science and Sustainability Open House. Saturday March 3 and Sunday March 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Missouri Botanical […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

May 5
Learn About Green Beings CSA and (RIPE) Resilient Innovative Permaculture Environments
Come be a farmer for a day on Saturday, May 5, starting at 9am at Arizmendi Ecovillage. You can expect to get dirty, have sore muscles, eat a hearty lunch, and find out how you can participate. For more information see the article on […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

June 2
Green Living Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden
Local vendors, conversations and demos of green and sustainable options will fill the lovely grounds of the Kemper Center for Home Gardening on Saturday June 2, when the Green Living Festival returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Whatever your Green interests, you’ll find something useful and inspiring at […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Beginning in July
Women Needed For A Research Study at Washington University
The purpose of the study is to understand the effect of the dietary supplement “Nicotinamide mononucleotide” (NMN) on metabolic health. You might qualify if you: are female between 55-75 years old and do not have diabetes. This study involves: weekly visits (for at least 2 […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through August 19
MAMMA MIA!
Presented by Stages St. Louis; Robert G. Reim Theatre at Kirkwood Community Center; for ticket info, call 314-821-2407 or visit www.stagesstl.org.

Through August 26
FLORA BOREALIS
Nightly multi-media outdoor experience; 7-9 p.m.; Missouri Botanical Garden; tickets/info, mobot.org.

August 2
Jan Phillips Learning Center Living Building Tour
Visit this building pursuing Living Building Challenge certification. Experience how the Jan […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

September 4
Weekly Mastery of Consciousness Class
7:30 PM until 10:30 PM. September 4th is the Registration night for our main course of study. This class will meet every Monday night at the School of Metaphysics branch in Maplewood. We will learn about the 3 Crown Jewels of Consciousness: Concentration, Meditation and Visualization as well as […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Natural Living Expo
More than 50 booths offering healthy and green products and services. Live music, free heatlh screenings, chair massages, samples & more. Lots of giveaways and speakers during the day.

October 8
Free Lecture: The Lost Art of Democratic Argument: What’s Become of Civility?
Michael Sandel will present a lecture, The Lost Art of Democratic Argument: What’s […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

November 6
Vote Today!

November 6
PAST LIFE REGRESSION & PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOP
Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside your unconscious mind. She […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through December
Wild Lights At The Zoo
This year we’re glowing brighter than ever, with more than 1 million lights. So, don’t miss our walk-through wonderland of light-up animals, where you can visit Penguin & Puffin Coast and the Insectarium. Holidays at the Saint Louis Zoo? Brilliant. Select Nights Nov. 30–Dec. 30 5:30–8:30 p.m.
For more information, visit […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through January 5
MDC encourages birders to help Audubon Christmas Bird Count
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages experienced birders to become citizen scientists by helping with the National Audubon Society’s 119th Annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 – including about 20 counts in Missouri. The CBC is an annual […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

February 2
MDC’s Rockwoods Reservation hosts Winter in the Woods Festival, Featuring Maple Sugar
To celebrate everything wintertime offers, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is holding the Winter in the Woods Festival, Featuring Maple Sugar, Saturday, Feb. 2 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Rockwoods Reservation in Wildwood. Known for years as the annual Maple Sugar Festival, […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Month of March

Honeysuckle Sweep
For healthy habitat, volunteer to help remove invasive bush honeysuckle. For information visit Biodiversecitystl.org. See Jean Ponzi’s column on page 10 of this edition.

March 1
Trial of Bush Honeysuckle
Video Showing
6:00pm. Stone Spiral Gallery is next door to Stone Spiral Coffee. At 2506 Sutton Blvd. just 2 blocks north of Manchester in Maplewood.

Grow.Create.Inspire
March Workshops
March […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

April – August

SummerMarkt at Urban Chestnut
Craft beer lovers and craft vendors unite at Urban Chestnut’s SUMMERMARKT every 2nd Saturday April thru August, 11am – 4pm. UCBC’s Midtown Brewery & Biergarten (3229 Washington Ave.) Enjoy live music, food specials and UCBC bier at the free market while you peruse the wares of 20-plus local artisans and […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through August

SummerMarkt at Urban Chestnut
Craft beer lovers and craft vendors unite at Urban Chestnut’s SUMMERMARKT every 2nd Saturday April thru August, 11am – 4pm. UCBC’s Midtown Brewery & Biergarten (3229 Washington Ave.) Enjoy live music, food specials and UCBC bier at the free market while you peruse the wares of 20-plus local artisans and artists […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Through August SummerMarkt at Urban Chestnut
Craft beer lovers and craft vendors unite at Urban Chestnut’s SUMMERMARKT every 2nd Saturday April thru August, 11am – 4pm. UCBC’s Midtown Brewery & Biergarten (3229 Washington Ave.) Enjoy live music, food specials and UCBC bier at the free market while you peruse the wares of 20-plus local artisans and […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Recurring meditation class
beginning Saturday August 3rd from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.; at 51 Graeler Dr., St Louis 63146. Recurring event on Saturdays. www.bodypresencing.com; gail@bodypresencing.com for more information and to sign up. Confirmaton necessary.

August 7
Interactive Workshop on LEED v4.1
During this half-day workshop, USGBC’s technical staff will walk participants through LEED v4.1 […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

Beginning Now
Shamanic Energy sessions available at St. Louis Wellness Center
We are introducing another new provider, Holly Schmitt, who is delighted to offer Shamanic Energy Medicine sessions at the St. Louis Wellness Center on Mondays. She is certified by the Four Winds Light Body School. This type of energy medicine comes from the Q’ero people of […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

October 1
Known & Grown Launch Party Celebrates Local, Sustainable Farms
Known & Grown STL, a regional brand for local, environmentally responsible farmers within 150 miles of St. Louis, is celebrating its official launch with a truly farm-to-table dinner at Turn and the roof of the .Zack building in Grand Center this October 1st. Attendees will meet […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

November 29-December 1
Fair Trade Market
The largest Fair Trade Market with over 3,000 sq. feet of merchandise. By choosing Fair Trade products, you get great value and ensure equitable wages and treatment for farmers, artisans and their communities from around the world. Manchester United Methodist Church, 129 Woods Mill Road, manchester, Missouri 63011. 9am-3pm. manchesterrumc.org/ftm.

November 30, […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

February 2Learn T’ai Chi for Health & FitnessYang Style T’ai Chi is characterized by slow, rhythmic movements of the body. The Form can be practiced at any age, requires no special equipment beyond comfortable, loose clothing and flat, thin-soled shoes. Once learned, the Form takes about eight minutes to practice. To learn more about T’ai Chi […]

Healthy Planet Happenings

December Happenings

Through December 2020HEALTHY PLANET VIRTUAL EXPO You can enjoy the Healthy Planet Expo Virtually through December online from the comfort of your own home or office. Visit some of your favorite expo exhibitors and meet may new people, too. Find new ways to live a greener and healthier life. Sign up for a trip to […]

Healthy Planet Happenings April 2018

April 4
Trial of Bush Honeysuckle
Old Court House, St. Louis, MO. 1 pm. A lawsuit for dmages to the biodiversity of our native plants. Open to the public. This is an educational trial. www.woodworms.net.

April 10
Weaving Integrative Medicine with Internal Medicine
FREE Monthly Seminar and Discussion – Weaving Integrative Medicine with Internal Medicine – Learn how to build […]

Healthy Planet Magazine To Host Fall Expo Sept. 28 In Webster Groves

Enjoy the first weekend of Autumn as The Healthy Planet, St. Louis’ Green & Natural Living magazine, hosts its 28th Natural Living Expo Sunday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

This popular event will include more than 55 […]

Healthy Planet Magazine To Host Its Fall Expo Sept. 28 In Webster Groves

Enjoy the first weekend of Autumn as The Healthy Planet, St. Louis’ Green & Natural Living magazine, hosts its 28th Natural Living Expo Sunday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

This popular event will include more than 55 […]

Healthy Planet Magazine To Host Spring Expo March 29 In Webster Groves

Live Music, Free Health Screenings, Food & Drink Samples, Free Tote Bags & Much More!

Enjoy the beginning of Spring as The Healthy Planet, St. Louis’ Green & Natural Living magazine, hosts its 29th Natural Living Expo Sunday, March 29, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road (I-44 […]

Healthy Planet March Happenings

During 2016
Butler’s Pantry Celebrates 50 Years of Innovative Catering Services
Second-Generation Business Celebrates Milestone by Giving Back. Butler’s Pantry, a second-generation business founded in 1966, announces their 50th year Jubilee in 2016. This pivotal milestone for the catering and event design company brings a year of celebration and giving back to the community. Butler’s Pantry was […]

Healthy Planet March Happenings

March 7Introduction to Paneurhythmy1-3 pm Maplewood Public Library Experience the transformative power of this dance meditation practiced in spring and summer. Learn the simple movements and explore their profound meaning. Free.

March 10Green Building TalkTuesday, March 10, 2020 5:30 – 7:30 pm, Amy Aussieker will speak at Alberici Headquarters in St. Louis, MO about Charlotte’s Transition […]

Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo Set For Oct. 20 in Webster Groves

The Healthy Planet, St. Louis’ Green & Healthy Living magazine, hosts its 26th Natural Living Expo Sunday, October 20, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 E. Glendale Road, 63119 (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.
This popular event will include more than 60 exhibit booths offering a variety of […]

Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo set for Sunday, April 14

The Healthy Planet Magazine is proud to announce its 41st Natural Living Expo, April 14, 11 am to 5 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Complex, 33 East Glendale Road, 63119.

Dozens of exhibitors will be sharing information, products, and services about how to live a healthier and more eco-friendly life for yourself and your family. There will […]

Healthy Planet November Happenings

November 9
Open House at Holistic Fitness in Shrewsbury
Noon-5pm Saturday. Join us as we celebrate our new services. Attend free hourly presentations and receive coupons for discounted sessions. Free massage chair mini-sessions. In our classroom, learn about Skin-Care without Chemicals & see a Facial Demonstration at noon, Advanced Cranio-Sacral Therapy & Acupuncture at 1pm, “End Dieting […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo Set For March 25 In Webster Groves

Click here for registration form.

Giveaways Include: A Trip To Trout Lodge YMCA of The Ozarks, Fox Theater Tickets, Missouri Botanical Garden Tickets & Chipotle Food Cards

The Healthy Planet magazine
invites everyone to come celebrate Spring at its 35th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, March 25, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo Set For March 31

Highlights Include:
Trout Lodge YMCA of The Ozarks drawing
Missouri Botanical Garden Ticket Giveaway 
Heirloom Seed Pack Giveaway
Wine & Beer Tasting
Special Mini-Talks

Click here to download the 2-for-1 coupon

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate Spring at its 37th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, March 31, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo set for Sunday, April 14

Registration Now Open for Exhibitors

The Healthy Planet Magazine is proud to announce its 42nd Natural Living Expo, April 14, 11 am to 5 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Complex, 33 East Glendale Road, 63119.

If you are interested in being an exhibitor at the expo, please call right away as this event fills up fast or […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo set for Sunday, April 14

Registration Now Open for Exhibitors

The Healthy Planet Magazine is proud to announce its 42nd Natural Living Expo, April 14, 11 am to 5 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Complex, 33 East Glendale Road, 63119.

If you are interested in being an exhibitor at the expo, please call right away, as this event fills up fast, or use […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo Set For Sunday, April 2

Registration Still Open For Exhibitors – Only a Few Spaces Left!

DOWNLOAD EXPO SIGN-UP FORM PDF

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate Spring at its 33rd Natural Living Expo, Sunday, April 2, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.

The first 500 visitors to […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo Set For Sunday, March 20

Food Samples, Wine & Craft Beer Tastings, Live Music, Free Health Screenings, Drawings, Giveaways & Much More

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate the first day of Spring at its 31st Natural Living Expo, Sunday, March 20, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center in Webster Groves, 33 East […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo set for Sunday, March 26

Registration Now Open for Exhibitors

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.

If you are interested in being an exhibitor at the expo, please call right away as this event fills up fast or […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo set for Sunday, March 26

Registration Now Open for Exhibitors

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.

If you are interested in being an exhibitor at the expo, please call right away as this event fills up fast or […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo set for Sunday, March 26

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 […]

Healthy Planet Spring Expo Set For Sunday, March 29

Due the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the HealthyPlanet’s 39th Natural Living Expo scheduled for March 29 at theWebster Groves Recreation Center is being postponed. The health of ourexhibitors and our visitors is our main concern. We will let everyoneknow the new date as we access the current health crisis. If you haveany questions, […]

Healthy Planet Spring Natural Living Expo Goes Virtual During Month Of May

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the State-wide stay-at-home order, the Healthy Planet Spring Natural Living Expo will go virtual during the entire month of May at www.thehealthyplanet.com. You will be able to go to our website’s homepage and click on the Virtual Natural Living Expo button and it will take you to the Expo. […]

Healthy Planet Summer Beer Guide

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Co
www.4handsbrewery.com

4204-Main Street Brewing Company
www.mainstreetbrewingco.com

AB InBev
www.ab-inbev.com

Alpha Brewing Company
www.alphabrewingcompany.com

Augusta Brewing Co.
www.augustabrewing.com

Bastard Brothers Brewing Company
www.bastardbrothersbrewery.com

Big Muddy Brewing
www.bigmuddybrewing.com

Cathedral Square Brewery
www.cathedralsquarebrewery.com

Charleville Brewing Co.
www.charlevillevineyard.com

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling Co
www.crownvalleybrewery.com

Deslogetown Brewery
www.deslogetown.com

Earthbound Beer
www.earthboundbeer.com

Edg-Clif Brewing Company
Edg-Clif Farms and Vineyard is proud to announce our new Craft Beer line made on site by Edg-Clif Brewing Company. Stop in this summer […]

Healthy Planet Summer Camp Guide

Camp F.R.E.S.H.
CampF.R.E.S.H.® is a summer day camp at Fontbonne University that takes kids on an interactive, hands-on journey toward better health. The camp, which emphasizes nutrition, wellness, physical exercise and creativity, is open to 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th graders and is hosted by Fontbonne University’s Human Environmental Sciences department. For questions, please call Mary […]

Healthy Planet Summer Camp Guide 2016

Ackermann’s Swim Program
A Sports Facility – Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety for 65+ years. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two week […]

Healthy Planet Summer Camp Guide 2020

Ackermann’s Swim ProgramSummer Swim Camp. Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety since 1949. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two week sessions. Hours […]

Healthy Planet Summer Fun Guide

Summer in St. Louis has arrived and there is plenty to do in the Gateway City. Here are some of our suggestions for every member of the family. We have something for everyone!

Create a memory or keepsake at YuCanDu Art Studio in Webster Groves. YuCanDu offers art camps, workshops, art parties and open studio time […]

Healthy Planet To Host 40th Natural Living Expo May 15 In Webster Groves

After a 2-year hiatus due to the covid pandemic, The Healthy Planet Magazine is proud to announce its 40th Natural Living Expo May 15, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Complex, 33 East Glendale Road, 63119.

Dozens of exhibitors will be sharing information, products and services about how to live a healthier […]

Healthy Planet To Host Natural Living Expo May 15 – Exhibitors Now Being Accepted

The Healthy Planet magazine will host its Natural Living Expo May 15 after a 2-year postponement due to the covid-19 pandemic. Exhibitors are now being accepted. For an expo exhibitor’s registration form, please email JBL44@aol.com or call 314-962-7748. We expect a large crowd and encourage exhibitors to sign you right away. The expo will be […]

Healthy Snacking 101

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Americans are now more overweight than ever, and the current obesity epidemic is often attributed to oversized portions. However, while huge portion sizes have likely contributed to this growing public health issue, experts in the field would argue that constant snacking is often to blame […]

Heart Health: Changing How You Live

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

February is all about the heart, so this month is a good time to talk about heart health. The conventional medicine approach to treating and preventing heart disease is at best misguided, and at worst harmful. Many people believe they are treating the cases of heart disease by lowering cholesterol, lowering […]

Heart Health: The Extraordinary Health Benefits of Essential Fatty Acids

By Jon P. Frieda

Several times a week, individuals come into visit Neels Pharmacy with questions about fish oil. There are several frequently asked questions. Why do we need to take fish oil? What are EPA and DHA? In what quantity and how often do I need to take a fish oil supplement? The bottom line […]

Hearts In The Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Home is where the heart is. That home can be our gardens. Planting seeds of our hearts into the garden lets us experience gardens in a deeper and more loving way. Just as seeds of plants are planted into the soil of mother earth, seeds of our hearts are planted in that […]

Hearty Cottage Pie

Ingredients:

2.3 lbs of lean ground beef6 large yellow potatoes1 large white onion32 oz of beef broth1 cup of all purpose flour16 oz fresh green beans6 large carrotsShredded mild cheddar cheese (optional)

Method:

Peel potatoes and dice them to be boiled and mashed. Cut up green beans and dice the onion and carrots as well.

Boil potatoes in a […]

Help Fight Hunger During National Nutrition Month

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

March is National Nutrition Month, and what better time than now to highlight some of the programs that are tackling the issues of hunger and food insecurity right here in our own backyard. It is alarming to know that 1 in 6 people in the […]

Help Wanted

The St Louis Wellness Center has an immediate opening for a part-time, client-facing office manager in our Webster Groves office

If you’re interested in assisting others healing and growth, as an ancillary yet crucial support for others – this could be your ideal job. Be of service, create community, have flexible working hours and get paid; […]

Help Wanted: A Million (and more) Pollinator Gardens

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

If bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators could put an advertisement out for the help they need, it would read: “help wanted – desperately needed pollinator gardens”. Pollinators need us now more than ever to help them thrive and survive. In response to this need, […]

Help Wanted: A Million+ Pollinator Gardens

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

If bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators could put an advertisement out for the help they need, it would read: “help wanted– desperately needed pollinator gardeners”.Pollinators need us now more than ever to help them thrive and survive. In response to this need, groups of […]

Help Wanted: A Million+ Pollinator Gardens

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

If bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators could put an advertisement out for the help they need, it would read: “help wanted – desperately needed pollinator gardeners”. Pollinators need us now more than ever to help them thrive and survive. In response to this need, groups of individuals and organizations dedicated […]

Helping Animals Release Stress And Alleviate Pain

By Maureen Keller

Researchers have found that animals can help everyone – from those with PTSD, to autistic children. These heavenly creatures help us forget our worries, and immerse us with the joy and happiness of unconditional love. However, animals experience an accumulation of stress and anxiety just as humans do, and if there is no release, these […]

Helping Children Develop Good Health Habits

Linda S. Rellergert, MS,
Nutrition and Health Education Specialist,
University of Missouri Extension

Parents play an important role in helping their children develop good health habits. Healthy children eat well, live a physically active life and feel good about themselves and others. Children need encouragement from parents and other significant adults to develop healthy habits and attitudes.

Eating well
Parents help […]

Helping Farmers Become More Eco-Friendly

By Rae Miller

Known & Grown, a program from the Missouri Coalition for the Environment that works to certify and promote eco-friendly farmers, is initiating a new process for transitioning farmers where we provide one-on-one assistance to farmers that want to implement more climate-friendly practices on their farms. This process is for farmers that currently use […]

Helping the Geriatric Cat Reclaim Interest in Self and Life

by Ava Frick, DVM, CAC, FAIS

Cats, one of nature’s most fastidious animals, suffer from dandruff, dirty skin, and matting fur as they age. This condition is very annoying to this once neat and clean creature. Petting them can even appear to be uncomfortable.

This is due to the cat’s inability to maneuver and do ritualistic routine […]

Herbal Medicine: A Natural Therapy

By Crystal Stevens

Herbal medicine is the branch of the healing sciences that deals with the therapeutic properties and active constituents and their physiological effect on the body. This system, of natural therapy has been tried and tested for generations and has survived into the present time despite the vast increase in the manufacture and use […]

Herbs, Oils & Energy Therapy For Animals

By Maureen Keller
Healing Touch For Animals Practitioner

I have been enjoying an abundantly successful and fulfilling practice for two years. As my clientele grows, I have the unique ability to educate, as well as empower, my clients to help mantain their animal’s good health and well being.

The energy work I provide for my clients comes from […]

Herding Dogs Have Your Back

By Sarah Wilson, MA

I slipped between the fence rails, heading toward the trough with a bucket. There was a lone sheep at the far end of the paddock that I didn’t think much about. Then, off to my left, the instructor’s Border Collie, Skip, dropped into their signature crouch, moved a few feet toward me, […]

Here’s Hoping for Greener Schools and a Better Future

By Emily Andrews, Executive Director, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

This past summer has been a doozy when it comes to extreme weather and climate emergencies, hasn’t it? Locally and globally we have seen record breaking heatwaves; drought, drought and more drought; and epic rainfalls followed by even more epic flooding. If you had a dry basement in […]

Here’s The Reason You’re Fat…

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC

The reason you can’t lose weight has nothing to do with your will-power, over-eating or the Right Diet!…

The Reason you are fat and unhealthy is because you have disgusting plaque and horrible little ‘CRITTERS’ living in your guts!

This is harmful Plaque (below) – Everybody has it. But to keep from getting […]

Here’s The Reason You’re Fat…

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC

The reason you can’t lose weight has nothing to do with your will-power, over-eating or the Right Diet!…

The Reason you are fat and unhealthy is because you have disgusting plaque and horrible little ‘CRITTERS’ living in your guts!

This is harmful Plaque (below) – Everybody has it. But to keep from getting […]

Here’s The Reason You’re Fat…

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC

The reason you can’t lose weight has nothing to do with your will-power, over-eating or the Right Diet!…

The Reason you are fat and unhealthy is because you have disgusting plaque and horrible little ‘CRITTERS’ living in your guts!

This is harmful Plaque – Everybody has it. But to keep from getting sick and […]

Here’s The Reason You’re Fat…

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC

The reason you can’t lose weight has nothing to do with your will-power, over-eating or the Right Diet!…

The Reason you are fat and unhealthy is because you have disgusting plaque and horrible little ‘CRITTERS’ living in your guts!

This is harmful Plaque (below) – Everybody has it. But to keep from getting […]

Here’s The Reason You’re Fat…

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC

The reason you can’t lose weight has nothing to do with your will-power, over-eating or the Right Diet!…

The Reason you are fat and unhealthy is because you have disgusting plaque and horrible little ‘CRITTERS’ living in your guts!

This is harmful Plaque – Everybody has it. But to keep from getting sick […]

Here’s The Reason You’re Fat…

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC

The reason you can’t lose weight has nothing to do with your will-power, over-eating or the Right Diet!…

The Reason you are fat and unhealthy is because you have disgusting plaque and horrible little ‘CRITTERS’ living in your guts!

This is harmful Plaque (below) – Everybody has it. But to keep from getting […]

Heritage Poultry & Eggs

is a Step From The Past into the Future, Focusing on Egg and Meat Quality

by Ben Roberts

Over the years I’ve watched the decline in the quality of chickens and eggs by the multi-national corporations in their quest for greater production. They have given up the quality in the eggs that the protein standard of the […]

Hidden Lessons From The Pandemic

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

This chaotic time of COVID-19 is full of challenges. Initially there was fear and little information about this new strain of coronavirus. The “experts” had a different opinion daily with inconsistent advice. The lockdown was rapidly implemented. Schools and universities closed. E-learning began. Parents had to adjust rapidly to this while […]

High Blood Pressure: The Silent Killer

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

High blood pressure—medically known as hypertension—affects about 30 percent of adults. If untreated, it increases your risks for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and dementia. Often the cause of high blood pressure is due to many factors, including a combination of diet and lifestyle factors. 

In his book What Your Doctor Might […]

High Ozone Concentrations Result in Early Surge of Poor Air Quality Days in the St. Louis Region

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Early in the forecasting season, the bi-state St. Louis region had already seen its share of scorching temperatures and a related increase in the number of days when the air quality reached moderate to unhealthy ranges. This reinforces the need to prioritize lung health during the remaining summer months […]

High Tech Gizmos & Gadgets For Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Our lives have been transformed and enhanced by technological wonders over the last several years. Most of us are familiar with the activity tracker Fitbit. Since it is all the rage in the human world, is it any wonder this trend is now extending to the pet marketplace as well? Web and […]

Hike More, Worry less in Shawnee Forest Country of Southern Illinois

Photo Caption: An outdoor enthusiast takes a break to take in the beautiful scenery in the Garden Of The Gods area of Southern Illinois.

Garden of the Gods and Rim Rock/Pounds Hollow Recreational area are two must see locations on the eastern side of the Shawnee National Forest of Southern Illinois. Both located just off Karbers […]

Hiking Lesson

Relearning Healthy Habits

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Walking stick in hand and water nearing his knees, my son was not at all concerned about getting wet feet, as he was determined to forge his own path through the creek. With the world at your fingertips and the luxury of innocence on your side, everything […]

Hillermann Nursery & Florist

Hillermann Nursery & Florist is a large, locally owned gem of a nursery/garden center nestled in a valley at the eastern edge of Washington, Missouri. Second-generation family members now own and operate the business that was started in the spring of 1951 by Don and Bernie Hillermann. In the many years that it has been […]

Hillermann Nursery & Florist Offers Trees & Shrubs For Fall Planting

This large, family owned Nursery & Garden Center is a local gem nestled in a valley at the eastern edge of Washington, Missouri. Second-generation family members now own and operate the business that was started in the spring of 1951 by Don and Bernie Hillermann. Over the company’s 63 years of business, it has gained […]

Hitch Up The Wagon Sept. 15 And Head To Prairie Day At Shaw Nature Reserve

Take a step back in time for Prairie Day at the Shaw Nature Reserve, Saturday, Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Interact with early settlers and explore what life was like on the great American frontier during this bi-annual event. Kids and adults alike will enjoy a day of historical activities and exhibits, […]

Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa Says to Protect Your Pets from the Dangers of the Christmas Tree!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Christmas is a wonderful time for family and friends to share the miracle of life, with all the love and merriment of the holiday season. Our homes are adorned with holiday lighting, poinsettia plants and mistletoe. Lots of goodies like brownies and other wonderfully fattening foodstuffs, and of course, the central […]

HOCATT: It’s All About Oxygen

By Pat Bauer, NP-C

With every breath we take we absorb oxygen from the atmosphere and combine it with glucose allowing our bodies to create energy. We are alive when that happens. What a miracle! With the efficient use of oxygen we have good health. In youth, our cells perform exquisitely. However, as we age cellular […]

Holiday Events at Missouri Botanical Garden and the Butterfly House

Missouri Botanical Garden Events

Through January 1
Garden Glow presented by Wells Fargo Advisors
The Garden’s Fifth Annual Garden Glow runs nightly from November 18 to January 1. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. with last entry at 9 p.m. The expanded event features more than 1 million lights, photo opportunities, food, drinks and music. New this year, […]

Holiday Fresh Cut Evergreens Care Tips

By Ann Lapides

Fresh greenery will last indoors for about two weeks; outdoors it will last considerably longer, sometimes even months. To keep your cut greens fresh, try these care tips:

Before making your arrangements condition them to absorb as much water as possible. Snip off the bottom of the stems, then crush the cut ends with […]

Holiday Sweets Can Weaken Immune System

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us. Many of us will be going non-stop from now through the New Year. Holiday parties, family get-togethers and last minute shopping fill our calendars.

Most of us will indulge in at least two or three of the four “C’s” of the […]

Holidays At Missouri Botanical Garden

Holiday Flower and Train Show Opens November 21 and Kicks off Two Months of Festivities

Celebrate the holidays at the Missouri Botanical Garden! The Garden is sharing the spirit of the season with an abundance of festivities sure to create lasting memories for your family. Enjoy the return of the colorful Gardenland Express holiday flower and […]

Holistic Health & Fitness To Host Open House Feb. 23-24

Knowledge is Power!

Learn Healing Techniques from Holistic Experts
at our Open House in Shrewsbury

By John Schmieder, Holistic Health & Fitness

We’ve recently expanded, and we are growing into one of the largest Holistic Health Centers in the region. We have 16 practitioners ready to help you heal, holistically. We invite you to come to our Open House […]

Holistic Help For A “Broken” Heart

by Teresa Garden, DVM

Heart disease is common among dogs and cats. It may be congenital or acquired later in life. Cardiac disease may present as valvular insufficiency, endocarditis, cardiomyopathy, or even congestive heart failure. Clinical signs may be as subtle as a pet that does not move or play as much as normal. More overt […]

Home for the Holidays: Quick and Simple Fixes to Save Energy and Money

By Victoria Coleman, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Intern

Heating and cooling, water heating, washing and drying, and lighting account for nearly three-quarters of energy use in a residential building. Finding little ways to reduce your energy consumption in the house, can not only help the planet but also help your pocketbook. 

To keep your home cozy and warm this […]

Home for the Holidays: Quick and Simple Fixes to Save Energy and Money

By Victoria Coleman, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Intern

Heating and cooling, water heating, washing and drying, and lighting account for nearly three-quarters of energy use in a residential building. Finding little ways to reduce your energy consumption in the house, can not only help the planet but also help your pocketbook. 

To keep your home cozy and warm this season, […]

Home Remedies for Health and Wellness During a Difficult Winter

By Kathleen H. Christ, LMT, NCMBT

Being one plane, train or automobile from the next deadly infection that is now traveling worldwide has greatly heightened our attention and concerns for maintaining a strong immune system – our true, best and only defense. If this is also running parallel with economic distress, then families need the easiest […]

Homeopathic Laws for Parasites: High Doses Kill, Moderate Doses Irritate, Low Doses Laugh

By Simon Yu, MD

Homeopathy, a popular alternative to modern conventional medicine, was founded by German physician Christian Hahnemann in the early 19th century. Homeopathy has been providing millions of people looking for alternative, non-invasive form of therapeutics worldwide and especially for the treatment of chronic diseases as a means to promote prevention and healing.

Homeopathy stimulates […]

Honey Blueberry Muffins

Original recipe created by Julie M. Hale and Matt Allen

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.Prep time 15 minutesCook time 20 minutes

Ingredients for blueberry muffins:

1 cup plain yogurt½ cup honey½ cup olive oil2 eggs¼ cup fresh lemon juiceSave some lemon zest for on top1 tbsp vanilla2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour1 tbsp baking powder¼ tsp salt2 […]

Honey: What Makes Local So Sweet?

By Jane I. Sueme
Isabee’s Beekeeping Supplies

Nectar of the Gods, Sweetness and Light, Liquid Gold –
call it what you like, local honey is here!

When it comes to honey, what is local? For purposes of supporting the local food community, local can mean your neighborhood, town, regional or even national if it’s harvested and packaged within that […]

Honeysuckle: Scourge of the Wild Woods

By Emily Render

Augusta Honeysuckle Hike April 19 Will Help Stop the Spread Along the Katy Trail

Honeysuckle sounds like a sweet little plant, but don’t be fooled. A few species of invasive bush honeysuckle have ecologists on high alert.

Originally planted as ornamentals in urban areas, bush honeysuckle (Amur honeysuckle and Morrow’s honeysuckle) is spreading to the […]

Honoring The Elders: The Wisdom of Heirloom Seeds

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

There are many miracles, but one necessary for life on earth is the miracle of plant seeds. Within the tiny container of a seed is the blueprint for an entire plant that may grow the tallest tree, the tastiest food or the medicine that will cure cancer. If we lose the diversity […]

Honoring, Protecting & Loving Birds – 2018 The Year of the Bird

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

There is mythology that when a person becomes enlightened the language of birds becomes as clear as that person’s native tongue. In this state of consciousness the wonders of the universe are revealed by birdsong.

This idea is not as far-fetched as it may seem. Human language and bird language are more similar […]

Hope For Anxiety — Natural and Fast Acting CBD

By Kelly Christensen

Do you ever find your heart beating faster? Shortness of breath? Your chest tightening? These are symptoms of anxiety that sadly many of us are familiar with.

Just the other day while driving to work I had to quickly pull over and stop my car. My heart was beating too fast and my brain […]

Hormone Issues?

by Dr. Alethea Eller

She sat across from me at my desk for a new patient consultation. She was a lovely woman in her 50’s and she began telling me why she had come in. Her face turned red. She calmly removed layers of clothing while continuing to tell her story. She gently blotted her face […]

Hormones: A Functional Medicine Perspective

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Hormonal imbalances can cause of a host of serious health problems, including inflammation, metabolic syndrome, adrenal fatigue, sexual dysfunction, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, dementia and more. Yikes! While many things can cause an imbalance in our hormones, the good news is we can often fix these imbalances without medications. It […]

Hostas For Lunch, Next Year

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Yes hostas. There are many foods we can grow in our gardens that we likely never heard of, or realized could be eaten. Hostas grow in most people’s gardens, yet few of us realize they are a springtime delicacy. Japanese gardeners grow certain hosta varieties just to eat. Hosta shoots, called hostons, […]

Hot Town, Summer in the City

When I think of summer, the song by the Lovin Spoonful comes to mind. I have a love/hate relationship with summer. The hate part is due to the heat and humidity in St. Louis. However, I must admit some of my fondest memories have occurred this time of year. Having been a teacher for 30 […]

Hot, dry, thirsty and shriveling up? Not!

Beauties that bask in the hottest, sunniest, driest landscapes.

by Ann Lapides
Sugar Creek Gardens

Sedum Sunsparkler Series Stonecrop, Sedum
From a field trial of over 4,000 different sedums, only three were chosen to be part of the Sunsparkler Sedum series. These perennials were selected for their showcase form and exciting colors. Ideal for green roofs, containers, and living […]

How AI & Data Technologies Are Helping Fleets & EV Drivers Navigate Around Higher Charge Costs During Winter

By Sumit Chauhan

As more drivers, fleet operators and businesses continue their inexorable shift toward sustainable transportation, the electric vehicle (EV) market has continued to experience unprecedented growth ever since the pandemic. However, as the adoption of EVs accelerates, a new set of challenges emerges, particularly when it comes to charging in colder weather. Today’s drivers […]

How Are You?

Once You Experience PALM, You Will Have A Whole New Way Of Answering That Question

You likely remember the location, but what you discover when you walk through the doors of the former Busch’s Grove Restaurant is a whole new concept in integrative health and wellness. (photo right)

PALM Health (PALM stands for Personalized Advanced Lifestyle Medicine) […]

How Changes in Weather Affect Allergy Symptoms, Headaches, and Pain

By Ian Wahl

Most people think they are having an allergic reaction when they experience allergy-like symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and in some cases, headaches. However, sometimes those symptoms are not an allergic reaction to something, but a sensitivity reaction to the weather. That’s right, changes in the weather, such as barometric […]

How Do Hummingbirds Move Their Wings so Fast?

by Sarah Wilson, MAOur Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds clock over 50 wing beats a second. And that’s their casual “running errands” speed. Courtship can crank things up to around 200.

How is that possible? 

First, they have to take in a lot of oxygen. They do that by breathing 4 times a second and having a heart that pounds […]

How Do You Know Your Heart Is Celtic?

by Kimberly Schneider, M.Ed., J.D., LPC

Valentine’s Day! In my house, along with expressions of affection for our loved ones, Feb. 14th also means we’ve just celebrated Imbolc, and St. Patrick’s Day is coming.

You may not have known that February 1st marks the beginning of spring (Imbolc) in the Celtic calendar and perhaps you don’t yearn […]

How Do You Measure Renewable Energy Success?

Your Ameren Missouri Pure Power program dollars in action

There are many Healthy Planet readers who are proud members of the Ameren Missouri Pure Power program. This article is aimed at you. We want you to fully understand that when you participate in the Ameren Missouri Pure Power program, you are supporting new, renewable energy generation […]

How Functional Medicine Lab Testing Differs From Traditional Blood Work

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

We frequently get asked about the various types of testing we utilize at The Institute of Natural Health, so I would like to take this opportunity to explain why functional medicine laboratory testing is such an integral and essential part of your work up. It helps us get a clear picture […]

How Healthy Do You Want To Be?

By Linda Weber Spradling

The United States has excellent acute care medicine. Acute care is Not preventive care. Anyone on the path of wellness can attest that finding the right preventive health care lifestyle and diet for you is sometimes confusing and difficult. We are all just as unique in our health needs and concerns as […]

How Lightning Makes Grass Green

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

That is not a typo; lightning really does help green up the grass and every other plant. To understand how we have to start with the fact that our atmosphere is mostly nitrogen. But all that nitrogen is not in a form that plants can use.

How does nature get […]

How the Missouri Legislature is Impacting Food Access, Energy, and Democracy

By Jay Devineni, Food & Farm Policy Intern.

The Missouri General Assembly, led by a Republican Party that holds 70 percent of the seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, is currently considering dozens of bills and resolutions that affect food access, renewable energy programs, and the democratic process.

Among this massive stack of […]

How the Schumann Resonance Impacts Earth

By Diane Wilson

The universe’s most fascinating phenomena is the Schumann Resonance. Named after the German physicist Winfried Otto Schumann in 1952, this electromagnetic phenomenon has a profound impact on our planet and its inhabitants. It’s a daily cosmic symphony that resonates through the Earth’s atmosphere, affecting everything from our mood to our overall well-being.

Schumann ResonanceAt […]

How to Annoy Your Patients and Still Win Them Over: Difficult Doctor on Difficult Patient’s DNA Test

By Simon Yu, MD

About 25 years ago, during my early exploration of alternative, complementary medicine, occasionally, my front desk staff would ask me, rolling their eyes, what happened to the last patient I saw. She stormed out of the clinic crying, telling them that she will never come back again. She told my staff that […]

How To Change Everything Right Now!

By Kimberly Schneider, LPC & Samantha St. Julian, Ph.D.

Common wisdom says change is hard, and it takes a long time.
Often, that’s true—especially if you follow common wisdom about how to create change (you know: set goals; take action; work hard).

But common wisdom is wrong. At least, if you want to experience transformational change. Right now.

In […]

How to Change Your Diet

By Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C.

Here we are in the middle of the fall season. I think of orange and black, red and yellow, cats and jack o lanterns, pumpkins, costumes, cool brisk nights, and Candy, caramel apples, pumpkin bread, muffins, pumpkin spice coffee.

The next to come is Thanksgiving and turkey, stuffing, casseroles, pumpkin pie. And […]

How To Create A Space Of Calm For Your Child

By Vera Gabliani, Ph.D.

In these times of rapid changes, uncertainty and heightened fear, many parents worry about how they can help their children to feel safe and secure. One important way of supporting your children is knowing how to create a space of calm and safety.

Much like when your child was younger and you would […]

How To Curb Cravings

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

We frequently see many patients who feel that their food cravings have gotten out of control. Stress, overindulgence from special occasions, and just life in general has led to a steady stream of poor food choices in their everyday lives.

From a heightened caffeine addiction to constantly consuming flour-based items and sugary […]

How To Have a Sustainable Holiday Season

By Charlotte Renner

As happy as the holidays are, they have unacknowledged consequences on the environment. According to Stanford, Americans produce 25% more waste during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, compared to the rest of the year. Which is an additional 7 million pounds.

As we approach the holiday season, you can be mindful of your […]

How to Identify and Relieve Seasonal Allergies

Ian Wahl, DAc, LAc

The colors of spring are upon us. After a harsh winter, spring brings us a beautiful scene with its warm and colorful sensations. However, with spring come allergies. People face seasonal discomfort all around the world when their local plants begin pollinating. Almost 60 million Americans get sick from seasonal allergies every […]

How to Recognize A CAFO

By Charlotte Renner

Picture this: you’re driving down the highway and see a few huge, rectangle buildings with no windows all alone in a field. Maybe you even see a dark lagoon. You consider yourself an environmentally conscious person, but would you be able to recognize these as concentrated animal feeding operations, otherwise known as CAFOs?

CAFOs […]

How To Slow Down Your Genetic Clock

There has been a great deal of study in recent years about what causes us to age, and whether it’s possible to slow down our genetic clock.

For many years it was thought that cells were immortal if given an ideal environment. This long-held belief was discarded in the early 1960s when Dr. Leonard Hayflick observed […]

How To Tell If Your Cat Is In Pain

By Teresa Garden, DVM

We all know what pain feels like. We know it negatively impacts our quality of life. Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Pain is considered the “4th vital sign” in people. People can easily communicate verbally and nonverbally to let us […]

How To Thrive On A Vegan Diet

by Monica Stoutenborough

Ever considered eating all plant based foods? More and more wellknown people are now vegan; Bill Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres, even Mike Tyson! Sometimes when switching to a vegan diet, people find some struggles along the way that keep them from staying on the path. Below are some tips that can prevent stress and […]

How We Can Help Cardinals Raise Their Babies

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

When Cardinal babies break out of their eggs, they weigh a bit more than a penny; about 3.5 grams. Within a week, they reach 25 grams. That’s 7x in 7 days! Imagine our newborns going from 7 pounds on Monday to 49 pounds by Sunday. How much food would […]

How What You Say Becomes What You See

by Kimberly V. Schneider, M.Ed., J.D., LPC

In the late 90s a small group of women gathered to celebrate the summer solstice. They hungered to create an experience of the numinous that was vital and fresh, while also being rooted in ancient wisdom. They didn’t know what they were doing, exactly. They didn’t let that stop […]

How Your Stomach Affects Chronic Health Conditions

by Dr. Adam Hughes

Supporting chronic health conditions is complex; there are many pieces to the puzzle. If the body and its parts don’t work in unison, an array of health problems can occur. These problems have a drastic effect on the individual’s health especially if suffering from a chronic health condition. The traditional medical model […]

Humane Society of Missouri and Purina Bring Annual Bark in the Park

Celebration and Fundraiser to YOUR Park

Join the Humane Society of Missouri for this special virtual event April 1-17 to raise dollars to end animal abuse

What: The largest dog festival in the Midwest is virtual this year! Due to the pandemic, the Humane Society of Missouri’s annual Bark in the Park celebration is now Bark in […]

Humane Society of Missouri Calls All Secret Agents to Explore Its “Mission ImPAWsible” Activity Kit

Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO) is encouraging secret agents, ages 5-12, to explore its new “Mission ImPAWsible” hands-on, at-home activity. Their mission, should they choose to accept, is to learn about animal welfare by completing 10 “missions” designed for children. Each kit comes equipped with clues, decoders and gadgets to teach agents how they can […]

Humane Society of Missouri: Red Hot Tips For Pets!

During summer, pets endure the same hot weather as their owners, but your pet’s cooling system must work much harder.

Owners must help their pets stay cool.

Dogs are social animals who desire to be with their families. YOU are part of your dog’s family. The best way to prevent heat-related health problems is to bring your […]

Hurricanes, Molds and Death: Don’t Mess with Molds, the Undertaker

By Simon Yu, MD

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared the first Fungal Disease Awareness Week in August 2017, urging healthcare providers and their patients to, “Think Fungus” when symptoms of infection do not get better with treatment. This Call to Action was timely, as Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and more are leaving […]

Hydrogen Medicine for Anti-aging and Cancer Control: Second Part of Simple Solution for Complex Problems

By Simon Yu MD

Another simple solution to complex health problems is the use of medical hydrogen. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, accounting for 90 percent of all matter. It is also the most abundant element in our body, part of water coupled with oxygen. Hydrogen biology is a relatively new science […]

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Available at The Institute of Natural Health

The Institute of Natural Health has added Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to the list of available services for its patients, clients, and members. For those of you who are not familiar with the amazing benefits of HBOT, you are in luck. In this article we are going to discuss how this painless, non-invasive treatment can […]

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the medical use of oxygen as a drug at a level higher than atmospheric pressure. The patient breathes 100% oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber. This allows the blood to deliver 15-25 times more oxygen to tissues and organs of the body. This promotes faster and more efficient […]

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Helps Strengthen Immunity, Fight Infection & Restore Normal Tissue Function

By Patricia Bauer, NP-C

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a monitored and pressurized environment. In a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, the air pressure is typically 1.5 to three times higher (1.5 -3 ATA or atmospheres of pressure) than normal air pressure, allowing the lungs, and thereby the blood, to absorb significantly more oxygen. […]

Hypnotherapy Class Begins Sept. 13

Boland School of Hypno-therapy is an accredited school, invited to St. Louis, Sept 2019 to certify the next class of Clinical Hypnotherapists!

Boland School of Hypnotherapy is a specialized academic school, accredited through the oldest and largest governing body in the field of Clinical Hypnotherapy: The American Council of Hypnotist Examiners (est1980).

Hypnotherapy is a supplemental therapy […]

Hypothyroidism In Dogs

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Hypothyroidism is the most commonly diagnosed endocrinopathy in the dog. It is also OVER diagnosed and this can lead to unnecessary treatment. Hypothyroidism results in a decreased production of thyroid hormone from the thyroid gland. Ninetyfive percent of the time the disease is caused by destruction of the thyroid gland from lymphocytic […]

Hypothyroidism: An Undiagnosed Epidemic

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Hypothyroidism, the name for the production of too little thyroid hormone, is a vastly under-diagnosed health problem in this country. Why is it so difficult to diagnose and treat low thyroid function? The main reason is that the symptoms are not very specific and are often present for many reasons besides […]

I am a Green Building Professional!

By Nicky Althoff, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Volunteer 

As many in the green building industry know, working in the field can be quite nebulous. It often entails quiet and unseen work, from writing grants to pushing legislation, and it never looks the same from one job to the next. As such, defining what it means to be a […]

I can; you can, we all can!

By Jane Roberts

I can honestly say that fall is my favorite season of the year. I love everything about it. I love the cooler weather that requires me to pull on a sweater or sweatshirt. The sounds of a crackling fire as we roast marshmallows over it. Crunching leaves under my feet as I hike […]

I’m Boasting About Roasting Vegetables

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Fall is upon us and with it comes a variety of cool-weather vegetables. One of the best ways to fully enjoy the delicious, intense flavor of vegetables is to roast them. Roasting vegetables amplifies their natural sweetness, concentrates their flavor, and provides a beautiful browning […]

I’ve Seen Them With My Own Eyes — They’re Huge!

By Abby Lapides

Hardworking hybridizers have been toiling over their fields, labs, and data, trying to come up with the plants with the biggest blooms, best disease resistance, along with outstanding vigor. Their hard work has paid off. We recently discovered these superior behemoths. These perennials have proven to be the biggest and best in their […]

I’ve Tried Everything for My Back Pain — What Next?

By Paul Hyland, D.C., B.E.S., B.S., L.M.T.

Chronic back pain is disrupting my life. I’m missing work, having problems walking and lifting. I’m really not enjoying life. Over the counter pain pills take an edge off or do nothing at all for my pain. My medical doctor prescribed medications, but they make me loopy and limit […]

ICD-10 Will Do More Bad Than Good: Drop Dead ICD-10!

By Simon Yu, MD

Recently, I received an e-mail newsletter from Clinical Pain Advisor on a controversial topic, the new ICD-10. It is an essay written by Steven Croft, MD, “Why ICD-10 will do more bad than good.” At the same time, I also got advice from my legal counsel that I should drop ICD-10 because […]

If Your Thyroid Is Not Working Properly, Neither Are You

January Is Thyroid Awareness Month

by Wellness Alternatives

Traditional medical guidelines for diagnosing and treating hypothyroidism is very ‘old school’ and inaccurate. Millions of patients suffer from hypothyroidism signs and symptoms and are not getting the care they need. Thyroid testing is difficult for practitioners to interpret and the tests are often inadequate and do not provide […]

Igor, My Bad Patient: Deworming as a New Uncertain Preventive Medicine

By Simon Yu MD

Igor, a 60-year-old, noncompliant patient returned to my clinic recently. He was having abdominal pain and rectal bleeding with bowel movement. He had been evaluated by another physician and told his CT scan was consistent with liver problems, and fatty liver. He was warned he may have other serious medical problems and […]

Illuminating the Connection Between Sunlight & Well-being

By Diane K. Wilson

In our grand solar system, the sun takes center stage, casting its golden rays upon the Earth and shaping the very essence of our existence. Beyond its astronomical role, the sun plays a profound role in theintricate dance of well-being including energy, mood andhealth in all life.

Our connection with the sun is […]

Importance of Your Microbiome

By Brian Harasha, BS, DC, CFMP, ACBN

This is the first in a series of articles explaining some of the foundations of Functional Medicine. Functional Medicine is a medical practice concerned with the optimal functioning of the body and its organs, focused on finding the root cause of disease rather than merely relieving symptoms.

Microbiome – the […]

Improved Quality of Life: The Path to Wellness

By Dr. Paul Hyland

“Chiropractic patients enjoy increased flexibility, improved posture, improved or eliminated pain, a more relaxed and calm state, and an enhanced energy level—in short, an improved overall quality of life.” —Discover Wellness

A complete approach to WELLNESS begins with chiropractic care, good nutrition, health education and fitness. Chiropractic is typically associated most closely with […]

Improved Quality of Life: The Path To Wellness

By Dr. Paul Hyland, DC

“Chiropractic patients enjoy increased flexibility, improved posture, improved or eliminated pain, a more relaxed and calm state, and an enhanced energy level — in short, an improved overall quality of life.”

— Discover Wellness

A complete approach to WELLNESS begins with chiropractic care, good nutrition, health education and fitness. Chiropractic is typically associated […]

Improving Senior Nutrition: “Let’s Have Lunch”

By Denise S. Pott, LCSW

Assistance Home Care

Despite living in an area that offers so many meal options, the fact is that many seniors do not get adequate nutrition. It is estimated that up to one million homebound seniors are malnourished. This can lead to decreased weight and strength, lessened immunity to disease, confusion, and disorientation. […]

Inaugural Taste of Vegan Fest Set For June 9 At St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley

The first Health and Wellness Taste of Vegan Festival is happening here in St. Louis June 9 at Florissant Valley Community College (3400 Pershall Road Ferguson, MO, Ferguson, Missouri 63135) from 11am to 7pm. With this exciting free, family friendly event we intend to give our neighbors and families the necessary tools and information to […]

Include Your Pets in New Year Resolutions

Dr. Ava Frick, DVM, CAC

The top New Year resolutions for people include losing weight and exercising more. Statistic and surveys have shown that people who exercise with their pets will stick to a program more successfully than if they are doing it for themselves alone.

Obesity is the most commonly recognized nutritional problem in dogs. Obesity […]

Incorporating Trash Disposal in Early Design Strategies and Expanding Education and Certification on Zero Waste and Waste Reduction

By Devina Lee Sheng Tin,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Member

The world around us is constantly shaping our actions and our built environment is no different. Design plays an important part in the future of sustainability and zero waste efforts. The buildings we live and work in have the ability to impact everything from who we come in […]

Incredible Edibles in the Front Yard

By Linda Wiggen Kraft
Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

This year it’s more edibles in my gardens. Yes I have a garden in back for vegetables only, but after looking at the hundreds of plants in my front gardens last fall, I decided I’m adding more edibles this year.

Edible plants go beyond beauty to bring nourishment […]

Indoor Air Quality & Mattresses

Mattress chemicals can adversely affect indoor air pollution. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has written extensively about indoor air pollution. Visit www.epa.gov, and you’ll find a section dedicated solely to concerns about what we’re breathing indoors. Much of this material was produced in collaboration with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

According to the EPA, there are […]

Inexpensive Ways To Get Healthier Sleep

STL Beds will have all these products and more at the Healthy Planet’s Natural Living Expo on Sunday, March 25. We look forward to seeing you there!

Mattresses today are mandated by Federal Law to pass specific safety flame retardant testing. This means that many mattress manufacturers in the United States have started to use some […]

Inexplicable Anguish

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

My mind acts as a guardian for my heart and carefully files away groups of memories from my heart, but it seems as if these files escape and come alive when I am asleep.

I have curiosity for what these memories could be, but still despite this curiosity I experience […]

Inflammaging Medical Conference in New Orleans 2024

By Simon Yu MD

Here is my summary of the excellent and well-attended Inflammaging conference of the International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM) in New Orleans, on Inflammation and Aging. It is refreshing to listen to live speakers and interact with attendees in person after so many zoom meetings! The most interesting speakers for me were […]

Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in our dogs and cats is characterized by increased numbers of inflammatory cells such as lymphocytes, plasmacytes, eosinophils, or neutrophils infiltrating the lining of the stomach, small intestines, or colon, or any combination thereof. Similar diseases exist in people such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s disease, or chronic […]

Insect and Other Garden Friends & Their Benefits

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

If all the creatures that are part of our gardens, there are some that do extra work. Called beneficials, they are the insects, spiders and birds that act as predators or parasites to keep bad insects in check. Some beneficials also help with pollination and decomposing garden matter.

Of the close to one […]

Inspirations for Life! CHALLENGES!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Going out for a meal once in a while can be a nice break, but wow, can it have challenges!

Being pressed for time, my friend and I went to a nice, popular, pizza restaurant for dinner. He can’t eat gluten, and I’m vegan, but we knew what we wanted. I’m […]

Inspirations for Life! CONNECT!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet columnist

Winter is loved, and hated! It can be difficult for many people, especially where the weather gets very cold… but no matter where we live, we shouldn’t shut ourselves in just because it’s cold out. Looking after our health is important, and especially if we live alone, or can’t get […]

Inspirations for Life! CREATE!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet columnist

It’s March! Spring starts on the 19th! We made it through another winter! ☺

Spring is a great time to create new beginnings! Start new adventures, new habits, gardens, hobbies, get into shape, spring clean, learn, plan activities and vacations… Create something! It’s good for the mind, and you’ll feel productive […]

Inspirations for Life! GROW!

By Deb Powell,Healthy Planet columnist

It’s spring! We’re at the end of winter and our bodies are crying for warmer weather. Spring is the time we start switching more cooked foods for raw, as they cleanse, rejuvenate, and makes us feel lighter and more energetic.

We’re also thinking about being outside more to be doing things like […]

Inspirations for Life! Health and Weight! Can we control it?

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Health is a goal! Weight is a side effect!

I have been eating a plant based diet for 25 yrs, preparing 95% of my food, and make mostly healthy choices. I don’t eat fast or fried food and very little processed. I don’t eat meat or dairy, and prefer salt over […]

Inspirations for Life! HELP!?

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Happy New Year!!!

Well… we made it through another Christmas season! Although it’s a new year according to the world’s calendar, I consider my birthday my new year. But whatever it is to you, today is the first day of the rest of your life, make it count!

We can attempt great […]

Inspirations for Life! Milestones!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

First milestone reached! I’ve lost 20 pounds!!! It feels great! But I think the side effects are even better!

I feel younger and happier every day. My heart rate and blood pressure are down, I’m more agile, I walk easier and faster, my joints aren’t as stiff, and I feel like […]

Inspirations for Life! PEACE! Can we really have it?

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Hi again! Deb here from the magazine’s Organized for Life articles.

This is the first article in a new monthly column. I love to use my gift of encouragement to inspire others to live their best life, be happy, and use their creativeness to fulfill their dreams and desires. My strong […]

Inspirations for Life! PLANT!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet columnist

It’s May! Planting time! Who’s planting their first garden? Congratulations! You’ll never want store bought food again! Nothing tastes better than garden fresh!

Here are some fun tips:

Learn lots about gardening, especially the basics

Plant only your favorites, so less varieties to learn about

Connect with others to learn, share, and trade

Consider container, […]

Inspirations for Life! PLATEAUS! Time to Re-assess!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet columnist

When we reach a plateau it’s telling us something:

            We need to change what we’re doing…

            We’re not doing what we should…

            We’re right where we’re supposed to be…

Plateaus can mean several things. Many of you know six months ago I changed what and how I ate, to lose weight. […]

Inspirations for Life! REBEL! That’s me!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet columnist

Pronounce it however you like, I’m a rebel, and I will rebel! I admitted while contemplating life this morning that I’ve always been a rebel. Being sexually abused for years as a child caused my attitude to be ‘no one will ever push me around me again’. It changed my […]

Insulin Potentiation Therapy (IPT) for All Chronic Disease: Can Old Cranky Physicians Try New Approaches?

By Simon Yu MD

Let me reintroduce an old forgotten and neglected medical therapy called Insulin Potentiation Therapy (IPT) developed by Mexican military surgeon, Donato Perez Garcia, Sr., MD in 1932. He was able to cure many medical conditions such as asthma, psoriasis, migraine headache, neurosyphilis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and some cancers. Time magazine covered Dr. […]

Integration of the Male and Female Energies within the Psyche

by Kathleen Christ, NCMBT, LMT

Last month our topic was Kaseeka, accessing the subconscious for the deepest and most stable healing physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. As we cross this threshold into the subconscious, many possibilities become available, including speaking with our younger and older self, and seeing and directing the path to full brain and […]

Interested in starting your own garden in 2014?

Gardening is as easy as you want it to be.

by Crystal Moore-Stevens

A good hands-on introduction to gardening can begin in a kitchen window. Fresh herbs are a great place to start. Culinary herbs are highly medicinal, fresh and dried. They serve a dual purpose and therefore are incredibly important to have on hand. Most standard […]

Internal Spirit Holistic Fair April 20 & 21, 2024

We are excited to announce that the Internal Spirit Holistic Fair/Expo is coming back to the Machinists’ Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock RD., Bridgeton, Mo. 63044 for another two day Metaphysical/Holistic event.

Saturday, April 20 from 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday, April 21 from 10 am to 6 pm. Admission is $6.00 to be […]

International Living Future Institute Launches Local Collaborative

By Eva Klein, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Intern

Sustainability is a matter of inclusion. Almost by definition this describes the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), a forward thinking non-profit whose name, programs, and initiatives clearly show that inclusive orientation is at their core. Not only does ILFI seek to reduce humans’ negative impact, or footprint, on the […]

Interview with Amoriah Gray

Amoriah Gray is a seven-year-old author. She started writing her book at age 6 and she’s just finished working on being in a music video for a song she co-wrote with her mom. She is a very inspirational child with a humble spirit. This is just the beginning of wonderful things that this sweet girl […]

Interview with Sarah Landro

Sarah Landro taught preschool for 37 years. Twenty-seven of those years at Zion United Methodist Church. She retired from there but certainly has not slowed down in retirement. She has been motivating and inspiring children and adults for a long time.

SHB: You were in childhood education for many years. How did you get involved in […]

Intravenous Nutrient Therapy

At The Institute of Natural Health we get a lot of questions regarding intravenous (IV) nutrient therapy. Some questions come from people who see it listed on our website and others ask because we discuss it with them as a possible treatment option. The most common questions include: What is IV nutrient therapy? What is […]

Introduce ‘Bagle’ as a Part of Your Family Routine

Designed for children, preteens, and teenagers into adulthood, St Louisan Kim ‘Schwarz’ Duerr self-published an affirmation book that grows with maturity.

With a bit of humor, “Basset-Beagle named Bagle” begins as a brightly illustrated picture book filled with basic fundamentals for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Also included is a ‘quick-list’ of affirmations to start your day and […]

Introducing Slow Food St. Louis

By Terry Winkelmann,
Slow Food St. Louis Board Member
Founder of the Sustainable Backyard Tour

Recently, after one of our monthly board meetings held in a basement conference room at a local branch, a librarian inquired of me, as I dawdled leaving, the last to go: “What exactly is Slow Food?”

I’ve been a member of the board for […]

Introducing Wendy Robin at Crossing Back to Health

Introducing Wendy Robin, a recently certified health coach ready to meet you where you are with a fresh perspective and a commitment to helping her clients achieve their goals. Armed with the knowledge Dr. Davis has shared and a passion for empowering others to achieve optimal health, Wendy integrates Dr. Davis’ innovative protocol into her […]

Invisible Peril

Excerpt from the June 2006 article given by a Master of the Wisdom through Benjamin Creme, editor of Share International Magazine

Great as is the peril posed by global warming, this, unfortunately, is not the greatest, or most hazardous, faced by man today. Did he but know it, man is engaged in a slow but steadily […]

IPT (Insulin Potentiation Therapy) as an Immune Support Therapy: Scientific Basis of Fudge Factors Needs New Calculation

By Simon Yu, MD

The 10:1 ratio of bacteria living in the human body to human cells has been promoted like the Gospel. Nobody had questioned this ratio until recently. Calculations of human microbiomes suggest a very different ratio (Science News, Feb 2016 by Tina Hesman Saey).

This new research suggests the average person is composed of […]

IRELAND: Land of Shape-shifters and Dreamers

by Kimberly V. Schneider,
M.Ed., J.D., LPC

When I first visited Ireland several years ago, I felt I’d come home. Some part of me that had been sleeping my whole adult life stirred into consciousness. I’d been studying Celtic Spirituality for nearly twenty years, but experiencing the spray of the wild Atlantic on my face, sensing the […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents

<h3>Tiny House Eco Huts at Arizmendi Ecovillage: Be Cool & Stay Cool</h3>

By Tom Braford

As the tiny house phenomenon sweeps the country, one of our partners suggested that our design team take a serious look at including some tiny houses at Arizmendi and at all future Irresistible Ecovillage Solutions communities.

As it happened, we were in Hawaii at […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents Drawdown Community: Mission, Mandate and Measures

By Tom Braford

When campaigns prove to be hugely popular or surprisingly successful in the face of powerful opposition, they are said to have a mandate to be consistent in fulfilling on the mission that they have laid out.

At Arizmendi and CoLibri Ecovillages, our mission is to bring abundance to St. Louis, civilization and the planet […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents Foresight, Insight & Action: Planning from the Future Gives Reason for Hope

By Tom Braford

Last month we addressed owning the future. So, how do we accomplish that?

If we consider a wide enough range of critical data, we can see what it’s going to take to have the future we want. We call this Foresight, like an arrow pointing in the right direction, even if we can’t yet […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents How Can We Save Civilization & The Planet

by Tom Braford

Technology and iconic development alone will not save civilization and the planet.

For example, borehole technology can sound boring, but what if it were a key puzzle piece in building affordable, sustainable Reconciliation & Regeneration Ecovillage communities? And what if they were an even bigger puzzle piece in saving civilization and the planet? And […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents Out of the Ashes, Arizmendi Ecovillage!

By Tom Braford

Throughout history, unlikely visionary leaders have stepped into the void and created worldwide movements out of chaos, destruction and despair.

One such individual was Father José María Arizmendiarrieta, a one-eyed, inarticulate young priest who narrowly escaped execution by Francisco Franco’s victorious fascists during the Spanish Civil War in the run-up to World War II.

Assigned […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents:

Blessed Are The Peacemakers For They Shall Inherit the Earth!

By Tom Braford

To me, the word ‘bless’ or ‘blessed’ means richness, multi-dimensional thriving and satisfaction. 

When we bring peace to a chaotic situation of multidimensional suffering, when we bring wholeness to broken families, communities, cultures and a broken world and Earth, when we bring richness and thriving […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: 1000-Piece Puzzle

By Tom Braford

Lao Tzu famously said ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.’ Likewise, putting together a 1000-piece puzzle starts with selecting one piece and then finding other pieces that fit into or at the edge of it.

You could say that is what we are doing in creating this network of Ecovillages, […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: A Bamboo Revolution?

By Tom & Carol Braford

Could bamboo revolutionize the Ag and building industries and maybe save civilization and the planet in the process?

Thanks to a generous Urban Ag grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Irresistible Community Builders, LLC is about to find out.

Bamboo is biodegradable, renewable, energy efficient and sustainable. It has 1/3 of the […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: A Healthy Planet Starts Here

By Tom Braford

We in the Heartland are known as big-hearted people, caring a lot about each other and the state of our region, environment and economy. We may occasionally bicker but when the chips are down, we step up.

Given our relatively good wage to cost-of-living ratio and cheap fossil fuel powered energy, we might also […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: A Most Excellent Adventure: Getting Older, Wanna Talk?

By Tom Braford

Last month we talked about how we are building a total motivation culture at Arizmendi Ecovillage.

So what, you might ask, does that have to do with aging? The answer of course is everything. We have the same positive motivators of play, purpose and potential and the same negative ones of economic pressure, social […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: A Mustard Seed

By Tom & Carol Braford

I recently read the book, Mere Christianity, by CS Lewis that was originally a series of radio broadcasts near the end of World War II. At the time in 1939, the Church, the whole community of believers, had already lapsed in the practice of the Golden Rule of the New Testament […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Adapting To Climate Change At Arizmedi Ecovillage

By Tom Braford

Climate change is happening now! Up to 25% of the country is expected to be underwater this spring, and the Midwest will be one of the hardest hit. Drought, flooding, heat waves, straight-line winds, tornadoes, wider and more erratic swings in temperature all are likely to be part of our future.

At Arizmendi Ecovillage, […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Arizmendi Ecovillage: Building A High-Performance Culture

By Tom Braford

What if it were possible to build communities that work for everyone with no one left out and with no offense to Nature?

Thanks to the science of total motivation and ecological design, it now is possible. So far total motivation has been studied and applied primarily in the business environment. (Read the book […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Beware the Ides of March

By Tom Braford

What does this saying have to do with us in modern times? Well, POTUS probably should avoid the company of Senators on March 15th. In fact, it might be wise for us plebeians to consider the possibility that a Day of Reckoning is just around the corner for us as well.

In Roman times, the […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Bridging the Divides with Community

By Tom Braford

We are building networks of Reconciliation and Regeneration Ecovillages. 

The late great John Lewis had a motto that he lived by: “When you see something, say something and then do something.”

I see that much of what we believe is no more than a figment of our imaginations. 

John Lennon invited us to imagine all the […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Bring your Boatload of Knowledge!

By Tom Braford

Are there things about the current world you would like to change?

Anthropologist Margaret Mead is often quoted as saying, “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Buckminster Fuller said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Calling All Communitarians

By Tom & Carol Braford

Years ago, we formed a core group of people interested in creating a cohousing community in St Louis. We found a great site in a mixed neighborhood in the eastern part of the Central West End and held a series of workshops with the architects who brought the concept to the […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Calling all Eco-sponsors and Eco-pioneers: Eco Training and Development Center

By Tom Braford

At Arizmendi Ecovillage, we realize that much of what it takes to build an ecovillage is not immediately obvious. It takes specialized education, skills and ways of working with each other and the surrounding community.

This requires research, experimentation, discovery, innovation and invention and ultimately a constructed ecology that includes social and economic, as […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Can Community Eclipse Global Warming?

By Tom Braford

I have an invitation for you. But first, a relevant quote from well-known, big issues author, Alex Steffen:
“Optimism is a political act. Those who benefit from the status quo are perfectly happy for us to think nothing is going to get any better. In fact, these days, cynicism is obedience. And what’s really […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Causing a Contagion of Community

By Tom BrafordWe are all familiar with the phrase, “United we stand; divided we fall.” But what does that really mean, and how can we become united, if we are not already?

The conventional wisdom is that people often unite around a common threat or a common opportunity, but the debate around Covid-19 and whether the […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Causing a Pandemic of Plenty

While Being Safe & Social

By Tom Braford

It may be difficult at this point in the coronavirus pandemic to see how anything positive could come from this. There is likely to be much suffering and loss before this is behind us.

On the other hand, we are coming together in surprising ways, even as we embrace physical […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Cheaper Faster Better

By Tom & Carol Braford

In his new book by the above title, Tom Steyer, the billionaire technology investor who ran for President on a climate platform in 2020, says that we are winning the climate war, but we are not going far enough fast enough to avoid catastrophic damage along the way. He is out […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Clear the Air and Let the People Breathe Deep

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Climate Restoration — Terraforming the Earth

By Tom Braford

The term ‘terraforming’ usually describes how we can utilize the science of biomimicry to make other planets more Earth-like and habitable to human beings.

A friend, Peter Fiekowsky, an MIT-trained physicist and engineer and climate activist, shares my concerns about climate change and has been researching mostly hard science solutions for years, while I […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Come Home To Community

By Tom Braford

Heartache comes not from what is present but from what is not. It comes not from what does not exist but from knowing that it is out there just beyond our reach.

For some it is a fleeting experience of ecstasy that somehow seems illusive. For others it is a long-established way of […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Communities Rise Up To Drawdown Carbon

By Tom Braford

Did you know that there are 10,000 buildings on the City of St. Louis’ demolition list?
On May 10, this Community rose up to be sure the 110-year-old historic buildings of the Arizmendi Ecovillage do not meet that fate.

We are grateful to the City’s Board of Building Appeals for generously giving us a reprieve.

It […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Compassionate Inclusive Communities

By Tom & Carol Braford 

It almost goes without saying that for a community to be fully inclusive it needs to also be comprehensive. I have found that when you say that, however, most people immediately assume that what you are talking about needs to be massive, something on the scale of an EcoDistrict, a technology […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Creating a Cornucopia of Community

By Tom Braford

How do we create the critical mass that it takes to establish breakthrough community?

Critical mass is the minimum amount of something required to start or maintain any project or venture.

There are 4 levels of critical mass in successful community building. When we achieve critical mass at one level, the next one becomes possible.

According […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Creating A New Model

By Tom Braford

What will it take to create an Ecovillage community that is a model for affordable, energy-efficient community development?

We are renovating a row of 100+-year-old commercial buildings to include for-sale and for-rent residential space, shared common space and various types of commercial space.

While we are working to raise the investment we need to start […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Creating Innovative Ways to Fund Communities

By Tom Braford

Come join us as we create an innovation-based, live-in/work-in citizen scientist community of practice 

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” 

– Buckminster Fuller

At Arizmendi Ecovillage, we are out to build a better model based on the latest physical and […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Creating Safe Zones in an Increasingly Risky World

By Tom Braford

When our first cohousing community group at Arizmendi Ecovillage created a statement of who we are, we included safety as a word that resonated for our members on multiple levels.

It included physical safety, of course, but also things like an assurance that this is a safe investment for members’ housing and cooperative business […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Critical Mass, Achieving a Pandemic of Plenty

By Tom Braford

Critical mass is the minimum amount of something required to start or maintain a project or venture. It begins a chain reaction and follows the same laws of contagion as communicable diseases, but what if we actively pursue it to create a positive social movement!?

According to British anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, there is a […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: D-Day for Arizmendi Ecovillage Is Also P-Day

By Tom Braford

At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, there is something powerful about choosing a date with destiny, and committing to take sufficient action to turn around a course set by others and thereby forge a future that was not going to happen otherwise.

Since May 3, 2018 is our D-Day with City officials when […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: December – A Special Time to Come Together to Celebrate

By Tom & Carol Braford

This is the time of year when people all over the world gather to celebrate in community in many different ways. People of different nationalities, with different beliefs, and different ideologies, often within the same family, put aside their differences to come together in peace and love. 

So many Americans got out […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Deep Climate Adaptation

By Tom Braford

We are out to create a net positive, intentional, community-based model.

Much has been written about the need for taking a deep dive into adaptation now, for both the mental and the physical health benefits.

What’s missing, however, from what I can see, is a comprehensive, scalable program for how we can do that in […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: E-Lawn Must and the Birds and the Bees

by Tom Braford

Our yard is all natural. Since our neighbors’ are all neatly manicured, I feel I need to keep ours somewhat trimmed up.

So, if you have to keep the grass cut, E-Lawn Must is a must for the eco-conscious. They are all battery, renewable electric so no noxious fumes and just a fraction of […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Evolutionary Communities of Proximity that Practice Cooperation and Effective Communication

By Tom & Carol Braford

The theory of evolution has come a long way since Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859. Biological, social, economic and even spiritual and religious theory and practice continue to evolve. 

One big change is that we now know that biological, social and other forms of evolution have as much […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Extreme Temperatures & Community: What’s The Connection?

By Tom Braford

We have come to expect temperature spikes in July and August, but last month’s early heatwave in St Louis has a lot of people asking the questions, “Are longer, hotter summers in St Louis, along with frequent polar vortex, arctic temperature dips in the winter, the new normal?” “Is there anything we can […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Finding Openings for Active Hope

By Tom Braford

We can try to remain hopeful on our own in the face of a barrage of seemingly endless bad news, but without some personal or community North Star, it is hard to stay motivated, healthy and happy.

What keeps hope alive, as Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone so elegantly demonstrate in their newly revised book […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Forty Years In The Wilderness

By Tom & Carol Braford

Forty years ago as I was approaching 40, I was a little bit lost as 40 somethings of every generation seem to be and searching for some purpose in my life. One of my favorite things to do was to deliberately lose myself in Nature, whether it was a remote swimming […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Free $oloing ‘El Capital’ Together

By Tom Braford

One of our social impact investors recently asked us if we thought that maybe our Ecovillage project was stuck. He cited the history of financial challenges faced by many intentional community developments and the experience of his sister as an instructor having to talk down inexperienced rock climbers who got to a difficult […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Getting the Biggest Bang for your Carbon Dividend Buck$

By Tom Braford

Thanks to a cadre of senior Republican statesmen, carbon taxes and dividends are now being discussed in the halls of power, pool halls, barrooms and bedrooms across America and around the world.

The idea is to get a handle on climate change quickly by putting a fee on carbon based fuels at the mine, […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Going Together Where No Community Has Ever Gone Before: Two Challenges

By Tom Braford

We face two primary challenges as we create a model lifestyle that is both post everything – global warming, social fragmentation, economic uncertainty – and affordable to all!

The first challenge is what I call the “possibility gap” that always exists when creating something new. This is our all-too-human tendency to discount and even belittle […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC Presents: Harnessing Climate Change: An Existential Opportunity

By Tom Braford

An existential threat is usually defined as one that causes an enduring and significant loss of long term human potential. Therefore, if mitigating those threats effectively prevents that loss or causes an enduring gain of long term human potential, does that create an existential opportunity?

We think that building communities by the Dunbar numbers qualifies […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Having Your Green Lifestyle Cake – and Eating it Too!

By Tom & Carol Braford

Recently I considered the fact that the real estate industry is still selling the idea that you can live a totally green lifestyle in a single-family home. I suppose this is true if you have really deep pockets.

I wondered, however, what it might cost to provide carbon-optimized single family homes with […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Healing the Broken Heart of America

by Tom Braford

I recently read a book with a pretty depressing title that tells the sordid history of our country and the prominent role my adopted city, St Louis, has played in that history. There were early hints of a possible upside of living and working at the epicenter of repeated attempts at redemption by […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: How Can We Balance Climate Overshoot?

By Tom Braford

In past months, we have talked about creating socially balanced community, reconciliation community facilitated by sociocracy and economic balance in community by forming worker-owned co-ops to build out and operate from the site.

With those as a base, how can we balance out the environment and the climate? When we consider that, many still […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Imagine the City of St. Louis with 500,000 Residents Once Again

By Tom Braford

Back in 2014, Dan Jay, an architect and planning commissioner, first proposed the idea of having 500,000 residents again in the City of St Louis as a thought experiment. This was a brilliant move because brain scientists say we literally have to burn new neural pathways before we can fulfill on a new […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Incubating Live-in/Work-in Citizen Scientist Innovation Communities of Practice

By Tom Braford

In classical Greece, “corporations” of metal workers, potters, masons and other craftsmen trained apprentices and spread innovations. In the Middle Ages, guilds played similar roles. Today’s version of Communities of Practice is different and continues to evolve in several fundamental ways. 

Instead of working on their own in isolation, today’s Communities of Practice most […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: It Takes a Village To Raise an Ecovillage

By Tom Braford

In her acceptance speech for the Democratic Party nomination for president, Hillary Clinton returned to the themes of her ‘It Takes a Village’ book written two decades ago. This idea, from an old African proverb, is timeless and applies to much more than raising children, as the other candidate in the race is […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Just Post Carbon Communities of Practice 

By Tom & Carol Braford

Whether you think climate change & social and environmental justice are issues or not, you can make a better life for yourself and future generations by working together in community with your neighbors to experience the health, environmental and economic benefits of a post carbon lifestyle right now. 

The culture and economy […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Just Transition Communities

By Tom Braford

Most people agree that as we transition to a greener economy and culture we need to include all segments of our population and world.

There is limited agreement on how best to accomplish this, however, so this is an open question of inquiry for COP 26 in Glasgow in September.

I suggest that the short […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Launching Hub Economies with Micro Currencies at Arizmendi Ecovillage

By Tom Braford

Since economies in service to life are circular by definition, they need to close the capital resource loop.

A current example is the rapidly growing micro currency in the Basque region of France. Community members fund administration and expansion by purchasing the local currency at 3.5% above face value. Community businesses accepting the micro […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Let’s Build Back Greener: A real decarbonization strategy

By Tom Braford

All roads lead to Rome, as the saying goes. It is similar with conventional community development. There are no shortcuts if you follow the existing prescribed pathways. But what if it were possible to create new, more direct pathways that get us to the destination we really want and need?

In my years as […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Let’s Call it a St. Louis Earthshot! 

By Tom & Carol Braford 

I got some feedback on last month’s article, questioning whether calling it a Moonshot is the best metaphor for our Post Carbon Communities of Practice. Having it be as localized as possible and having St. Louis play a lead role in aligned larger global efforts, however, resonated with a lot of […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: March Sanity!

By Tom Braford

The definition of insanity or madness is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. We go for more, better or different but, in reality, that is just doubling down on the same old ways of doing things. 

We forget that the first rule of holes is that when you find […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Measures: Practicing the Art of Comparison

By Tom Braford

Could developing mastery in measurement open new avenues to freedom, power and making a difference?

As we design, develop and build the Arizmendi Ecovillage, we intend to find out. The first stage will demonstrate that building communities that are net positive in food, power, water, transportation and employment is doable. As Einstein said, ‘If […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Mound City’s Best Kept Secret

by Tom Braford

Jasmin Aber, founder of the Creative Exchange Lab, recently hosted a webinar titled Monument I Anti-Monument that looked at who is remembered, who is hidden and who is forgotten in Monumental art. https://creativeexchangelab.com/monument-anti-monument/

Two friends were panelists: Lynne Jackson, great, great granddaughter of Harriet and Dred Scott, and Percy Green, one of St. Louis’ original […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: No Substitute For Healthy Soil!

By Tom Braford

Sign up now for a weekly box of healthy food from the Green Beings CSA or join RIPE, Resilient Innovative Permaculture Environments, a worker-owned producer co-op!
Last month, the Our Farms, Our Future conference in St Louis drew 1000 farmers and hundreds of food production professionals from around the country, including yours truly.

The theme […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Now’s the Time: Secure Your Future

By Tom Braford

Let’s start building out the Arizmendi Draw-down Ecovillage. Let’s have it be net positive in food, power, water, employment and transportation. Let’s recycle all our waste, have it be outrageously green, affordable, beautiful and transformational, a wonderful place to live, work and visit and a huge contribution to the surrounding community.

Let’s make music […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Pandemic, Political Upheaval, Wacky Weather, Erratic Employment!

By Tom Braford

Ready for something completely different?

Join us in creating networks of Regenerative Ecovillages where you can live and work in cooperation with your neighbors and in harmony with Nature.

We are finding that many people want and need skill-building opportunities in the new green economy that can lead to family wage jobs and co-op business […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Pivot To Community

By Tom Braford

When we pivot toward a more cohesive society and regenerative economy in service to life, we are taking a huge step to create a civilization and planet that work for all with no one left out and with no offense to Nature.

Nowhere is this more obvious than in the development of net positive […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Precision Year-round Community Based Urban Agriculture

by Tom Braford

The frost will soon be on the pumpkins and the snow will soon be flying. This is typically the time of year to hunker down and put our garden to bed for the winter with cover crops and a few hardy plants like garlic and spinach that can winter over.

For a few years […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Prioritizing Long-term Workability

By Tom & Carol Braford

After celebrating Independence Day, many of us are wondering once again if our union will long endure and even more importantly if our species, civilization and Earth as a habitable planet will long endure.

Fortunately for now at least, we and those in other more or less democratic countries still have a […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Real World Modeling for Optimized Solutions

By Tom Braford

While it is relatively easy to design an optimized world, the real challenge is in designing how to get there from here, wherever here is.

After starting out as a restoration carpenter and green rehabber, I soon discovered that being boxed in by the constraints imposed by existing structures and sites sometimes opened up possibilities […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Reimagining and Redesigning

Community in the Covid-19 Era

By Tom Braford

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, we were already well along the path of reimagining and redesigning at Arizmendi Ecovillage as a way of addressing other endemic challenges like global warming.

Coincidentally, many of our standard physical features already put us at the standard now required in airplanes and hospitals. These include […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Reopening What Kind Of Economy?

By Tom Braford

As we contemplate the reopening of our economy, let’s consider what kind of economy we are reopening and what else is possible.

Is it going to be the same old economy on steroids, where a small business is considered any company with fewer than five hundred employees? Will it be one where most people […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Resolving Climate Change and Racism with Community Now!

By Tom Braford

My lived experience and research over my seventy-four years have had a lot to tell me about the most cost-effective way to get to net zero carbon emissions while solving lots of seemingly endemic challenges, like racism, along the way. 

That is why we are creating a network of Reconciliation and Regeneration Ecovillage communities […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Rooted in Belonging 

By Tom & Carol Braford 

We are happy to see that St Louis’ Community Development Administration (CDA) has earmarked $400,000 for neighborhood improvement in their current round of grant programs. That would come out to just over $5,000 per neighborhood if it were divided evenly among the City’s 79 neighborhoods.

At ICB, we are focusing heavily on […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Sim Van der Ryn

“Long before sustainability became the buzzword du jour, there was
Sim Van der Ryn, the intrepid pioneer of the eco-frontier.”

– New York Times

By Tom Braford

This New York Times headline ran many years ago, and now Sim Van der Ryn is coming right here to St Louis to seed yet another generation of eco-pioneers who are working […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Slow & Steady Wins The Race

By Tom Braford

Aesop’s fable about the Tortoise and the Hare seems like an interesting tale for the amusement of children.

What if it actually holds the answer to a sustainable planet?

Our friends, David Lehmann and Michael Gray, think it does. They recently visited St Louis from Denver to explore how we might collaborate on transportation.
Michael, an […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: St. Louis Moonshot for Civilization and the Planet

By Tom & Carol Braford

We are transformed when we renew our hearts and minds. But it is never just about us, but rather how we care for and serve others, our civilization and that beautiful blue-green marble spinning through space that is our only home. However, it is not fulfilled at that level or even […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Take Ownership of the Future

By Tom Braford

We need cooperative and collaborative leadership now! 

There is a saying, “Don’t get angry; get even.” When the growing disparity between physical ownership with its related power and where you are right now gets you down, I can relate. I am sometimes tempted to slash and burn our whole built environment in an attempt to […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: That Uppity Theater Company Goes Green

by Tom & Carol Braford

What do That Uppity Theater Company and Arizmendi Ecovillage have in common? We are both committed to making a difference with the people who are still reeling from the impact of Covid. That is why we recently joined forces to submit a pair of Local Tourism grant applications.

It is common knowledge […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: The Ecozoic and You

By Tom Braford

An architect friend recently said that in school he learned that form follows function. But, more often than not, it looks like form follows finance.

This got me thinking, if that is the case, and there does seem to be some evidence for that, then the reverse should also be true and finance follows […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: The First R is for Reconciliation

by Tom Braford

As I mentioned last month, our commitment is to build networks of Negative Carbon Reconciliation and Regeneration Ecovillages (NCRREV) and Green Business Parks that make it possible for average St Louisans to go from a double digit 23.5 MT average carbon footprint to subzero now, along with about 150 close neighbors and as […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: The Ides of March Will Soon Be Upon Us

By Tom Braford 

As I write this article on the 15th of February a day after Valentine’s Day and a month before the Ides are upon us, the world awaits with baited breath to see what a modern-day dictator in Russia will do and to see what will become of our side-lined would-be dictator. Now, as […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: The Integral EcoHogan in the Sky

By Tom Braford

Forty years ago, graduate students at UC Berkeley School of Architecture were inspired to actually build their dreams for a better world by their beloved young renegade professor, Sim Van der Ryn, who some years later would come to be known to the world as ‘the intrepid pioneer of the eco frontier’.

The students […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: The Live-in Agrivoltaic Grow House

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 […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: The Right Crew and the Right Tools

By Tom Braford

A lot can happen quickly when you have the right crew and the right tools. We were reminded of that recently when we needed some people to clean up the Ecovillage site.

A couple years ago, a church group, who was sponsoring some African refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, asked if a […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: The St Bonaventure Greenway

By Tom Braford

The egrets and other big wading birds are back at the urban rookery at Arizmendi Ecovillage for the 4th year in a row! Just like the blossoms act as a barometer of climate change, they are arriving a few days earlier each spring.  They seem to be growing in numbers as well. 

The great […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: The Ultimate Drawdown Conveyance Machine

By Tom Braford

Would you be willing to give up your gas guzzler, gas sipper or even your coal-fired electric car if you could drive or be driven around in the ultimate Drawdown vehicle?

If you thought living a Drawdown lifestyle meant going back to the Stone Age and giving up all your creature comforts, think again. […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Tim’s Place at Arizmendi Ecovillage

By Tom Braford

We were very sorry to hear recently that Tim Montgomery, our local architect at Arizmendi Ecovillage, had been diagnosed with a rapidly debilitating condition. Sadly, he chose to resign from the project and hand off completion of final design to new team members, but his moral authority and commitment to collaboration continue to […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Transforming Civilization and the Planet: One Reformed and Terraformed Community at a Time

By Tom Braford

In our society, many things have worked well for a long time, so there’s no need to keep reinventing the wheel. At Arizmendi Ecovillage, we are including many of these, like cohousing for social sustainability and ecovillage for neighborhoods that are ecologically sustainable as well.

Of course, they need to work economically too, so […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Transforming Life One Community At A Time

By Tom Braford

What if solving global warming and lots of other seemingly endemic challenges were as easy as teaching your dog to catch a Frisbee?

“In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals and scientists has come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Undo Your Part

By Tom Braford

Are you sometimes overwhelmed about global warming? We invite you to Undo Your Part by visiting www.UndoYourPart.com, watch and share the video and join Citizens’ Climate Lobby. With those small steps for St Louis and one giant step for humankind under your belts, you can be part of the movement to rollback global […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: When it Comes to Breakthroughs in Sanitation, What’s Old is New & Sexy Again

By Tom Braford

One of the first of eight books written by Sim Van der Ryn, who is known as the ‘Intrepid Pioneer of the Eco Frontier’, was titled “The Toilet Papers.” He advocated a less wasteful, less costly, distributed treatment approach to sanitation, and he is suggesting that now in advising our Arizmendi Drawdown Ecovillage […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: When Life Hands You Lemons…

By Tom & Carol Braford

Say thank you and make lemonade! 

It is the nature of mice and men to want and expect things to go our way and to get frightened when they do not.

Some psychologists refer to this as an ‘amygdala hijack’. The lizard part of our brain, which is designed to have us survive when […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Who are the Early Birds?

By Tom Braford

They say the early birds get the juiciest worms, or the most succulent seeds, if you prefer.

It turns out the same is true in community development. Those that get involved and commit early get the best deals on the choicest homes and sweetest entrepreneurial opportunities.

At Arizmendi Ecovillage, we have an exciting funding opportunity […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Why Comprehensive Community Matters

By Tom Braford

The world is waking up, even the United States and St Louis! We realize that we are facing serious challenges that we must address sooner rather than later.

As we confront the facts about climate change and many other social and economic challenges, we see that there are solutions, and that some contain the […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Why Not Put Yourself and Your Money Where Your Mission Is in the New Year?

By Tom Braford

How about making a New Year’s resolution to join and actively support the mission based Irresistible Ecovillage Solutions communities movement?

If not now, when? If not here, where? If not you, who? If not causing a socially, environmentally and economically just and sustainable culture and world, what is your compatible mission that you see […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Year-round Urban Ag in St. Louis

by Tom & Carol Braford

We invite you to join us in creating a demonstration project of hi-tech year-round urban agriculture by participating in our regular Saturday morning gardening workdays at the Ecovillage.

We are creating a place where more and more people can learn how to grow their own food in the city. Our project is […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Zero-Carbon Freight and Transportation

By Tom & Carol Braford

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a working model must be worth a million and a working prototype, a billion.  This is the rationale behind ICB’s Reliable Alternative Freight and Transportation (RAFT) system and our strategy to get it going and growing in St Louis with a grant […]

Irritable Bowel Syndrome – A Functional Medicine Approach

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine provides a new way of thinking about chronic disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which can impact 1 in 6 people and is entirely correctable. 

Typical symptoms of IBS include: 

BloatingGasDistentionConstipationDiarrhea that often comes on after a mealCramping

Each person with IBS may have a different cause even though the symptoms are […]

Irritable Bowel Syndrome A Functional Medicine Approach

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine provides a new way of thinking about chronic disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which can impact 1 in 6 people and is entirely correctable.

Typical symptoms of IBS include:

Bloating
Gas
Distention
Constipation
Diarrhea that often comes on after a meal
Cramping

Each person with IBS may have a different cause even though the symptoms are […]

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Functional Medicine Approach

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine provides a new way of thinking about chronic disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which can impact 1 in 6 people and is entirely correctable.

Typical symptoms of IBS include:

Bloating
Gas
Distention
Constipation
Diarrhea that often comes on after a meal
Cramping
Each person with IBS may have a different cause even though the symptoms are […]

Is Depression A Brain or Gut Issue?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Antidepressants are the #2 selling class of medication behind statin (cholesterol lowering) medications. Approximately 25 million people over the age of 12 are taking antidepressants. To put this into perspective, about 26 million people have been diagnosed with heart disease and 21 million have diabetes.

Antidepressants are based on the theory of […]

Is Your Lawn Gone?

by Randy Greene, Greene’s County Store & Feed

Missouri had the hottest July on record in 2012. Fescue and bluegrass lawns are not suited for the high nighttime temperatures that we experienced this summer.

No matter how much you watered, you likely still had parts of your lawn die, or maybe the entire lawn died.

In extreme temperatures, […]

Is Your Pet Stressed?

by Dr. Ava Frick, DVM, CAC

Everyone it seems is maxed out these days and that can include our pets too. Stress can come in many forms; poor diet, pain, toxins, injury, diseases, vaccinations, and pesticides are common ones but there are others you may have not considered. Pets exposed to extreme weather, being isolated from […]

Is Your Yard Green?

The Sustainable Backyard Tour, held annually in June, is a unique opportunity to see firsthand how homeowners in St. Louis City and County are transforming their yards in a range of environmentally sensitive ways.

Attendees design their own routes and set their own pace, choosing from addresses and descriptions in the tour booklet which will be […]

It Is Art That Lifts The Heart and Spirit

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Captions: top, Classical guitarist Ana Vidovic performs at the Ethical Society. bottom, Sculpture in Odessa, Ukraine protected from bombings.

(Please note: Covid-19 restrictions continue to change. Please check provided websites for up-to-date guidelines. Be prepared to show proof-of-vaccination at most venues. Masks are still required at many locations.)

Just […]

It is Time to Transform our Food System Through the 2023 Farm Bill

Melissa Vatterott, Policy Director

www.moenvironment.org

Good food policy means a healthy, fair, and sustainable food system from farm to fork. From farm to fork, our food system should be something we are proud of, making the safest and healthiest food available for everyone. One avenue through which we can see good food policy for the United States […]

It’s A Match — Birds, Trees & More

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

For most of us, we plant trees, shrubs and other plants to bring birds, insects and other life into our gardens. But often we don’t know specifically what matches there are between plant and animal that make up the community of our gardens. Little did I know about how many birds are […]

It’s A New Year – How About A New You?

By Amy Davis, M.D.

The growing obesity problem globally has become too large to ignore. Almost one-third of the world’s population is overweight and more than one-third of Americans are obese. The estimated global cost per year is 2 trillion dollars. Being overweight is not just a cosmetic issue – it causes serious health issues. Obesity-related […]

It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!

by Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990
GetLeanToday.com

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring […]

It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!

Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness,

Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring into […]

It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness,

Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring […]

It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!

Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring into […]

It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!

Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring into […]

It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring […]

It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!

By Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring into computer monitors, […]

It’s Not Just Calories That Make Bellies Fat!

Dr. Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr Banerjee’s Wellness Centre
314-282-3990

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Have you had any of these in your life? Injury, pain, surgery, infection, illness, divorce, financial stress, job stress, poison ivy, giving birth, irritable people, starvation diets, the menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, drugs and medication, excessive cold or heat, staring into […]

It’s Not What You Know?

by Dr. Joseph F. Unger, Jr. DC., F.I.C.S.

Fully loaded in her dock, the old steamship was going nowhere fast. She was ready to haul precious cargo to its destination with many people counting on these goods being delivered in a timely fashion. The captain dispatched every engineer at his disposal to troubleshoot the problem.  No […]

It’s the Harvest Season!

Gather up some great art, fine craft and ARTfully “ghoul” it up for Halloween.

The month kicks off with three great ARTful events: October 5-7 is the Best of Missouri Market at Missouri Botanical Garden—great art, fine craft, great food and drink, live music, kids’ activities—all locally sourced. Don’t miss it!! Info at mobot.org.

While you’re there, […]

It’s Time to Revive Your Soil!

Celebrate International Compost Awareness Week and the International Year of Soils with St. Louis Composting!

St. Louis Composting invites you to join in celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), May 3-9, 2015. This year’s theme is “Be Loyal to Your Soil- Compost!” This fits in perfectly since 2015 is also the International Year of the Soils.

“Healthy […]

It’s Usually Not About You

Gail Cloud, D.C.

Healing the Root of the Matter

BodyPresencing; be-ing through presence

What a year it is! In times like these, it is so easy for us to take ourselves too seriously and take things personally. Most of us are more sensitive to others and their moods than we give ourselves credit for. We pick […]

It’s Usually Not About You

By Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C.

What a year it is! In times like these, it is so easy for us to take ourselves too seriously and take things personally. Most of us are more sensitive to others and their moods than we give ourselves credit for. We pick up on the tone of words, the body […]

Ivermectin Deficiency Syndrome: Staying Out of the COVID-19 Graveyard

By Simon Yu, MD

Last week, a friend sent me a post by Dr. Richard Horowitz on work to advocate for US trials of Ivermectin, GSH (glutathione) and nutraceuticals for COVID-19 viral infection. I want to share this vital information with my readers and to spread this important message to your friends and your doctors; it […]

January is National Pet Training Month

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Statistics show that most new puppies, kittens and adult critters enter our homes during the period from Thanksgiving through the Christmas Holiday and New Years. Whether acquired from a breeder, or rescued from one of many rescue groups in the area, we pet owners are faced with the reality of a […]

January is National Pet Training Month!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Statistics show that most new puppies, kittens and adult critters enter our homes during the period from Thanksgiving through the Christmas Holiday and New Years. Whether acquired from a breeder, or rescued from one of many rescue groups in the area, we pet owners are faced with the reality of a […]

January is the Best Time to Get Rid of Weeds!

by Dr. Alethea Eller

Oh, you are not thinking about your lawn garden this time of year? Well this is the best time to think about weeds! A weed is simply a plant that is growing where you don’t want. Did you know that many wild plants and weeds are very useful and are even used […]

January’s Seed Catalog Ritual

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

January is the beginning of a new garden year and time of the Seed Catalog Ritual. A time of dreaming, planning and planting those perfect gardens in the heart of a gardener, where gardens first need to grow.

The ritual is pretty much the same each year. A list of the seed companies […]

Japanese Festival Returns To Missouri Botanical Garden 8/30-9/1

Join the Missouri Botanical Garden in celebrating the culture and traditions of Japan when the 38th annual Japanese Festival returns to St. Louis! 2014 marks the year of the Dianthus or “Nadeshiko,” commonly referred to as the “Pink.”

From traditional music to martial arts, sumo to sushi, calligraphy, bon odori dancing to bonsai displays and thunderous […]

Job Market Demand Grows For Healthcare Professionals

Interest in health and fitness seems to spike in the new year as people resolve to replace holiday goodies with healthier choices. Of course, health and wellness are important year round, and some people not only want to stay healthy themselves, they want to help others live healthier lives.

If you’re interested in preparing for a […]

Join Missouri Botanical Garden’s “Summer of Sustainability” — Green Living Festival Event Series





Monthly pop-up events planned at five cultural institutions

The Missouri Botanical Garden’s 22nd annual Green Living Festival is back again as a series of pop-up events at institutions throughout the heart of St. Louis.

The “Summer of Sustainability” series invites visitors to engage with experts at five events throughout the summer in a day of learning and […]

Join Missouri Botanical Garden’s “Summer of Sustainability” — Green Living Festival Event Series

Monthly pop-up events planned at five cultural institutionsThe Missouri Botanical Garden’s 22nd annual Green Living Festival is back again as a series of pop-up events at institutions throughout the heart of St. Louis. 

The “Summer of Sustainability” series invites visitors to engage with experts at five events throughout the summer in a day of learning and exploring ideas for […]

Join the Green Schools Quest for a Rewarding School Year

By Porscha Hayes, Show-Me Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

Are you a school looking for ways to go green that do not leave your piggy bank shattered? Do you want to offer more avenues of engaging programming to your students without stretching your teachers too thin? Are your students eager to see real-world impact as a result […]

Join the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter to Advance Sustainability in 2017!

By Johanna Schweiss,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

As the U.S. Green Building Council -Missouri Gateway Chapter celebrated our 15 year anniversary in 2016, we had many discussions what our next 15 years of work would bring. We have big plans to continue our work to transform the built environment, but we can’t do it […]

July Heat is a Genuine Concern For Our Pets. BEWARE!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

It has been an unusual spring, indeed. Fortunately, we have had a good deal of rain as of late. But the summer heat is upon us as well. Pet owners must be sensitive to this issue.

Heat exhaustion is a terribly dangerous and insidious condition that can impact our pets, particularly heavy […]

Kaseeka: Healing Awakening and Activating the Whole of Body, Mind and Spirit with Understanding & Clarity

by Kathleen Christ, NCMBT, LMT

True healing takes place on many levels and dimensions, and is a process of understanding to be lived and experienced. Stepping into healing requires not only the body and senses, but cooperation with the mind, emotions and spirit.

Life on earth is challenging, to say the least, and due to the influence […]

KC Metaphysical Fair in St. Charles, March 30-31

The KC Metaphysical Fair will be back in St. Charles Easter weekend at the Ameristar Casino Conference Center. This will be the third year the event has been at this location, and it is a great space. There are several restaurants on site, and tons of parking. Just head up to the Yellow level of […]

Keeping Health Impacts of Air Pollution Top of Mind This Summer

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Years of scientific research have established that ozone and particle pollution are a threat to human health at every stage of life. Some groups of people, however, are more at risk of illness and death than others because they are more likely to be exposed, are more vulnerable to […]

Keeping Lung Health Top of Mind As Summer Heats Up

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

According to the American Lung Association’s latest “State of the Air” report, the three years covered by the report (2018-2020) ranked among the seven hottest years on record globally. With June already having seen some of the hottest days in years in the St. Louis region and the prime […]

Keeping Lung Health Top of Mind as The Fight for Cleaner Air Presses On

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Our lungs are always hard at work to keep us alive and well, but oftentimes we take them for granted. During the coming summer months, when weather conditions create a risk for higher ozone pollution levels and ozone-related health concerns, it is especially important to prioritize lung health by […]

Keeping Our Furry Family Members Safe with Holiday Food

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

Veterinarians often see more pet visits to their clinics during the holidays because pets eat the wrong foods. It’s hard to resist giving your pets yummy holiday (people) food, but it’s in everyone’s best interest to be careful about what food we feed our furry companions.

According to The Brownsville Clinic […]

Keeping Your Dog Cool in Summer

By Ava Frick, DVM

You want to exercise your dog but you also know the summer temperature and humidity can be dangerous. How do you keep your pooch cool and yet enjoy the outdoors? Try some of these options!

Walk early morning and later in the evening. The morning is the preferred time as the ground has […]

Keeping Your Perspective While Parenting A Teenager

By Vera Gabliani, Ph.D.

I get regular calls from concerned parents who are overwhelmed with their teenagers, so I decided to share some practical information about teen development to facilitate your awareness and empower you to work more effectively with your children.
Let’s start with a brief overview of this pivotal time. I believe that having a […]

Ketogenic Diets In Dogs: Facts and Fallacies

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Ketogenic diets were first introduced in 1921. Sometimes, dietary fads and practices in human medicine may find their way into veterinary medicine. This is true for ketogenic diets. What exactly is a ketogenic diet? A ketogenic diet is one that is high in fat, low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and restricted […]

Kicking Off 25 Years of the St. Louis Earth Day Festival!

by Jeanette Reynolds;
Programs and Communication Director; St. Louis Earth Day

On January 14th, we kicked off the 25th year of Earth Day in St. Louis with a Founders Day celebration where stakeholders shared their vision for the future of the organization and we honored those who have contributed toward making the St. Louis Earth Day organization […]

Kids Nutrition: Simple Changes = Big Rewards

By Merilee Kern

We live in an age where food manufacturers are the most health-conscious in history. Take full advantage of these healthy alternatives. It’s simply not an option to choose those refined sugar-loaded gummy bears when dried fruit and trail mix snacks of every sort are a mere aisle or two away.

Make fresh fruit an […]

Kids Who Garden, Eat Vegetables

By Crystal Stevens

Children love to learn. They love feeling a sense of purpose, a sense of accomplishment and they love more than anything to make their loved ones proud. Our children have the farm life; they have fields to run in, an endless supply of mud puddles to jump in, dirt piles to dig in […]

Kids, School & Anxiety

By Dr. James Feinberg
Child Clinical Psychologist

Have you actually thought about whether or not your child or teen is psychologically prepared to return to school? My hunch is: probably not! Don’t feel bad. Typically, most parents don’t give this transition much thought. Granted, for many kids, this is an uneventful transition. For other kids, this transition […]

Kindness: Give Yourself a Gift and Settle for More in 2018

By Jon Frieda

At some point in my life I decided to settle for more and not less. Now, I’m asking you, dear readers, to do the same. I know that when people read this they will instantly identify this statement with monetary gain, but this is not at all what I am referring to. Give […]

Know When To Pour Water

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

When we look into the mirror we are met with our reflection staring back at us, an image of our inner-self and identity, but this image is not always mirrored in the perspectives of others that are around us. Despite our efforts to show the world our true inner-selves […]

Kooky Creations From The Imagination Of The Gardening World

By Abby Lapides-Elliott

Kooky Creations

The imaginative minds of the gardening world have created plants that are sure to entertain us. These selections caught our attention for being fun, silly and just, well, kooky. For an amusing and tasty gardening experience you may want to try:

Is it a potato? A tomato? Its both! Ketchup N’ Fries
From the […]

Kuva Coffee Company Connects With Missouri Botanical Garden To Bring Direct Relationship Conservation Coffee To St. Louis

In 2008, Rainer Bussmann, Director of the William L. Brown Center & Curator for Economic Botany at the Missouri Botanical Garden and Tim Drescher, owner of St. Louis small batch artisan roaster, Kuva Coffee Company, connected to bring an extraordinary and rare direct relationship coffee to the St. Louis market.

While on a trip for medicinal […]

La Vista Farm Dinner, Sept. 13, 2014

By Crystal Stevens

La Vista Farm in Godfrey IL will be hosting their 2nd Annual Farm Dinner Fundraiser Sept. 13, 4 to 7 pm. The theme for this year’s Seed to Table feast is Global Fusion. The dinner will be prepared by the farmers themselves, truly making it a unique field to plate dining experience.

Join fellow […]

Landscaping For Life

Start Your Own Habitat Garden To Attract more Birds and Butterflies

by Mitch Leachman
Executive Director
St. Louis Audubon Society

It all began almost 10 years ago, after I had moved into this my first house. A friend suggested a few plants, all Missouri natives, for a bed along the driveway. When complete, we had installed aster, coneflower, coreopsis, […]

Lantern Festival Summer Exhibit Opens At Missouri Botanical Garden

Tickets are on sale for the Missouri Botanical Garden’s summer exhibit “Lantern Festival: Magic Reimagined” presented by Emerson. The event runs May 23 through August 23. Following critical acclaim and rave reviews from visitors during the 2012 Festival, the Garden has commissioned 22 new sets to once again offer visitors the opportunity to see an […]

Largest Selection of Missouri Native Wildflowers On Sale At Shaw Nature Reserve May 11

Choose from a huge variety of native wildflowers, ferns, trees and shrubs for home landscaping at the Shaw Nature Reserve’s Wildflower Market on Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual sale offers the widest array of native plants available in the metro St. Louis area, selected by the Reserve’s horticulture staff […]

Laser Therapy For Alzheimer’s Disease

By Dr. Brian Harasha

Concern is growing about the increasing number of people suffering from the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease in our communities. This disease destroys lives, is taxing on caretakers, and has extreme financial cost averaging $350,000 during its course.

There is no medical cure for this condition and rates of new cases are climbing […]

Laser Therapy for Conditioning and Performance

By Dr. Brian Harasha

Laser therapy never ceases to amaze me regarding its multitude of applications. In this article I discuss the use of laser in athletic conditioning and performance. It is no wonder Olympic athletes and professional sports teams utilize laser therapy regularly to achieve high levels of success.

Lasers are commonly used in athletics at […]

Laser Therapy For Your Pet

by Teresa Garden, DVM

The term “laser” has been found in scientific papers dating back to 1959. Laser is an acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”. Laser therapy is essentially light therapy. The light delivered by the laser converts to energy the body can use. Therapeutic lasers are used for healing. They are […]

Latest “State of the Air” report reveals good and bad news for the St. Louis region

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

The American Lung Association’s 2021 “State of the Air” report is out, and though the data indicates some nationwide progress on cleaning up air pollution, 41.1 percent of the population — more than 135 million Americans — are still living in areas with unhealthy air quality. While this is […]

Latest State of the Air Report Ranks St. Louis as One of the Nation’s Most Polluted Cities

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

With May 1 marking the start of daily air quality forecasting for 2014, the St. Louis region is facing more grim news regarding its air quality. According to the American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air Report, St. Louis is now ranked 13th out of 217 metropolitan areas […]

Laumeier Sculpture Park Examines Art and Global Climate Change Through Its 2021 Spring Exhibition

Laumeier Sculpture Park’s newest exhibition titled The Future is Present: Art and Global Change will examine the intersections between art and some of the world’s most pressing issues: climate change, environmental crisis and the related global repercussions. The Future is Present explores the innovation of artists and their commitment to understanding humankind’s material impact on […]

Lavender: Scentsational Delights

By Abby Elliott
Sugar Creek Gardens

Few plants reward us more than Lavender. With a dynamic scent and luscious, purple-blue wands, it’s fantastic in the garden and in fresh and dried arrangements. Over the years superior Lavenders have been introduced that bloom continually from spring well into fall. Their outstanding or unique foliage and form, super-sized flowers, […]

Lawn & Garden Rescue: Solutions for the Summer’s Record Heat

by Patrick Geraty, President, St. Louis Composting

Fretting over a lawn and garden ravaged by this summer’s extreme drought and record-breaking heat? Homeowners and gardeners need not stress over barren, brown yards and withered flowers and vegetables. Fall is the perfect time to top dress your lawn and serve your garden a heaping helping of all-natural, […]

Leading The Community In Reclaiming Vibrant Health

by Linda Frisch

SHAPE ReClaimed™ is a comprehensive homeopathic glycoprotein complex formula. It incorporates a unique combination of synergistic ingredients specifically chosen to balance and restore vibrant health.

Though many will enter this program for its weight loss benefits only, what you may find even more important is the vast number of benefits gained from doing the […]

Learn How To Become Healthier and Greener At The Natural Living Expo In Webster Groves Oct. 1

The Healthy Planet magazine is proud to host its 34th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, October 1, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.

“We are very excited to be hosting our 34th expo as part of our 20 year anniversary,” said J.B. Lester, Publisher of […]

Learn How To Become Healthier and Greener At The Natural Living Expo In Webster Groves Oct. 1

The Healthy Planet magazine is proud to host its 34th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, October 1, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.

“We are very excited to be hosting our 34th expo as part of our 20 year anniversary,” said J.B. Lester, Publisher […]

Learn How to Green Your House of Worship at Feb. 22 Workshop

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

Over 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from the building sector. Anywhere there is a building, there is an opportunity to measure its energy use and make changes to conserve energy, save money, improve building occupant experience, and protect the environment. This is […]

Learn The Art of Beekeeping

by Cassandra Hage, Beekeeper

Five years ago, I came across a flyer that would change my life. It promoted the idea of learning how to “make your own honey,” which I realize now is silly – the bees to all of the work!

A blossoming DIY-er and urban homesteader, I saw the workshop as an opportunity to […]

Learn To Be A Beekeeper!

By Cassandra Hage, Beekeeper

Five years ago, I came across a flyer that would change my life. It promoted the idea of learning how to “make your own honey,” which I realize now is silly – the bees do all of the work!

A blossoming DIY-er and urban homesteader, I saw the workshop as an opportunity to […]

Learn To Find Balance in the New Year

By Marie Peters, MBA, CPP

Did you spend too much time last year feeling stuck, stressed and exhausted? As busy adults, we often prioritize our responsibilities to work and other people over our own self-care, which leads to discontentment, burnout and, ironically, absences from work due to mental stress.

If you are ready to achieve a healthier […]

Learn to Meditate for a Healthier Life!

by Shirley Stoll

Did your list of resolutions for the New Year include one or more of the following: reduce stress and anxiety or lead a healthier lifestyle? If so, consider adding one more resolution to your list. Learn to meditate in 2014 and help make these resolutions a reality in your life!

Meditation has many benefits! […]

Learning For Change: The Green Schools Quest Inspires Good Stewardship Through Experiential Learning

By Eva Klein, USGBC-Missouri
Gateway Chapter Intern

When does learning happen? When does learning truly change how we act?

Real learning occurs when we can connect our experiences to have a better understanding of a whole concept, instead of just its pieces. When our whole bodies are engaged in learning, we remember more because we have truly experienced […]

Learning to Live in Silence

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 […]

LEED, Energy Star & Well on Display at the Green Building Showcase May 9

By Nick Bristow, Chair of the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Board of Directors

Many are familiar with LEED, the green building rating system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council that certifies buildings designed and operated for improved environmental performance. But LEED is far from the only green building rating system around. In recent years, the green […]

Leo A. Drey: Keeper of Missouri Forests & Streams

Leo A. Drey: Keeper of Missouri Forests & Streams
January 19, 1917 – May 26, 2015

By Margaret Hermes

In 1970, as Board President of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, which he co-founded, Leo Drey wrote, “When the majority demands that this planet be kept habitable, the powerful will respond.” A powerful figure in Missouri conservation, Leo […]

Lessening Inflammation

By Dr. Gail Cloud

Our world here, especially in the West, is riddled with inflammation. Most of us carry lots of inflammation in our bodies and have symptoms of metabolic issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, joint pain, stomach aches, constipation or its opposite, etc.

One of the causes is the amount of processed foods […]

Let Food Be Your Medicine

By Monica Stoutenborough

Chronic diseases such as heart disease, type II diabetes, autoimmune illnesses, dementia, and osteoporosis, are now considered by many to be an inevitable part of aging. We assume that as we get older we will likely be diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions. In addition to blaming our age, we often credit […]

Let Generation Z Own Their Own Nature

By Charmin Dahl

My 13-year-old walked into our living room displaying the universal teen scowl. “If I hear ‘Your Generation’ one more time… ‘Your generation has to save the planet!’ ‘Your generation has to fix the world!’ It’s too much!” 

Generation Z (also called Gen Z or Zoomers) range from age 7 to 25, and number about […]

Let it Go

Poem by Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C.

People frequently say, “Let It Go”; why can’t they just let it go

How can we let go of what we haven’t digested

It stays locked up inside of us and keeps us congested

Until we are able 

To dig deep and look at what is in us unstable

To see our core wounds

And from […]

Let’s Celebrate National Berry Month!

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

July is National Berry Month, and what better way to celebrate than to enjoy a plethora of richly-colored berries this time of year. Not only are berries delicious, they’re also nutrition powerhouses – chock-full of powerful nutrients that can help you ward off diseases. Berries […]

Let’s Talk About the Benefits of Massage

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

What are the benefits of massage? Massage is increasingly being offered along with standard treatments for a wide range of medical and other conditions. A common misconception about massage is that it is only intended for pampering yourself. While this may be true for some […]

Leukemia and Lymphoma: A Simple Solution a Possibility?

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 […]

Life is What You Make It, In 2019: Manifesting a New Reality with Consciousness

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

All things are possible to those who believe. This is what I have gleaned with regard to ancient wisdom teachings. In this new age, we stand at the dawn of the future, and yet the future, being divinely timed with the past and present has just arrived. In sync with our […]

Life Lesson: Basic Human Interaction 101

by Kris Ash

This past Thanksgiving was probably the happiest I have ever experienced. Like so many of us, family events can be stressful and difficult at best, and serenity is rarely the norm at these huge gatherings. So, after spending a surprisingly harmonious afternoon with my loved ones, I then spent days afterward in reflective […]

Life With Stevie

By Teresa Garden, DVM

There is now an abundance of geriatric pets due to better veterinary care, modern technology, and the advancement of the bond between humans and their pets. Pets are considered valued family members. Getting old is not easy for us or for the pets we dearly love. Most of us will face daily […]

Lifesaving Emergency Kits Available At No Charge

Bethesda Health Group has created a life-saving initiative that provides key medical information to first responders in case of an emergency. At no charge, non-profit Bethesda is providing free Personal Emergency Medical Information kits to the Metro area. Bethesda is the leading St. Louis-area senior living, care and services organization dedicated to senior safety for […]

Lifesaving Emergency Kits Available To St. Louisans At No Charge

In response to National Preparedness Month and the devastation of Hurricanes Andrew and Irma, Bethesda Health Group has begun a life-saving initiative providing key medical information to first responders in case of an emergency. Having this data available has saved countless lives in the US. Non-profit Bethesda is now providing free Emergency Medical Information kits […]

Lightning Protection in Trees

By Phil Berwick
Certified Arborist

During lightning storms we see only part of what is happening. We do not see with our eyes the thousands of ‘feelers’ all around us, that trees are sending up into the atmosphere, all attempting to ‘connect’ with the charges that are marching through the sky. Lightning strikes, one of the biggest […]

List Out Action Steps To Achieve New Year’s Goals

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

The Dalai Lama responded to being asked what surprised him the most:
“Man surprised me most about humanity. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; […]

Listening & Learning: Podcasts in the Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

I spend lots of time working in gardens, my own and others. There are many days from 7am to 7 pm. I love listening to the sounds of the garden: birds, bees and breeze to name a few. I also love listening to garden podcasts to learn more about gardening and to […]

Listening In The Garden — Podcasts

by Linda Wiggen KraftHealthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

I spend lots of time in gardens. There are many hours working in my own garden and many hours in gardens I designed and help maintain. I seldom tire of pulling the weeds, digging in the soil and enjoying the presence of flower and plant’s beauty. I […]

Litter Box Woes

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Most people are surprised to learn that in 10% of multiple-cat household there are problems of inappropriate urination or defecation. The incidence of this malady increases by 10% with each additional cat in the household. The bad news is that this is a serious problem that can ruin your bond with the […]

Live A Life Of Vitality, Health and Wholeness

By Dr. Gail Cloud

As a Chiropractor, astrologer, and family systems facilitator, I have a lot of tools in my toolbox to guide my clients and patients towards living lives of vitality, health and wholeness.

As a chiropractor, I act as an interpreter, so my patients can listen to, understand and integrate what their bodies are saying […]

Living & Learning Earth Day – Every Day

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Earth Day. How can I live it every day? How can I live it deeply? So deeply that it changes the essence of my being. So deeply that the essence of earth is changed.

These were my thoughts as I sat down to write about Earth Day 2018. Before beginning I checked my […]

Living Building Challenge: A Tool for Transformative Thought

By Hope Gribble, Education & Green Schools Manager,
U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter

Inspirational. Harmonious. Restorative. Regenerative. Beautiful. Living Buildings aim to provide much more than shelter. They are designed and built to a performance standard that “calls for the creation of building projects at all scales that operate as cleanly, beautifully and efficiently as nature’s […]

Living Deep Instead of Fast

by Phylis Clay Sparks

When was the last time you drove on a highway at the speed limit? If you did, you probably felt as though you might get smeared all over the highway by the cars speeding around you. Most of us do everything fast in today’s world. We eat fast food fast, drive […]

Living In Harmony with Nature at Innsbrook

By Cassandra Langley

Life in harmony with nature drives every aspect of the community of Innsbrook, a quiet and peaceful haven located just 30 minutes west of Chesterfield. One look around Innsbrook and you know right away you’re in the midst of nature’s playground.
The Innsbrook environment is designed to maximize your ability to relax, reconnect and […]

Living in the Now

By Jasmin Acosta

Living in the moment is like having the fear of heights,

As we fear of falling into new experiences that are presented in our daily lives. 

Like looking down from a mountain we can see everything that we couldn’t see from the ground,

And the clouds feel close enough to grasp like a snowball,

But fear creeps […]

Living With Allergies

By Rosa Kincaid, M.D.

All of us are allergic to something. We have gotten so used to the symptoms that we don’t even realize it. With eye drops that “get the red” out and over-the counter anti-histamines, self-treatment is the norm. We no longer really want to go to the doctor for these things. When things […]

Llywelyn’s Pub Introduces New Menu; Partners With Companion Bakery

By Jessica Baker

Guests who visit any of the six area locations of Llywelyn’s Pub in the St. Louis/St. Charles region will notice something a little different when they sit down to order next time. It’s not the warm, inviting pub atmosphere that’s different or the craft cocktail and beer selection, but you may notice the […]

Llywelyn’s Pub to Raise $15,000 for National Breast Cancer Foundation Through Month of October

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Llywelyn’s Pub will use their signature cups to fundraise for a cause that offers breast cancer education, free screenings and patient support.

Through the month of October, Llywelyn’s Pub will be releasing a limited-edition pink LlyCup to add to your collection. The cups will be available at all […]

Llywelyn’s Pubs Embrace Sustainability

At Llywelyn’s Pub, we have greatly reduced our carbon footprint by initiating programs for recycled goods and energy efficiency. We have installed solar panels at 6 locations, creating our own energy. We have installed paperless hand dryers and we now use recycled goods and services for many of our products. Head to your local pub […]

Llywelyn’s Pubs Offer VIP Program App

At Llywelyn’s Pubs, you can enjoy Celtic food, drinks and music – and earn rewards for having a good time! There’s just one thing as rewarding as our Celtic food, specialty drinks and live music, the Llywelyn’s VIP Program.

As a member, you can enjoy:

One (1) Llywelyn’s Dollar for every $20 you spend (to be redeemed […]

Llywelyn’s Pubs Take Step Forward To Reduce Carbon Footprint

Llywelyn’s Pub is proud to announce the addition of 107 kilowatts of solar energy capacity at six locations across the St Louis area. Patrons to its locations in O’Fallon, Webster Groves, St Charles, Soulard, and Central West End will have the satisfaction of knowing that some of the energy used to prepare their meals and […]

Llywelyn’s: Celtic For Good Times

by J.B. Lester
Healthy Planet magazine publisher/editor

A group of us from The Healthy Planet magazine recently attended a 4 Hands Brewing Co. Beer Dinner & Taste hosted by Llywelyn’s Pub in Webster Groves. Culinary director Greg Marshall put together a four-course tasting of items such as grilled chicken, seafood cakes, blacked fresh snapper and grilled oatmeal […]

Local and Not-So-Local Farmers Markets

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Publisher

I know spring and summer are popular times for farmers markets; however, my favorite time of year to visit a market is September and October. Most are open until the end of October. Maybe it’s because fall is my favorite season or it’s cooler out, but whatever it is, fall farmers markets […]

Local Author Publishes New Book: “Digested” Eating Healthier Made Easier 3 Ways

She’ll Be Selling and Signing Her New Book At The Healthy Planet Expo March 20 In Webster Groves

In February, local author Natalie Gensits delivered her first batch of healthier snacks to 240 students at Wilkinson Early Childhood Center. She is funding the snacks with proceeds from sales of her book about eating healthier in an […]

Local Brewers Embrace Sustainability

Urban Chestnut Brewing Company
was recently named one of the EPA’s sixteen national WasteWise Award Winners for their sustainability efforts in 2017, earning Small Business Partner of the Year. The WasteWise program recognizes organizations ranging from small nonprofits to large multinational corporations that demonstrate significant effort to prevent and divert waste.

“Sustainability has been a major focus […]

Local CSA & Farm Education

EarthDance Organic Farm School
Since 2010
EarthDance Organic Farm School sustainably grows food, farmers and community, one small farm at a time, through hands-on education and delicious experiences. EarthDance offers Farming Apprenticeship each year to community members. The Farm and Garden Apprenticeship is a part-time, hands-on, education in organic gardening, market farming, and applied permaculture. EarthDance apprentices (aka […]

Local Holiday Craft Beers

Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room –
2100 Locust Street, St. Louis, 63103.

Schlafly Bottleworks,
7260 Southwest Ave, St. Louis, 63143.

Established in 1991, Schlafly Beer has always had a simple mission: to brew great beer and throw great parties. Today, Schlafly brews over 50 styles of beer each year, from its flagship Pale Ale, to […]

Local Leaders Share Ideas On How To Make America GREEN Again!

The Healthy Planet asked some local environmental and conservation folks to share some ideas on how Healthy Planet readers can “Make America Green Again.” We hope you will find some ideas here that will urge you into action in the new year and beyond. Our planet is counting on you!

Become politically engaged – Civil society […]

Local Organics Collection Combats Environmental Crisis

A landmark report from the United Nations’ scientific panel on climate change predicts a strong risk of crisis by 2040. The panel predicts worsening food shortages and wildfires sooner than we think. Carbon dioxide is a large contributing factor when it comes to the magnitude of damage done to our ozone layer. It creates an […]

Local Restaurateur is Taking the Farm to Table Movement to a Whole New Level

Paul Hamilton, Co-owner of Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Vin de Set and PW Pizza in Lafayette Square has upgraded his commercial urban farm this year to include 28 aeroponic towers designed to maximize space and use less water than traditional growing methods.

The additional towers, which are used to primarily grow greens and squash, supplement the 1/2 acre […]

Local Urban Farmer, Crystal Stevens, Writes New Book “Worms At Work”

Increasingly, we want to know where our food comes from, who grows it and how it is grown, and interest in permaculture, backyard composting, and gardening in general, is growing. So how does the budding gardener ensure that the soil is healthy and nutrient-rich enough to support growing some great food? One answer — worms! […]

Long-Term Sustainable Weight Loss

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

There is so much conflicting information out there when it comes to weight loss that it can become paralyzing. Who is right? Who is just trying to take your money? How do you know? The fact is, weight loss is a multi-BILLION dollar industry that thrives on keeping you guessing. There […]

Long-Term, Sustainable Weight Loss

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

There is so much conflicting information out there when it comes to weight loss that it can become paralyzing. Who is right? Who is just trying to take your money? How do you know? The fact is, weight loss is a multi-BILLION dollar industry that thrives on keeping you guessing. There […]

Looking Back to see the Way Forward!

By Daniel F. Hellmuth, AIA, LEED AP, EcoDistricts APUSGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter FounderPrincipal, Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects, www.hellmuth–bicknese.com Director, Urban EcoBlock, www.urbanecoblock.org 

Back in 2001, when the St. Louis (now Missouri Gateway) Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council was founded, it was heady times. I was lucky enough to become the first chair and we were […]

Looking for a Path to Professional Success?

Check Our Healthcare Programs

As you think about your future and what steps you could take to achieve your professional goals, you may be considering career opportunities in the healthcare field. There are many different directions you could take, depending on whether you want to be involved in hands-on patient care or if the business side […]

Looking for a Path to Professional Success?

Check Out Our Healthcare, Wellness & Business Programs

As you think about your future and what steps you could take to achieve your professional goals, you may be considering career opportunities in the healthcare, wellness or business field. There are many different directions you could take, depending on whether you want to be involved in hands-on […]

Looks Can Be Deceiving

By Ah Ha! (A Happy Health Advocate)

Well, you don’t look sick.” As I diligently pantomimed how the air conditioning blowing toward me felt like razors on my skin, I tensed up my neck to look like a tree trunk, rolled my eyes back, clenched my teeth and made that ‘screeching fingernails on a chalk board’ […]

Lose Weight For Summer With Hypnosis

by William Mitchell, CI

Hypnotism can be applied successfully as a tool in psychotherapy, medical and dental pain management, to enhance academic achievement, to overcome fears and stage fright, to improve sleep, to increase athletic performance and other applications, however most people think of Habit Control, smoking cessation, weight loss, nail biting etc.

When I was first introduced […]

Losing It… Your Pet’s Healthy Weight

By Ava Frick, DVM

Trying to help your pet lose weight can be frustrating. Traditional “weight loss” diets often lack sufficient levels of the vital nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that animals specifically need based on individual idiosyncrasies. The bottom line is that what is on the bag is not enough. Changing how a body recognizes and […]

Losing Your Edge? It May Be Time To Have Your Testosterone Levels Checked

by Rosa Kincaid, MD

Many of us are aware of the change that women may go through as they approach their late forties and fifties. These changes usually involve fatigue, low libido loss of muscle mass and, let’s not forget, hot flashes. Many are not aware that men also go through a change. For a man […]

Love From A Spiritual Perspective

By Phylis Clay Sparks

Most people think they know what love is, but if you were to ask ten people to define it, you just might get ten different answers. Plato, the Greek philosopher who laid the very foundation of Western philosophy, defined love as a “grave mental disease.” Comedian Woody Allen said, “Love is the […]

LOVE IS always READY & WAITING

by Christine Kniffen, LCSW,
Therapist & Relationship Coach

So, what is love? This is a topic that does not suffer a lack of opinions as to how to define it. It is perhaps one of the most written about, talked about topics we know. Culture is filled with endless platitudes exposing plenty of silly nonsense. Take for […]

Love the Leaves and Leave Them Be

by Linda Wiggen KraftHealthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

The colors of fall are in full glory as the leaves turn from green to shades of fire, sun and embers. The reds, oranges, yellows and all colors of warmth are the fireworks of nature. There is a sharpness in the air, the sky is a denser […]

Love Your Garden To Help It Grow

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Most gardeners love their plants, but do we realize that plants respond to that love and grow accordingly? Of course plants respond to the usual love and care that gardeners provide. As more is discovered about the wisdom of soil, plants and the ecosystem of connections, we can respond with better care. […]

Loving Our Inner Child

By Jasmin Acosta

At times as a child we grow up feeling unloved, have trouble expressing love, and feeling love for ourselves due to traumatic experiences. Where this carries on over into our adulthood and this affects our self esteem, confidence, and ability to love. 

Traumatic events strip away the ability for us to have love for […]

Lungwort: 2022 Perennial Of The Year

By Abby Lapides

A charming shade perennial, Twinkle Toes Lungwort, Pulmonaria, will make you want to frolic with joy with its periwinkle-blue spring flowers and unique foliage. Starting in mid-spring dainty blue flowers cover its fascinating silver-speckled foliage. After the flowers fade, you’ll be mesmerized with its stunning mounds of gorgeous ornamental leaves. Named the 2022 […]

Lyme and Post-Lyme Syndrome: Forensic Case Study from New York

By Simon Yu, MD

Who else committed the crime of Post-Lyme? The Integrative Medicine for the Treatment of Tick-borne Diseases Conference will be held in Baltimore on April 20-21, 2018, and the Lyme Disease Association of Delmarva invited me to give a talk. I told them I do not treat Lyme disease, I am not Lyme-literate, […]

Maintain the Momentum: St. Louis as a Climate Leader

By Mary Ann Lazarus,
Chair, Board of Directors,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

 
It’s been an important year for fostering green buildings in the St. Louis region and I’m very proud that our USGBC- Missouri Gateway Chapter has played a pivotal role. From existing buildings to new construction, buildings play a crucial role in meeting the urgent challenge of climate […]

Maintaining A Healthy Weight During The Holidays

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

As the holiday festivities continue, you may find yourself surrounded by big, celebratory meals, with high-calorie appetizers, sugary libations and comforting main dishes. Of course, no holiday feast would be complete without a plethora of decadent desserts, each one looking more delicious than the next. […]

Makanda: Gateway to Giant City and Outdoor Adventure in Shawnee Forest Country

Breathtaking natural beauty and unlimited opportunities for outdoor recreation, a trip to Giant City State Park and the Makanda area offers loads of fun. From camping and horseback riding to fishing and rappelling, it’s an outdoor lover’s paradise. You will love the many hiking trails. Especially popular is the Giant City Nature Trail, home of […]

Make 2022 a Year of Hope: Take Climate & Racial Equity ACTION and Celebrate Community with Your USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

By Fredericka Brandt, Education & Outreach Coordinator, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

At our recent State of the Chapter & Social, we learned how sustainability is integrated into every aspect of a learners’ day at Flance Early Learning Center, located just north of Downtown St. Louis. We were honored and excited to celebrate their achievement as a 2021 […]

Make a Bigger Difference: Greening Your Life, Your Community, and Your House of Worship August 25

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

In his recent encyclical on ecology, Pope Francis stated that “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”

While we can acknowledge the severity of […]

Make Plans Now To Attend Sept. 11-13 — Curing the Incurables

The Gateway Foundation For Biological & Integrative Medicine Conference

Energy Medicine covers the cutting edge of science based Alternative and Integrative Medicine, and attends to the broader spectrum of Energy Medicine.
Most people may know acupuncture as an ancient medical system from China. It can be used for pain relief as well as for a quite extensive […]

Make Your Sandwiches Healthier!

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

You may not know it, but August is Sandwich Month. During the summer months when the heat and humidity decide to pair up and hang out in the St. Louis area, many of you may simply not feel like spending a lot of time over […]

Make Your Spring Cleaning More Sustainable

At Republic Services, we believe in partnering with customers for a more sustainable world. Often, that starts right in our own homes. When the weather gets warmer and the flowers start to bloom, that is also the time to dust off your spring-cleaning checklist and get to work sprucing up your place. 

When you’re clearing out […]

Makers Market April 30 In Sunset Hills

The 3rd Annual Sunset Hills Makers Market is a one day event featuring a variety of artists, crafters, and makers. It is part of a larger vision to support and implement creativity throughout the City of Sunset Hills and Neighboring Communities. This is a free event for everyone rain or shine

The Makers Market mission is […]

Making Meal Time Family Time

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

August is “Family Meals Month” and we all know how important it is for families to share meals together. Enjoying home-cooked meals with families has been proven to have enormous benefits in physical, mental, behavioral, social and educational development in children, and families who eat […]

Mama Kitty’s Story

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Mama Kitty is one of those cats that lives her life on her own terms. I can best describe her as feisty, fractious, frustrating, funny, and now I’ll add frail to the list. I may diagnose Mama with certain diseases but she decides what she will accept for treatment and what she […]

Managing Seasonal Allergies: Prevention & Treatment

By Ian Wahl, Clinical Director, St. Louis Allergy Relief Center

We thrill at the blooming colors of spring and the warmth of summer. But we’re not so thrilled with the seasonal allergies that follow. Seasonal allergies are common and there is no cure. However, specific prevention strategies can help ease discomfort and control the symptoms. Allergy-prone people […]

Managing Your Stress

What kind of thing is stress, that it is so readily recognized, yet managed with such difficulty? A short definition would state that stress is our internal response to the short or long-term life events, or situations, that wrap around us. Interestingly, our initial response seems hard-wired, the well-known “fight or flight syndrome”. This response, […]

Mandalas — Art for the Soul

By Linda Wiggen Kraft Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Creating a mandala is exercise for the soul. Mandalas are patterned images surrounded by a circle that have a deep and lasting impact on people’s lives. They are symbols of wholeness and centeredness, and are used in many cultures, spiritual traditions and healing modalities to bring […]

Mango Coconut “Sorta-bet”

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

April Showers bring mangoes, mangoes, and more mangoes! Of course, they are sublime in smoothies and fruit salads, though shine in so many other dishes. Dice small chunks, with cilantro (for those that don’t have the gene) red onion, corn, red bell pepper, jalapeño, sea salt and lime juice for […]

Many Options Available to Help Reduce Auto Emissions

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Now that the prime of summer has reached us, the importance of keeping the region’s air clean is at an all-time high. The Clean Air Partnership, along with several other organizations, helps play a significant role in raising awareness about all the ways people in the St. Louis region […]

Many Summer Arts Have Returned

By Michelle “Mike” OchonickyHealthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo Caption: Christina McNealy. “Illuminating Entropy.” 2018. Porcelain, Luster, Candles, 7”x7”x3.

NOTE: Please use the links provided to verify any recent COVICD-19 guidelines that may have changed since this was published. 

Summer in St. Louis has arrived! The days are steaming and the lightning bugs are flickering each evening. Better yet, […]

Maplewood: The Nation’s First Green Dining District

By Rachelle L’Ecuyer

One of the pleasures of dining in historic downtown Maplewood is the prevalence of “farm to table” practices embraced by many of its food purveyors putting good food on the table for you. However, that isn’t how a business becomes a St. Louis Earth Day’s Green Dining Alliance (GDA) member. (www.greendiningalliance.org) GDA member […]

March is National Nutrition Month: Bite Into a Healthy Lifestyle

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

March is National Nutrition Month, a yearly nutrition education campaign put out by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The goal of National Nutrition Month is to bring attention to the significance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through smart food choices and regular physical activity. […]

March Madness In The Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft,
Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

There is madness and there is madness. The March madness of the garden is not about winning and losing, it is about all of us winning. Winning the joy of increasing sunlight and spring finally arriving. It is the celebration of the awakening of mother earth as […]

Marfa Dialogues/St. Louis

An Examination of Artistic Practice, Climate Change Science,
and Civic Engagement at Pulitzer Arts Foundation, July 30-Aug. 3

Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Ballroom Marfa and The Public Concern Foundation are bringing Marfa Dialogues to St. Louis, July 30 – August 3. This programming series, taking place at Pulitzer Arts Foundation and throughout the St. Louis area, will bring […]

Mary from Argentina: The Bible Man from Arizona on Medical Exorcisms

By Simon Yu, MD

How much do you know about the Bible? I did not grow up studying the Bible. I thought the Bible was almost like a fairy tale until I visited Israel during Easter Holiday in 2017. We visited most of the important historical sites from the Old and New Testaments. Since then, I […]

Massage Is Not Just A Luxury Anymore

The massage industry has grown significantly in the last 20 years due to a number of factors. One of the more significant reasons is that people have realized that massage is not just a luxury for the rich and famous, but a necessity for everyday health and well-being. Surveys by prominent industry associations show that […]

Master Herbalist To Speak About Remedies For Health Issues December 4

If you are interested in healthy living and herbal remedies, you will want to check out the St Louis Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church December 4th, at 5 N. Skinker Blvd, St Louis. Master herbalist and owner of the American Herb Shoppe, Lee Wellard, will discuss and present a demonstration on herbal home remedies for major health […]

MAYbe this is the Month to Spring into the Arts

It was my recent honor to be invited to a luncheon in the Missouri State Capitol with Governor Mike Parson, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, and a group of Missouri entrepreneurs and makers. We were all there to celebrate the first Buy Missouri Day. The Office of Lieutenant Governor created this new BUY MISSOURI initiative to […]

MCE 50th Anniversary: Kicking Butt and Taking Names Since 1969

Coalition Report
By Heather Navarro,
Executive Director
Coalition for the Environment

www.moenviron.org

It was 1969, and while all eyes gazed up to the moon, we were focused on the world immediately around us. As Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon’s barren landscape, we were taking our first steps to care for and protect this Earth, this place, […]

MCE Policy Report

By Melissa Vatterott

2023 is a big year for policy work. On the federal level, it is a Farm Bill year. This means we are working to pass a new Farm Bill by September 30th that better supports farmers of color and beginning farmers, incentivizes practices that reduce our impacts on climate change and build resilience […]

MCE Supports Mississippi River Restoration

By Jim Karpowicz

The Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) is proud to support the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative Act (MRRRI). Introduced on June 26, 2021, the bill is sponsored by Minnesota Representative Betty McCullum and co-sponsored by Missouri Representative Cori Bush. The bill would provide the means to protect drinking water supplies, build […]

MDC and Partners Host Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Jan. 19-20

Visitors can discover our national bird in the wild and up close at this free eagle viewing festival.

Few words can describe the thrill of seeing America’s national symbol soaring through the air in the wild, or close enough to touch.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and its partners offer the chance to discover a close […]

MDC and the World Bird Sanctuary partner to present three World of Wings programs in June

Photo Caption: A World Bird Sanctuary naturalist holds a species of owl on her leather glove during a presentation.

Learn about birds up close at these free events happening on June 6, 18 and 27. Ask people what they feel the most amazing animal on Earth is, and many well tell you—birds. Humans have long been […]

MDC Seeks Recycled Christmas Trees For Fish Habitat

Christmas trees can have a second life after the holidays by providing home for fish.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is accepting used natural Christmas trees to create fish habitat in Lake 35 on the August A. Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles, and in Creve Coeur Lake in St. Louis County.

So how does recycling […]

MDC seeks recycled Christmas trees to benefit fish and anglers in area lakes

Residents can drop off used natural Christmas trees after the holidays at St. Louis City and County lakes until Jan. 12. 

What better Christmas present could there be than a new home? Of course, some anglers might say an improved chance to catch fish would be at the top of their list. 

Christmas trees can check both […]

MDC’s Powder Valley Nature Center launches new monthly Creature Feature virtual series starting Feb. 24

Photo: A spotted salamander sits on top of a log.

Kids will discover a new native Missouri animal each month with these interactive online programs.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering the chance for kids to meet and learn about some of the Show-Me State’s most fascinating native creatures from the comfort of your own […]

Meal Plan Project Helps Wellness Coach Thrive After Heart Virus

By Vincent Clardy

As a wellness coach with a viral attack to my heart, I was rushed to the ER, for the third time that year. I felt the most crushing chest pain that I had ever experienced and I didn’t know what to do to fix it. My heart rate, blood pressure, and C-Reactive protein […]

Meatless Meals Made Easy

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Oftentimes in America a meal is centered on meat, and vegetables are often an afterthought. However, it’s beneficial not only for your body but also for the environment to cut back on the amount of meat you consume. In fact, a new study just revealed […]

Medical Acupuncture on Dental and Allergy Meridians: Blue Plate Café and the Acci-Dental Blow Up in Medicine

By Simon Yu, MD

German medical doctor and acupuncturist, Dr. Reinhold Voll, developed a new meridian system about 60 years ago based on the classical acupuncture meridian system. He mapped out well over 500 acupuncture points, known as Dr. Voll’s points.

He described new acupuncture points beyond the classical meridian system known to traditional acupuncturists. The most […]

Medical Acupuncture on Dental-Oral Cavity Meridian: Dental as a Missing Link for Medical Failures

By Simon Yu MD

Do you want to live a longer, healthier life without chronic aches, pain or chronic illness? Your oral cavity, gum and dental status can provide an ample “mouthful of evidence” of your health status, and your physician most likely overlooked the dental-oral connection to your health. Medical doctors rely on dentists to […]

Medical Acupuncture on Gallbladder Meridian: Therapeutic Illusion on IBS and Autism

By Simon Yu, MD

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and changes in the pattern of bowel movement. Your doctor may diagnose IBS based on limited tests and review of your clinical symptoms. The stool test for ova and parasites are almost always negative.

The causes of IBS are not clear. However, […]

Medical Acupuncture on Heart Meridian: Portals of Entry for Squirrels and Dragon

By Simon Yu, MD

I saw a 63-year-old man, Stephan, with his wife, for nocturnal urination problems and elevated PSA of 23. Multiple prostate biopsies were negative for cancer. His wife also told me that he had a sudden heart attack ten years ago while playing sports. He was resuscitated in the field, by emergency response, […]

Medical Acupuncture on Kidney Meridian: Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease Saved by Dentists?

By Simon Yu, MD

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a common medical condition among aging adults. 15% of US adults – 37 million people – are estimated to have CKD, and most do not know they have it. CKD and related problems are exponentially rising. Kidney dialysis centers have been popping up along with cancer and […]

Medical Acupuncture on Large Intestine Meridian: Ancient Romans and US Army Targets Demons

Training By Simon Yu, MD

Imagine divinity, humanity, and demons in a context of homeopathy, herbs, and drugs. What if I say parasites are like demons? Parasites are deceptive, evil, wiggly, shadowy characters. They literally suck and drain your energy, hijack your mind, and take over your will power. If we substitute the word “parasites” with […]

Medical Acupuncture on Nerve Degeneration Meridian: ALS, MS and Parkinson’s Disease on the Rise!

By Simon Yu, MD

ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease are often overlooked, poorly understood, serious chronic diseases, after cancer and heart disease. These three neurological diseases are rising at an alarming rate. An aging population, and environmental pollutants and toxins which are often seen as the price of industrialization, are implicated. Diagnosis of ALS is […]

Medical Acupuncture on Skin Meridian: Better Than Biologics for Eczema, Psoriasis and More?

By Simon Yu MD

Skin care is a big business for cosmetic industries, anti-aging medicine, dermatology and pharmaceutical giants. New psoriasis and eczema treatments called Biologics are leading many TV commercials. Skin is the largest outer surface sensory organ in the body, metabolically active with the sophisticated immune complex system to protect your body. Changes in […]

Medical Acupuncture on Skin Meridian: Better Than Biologics for Eczema, Psoriasis and More?

By Simon Yu MD

Skin care is a big business for cosmetic industries, anti-aging medicine, dermatology and pharmaceutical giants. New psoriasis and eczema treatments called Biologics are leading many TV commercials. The largest outer surface sensory organ in the body, skin is metabolically active with a sophisticated immune complex system to protect the body. Changes in […]

Medical Acupuncture on Stomach Meridian: Global Whining and Fear-mongering to Global Healing

Rebellious Stomach for Nobel Prize

By Simon Yu, MD

Medical dogma held that stress and lifestyle factors were the major causes of peptic ulcer disease. Australian Dr. Barry Marshall and pathologist Robin Warren rebutted this theory through self-experimentation – Marshall drank an H. pylori cocktail to cause the disease, and took antibiotics to cure it. This discovery […]

Medical Acupuncture on the Brain Meridian: Rejuvenation of Brain (RB) Therapy from Kazakhstan

By Simon Yu MD

I met Dr. Arman Lurye at the International Insulin Potentiation Therapy (IPT) conference in Mexico City in February 2023. Dr. Lurye gave a talk on rejuvenation of the brain. Some of the cases he presented were compelling, leading me to investigate his RB-Therapy®. After the lecture, he said he could not explain […]

Medical Heretics in Munich for IPT/LD Conference: (Medical) Renaissance in Florence

By Simon Yu, MD

Obama Care or NObama Care for medical politics aside, rather than accepting current medical care, what we need is a new Medical Renaissance based on New Biology. Renaissance – Rebirth – is always preceded by heretics who change the “paradigm” of current thinking by challenging the ruling authority.

Let me introduce you to […]

Medical Thermography Now Available At Wellness Alternatives

Free Seminar May 8

Medical Thermography is also referred to as Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI). This non-invasive form of testing allows practitioners to diagnose and monitor a large number of injuries and conditions. Thermography’s major clinical value is in its high sensitivity to pathology as it relates to inflammation, vascular activity, and lymphatic activity. In […]

Medical Thermography of Metro St. Louis Celebrates 10 Years Of Health Services

By Linda Weber Spradling

We are so grateful for the encouragement and support we have received from our customers and the medical professionals in our community over the last 10 years! What a journey it has been! We are constantly humbled by the courage and wisdom of our patients, many of whom are cancer survivors. Thank […]

Medical Thermography of Metro St. Louis Celebrates 7 Years In Business

Medical Thermography of Metro St. Louis is celebrating being in business for 7 years! This is as exciting for us as it is for the clients that we see each year. Linda Spradling, owner of Medical Thermography of Metro St. Louis, has experienced starting a business where very few people understood or had even heard […]

Medicare Alone Is Not Enough!

By Michael Cohen

Medicare Supplement insurance is available for those of us who are 65 and older! When was Medicare started? In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill for the start of Medicare. Medicare pays only for Plan A which covers part of your stay in the hospital. The average cost of Plan A […]

Medications Tailored to Fit Your Pet’s Needs

by Jon P. Frieda

By working with a pharmacy like Neels that specializes in compounding for animals, veterinarians have more sophisticated tools in their tool box when it comes to medication compliance. Attempting to pill an animal can be a stressful experience for both the pet and owner. Often, bribing your pet by stuffing the tablet […]

Meditation & Enhancing Garden Yields

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Meditation, or thought- based technology, which can also be called intention, prayer or mindfulness, has been shown to enhance crop yields, nutritional value and livelihood of rural farmers in India. This technology can be used in our own gardens and farms to enhance the life of the garden and gardener.

Sustainable Yogic Agriculture, […]

Meditation Class Set For April 26-27, 2014

by Shirley Stoll

Did your list of resolutions for the New Year include one or more of the following: reduce stress and anxiety or lead a healthier lifestyle? If so, consider adding one more resolution to your list. Learn to meditate in 2014 and help make these resolutions a reality in your life!

Meditation has many benefits! […]

Meet & Greet The Native Pollinators: GREAT GARDEN BOOKS

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

There are two outstanding books that introduce us to native pollinators and show how we can invite them into our gardens. Native pollinators are as important as non-native honeybees in keeping plants and animals, including us, alive. There are over 4,000 species of native bees in the United States. Many of them […]

Meet The Doulas, March 12th at Sunset Hills Community Center

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 […]

Meet The Farmers: La Vista CSA Farm – Hands-On Sustainability

By Nancy Smith

Not far from St. Louis, near the village of Godfrey, Il, itself a charming place on the Great River Road, lies a farm that is unique in its conception and its covenant with the community. Originally founded by an Oblate, Maurice Lange, 12 years ago, La Vista farm and CSA provides boxes of […]

Meet the Shade Clematis that Will Completely Change Your Garden

By Abby Elliott,
Owner, Sugar Creek Gardens

Prepare yourself for a vibrant shade garden saturated with vivid color. “Boring!” A common complaint we hear from our customers describing their shade gardens. You too? If so, put those days behind you. You can bring vivid color and exceptional flower form to your darker areas with shade loving Clematis. […]

MERS Goodwill Eliminates Plastic Bags

MERS Goodwill is enhancing its green footprint and discontinuing its use of plastic bags starting January 1, 2019. Goodwill will have a receptacle to collect old plastic bags for reuse, and shoppers can opt to bring their own reusable bags to shop with as well. The initiative will also offer shoppers the chance to purchase […]

Metabolic Therapy for Cancer, Theory and Practice: Keys to Longevity – What Can Sabotage a Ketogenic Diet?

By Simon Yu MD

Metabolic therapy is an important part of overall cancer therapy but not a cure for all cancers. Previously, I covered Thomas Seyfried, PhD and Dr. Otto Warburg’s work on cancer from the point of view of the human body as a matrix of meridians; we can measure the immeasurable and invisible acupuncture […]

Metro Lighting Receives Two EPA Awards

Local Business Recognized for Raising Awareness of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency & For Promoting Energy-efficient Products

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Metro Lighting with a 2015 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Climate Communications Award for its outstanding efforts to elevate the issue of climate change through its actions, as well […]

MHz & Health — Vibrant Frequencies for Disease Prevention

By Diane K. Wilson

In our intricate symphony of life, the concept of frequency plays a crucial role in maintaining our well-being. The unit of measurement for frequency, hertz (Hz), and its sibling megahertz (MHz) are not just terms reserved for the realm of technology; they also hold a significant place in understanding and promoting human […]

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky Named Executive Director of Missouri Citizens for the Arts

The Missouri Citizens for the Arts Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky of Eureka, Missouri to fill its position of Executive Director.

An award-winning artist, Ms. Ochonicky is the former Executive Director for BoardLinkStL, as well as the former Executive Director of Missouri Artisans Association /The Best of Missouri […]

Midwest Recycling Center (MRC) Diverts Electronic Waste From The Landfill

Midwest Recycling Center (MRC) is a R2/RIOS Certified electronics recycler with four (4) locations in the State of Missouri.  MRC provides to its clients electronics recycling services, Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD), Data Destruction Services, and e-Waste Collection Events with the goal of properly diverting electronic waste from the landfill while offering convenient solutions to […]

Midwest’s Largest Earth Day Celebration Returns for 2024

Thousands gathering in Forest Park for the St. Louis Earth Day Festival

Join tens of thousands at the St. Louis Earth Day Festival, the largest Earth Day celebration in the Midwest, from April 20th and 21st, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the Muny Grounds in Forest Park. Earthday365’s free and family-friendly event will […]

Migraines 101: What You Need to Know About Them and How Not to “Go Mental” Over Them

Ian Wahl, DAc, LAc, CH

A minor headache can make it hard to concentrate for a while, but for most people, a couple of over-the-counter remedies can usually get them under control. However, if you are suffering from migraine headaches, it can be outright debilitating.

According to the American Migraine Association, 12% to 16% of the U.S. […]

Mind Fest Kicks Off Unique — Even Quirky — ‘Fun Classes Outside The Box’ for the Intellectually Curious Adult

Why not create a life that’s intelligent, relevant, and fun? Mind Fest classes are planned to be informal entertaining learning experiences offered one evening a week.

“Mind Fest classes are exactly the type of classes that make you think ‘I always wondered about that, but didn’t know who to ask’, or, ‘I never heard of this, […]

Minestrone Soup

Original Recipe by Leigh Hendry

For a while now I have been exploring the concept of food as medicine. When I don’t feel my best I always try to eat better, cleaner, drink more water, eat less sweets, less bread. Food does make people FEEL certain ways. Food can give you comfort or bring you back […]

Miracle-Ear Tinnitus Seminar November 18

Do you have trouble sleeping or concentrating because of a ringing, roaring or humming noise in your ears? If so, it is possible you could be experiencing a form of Tinnitus. The condition is common and affects nearly 15 percent of adults in the U.S.

Tinnitus is normally a symptom of a larger hearing health condition. […]

Miracle-Ear Tinnitus Seminar October 21

Do you have trouble sleeping or concentrating because of a ringing, roaring or humming noise in your ears? If so, it is possible you could be experiencing a form of Tinnitus. The condition is common and affects nearly 15 percent of adults in the U.S.

Tinnitus is normally a symptom of a larger hearing health condition. […]

Missouri Botanical Garden Announces Extension of Chihuly Nights for Acclaimed Chihuly in the Garden 2023 Exhibition

 Due to popular demand, the Missouri Botanical Garden will extend Chihuly Nights Sept. 7 through Sept. 30, 2023, Thursday through Saturday nights. This ticketed evening experience offers visitors a chance to see Chihuly in the Garden 2023 in a spectacular way. With thousands of pieces of blown glass forms in 20 dramatic installations throughout the Garden’s grounds, Chihuly in the […]

Missouri Botanical Garden Hosts Japanese Festival September 1-3

Join the Missouri Botanical Garden in celebrating the culture and traditions of Japan when the 36th annual Japanese Festival returns to St. Louis! From traditional music to martial arts, sumo to sushi, bon odori dancing to bonsai displays and thunderous taiko drumming to Tea House Island tours, the three-day Labor Day weekend is filled with […]

Missouri Botanical Garden Hosts Works of World-Renowned Artist with Chihuly in the Garden 2023

Ambitious 2023 Exhibition and “Chihuly Nights” Experience

The work of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly is coming to the Missouri Botanical Garden in a stunning exhibition uniting art and nature. With thousands of pieces of blown glass forms in 20 dramatic installations throughout the Garden’s grounds, Chihuly in the Garden 2023 presents these artworks on a grand scale. The […]

Missouri Botanical Garden Shares Success for Chihuly in the Garden 2023

Countdown to close Oct. 15; Chihuly Nights ends Sept. 30

Since its opening May 2, Chihuly in the Garden 2023 has been an attendance and membership boon for the Missouri Botanical Garden. As this stunning exhibition uniting art and nature prepares to close, the Garden is sharing surprising facts and numbers (so far) from the run. Daytime viewing […]

Missouri Botanical Garden’s Blockbuster Summer Exhibit Flora Borealis Opens June 29

Tickets are now on sale for the Missouri Botanical Garden’s summer exhibit, Flora Borealis. This nighttime multimedia experience will feature cinematic projection mapping, interactive lighting, and a custom soundscape. The evening only event will feature food and drink sales in the Garden’s newly tented beer garden, as well as live music. Flora Borealis runs June […]

Missouri Coalition for the Environment 2023 Legislative Session Roundup

By Sumbal Haseeb

The 2023 Missouri Legislative Session ended on Friday, May 12, and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) wants to share where our highest priority bills landed. This year, the Missouri Legislature passed the least amount of bills in a legislative session in years. A total of 60 bills were passed out of […]

Missouri College Offers Several Programs Focused On Health & Wellness Careers

With so much interest in healthy lifestyles today, there are many avenues someone who would like to enter this field could pursue professionally. Missouri College offers several programs focused on healthcare and wellness careers as well as other fields.

Whether you’re looking for hands-on involvement in caring for patients’ healthcare needs or in work that supports […]

Missouri College Offers Several Programs Focused On Health & Wellness Careers

With so much interest in healthy lifestyles today, there are many avenues someone who would like to enter this field could pursue professionally. Missouri College offers several programs focused on healthcare and wellness careers as well as other fields.

Whether you’re looking for hands-on involvement in caring for patients’ healthcare needs or in work that supports […]

Missouri College Offers Training For Careers In Health, Wellness & Fitness

Interest in health and fitness seems to spike in the new year as people resolve to replace holiday goodies with healthier choices. Of course, health and wellness are important year round, and some people not only want to stay healthy themselves, they want to help others live healthier lives.

If you’re interested in preparing for a […]

Missouri Department of Conservation and Partners Bring Eagle Days to The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Jan. 13-14

Visitors can discover our national bird in the wild and up close at this free eagle viewing festival.

Few words can describe the thrill of seeing America’s national symbol soaring through the air in the wild, or close enough to touch.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and its partners offer the chance to discover a close […]

Missouri Department of Conservation and Partners Bring Eagle Days to The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Jan. 14-15

Visitors can discover our national bird in the wild and up close at this free eagle viewing festival.

Few words can describe the thrill of seeing America’s national symbol soaring through the air in the wild, or close enough to touch.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and its partners offer the chance to discover a close […]

Missouri Invasive Plant Council & Partners Offer Callery Pear “Buy-back” Event April 26

With their white blooms, Callery pear trees are most obvious in spring. This highly invasive tree threatens native wildlife and causes difficulties for private and public landowners. Homeowners are invited to cut down their Callery pears and receive a free, non-invasive tree at this event.

The Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP), in partnership with Forest ReLeaf […]

Missouri Native Plants Soar In Popularity

By Abby Lapides-Elliott

The Missouri native gardening trend is gaining steam as gardeners are discovering its many benefits. Adapted to Missouri’s particular and unique climate, Missouri native plants easily create luscious gardens overflowing with blossoms. They are tolerant of rapid weather changes, cold snaps, heat waves, drought, and whatever else Mother Nature throws at us.

Missouri native […]

Missouri Natives: Native Plants Beautify Landscapes While Attracting and Feeding the “Web of Life”

If you’re a gardener who would enjoy watching butterflies flitting about your property, birds nesting in your trees and shrubs, and lizards enjoying a sunny spot, then you could benefit from a landscape plan that includes native plants. Birds, butterflies and other native wildlife species appreciate properties landscaped with native plants. The food chain that […]

Missouri Organizations Working Toward a Healthier Planet

Missouri local and regional organizations are working together to assure a Healthy Planet.  The Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MO PSC) represents local governments, and other stakeholders and businesses working jointly to reduce waste, increase reuse, and help grow the economy. The Council was created by the Product Stewardship Institute who coordinated with many states to […]

Missouri Prairie Foundation & Grow Native! Webinars and Master Classes for the New Year

Enjoy weekly online programming January through March 2021

December 15, 2020, Columbia, MO — The Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) and its 20-year-old Grow Native! program have hosted 22 virtual webinars and master classes since May 2020 with more than 4,200 live participants. 

Now to kick off 2021, MPF announces a new series of virtual learning opportunities with […]

Missouri Recycling Association Annual Conference

Recycling Comes Full Circle

Join the Missouri Recycling Associ-ation for the 15th annual MORA conference held at the Hilton Frontenac September 10–12, 2012. MORA has partnered with the Composting and Organics Association of Missouri (COAM) to offer an understanding of how recycling and composting work together to bring recycling full circle.

This intensive three day educational conference […]

Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, Covid-19 & Radical Cure: Build Natural Immunity by Do Nothing or Pull Your Teeth?

By Simon Yu, MD

About twelve years ago, I saw a female airline pilot, who appeared physically fit in her early 50’s, suffering from a Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) and no longer able to fly. Her fingers were so stiff and swollen that she cannot bend her fingers and is medically disabled to fly as […]

Monarch Butterflies #1 Favorite Nectar Source

By Abby Lapides

From the great prairies of Missouri and the Midwest comes the outstanding Meadow Blazing Star, Liatris ligulistylis. It brings flamboyant displays to the sunny garden with its brilliant purple spires that attract swarms of butterflies. From midsummer into fall its tall flowers stalks are adorned with rich rosy-purple florets. Ideal for cottage gardens […]

Morpho Mania Takes Wing At Butterfly House During March

March brings a very special kind of madness to the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House — the annual March Morpho Mania® event! Visit during the month of March, when the Butterfly House floods the tropical conservatory with thousands of breathtaking Blue Morpho butterflies — a perennial favorite. What better way to celebrate spring?

Native to the […]

Morpho Mania Takes Wing At Butterfly House During March

Enjoy the rainforest without ever leaving Missouri during the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House’s annual March Morpho Mania® event. Nearly 3,000 Blue Morpho butterflies will be in free-flight inside the 8,000-square-foot tropical Conservatory for this annual event. March Morpho Mania® offers visitors an opportunity to see the largest collection of Blue Morpho butterflies in the […]

Mosquitoes: Fight the Bite & Take Back The Night

By Jon P. Frieda, VP Marketing and Sales for Neels Pharmacy

Every year people ask us questions like, “What is it about me that attracts mosquitoes? Are there safe and effective ways to decrease my likelihood of attracting mosquitoes?” This edited article will highlight mosquito harvesting habits, diseases and parasites that are spread, and what you […]

Motivating Occupants to Be Part of the Solution: Yes You Can! If you build it, will the occupants use it as you intended?

By Kathy Kuntz

Architects, engineers and builders have become increasingly effective at designing and delivering high performance buildings. Increasingly smart, these buildings will use less resources—provided occupants use systems as designed. Leveraging insights from social science building professionals can influence human behaviors and ultimately we can facilitate a culture where saving energy and reducing waste is […]

Motivating Yourself Into A More Fabulous You in 2020

Movable Classroom Concept Moves To Shining Rivers

Shining Rivers Waldorf School in Webster Groves introduces innovative Movable Classroom concept to Grades 1 and 2, balancing children’s need for movement with their desire to learn creatively.

At Shining Rivers Waldorf School, the most recent innovation in the classroom is decidedly old-school. It doesn’t have any batteries or bells and whistles, and it doesn’t run […]

Moving Home

By Jennifer Scalia

I recently moved back to the St. Louis area after being away for almost 9 years. I had moved to Southern California and later New Mexico. I chose to live nomadically at times and at others, the nomadic living came to me. My dog Bella was with me throughout these experiences and in […]

MREA: Working Toward the Clean Energy Economy of the Future

By Peter Murphy, Solar Program Director for Midwest Renewable Energy Association 

For 30 years, the mission of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) has been to “promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living through education and demonstration.” The MREA was incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit shortly after the first Energy Fair in 1990. Since then, the MREA has grown steadily and now manages one […]

Mulch — Your Tree’s Best Friend

Mulching is one of the most valuable things a homeowner can do for a tree’s health. Mulch conserves moisture and improves growing conditions. But if mulch is applied too deeply or the wrong material is used, it actually can harm trees and other plants. Check out these tips and you’ll be on your way to […]

Mulch — Your Tree’s Best Friend

Mulching is one of the most valuable things a homeowner can do for a tree’s health. Mulch conserves moisture and improves growing conditions. But if mulch is applied too deeply or the wrong material is used, it actually can harm trees and other plants. Check out these tips and you’ll be on your way to […]

Mulch—Your Tree’s Best Friend

Mulching is one of the most valuable things a homeowner can do for a tree’s health. Mulch conserves moisture and improves growing conditions. But if mulch is applied too deeply or the wrong material is used, it actually can harm trees and other plants. Check out these tips and you’ll be on your way to […]

Mummies of the World: The Exhibition Coming to the Saint Louis Science Center

Guests will explore the largest collection of mummies ever assembled

The largest collection of real mummies and related artifacts ever assembled is coming to the Saint Louis Science Center. Opening to the public on Feb. 6, Mummies of the World: The Exhibition features more than 125 real mummies and artifacts from across the globe, providing a […]

Murder by Dentists, Saved by Holistic Dental Groups: Tolerating Uncertainty as Next Medical Revolution

By Simon Yu, MD

Two main American holistic biological dental groups, IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) and IABDM (International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine) had their first joint meeting in Reno, NV in September 2016. These Holistic Dental Groups have been leaders in the Dental-Medical health care reform movement.

They are […]

My Son is Sixteen. I Feel Like I Have Known Him All His Life

By Stephen Rutherford

PHOTO: September 2022 – YFU students Pascal from Switzerland and Arne from Germany volunteer at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Japanese Festival.

I love my son, Pascal. He’s sixteen, loves cars and sports and wants to be a lawyer. I have only known him for ten months, but it feels like he has always been […]

Mystic Fair April 26, 27, 28

“Whether you are a veteran of the metaphysical lifestyle, just starting to dabble, or you have no idea what that even means, the STL Mystic Fair welcomes you!⁣

The Mystic Fair is a metaphysical, psychic, and holistic wellness fair. We have eight fairs a year in different locations around the Midwest. 

The Mystic Fair is a space […]

Nadoz Offers Raw Juice Bar & More

by Denise Christen
Healthy Planet Lifestyles Editor

Locally-owned nadoz Bakery + Cafe serves fresh, healthy and imaginative fast, casual food. Conveniently located at The Boulevard across from The Galleria next to Crate and Barrel, it was easy to park in the attached garage and has a welcoming, modern European atmosphere. Unique to nadoz, they offer a raw […]

National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions Announce 2018 Grosvenor Teacher Fellows Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kat Golden among 40 Educators going on Global Expeditions for Hands-On Professional Development

Katherine (Kat) Golden from the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri has been selected as one of this year’s Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows in recognition of her commitment to geographic education. The 2018 Fellows, a group of 40 highly respected educators from the United States and Canada, will embark on […]

Native Oak Savanna is a Treasure in Forest Park

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

It is no surprise that Forest Park was the number one urban park in the country in a recent nation-wide survey. There are many treasures in Forest Park. One that isn’t well known is the five plus acre Kennedy Woods Savanna located up a small hill, next to Skinker Blvd just south […]

Native Persimmons

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

The old native persimmon tree (diospyros virginiana) in my back yard was large and full of thousands of one-inch diameter persimmons the first year we moved in 20 years ago. Every year since then, the tree has faithfully shared its apricot flavored peach colored fruits, only to leave me bewildered about what […]

Native Plants & Native Wisdom

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

The two most important things we can do for our gardens, ourselves and the world is to plant native plants* and to experience the world through native wisdom. We must have both.

The ecosystem we live within is dying. The loss of insects and birds alone is alarming. Are we gardeners somewhat to […]

Native Plants that Fatten Fall Birds

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

How do birds stay warm in the winter?

How do they have the energy to migrate south?

Fatty foods. And a lot of them. Fat has more calories than carbohydrates or protein. It fuels birds flying south and warms those hunkering down in the cold.

How seriously do some migrating birds take […]

Native Shrubs: For You And For The Birds

by Cindy Gilberg

Some of my fondest childhood memories are those of warm summer days spent picking wild blackberries and other native fruits. We ate half of the berries while questioning how we would ever get the juice stains off our fingers. Of course our hands came clean and the fruit was either eaten fresh or […]

Native Trees

by Cindy Gilberg

From mid-October into November, the familiar green of our native trees fades away to reveal a brilliant foliar kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, and yellows. And every year this prompts an exodus of admirers into the countryside to see the brief display of fall color in our Missouri woodlands. There are approximately 150 native […]

Native Witch Hazel In Winter

by Cindy Gilberg

On warm winter days in late January-February, a sweet honey-like and almost spicy scent drifts on gentle breezes in some gardens and woodlands. True spring is still a couple of months away, yet follow the scent and find an enchanting small tree in full bloom—the Ozark witch hazel. Even more surprising is that, […]

Natural Antibiotics For Your Medicine Cabinet

By Amy Davis, M.D.

Antibiotics are threatening the achievement of modern medicine” stated the NBC Evening News’ Brian Williams recently. According to the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly. Antibiotic resistant superbugs are an increasing threat with names like — MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

So what […]

Natural Approaches For Immune Support

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

As cases of viral infections continue climbing, scientists have been scrambling to control the issues and find new ways to fight infection. But although it has become a global problem, there are plenty of steps you can take to help prepare for the increase in viral infections right at home.

In addition […]

Natural Health Insights: Truth About Cholesterol

Brought to you by the clinicians of The Institute of Natural Health.

This month we would like to address a topic that is discussed in almost every visit to our clinic. The topic is cholesterol. Most people know that their cholesterol level gets checked when they go to the doctor, but very few people actually know […]

Natural Health: Is It A Thing of The Past?

By Joyce Grivas, Teacher and Health Educator

Are you confused by all the voices selling health ideas? You must have good information from reliable sources, but it can be difficult to distinguish between the persuasive salesmen and the knowledgeable practitioners. With decades of study, research, and practice backing members of our team, the staff at A […]

Natural Living Expo March 26

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, […]

Natural Living Expo Sept. 30

Expo Now Includes Speaker Series

Natural Living Expo Sept. 30
Expo Now Includes Speaker Series

The Healthy Planet magazine invites everyone to come celebrate early autumn at its 36th Natural Living Expo, Sunday, September 30, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 East Glendale Road in Webster Groves.

The first 400 visitors to the […]

Natural Living Gift & Holiday Guide

For Your Holiday Menu
Freddie’s Market offers delicious hams, fresh natural turkeys, party trays, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and local wines that are perfect for your holiday party or family dinner. Let Freddie’s Market make your holiday meal planning stress free by doing the work for you. This full service, family owned market provides their customers with […]

Natural Living Gift & Holiday Guide

Celebrate the Season at Bixby’s
For an intimate lunch with friends or an impressive venue for a family or corporate event, Bixby’s is the place. Experience sweeping views of Forest Park from the comfort of the Missouri History Museum’s second floor. Open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, Bixby’s is a distinctive lunch destination. Bixbyís also […]

Natural Living Gift & Holiday Guide

Purina farms Pet-acular Holiday Bazaar Dec. 14-15
Bring the whole family, including your dog, to the Pet-acular Holiday Bazaar on December 14 & 15 from 11a.m. – 4p.m. at the indoor Purina Event Center at Purina Farms. Enjoy canine games, shopping, festive food, bounces houses and photos with Santa. Plus, meet adoptable pets waiting for forever […]

Natural Living Holiday & Gift Guide

Celebrate the season at Bixby’s
For an intimate lunch with friends, a productive lunch with coworkers or a relaxed brunch with family, Bixby’s is the place. Experience sweeping views of Forest Park from the comfort of the Missouri History Museum’s second floor. Open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, Bixby’s is a distinctive lunch destination. […]

Natural Living Holiday & Gift Guide

The Art of EntertainingLooking for the perfect gift this holiday season? Need the perfect party appetizer or meal? Call The Art of Entertaining to order party trays, appetizers, salads, breakfast dishes, or a full dinner for the holidays. Low sodium, low calorie, vegan, and gluten free meals are also available which are ideal for the […]

Natural Living Holiday & Gift Guide

Kim’s Herbs & Detox Center
Kim’s Herbs & Detox center is a specialty herbal store centrally located in Olivette, Missouri. We carry high quality herbs that aren’t typically found at supplement stores in the metro area. We carry Nature’s Sunshine, Cheryl’s Herbs, Pure Encapsulations, Essential Oils, Real Time Pain Relief products, Jean’s Greens teas, Organo Gold […]

Natural Living Holiday and Gift Guide

Kim’s Herbs & Detox Center
Kim’s Herbs & Detox center is a specialty herbal store centrally located in Olivette, Missouri.  We carry high quality herbs that aren’t typically found at supplement stores in the metro area.  We carry Nature’s Sunshine, Cheryl’s Herbs, Pure Encapsulations, Essential Oils, Real Time Pain Relief products, Jean’s Greens teas, Organo Gold […]

Natural Living Holiday and Gift Guide

Kim’s Herbs & Detox Center
Kim’s Herbs & Detox center is a specialty herbal store centrally located in Olivette, Missouri. Make sure you come by and purchase some of our awesome products for gifts this holiday season. We carry
high quality herbs and more that aren’t typically found at supplement stores in the metro area. Nature’s Sunshine, […]

Natural Living Holiday Guide

For Your Holiday Menu
Freddie’s Market offers delicious hams, fresh natural turkeys, party trays, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and local wines that are perfect for your holiday party or family dinner. Let Freddie’s Market make your holiday meal planning stress free by doing the work for you. This full service, family owned market provides their customers with […]

Natural Medicine From The Kitchen

The Digestive System: An Energetic Pathway

By Thomas Duckworth
Doctor of Kototama Life Medicine

“Diet is the most important way to control physical life and activity. The wrong diet puts the entire body out of balance. Eventually the unbalanced circulation of energy causes illness. Those who are interested in studying medicine are obliged, first of all, to clearly […]

Natural One Takes A Natural Approach To Lawn Care

By Patrick O’Neal

At Natural One our mission is to provide complete quality and safer alternatives for your lawn care. We believe carbon is the building block of life, we have all heard this phrase stated in many different ways, but the reoccurring truth is without carbon, there is no life, and this includes your […]

Natural Options for Abnormal PAP Test

By Kelley Kirchner, DC, DABCI
Director of Women’s Health,
Institute of Natural Health

Ladies, let’s be honest with ourselves. When that annual appointment rolls around, none of us look forward to it. Yes, we know it is important, but we still dread it or even put off the appointment all together. Next thing we realize, it’s been quite […]

Naturally Boost Your Energy!

by Amy K Davis, M.D.

“Fatigue” is the most common complaint that I hear from patients. It can vary from tired to full blown exhaustion, often accompanied by poor endurance, brain fog and irritability. The challenge to treating Fatigue is that it can come from so many potential sources.
By breaking down the potential causes we find […]

Naturally, You Care About What’s In Your Hair Products & So Do We!

At Katherine and Company Family Hair Care, we use only the finest organic based hair color and products!

By using a state of the art, naturally developed hair color line we are able to deliver long-lasting color without the harsh chemicals in traditional hair colors!

We offer 100% Grey Coverage in over 80 fade-proof shades, proven to […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

The Enchanted Forest

I am a forest walker. I feel most at home in an Ozark forest. When I visit ocean or desert, I often hear a deep calling to find a forest and wander the lush green depths. The realm of the forest is in my blood and bones. As I wind […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Summer’s End

Gathering plants for my herbal goods during this summer’s high heat, I was captivated by a pink milkweed in full bloom with over a dozen swallowtail butterflies vying for nectar. Deeply touched by this spectacle of fluttering wings, I felt this was a vibrant affirmation of life in the midst of […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Memories of a Snow-Loving Child

My inner snow-child cringes when the mercury creeps into the sixties in winter. I have fond memories of endless snows days, sledding down ice-packed streets, tunneling into snowdrifts and sneaking off to explore the magic of the frozen forest.

Flexible Flyer sled in tow, I crunched my way on […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Giving Care

Jack was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in ‘02 and January ‘13 began his third chemotherapy regimen. My husband is a fighter and rarely complains. First of March he hefted cinder blocks onto his shoulder, tossed them into his Kia for traction in the deep snow, and hurt his back. With this […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Finding Your Cat

When a beloved pet disappears, it is a heartbreak and a deep loss. If you are a cat lover, your furry four-legged is part of your family — sharing your home and your affection. If the unthinkable should happen and your beloved cat gets lost or goes missing, there are […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Finding Your Dog

If your dog is missing:

Take immediate action and start searching.
Contact local veterinarians, 24-hour clinics, shelters and rescue groups. Go in person to check shelters within the first few days and revisit until you find your dog.
Print flyers and hand them out to area residents. Knock on doors and notify your neighbors. […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

The Power of Ozark Native Plants

Medicinal wild plants growing in our native environment can be the key to staying strong and healthy. With them we share the wind, sun, seasonal changes and earth energy. We are of the same place… the same ecological niche. In our global society, we often turn to […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Fire In Wood

In the depth of the winter season, we burn wood every day. We heat our home with a wood stove. I prepare meals on our wood-burning cook stove. In high summer months, friends gather around enjoying bonfire and story. We drum and sing around ceremonial fires. I have huddled by […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

Life Among Cedars

Our little house is nestled among a Cedar grove. These trees are the gatekeepers of our sanctuary. We feel protected and blessed living among them. Every day we witness the Cedars dance with the breeze, flicker with birds and diffuse the glow of sunset. They graciously scent the air and display […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Grace of the Deer

May is alive with sights, sounds and smells — the firefly, birdcall, flower bloom, the doe and fawn. Every day I thrill at nature’s displays. As weather brings you outdoors, may you be graced by the Deer. Be watchful as you drive the roads and look for them at […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Shadow of the Bird

“Where there is much light, the shadow is deep.” –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The shadow of the bird has intrigued me since first capturing my attention. Two decades ago I was working outside on our back deck when bird shadows began floating across the wood’s surface. Glancing up, I saw […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

The Wisdom of Stillness

As daylight grows shorter, squirrels bury nuts, geese wing south, ladybugs swarm, and auburn leaves descend. The shift of the season is upon us. Amid the scurry of activity I seek stillness and solitude like the lone acorn gracing the Ozark forest floor.

Embracing serenity and simple things, I have […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Wreath as Prayer

I have walked the Ozark woodlands and meadows for many seasons hunting the wisdom of the wild plants. I gather goldenrod, sumac berries, rose hips, spangle grass, sweet everlasting, pinecones, acorns and other wild offerings to weave into wreaths. I have come to realize that wreath weaving is my spiritual […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Brigid’s Cloth

The beginnings of spring can be noted near the first of February if you pay close attention. Hours of light and warmth increasing each day cause seeds to begin stirring beneath the hard winter ground. The life force of the green world may even show itself with brave early shoots of […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske
Naturalist

The Elements Within

The lure of spring draws us outside with warm winds, bird song, frog calls and greening grass. As kids we were set free, we owned the world and mastered the elements. We knew the power of air, adventure of water, magic of dirt and wonder of fire.
The elements can be doorways, […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

The Nature of Rhythm

Life is about rhythm. We vibrate, our hearts are pumping blood, we are a rhythm machine.” Mickey Hart*

I witnessed the power of rhythm once on a visit to a nursing home. I brought my bag of percussion instruments and handed them out. As I played my conga, the residents […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske;
Naturalist

Essence of Winter

We run from our cars through the cold to the comfort of our heated homes. Shutting windows and doors tight against the cold, we sip on hot drinks and dig into the depths of fuzzy slippers. We struggle with cabin fever, feeding on sunny days, seeking warmth like a lizard basking […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Even Darkness Must Pass

Lately I’ve been feeling like I’ve been born into the wrong time. This age of speed and multitasking is unnatural. Technology and traffic are too much some days. When violence, racism and bullying rears its ugly face, I am dumbfounded. Pollution and poisoned waters shames me. A garbage patch […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske;
Naturalist

Beyond The Garden Gate

My favorite time to work in the garden is early morning when the neighborhood is quite, dew is fresh, horses are grazing and birds are singing. In these dawn visits, I discover what occurred during the night, who is ready to bloom, where water or mulch is needed. My garden […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske;
Naturalist

The Language of Flowers

In 1982, almost one hundred years after it was first published, I was gifted three copies from three people “The Language of Flowers” by Kate Greenway in the same year. That certainly got my attention and my life-long study of the hidden meaning of plants began.

Meaning has been attributed to […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

Call of the Star Wheel

There is nothing more mesmerizing than the night sky. Many moons ago I teamed up with friend to study this massive unexplored frontier. As the night deepened, we’d trek out to the field next to his house, spread a blanket on the ground, set out our star books […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

Plant Spirit Wheel

For many seasons, I have walked woods, meadows and river bottoms seeking the wisdom of the wild plant. When a plant is found, I make an offering of thanks and then gather. An acorn may have fallen on the path, wild grass may be lining a trail, rose hips may […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

The Essence of the Plant

Aromatherapy is the art of using the essential oils of aromatic plants to promote health and well being. Because essences are organic, they work in harmony with your own essence, encouraging the natural healing force within. This allows a balancing of your emotional, mental, spiritual and physical selves. 

The essential […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

Spring Wild Edibles

Spring is here and greens are growing! If you are interested in all things native and want to nourish your body, check out the wild weeds growing in your yard. Wild edibles are full of vitamins, minerals and are easily metabolized because of their purity and untamed nature. Our bodies are […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

Healing With Nature

We have a basic cellular need to be in Nature. This has become obvious with people seeking sanctuary outside in Nature during this pandemic. Nature is welcoming us back into a relationship. 

With many of us staying put, traveling less and walking more, the waters are healing and the air is clearing. […]

Nature Wisdom

with Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

The Elder Grove

The Elder Grove off my back deck is in full bloom. In a few weeks purple clusters of berries will replace the blooms. Then the race is on to harvest the Elderberries and beat the birds. When I have collected enough, I’ll make a tincture to have Elderberry extract for the […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

Stalking the Wild Plant

The woman hunts the forest, searching for the plant. Her feet have wandered these woods for many seasons seeking the wisdom of the plants. During her medicine walk, she calls out to the spirits who tend the plants that one may give of its power. 

With her green vision, she sees […]

Nature Wisdom

 

With Pat Tuholske; Naturalist

The Goodness Of Evergreens

During my walks, I am enchanted by the bright spots of green amid the browns and grays of the early winter landscape. The Evergreens are in their glory as they shelter birds, scent the air and glisten with dew. I wonder at their strength, constancy and endurance.

Since ancient times, Evergreens […]

Nature Wisdom

By Pat Tuholske

Scent of the Sacred

Incense has been with us since ancient times. Our ancestors burned incense to affect a positive change to the atmosphere of a place. Ancient Egyptians used fragrant smoke to neutralize foul odors, drive out demons and please the gods. During the Middle Ages, European cities suffering from the plague were […]

Nature Wisdom

By Pat TuholskeMay 2021

Moths the Super Pollinators

When the stars blaze across the sky and we are tucked inside, after butterflies are done for the day, moths are just starting their work. You may see them dancing around street lights, but they actually spend most of their night visiting flowers. The work these nocturnal pollinators do […]

Nature Wisdom

By Pat Tuholske

The Generosity of Plants

Plants are not innate objects but living, growing green beings that react to your presence, your energy and your thoughts. Current research on plants demonstrate how they communicate with each other, have memory of harm or good will, are conscious of their environment and those who pass through. The intelligence […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

The Call

Every year for the past decade, we’ve had large cocoons dangling from our tulip tree. I remember the first one I discovered. It had a huge impact me in many ways. All winter I watched it hanging on the tulip tree. Suspended by a thick silken band, the cocoon was bigger […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

A Niche in Nature

In the early days of Europe, common folk placed wreaths or plant bundles on the door to identify their home in the same manner that house numbers are used today. Individual homes would display flowers, trees and grasses grown in the garden or gathered in nearby woods and meadows. Honor […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

From Cedar To Pine

I grew up in the Cedar forest and have a deep appreciation for this ancient tree. Living among the Cedars taught me who I am and how I fit into the world. Cedar’s energy constantly renews my life journey and has carried me into a new adventure surrounded by the […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

WOODS Nontoxic Insect Repellent — My Recipe

With all the talk about mosquitoes and disease, it’s important to know how to protect yourself naturally from insects. Studies have shown that essential oils are as effective as toxic chemicals in avoiding bites and stings.

Here’s my recipe for WOODS… a potent essential oil based insect […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Nature’s Pantry of Flavorful Flowers and Luscious Weeds

The annual weed war is upon us. All too often, homeowners and gardeners battle against weeds in the landscape that are incredibly vibrant and offer tremendous health benefits. Edible weeds can play an important role in satisfying your body’s daily vitamin and mineral requirements. These nutritious […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

Beyond the Thorn… a Bramble Bounty

Humans have a primal connection with the Bramble. For thousands of years, we have harvested Black Raspberries, Gooseberries, Blackberries and Rose Hips for food and medicine. Our ancestors made good use of the thorny hedges to keep out unwanted visitors and ill-natured intruders.

In ancient Europe, creeping under a […]

Nature Wisdom

Lessons from a Jamestown Ancestor

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist
As the sky wheel turns, this is the beginning of the season to remember those who have gone on before us. I can feel my ancestors walking beside me guiding me in important decisions. They are a living influence in my life as their knowledge spirals up from […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

Ethical Wildcrafting

I have walked the Ozark woodlands, ridge-tops and meadows for many years hunting the wisdom of the wild plants. For over four decades I have gathered wild Ozark native plants and crafted them into teas, tinctures, salves and wreaths. This time of year I am gathering roots, barks, seeds and cones. All […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

From Evil Eye To Blessed Eye

The belief that you can be cursed by the Evil Eye exists in nearly every culture in the world. Countless talismans to protect against it include salt spread on threshold, horse shoe hung above the door, anointing with oil, evil eye trinkets, mirrors, smudging, ritual cord braiding, prayer […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

Tracking the Missing Morgan and Me

I have studied the lost and missing for thirty years… how one gets lost, how one gets found, who survives, who dies. I sharpen my skills through constant education and training. My continuous study of scent theory, weather conditions, lost person behavior, clue awareness and search strategy improves […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Keeper of The Wild

May has arrived in full splendor! The first of May historically signaled the beginning of Summer with ancient bonfires lit on hills in raucous revelry. People leapt the fire to bring good fortune, fertility and happiness through the coming year.

This time of year I feel most strongly the presence […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Essiac – A Native Herbal Remedy

Essiac, a Native Herbal Remedy, is a blend of four herbs that is the most effective alternative cancer treatment I have seen. In the over twenty years I have offered it, Essiac has helped cancer of the liver, breast, lymph system, lung, colon, prostate, skin and others. […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske
Naturalist

To Create A Salve

I’ve been making salves for almost 40 years. At the height of production, I formulated fourteen varieties and shipped them all over the world. I made salves for burns, bruises, stretch marks, lips, hands, soles, coughs and colds. I felt like a real alchemist as I gently heated the infused […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

The Custom Of Gratitude Wreaths

In this turbulent time of natural disasters, civil unrest and personal challenges, it seems essential to practice Gratitude. Gratitude is the key that unlocks positive energy in your life. It is the alchemy that turns problems into blessings and the unexpected into gifts. Find what channels your gratitude, optimism, […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Walking Into Night

The sun has dipped beyond sight. First star lights appear overhead as the sky moves closer to the earth. Night awakens. The wind stills as shadowed hues appear around hills and leafless trees.

I bundled up and venture out for a winter night hike. Our land is isolated far from city […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

My Gentle John

John claimed any self-respecting Irishman best be able to tell an entertaining story. I hope I can tell his tale with enough charm and color to give you a sense of the depth of his character.

The Beginning:
John was born August 13, 1945 and grew up in a tough Chicago neighborhood […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

The Silver Leafed Artemisia

As an early morning thunder storm rages on, I pause in my gardening work to share with you some of my favorite plants and their namesake. With foliage the color of the moon, the silver leafed Artemisia genus has a long history as an aromatic, medicinal, ornamental, edible and ceremonial […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist

Animal as Spiritual Ally

I am in a large field watching the setting sun with a group of people. Suddenly, at the end of the field an enormous orange snake pops his head up out of a spring and searches the field with penetrating eyes. He spies me. With incredible speed, he leaps out […]

Nature Wisdom

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Treasure in the Ruins

I am working with friends removing some five panel doors in our 1904 house before demolition begins. We are trying to close the door to take the hinges off but the sagging ceiling is in the way. We pull on the ceiling, get the door closed, and debris begins […]

Nature Wisdom: Confessions of a Plant Lover

With Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Yes, I talk to my plants. And I don’t feel silly about it. For thirteen years, I was known as “the plant lady”. Being proud of my job, I considered myself the self-appointed ambassador of the tropical plant. Traveling a weekly route to businesses, stores, nursing homes, hotels and restaurants, I brought […]

Nature Wisdom: Heart of the Deer

By Pat Tuholske

November is Deer hunting season here in the Ozarks. The autumn morning frost triggers orange vested hunters to migrate to the woods, rifles loaded and ready. They sit in their spot, senses heightened, alert to the soft sounds of the Deer.

The Deer culture in our country is reflected in those bright orange hats […]

Nature Wisdom: Musings on the Moon

By Pat Tuholske

The sun has dipped beyond sight. First star lights appear overhead as the sky moves closer to the earth. Night awakens. The wind stills as shadowed hues appear around hills and leafless trees.

I search for its glow through the dense cover of trees. As it clears the forest canopy at last, I gaze […]

Nature Wisdom: Screen Time vs Nature Time

By Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

Seems many of us today would rather sit inside with screens than explore our native environment. Plugged into laptops, video games, and television, our senses are consumed causing us to be alienated from the natural world. We may watch Nature programs and know a few facts about whales, the rain forest or […]

Nature Wisdom: Stillness and Serenity

By Pat Tuholske

This past year has been different than any other. For many of us, it’s been a challenging time on numerous levels… jobs, school, home, relationships, isolation, finances. Many have forgone gatherings, seminars, fairs, concerts, theater, and travel. The pandemic has brought stress, frustrations and deep grief. This virus has become a constant companion […]

Nature Wisdom: Winds of Fate

By Pat Tuholske, Naturalist

I watch the wind. As the treetops swirl and tumble upon invisible air currents, I wonder from where the wind blows. I wrap the energy of the winds around me like a cloak of power. Lifting my face to the great sky, I seek what is coming. Early spring is the time […]

Need To Use Up Summer Veggies? Try Stir-Fry!

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Have you found yourself inundated with a generous amount of beautiful produce given to you by friends, purchased at a local farmers’ market, or simply from your own garden? Well, there is no quicker way to enjoy the season’s bounty than with an easy, healthy […]

Neel’s Pharmacy Celebrates 80 Years!

Celebrating 80 years in business is an exciting milestone for Jon P. Frieda of Neels Pharmacy. “Neels Pharmacy was established in 1932 in downtown St. Louis by my great grandfather William J. Neels, Senior. One of the original businesses in Crestwood, William’s son Jim Neels, my grandfather, moved the pharmacy to the Crestwood Bank Building […]

Neels Pharmacy: Family Owned/Operated Since 1932 Specializes in Compounding & Complementary Remedies

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

In today’s ever adapting field of healthcare, Neels Pharmacy has remained as one of the oldest independent pharmacies that has never changed hands. Hello, my name is Jon Frieda. Over the last 84 years much has changed around St. Louis with regard to the fluidity of pharmacies and pharmacy care. As […]

Neglecting the Missouri River Has Consequences Downstream

Coalition Report
By Alicia Lloyd, Clean Water Policy Coordinator
Coalition for the Environment
www.moenviron.org

Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) applauds the Enterprise Holdings Foundation $30 million grant to the Nature Conservancy (TNC) for work to, among other efforts, reduce nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River. Reducing nutrient runoff in the midwest would improve the health of our inland […]

Net Zero Energy, Flood Mitigation, STEM Education, & Mass Timber at the 2021 Annual Green Building Showcase May 11

By Fredericka Brandt, Education & Outreach Coordinator of the US Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter 

As the USGBC — Missouri Gateway Chapter celebrates our 20th anniversary, we are presenting four local green building projects for the 16th Annual Green Building Showcase on May 11. This year’s projects will include net zero energy in a commercial building, the […]

Neumi For Your Health

By Pat Purley

Introducing the phenomenal antioxidant of Neumi, the master antioxidant of all antioxidants. Discovered by Dr. Steven K. Scott many years ago.

I have learned through taking this product that one of the keys to fighting off diseases we fear the most is glutathione. When our glutathione becomes too low and weak in our body, […]

Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

By Dr. Brian Harasha

Neuropathy is a common condition that usually affects the feet but can also include hands (i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome). Recently, more and more patients are experiencing this condition which can be difficult to treat because there are several causes and sometimes concurrently. 

The most common causes of peripheral neuropathy include blood sugar control […]

New AMA Training Sessions April 27-29 & Aug 24-26 2018: What Doctors and Dentists Say

By Simon Yu, MD

Is it possible to feel, hear, see and detect what is wrong with you beyond X-rays, blood chemistry, EEG or genetic tests? Yes, it is possible. But, I am not talking about artificial intelligence (AI) generated by supercomputers. I am talking about a 5,000 year old ancient technology: measuring the acupuncture meridian […]

New Book Helps Children Understand Dynamics Of Environmental Topics

Award winning Author, Tanille Edwards, MBA, ignites green in her latest children’s book “Go Go Green”, a step-by-step guide on the topic of how children can participate in saving the environment. Go Go Green offers scientific information and applicable tips that make going “Green” easy and fun for children. Illustrated using dynamic, colorful, cartoon like […]

New Builders Spring Home Show Fenton to be Held March 16-17 at STL Athletic Center

The first-ever Builders Spring Home Show Fenton will be held at STL Athletic Center Saturday and Sunday March 16-17, with free admission and parking. The new home show, located in a great Southwest St. Louis County location near the intersection of I-44 and I-270 in Fenton, MO, gives area residents the opportunity to see more than 125 […]

New Center To Open in South St. Louis Offering Expanded Birth Options

In May of 2015, midwives Susan Mickley, CPM and Linsey Kornya, CPM, will open the doors on a small birth center in the heart of South St. Louis. Susan and Linsey are excited to expand birth options for families in the St. Louis area, including Illinois. Confluence Midwifery Center is located at 3271 Roger Pl, […]

New Dierberg’s Cooking Class Brochure Provides Inspiration for Fall Entertaining

Dierbergs School of Cooking’s 2015 September-October cooking class brochure, which features an extensive line-up of classes blending traditional fall flavors with today’s trends, is available in stores and online. Register now at Dierbergs.com/School.

“I’m always excited for the release of a new brochure because it gets people in the kitchen and cooking,” Dierbergs School of Cooking […]

New E-Book From Local Author

Natural Medicine From The Kitchen: A Treasure Trove of Traditional Gastronomic Remedies

By Thomas Duckworth
Doctor of Kototama Life Medicine

Apparently, every book on food, nutrition and diet published in the past 50 years has turned a profit for the author or publisher. From Adelle Davis to Nathan Pritikin, from George Osawa and Macrobiotics to Barry Sears and […]

New Jersey, La Vista, Kirkwood and De Soto: An Eco-Spirituality Quest

by Maurice Lange, Director of Eco-Justice,
Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

As a Catholic priest with the Missionary Oblates, I found myself in the mid 1990’s trying to find ways to blend my love for the Earth (ecology) with my devotion to God (theology). My quest to explore “eco-spirituality” got me invited on a […]

New Life Resources: With Chaplain Paul

“End of Life”

The “End of Life” is not the end of “Love”. The end of life is the collection of all the lessons of your life, the celebration of your life’s purpose and the unique meaning of “Who You Are”! 

“Your Life” and “Your Being” are a One of a Kind Definition of Love!

— Chaplain Paul […]

New Love — Easy Care & Water Saving Succulents

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Falling in love with plants is the reason all gardeners garden. A plant’s beauty and gifts, whether food for the soul or body, captures our hearts and leads us on our garden journeys. There is always room in a gardener’s heart for more plants.

A type of plant I never gave much thought […]

New Meet Up Group To Explore Past Life Regression as Well as Other Metaphysical Concepts as Vehicles for Personal Growth

This Meet Up Group is for anyone interested in Past life or present life regression and wants to know more. Have you ever felt an unexplained strong connection with a person or place and wondered why? Have you felt incredibly drawn to a particular country or language? Ever dream of being in a time or […]

New Solutions For ADHD

By Drs. Jen and Jason Rhodes

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that five million children in the United States have ADHD—that is about five percent of all children. While ADHD is most commonly associated with childhood, studies show that up to 70 percent of children with ADHD continue to have symptoms as adults.

Often, […]

New Study Shows Coffee May Help You Live Longer

For generations, coffee drinkers have enjoyed their cup of Joe because it gave them that caffeine lift in the morning. And real Java junkies know that coffee is not just for breakfast anymore. In fact, many coffee drinkers are well documented as enjoying three or more cups a day, raising all sorts of red flags […]

New Therapies For Allergic Dogs

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Atopy (atopic dermatitis) affects 10 – 15% of dogs. Genetics play a role. The following breeds are predisposed and if have allergies should not be bred: Terriers, Setters, Beagles, Boxers, Lhasa Apsos, Bulldogs, Miniature Schnauzers, Retrievers, Dalmations, and German Shepherds. Age of onset for atopy/allergy is 6 months to 3 years for […]

New Urban Landscape is a Natural

By Judy Good

I’ve become a homebody over the past two years. And not just because of the pandemic. It’s an ever-increasing longing to connect with nature. I’m one of those nuts that views yard care as a valuable way to spend time rather than one more chore. My husband agrees. Especially with the part about […]

New Year Resolutions For Your Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

The new year presents the wonderful opportunity to ‘start anew’. The real challenge is to be consistent and follow through. At least that is always my own personal challenge. But not only do we need to care for our human needs, we like to encourage pet owners to consider resolutions for […]

New Year Tips

Breathe, Relax, Smile
You’re not “doing it wrong.” You’ve simply forgotten who you are, and why you are here. Dive into this moment and remember. Breathe. Relax. Smile. How do you know that you are exactly where you need to be? Because this is where you are. Everything You Need Is Right Here. Kimberly Schneider, M.Ed., […]

New Year Tips

Be accountable to a workout group
A very common new year’s resolution is to lose weight or to start exercising again. Make life easier on yourself by tackling this resolution with a friend or a workout group. Chiropractic Wellness Center starts new workout and weight loss challenge groups almost monthly. These groups keep each other accountable […]

New Year Tips

Remember YOU are in charge of hiring your Health Care Team
My dear friend Judy said, you would never think to have YOUR kitchen remodeled without first inviting a contractor over to discuss YOUR needs. You would hire that contractor only after YOU felt heard and trusted that they would use their expertise to carry out […]

New Year Tips For A Healthy & Green 2021

New Beginnings Bridge Old EndingsI think of holidays as bridges. As the river of time rapidly flows, holidays can bridge happy memories of the past to future moments of joy. Although 2020 was a very difficult year, it may be helpful to edit our memories. It is healthier to remember your moments of happiness and […]

New Year Tips for Better Health and Happiness

Breathe, Relax, Smile
You’re not “doing it wrong.” You’ve simply forgotten who you are, and why you are here. Dive into this moment and remember. Breathe. Relax. Smile. How do you know that you are exactly where you need to be? Because this is where you are. Everything You Need Is Right Here.
Kimberly Schneider, M.Ed., J.D., […]

New Year Tips For Health, Wellness & Sustainable Living

Reflect and Plan Your Future2020 a new year is here or is it? I know that if you do not purposefully intend to welcome new opportunities or open your mind to new ways of looking at the world around you; your 2020 will look much like your 2019. You won’t have a new year at […]

New Year Tips To Help You and Your Family Live A Healthier & Greener Life

1) Trust Your Gut with Aging Parents

Getting together over the holidays with family is usually one of the year’s top events, but much has changed with the pandemic. With our aging parents, these gatherings would often expose another side of life that you can’t always see over the phone. It’s more important than ever that […]

New Year, New You – Make a Resolution for Self-Care

Embark on a rejuvenating journey as you usher in the New Year! When you prioritize self-care, you’ll feel refreshed, revitalized, and ready to face 2024 with a healthier mind, body, and spirit. Whether it’s scheduling regular visits to the Spa or taking a few minutes to focus on yourself each day at home, being mindful […]

New Year’s Resolutions Are For You On Behalf of Your Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

We all look forward to the New Year, in hopes of making promises to ourselves, hopefully, to better our lives in one or more ways. Those are noble goals, indeed! But, even more noble and gracious, would be for us to honor our beloved pets by committing to those new year […]

New Year’s Resolutions Are For You On Behalf of Your Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

We all look forward to the New Year, in hopes of making promises to ourselves, hopefully, to better our lives in one or more ways. Those are noble goals, indeed! But, even more noble and gracious, would be for us to honor our beloved pets by committing to those new year […]

New Year’s Resolutions to Improve Quality of Life: The Path to Wellness

By Dr. Paul Hyland, DC

2019…The time for setting goals for the new year: New Year’s Resolutions. We all want to be our best selves, which is why we create these simple plans for things we would like to change. Improved health is among the most common New Year’s resolutions.

Generally people can stay on track […]

Next Level Salsa

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

1 cup salsa

1 Tbs tahini

Stir and serve with veggies or rice cakes

Options:

1 tsp frozen orange juice or

1-2 drops orange essential oil

1 Tbs hemp seeds

I have added tahini to this for protein as I’m a vegan.

Everyone I share it with just loves it!

Deb Powell ☺

No Quick Fix To Food Allergies

By Dr. Rosa Kincaid, MD

Staying healthy is not that easy. This I found after trying to avoid gluten for the past two years. It can mean: not getting to eat any of your own birthday cake, restriction of most comfort foods and not having much to drink when at a party. So, like many of […]

No Space, No Problem – Small Trees for Small Spaces

By Abby Lapides

Enjoy all the majesty trees can bring, but in a petite sizes. Over the years outstanding trees have been developed that have all the attributes of larger ones, but remain small or grow slowly. Some trees naturally stay small. Bringing fantastic foliage, flowers, shape, texture, and even edible fruit, they will transform a […]

Noah & Naamah, Gardens As Arks

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

We’ve all heard the story of Noah, the Ark and animals two by two. But we haven’t heard about Noah’s wife Naamah, who saved the plants of the world from the great flood.

I first became aware of Naamah in a children’s book titled Noah’s Wife, The Story of Naamah*. The book […]

Noboleis Vineyards Offers Beautiful Setting for Wine Tasting, Weddings, Tours, Music & More!

The beauty of Augusta wine country awaits at Noboleis Vineyards with wine tastings, lunch served daily, live music, and a place to relax while enjoying the views of rolling vineyards and hillsides. A family-owned and operated winery, Noboleis Vineyards resides in the heart of America’s first recognized grape-growing region, the Augusta AVA, which is known […]

Noboleis Vineyards Offers Beautiful Setting for Wine Tastings, Weddings & More!

The beauty of Augusta wine country awaits at Noboleis Vineyards with wine tastings, live music, and a place to relax and enjoy the views of rolling vineyards and hillsides. A family-owned and operated winery, Noboleis Vineyards resides in the heart of America’s first recognized grape-growing region, the Augusta AVA, which is known for its rich […]

Noboleis Vineyards: Enjoy the Day At A Family-Owned, Family-Grown Winery

Situated on 84 acres in the first designated AVA in the country, Noboleis Vineyards offers panoramic views of the historic, rolling hills of Augusta, MO. Enjoy a Wine Flight out on our hilltop pavilion while you take in the rolling hills of the surrounding vineyards or sidle on up to the bar in the Tasting […]

Nominations Now Open For GROWING GREEN AWARDS

By Becky Finch,
Growing Green Awards Working Group Chair

Celebrating 15 years of Green And Healthy Spaces!

Nominations are now open for the 2016 Growing Green Awards! The U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter is excited to host the Annual Growing Green awards to celebrate and recognize people, organizations, institutions and companies that are transforming our […]

Non-Core Vaccines: Should You Get Them for Your Dog?

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Non-core vaccines are not for every dog. The diseases they protect against have less mortality than those of the core vaccines. The dog’s risk factors based on his lifestyle and exposure should determine if a non-core vaccine is needed. Examples of non-core vaccines include Leptospirosis, Bordetella, and Influenza. 

Leptospirosis is the most common […]

Not All Body Wraps are Created Equal

By Linda Hoff

Women have been concerned with cellulite and inch loss since the beginning of time. And, women have been using various body wrap solutions to treat these conditions forever. But did you know that not all body wraps are the same?

Cellulite is a toxic body condition caused by waste materials being trapped between cells, […]

November Happenings

Through December 2020Healthy Planet Virtual ExpoYou can enjoy the Healthy Planet Expo Virtually through December online from the comfort of your own home or office. Visit some of your favorite expo exhibitors and meet may new people, too. Find new ways to live a greener and healthier life. Click here to sign up for a […]

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and likely everyone knows someone who is affected by this unfair disease. Today there are more than 29 million Americans living with diabetes.

The majority of diabetics have type 2 diabetes, with only 1.5 million having type 1 diabetes, which is […]

Now Is the Time to Switch to LED Bulbs

By Nick Frisella, Metro Lighting

According to ENERGY STAR the average U.S. household has more than 40 sockets for light bulbs. LED bulbs use 70-90% less energy than incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs also create 70-90% less heat than incandescent which means they are safer to operate and can lower your cooling bill in the summer months. […]

Now Trending: Urban Gardening!

by Patrick Geraty, St. Louis Composting

At one time urban landscapes were viewed as barren and cold slabs of concrete, asphalt and glass. They were perceived as the opposite of the rural setting, rich in vegetation and greenery. However, throughout St. Louis City, residents are finding a way to reconnect with the natural world through gardening.

Urban […]

Nutrition & Fitness: Getting The Whole Family Involved

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Establishing healthy eating habits and a fitness routine can be difficult on your own. People need support and encouragement when making behavioral changes to benefit their health. Getting your entire family involved in this process will help ensure that everyone reaches their healthiest self. Striving […]

Nutrition and Fitness Go Hand in Hand

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

People often wonder, what’s more important—a healthy diet or exercise? For optimal health, the answer is both. A nutritious diet focusing on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats, coupled with a fitness regimen of cardiovascular exercise, weight-bearing activities, and flexibility […]

Nutrition Through Our Golden Years

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

It’s well-known that eating a well-balanced diet that includes a wide variety of foods provides a plethora of health benefits. But as you add more candles to your birthday cakes, your nutritional needs change. There are definitely ways to eat well and stay healthy as […]

O’Fallon Responds to Global Changes in the Recycling Market

When the Environmental Services team at the City of O’Fallon, Missouri, launched single-stream recycling in 2006, the hope was the City would be able to turn recycling into a break-even proposition. O’Fallon residents jumped on the opportunity, and single-stream recycling helped the City financially and environmentally, with the City’s diversion rates approaching 30 percent. It […]

Obesity Has Replaced Tobacco as Leading Cause of Sickness and Death

Two thirds of adults are overweight or obese, and the fastest growing segment for obesity is our children. Today, one third of children are overweight. Is it our genes? Even with a genetic predisposition to obesity, we can suppress those genes with proper diet and lifestyle. Knowing that we can “turn off” bad genes can […]

October Benchmarking Blitz: Get Hands-on Help to Benchmark Your Building’s Energy Use

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

No matter where you live, work, play, or worship, we’re all looking to reduce costs. And if cost reductions also lower environmental impacts, well you can sign me up! Energy conservation cuts your utility bills while also lowering your greenhouse gas footprint, a win-win in my book. And […]

October Gardening Tips

By Abby Lapides

Fall is the ideal time to plant perennials, shrubs, and trees, since cooler weather encourages roots to grow deep. By spring plants are well established and ready to produce their delightful flowers and more importantly food for many critters. You can plant perennial plants through October and woody plants right up until the […]

Octopus Man and Goat Lady: Parasites, Fenbendazole, and Silence of the FDA

By Simon Yu, MD

A Kentucky woman came to see me five years ago; she was convinced she had parasite problems and said that local physicians ignored her. She was not only passing white threadlike parasites with bowel movements, she reported she could feel the movement through her abdomen, legs, arms, and face, and had crawling […]

Old Bakery Beer Names Major Brands, Inc. its Statewide Missouri Distributor

Old Bakery Beer (OBB) is pleased to announce that Major Brands, Inc. will become its exclusive Missouri distributor, launching its expansion throughout the state. Major Brands will begin distributing OBB products throughout the state of Missouri, effective immediately.

OBB, which is located in Alton, Illinois is one of only about 30 certified organic breweries in […]

On September 6, Join Growing City Greens to Raise Money for Food Sovereignty

Photo Caption: City Greens Staff

City Greens Market is hosting a “green party” for food sovereignty, and you’re invited! Join them on Wednesday, September 6, at the Wild Carrot to raise some greens for City Greens and their mission of increasing food access for everyone. While attending Growing City Greens, you will enjoy the freshest of […]

On September 6, Join Growing City Greens to Raise Money for Food Sovereignty

City Greens Market is hosting a “green party” for food sovereignty, and you’re invited! Join them on Wednesday, September 6, at the Wild Carrot to raise some greens for City Greens and their mission of increasing food access for everyone. While attending Growing City Greens, you will enjoy the freshest of farm-to-table food from local […]

One Hundred Years of Misadventure in Medicine: Command and Control for Obedience to Authority

By Simon Yu, MD

One Hundred Years of Solitude, a popular novel written by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982, tells of the multi-generational story of the Buendia family in a town called Marcondo, metaphor for Colombia.

Forty years ago, I read this book. I can vaguely remember the […]

One Way To Throw A Wonderful Wedding

by J.B. Lester, Father of the Bride
Publisher, The Healthy Planet magazine
photos by Mia Ulmer, Birchtree Studio

June 2, 2012 was the day my first-born daughter Natalie got married to a good young man named Ben. The Pettys are now pulling up stakes and taking their two-person act to Kansas City where they will continue on with […]

OneSTL Open Houses to Explore Area’s Sustainability Plan

The St. Louis area’s sustainability plan is entering a new phase, with a final round of open houses for the public. In September, seven open houses are scheduled throughout the metropolitan area to give residents a chance to review the draft plan and offer input.

OneSTL is the culmination of three-years of information gathering, consensus building […]

Open Eyes, Open Hearts

By Phylis Clay Sparks

April 22nd has been recognized as Earth Day every year since 1970. It’s claimed that more than a billion people all over the world will acknowledge Earth Day in 2017, celebrating our planet’s abundant and naturally beautiful resources, petitioning our governments to take action against threatening climate change, and encouraging all people […]

Operating Solar Off the Grid: A Panel Discussion Feb. 25

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

2013 was a big year for the photovoltaic (solar) industry. The last Solar Energy Industries Association’s Solar Market Insight Report predicted that 2013 would be the first year in more than a decade that the US installs more solar capacity than Germany! And the residential market continues […]

Operation Backpack Volunteers

Support the Health and Education of Local Kids

By Karen Klaus, Director of Development, Operation Food Search

Summer was an incredible time at Operation Food Search! The organization sponsored breakfast and lunch meals that were distributed daily to kids, helping them have a happy, healthy break over the season!

Throughout St. Louis City and County, kids gathered at […]

Optima Nutrition: Turn ON Your Healthy Living…

By Elena Lazarev

Optima Nutrition is a totally tubular and radical place to indulge in your herbal supplement needs. Herbs have been around for centuries for our medicinal purposes. Until recently we have considered to retrace our ancestor’s roots of medicine. The purpose we serve is to provide organic and non-GMO products into the hands of […]

Optimizing your Health: Are Nutritional Supplements Right for You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

I am commonly asked by my patients, “Can I get all the nutrients I need from food?”

In an ideal world, eating organic, whole, fresh food, would provide all the nutrients our bodies require to function optimally. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we still fall short. Some of the reasons for the […]

Optimizing your Health: Are Nutritional Supplements Right for You?

by Dr. Amy Davis, MD

I am commonly asked from my patients, “Can I get all the nutrients I need from food?” 

In an ideal world, eating organic, whole, fresh food, would provide all the nutrients our bodies require to function optimally. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we still fall short. Some of the reasons for the […]

Optimizing your Health: Are Nutritional Supplements Right for You?

 By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

I am commonly asked from my patients, “Can I get all the nutrients I need from food?”

In an ideal world, eating organic, whole, fresh food, would provide all the nutrients our bodies require to function optimally. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we still fall short. Some of the reasons for the […]

Optimizing your Health: Are Nutritional Supplements Right for You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

I am commonly asked from my patients, “Can I get all the nutrients I need from food?” 

In an ideal world, eating organic, whole, fresh food, would provide all the nutrients our bodies require to function optimally. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we still fall short. Some of the reasons for the […]

Options For Coronavirus

By Dr. Brian Harasha

Patients have been asking me about the use of lasers for viruses like novel SARS-CoV-2. I tell them that prevention is the most important first line of defense, such as being conscious of your environment, avoiding travel and crowds, washing hands thoroughly, as well as supporting health with good nutrition, exercise, and […]

Orchid Artist Solo Exhibition At Missouri Botanical Garden

Patricia Laspino, contemporary American painter and founder of the “Orchid Alliance Project-Bridging Art & Science”, will be showing recent paintings in a solo exhibition entitled, “Orchids in the Realm of the Sublime” in the Monsanto Hall Gallery at the Missouri Botanical Garden through March 8, 2015.

Laspino’s provocative large scale oil paintings will highlight orchids subjects […]

Order Native Trees & Shrubs from MDC State Forest Nursery

Buy seedlings in bulk for landscaping and habitat needs.

Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) George O. White State Forest Nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for […]

Organic Food No More Nutritious Than Non-Organic

by Dr. Joseph F. Unger, Jr. DC., F.I.C.S.

On 24 September 2012 the Reuters News Service published a report citing evidence that the amount of vitamins in plant or animal products produced organically and conventionally is not significantly different. The report is suggesting that organic foods are no more nutritious than their non-organic counterparts. I find […]

Organic Sofas & Love Seats Now Available at STL Beds

By Doug Belleville

Bringing Old School, Natural Construction Back to Sofas Something’s Missing From Today’s Sofas – the Quality!

Would you know a good quality sofa if you saw one? The fact is most people wouldn’t. Unfortunately most consumers do not know what to look for and while it may visually look impressive, they shouldn’t expect the […]

Organized for Life: 3 Areas of the Heart

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

I’m sure you’re thinking, ‘what does organizing have to do with the heart.’ Since it’s heart month, I want to help you organize some areas of your heart so it can be healthy, strong, and beautiful, like these roses.

Our hearts need to work properly, not saddened, poisoned, or overloaded because […]

Organized for Life: Happy ‘Organized’ New Year!

By Deb Powell

First: WE REST!!!

Then we organize.

DON’T PUT EVERYTHING AWAY!

Wait, what?! Yes, that’s what I said. Snowmen, angels, greenery, grape vine bows, mistletoe, reindeer… are also winter decor (if they’re not too Christmassy), so leave some of them out. Even lights can create a beautiful atmosphere. This also makes less work for now, and keeps […]

Organized for Life: It’s Spring! Let’s Lighten Up!

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 […]

Organized for Life: It’s Spring! Let’s Lighten Up!

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 […]

Organized for Life: Let’s Get Outdoors!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

We know every continent has different weather, since I‘m writing from a cold climate, I know that getting outside this month in the (hopefully) warmer weather is (like) a breath of fresh air. Let’s get prepared!

Wet Season

Last month we talked about getting the summer clothes out so don’t forget to […]

Organized for Life: Let’s Get Outdoors!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

We know every continent has different weather, since I‘m writing from a cold climate, I know that getting outside this month in the (hopefully) warmer weather is (like) a breath of fresh air. Let’s get prepared!

Wet Season

Last month we talked about getting the summer clothes out so don’t forget to […]

Organized for Life: Minimize! Socialize! Revitalize!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Signs of spring and summer besides flower gardens, convertibles, and farmers’ markets, are yard sales, backyard BBQ’s, and vacations! These last three years were pretty stressful for many and void of our usual communal needs, so let’s get some of that community spirit back!

Make up for those lost times by […]

Organized for Life: Minimize! Socialize! Revitalize!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Signs of spring and summer besides flower gardens, convertibles, and farmers’ markets, are yard sales, backyard BBQ’s, and vacations! These last three years were pretty stressful for many and void of our usual communal needs, so let’s get some of that community spirit back!

Make up for those lost times by […]

Organized for Life: Organized for the Holidays!

By Deb Powell

I have a different view of ‘holidays’. Yes, I celebrate with my family, but I’m against so much fuss, work, and expense that come with it… My theory is this: I don’t need a calendar to tell me when to invite someone over for dinner, or buy them things… If we weren’t so […]

Organized for Life: Prepping for Summer!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Getting organized now for the summer leaves you more time to enjoy it.

Want to be organized and get more done? Make a list! Set a timer for 30 -60 minutes! Then stop and do the next task or get up and move/stretch if you’ve been sitting…

OR: Write on a time […]

Organized For Life: Save Time, Money and More!

By Deb Powell

Being organized is easier than you think! Yes, it takes effort, but it’s worth it.

Welcome to our new monthly column. It’s here to encourage, inspire, and guide you to get your life running smoothly. As a natural and professional organizer, my passion is helping others get their lives in order. You will learn […]

Organized for Life: Step Inside!

By Deb Powell

The FOYER is the first place we see when we enter our homes. It’s also the first place others see. When we enter a bright and organized foyer it’s like receiving a ‘welcome home’ hug and smile. This also entices us to organize the rest of the house. Let’s get started! ϑ

You may […]

Organized for Life: Working from a Home Office

By Deb Powell

A reader asked how to organize an office space to work from home, so this month’s article is just that. Good news is you don’t have to build an addition!

Being organized is the key!

If your home is also your work place you will especially need to be organized as you’ll be spending a […]

Organized for Life! It’s a Wrap!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

I hope you were encouraged and inspired by my organizing articles over the last year. I trust you made lots of progress, saved some money, and your life is now running smoothly.

This is my last article for ‘Organized for Life’. As much as I love writing them there are so many […]

Organized for Life! Mid-summer Fun!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

One more month of summer! Beaches, golfing, garden markets, events, pool parties, vacations, barbeques, ball games, camping, luscious produce…

It’s time to start getting organized for September, but don’t stop having fun, summer isn’t over yet!

Here is a short list to check your progress.

Planning for canning! Is your garden harvest or […]

Organized for Life! Summer Fun!

Organized for Life! Summer Fun!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Summer is in full swing by now in most places. Summer clothes and things have been brought out, pools filled, BBQ’s shone up, spring cleaning done, plans made, gardens planted, and yards groomed, so what‘s left? Having fun!!!

Getting through the heat by keeping cool and enjoying the break from routines […]

Organo Gold Introduces a Healthier Coffee, Beverages, & Products

By Pat Purley

Organo Gold produces the world leading brand of 100% organic Ganoderma, 100% Ganoderma spore powder, Ganoderma lucidum mycelium, a grapeseed oil extract. North Americans consume 500 million cups of coffee per day, everyday!

The Catalyst of our product line is GANODERMA! The history of Ganoderma lucidum dates back as far as 5000 years ago. […]

Osteoarthritis: A Young Dog Disease

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Most of us are familiar with the pain and inflammation osteoarthritis (OA) can cause. We readily recognize its ravages on older people and older dogs. But new research is confirming OA has become a common disease in young dogs. This is a novel concept to both veterinarians and pet owners. New research […]

Our Festival of Science

Join the Science Center this November to celebrate the annual Festival of Science, a collection of special events that celebrates the wide world of science and technology. Events run November 2 through November 17 and feature different opportunities for all age ranges.

The Festival kicks off with First Friday: Science Goes Wild on November 2. Take […]

Our Festival of Science

Celebrate The Wide World of Science and Technology at the Saint Louis Science Center Nov. 2-17

Join the Science Center this November to celebrate the annual Festival of Science, a collection of special events that celebrates the wide world of science and technology. Events run November 2 through November 17 and feature different opportunities for all age […]

Our Gardens: A Place of Sanity and Giving Thanks

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Now can we give enough thanks to our gardens for the beauty, joy and sanity we have received from them in this crazy year? Brand new and seasoned gardeners spent more time than ever in gardens this year. Seed companies and garden nurseries were busier than ever. 

Perhaps the greatest gift of gardens […]

Our Green Building Community — Building Healthy, Efficient and Equitable Buildings and Communities — Invites You to Join this Virtual Town Hall Event Sept. 8

By Fredericka Brandt, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

A lot has changed over the past few months that is impacting our daily lives, but one thing has not: sustainability and resiliency are still at the core of building healthy, efficient and equitable buildings and communities. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), founded in 1993, […]

Our Only Life Purpose Lives Inside of Us

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

We tend to search for a life purpose and look for answers as to what it could be since without having a life purpose we tend to feel a void inside of us that we wish to fill, but often we believe that in order to fill that void […]

Our Relationship with Food

By Dr. Gail Cloud

Today, I am sharing a little bit about our relationship with food. Food is the first way we are nourished and the main way that we nourish ourselves. So, food is important symbolically as well as literally. In our society, many of us are brought up with fast food, sugary snacks, and […]

Our Resolution: Save Energy & Money with the 25×20 Campaign

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

Businesses, schools, municipalities, institutions, and houses of worship in the St. Louis region have stepped up to show their commitment to the environment and to their bottom line. How? By taking the 25×20 pledge to benchmark building energy use. Benchmarking is the process of measuring how […]

Our Zero Energy Future is Here

By Emily Andrews, LEED AP O+MExecutive Director, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council

Photo: Navigate Office Center

This month will see a celebration of Missouri’s first Zero Energy Certified building and I couldn’t be more excited. There are a lot of different terms out there when it comes to building as climate solutions – green buildings, net zero […]

Over 50, or any age? You can feel good, look great and have the best sex of your life!

Unlock the secret. All it takes is balancing two little hormones. American medicine, along with the food and drug companies, has a love affair with the hormone estrogen. Doctors prescribe it like candy with women from the age of sixteen on up with birth control pills (which are normally made with estrogen). Then when a […]

Owning Our Responsibilities

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Each one of us has our own story that is composed of memories, experiences, and traumas that have contributed to shaping the person that we are today. Oftentimes, after going through traumatic events in our life that were out of our grasp to control, we tend to wonder what […]

Ozarkland General Store Now Open in Villa Ridge Missouri

It’s a beautiful day for a drive on Route 66 and what better place to drive to than a one of a kind family friendly general store. Come check us out. From our homemade fudge and candies, our old fashion taffy bins and our hand-dipped ice cream to garden accessories, souvenirs, unique custom gifts, t-shirts […]

P. Allen Smith Coming To Dillard’s St. Louis Galleria May 6

Dillard’s St. Louis Galleria is hosting a visit by P. Allen Smith on May 6, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Paul Allen Smith is a television host, designer, gardening and lifestyle expert. He is the host of two public television programs, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, and P. Allen Smith’s Garden to Table and the […]

Packing A Safe Picnic Meal

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Who doesn’t love a summer picnic lunch in the park? July is “National Picnic Month” and what better way to celebrate than with a nutritious, fresh, tasty picnic lunch. A picnic is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and spend quality time with friends […]

Palladium, Not Polonium! Am I Dead?

By Simon Yu, MD

What can we learn from my palladium poisoning misadventure? This year, 2018, was a shock for me when I found out in my yearly routine checkup that I have been poisoned with palladium. It did not show up on previous heavy metals tests. I have never seen that extremely high level […]

Pamper Her from Head to Toe This Mother’s Day

For anyone seeking a unique Mother’s Day gift, a visit to Vitality Unlimited Spa provides a perfect opportunity to pamper the important women in our lives. The spa offers a serene setting where moms can enjoy relaxing treatments like massages, facials, and nail care that offer many health and wellness benefits.

MassagesMassages are excellent for reducing […]

Pancreatic Enzyme Therapy For Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Digestive enzymes are essential in the conversion of food to meet the energy needs of the body. They also function as catalysts in many biochemical processes. Enzyme deficiency is caused by either a specific organ functioning at less than optimal level or there is a lack of availability of the proper nutrients […]

Paradox of Alkaline Diet / Anti-Oxidant Supplements: Diametrical Effects of Too Much Too Good Stuffs

By Simon Yu, MD

Too much of what we think of as “good for you” might not be. However it might be even more harmful than you may think. Professor Randolph Howes, MD., Ph.D. spoke on the danger and myth of the virtue of anti-oxidant supplements at the ACAM (American College of Advanced Medicine) conference in […]

Parasite Guy on UFO and FUO: Aliens and Parasites

by Simon Yu, MD

Unknown to most Missourians, Missouri had a close encounter with UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) and aliens near Cape Girardeau before the famous Roswell incident happened in New Mexico in 1947. The source of the information was from one of my patients who is a university librarian who recently gave me a copy […]

Parasite Infections are Leading to Undiagnosed Health Problems for Veterans

Misdiagnosed, Undiagnosed and Untreated Special Attention to VA Hospital Administration

By Simon Yu, MD, Internal Medicine
USAR, Retired, Colonel, MC

In February 2017, I saw a 69 year old Vietnam veteran from Asheville, North Carolina with a high suspicion for parasite infection. He was told by his doctor that he has Blastocystis hominis and other undefined and unidentifiable […]

Parasite Medication Usage Disclaimer: Invisible, Inaudible, Intangible, Immeasurable Parasites

by Simon Yu, M.D.

Parasites are difficult to detect from a stool test unless there is an acute full blown infection. The stool test has been considered a gold standard test for over 100 years for parasite evaluation. If there are no parasites or parasite eggs detected, we are told there are no parasite problems. However, […]

Parasite Treatment Hacked by an MIT Engineer: Think Small, Dream Big for Pandemic

By Simon Yu, MD

A pandemic is coming. Time magazine’s May 15, 2017 front page cover reads, “Warning: We Are Not Ready for the Next Pandemic.” The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ranks a bird flu strain from China, H7N9, as the disease with the greatest potential to cause a pandemic – an infectious disease outbreak […]

Parasites and Meat Allergy: Collusion of Tick Bites and Mysterious Altered Immune Response

By Simon Yu, MD

Allergy to red meat is rare, but the incidence is rising, recognized by astute allergists. If you have an allergy, your immune system overreacts to an allergen by producing antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). A recent journal article on meat allergy by Wilson et al. (PubMed 2017) suggests unexpected IgE-mediated delayed-hypersensitivity […]

Parasites as a New, Emerging, Global Environmental Threat: A Paradigm Shift in Environmental Medicine

By Simon Yu, MD

Is it possible that parasites are still a problem as a global environmental problem in this modern age? Recently, I gave two similar lectures on parasites at the American Academy of Environmental Medicine in New Mexico and at the Medicine Week in Baden Baden, Germany in November, 2014. My lectures focused on […]

Parasites Without Borders at the White Man’s Graveyard: Asymmetric Paradox of Bacterial, Fungal and Animals Parasites

By Simon Yu, MD

Parasites have no borders. They can run, swim, fly, and time travel, becoming the kingpin of the evolutionary process of the Tree of Life. They can travel the Silk Road, sail the Pacific Ocean, or fly in a first class Dreamliner Boeing 777 or jumbo Airbus 380. Parasites do not discriminate […]

Parasitic Human Called Para-sapiens: Forgiveness for Nobel Prize Winners Gone Bad

By Simon Yu, MD

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published an article questioning the wisdom of the Nobel Prize. It was titled, “Five Decisions That Made the Nobel Prizes Look Bad”, published on October 9, 2016 in the Sunday news section, and written by Karl Ritter from the Associated Press.

Nobel Prizes cannot be revoked so the […]

Parasitologists in New Orleans for Hunger Games: Parasites and Cancer Metabolism

By Simon Yu, M.D.

The 89th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists was held in New Orleans, Louisiana in the summer of 2014. Most of the several hundred attendees were from universities around the United States and other countries. They were immunology/parasite/biology department teaching faculties including Masters and Ph.D. candidate students. Also, there were […]

Parenthood: Raising A Healthy, Happy & Eco-Friendly Baby

with Natalie Petty

You’ve read all the books, waited 9 months for the baby to arrive and then suddenly, you’re a parent. And despite all the books and apps you can read, nothing really preparers you for the task at hand.

Being a new parent is both exciting and frightening. This wonderful little human being is […]

Parenthood: Raising A Healthy, Happy & Eco-Friendly Baby

With Natalie Petty

One of the first questions we ask ourselves as new parents is: “How do I keep my baby happy?” Sometimes we will even settle for contentment, especially in those times when our little one is crying and crying and won’t settle. It breaks our heart, and we want to do anything we can […]

Parenthood: Raising A Healthy, Happy & Eco-Friendly Baby

with Natalie Petty

Babies are adorable, there is no denying that, but newborns don’t do a whole lot. It’s fun to watch them sleep and wiggle but that’s all there really is to it. Now that my son Jackson is 3 months old, he in finally starting to act like a little person. When you smile […]

Parenthood: Raising A Healthy, Happy & Eco-Friendly Baby

with Natalie Petty

It’s that time of year again. Christmas is upon us, and this year will be a very new experience for me. Last year at this time I was just finding out I was pregnant, and this year I have a beautiful, healthy 4-month-old little boy. He is the light of my life, and […]

Particle Pollution and Your Health

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

While cities all across the nation have made significant strides in cleaning up harmful air pollution over the last several decades, many areas in the United States – including the St. Louis metropolitan region – produce high enough concentrations of particulate matter that it can trigger illness, hospitalization and […]

Past Life and Metaphysical Concepts for Personal Growth Workshop March 22

March 22nd, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Held at My Office
Visit www.claytontherapy.com for location and directions

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside […]

Past Life and Metaphysical Concepts for Personal Growth Workshop Oct. 19 at The Center of Clayton

This workshop is for anyone interested in Past life or Present life Regression and wants to know more. Peggy Levinson LCSW has studied Present and Past Life Therapy with Dr. Brian Weiss, author of Many Lives, Many Masters, since 2013.

Join us in exploring deep states of relaxation and metaphysical approaches that can help get to […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Empowerment Workshop November 6

November 6, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Held at My Office.
Visit www.claytontherapy.com for location and directions.

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Transformation Workshop April 4

April 4, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Held at Silver Lining
Contact Peggy Levinson
For Registration: 314-644-3339

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside your […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Transformation Workshop Aug. 27

August 27, 7:30 – 9:30 pm Held Online Via ZOOM

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside your unconscious mind. She will […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Transformation Workshop August 15

August 15, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Held at My Office.
Visit www.claytontherapy.com for location and directions.

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Transformation Workshop January 21

January 21, 7:00 – 9:00 pm Visit www.claytontherapy.com for location and directions.

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside your unconscious mind. […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Transformation Workshop January 29

January 29, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Held at My Office.
Visit www.claytontherapy.com for location and directions.

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Transformation Workshop June 20

June 20, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Held at My Office.
Visit www.claytontherapy.com for location and directions.

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Transformation Workshop October 23

October 23, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Held at My Office.
Visit www.claytontherapy.com for location and directions.

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside […]

Past Life Regression and Personal Transformation Workshop Sept. 22

Sept. 22, 7:30 – 9:30pm Held Online Via ZOOM

Join us for a special seminar as Peggy Levinson shares with you how you can uncover memories from your past lives. Using a technique called past life regression. Peggy will guide you through the process of recalling these memories located deep inside your unconscious mind. She will explain […]

Patrick Henry Downtown Academy Recognized as 2023 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School

By Porscha Hayes, Show-Me Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

Photo: Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis Public Schools interim superintendent Dr. Nicole Williams join Patrick Henry Downtown Academy students and staff for a celebration of their award on May 3, 2023.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Congratulations are in order for Patrick Henry Downtown Academy and their awe-inspiring recognition […]

PCOS: A Common Female Hormone Disorder

PCOS stands for polycystic ovary syndrome. It is one of the most common female hormone disorders. This has been a hot topic lately because it is estimated that 50% of women who have PCOS are undiagnosed. Although PCOS is under diagnosed, that does not make it any less serious. PCOS is known to increase the […]

PEACE — A Poem

By Dr. Gail Cloud

I was recently so touched

It hit me deeply

And I was struck by how freely

His death was felt by so many

A celebrity who somehow was able to connect

From this he had such a great effect

From his outer personality and dancing

His primary way of talking and self enhancing

And yet inside, hidden deeply

Was a force […]

Peace Garden at St. Louis Earth Day Festival will feature world music, dance, poetry and hugs!

A melting pot of musicians, poets and dancers will gather and perform in Forest Park on the grounds of the Muny during the St. Louis Earth Day Festival April 21 and 22, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The performances, to be held in a unique space called the Peace Garden, will include dancers, storytellers, a […]

Peonies are Excellent Perennial Plants

By Ann Lapides

Peonies are perennial garden classics, adored the world over for their magnificent blossoms and heavenly fragrance. They are incredibly long-lived plants; some have been known to live 100 years! Superb as cut flowers, peonies have no rivals. Alone or in mixed bouquets, they have an ethereal beauty and an unforgettable perfume. Peonies are […]

Peonies are Excellent Perennial Plants

By Ann Lapides

Peonies are perennial garden classics, adored the world over for their magnificent blossoms and heavenly fragrance. They are incredibly long-lived plants; some have been known to live 100 years! Superb as cut flowers, peonies have no rivals. Alone or in mixed bouquets, they have an ethereal beauty and an unforgettable perfume. Peonies are […]

People Helping People

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Photo caption: My son and I planted a small container garden. We may have gotten overzealous with tomato plants, benefiting several friends and family members with backyard fruit.

How did August find us so quickly? With each lap around the sun, I try to do better about celebrating those around […]

Perennial City, Coming Full Circle Into Their 5th Year

Perennial City was founded in 2017 with a mission to help transform vacant, unused land into beautiful and productive urban farms through full circle food production. Now into their fifth year, founders Beth Grollmes-Kiefer and Tim Kiefer, along with their team of couriers diverts would-be waste from area landfills and transforming it into nutrient rich […]

Perennial Classes: The Ripple Effect of Reuse and Repair

Sustainability might seem intimidating, but with a little crafting and community, it can be fun. That’s where Perennial, a creative reuse non-profit in South St. Louis City, comes in. Perennial provides classes for adult beginners with the earth in mind. Using reclaimed materials, expert artists help participants build their creative confidence in woodworking, mosaics, bookbinding, […]

Perennial Gets Creative to Host Safe Clothing Swaps

At the beginning of pandemic Perennial, a sustainable non-profit workshop, paused their popular clothing swaps. “People were heartbroken, but they understood we needed time to figure out how to safely host an event that regularly attracted over 100 people to a small space,” says Perennial Executive Director, Katie Carpenter. After some brainstorming Perennial was able […]

Perfect Persimmons

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

It’s that time of year again in my backyard. A perfect persimmons harvest is going on. The mature native persimmon tree (diospyros virginiana), maybe 90 years old and 40 feet tall, is sharing its beautiful sweet peach colored fruits. Starting in September this tree drops its ping-pong size fruits onto the ground […]

Persimmons: Fruit Of The Gods

by Cindy Gilberg

In some areas of rural Midwest, where open meadows and pastures are bordered by deciduous woodlands, groves of persimmon trees grow. In late fall, they bear a multitude of delicious fruit that, when ripe, has a flavor reminiscent of apricots. It is highly valued by wildlife making it an important plant to add […]

Perspective: Consider the Environment in the Race For Missouri Governor

By Kathleen Logan Smith

When environmentalists look at candidates for the next Missouri governor, they could face quite a dilemma. Neither major party candidate distinguishes himself in care of our land, air and water.

Republicans have certainly been no friend of the environment – they tried to defeat efforts to create a 42-acre state park on the […]

Perspective: The Truth About Marijuana

By Linda Emmanuel

Up until the early 1900s, holistic doctors were prescribing and using cannabis (a/k/a marijuana or hemp) to treat disease. This was standard practice until allopathic medicine took control of the medical industry.

In 1942, cannabis was removed from the Pharmacopoeia, a reference for pharmaceutical drug preparation. Then in 1970, the government placed cannabis […]

Perspective: What Is Mycoplasma

By Linda Emmanuel

Mycoplasma are the smallest living organisms, even smaller than viruses. Mycoplasma are so small that they can cross the blood-brain barrier. A mycoplasma is the DNA strands of a bacterium, encased in a membrane. Since it has no cell wall, it is parasitic, needing a host for survival. There are 100+ species […]

Perspectives On Coronavirus

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

As the Coronavirus COVID-19 has spread across our communities there are still limited treatments available. 

Here are some steps that can be taken to boost your immune system and to aid in treating viruses. 

Immune enhancing suggestions

Get plenty of rest – sleep is essential for a healthy immune system. Maintain a healthy diet rich […]

Pesto Festo 2013 at the Ferguson Farmers Market

A community celebration of local FARMS: Food, Art, Relationships,
and Music — Sustainably!

by Rachel Levi
EarthDance Farm Education Coordinator

On Saturday, July 20th, EarthDance will be hosting Pesto Festo at the Ferguson Farmers Market (20 S. Florissant Rd). This free community celebration of local FARMS—Food, Art, Relationships, Music… Sustainably!—invites all market goers to revel in the basil season […]

Pet Expo Set For Oct. 20

BRING YOUR PET to the St. Louis Pet Expo on Saturday, October 20, 2012, from 10AM to 6PM, INDOORS at St. Charles Convention Center with FREE admission and FREE parking!

You’re welcome to BRING YOUR DOG, your bird or even your lizard – just make sure that you have proof of current age-appropriate immunizations (if applicable) […]

Pet Health Benefits: Study Shows Dogs And Cats May Make Kids Healthier

Dogs and cats may not just provide your family with love and constant companionship — they could also have a powerful effect on the health of children early in life, according to a small new study.

New research in the journal Pediatrics shows that children who live in a home with a pet during their first […]

Pet Health Care Concerns for Springtime Garage Cleaning

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Spring is upon us! Unseasonably warm, breezy evenings where choruses of spring peepers and intermittent barred owl hoots fill the darkness with harmonic melodies. I find myself outside earlier in the morning and later in the night, with two of my beloved canine companions, Bruno and George, tagging right along. They […]

Pet Loss and Human Emotion, A Circle of Compassion

by Suzanne Gassner

It’s Rosie,” the elderly gentleman said softly. “I think it’s time.”
Rosie’s back legs were limp. She was overweight, probably the result of good intentions taken to excess. Her eyes were a milky blue-gray, clouded by cataracts. And as we sat together he told me a kind of love story, of the joy a […]

Pet of the Month

Remi, Border Collie Catahoula Cur mix

Remi is four years old. She is an extremely smart working dog who loves to play. Her favorite game is fetch with her ball or sticks found outside. She gets super excited when the neighbors come over to play with her. Her mom nicknamed her “Roo Roo” because she loves […]

Pet of the Month

Buddy, the Cockapoo

Buddy is the perfect pup. Buddy loves chasing birds and catching field mice in his backyard. He is 4 ½ years old and loves all his family. He especially loves his mom and any other girls in the family. You’ll likely find him curled up by the fireplace, chewing a nice bone or […]

Pet of the Month: Milo, Cockapoo

Milo is a 5 ½-year-old boy who loves being with his mom and dad. He is an old soul who doesn’t like to play much and is completely happy just hanging out in his bed with a bone. He generally only comes out for food, and once the kids are in bed, he can get […]

PET OF THE MONTH: Storm, Pit Bull Mastiff

Our dog Storm is a healthy, vibrant dog with a ton of energy and personality. He’s a Pit-Bull Bull Mastiff mix that became part of our family in spring of 2021 when covid-19 had just become the new normal. 

We chose to adopt a Pit-Bull specifically because we felt that they are often unfairly labeled and […]

Pet of the Month: Toby, Pembroke Corgi

Toby is the love of my life right now. He is one year old and  has all the characteristics of the corgi. He’s cute, smart, witty, stubborn and most of all he’s very, very lovable on his own terms.

 He is what they call a super chewer. He chews everything from laundry that I’m trying to […]

Pet of the Month: Wiley, Snowshoe Cat

Meet Wiley (aka Baby Buddha”, aka “Pup”) He is our 11-year-old Snowshoe Cat. He is extremely friendly and loves being around people. He is called “Baby Buddha” at times because of the way he likes to sit. He is also referred to as “Pup” because we are sure he thinks he’s a dog; obeying commands […]

Pet Owners Beware! Summer Heat Can Prove Life Threatening for Your Beloved Pet!

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

We all love to share summer adventures in the sun with our beloved companions, but please beware!Dogs wear a coat of fur 24/7 and they lack the ability to sweat over their body surface, making them especially vulnerable to excess heat build-up and possibly, complete life threatening heat stroke.And worse yet, […]

Pets And Winter

Pets are happiest and healthiest when kept indoors, especially during extreme cold snaps. In many areas, winter is a season of bitter cold and numbing wetness.

The best prescription for winter’s woes is to keep your dog or cat inside with you and your family. The happiest dogs are those who are taken out frequently for […]

Phantom, Weird, Stranger Than You Can Imagine: Exorcism of the Weird People

By Simon Yu, MD

Are you weird? When I say weird people, I am not talking about some Hollywood characters with the most unusual bizarre behaviors in a fictional movie. Weirdness seems to have become a norm in Hollywood movies. How do you define weirdness when weird is the norm?

There are people suffering everyday with what […]

Phoenix Au Jus

O’Connell’s Pub Returns

By Jean Ponzi

Bagpipe skirls and burger essence wafted once more ‘round the emerald isle at Shaw and Kingshighway on Monday August 16, 2020. Tales from a banner year took another twist as local legend O’Connell’s Pub rose from ashes into a third life.

O’Connell’s closed on March 17, when COVID-19 overtook St. Louis. Ironic […]

Photo Meditations in the Garden

story & photos by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Parts of my garden are on sabbatical this year, or should I say this gardener is partially on sabbatical. My front gardens are lovely, the back ones are not. There are large areas of bare scorched earth and neglected weeds. An invasive groundcover (green agepodium) has crept into two […]

Piccione Pastry: Authentic Italian Desserts In The Loop

by Leah O’Donnell
Healthy Planet Lifestyles Editor

Start a new tradition by visiting St. Louis’ one-of-a-kind Italian pastry shop, Piccione Pastry. Just one bite of the “made from scratch” Italian desserts offered here and the tradition will become one to share with family, friends, co-workers, out of town guests, and of course a frequent treat for yourself. […]

PINK MUHLYGRASS: The Most Beautiful Missouri Native Grass

By Abby Lapides

A gorgeous Missouri native grass, Pink Muhlygrass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, is adored for its satin-like fine, thin green blades and stunning clouds of rich pink fall flowers. Its tall 12″ wands of airy pinkish-red flowers last for months and remain attractive though winter. It begins its spectacular show of pink plumes in September, with blooming continuing into November. Its […]

Placebo Effects on the Brain’s Inner Pharmacy: Quantum Uncertainty of Matching Reality with Expectation

By Simon Yu, MD

A placebo (Latin term for” I shall please”) treatment is considered a medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or medical condition intended to deceive the patient while professing to help the patient. According to the British Medical Journal published in 2004, 60% of the physicians in Israel used placebos in their medical […]

Plan A Meditation Class For Yourself or Group

by Shirley Stoll

Meditation is an effective way to find inner peace by connecting with the unchanging silence within you. Practicing meditation allows you to weave silence and stillness into your mind and body.

One of the most common myths about meditation is a belief that you must force your mind to be quiet when you meditate. […]

Plan For A Pet-Safe Thanksgiving

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Thanksgiving is that wonderful time of year, our woodlands adorned with fall flora, cool weather changes, and the portal for Christmas and New Year’s seasons following close behind. What’s to Worry?!?!? All that great food! Bad for our waistlines, and maybe, worse for our beloved pets!!

So many goodies! The general rule […]

Plan For A Pet-Safe Thanksgiving Holiday

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Thanksgiving is that wonderful time of year, our woodlands adorned with fall flora, cool weather changes, and the portal for Christmas and New Year’s seasons following close behind. What’s to Worry?!?!? All that great food! Bad for our waistlines, and maybe, worse for our beloved pets!!

So many goodies! The general rule […]

Plan For A Pet-Safe Thanksgiving Holiday

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Thanksgiving is that wonderful time of year, our woodlands adorned with fall flora, cool weather changes, and the portal for Christmas and New Year’s seasons following close behind. What’s to Worry?!?!? All that great food! Bad for our waistlines, and maybe, worse for our beloved pets!!

So many goodies! The general rule […]

Plan For A Pet-Safe Thanksgiving Holiday!

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Thanksgiving is that wonderful time of year, our woodlands adorned with fall flora, cool weather changes, and the portal for Christmas and New Year’s seasons following close behind. What’s to Worry?!?!? All that great food! Bad for our waistlines, and maybe, worse for our beloved pets!!

So many goodies! The general rule […]

Plan Now For Green Living Festival At Missouri Botanical Garden June 2

A Full Fun Day of Sustainable Lifestyle Options
Saturday, June 2, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Missouri Botanical Garden

By Jean Ponzi

What energy-saving actions will work best where you live?

How can you reduce waste through reusing, recycling and composting?

How can plants grow healthier practices for you, and for our environment?

Local vendors, conversations and demos of options like […]

Plan Now For Sustainable Backyard Tour In June

Area-wide Sustainable Backyard Tour Returns June 22nd. Join us for a homesteading, landscaping, outdoor living experience like no other. Public Meeting February 9.

by Terry Winkelmann

The 4th annual Sustainable Backyard Tour, held each year in June, is becoming a much-anticipated event heralding the outdoor season in St. Louis. That’s because the Tour is a unique opportunity […]

Plan Now To Be A Part Of The 50th Anniversary Of Earth Day at Festival In Forest Park April 25-26

Sponsorships And Booth Registrations Now Available

In 2020, the entire world will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – first held on April 22, 1970. On that day, 20 million Americans across the country demonstrated for a healthy and sustainable future in massive coast-to-coast rallies that achieved an alignment of political parties and special interests. […]

Plan Your Own Native Garden Tours

By Mitch Leachman, Coordinator, St. Louis Open Yards

Native plants are simply plants that naturally occurred in an area prior to human settlement. Gardening with natives, instead of traditional ornamental non-native plants, seems straightforward. Fortunately, native plants are quite readily available these days, thanks to efforts like Grow Native! which generates public awareness of the value […]

Plant a Garden for Fall

By Crystal Stevens

August just might be the hottest month of the year in the Midwest. Don’t let that deter you from planting a fall garden. There is still time to have fresh homegrown produce for fall. Most fall crops are started from seed in May, June and July. In August, if you haven’t already started […]

Plant A Mission Garden

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Most of us have heard of Victory Gardens. These were gardens that were needed to help grow food for survival during the world wars. Home gardeners helped the war effort on the home front since the farmers were off at war. One by one, on private and public land, small gardens grew […]

Plant For Pollinators!

Article Courtesy of Forrest Keeling Nursery

Everyone loves butterflies and other pollinators. But these winged workers are also critical to our survival. Did you know that one of every three bites of food you eat depends on a pollinator? Many farmers create special homes for pollinators near production fields.

Pollination can occur by wind or water, but […]

Plant More Flowers, For The Bees

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

As if gardeners needed an excuse to plant more flowers, there is an urgent need to do so now. If you plant flowers, bees will come. Bees need flowers and we need more bees, native bees especially. Research done by St. Louis University’s Center for Sustainability found that urban areas have more […]

Planting A Green Screen

By Cindy Gilberg

Privacy is the number one reason people want a fence or screen in their landscape. They can escape the outer world and have their own space, a quiet oasis. And of course there is always that undesirable view to obscure—the neighbor’s trash cans, playground, doghouse, etc. In many neighborhoods, the prevalent plant that […]

Plants That Will “Blue” Your Mind

By Abby Lapides

Bring beautiful shades of blue to your garden all summer long with these delights.

‘Stand By Me’ Bush Clematis (pictured). Once it starts blooming it never stops! Stand By Me Bush Clematis paints the garden with dangling bell shaped blue flowers  from late May into October. Its fantastic flowers, tremendous vigor, and proven performance […]

Plastic Bags and Wraps Impact the Single-Stream Recycling Process

Most people know that recycling is good for the planet and that it’s the right thing to do. People also understand they play a role in recycling efforts, that’s why so many people regularly participate in recycling programs offered in their communities. But few people are sure of what exactly to do with the various […]

Plastic Bags and Wraps Impact the Single-Stream Recycling Process

Most people know that recycling is good for the planet and that it’s the right thing to do. People also understand they play a role in recycling efforts, that’s why so many people regularly participate in recycling programs offered in their communities. But few people are sure of what exactly to do with the various […]

Plowsharing Crafts Volunteer is Designer of New Earrings from Cambodian Artisans

Unexploded ordinance and the casings from military guns litter the Cambodian countryside, a legacy left by decades of war in Southeast Asia. Cambodian silversmiths are using gun shell casings to fashion jewelry, reshaping the raw materials of war to promote a new legacy of peace.

The Cambodian peace dove jewelry made from the shell casings has […]

Poetry As A Spiritual Practice Retreat

©2013, Kimberly V. Schneider

And when the time comes
(however untimely)
let go
again
of everything you’ve known.
Be a portal to the possible:
a vessel through which
new realities
may
be born.
~from the poem The Wisdom of Mary,

©2012, Kimberly V. Schneider

Poetry is experiencing a renaissance, in part because modern poets like Mary Oliver, John O’Donohue and David Whyte, authors such as Caroline Kennedy (Poems […]

Politics & Environment

by Don Fitz

Politics pervades every aspect of environmental activities, from relations between nations to governmental financial decisions to personal behavior. July 2013 Green Time TV explores government claims of inability to fund environmental legislation, destruction of land in Palestine, global failure to protect forests, and eating meat.

Did you ever wonder why the government is always […]

Pollinator Powerhouses

Attracting beautiful flying creatures such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and hard working bees to your garden is a snap with these natural beauties.

By Abby Lapides

Globe Thistle, Echinops ritro, features intense blue decorative spheres on tall 3-4′ stems. A highly ornamental plant, its striking blue balls of flowers bring a one-of-a-kind look to the landscape. Its fascinating […]

Pomme de Terre River and Lake

By the MCE staff

The beef processing facility Missouri Prime Beef Packers is proposing to discharge 350,000 gallons per day of their waste directly into the Pomme de Terre River, which flows into Pomme de Terre Lake. This facility is located in Polk County outside Pleasant Hope, Missouri. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is […]

Pond-O-Rama Set For June 22 & 23 with Numerous Ponds On Tour

Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Center on 2013 Pond-O-Rama Tour

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society’s Pond-O-Rama will include an important part of Missouri history in its 2013 pond and garden tour—the Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Center in St. Charles. The museum exhibits, which tell the story of the great westward exploration, attempt to […]

Pond-O-Rama: Stroll Through Lovely Gardens and Ponds The Weekend of June 27th and 28th

For months we have been sheltering from the storm of the Covid-19 virus. It has been an unusual time as we have all managed to do so many ordinary and extraordinary things that fill our days. 

June is the perfect time of year to enjoy the outdoors, take a stroll, refresh your outlook, and enjoy the […]

Pooch Power: The Healing of Four Paws

by Dr. James Feinberg
Child Clinical Psychologist

Ask any pet owner, young or old, about their dog and a large smile will come across their face, their mood will brighten, and they will offer to show you various photos of their dear ones on their smart phone. Those of us who live with dogs and other mammals […]

Population Institute Names 34th Annual Global Media Award Winners

The Population Institute handed out its 34th annual Global Media Awards recently in Washington D.C. The recipients made a significant contribution to public discussion and understanding of population and family planning related issues. The Population Institute is proud to recognize these individuals and news outlets for their journalistic excellence and valuable insights.

Earthworms with host Jean […]

POT For Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

As most of us are aware, marijuana use is becoming more widespread throughout the United States and Canada. Legal constraints are slowly being loosened. As of this writing, twenty eight states and the District of Columbia have passed laws allowing for either medical or recreational use of marijuana. Much to the dismay […]

Power of Story

By Dr. Gail Cloud

 I want to talk about the power of story. Just as it is important to move your body, it is important to tell your story and tell your families stories.

In families, stories get lost and often secrets remain. 

If we think about it, what family doesn’t deal at some time with loss, embarrassing […]

Practice Breathing and Improve Your Health

By Dr. Amy Davis

People frequently live in a chronic state of fight or flight.  This creates a long term drain on your energy and health.  The negative impacts on your body may include fatigue, weight gain, poor digestion, sleep problems, memory and concentration impairment, anxiety and depression, heart disease, osteoporosis etc.  It’s very important for […]

Practice Breathing and Improve Your Health

By Dr. Amy Davis

People frequently live in a chronic state of fight or flight. This creates a long term drain on your energy and health. The negative impacts on your body may include fatigue, weight gain, poor digestion, sleep problems, memory and concentration impairment, anxiety and depression, heart disease, osteoporosis etc. It’s very important […]

Practice Breathing And Improve Your Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

People frequently live in a chronic state of fight or flight. This creates a long term drain on your energy and health. The negative impacts on your body may include fatigue, weight gain, poor digestion, sleep problems, memory and concentration impairment, anxiety and depression, heart disease, osteoporosis etc. It’s very important […]

Practicing Pain Relief at Home

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

Getting a massage from a licensed professional at Vitality Unlimited Spa is a great way to help manage pain or handle stress. However, what you do afterward is essential too! After your therapist helps release your pain and tension, the results will eventually start […]

Prairie Plantings: The Basis for Sustainable Development in the Midwest

By Carol Davit, Executive Director
of Missouri Prairie Foundation

I recently scanned the pages of the business journal of a Missouri city. The renderings in an article about new construction projects illustrated sleek new buildings—some even touted as “sustainable”—yet in every drawing, the vegetation surrounding the buildings looked the same, like a stippled green afterthought.

Initiatives like LEED […]

Prairie Pleasures and Treasures

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

“If you plant it, they will come.”

These are the words of my friend Christine, who with her husband Gary, have lived for the last seventeen years on ten acres of restored native prairie, savannah and woodland. They planted it and have seen them come. The plants call to the insects, pollinators, birds, […]

Praying and Planting Trees for Peace

By Phil Berwick

THE PRAYING: As professionals in the Healthy Planet, we keep our columns focused on what we do in our trades and crafts. But I am aware, that the events in Ferguson have been written, spoken about and filmed from one end of the world to the other. So with a philosophical tree saw […]

Pre-Preexisting Conditions as a Biological Time Bomb: New Era of Covid, Post-Covid, and Cancer Epidemics

By Simon Yu MD

If you have a preexisting condition like obesity, diabetes or hypertension, you are more susceptible to severe Covid, Post-Covid Syndrome, or post-vaccination related complications. There is no dispute about working to reduce the danger of preexisting conditions: better control for diabetes, hypertension and obesity. 

How about pre-preexisting conditions? Do you have any that […]

Preparing To Get Pregnant? Now Is The Time to Optimize Your Health

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

As many of you know, I’m the father of two. These blessings didn’t come without struggles. I’ve lived through recurrent pregnancy loss and other complications, which has given me the opportunity to learn more about how the health of the parents affect fertility and any future pregnancy. Because of my experiences, […]

Preserving The Harvest

By Crystal Stevens, Author, Teacher, Artist, Farmer

This is the most bountiful time at farmers markets throughout the region. The fall harvest is abundant, as the farmers have been working for months planting seeds, building soil, cultivating rows, and harvesting crops. Autumn is a perfect time to preserve vegetables for the winter. Imagine a freezer and […]

Presidential Garden

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

As gardeners we can turn our attention from the 2012 Presidential election to a Presidential garden of long ago. Although it was over 200 years ago that Thomas Jefferson created a 1000-foot long vegetable garden with adjoining orchard and vineyard, what Jefferson did with it was revolutionary at the time and still […]

Preventing Vision Loss In Older Adults

By Denise S. Pott, LCSW,
Assistance Home Care

Vision loss is a common manifestation of aging. According to the American Association for the Blind, more than 6.5 million Americans over 65 have a severe visual impairment. The three most common causes of major vision loss among seniors are: Macular degeneration, Glaucoma and Cataracts.

These ailments have been called […]

Preventing, Treating & Reversing Cardiovascular Disease

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer in America. It is also preventable. We all have someone close to us dealing with cardiovascular disease. Whether it is high blood pressure, clogged arteries, or maybe they had a heart attack, we all know someone.

The answer to heart disease is simple: stop doing […]

Prickly Pear

by Cindy Gilberg

In June, the large and delicate yellow flowers of our native prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa) appear at the tips of its rounded ‘pads’, or leaves. After attracting many native bees that come to collect pollen and nectar, oblong red fruit ripens—which is the “pear” part of this unusual hardy succulent. Species of […]

Product Launch: Energy Therapy Body Scrubs

By Diane Wilson

Experience a Difference!

After much long work, I am proud to announce my launch of a new line of Crimson Cre8ive Energy Therapy Body Scrubs. I have been diligently working and testing combinations that will actually result in energy & frequency transformation. These are not your typical salt scrubs: Not only are they a […]

Professional Patient Jane on Curing Stage 4 Cancer: Reverse Engineering Chronic Fatigue or Cancer

By Simon Yu MD

Several years ago, I wrote about a Wall Street lawyer who became ill, was unable to work with severe fatigue, and was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He made a small fortune on the Wall Street, and he was able to quit his job, and pursue his medical recovery full time. I […]

Professional Patient Named Bob: Operation Open Sesame

By Simon Yu, MD

Who is Bob? Bob is a retired Wall Street lawyer from New York. He has been on a mission searching for the answer to his mysterious chronic fatigue. He quit his job. He thought he was “burned out” while making good money under so much pressure from Wall Street. Poor guy! Even […]

Profiles Of Those Who Make the World Greener

<h3>Greenscape Garden & Gifts
Mission Gardening: A Victory for the Environment</h3>

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Jennifer Loyet-Schamber and her family have owned Greenscape Garden & Gifts in Manchester, MO for twenty years. Jennifer is a major force in the region promoting sustainable gardens and landscapes. She brings the understanding of how and why each and every home garden can […]

Progesterone “The Forgotten Hormone”

By Dr. Steve Zielinski,
Pharm.D, FACA
Colonial Village Pharmacy

Before menopause occurs, usually the balance between progesterone and estrogen falls out of balance causing symptoms similar to Peri-Menopause.

While estrogen production drops almost 50% during menopause, many of the menopausal symptoms begin before the drop in estrogen levels occur. There is a book by R. LEE titled Natural Progesterone […]

Promoting Green Buildings For 20 Years In St. Louis Area

By Hannah Roth 2021 Chair, Board of DirectorsUSGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

2021 has been a significant year for the St. Louis region and the global community. This is our 20th year catalyzing green and healthy places. We at the U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter continue to play a vital role in the greening of our region. […]

Proper Tree Pruning: When More Is Less and Less Is More

by Phil Berwick, Certified ISA Arborist

Warm days woo woody vessels to open, while winds exercise the boughs in coordination with the trees’ inner plumbing and pumping. If trimming happens as trees awaken, then preferably only dead wood should be taken.

Oaks and Elms must have tree paint applied if they must be trimmed, for open pruning […]

Protect Your Pets At Holiday Time

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Christmas is a wonderful time for family and friends to share the miracle of life, with all the love and merriment of the holiday season. Our homes are adorned with holiday lighting, poinsettia plants and mistletoe. Lots of goodies like brownies and other wonderfully fattening foodstuffs, and of course, the central […]

Protect Your Pets From The Dangers of the Christmas Tree

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Christmas is a wonderful time for family and friends to share the miracle of life, with all the love and merriment of the holiday season. Our homes are adorned with holiday lighting, poinsettia plants and mistletoe. Lots of goodies like brownies and other wonderfully fattening foodstuffs, and of course, the central […]

Protecting Irreplaceable Trees from Lightning

By Wendell Phillips “Phil” Berwick

 The St Louis region is no stranger to the sound of crackling storms and broken trees. And the carpenter prophet from Nazareth, who said toward the end of this age, there will be an increase in earthquakes in various places, was from the Mid-East. He would have spoken of an increase […]

Protecting Our Communities and Ourselves

By Don Fitz

People need to actively to protect themselves from poisons toxins like Agent Orange and rubber mulch. Challenges to communities include infrastructure issues such as storm water control and planned overdevelopment. January 2015 episodes of Green Time TV explore these issues.

Is it too extreme to talk about use of Agent Orange as chemical warfare? […]

Pruning Wounds: Paint or No Paint?

By Phil Berwick
Living Tree Care

Once upon a time, when a branch was pruned off, the wound was covered with a ‘tree paint’. ‘Tree paints’ at that time were petroleum based and could inhibit callous growth formation from sealing over the wound.

A government research forester in the 70’s, Dr. Alex Shigo set out to show the […]

Publisher’s Corner

Urban Farming, Lanterns and Our Next Expo

Everyone is talking about urban farming these days and with good reason. Whether it’s creating neighborhood gardens in the “food deserts” of our inner cities, or the modest suburban vegetable garden, “home-grown” has benefits beyond measure. I figure there must be some farmer in my genealogy because I love […]

Publisher’s Corner

Two Friends, Two Views, One Lively Lunch

Two friends have been meeting for lunch almost every day for two years now. Both men are in their 60s and one says he’s always voted left of center (we’ll call him LOC) and the other man says he’s right of center (we’ll call him ROC). In the last […]

Publisher’s Corner

A Boy And His Baseball

My life changed forever on Wednesday, September 19, 2012. It was a beautiful night for baseball, as Harry Caray used to say. My wife Niki and I had scored some great seats to the Cardinal game against the Houston Astros. Section 164, row 3, seat 9 to be exact. An aisle […]

Publisher’s Corner

God’s Little Sixth Acre

I, like so many other people, live in a very modest suburban home. We have about a sixth of an acre lot in Webster Groves. My wife and I love to garden and work in the yard. We pride ourselves in trying to create the most sustainable and eco-friendly home and garden […]

Publisher’s Corner

Welcome spring, the season of renewal

Even though STL winter wasn’t as cold and snowy as winter’s past, most of us still welcome spring. The longer days and increased sunlight trigger the body’s production of serotonin, which promotes a sense of well-being and can help reduce stress. Warmer weather encourages outdoor activities, which can connect us […]

Publisher’s Corner

This is our January “New Year” Self-Improvement edition. You will find many New Year Tips from many of our friends and clients. I am sure you will find something in these pages that will help you improve the quality of your life. I was once told that the term “self improvement” was incorrect and that […]

Publisher’s Corner: Answering The Call Of The Wild

Light morning rain begins to fall as a Gray Jay rustles in the trees just above us. The mountains cast a blue gray reflection on Sprague Lake, 8690 feet above sea level in Rocky Mountain National Park. The hike around the lake is an easy trek and the views are spectacular. My sister Jill and […]

Publisher’s Corner: Every Day We Can Give Thanks

I’m sure the mention of November brings Thanksgiving to almost everyone’s mind. A time to be thankful, get together with friends and family, and of course, eat some specific food you’ve been waiting for all year.

When my family lived in St. Louis, I often cooked Thanksgiving dinner. About 14 of us were there, so it […]

Publisher’s Corner: It’s Official, I’m Old!

Well it’s official, I am now a senior citizen, and eligible for all that entails as of July 28 when I turn 65. Other than Medicare I am still looking for the perks of getting old. I have so much more wisdom than I did when I was in my 20s but what I have […]

Publisher’s Corner

Thanks Mom!

As the Healthy Planet magazine embarks into our 20th year of service in the St. Louis area, we are so pleased to be your ongoing source for healthy and green resources. For me, there is no better job in the world and I am very fortunate to be doing what I love – publishing! […]

Publisher’s Corner

Expo Time – Crystal Gets Published – Why I like Facebook

Time again for celebrating the first weekend of Autumn at our Natural Living Expo, Sept. 25 at the Webster Groves Recreation Center. This is going to be one of the best Expos ever as we have Mark Holland and Carol Eder providing live music during […]

Publisher’s Corner

It’s A Guy Thing!

I spent a lot of ink last month praising the women in my life both at work and at home. Now I want to give fair time to the men in my life, too. I realize that only 16% of our readers are men according to all the readership surveys we have […]

Publisher’s Corner

My New Year Predictions

POLITICS
2018 is going to be a year to remember for all you politicos out there. President Trump’s second year in office will bring both good and bad tidings for POTUS, including a surprising ruling from special prosector Bob Mueller. Someone close to the president will most likely be found guilty of a […]

Publisher’s Corner

LOVE Defined

No matter how you define it, LOVE is a driving force in human behavior. Just the mere mention of the word has created relationships that have lasted a lifetime and made the cold-footed dodo run for extinction instead of face a committed relationship. Some people have a hard time dropping the “L” word for […]

Publisher’s Corner

“Creative Chaos” …goodbye Prickles… 37th Expo

One of our clients called yesterday to say she wants to stop by my office to drop off some tickets to an event. Oh, no, what am I going to do? No one ever actually stops by in person anymore. Business is done totally by email, phone, text, Facebook, LinkedIn, […]

Publisher’s Corner

Summer of ‘69
Blastoffs and First Steps

In the Summer of 1969, there was much ado about everything. I had just graduated high school and adventure awaited. I joined up with a construction crew as a summer job that would be laying telephone cable underground in Elsberry, Missouri. It was the chance of a lifetime to work […]

Publisher’s Corner

Joey Is Out Of The Pouch and Into Our Lives

In this crazy, mixed-up world of ours, it calms me greatly to think that life continues to come and go no matter what the news cycle brings. On July 22 at 4:27 pm, Joseph John Hunt V was born to my daughter Stephanie and her husband […]

Publisher’s Corner

Walking The Yard and Look Out It’s Roof Ball Time!

My 6-year-old grandson Jackson and I spend a lot of time walking around our yard talking about the plants, animals, insects and just life in general. Special moments for both of us. “Hey, Hopete (that’s what he calls me), how come you don’t have any tomatoes?” […]

Publisher’s Corner

A Pumpkin Tale

Jackson walked through the giant Halloween pumpkin patch looking at all the wonderful pumpkins with his mom. “Come on Jackson, pick one,” his mother said with her cart already full of pumpkins and gourds for her Halloween porch display. Jackson got to pick his own pumpkin this year and he wanted just the […]

Publisher’s Corner

Being Thankful For Peace of Mind

In November, we celebrate Thanksgiving with a meal and spending time with family and friends. It is a good time to reflect and consider what you are thankful for. By the time you get to my age, 68, you realize you are thankful for so many things as you look […]

Publisher’s Corner

My Greatest Holiday Memory

The holidays bring back memories of more than sugar plums and reindeer. I have had 67 Christmases and of course can only remember about 64 of those. Old photos and videos certainly help. And I wanted to write about “my favorite Christmas” this year, but it is almost impossible to choose. There […]

Publisher’s Corner

Make Yourself Number One

First I want to say I am not a therapist or a relationship counselor. But I am 68 years old and the father of two grown daughters with a history of love and heartache. I have been married twice. So that at least makes me an experienced participant in affairs of the […]

Publisher’s Corner

Which side of history will you be on?

These can be trying times when talking politics. One of my good friends, doesn’t like Trump, but he thinks the president has been treated unfairly by the Democrats. He also blames the “liberal press” for much of Trump’s woes. I give him the “Trump reaps what he sows” […]

Publisher’s Corner

Hunkered Down? Read us online, too!

These are times that try our souls. Life as usual has been postponed or canceled due to Covid-19. Even as we would like to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, our planet has been brought to its knees by the spread of this deadly virus. This […]

Publisher’s Corner

S.O.S. … A Note from a “Real” Small Business;

Needless to say, times are tough. The month of May is going to be a time of great trial for all citizens of the world. As people clamor to get back to some sense of normalcy, it appears we might be turning the corner on the COVID-19 […]

Publisher’s Corner

Who Was That Masked Man?

In this age of COVID-19, we have learned once again how anything, I mean anything, can turn political. I heard from a physician, (not knowing or caring his political leaning), that if you wear a face mask and wash your hands 10 times a day (or hand sanitizer if soap and […]

Publisher’s Corner

“Be The Change You Wish To See In The World”

During these times of pandemic and social injustice, our resolve as human beings is being tested like never before. The challenges of life and death have hit close to home and yet many choose to deny or at least retreat from the realities of the day. […]

Publisher’s Corner

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good. My wife Niki and I had tickets to see Hamilton at the Fox Theater this past Spring, but like so many other things, the performance was canceled due to the pandemic. So Niki was very pleased to see that it was available with original cast as a movie […]

Publisher’s Corner

Close Encounter Of The Avian Kind

I was sitting on the front porch in my Adirondack chair, made from recycled plastic bottles, when along came a sparrow and landed on the railing next to me. He looked right at me then looked around the yard and then back at me, chirped something then flew off to […]

Publisher’s Corner

Let Your Vote Be Your Voice

We sit night after night watching the news, reading newspapers and social media and taking issue with what we see and hear about politics. Then we talk to our friends, family and coworkers and share our opinions, often rather passionately. All of that blustering means absolutely nothing if you don’t […]

Publisher’s Corner

Give Thanks, Mask Up, Save Lives

November is a time of transition. We shift our seasons and by the time most of you read this, we will have shifted some of the power in our country, too. Most elections, like seasons, are about change. And for some, change couldn’t come soon enough. For others change is […]

Publisher’s Corner

Don’t Let The Door Hit You 2020

There is little doubt that 2020 was a bad year. Horrific in so many ways. So if there was ever a time to throw out the old and welcome the new, 2021 is the year to do that. The bar has been set very low so 2021 already feels […]

Publisher’s Corner

A Breath Of Fresh Air

There is a new wind that blew into Washington D.C. on January 20, and for those of us who consider ourselves “Planet People”, it is a breath of fresh air. So much of what has been done over the past four years needs to be reversed to help get our planet […]

Publisher’s Corner

It’s About People, Not Politics

As the snow melts and temperatures rise, there is reason for some optimism. Pandemic numbers are declining and vaccinations are slowly reaching the arms of those who want them. It has been a very tough winter as Mother Nature, angered by global climate change, has brought us the results of our […]

Publisher’s Corner

The Vaccine Maze

I got my first round of the Pfizer vaccine this past week and I am scheduled to get my second dose in a couple of weeks. I am one of the fortunate ones. Missouri has been called a vaccine desert because so few vaccines are available. People, elderly people, are driving hundreds of […]

Publisher’s Corner

Beginning Our 25th Year By Repurposing Our Magazine Online

As The Healthy Planet magazine begins our 25th year in business, I can’t help but remember that first Earth Day Festival back in 1997 in Tower Grove Park. I set up a booth offering copies of our fledgling magazine to a friendly, like-minded crowd. It was well […]

Publisher’s Corner

A Time To Grow      

June is one of my favorite months. Spring has really sprung, summer is almost here and life is blooming again as the covid-19 pandemic is waning. We should be cautiously optimistic. If you have not gotten vaccinated, you better wear a mask and stay away from crowds. If you are fully […]

Publisher’s Corner

Sorrow In Our Family

The other night I was sitting on the loveseat watching my 8-year-old grandson Jackson playing a video game while I was feeding a bottle to my 5-week-old grandson Cooper. This would have been such a special moment for me if it were not for the sudden and tragic loss of Cooper’s father […]

Publisher’s Corner

Welcome September, and welcome readers back to print!

I’m so excited that The Healthy Planet Magazine is once again a print publication. We’ll also stay online, but I know many people look forward to picking up the monthly edition at your favorite location. We’ve all been working hard trying to get everything written and published.

When I […]

Publisher’s Corner

Salute To Indie Business

Every July 4 we celebrate our nation’s independence with fireworks, cotton candy, parades and flag waving. I started thinking about what it takes to be independent — the trials and hardships of going it on your own without ties to someone or something else providing safety, security and most of all finances. […]

Publisher’s Corner

Season of Memories

After the last pumpkin is carved and the Halloween costumes are put back in the steamer trunk for another year, it’s time to dust off the cookbooks and prepare for the holiday smorgasbord. Thanksgiving was always a special time for the Lester and Barnard clans when I was growing up. The old phrase, […]

Publisher’s Corner

Celebrating Our 16th Birthday with a Return To Mayberry

I used to turn on the news first thing in the morning while getting ready to go to work. Being a journalist, it is part of my DNA to catch up on the latest events of the day. But lately I have taken a break from […]

Publisher’s Corner

Fatherhood, the Best Job in the World…
(Except maybe for Grandfatherhood)

June is known for perhaps the best weather of the year in St. Louis, that first (or second or third) trip to Ted Drewes, and of course Father’s Day. I was thinking of writing a column about being a father, but instead have opted for a […]

Publisher’s Corner

Back To The Land
(Even In The Suburbs)

It’s amazing how connected we become with the land around us. Whether it be 142 acres in rural Missouri or 1/4 of an acre in suburbia — humans have a keen relationship with the flora and fauna within their immediate environs. Take for example our little plot of land […]

Publisher’s Corner

The Pride Of The Pride

My daughter Natalie gave birth to my first grandchild on July 23. Jackson James Petty is a healthy 8 lb 12 oz bouncing baby boy with a full head of hair. Sorry Jackson, heredity may dictate losing that mop top before you would like. But for now, bask in the glory […]

Publisher’s Corner

We can see so much from our front porch. My wife Niki and I sit outside almost every day the weather permits. I once commented that people in the city tend to sit on their front porches while people in the county mostly sit on their back decks. I wonder why more people don’t sit […]

Publisher’s Corner

Healthy Planet Hosts 26th Natural Living Expo, Oct. 20 In Webster Groves

I want to personally invite you to our 26th Natural Living Expo Sunday, October 20, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Webster Groves Recreation Center, 33 E. Glendale Road, 63119 (I-44 at Elm Avenue) in Webster Groves.

Our Fall Expo will include more […]

Publisher’s Corner

Comes To Mind On Deadline

Sometimes nothing prolific comes to mind on deadline. That is why we columnists do these quick hits of thought geared to tickle your fancies and perhaps raise the hair on your neck.

Leaves are falling, floating to the ground while squirrels scurry to hide their winter cache. It’s Autumn, summer has left […]

Publisher’s Corner

The Holidays & Old Friends

The Holidays are a time for celebrating with good friends and family. Even though the weather outside might be frightful, good friends are so delightful. Nothing warms your heart more than a trusted old friend. And that brings me to my my warmest old friend Charlie. Charlie is always there for […]

Publisher’s Corner

February: A Test Of Patience

February is a month of “patience” for me. And perhaps for everyone else as well. Winter lingers on in St. Louis and everything is usually frozen in time. February is the caboose of winter. And like a motorist waiting at the crossing, we count the cars and wonder how long until […]

Publisher’s Corner

Spring Expo Has It All!

If I do say so myself, our Natural Living Expo on March 30 in Webster Groves has the best line up of exhibitors, entertainment and giveaway goodies ever! The first weekend of Spring is sure to please all our expo visitors as our 27th event has more than 70 vendors offering […]

Publisher’s Corner

Earth Day is About Working Together
All 7 Billion of Us!

I was asked in a radio interview recently why I thought the environmental movement has come such a long way since we started The Healthy Planet magazine in 1997. Or why there has been such an outcry of support for Green & Natural Living since the […]

Publisher’s Corner

Dog Days of May and Other Musings

Our long awaited Spring has finally sprung. And plants and people are popping with delight. May is one of the busiest months of the year, next to October. There is so much going on but none as tail wagging as Bark in the Park, May 17 in Forest Park. […]

Publisher’s Corner

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

I have been thinking about my father recently. Maybe because Father’s Day comes up in June. I was thinking what it would have meant to me to have a cell phone when I was 20 years old and vagabonding through Europe with a friend. If I had a smart phone back then, […]

Publisher’s Corner

Summer is My Season!

My grandson Jackson turned one on July 23. The summer Cicada serenaded his special day with a buzzing rendition of “Happy Birthday.” My little Leo celebrated a chicken and mac and cheese dinner at the Llywelyn’s Pub as we raised a glass of brew in his honor. The big shebang will be […]

Publisher’s Corner

I’ve Got Mail

Everyone loves to get mail. There is a psychological connection between the mail we get and our self worth. The more mail you get, the more you are loved or are some sort of VIP. There is nothing more exciting than coming home and opening up the mail box and seeing a letter […]

Publisher’s Corner

A Holiday Message (and a few tangents)

One of the best things about being 63 years old is the many holiday memories that come to mind this time of year. All the wonderful Thanksgivings at my Uncle Jim’s and Aunt Begie’s home with all the family. The Christmas mornings with my brother Bill and sister Jill. […]

Publisher’s Corner

Love Has Many Faces

You know what they say, “Love makes the world go round.” “Love is a many splendored thing.” “All you need is Love.” “Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.” It’s clear that Love has many faces, meanings and interpretations. The bards have spent countless ink […]

Publisher’s Corner

Every Day is Earth Day

By Susan Hunt-Bradford

I grew up in the Adirondacks in northern New York, in Lake George. It was and still is the most idyllic place I’ve ever been.

Although Missouri and Illinois have beautiful scenery that can also be breathtaking, there is something unbelievably special about Lake George and the Adirondacks. Lake George […]

Publisher’s Corner

Susan Hunt-Bradford

It’s been quite the year!

In June 2022, I took over as publisher of The Healthy Planet Magazine. It has been an incredible experience, not without its challenges, but I’m always up for a good challenge.

I’ve learned so much about the publishing business in the past year. I’ve met our readers at events like Earth […]

Publisher’s Corner

August: Summer isn’t over yet!

By Susan Hunt-Bradford

Trying to find a way to be outdoors and deal with the heat can be a challenge but can also be fun. The Missouri Department of Conservation has a great event: Nocturnal by Nature, a free nighttime event Saturday, Aug. 12 from 7:30-10:30 p.m. at the August A. Busch […]

Publisher’s Corner

By Susan Hunt-Bradford

September: The Start of my Favorite Season

 I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin spice, but if that means cooler weather is coming due to fall being right around the corner, bring on the pumpkin spice. Occasionally, I meet someone who enjoys hot weather, but most people I know are impatiently waiting to put […]

Publisher’s Corner

By Susan Hunt-Bradford 

Fall is in Full Swing

Last month, I declared September as my favorite month, but I’m feeling good about October. There’s a possibility that these months may be neck and neck. I take my weather seriously, and October is forecasting some beautiful fall temperatures, which makes me so happy. Also, there are plenty of […]

Publisher’s Corner

Overcoming Financial Challenges in 2024

By Susan Hunt-Bradord

Many prices for things we usually buy are up. If you look at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, it shows some interesting facts, including things like food prices being up and gas for your vehicle being down. Housing costs are up, rent is up, interest rates went up, […]

Publisher’s Corner

So much to Love about February

Photo: Happy 15th birthday Jazzy

Thank goodness this year is a leap year because we need an extra day in February with so much going on. So many events and special occasions make February a truly exceptional month. Just a few examples of fun February:

Feb 3-13 Mardis Gras. St. Louis has […]

Publisher’s Corner

42nd Natural Living Expo April 14

By Susan Hunt-Bradford

Join me at The Healthy Planet’s 42nd Natural Living Expo on April 14 at the Webster Groves Rec Center, 33 East Glendale Road, 11am-5pm. A vibrant gathering of health enthusiasts, wellness advocates and eco-conscious individuals. Over the years I’ve been involved in numerous health fairs, vendor expos and […]

Publisher’s Corner

Happy Mother’s Day

By Susan Hunt-Bradford

When I think about Mother’s Day, I first think of my mother, who passed away 24 years ago. It seems like yesterday we were laughing, traveling, and spoiling my son. I think about her and my dad every single day, as I know many people regularly think about their loved ones […]

Publisher’s Corner

Do dogs belong at summer festivals and fairs?

I attend many fairs and festivals in the St. Louis and Illinois region each year. I’m there in spring, summer, and fall, no matter the weather. There is always something interesting to see and experience. I love dogs and seeing them wherever I go, except when it’s too […]

Publisher’s Corner: (B) Earth Day 1997

Hard to believe that Earth Day 2018, on April 21-22 at Forest Park, will mark the beginning of our 22nd year of publishing. Our first edition became available to the public at the 1997 Earth Day Festival in Tower Grove Park. I had a booth next to a tie-dyed tee shirt stand so I had […]

Publisher’s Corner: 25 Years of Health, Wellness & Environment (Turn, Turn, Turn)

Twenty-five years ago, a well-traveled community publisher branched out on his own and started up a fledgling magazine called The Healthy Planet. Aided by a silent partner/favorite uncle, this alternative publication was fairly radical for St. Louis and its environs. Climate change was just being whispered about and alternative health and wellness were topics only […]

Publisher’s Corner: 30 Expos Later & Summer into Fall

On Sunday, September 27, we will be celebrating our 30th Natural Living Expo. That does not mean we have been in business for 30 years, since we hold two of these events per year. I think we started hosting these expos back in 1998 against my better judgment. When someone approached me about hosting an […]

Publisher’s Corner: 30 Years Of Earth Day In St. Louis

This is the official 30-year anniversary of St. Louis Earth Day. The Healthy Planet magazine has been a co-sponsor ever since our inception in 1997. That Earth Day Celebration in Tower Grove Park was our coming out party. I set up a table at the event and handed out our very first edition. I was […]

Publisher’s Corner: A Holiday We All Will Remember

At 65 years old, and having been through a lot in my lifetime, there is little that surprises me anymore. And this presidential election is perhaps the crescendo of that feeling. While watching the returns, I am sure both sides’ amazement meter went up and down like the Screaming Eagle at Six Flags. Apparently there […]

Publisher’s Corner: A Summer of Heat, Unrest and Life Cycles

Powerful summer storms knocked out electricity to so many in our area recently. Not a good time to go off the grid as temperatures in our house rose to over 80 degrees. But a heavy duty extension cord run from a kind neighbor across the street allowed us to run a fan and a light […]

Publisher’s Corner: Another Year Gone By

New Year is the time of change. The calendar, the season and for many people, too. When I think about change, a Wayne Dyer quote comes to mind, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.” Dr. Dyer has written many self-empowerment books over the years, transforming from […]

Publisher’s Corner: August Brings an Unofficial Close to Summer, but With a Happy Ending

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Publisher

As publisher of a monthly magazine, I try to be aware of each month’s theme or topic.  This gives me an opportunity to have specific articles.  When I think about August, what jumps out to me is “back to school!” which can be exciting for students craving something new,  teacher’s eager to […]

Publisher’s Corner: Bits & Pieces of 8

I was going to write a preachy column about the political climate in this country. Then I realized I have been preached to enough for one lifetime. If people are unhappy with the way things are, then they should vote. If people are happy with the way things are, then they should vote. No preaching, […]

Publisher’s Corner: Can You Hear Me Now?

At the request of my friends and family, I went to get my hearing tested recently. I knew my hearing wasn’t what it used to be due to many earaches as a child and just a year and a half ago my eardrum in my right ear burst. I know it’s been hard on those […]

Publisher’s Corner: Change Starts With You

This is the time of year when everyone looks to make resolutions to change something for the better. Many people want to lose weight, stop smoking, exercise more… you get the picture. I imagine you are one of these people. I know I am. But there is one thing about making changes that everyone must […]

Publisher’s Corner: Cheers & Tears of An Eventful Year

It’s just a few days before Thanksgiving as I write this and I have just put our December holiday issue to bed. Tucked in nicely with all the holiday trimmings you will need to make your celebrations full of love and joy. Every year at this time we become reflective and memories of the past […]

Publisher’s Corner: Create Your Own Hope and Change

The New Year brings many reflections and resolutions. We take a look at ourselves and the way we live our lives and perform a self critique of how we are managing things. For the most part, our lives are usually much better than we give ourselves credit for. Just as the media mostly reports the […]

Publisher’s Corner: Earth Day Every Day!

Nineteen years ago at the Earth Day Festival in Tower Grove Park, our first edition of The Healthy Planet magazine was introduced to the public. Granted it was a friendly crowd that gave us a very warm reception. I set up a table next to a guy selling t-shirts and handed each person a copy […]

Publisher’s Corner: El Niño Blows Things Sideways

The House Finches are doing another fly-by underneath our front porch canopy. But this seemingly attractive parcel of bird nest real estate is too small and well traveled for all who flitter in and flitter out. The warm El Niño winter weather has gotten the birds and the bulbs prematurely roused. But soon another Alberta […]

Publisher’s Corner: Embrace Our Tossed Salad

As the crocus and daffodils begin to bloom in the early spring weather, I am as excited as many people that Old Man Winter may have gone back to sleep. And even though we get some of our largest snowfalls in St. Louis during March, the passing of seasons reflects our need for change. I […]

Publisher’s Corner: Every Day We Can Give Thanks

By Susan Hunt-Bradford

I’m sure the mention of November brings Thanksgiving to almost everyone’s mind. A time to be thankful, get together with friends and family, and of course, eat some specific food you’ve been waiting for all year.

When my family lived in St. Louis, I often cooked Thanksgiving dinner. About 14 of us were there, […]

Publisher’s Corner: Expo, Eclipse, Politics…

On October 1st, at the Webster Groves Recreation Complex, an event much larger and monumental than the Solar Eclipse will take place — The 34th Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo. If you thought the hoopla over the Eclipse was big, wait until you experience our expo. People line up to get in, parking lots will […]

Publisher’s Corner: Family Stories Of The Sea

To celebrate my grandson’s first birthday this summer, we decided to treat him to his first trip to the ocean. Great Grandma (GG) lives in Florida on the Atlantic coast just south of the Kennedy Space Center. They call it the Space Coast and we were excited to get Jackson’s feet in the sand for […]

Publisher’s Corner: February… A lot to do in 28 days

By Susan Hunt-Bradford

February in Missouri is typically cold and can be a little dreary with a full range of often unpredictable weather, but the month has many bright spots. Things like Heart Health Month, Black History Month, and Valentine’s Day…any day you celebrate with a bit of chocolate is fine with me. And the Super […]

Publisher’s Corner: From Warrior To Writer & Bottle Washer

The new year conjures up all sorts of resolutions and new beginnings. We often take this time to inspect our inner balance and try to adjust what has gotten out of whack over the past 11 months. For me, this new year gives me pause. I am exploring my relevance and purpose. At 70, I […]

Publisher’s Corner: Give Thanks To The Farmers Who Provide Our Food

When you think of November you naturally think of Thanksgiving and the bounty Mother Earth provides. I can’t help but be in awe of those people who still live off the land as farmers and growers. We work with some of these wonderful people during the year like Denise and Chris Boeckmann at Boeckmann Family […]

Publisher’s Corner: Gratitude is the best attitude, and it’s one thing I can control.

As I have gotten older, I have found that gratitude can be a very healthy attitude to adopt. I can get myself out of a slump very quickly by feeling grateful. I always thought about keeping a gratitude journal and writing down 5 things every morning I’m grateful for. I’ve done that throughout the years, […]

Publisher’s Corner: Harvest Time In The Suburbs

I am pretty sure I just saw the last Monarch on our butterfly bush. They have left Webster Groves on their long migration to the Oyamel fir forest in central Mexico for the winter. Even though it has been a very warm September, October is sure to bring Autumn’s cooler weather and the end of […]

Publisher’s Corner: Holidays 2021: Bittersweet

Holidays are all about traditions. That is the way it has been for my family all of my life. Captured in photos and memories, family has always been the center of Thanksgiving and Christmas for the Lesters. The size of the table changes year to year, but not the size of our hearts. I can […]

Publisher’s Corner: Holidays and Five-Year-Olds

When I was 5 years old back in 1956, my brother Bill was 8 and we loved Christmas. Now that my grandson Jackson is 5, I can certainly understand what the holidays mean to him. Santa, presents, family and fun. Of course we were all taught the religious meaning of Christmas and we knew very […]

Publisher’s Corner: Honoring Moms and All Women

May is the month of Mother’s Day and celebrating the women in our lives. In these pages you will find many women of accomplishment, business owners, managers, doctors, and many wonderful mothers and grandmothers. We honor some of these women in our Women@Work section, but this is just a fraction of the women who make […]

Publisher’s Corner: I’m Exercising My Right To Be Thankful

As Thanksgiving approaches, I can’t help but think of how much we take our freedom for granted. Like a child who get’s tucked in by his mom or dad at night, we pull up the covers knowing our country will be there when we wake up. Yes, history has provided us with hiccups over the […]

Publisher’s Corner: I’M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE!

I first met J.B. Lester and The Healthy Planet Magazine in the late 90’s. I was an instant fan of both. At the time I was teaching advertising and other media classes at St. Louis Community College -Meramec in Kirkwood. I called J.B. while doing an advertising class assignment in which I wanted to incorporate […]

Publisher’s Corner: Instinct vs Self-Determination?

A goldfinch flittered away from the spent coneflower after enjoying a few dried seeds. The rose bush is still blooming and offering some late season stops to smell. I am still getting a few tomatoes and I managed to harvest a small pumpkin and gourd for my front porch Fall menagerie. I will add a […]

Publisher’s Corner: It’s All Happening in June, Whew!

June could just possibly be my favorite month. There is so much going on like the Shakespeare Festival in Forest Park, the Green Living Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden, the First Health and Wellness Taste of Vegan Festival, the Sustainable Backyard Tour and the 18th Annual Pond-O-Rama. Whew. No wonder people leave town in July […]

Publisher’s Corner: Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness?

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, is a well-known passage in the United States Declaration of Independence. This is an example of one our “unalienable rights” as U.S. citizens which the Declaration says our government was created to protect. With all the discourse over gun violence, I was thinking about how our government does […]

Publisher’s Corner: Linked For Life!

Our grandson Jackson turned two recently. Now that he’s around other kids a lot, we are teaching him to share. Sharing, what a concept. We are all taught at a young age to share and yet it’s something we as adults find difficult to do. And I am not talking about the obvious political issues […]

Publisher’s Corner: Mama’s Boy

I called my grandson Jackson a Mama’s Boy the other day. I was playing like I was a Zombie and he got scared and ran to his mama. He loves to play Zombie but likes to know his mother is nearby. I realized I had paid him a giant compliment. Truth is any boy who […]

Publisher’s Corner: May is Mom’s Month and More!

With April showers behind us, we have May flowers to enjoy. And so many other great things to rejoice. May is the month of Mother’s Day. And we recognize our love for all mothers as their roles play the most important parts in the play of life. They deserve top billing and the pedestals we […]

Publisher’s Corner: New Year New Plans

Just like many of you, The Healthy Planet magazine has some exciting New Year resolutions planned. Our biggest resolution is to do more for our readers, all 90,000 of you each month. We take our obligation to you seriously and that’s why we have some changes in mind for 2017 that will be of great […]

Publisher’s Corner: New Year Tips… A Baker’s Dozen

1) Put down the cell phone when you drive! It’s bad enough we are addicted to these devices but now they have become the biggest traffic hazard since drunk driving. There ought to be a law.

2) Take responsibility for your actions. When you make a mistake, fess up, move on, and try to be a […]

Publisher’s Corner: October is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month

Any month is a great month to adopt a pet, but the ASPCA has officially declared October as adopt a shelter dog month. 

There are many beautiful things about adopting a shelter dog, cat, rabbit, or whatever pet you choose. I have been fortunate to have had many amazing dogs and a cat. My first dog […]

Publisher’s Corner: Old Is The New Young!

I often forget just how old I am. Looks like no matter what I do, I will turn 64 on July 28. I am not trying to dismiss my age, and I am not in some sort of senior denial. It just seems like yesterday that I spending my summers playing baseball at Memorial Field […]

Publisher’s Corner: Reflections of a Year Well Lived

I don’t have many traditions, but one I do have is every December 31 before midnight; I reflect upon the year since January 1. I’m happy to say that my reflections are always more positive than negative, with an overabundance of unforgettable memories and uplifting moments. I’m never sad or upset by the moments that […]

Publisher’s Corner: Reflections of a Year Well Lived

I don’t have many traditions, but one I do have is every December 31 before midnight, I reflect upon the year since January 1. I’m happy that my reflections are always more positive than negative, with an overabundance of unforgettable memories and uplifting moments. I’m never sad or upset by the moments that didn’t go […]

Publisher’s Corner: Shopping and Supporting Local Businesses Are Part of Who We Are

There is a lot of talk about “Shopping Local” and “Supporting Local” businesses these days. And for good reason. I understand the allure of the big box stores, with their “Super Big Discounts”. They are all about “cheaper” and “convenience” it seems. But is that really who we are? The truth is, our communities were […]

Publisher’s Corner: Spring into Summer!

There’s something magical about the seasonal transition from Spring to Summer in June. So much is growing and blooming while midwestern storms share their tears and tantrums. The bees bounce from clover to clover and the butterflies seem to be making a come back. My family recently took a day trip to La Vista CSA […]

Publisher’s Corner: Spring Needs To Sprung

I realize that when I designed the cover for this edition, I was perhaps somewhat optimistic of what March can offer up in St. Louis. As I sit here just a week from March, sulking in February’s frozen folly, I can only picture in my mind, butterflies and tulips. I have been taught over the […]

Publisher’s Corner: Summer of 1971

The Best of Times, The Worst Of Times

Forty seven years ago this summer, I was working as an adult psychiatric worker (APW) at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. A fellow APW named Dennis, asked if I wanted to accompany him to Cadiz, Spain to visit his brother. Being 19 years old, with a keen sense of wanderlust, I […]

Publisher’s Corner: Summer of Leo

July is a special month. It is the month of Leo. Yes, you guessed it, I am a Leo. In fact, all my siblings are Leos.. And for the most part, we all fit the Leo profile really well. Warmhearted, leaders, confident, sometimes ego-driven, don’t like to be told what to do and yet very […]

Publisher’s Corner: Support & Buy Local From Friends!

One of the great joys I have experienced during my 18 years at the helm of The Healthy Planet magazine, is the friendship I have found with many of our clients. There’s a strong theme in this edition of “Buy Local” and the many benefits of supporting area businesses. Maybe because I started this magazine […]

Publisher’s Corner: Ten Tips For Creating A NEW YOU (and Me)

by J.B. Lester, Publisher/Editor

Creating a “New You” is all the rage around the New Year. Since none of us is perfect, it seems only logical that we would want to improve ourselves a bit. But where the heck do you start? How do you narrow down the list, that for some of us could be […]

Publisher’s Corner: Thank You Mother Earth!

I have been thinking about what it takes to love Mother Earth and to live a sustainable life. I wondered how we all got to this place and then I started thinking about how I became a “Greenie.” And that’s when it hit me. I really didn’t do all that much to “become” an environmentalist. […]

Publisher’s Corner: The Joys of June

June has brought out the bluster of a long Winter and slumbered Spring. Climate change has spawned storms and trees without deep roots lie down in surrender. Hail falls and baby birds scamper to safety. Honeybees dodge raindrops as they clover hop. I got my garden in late and the tomato plants seem to be […]

Publisher’s Corner: The Path To Covid Freedom is Unity

Publisher’s Corner: The Renaissance of Spring

Spring is a time of renewal. And if there is one thing our society needs it a rebirth. These past two years have torn us apart in so many ways. For the most part we have handled the pandemic well. Most people got their vaccinations and chose to help protect their families, neighbors, and communities. […]

Publisher’s Corner: The Squirrels Ate My Pumpkins

By the time November rolls around in St. Louis, most of the leaves are off the trees, except for a few tough oak leaves which are the last to bloom and the last to fall. I will have raked at least once by the time you read this and another sweep around the yard or […]

Publisher’s Corner: The Winds of Change

A brisk west wind is beating the Old Webster banners outside my office window. The temperatures are heading down again after a January Saturday topping 70 degrees. Some call this a cleansing wind as it blows away the dust and dirt from dormant days of winter. No real January thaw because you have to have […]

Publisher’s Corner: There’s A Hole In My Bucket List Dear Liza, Dear Liza

Everyone seems to have a bucket list these days. Especially those of us over 60. I suppose as we approach our retirement years, we tend to think of our bucket list a bit more than we would at 25. But if a bucket list is truly a catalog of things you want to do before […]

Publisher’s Corner: This Big Cat Is Turning 70 in July

July brings many things, hot days, muggy nights, cicadas, butterflies, fireworks, barbeque, swimming pools, baseball, picnics, fireflies and birthdays. My birthday is in July. I am a Leo. And in July my birthday will find me turning 70. I am glad to have made it to 70 since my father passed at 48 and my […]

Publisher’s Corner: Total Eclipse Syndrome

On August 21, the moon will sneak between the earth and sun creating a giant shadow and engulfing our planet in eery darkness for about 2 1/2 minutes in the path of totality. This is not just a scientific event, it is a spiritual and metaphysical happening for many. The afternoon darkness will make the […]

Publisher’s Corner: Tough Love, Term Limits & Collateral Damage

We live in a very polarized society. On every topic from voting rights to vaccination mandates, social programs and a woman’s right to choose, we can’t agree on anything these days. Someday, many will be found to have been on the wrong side of history. But that may be long after they are gone and […]

Publisher’s Corner: Two Decades of the Planet

Twenty years ago this month, The Healthy Planet magazine rolled off the press for the very first time. I lugged some bungles of that inaugural edition down to the Earth Day Festival in Tower Grove Park where I set up shop and handed out the our new publication. Obviously it was well received by a […]

Publisher’s Corner: Vaccines Are Our Ticket To Freedom

As I write this column on July 26, facemask mandates have been reinstated in the St. Louis City and St. Louis County. The Covid-19 Delta variant, 1,000 times more infectious as the original Covid-19 virus, is running wild across the country and particularly bad in southern Missouri and quickly coming our way. Those who are […]

Publisher’s Corner: Walk The Yard

For an escape from the day-to-day drama unfurling before us on the national and international stage, Niki and I simply have to get out and “walk the yard.” It’s a great way to retreat to what little nature we have in suburban St. Louis. But even just 1/8 of an acre can be a sanctuary […]

Publisher’s Corner: We All Have The Same Mother Earth

I think we take our planet for granted. Earth offers us an abundance of food, fuel, habitat, etc. It provides us like a mother provides for her children. And yet we often don’t show our appreciation. In fact, we continue to take, take, take and give little in return. As new telescopes are shot into […]

Publisher’s Corner: What Happened To The Common Good?

What happened to the American spirit of doing things for the common good? Our country was founded on the need for freedom from tyranny and religious persecution. Communities were set up and laws enacted for the common good. Representation was established and a national government formed for the common good of the people. Protecting the […]

Publisher’s Corner: Why Do We Recycle?

An impressive 75% of Missourians say they recycle according to the Missouri Recycling Association. With the birth of community curbside recycling programs and single stream recycling (which allows homeowners to commingle recyclables together in one bin making it easier to recycle), recycling has become a way of life. Over the past 20 years, we have […]

Publisher’s Corner: Will Horton Hear Us?

Earth Day is a time to pay homage to Mother Earth. I think it only right that we have given a female gender to our planet as she definitely provides for us. She nurtures us. Yes, we have learned how best to reap what she sows, but remember, a little knowledge can be a dangerous […]

Publisher’s Corner: You Gotta Have Heart!

February is the Heart Month. We celebrate by handing out valentines and reading helpful tips about heart health. And you will find many such informative articles in this issue of The Healthy Planet. I was wondering lately about the heart of our nation. I have always thought that what sets us aside from so many […]

Publishers Corner May 2023

Rescuing St. Louis Animals

We all know people who are animal lovers, dogs, cats, ferrets, bunnies, you name it, plenty of people call their pets family. I’m one of those people. Being a proud dog mom to Kiba and Jazzy, I love those two with all my heart.

I know we have a huge problem in our […]

Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields: Studies, Tests and Results

By Kathleen H. Christ, NCMBT, LMT

Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMFs) have been used successfully and extensively on more than ten thousand people for over 60 years and for many conditions throughout the world. Though many therapies using PEMFs have been FDA-approved, most doctors and therapists in the US are unfamiliar with this type of treatment. Over […]

Pumpkin Season Is Here!

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

Fall has arrived when you start seeing pumpkin products everywhere. As festive as the use of this ingredient may be, there is another reason for its increasing popularity: Pumpkin is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for overall health and can also […]

Pumpkin Spice and Apple Cider Smoothies (dairy and vegan) plus homemade pumpkin purée and apple cider recipes

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

Ahhh,October! If you’re anything like me, the first leaf with the slightest hint of color that falls to the ground has me dreaming of the the cooler days of Autumn,and all the many delights the season brings.Apple cider by a fire, bundling up in a cozy sweater or cute jacket and […]

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Recipe by Julie M. Hale and Matt Allen, Healthy Planet Food Editors

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons regular butter, room temperature¾ cup of brown sugar1 large egg1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 ½ cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon cinnamon1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a large mixing bowl add sifted flour, baking powder, softened […]

Pure Farmland™ Awards $5,000 Grant to Urban Harvest STL Through its Pure Growth Project

Donation to Help Urban Farm Network Serving Food Insecure Communities & Increase Neighborhood Access to Locally Grown Produce

Pure Farmland™ recently recognized Urban Harvest STL (UHSTL) in downtown St. Louis, Mo. for its positive impact in the area with a recent donation of $5,000. The contribution is part of the Pure Growth Project, an initiative launched […]

Pure Opportunity:

Engineer, Marine Biologists, and Esthetician Join Forces to Launch Kvell Cosmetics, LLC

Entity has exclusive right to distribute algae-based skincare line, Oceanwell, in U.S.

Established in March 2012, St. Louis-based Kvell Cosmetics, LLC announces its full operability as the exclusive U.S. distributor of algae-based skincare line, Oceanwell. The Oceanwell product line is created by biotechnology firm, oceanBASIS, […]

Put The Right Tree In the Right Place

By the Missouri Department of Conservation

Fall is a great time to plant a tree. There’s less chance of drought or sun scorch harming newly-planted trees, and the cooler temperatures encourage new root growth. As long as the hottest days of summer are gone and the ground isn’t frozen, you can still plant trees.

Before you dig, […]

Putting The Spring Back in Their Steps

By Ava Frick, DVM

Pet parents are continually looking for ways to return to their pets the ”spring in their step” that was there when they were younger. Arthritis is no fun and unfortunately many pet parents have first-hand experience with this degenerative condition. A medical therapy growing in popularity both here and abroad, which has […]

Q&A with Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel from Just Moms STL

By Kate Dickman

Just Moms STL was formed in 2014 by Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel to raise awareness of the issues their community was facing regarding the nuclear and other hazardous waste at West Lake Landfill in North St. Louis County, and they have been a valued partner of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment […]

Quality Time is Key To Building A Strong Family

By Nina Chen, Ph.D., CFLE,
Human Development Specialist,
University of Missouri Extension

Creating and maintaining a nurturing family environment requires a great deal of energy and work. Quality time together is one of the most important elements for building a strong family.

Quality time should be planned with all family members. A family meeting can be a beneficial activity […]

Quest For A Green School

by Hope Gribble, Education & Green Schools Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway

Quest. A peek in the dictionary reveals a spirited description: 1) a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something. 2) an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something. 3) those engaged in such an expedition.
Are you ready […]

RainScape Rebates & Rewards

by Cindy Gilberg

Clean water is a precious resource. Human development has replaced much of the natural world with buildings and pavement. These hard surfaces allow rainfall to run off, carrying pollutants with it. Resulting rainwater related problems can be addressed with an array of sustainable landscaping practices called “rainscaping”. Fostering more permeable soils and deeper […]

Rainscaping Grant Deadline March 20

There is a new rainscaping program from MSD Project Clear! Rainscaping is a part of MSD Project Clear, a program by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District to improve water quality for everyone by focusing on clear priorities, clear communications, and clear water.

The new program is the Rainscaping Small Grants Program and focuses on […]

Raintree School Goes Solar

Ranked 33rd among U.S. states for most solar-friendliness but with the potential to generate 42.7% of the electricity used in state from rooftop solar panels, Raintree School announces the completion of campus solar panels, moving Missouri one step closer to reaching renewable energy goals. The unveiling of Raintree’s whole-campus system, projected to defray over 80% […]

Raintree School in West County Provides Nature-inspired, Experiential Education to Preschoolers, Kindergarteners

At a local kindergarten and preschool with large, child-centered classrooms, gardening is part of the curriculum. It’s a place where students learn to grow and harvest food before cooking it in the St. Louis-area’s only school-based green kitchen. After, the children go outside for physical education where they will climb boulders, jump over logs and […]

Raintree School Students Become Shark Experts as They Learn from the “Shark Lady”

Pre-kindergarteners at Raintree School (Raintree) in Ballwin are undergoing a deep-sea study of sharks with the help of the “Shark Lady” during their semester-long project.
Children at the nature-inspired kindergarten and preschool have been learning about sharks and will now learn from the best: Eugenie Clark. Clark (AKA: the Shark Lady) is a world-renowned ichthyologist known […]

Raised Bed Gardens: Gardening Made Easier & More Productive

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

A raised garden bed can make gardening easier to access and more productive. Most often raised garden beds are used to grow vegetables and herbs, but flowers and other plants can be grown. Four things are needed for a raised bed garden: an above ground container, rich soil, plants and a gardener. […]

Raised Beds Make Gardening Easy

Article Courtesy of St. Louis Composting

One of the most frustrating things gardeners face in the St. Louis area is clay soil. It is gooey in the spring and solid in the summer. For some reason weeds don’t have an issue developing in it, but fruits, vegetable plants and landscape ornamentals loathe it.

You can dramatically improve […]

Raised Beds Make Gardening Easy!

Article Courtesy of St. Louis Composting

One of the most frustrating things gardeners face in the St. Louis area is clay soil. It is gooey in the spring and solid in the summer. For some reason weeds don’t have an issue developing in it, but fruits, vegetable plants and landscape ornamentals loathe it.

You can dramatically improve […]

Raising Resilient, Confident and Aware Children

By Dr. Vera Gabliani, Clinical Psychologist

The majority of parents I encounter worry about their child’s self esteem and ability to cope with the stresses of life. Well-intentioned parents believe they need to protect their child from making mistakes and experiencing failures or disappointments in order to build their self esteem. So, when a difficult situation […]

Re-Opening the Door To Communicating with Your Teenager

By Vera Gabliani, Ph.D.

Parents often ask me “How can I talk to my teenager? They never want to listen to what I have to say!”

As someone who works with teenagers every day, I have had my share of these frustrating experiences. What I have learned the hard way is that teenagers know the difference […]

Ready, Set, Plant

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

This year spring is a most welcome time. The soon greening earth and longer days are balms for our souls. Last year, gardens helped us find solace, food and beauty. We can again find that healing when we can put our hands back into the soil. Fortunately, March is the month when […]

Recognizing a Citizen Activist – Jeanne Heuser

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, […]

Recognizing Green Schools Achievements!

By Porscha Hayes, Show-Me Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

This year, Missouri Green Schools has the pleasure of recognizing 18 schools for achievements in sustainability, our largest cohort thus far! While the vast majority of recognized schools reside in the St. Louis metropolitan area, Missouri Green Schools has honorees in both the Springfield and Kansas City areas. […]

Recycle Responsibly “Stick With The Six” Campaign

Recycle Responsibly (RecycleResponsibly.org) is the area’s first, region-wide recycling campaign to create one cohesive recycling message to help everyone in the St. Louis metro area “Stick with the Six” items that can be recycled in our region to help reduce recycling contamination.

This recycling education campaign kicked off on America Recycles Day in 2018 in Forest […]

Recycling 1, 2, 3

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

When I was young and back when recycling was in its infancy, I remember seeing these huge bins, one for aluminum cans and then one each for green, brown, and clear glass along with recycling bins for cardboard and newspapers. These days however, add a range of plastics along with […]

Recycling 101

Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

Now when looking back to where I started this column, I realized that I didn’t exactly start off in the right place. Recycling is actually one of three words commonly used in the environmental world, the other two being reuse and reduce. So today, I thought I […]

Recycling 101: Bagging it

By Steve Davies,Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Photo: Caesar the cat and reusable bags

So, like I always do each month before I write my next column, I like to go back to see where I’ve been and as usual, I’ve seen the road signs. Last month I talked about reusing what we have at our house and […]

Recycling 101: Christmas Trees

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

So, by the time you pick up this edition of The Healthy Planet, the holidays for most of us will be over. The presents under your tree will have all been opened and hopefully you’ll have recycled all of the decorative paper that you used to wrap them while […]

Recycling 101: First Up, the Pizza Box

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

So now that I’ve introduced myself and my passion for recycling, I then started to ask myself, what’s next? My first thought was to wait and see if someone asks me a question. Unfortunately, as time was of the essence and the fact that there were none, I headed in […]

Recycling 101: Let’s Begin with The Recycling Bins

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

So, after our deep dive into pizza boxes last month, I thought maybe it’s best to take a step back and go through the actual recycling process and first talk about the bins themselves. They are an important part to this whole process for the vast majority of people. It’s […]

Recycling 101: November 15th, America Recycles Day

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

For most of us, the next couple of months are full of days that we all enjoy, from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Years but there’s another day that many of you may never have heard of before and as ashamed as I am to admit, neither have I. […]

Recycling 101: Plastic Bags 2 & 4, 4 & 2

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet columnist

So, as we talked about last time, plastic bags are everywhere with perhaps the most common ones again being those number 2’s. Now if you’ve been around as long as someone such as myself has been, it’s safe to say you’re familiar with the number 1’s and 2’s. Those are […]

Recycling 101: Recycling Events

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

So, a couple of weeks ago, I learned about a recycling event that was being held over at Meramec Community College. It was an event that I learned about at the last minute for electronics, metal and the shredding of paper, and apparently a lot of people also learned about […]

Recycling 101: Recycling through the Holidays

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

So, with the holiday season approaching, I thought I would take this time to answer the biggest question that comes up this time of year regarding recycling and that is, can we recycle the wrapping paper we use for Christmas? Well, the answer here lies in the type of […]

Recycling 101: Seeing is believing

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

So, I thought I would start off with what I would consider the simplest of the three basic materials being recycled today, glass. As I first talked about, I still remember our local recycling center having three individual glass bins, one for green, one for brown and one for […]

Recycling 101… Spring Cleaning

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

Well, I think it’s safe to say that with both the little snow we had on the ground last month, along with the chill in the air having now moved on, Spring is well on its way. Actually, it seems like Spring has been here for a while with the […]

Recycling Means Business at the 2013 Missouri Recycling Conference

Jobs and the economy are on nearly everyone’s mind these days, but Missouri continues to waste one of the biggest opportunities to stimulate both. Recycling materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills benefits the economy and the environment.

This year’s Missouri Recycling Conference is going to knuckle down on policies and procedures that keep our […]

Recycling News

St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District

The St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District has been working to expand recycling in the St. Louis region since 1993. The District is a regional public agency that serves St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson and St. Charles counties. Almost two million people reside within the District, making ours […]

Recycling News

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling. The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. For more information visit […]

Recycling News From St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding programs for recycling and waste reduction. The service area includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. Funding […]

Recycling on the Road

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

It was just last week, when I was sitting on the screen porch of our family cabin up in northern Minnesota that I began to start thinking about what I should write my next article on. I was thinking about plastics because safe to say, plastics are everywhere.

After writing about […]

Recycling Update: Why is the City of Saint Louis Stopping Recycling Collection?

A Blog By Bob Henkel, Program Director, earthday365314.282.7533 | bob@earthday-365.orgwww.earthday-365.org

As shared at the Parks and Environmental Matters Committee Meeting of July 14, 2021 by Deputy Commissioner of Refuse, Randy Breitenfeld, the Saint Louis City is struggling with severe labor shortages. This is impacting their ability to keep dumpsters from overflowing. Apparently, they are short nearly […]

Recycling Works!

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding programs for recycling and waste reduction. The service area includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. Funding […]

Red, Yellow, Orange & Green: What’s It All Mean When It Comes To Air Quality

Article courtesy of the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

As the weather heats up, the risk for poor air quality conditions also accelerates in the region. And at this time of the year, daily air quality forecast updates let us know if it will be a green, yellow, orange or red air quality day. With each […]

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle… and Make Great Beer!

View The Healthy Planet’s Summer Craft & Specialty Beer Guide

By Maureen Zegel

A familiar mantra for environmentalists, concerned citizens and a few industries – Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. has become a way of life for the region’s burgeoning craft breweries. St. Louis’ two largest craft brewers, St. Louis Brewery, makers of Schlafly beers and Urban Chestnut Brewing Company not only […]

Reflecting On Green Building Success In 2019

By Richard Schuessler, Chair,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Board of Directors

It’s been another important year for green buildings in the St. Louis region. We at the U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter have continued to play a vital role in continuing the greening of our region. I want to share some of our collective accomplishments, initiatives, and […]

Reflecting on the 2023 Air Quality Forecasting Season

Air quality forecasting concluded at the end of last month, and while the season began with news that the St. Louis region had once again escaped being ranked among the top 25 most-polluted U.S. cities, we still struggle with unfavorable air quality here in the bi-state area. Despite the fact that air quality may not […]

Reflections on Green Building and Sustainable Design

By John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, John C. Guenther Architect LLC

It’s been a privilege to contribute to sustainability and green building design efforts over my 47 years of architectural practice. My designs are based upon doing the most with the least, and always start with orientation to the sun’s seasonal path, prevailing winds, the […]

Reflexology

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 […]

Reflexology – Great For Your Body, Mind & Spirit

By Natalie Flores,
Licensed Massage Therapist

Have you ever experienced a Reflexology session? While other major U.S. cities have many reflexology centers all over town, St. Louis has been a little slower to embrace this healing modality. Until Now. Holistic Health & Fitness in Shrewsbury has created a dedicated reflexology space with specialized seating created just for […]

Rejuvenate with Reflexology at Vitality Unlimited Spa

In today’s fast-paced world, where stress and anxiety seem to be constant companions, finding moments of relaxation and renewal is essential. Reflexology at Vitality Unlimited Spa might be the perfect choice if you’re looking for a holistic approach to balance your mind, body, and spirit. Reflexology is a therapeutic massage practice that harnesses the power […]

Relaxation is a Gift

Amid the chaos of the holidays, it’s crucial to pause and prioritize self-care. This season, consider treating yourself and your loved ones to rejuvenating spa treatments and all-natural spa and wellness products carefully selected with your well-being in mind. 

The holidays can be a whirlwind of activity, leaving you feeling overwhelmed. Common symptoms of stress include […]

REMAINS: Giving Textiles a Second Chance

Did you know 6.3% of the waste stream is clothing and household textiles? Did you know the average person throws away 81 lbs. of clothing annually? Remains purchases and processes unwanted donations from charities, thrift stores, communities and gives 40- 50xxx lbs. of used clothing/household linens a second life in the reuse, rag, and fiber […]

Renzo’s Mirrors & Light Kinesiology Enhance AMA: IAOMT London, UK Conference on Missing Links

By Simon Yu, MD

Imet Renzo Celani, a well-known healer from Europe, at Medicine Week in Baden-Baden last November after my lecture, “Parasite Medications Targeting Cancer Cells.” I was told he can heal many sick people nobody else can, using his intuitive healing gifts and his Biophoton-Realignment Mirrors.

He started explaining the Compton-scattering effect of photons, discovered […]

Replace Inefficient Lighting and Collect Big Returns

Ameren Missouri provides significant cash incentives for lighting upgrades

There are significant advantages for businesses and homeowners to replace inefficient lighting with fixtures and bulbs that are more energy-efficient. In most cases the payback comes within two years. But even better than that, after your return on investment, you continue to save on your electric bill.

The […]

Repurposing Antiparasitic & Antifungal Drugs for Cancer

By Simon Yu, MD

In September, I am presenting at the Cancer Control Society conference in California. My topic: Is it possible to treat cancer as a neglected infectious disease? Is cancer a metabolic disease, with tumors growing – and metastases spreading – like a metabolic parasite? It may sound farfetched, but there is growing evidence […]

Rescue Me CARE STL

CARE STL is partnering with Good Dog Enrichment and Training to introduce our newest training initiative, “RESCUE ME!” This program targets a group of long timer shelter dogs that will do best with some training to set them up for success when transitioning to a new home. There is a common misperception that long-stay dogs […]

Reshaping the Face of Hiking

By Chiamaka Chukwu 

The Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) believes everyone, regardless of race, income, geography, deserves access to clean air, safe water, sustainable food, and protected lands. We also believe it takes many groups working to accomplish these outcomes. One of those groups, Black People Who Hike, is led by two of MCE’s board […]

Resilient Communities Bounce Back Better

by Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

In the past few years, we’ve all witnessed the devastating impacts of extreme weather events, like Hurricane Katrina, the Joplin tornado, or Hurricane Sandy. Whether it is drought and water shortages, stronger storms, flooding, energy disruptions, or very high or low temperatures, we are all faced with […]

Resilient STL: Healthy People, Healthy Places, Healthy Economy

By Fredericka Brandt, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

What does resiliency mean? We’ve been hearing that word a lot recently, especially in the midst of this unprecedented public health crisis. What can be resilient? People? Places? The economy? 

Rebound, spring back, recovering readily from war, illness, adversity; buoyant and flexible enough not to break, are some […]

Resolve To Meditate in 2015!

By Shirley Stoll

Does your list of resolutions for the New Year include reducing stress and anxiety or leading a healthier lifestyle? If so, consider adding one more resolution to your list. Learn to meditate in 2015 and help make this resolution a reality in your life!

Thousands of scientific studies have shown that meditation is beneficial […]

Resolve to Meditate in The New Year

by Shirley Stoll

Does your list of resolutions for the New Year include one or more of the following: reduce stress and anxiety or lead a healthier lifestyle? If so, consider adding one more resolution to your list. Learn to meditate in 2013 and help make these resolutions a reality in your life!

Meditation has many benefits! […]

Reversing Diabesity

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

In last month’s article we discussed diabesity, which currently affects 50% of Americans. Diabesity is a continuum of disease from insulin sensitivity to full-blown diabetes. While conventional medicine focuses on treating the symptoms of diabesity, the fact is that diabesity can actually be reversed by simply eliminating the things that are […]

Rewild Your Child

By Crystal Stevens

Unfortunately in today’s fast paced world, which relies heavily on technology and electronics, nature time for both children and adults is dwindling. The average American child spends half as much time outside as kids 20 years ago did. According to research from Childwise, “Children aged 5-12 spend six and a half hours in […]

Rick Hotton & The Mindful Art of Holy Mole

By Randy Moore

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
– Antoine de Saint-Exupery from The Prince

Rick Hotton is stuck in time, but he’s not complaining. The 56-year-old cartoonist from Sarasota, Florida lives life with […]

Ride Amtrak To The Missouri State Fair Aug. 7-17

‘Celebrate Kids in Agriculture’ With Special Kid’s Train Ticket Discount

A new event day, “Celebrate Kids in Agriculture” Saturday, Aug. 16, will top the list of exciting new promotions offered at the 2014 Missouri State Fair. Activities this day will be coordinated by the Missouri State Fair and Missouri Department of Agriculture, and sponsored by Missouri […]

Ripoff Report on Stress and Negativity: Third Tuesday Evening to Crack the Healing Codes

By Simon Yu, MD

We live in a society perpetually engineered by an artificially generated fear, stress, and negativity. Many people are unfortunately naturally attracted to the negative publicity. Sensationalism and fear mean making a fortune for those who can benefit from it. There are also many professionals, including physicians, who are afraid of negative reviews […]

Rise Up Festival Celebrates Revitalization in St. Louis, August 20

Rise is proud to announce our fourth annual Rise Up Festival taking place on August 20th, 2016 in the city of St. Louis on Washington Avenue, from 15 th Street to 17th Street. The festivities will start up at 2 PM and continue on into the evening until 11 PM, remaining free for all to […]

Rising Temperatures Lead To Increased Risk For Poor Air Quality

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

The start of summer is just around the corner in the St. Louis area, and with it we’re now enjoying blooming flowers and trees, extra hours of daylight and warmer weather. While most of us love this time of year and the opportunity to get outside, the season also […]

Riverbend Earth Day is back for 2021 with social distancing in mind

 Mark your calendars for this year’s “Riverbend Earth Day Festival” to be held on Saturday, April 17 from 11:30 AM – 4 PM at The Old Bakery Beer Company. The 10th annual event offers live music, food & drinks, an artisan’s market, environmental education, and more! The Riverbend Earth Day Festival will be held at […]

Road to Recovery

By Christen Commuso

It is almost unfathomable that we have already entered into year two of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without question, this virus has taken an enormous toll on human life and the economies of the world. And, unfortunately, only exacerbated the disparities in access to education, healthcare, and healthy food, at home and abroad. While […]

Road Trip Ready Refreshments

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

It seems summer just started, and already here we are, receiving flyers and ads for “Back to School” sales alongside Labor Day deals. Several of you might be thinking of getting that last road trip in for the season, or perhaps going on the first one, and […]

Rock Island Trail Update

By Jim Karpowicz

The Rock Island Trail is a rails-to-trails project, over 200. Miles long, stretching from Beaufort, Missouri in the east to the town of Pleasant Hill, near Kansas City. Combined with the existing KATY Trail it would create a loop trail of over 450 miles, making the state of Missouri a premier cycling tourism […]

S.O.P. – Save Our Planet

When one looks deeply into the present situation in the world, two things stand out as particularly important: the danger of war and the acceleration of the Earth’s ecological imbalance. There are, of course, many other problems: the economic debacle which affects many countries, especially in the West; the huge increases in the price of […]

Saint Louis Science Center Opens GROW, an Interactive Agriculture Exhibit

Guests will Explore the Many Stories of Food Production

Sit in the driver’s seat of a giant combine like those used on a farm. Dig deeper in soil and learn how to plant your own backyard garden. Use headphones to listen to the sounds of a bumblebee hive and witness the action inside the hive live […]

Saint Louis Welcomes UrbanSpa Mobile: Your Luxurious Wellness Spa on Wheels

UrbanSpa Mobile is changing how Saint Louis residents experience luxury wellness and relaxation. Divinity Cross founded this innovative concept from a successful kidney transplant and a desire to bring high-quality spa experiences directly to people’s homes and offices. UrbanSpa Mobile is now Saint Louis’ premier wellness spa on wheels, offering services designed to promote health […]

Salty Spa: Your Destination For Optimal Health

By Irina Carlson

Salty Spa, located in West County, offers a multitude of natural treatments to help a person’s overall health. Salty Spa offers Halotherapy, Infrared Sauna with Himalayan Salt, Leg Compression Massage Therapy, Ionic Foot Detox, PEMF/PHOTON Healing Mat, LED Facial Mask and an Oxygen Bar.

Salty Spa is the first business in Ellisville to offer these holistic and […]

Sam ‘s Vegan Kitchen Heats Up

Sam Buettner’s baking journey began at a young age, watching her mother and other family members cook and bake in the kitchen. She went from box mixes to creating from scratch desserts, cupcakes and cakes. After developing health issues, Sam transitioned to a plant-based diet and vegan life-style. The love of good food that you […]

Savanna in Forest Park – Enjoy & Help Restore this Treasure in the City

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

There is a special place, some may even say a sacred place, in Forest Park that honors and nurtures the history and living lineage of the land before settlers. Old growth savannas once covered millions of acres of Missouri. Now there are just a handful of […]

Savor The Seasons

with Crystal Stevens

Dandelion, a Wonderful Weed

An herbalist friend once described medicinal weeds as “plants growing in our backyards often times so close to our back door that they seem as though they are just begging to get inside and alleviate what ails us.” Herbalists across the globe are all aware of the powerful medicinal qualities […]

Say Farewell To The Pool, Let’s Get Back To School

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

As the last couple of weeks of summer vacation wind down, parents and children are preparing for the return of a new school year. Love it or loathe it, every student from first grade through graduate school is best served by being mentally sharp, physically fit, and with a strong immune […]

Say Goodbye To Cabin Fever and Hello To Adventure on the Missouri River Runner

Don’t spend the whole winter cooped up at home. Get out and about with a trip on the Missouri River Runner and receive 20% off your fare. It’s a great way to explore The Show Me State — while we show you the savings.

Have a Relaxing or AdventurousWinter Getaway
The scenic Missouri River Runner route connects […]

Scenic Drives in Shawnee Forest Country In Southernmost Illinois

118 miles:  Rt. 13, 142, Shawnee Forest Rd, Garden of the Gods Rd, Karbers Ridge Rd,  Rt. 1, 146, 145

Harrisburg, ILEquality, ILGarden of the GodsRim Rock TrailPounds Hollow LakeCave In RockElizabethtown, ILRosiclare, ILGolconda, ILDixon Springs State ParkThe Chocolate Factory

Harrisburg is the gateway to the Shawnee National Forest.   Experience this drive in every season.  Spring blooms, […]

Schlafly Distributes Free Wildflower Seeds, Farmers Market Opens April 12

Schlafly beer is highlighting its ongoing support of all things sustainable this spring. In addition to using 100% renewable energy, being a leader in St. Louis’ composting program, supporting local farmers, growing their own produce in their urban garden, and having two Green Dining Alliance approved restaurants Schlafly will step up its sustainable efforts to […]

Schlafly Partners With National Forest Foundation Farmers Market Opens Mid-April

Schlafly beer is highlighting its ongoing support of all things sustainable this spring. In addition to using 100% renewable energy, being a leader in St. Louis’ composting program, supporting local farmers, growing their own produce in their urban garden, and having two Green Dining Alliance approved restaurants, Schlafly will partner with a national organization that’s […]

Schlafly Stout & Oyster Festival March 10-11

At their biggest food & beer festival of the year, Schlafly flies in over 70,000 fresh oysters and teams of star shuckers from both coasts. Indulge in several varieties of oysters and pair them with 15 styles of Schlafly stout: Oatmeal Stout, Coffee Stout, Nitro Irish Stout, Extra Irish Stout and Oyster Stout.

Location: The Schlafly […]

Scorching Heat Leads To Poor Air Quality

Do Your Share For Cleaner Air

Article courtesy of the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

As we head into the final weeks of a summer that has already delivered a 10-day streak of triple-digit heat and a string of poor air quality days, the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership is reminding residents that their voluntary efforts […]

Searching for an Old New Cure, Part II

AcciDental Blow Up in Medicine using Old Medications: Levamisole, Niclosamide and Suramin

By Simon Yu, MD

Use old medications for a new cure? There is an emerging renaissance with renewed interest in using forgotten or ignored older medications when the latest, often expensive therapies and medications fail. Several years ago I wrote, “Searching for an Old New […]

Seasonal Allergies and Food Sensitivities Are Not Fun, so Let’s Keep Them On the Run

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

Among the most common and aggravating health conditions effecting people today are allergies. Interestingly, the likelihood of developing an allergy is not restricted to any particular time in our individual biological progression. In addition, the concept of “once an allergy, always and allergy” does not always hold true, as many of […]

Seasonal Allergies Are Upon Us In June

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Allergies occur in our pets when their immune system is reacting to chemicals or compounds that have entered the body by any number of pathways. Your vet may use the term ‘ATOPY’, to describe recurring allergic responses by your family pets. These compounds, referred to as ‘allergens’, can enter the body […]

Seasonal Allergies Are Upon Us In June

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Allergies occur in our pets when their immune system is reacting to chemicals or compounds that have entered the body by any number of pathways. Your vet may use the term ‘ATOPY’, to describe recurring allergic responses by your family pets. These compounds, referred to as ‘allergens’, can enter the body […]

Seasonal Allergies Are Upon Us In June Seasonal Allergies Are Upon Us In June

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Allergies occur in our pets when their immune system is reacting to chemicals or compounds that have entered the body by any number of pathways. Your vet may use the term ‘ATOPY’, to describe recurring allergic responses by your family pets. These compounds, referred to as ‘allergens’, can enter the body […]

Seasonal Allergies In June

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Allergies occur in our pets when their immune system is reacting to chemicals or compounds that have entered the body by any number of pathways. Your vet may use the term ‘ATOPY’, to describe recurring allergic responses by your family pets. These compounds, referred to as ‘allergens’, can enter the body […]

Seasonal Staples For Back-To-School Meals & Snacks

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

With the excitement of picking out school supplies and getting the kids fitted with some stylish apparel slowing down, the charge of packing lunches and planning out tasty after-school snacks continues! Kids need nourishing meals and snacks to best prepare them for learning and playing […]

SEE WATER: Watershed Cairns and Riverwork Project Reflects Artfully on Our Rivers and Waterways

By Anne Murphy, Communication Specialist St. Louis Artists’ Guild

We live at the confluence of two rivers – the Missouri and the Mississippi. The Mississippi River is third largest watershed in the world and one of the world’s busiest rivers. It floods and recedes. It changes course. It gives life – and takes it away. Every […]

Seeds — An Investment In The Future

By Cindy Gilberg

Contemplating this year’s landscape projects prompts questions of budget versus the wish list—how to afford all the new plants that you want to add? There are many ways to obtain new plants and the easiest is to buy plants already grown by a local nursery, prime for planting. Many gardeners choose to propagate […]

Seeds Of A Dream Garden

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

In January gardeners begin to feel the pull of springtime and summer gardening. Dreams of the upcoming gardening season start when seed catalogs arrive in the mailbox or email inbox. The photos and descriptions pull at the heart and plant themselves in the visions of the soon-to-be here gardening season.

I like to […]

Seeds… A Garden’s Greatest Treasure

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green and Growing Editor

A garden’s miracle is the transformation of a tiny seed into a growing plant. These tiny capsules of creation hold a greater power than all the jewels of a treasure chest. A seed itself contains life and the power to sustain all life on our planet. […]

Seen Around Town: Whimsical Ornamental Onion

By Abby Lapides

If you made it to our fabulous Missouri Botanical Gardens this year, you may have witnessed a magnificent Allium show. Many of our customers kept asking “What is it? What is it?”

The answer: Globemaster Ornamental Onion

A crowd favorite, Globemaster Ornamental Onion, Allium, brings fun and whimsy to the garden with its huge 6-10” […]

Self Care Routine For Calm, Happiness and Good Health

By Jan Herzog, Yoga Teacher

You and thousands of others world-wide have experienced pandemic stress. A regular, quiet, meditative self-care routine increases both calm and happiness, and boosts your immunity. The effort is worth the feeling of deep joy it creates.

Here is a short nine-part routine for a home practice. Ideally practice in a quiet and […]

Self Knowledge is Your Key To Change

By Peggy Levinson LCSW, LMFT

A smart man once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result.

Sometimes, both personally and in my psychotherapy practice, I run up against a problem that seems like a brick wall. All of the usual therapeutic techniques aren’t helping. […]

Self-Care for Mothers

By Amy Williams, Licensed Massage Therapist at Vitality Unlimited Spa

With Mother’s Day around the corner, it’s time to shine a spotlight on the wonderful, fulfilling, and often the all-consuming job of motherhood. There aren’t any sick days or vacation days. There will never be a chance to retire, since being a mother is a lifelong […]

Self-Improvement Tips For The New Year

Learning to Love Ourselves…
Whitney Houston’s song plays in my mind from time to time. In a world searching for heroes or something to believe in outside of ourselves, we forget that the “Greatest Love of All” is inside of each of us. Spend time finding ways to be gentle with yourself, to love yourself. It […]

Senate passes bill to compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government

We are thrilled to share some significant news about one of our most important policy priorities. Yesterday, the United States Senate passed legislation that would expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and compensate Americans made ill by their exposure to radiation. 

In St. Louis, nuclear waste stored near Lambert International Airport seeped into Coldwater Creek in the […]

Senioritis – Super Senior

By Dr. Rosa Kincaid, MD

I am a “senior citizen”. People my age tell me that they are having “senior moments” and feel like they are breaking down. They have whole lists of things they don’t do because they are “seniors,” like: thinking about sex, checking out the latest fashions, riding in bicycle marathons, etc. As […]

September is Animal Pain Awareness Month

By Ava Frick,
DVM, CVC, FAIS

Pain is invisible, but its symptoms are not. We can’t point it out, like a growth or broken bone. But we are aware of its presence, at least in ourselves. Knowing when an animal is in pain can be more difficult.

Depending on the nature of the animal, they may hide the […]

Serving Community with Green & Healthy Places

By Brandon Verhoff, Ph.D., USGBC-Missouri Gateway Education Committee Chair 

When we design spaces, we design them for the people who use them. At the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the US. Green Building Council, when highlighting a building we often focus on the sustainable materials used to build it or the super energy efficient HVAC system. At […]

Set Intentions For A Healthy New Year

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

January is a great time to look forward to the year ahead and set intentions. What are your goals for 2018? How do you plan to achieve them? So many of us start off the year with the intention of getting healthy and/or losing weight. We set the intention and we […]

Setbacks and Opportunities

By Jared Opsal

This summer the broad-based movement to take action to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants suffered a major setback in the Supreme Court case of West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. The court’s 6-3 decision stated Congress did not grant the EPA, in Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, the authority […]

Setting Intentions

Letting Go of the Should

By Christina Staff

Letting go of the word should was an intention I promised myself in 2023; a simple enough word, but don’t underestimate its power. We get so wrapped up in how life should look, versus embracing how it could look. This need to compare is a sneaky thief of time […]

Seven Essential Books to Better Understanding Your Dog

By Jeff Jensen – Co-Owner Four Muddy Paws

Dogs and Humans have been on a 10,000-year journey together and we consider ourselves to pretty compatible, yet how much do we really know about our canine companions?

Truly understanding how your dog perceives the world and how they navigate their environment is fascinating and largely unknown until relatively […]

Seven Nature Inspired Activities To Fill Your Heart This Month

By Crystal Stevens

1) Plant trees! Planting trees is a wonderful way to connect with nature. Our family plants trees together as often as possible, especially to commemorate special events such as birthdays and anniversaries. Choose a native tree species from Grow Native that is right for your space. When planting trees, be sure to pay […]

Seven Reasons to Consider Regenerative Therapies in Lieu of Surgery

After suffering a debilitating shoulder injury, Jim Seidel, 57, initially thought he had just two options: living with the chronic pain brought on by the injury or undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Continuing on with the pain was out of the question, but Seidel was concerned about the risks associated with surgery and the recovery time […]

Seven Reasons to Consider Regenerative Therapies in Lieu of Surgery

After suffering a debilitating shoulder injury, Jim Seidel, 57, initially thought he had just two options: living with the chronic pain brought on by the injury or undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Continuing on with the pain was out of the question, but Seidel was concerned about the risks associated with surgery and the recovery time […]

Seven Reasons to Consider Regenerative Therapies in Lieu of Surgery

After suffering a debilitating shoulder injury, Jim Seidel, 57, initially thought he had just two options: living with the chronic pain brought on by the injury or undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Continuing on with the pain was out of the question, but Seidel was concerned about the risks associated with surgery and the recovery time […]

Seventeen Schools Awarded for Growth in Missouri Green Schools Award Program

By Anne Cummings, Middle School Sustainability Teacher, School District of University City

Missouri Green Schools (MGS), a state-level collaboration between the U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter and Missouri Environmental Education Association, understands that before we can ask students to care for our planet or their communities, we need to connect them personally to healthy living. […]

Sew So Good: Stitching Items For Donating To Those In Need

City Sewing Room of St. Louis (CSR) opened in 2016 as a gathering place for sewing enthusiasts. It became a nonprofit in 2020 when increasing their community outreach to include more clients, volunteers, and increase the volume of donations. CSR remains the only organization in the greater St. Louis area that focuses exclusively on sewing […]

Shade-Loving Native Ground Covers

by Cindy Gilberg

A shady woodland garden is a favorite retreat during our hot and humid St. Louis summers. It is puzzling, therefore, why many gardeners scratch their heads and curse the shade. They say nothing grows there, yet a walk in Missouri’s woodlands reveals a diverse bounty of woodland plants. Begin by creating a strong […]

Shamanic Energy Medicine

By Holly Schmitt,
Shamanic Energy
Medicine Practitioner

I found myself stepping into a 50,000-year-old lineage of healers. Before counselors, doctors, popes & pastors there were shaman. These shaman have been the healers who, throughout human history, have gathered wisdom & practices; tapping into the energetic wealth of plants, animals, earth & spirit realms to support human healing of […]

Shamanic Energy Medicine: Healing From The Physical, Emotional and Energetic Levels

By Holly Schmitt,
Shamanic Energy Medicine Practitioner

True Story; Just into my 20s, after completing my B.A.s in Anthropology and Spanish, I felt the calling to Shamanic practice. Mind you, this was nearly 35 years ago, before the internet, cell phones & such, so finding a teacher seemed challenging. I had heard about a Peruvian Shaman so […]

Shamanic Energy Medicine: Thank You To The Lineage Keepers of Ancient Knowledge*

By Holly Schmitt,
Shamanic Energy Medicine Practitioner

Why would a modern, college educated professional turn to ancient healing methods? I have a thriving psychotherapy practice of 35 years. Why move into using healing tools that came from way back in human history?

Well, psychotherapy, like “western medicine”, is brand new to our species. This means we are at […]

Shaw Nature Reserve Hosts Wildflower Sale and Prairie Day In September

Wildflower Sale September 9

Get a jump start on your spring garden now! Both new and experienced gardeners will find a wide variety of native wildflowers, grasses, sedges, small-flowering trees and shrubs for home landscaping at the Shaw Nature Reserve’s fall Shaw Wildflower Market on Friday, Sept. 9 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Admission to the […]

Shawnee Forest Weekends

Photo: Trail fun in the Shawnee National Forest

Shawnee Forest WeekendsPrehistoric Mississippians stalked deer and lived comfortably atop a cliff overlooking what is now the Shawnee National Forest, named for the defiant ones lead by Tecumseh into these lands. Cherokees traveled the Trail of Tears on the forced march to Oklahoma, and their cries of injustice […]

Shawnee Hills Wine Trail — Always A Reason to Applaud

It’s summertime, and the livin’s easy. There are so many reasons to plan a visit to the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. Refreshing wines, smaller crowds, lush vineyards and fun events planned along the trail are just a few. Not to mention, endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, in Shawnee Forest Country!

Whether it’s award-winning wines, live music […]

Shipt Launching Grocery Delivery in St. Louis

Member-based grocery delivery company partners with Dierbergs

Shipt, the fastest growing online grocery marketplace, announced today that it is partnering with locally owned Dierbergs Markets to begin delivering fresh groceries to St. Louis-area residents starting Sept. 14, 2017.

Founded in 2014, Shipt is committed to simplifying its members’ lives by offering a new, convenient grocery shopping experience. […]

Should You Neuter Your Male Dog?

by Teresa Garden, DVM

For decades the answer to this question has been a resounding YES! Veterinarians have recommended the sterilization procedure across-the-board regardless of age or breed and the public complied. However, recent research studies are pointing out adverse consequences of neutering and leading some veterinarians to believe more thought and consideration should be given […]

Should You Really Use Sunscreen Every Day?

By Cassidy Hartmann, Licensed Esthetician at Vitality Unlimited Spa

Protecting yourself from the sun is the single most important part of everyone’s skin care routine. Premature skin aging such as wrinkles, sagging skin and sunspots can be prevented with regular daily use of an SPF 15 sunscreen. It also reduces your risk of developing squamous cell […]

Should You Spay Your Dog?

by Teresa Garden, DVM

Spaying a female dog is actually the surgical procedure known as a complete ovariohysterectomy. The ovaries, uterine horns, and uterus are surgically removed, rendering the female effectively “sterilized”. She cannot conceive nor bear offspring and will not come into heat. Recent large research studies performed by the University of California-Berkley and the […]

Showcasing Projects Pushing Green Boundaries

By Abigail Sirevaag, USGBC-Missouri
Gateway Chapter Education Committee Co-Chair

Green buildings can take many forms, as demonstrated by the projects featured in the 2018 USGBC Green Building Showcase. The increase in the depth and variety of green building projects seen recently exemplifies how the boundaries of green building can be continually pushed. Instead of solely designing to […]

Simple Ways To Change Up Your Commute And Improve Air Quality

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

When we head out the door for work, school, or to enjoy a night on the town, most of us don’t think twice about jumping into our cars and the negative impact solo-commuting has on our air quality. More cars on our roads means more emissions in our air […]

Singing To The Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

There may be way more songs in your garden, and all gardens, than meets our ears. We hear bird song and songs of cicadas that fill the summer air. But are our ears tuned out to songs that go beyond our limited senses? Even if we […]

Sip Your Medicine – Tea Talks Dec. 10

By Jamila Owens-Todd, ND
Naturopathic Doctor & Herb Chemist

Why do I do this? It started from my very own personal journey to heal myself. Two decades ago, I dreaded my menstrual cycles due to excruciating pain. I shopped at the local health food store (Golden Grocers at the time) and found a tea, specifically for menstrual […]

Sisters Establish Memorial Fund In Memory of Their Father

Joseph P. Kearney Memorial Heart Fund
to benefit Mercy Heart & Vascular Hospital

Sisters Colleen Rohm, Cady Warnecke and Jody Capdeboscq announced the establishment of the Joseph P. Kearney Memorial Heart Fund. The Fund was created in memory of their father, Joseph P. Kearney, who passed away on June 10, 2011, from heart disease. All proceeds from […]

Sisters’ Book Makes ‘Being Green’ Easy for Children

The Earth is a big place to keep clean; but even little steps help complete the task. This is the rationale behind “The Earth, The Alphabet and Me,” a book designed to help even the youngest of kids to adopt an eco-friendly mindset and start taking care of the environment.

Local sisters Jenny Donaldson, an art […]

Six Missouri Schools Honored in Missouri Green Schools’ Initial Awards Round

By: Lesli Moylan, Missouri Environmental Education Association

Missouri Green Schools (MGS), a support and recognition program co-managed by the U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter and the Missouri Environmental Education Association, just completed its inaugural year as a state level program and selected its first round of honorees. Six Missouri schools have been awarded […]

Sleep and Sleep Deficit: How It Affects Your Health

by Varsha Rathod, M.D.

We all know what it means to sleep and feel rested. Medically, sleep refers to a suspended state of consciousness, sensory activity, and voluntary muscle activity. It is an anabolic state, which means that it fosters growth and repair of the body, especially rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, and musculo-skeletal systems.

I teach […]

Sleep: Are You Getting Enough?

By Jinny Hopp, former Human Development Specialist, Jasper County,

University of Missouri Extension

Research in the area of sleep has determined that as many as two-thirds of Americans lack enough sleep. A National Sleep Foundation poll found that 43 percent of Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 say they rarely or never get a good […]

Sleeping Clean: Why Your Mattress Matters

By Joe Reynolds

Mattresses are one part of the living clean equation which is often overlooked by consumers. Organic is the new buzzword of the millennium however it’s an old concept. Before the development of insecticides, pesticides, fungicides, and growth hormones; fruits, vegetables, grains, animals, and all their various by-products were raised organically—that is without additives […]

Sleepless in St. Louis

Article Courtesy of Wellness Alternatives

Does sleep elude you? Are you fatigued? In a 2009 survey, 66% of patients reported they were not sleeping well. One in three believes sleep problems affected their ability to enjoy work and life. 6 of every 10 Americans experience chronic sleep disturbances or insomnia more than 4 days a week. […]

SLiiM Holds 3rd Annual Symposium, Oct 13…‘The Anti-Aging Prescription’

Who Needs Dr. Oz? The St. Louis Institute of Integrative Medicine (SLiiM) has the answers regarding your optimal healthcare … right here in our own backyard! A consortium of medical practitioners from a variety of disciplines, SLiiM is dedicated to prevention, wellness and finding the root cause instead of just treating the symptoms.
Nearly 50% of […]

Slim Down Your Pasta Dishes

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Pasta may very well be one of the world’s most tasty foods. It is often described as being a “comfort food” but there is little comfort in knowing, most of the time, pasta dishes are extremely high in calories and heart-harming saturated fat. However, pasta […]

Sllyce Republic Offers Roman-style Pizza

Residents of Wildwood and surrounding areas are enjoying a new flavor in town. The group behind Llywelyn’s Pub opened Sllyce Republic Pizza in Mid-June, located at 2490 Taylor Rd.

Sllyce Republic Pizza is a Roman-style pizzeria that fuses the mouth-watering taste of chef-inspired pizza and sandwiches while using only the freshest ingredients. Specialties include a dough […]

Slow Flowers…

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Have you heard of Slow Food? Probably. Have you heard of Slow Flowers? Probably not. The Slow Flower movement is part of Slow Food’s effort to promote sustainably and locally grown plants. Instead of plants we eat though, Slow Flowers are cut flowers we share in our homes, celebrations and life transitions.

Slow […]

SLU Students Spearhead Sustainable Energy Swap

By Nancy Solomon

Saint Louis University has become Missouri’s first institution of higher education to commit to matching all electricity used in student residence halls with renewable energy through Ameren Missouri’s Pure Power Program.

Four years in the making, the initiative was driven by students, led by Douglas Fritz, a senior who founded Green Billikens and co-chairs […]

Small In Size But Giants In Yield; SUPER DWARFS PATIO TOMATOES

By Abby Lapides
Sugar Creek Gardens

How anyone can enjoy home grown tomatoes, even if they only have a small growing space. Ideal where space is limited, Super Dwarfs produce full-size tomatoes on manageable-size 3-4’ tall plants in small-spaces or patio containers. Super Dwarfs combine the best attributes of determinant plants’ small growth habit and indeterminants’ continual […]

Soil Super-heroes Help Forrest Keeling Grow Superior Plants

Article Courtesy of Forrest Keeling Nursery

Better plants don’t come from more fertilizer. They come from unlocking your plants’ natural ability to access nutrients. Healthy soil is key. And, it’s one reason Forrest Keeling’s RPM-produced plants grow better.

Healthy soil has a fascinating and complex system of microorganisms. These include mycorrhizae, protozoa, nematodes and bacteria. These […]

Solid Waste & Recycling News

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling. The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. These programs and services […]

Solid Waste & Recycling News

Medical Equipment Donation Drive

Saturday, May 2, 2015, 9 am – 2 pm
Twelve Designated Walgreen’s Sites
For a list of locations, contact St. Louis HELP at 314-567-4700 or www.stlhelp.org
Do you have medical equipment that is not being used?
Do you need medical equipment? Now there is HELP…

LOCAL GOVERNMENT RECYCLING INFORMATION

City of St. Louis – www.stlouis-mo.gov/government (Departments & Agencies, […]

Solid Waste Grantee Success Stories: Recycling & Waste Reduction Ventures

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding programs for recycling and waste reduction. The service area includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. Funding […]

Solid Waste Management District Grant Recipients Share Success Stories

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling.  The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County.  These programs and services […]

Solid Waste Management District Grant Recipients Share Success Stories

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling.  The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County.  These programs and services […]

Solid Waste Management District Helps Communities Become More Sustainable

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling. The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. For more information visit […]

Solid Waste Management News

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling. The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. These programs and services […]

Solid Waste Management Recycling News

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling. The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. For more information visit […]

Solid Waste News

St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District
The St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District has been working to expand recycling in the St. Louis region since 1993. The District is a regional public agency that serves St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson and St. Charles counties. Almost two million people reside within the District, making ours […]

Solutions For Stress – The Functional Medicine Way

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We experience stress in various ways. Injuries, infections, allergies, sleep, work, diet, toxins and then there is LIFE!

Throughout our lives we are bombarded with stressful events, good and bad. Even exciting events can be stressful for your body – like a wedding or new baby. Difficult experiences result in emotions like […]

Solutions For Stress – The Functional Medicine Way

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We experience stress in various ways. Injuries, infections, allergies, sleep, work, diet, toxins and then there is LIFE!

Throughout our lives we are bombarded with stressful events, good and bad. Even exciting events can be stressful for your body – like a wedding or new baby. Difficult experiences result in emotions like […]

Solutions For Stress – The Functional Medicine Way

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

We experience stress in various ways. Injuries, infections, allergies, sleep, work, diet, toxins and then there is LIFE!

Throughout our lives we are bombarded with stressful events, good and bad. Even exciting events can be stressful for your body – like a wedding or new baby. Difficult experiences result in emotions like […]

Solutions for Stress: Relieving Emotional Burdens

By Amy Davis, M.D.

We experience stress in various ways. Injuries, infections, allergies, poor sleep, work, diet, toxins and then there is LIFE!

We are bombarded with stressful events throughout our lives, good and bad. Exciting events like a wedding or new baby can be stressful. Difficult experiences result in emotions like fear, sadness, grief and anger. […]

Solutions for Stress: The Functional Medicine Way

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Stress is omnipresent in our lives. Anxiety, irritation, frustration, impatience and lack of self-control are all symptoms of being “stressed”. Lack of understanding of how to address emotions is the primary cause of today’s stress epidemic. People believe that the mind rules. More often than not, it’s the emotions that determine […]

Solving Chronic Health Challenges: A New Approach

by Amy K. Davis, MD

I am in awe of the human body, and how amazing it is that, by design, it can heal itself. This capability is under fire however. In my years of practice, I see patients with increasing difficulty in maintaining health. The annoying symptoms and chronic health problems just keep growing. I […]

Solving the Confusion Surrounding Laser, LED, and Light Therapy

By Dr. Brian Harasha,
Certified Laser Practitioner

In this article I hope to clear up some misunderstandings about Light Therapy.
Let’s begin with some terminology:

Wavelength – often shown on the electromagnetic spectrum (see picture) and represents the length of one cycle/wave of light. It is usually measured in nanometers (nm) or microns (µ). Ionizing radiation is light that […]

Some Easy Ways To GO GREEN!

By Nick Frisella (Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Director – Metro Lighting)

Make the Switch To LED
Installing an LED bulb is the quickest, easiest way to save energy — and money. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED lights convert most of the energy they use into light rather than heat. Why? They consume about 85% less electricity and last […]

Some Easy Ways To GO GREEN!

By Nick Frisella
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Director – Metro Lighting

Make the Switch To LED
Installing an LED bulb is the quickest, easiest way to save energy — and money. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED lights convert most of the energy they use into light rather than heat.

Why? They consume about 85% less electricity and last up to […]

Some Like It Hot

by Cindy Gilberg

Gone are the wildflowers of spring that were so welcome after the long winter. Now nature is cranking up the heat and with that comes a whole new array of flowering native plants. Bees and other pollinating insects are actively searching for pollen and nectar.

Birds are busy pursuing many of these and other […]

Some Say The Future of Medicine Has Arrived and It’s Being Called The Blu Room

Photo by Rory Sagner ©2018

JZ Knight is the inventor and Dr. Matthew Martinez helped co-develop and run the initial patient trials in his office in Olympia WA. Blu Room Therapy consists of narrow band UVB Light, music, and the power of the mind which creates an atmosphere where thousands of users worldwide have reported healing […]

Some Say The Future of Medicine Has Arrived and It’s Being Called The Blu Room

JZ Knight is the inventor and Dr. Matthew Martinez helped co-develop and run the initial patient trials in his office in Olympia WA. Blu Room Therapy consists of narrow band UVB Light, music, and the power of the mind which creates an atmosphere where thousands of users worldwide have reported healing benefits such as anxiety […]

Something for Everyone at an Earth Day Celebration That is Uniquely St. Louis!

It’s springtime in St. Louis! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and we’re ready to head outdoors. The warmer months are when St. Louis is most alive. Whether you enjoy an active lifestyle or art fairs and concerts in the park are more your scene, from spring to fall, you will find plenty […]

Sometimes Our Politicians Agree on Something

By Natalie Meyer, Chair of USGBC Missouri Gateway Advocacy Committee, Senior Account Executive Siemens 

We all agree that our planet needs a hug, but it seems that when our attitude meets political action it does not happen fast enough or with enough force to be effective. However, on August 7th, the U.S. passed the Inflation Reduction […]

Songs of a Summer Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

“In summer the song sings itself”
– William Carlos Williams

The songs of a summer garden are many. There is the song of sound itself with the choir of cicadas, birds, bees, insects and wind through the leaves. It is there from that sacred time of morning before the sunrise when birds call […]

Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House Celebrates 25 Years with Summer Exhibition — Lights, Camera, Arthropods!

The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is going to the movies in honor of their silver “screen” anniversary. In celebration of 25 years, the Butterfly House presents Lights, Camera, Arthropods!a new exhibition spotlighting some of the planet’s biggest bug celebrities, open May 30 through September 3, 2023.

As guests walk the red carpet in the exhibit hall, they will see which invertebrates capture the award […]

Sound Walks In Your Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

If you’ve heard of Slow Food and other “slow” experiences like Slow Art, you know the concept. Experience life in a calm, thoughtful and delightful way that opens up your senses to fully experience what is going on around and within you. All too often when […]

Southernmost Illinois Offers Colorful Fall Hikes and Getaways

Makanda: Gateway to Giant City and Outdoor Adventure, can easily fill a 3 or 4 day getaway! 

With its breathtaking natural beauty and unlimited opportunities for outdoor recreation, a trip to Giant City State Park and the Makanda area offers loads of fun. From camping and horseback riding to fishing and rappelling, it’s an outdoor lover’s […]

Sowing The First Seeds of the Season

By Crystal Stevens

As farmers, this time of year for us is magical. We sow the first seeds of the season in anticipation of longer days and warmer temperatures. For nearly the past decade, we have spent Valentine’s Day showing our seeds some love. It has become a lovely tradition. Seeds sown now in the high […]

Spending a Day with Ourselves

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

We often think about our past selves and think about how time has passed, and how we have changed over time since at one given time we were once a child. Undoubtedly, the cycle of life is inevitable since we are going to age as time passes by where […]

Sprayology Homeopathics For Health & Wellness

by Jennifer Deschene

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that is over 200 years old, that is based on the premise that certain natural substances are able to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms, allowing the body to heal itself. After symptoms of a condition have been alleviated, homeopathy works to reestablish internal order at the […]

Spreading Good Karma: It’s Werth it.

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Good karma: the result of good deeds done to others. A seemingly common encounter at the check-out counter created a core memory within me I didn’t initially anticipate, yet it continues to surface nearly a year later. These learning lessons elevate ordinary moments into the extraordinary range.

I was having […]

Spring Allergies Affect Our Pets!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Every year about this time, pet owners approach me and ask whether pets do indeed suffer spring time allergies, much as we humans do. And, my answer is an emphatic, YES!!! The pollens released from grasses, flowers and trees can impact your dogs and cats.

I often explain that allergies, or the […]

Spring Allergies Affecting Our Pets

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Every year about this time, pet owners approach me and ask whether pets do indeed suffer spring time allergies, much as we humans do. And, my answer is an emphatic, YES!!! The pollens released from grasses, flowers and trees can impact your dogs and cats.

I often explain that allergies, or the […]

Spring Forward with Be Young Total Health

By Donna Langenbacher

You can prevent illness, repair cellular damage, and promote lifelong wellness with the best products made from fresh, natural ingredients. Research has shown that, when a product is applied to our skin, the chemicals within it can be absorbed into our blood stream within 30 seconds.

If you do not take care of your […]

Spring Gardening Tips: Raised Beds, Weed Control, Garden Design, Prepare Your Spot

By Crystal Stevens

Building raised beds:
Simple raised beds can be built using pallets. Pallets are typically free. Local businesses such as warehouses and shipping facilities with pallets out back will typically be glad to give away pallets because it often times saves them money. But it is best to ask the business owner directly for permission. […]

Spring Has Sprung In The Arts!

By Mike “Michelle” OchonickyHealthy Planet Arts Editor

Photo caption: Metro Theater Company presents The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Ideal for all ages.

There’s a new theatre company in town! Prism Theatre Company is focused on the “promotion of works by women and emerging artists, on stage and off, through the lens of theatre for the new world.” At […]

Spring is in the Air, Breathe in the Aromas

Spring is here, bringing a sense of renewal and fresh beginnings. It’s the perfect time to refresh your self-care and home-care routine. What better way to lift your mind, body, spirit, and home than with Aromatherapy?

Dating back to 3500 BC, Aromatherapy uses essential oils extracted from plants to enhance physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. These […]

Spring Time Conditioning for Your Active Dogs

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Wow! Even ole’ fellas like me feel invigorated with the warm, bright days of Spring. I often jump out in the garage to clean out junk, and begin working on my garden. Yikes, by evening, I can hardly stand up without wrenching in pain.

Why am I sharing such personal information. […]

Spring Time Conditioning for Your Active Dogs

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Wow! Even ole’ fellas like me feel invigorated with the warm, bright days of Spring. I often jump out in the garage to clean out junk, and begin working on my garden. Yikes, by evening, I can hardly stand up without wrenching in pain.

Why am I sharing such personal information. Well, […]

Spring Training for Gardeners is back at EarthDance

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 […]

Springtime Cleaning Poses Concerns for Your Pets! BEWARE!!!

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Somehow, springtime stimulates even the most committed couch potatoes towards garage and basement cleaning. It may be the sense of ‘a new beginning’, associated with the inviting sounds of an orchestral ensemble of backyard birds; the smells and sights of newly erupting fragrant roses, dogwoods and peonies; or, maybe it has […]

Springtime Conditioning For Active Dogs

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Wow! Even ole’ fellas like me feel invigorated with the warm, bright days of Spring. I often jump out in the garage to clean out junk, and begin working on my garden. Yikes, by evening, I can hardly stand up without wrenching in pain.

Why am I sharing such personal information? […]

Springtime Conditioning For Your Active Dogs

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Wow! Even ole’ fellas like me feel invigorated with the warm, bright days of Spring. I often jump out in the garage to clean out junk, and begin working on my garden. Yikes, by evening, I can hardly stand up without wrenching in pain.

Why am I sharing such personal information? Well, […]

Springtime Getaway in the Ozark Foothills

Nestled in the eastern Ozarks, there’s a place that believes in family-friendly fun and bonding, where the foothills of southern Missouri meet the bright blue sky, and people of all ages are playing, relaxing and exploring – away from the ordinary. YMCA Trout Lodge is a year round resort located 90 minutes south of St. […]

Springtime Preventative Health For Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

It’s just about springtime and we are all excited about leaving our winter cocoons and blossoming into backyard explorers, often joined by our beloved pets, either dog or cat. The first issue regards updating your annual examinations and immunizations. Each veterinarian will host their own healthcare program for your pets, so […]

Springtime Preventative Health For Your Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

It’s just about springtime and we are all excited about leaving our winter cocoons and blossoming into backyard explorers, often joined by our beloved pets, either dog or cat.
The first issue regards updating your annual examinations and immunizations. Each veterinarian will host their own healthcare program for your pets, so take […]

Springtime Preventative Health For Your Pets

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

It’s just about springtime and we are all excited about leaving our winter cocoons and blossoming into backyard explorers, often joined by our beloved pets, either dog or cat. The first issue regards updating your annual examinations and immunizations. Each veterinarian will host their own healthcare program for your pets, so […]

Springtime Preventative Health For Your Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

It’s just about springtime and we are all excited about leaving our winter cocoons and blossoming into backyard explorers, often joined by our beloved pets, either dog or cat. The first issue regards updating your annual examinations and immunizations. Each veterinarian will host their own healthcare program for your pets, so […]

Springtime Ticks are More Than Just A Nuisance – They Are Harbingers of Potential Diseases for Pets & Pet Owners Alike!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

It’s so lovely outside these days! Springtime has all of us out and about, exploring the seasonal beauty with our trusty pets alongside. We may be planting in the garden, taking relaxing evening walks, jogging or hiking the many paths available in our park systems, and more. And, with any of […]

Spruce Up Your Salads

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Eating salads can be a great way to make sure you’re getting your recommended daily servings of vegetables, but sometimes eating the same lackluster salad day in and day out can leave you feeling bored. Here are some tips to help you amp up the […]

SqWires Creates Menu Using Locally-Sourced Ingredients

By Bethany Budde
SqWires Owner & Executive Chef

In June we make it official – Summer arrives with the rollicking enthusiasm of bar-b-que, holidays, tours, concerts, and baseball. One of the tastiest times of the year; we’ll indulge you with incredible fresh veggies and fruit, tempt you with the coolest summer cocktails; and turn you into the hottest host when […]

St. Charles County Making It Easier For Residents To Recycle Household Items

Did you know that about 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable, yet our recycling rate is only about 28%? St. Charles County is trying to close that gap by making it easier for residents to recycle their most common household items. That’s especially important now that some individual recyclable haulers not affiliated with […]

St. Louis 2023 Pond-O-Rama Tour Set for June 24-25

The St. Louis Water Garden Society (SLWGS) is celebrating 33 years as a society sharing information about fish, ponds and gardens.

This year is the Society’s 23rd annual water garden and pond tour, the 2023 Pond-O-Rama, and will be held Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. It […]

St. Louis Area Escapes Being Listed Among “Most-Polluted” U.S. Cities

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

The American Lung Association’s 2019 “State of the Air” report is out, and it reveals the number of people exposed to unhealthy air increased to nearly 141.1 million, rising from the 133.9 million in the years covered by the 2018 report (2014-2016). For the third consecutive year, the St. […]

St. Louis Area No Longer Among “Most-Polluted” U.S. Cities in 2017 ‘State of the Air’ Report

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Data from the American Lung Association’s 2017 “State of the Air” report has revealed that the St. Louis area is no longer ranked among the top 25 most-polluted cities in the U.S. This news reflects an overall trend in improved air quality nationwide, highlighted by lower overall ozone levels […]

St. Louis Area Remains Off List of “Most-Polluted” U.S. Cities

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

For the second consecutive year, the St. Louis region has escaped being ranked among the top 25 most-polluted cities in the U.S., according to data from the American Lung Association’s 2018 “State of the Air” report. Unfortunately, while last year’s drop off the list was part of an overall […]

St. Louis Bicycle Works Rolls On For 25 Years

St. Louis Bicycle Works (DBA BWorks) collects between 4,000 – 5,000 donated bikes each year. This volume accounts for an average of 65 tons being diverted annually through refurbishing, reusing, or recycling. In 2017, however, 90 tons of materials were processed; representing a 72 percent increase in diversion from landfills. Satellite drop-off locations are available […]

St. Louis Body Balance and Weight Loss Promotes Optimal Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being for a Healthier Lifetime

By Dr. Raffi Krikorian, M.D.

At St. Louis Body Balance and Weight Loss, we specialize in listening to and solving the unique problems of our patients. We have expertise in weight loss, balancing body hormones (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy BHRT), detoxification, nutrition, anti-aging, and wellness with a focus on preventing cardiovascular conditions and making our patients […]

St. Louis Brewers Guild’s Troika Brodsky Talks Beer & Brewing In St. Louis

Just a week after the 10th Annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival’s successful debut on the St. Louis Arch grounds, St. Louis Brewers Guild’s Executive Director Troika Brodsky is still busy promoting the beer scene in St. Louis.

“Beer is booming and there has been a ton of growth right here locally as we have seen […]

St. Louis Brewers’ Guild Heritage Festival Offers More Than 90 Varieties of Brews This Year

Have you noticed the abundance of beer festivals in St. Louis? As craft breweries have multiplied in the last several years, beer events have grown with them until it seems there is one almost every weekend May through October. With so many to choose from, does it really matter which to attend? Could there be […]

St. Louis Brewing History Timeline

1809 – John Coons opens first documented primitive brewery in St. Louis on the current site of the Gateway Arch.
1840 – Adam Lemp credited with brewing the first lager beers produced in the United States in St. Louis.
1852 – George Schneider establishes the Bavarian Brewery in south St. Louis. The Bavarian Brewery would eventually become […]

St. Louis BWorks: Improving Literacy, Technology & Bicycling

The mission of St. Louis BWorks Inc. (a.k.a. Bicycle Works) is to enhance the character and quality of life of youth and their families through programs focused on bicycling, literacy, and technology. 

Throughout the year, more than 5,000 bikes are donated but most are not in good condition. The unusable bikes are disassembled for salvage, reuse, […]

St. Louis Celebrates Local Brewers At 7th Annual Heritage Festival June 14-15

Festival Moves Back to Forest Park, Addition of New Breweries

For beer lovers looking to toast St. Louis’ rich brewing tradition this summer, the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival – presented by the St. Louis Brewers Guild – will return to Forest Park June 14 & 15, bringing together thousands of adults to enjoy a variety […]

St. Louis Community College Culinary Program

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher 

St. Louis Community College has many different options for majors and programs for students seeking all kinds of education to find that perfect career. STLCC has two top-rated programs at their Forest Park campus: Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts. Both are Associate of Science degrees. The degrees are […]

St. Louis Composting Celebrates International Compost Awareness Week With a Heaping Helping of Compost

By Sara Ryan
St. Louis Composting

St. Louis Composting invites you to join in celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), May 5-11, 2014. This year’s theme is “Compost! The Solution to Sustainable Soil and Water”. Planned activities span the globe with celebrations scheduled across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Ireland. Composting advocates […]

St. Louis Composting Celebrates International Compost Awareness Week With a Heaping Helping of Compost

By Sara Ryan
St. Louis Composting

St. Louis Composting invites you to join in celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), May 5-11, 2014. This year’s theme is “Compost! The Solution to Sustainable Soil and Water”. Planned activities span the globe with celebrations scheduled across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Ireland. Composting advocates […]

St. Louis Composting Draws Big Crowd

During Compost Awareness Week In May

St. Louis Composting encouraged gardeners from across the bi-state area to join in celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), on May 11 at their 3rd Annual “Give Compost a GROW at Home” workshop! The 2013 ICAW theme was “Compost… Nature’s Way to Grow!” and planned activities spanned the globe with […]

St. Louis Continues to Celebrate 50th Earth Day Anniversary

Earth Day Half Birthday Moving Online

Executive Director Dr. Jess Watson announces that earthday365’s planned Earth Day Half Birthday on October 18th in Tower Grove Park will be replaced by a virtual festival and Green Curbside Hop. 

In the best interest of public health, earthday365 is unable to host an outdoor St. Louis Earth Day Festival in […]

St. Louis Continues to Celebrate 50th Earth Day Anniversary With Virtual Festival & Green Curbside Hop Oct. 15

Executive Director Dr. Jess Watson announces that earthday365’s planned Earth Day Half Birthday on October 18th in Tower Grove Park will be replaced by a virtual festival and Green Curbside Hop.

In the best interest of public health, earthday365 is unable to host an outdoor St. Louis Earth Day Festival in Tower Grove Park as planned […]

St. Louis Earth Day Festival 2021

Re-envisioned during COVID-19 pandemic

If you’re disheartened by the cancellation of earthday365’s historic St. Louis Earth Day Festival, fear not! We at earthday365 have re-envisioned how to safely celebrate Earth Day at home and invite you and yours to join us! 

In order to bring Earth Day to you, we have put together Earth Day Celebration Kits […]

St. Louis Earth Day Festival 2021

Heading into Earth Week!

earthday365 is pleased to kick off an Earth Week that has something for everyone this year. Volunteer clean-ups? Check. Green dining? Check. Free movie screening? Check? Thought-provoking lectures, dance, raffle prizes – check, check, check!

“We know that everyone is so excited to celebrate this Spring, after a long, hard year,” says earthday365 […]

St. Louis Earth Day Festival Declared 2nd Largest In Nation

by Jeanette Reynolds
Programs & Communication Director
St. Louis Earth Day

Everyone agrees — this year’s St. Louis Earth Day Festival was an incredible success. New community partnerships were realized, more sponsorship funds were pledged to support our year-round programming, and we expanded the event to have live music and food Saturday night.

But, most visitors also noticed something […]

St. Louis Earth Day Festival Expands To Two Days, April 22-23

Unofficially marking the kick-off of St. Louis’ outdoor event season, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival is scheduled for April 22-23 this year.

Now in its 28th year, the festival, which began as a small, grassroots gathering, today welcomes tens of thousands of guests, largest by far in the midwest welcoming guests to celebrate, learn and […]

St. Louis Earth Day Festival Postponed Due To COVID-19

New Date October 18 In Tower Grove Park

Enjoy Virtual Earth Day Festivities April 18-26 online at earthday-365.org 

By Jessica Watson, PhD, Executive Director, earthday365

The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day has turned into an opportunity to practice resilience and community building. Instead of a focus on resilience in the face of climate change, we must quickly adapt to […]

St. Louis Earth Day Festival Returns To Forest Park April 23-24

earthday365 Hosts Two Full Days of Fun, Education, and Community-Building

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival returns to the Muny Grounds in Forest Park. Organized by the local nonprofit earthday365, the festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both April 23 and April […]

St. Louis Earth Day Festivities 2018

Include Festival in Forest Park April 21-22, Film Series, Recycling Extravaganza and St. Louis Climate Summit

By Jen Myerscough,
Executive Director
St. Louis Earth Day

Each April, with the spring blooms comes a surge of awareness for and activities surrounding the Environment. St. Louis Earth Day will not only host one of the largest festivals in the […]

St. Louis Earth Day Now Known as earthday 365!

At the recent Founder’s Day Celebration, St. Louis Earth Day revealed its new name, earthday 365. “The first St. Louis Earth Day Festival was celebrated 30 years ago. Since then we’ve grown into a year-round organization. Our name should reflect the broader work we are doing today” said Executive Director Jen Myerscough.

The annual Festival, […]

St. Louis EcoFaith Meet-up Aug. 26 at the Schlafly Tap Room

by Steve Lawler

Great things are happening within the St. Louis Interfaith Green Community. People who care about sustainability and environmental responsibility because of their spiritual or religious identity are engaging with public policy issues, composting, solar power, recycling, greening their buildings, urban gardening and more. Temples, ashrams, mosques, religious communities and orders, synagogues, churches and […]

St. Louis Fitness Alliance Announces Top 10 Healthiest Restaurants in St. Louis

The Fitness Alliance, an association of health club owners, managers and other industry leaders, just released their list of the top 10 healthiest restaurants in Saint Louis. Making the list is: Frida’s and Winslow’s in University City, Crushed Red in Clayton and Kirkwood, Athlete Eats and Purple Martin in St. Louis City, a local food […]

St. Louis Goes Green! Earth Day Ecochallenge Team

Did We Make It to #1 Worldwide?

by Fredericka Brandt,USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

As of mid-April when writing this article, our St. Louis Goes Green! Earth Day Ecochallenge team was ranked 13 out of 735 teams worldwide. WOW! Over 8,000 participants have joined the Ecochallenge community of changemakers since April 1 to create a […]

St. Louis Green 2013 Holiday Light Recycling Drive Aims to Recycle 136,000 lbs of Unwanted Holiday Lights

St. Louis Green, in partnership with Walmart, is once again working to collect unwanted holiday lights. With over 400 collection sites, the partnership hopes to continue building off of last year’s success. According to St. Louis Green founder, Craig Jung, “Our goal this year is 136,000 pounds of lights diverted from local landfills.” Once collected, […]

St. Louis Green Buildings & Progressive Legislation: A New Way Forward

By Jenna Wilf, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Intern and Washington University in St. Louis 2020 Graduate

Green buildings have long been talked about as a key feature of addressing climate change in our built environment. A ‘green’ building is a holistic concept that begins with realizing that the built environment can have profound effects, both positive and negative, […]

St. Louis Local Foods Challenge Takes Off In June

By Crystal Stevens

The importance of eating local is crucial to the future of food. With the rise in health and environmental concerns due to toxic pesticides, monoculture, and the many miles food travels, we are in dire need of a shift in the way humans hold reverence for food. Now more than ever, people are […]

St. Louis Once Again Avoids Landing On “Most Ozone-Polluted” U.S. Cities List

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

The American Lung Association’s 2020 State of the Air report is out, and the data reveals that more cities across the U.S. experienced high ozone days and increased levels of particle pollution compared to the years covered by the 2019 report (2015-2017). For the fourth consecutive year, the St. […]

St. Louis Public Library Helps You Become Heart Smart

By Kara Krekeler, Science & Technology Librarian, St. Louis Public Library

Having a healthy heart is key to living a healthy life. But how can you tell if your heart is healthy? And if it’s not, what can you do to make it healthy?

These are some of the questions the St. Louis Public Library and its […]

St. Louis Public Library Hosts Seminar on Diabetes: What’s New, What Works, and How It Can Be Prevented

By Kara Krekeler, St. Louis Public Library, Science and Technology Librarian

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 29 million Americans have diabetes. What’s even more startling is that, of those, more than 8 million don’t know they have it.

To help raise awareness about the disease, the St. Louis Public Library and its partners
present Diabetes: […]

St. Louis Rain Barrel Sale Planned For July 27-28

As more American’s look to improve their healthy food options by growing their own food, rain barrels have been making a comeback among even novice gardeners. Collected for non-potable use, rainwater is a free resource that has been vastly underutilized.

Like fresh vegetables from the garden, rainwater is unprocessed. According to the American Rainwater Catchment Association, […]

St. Louis Rams Partner With Microgrid Solar For ‘Energy Makeover’

Play Bears In Green Game Nov 24

The St. Louis Rams are greening their operations, from recycling and waste reduction, to energy efficiency and the use of recycled materials. As part of these efforts, the Rams have partnered with St. Louis based Microgrid Solar to further their efforts around clean energy.

As the official Clean Energy Partner […]

St. Louis Rams Practice A Greener Game

The St. Louis Rams are greening our operations, from recycling and waste reduction to energy efficiency and the use of recycled materials. Since our participation in the NFL’s first carbon neutral game in 2005 against the Philadelphia Eagles, we have been committed to establishing and growing our Green Platform with the intention of identifying authentic […]

St. Louis VegFest Set For Aug. 4 At World’s Fair Pavilion

Vegans, vegetarians and conscious eaters of all types have been flocking to vegan festivals all over the world for years. Now, St. Louis is getting its first ever VegFest!

All are welcome to join us on August 4 from 11am-8pm at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park (1904 Concourse Dr., St. Louis, MO 63110) for this […]

St. Louis VegFest Set For Oct. 13 at World’s Fair Pavilion In Forest Park

St. Louis Animal Rights Team (START) is hosting their second annual vegan festival this fall, VegFest. This one-day event attracts thousands of visitors not only from St. Louis, but from all around the country. St. Louis VegFest will highlight the ethical, health, and environmental aspects of a vegan lifestyle through inspirational speakers, cruelty-free merchandise, and […]

St. Louis Water Garden Society Hosts Pond-O-Rama June 25 & 26

You’re Invited to the 22nd Annual Pond-O-Rama Tour! The tour is on Saturday June 25 and June 26, 2022, 9am–5pm each day. Pond-O-Rama is not just the premiere event for the St. Louis Water Garden Society, it is an attraction to locals and tourists alike. The tour includes some of the area’s most stunning water […]

St. Louis Water Garden Society Hosts Pond-O-Rama June 25 & 26

You’re Invited to the 22nd Annual Pond-O-Rama Tour! The tour is on Saturday June 25 and June 26, 2022, 9a.m. – 5p.m. each day. Pond-O-Rama is not just the premiere event for the St. Louis Water Garden Society, it is an attraction to locals and tourists alike. The tour includes some of the area’s most […]

St. Louis Wellness Center Hosts 10-Year Celebration Open House Sept. 15

By Gwin Stewart,PhD, CRAADC, MARS

Discretely nestled in the residential neighborhood of Webster Groves, The St Louis Wellness Center provides holistic, wellness services to 20,000 visitors each year. If you haven’t yet been to the StLWC, you are invited to attend the Open House and see for yourself how you might benefit from one or more […]

St. Louis Wellness Center Hosts Annual Open House & Community Appreciation Day Oct. 5

Everyone seeks wellness and serenity, and the St. Louis Wellness Center providers specializes in those things – and want to share their talent and experience at the annual Open House & Community Appreciation Day on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 1 to 5 p.m. It’s a day of family fun, wellness education and presentations, tours, snacks […]

St. Louis Wellness Center To Host 10-Year Celebration Open House

By Gwin Stewart, PhD, CRAADC, MARS

If you’ve ever wondered about the St Louis Wellness Center, you have the opportunity to find out more at our upcoming Open House. Our peaceful building is nestled in Webster Groves, easily accessible to both highways 40 and 44. Upon entering for the first time, people often comment how calm […]

St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District News

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling. The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. For more information visit […]

St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District Recycling Success Stories

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding programs for recycling and waste reduction. The service area includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. Funding […]

St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District Supports Area Recycling Efforts

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding waste reduction and recycling. The District includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. For more information visit […]

St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management News

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding programs for recycling and waste reduction. The service area includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. Funding […]

St. Louis’ Annual Fair Trade Market Sparks Social Justice

Manchester United Methodist Church Educates on Fair Trade and Advocates for Living Wages

On Saturday, Nov. 23, and Sunday, Nov. 24 and Friday Nov. 29 thru Sunday, Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., more than 2,500 sq. ft. of space will be filled with fair trade items from all over the world at Manchester […]

St. Louis’ Food Outreach Announces the 30th Annual

A Tasteful Affair April 22; A Celebration Making Nutrition and Compassion Center Stage for 30 Years
Featuring St. Louis’ Favorite Restaurants with Entertainment by Ben Nordstrom and Friends Proceeds Fuel Food Outreach to Provide Nutritional Support and Wholesome Meals for Clients with HIV/AIDS or Cancer

Food Outreach’s 30th annual A Tasteful Affair is Sunday April 22nd at […]

St. Louis’ Food Outreach Announces the 30th Annual A Tasteful Affair; A Celebration Making Nutrition and Compassion Center Stage for 30 Years

Featuring St. Louis’ Favorite Restaurants with Entertainment by Ben Nordstrom and Friends Proceeds Fuel Food Outreach to Provide Nutritional Support and Wholesome Meals for Clients with HIV/AIDS or Cancer

Food Outreach’s 30th annual A Tasteful Affair is Sunday April 22nd at the Four Seasons Hotel, 999 N. Second Street, 63102 from 2 to 5 p.m. The […]

St. Louisans Encouraged to Take Action for Cleaner Air Based on Latest “State of the Air” Results

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

The recently released American Lung Association’s 2022 “State of the Air” report reveals that, despite decades of progress on cleaning up sources of air pollution, more than 40% of Americans – over 137 million people – are living in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or […]

Stan Musial Honored by Family with New Beer from Urban Chestnut

#6 Classic American Lager set to arrive at the start of the 2020 baseball season

Just in time for the 2020 baseball season, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company (UCBC) has partnered with the family of St. Louis baseball great Stan Musial to create #6 Classic American Lager. The new beer, an American lager brewed with a recipe […]

Standing Up To Environmental Challenges

by Don Fitz

Whatever the threat, Missouri activists are organizing to protect the environment. August 2013 Green Time TV looks at a variety of concerns: honeybees, organic farming, CAFOs and energy.

What’s behind the disappearance of bees in the US? During the first August show, Jane Sueme, owner of Isabee’s Beekeeping Equipment and Supplies, discusses the importance […]

Start The New Year With Hearty Soup

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

It is a brand new year, and what better way to ring in 2015 in a healthy way than with comforting, steaming hot, hearty bowl of healthy soup. This is a perfect dish to highlight considering January is National Soup Month, and many satisfying seasonal […]

Start Your Fall Veggie Garden Now

By Linda Wiggen KraftHealthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Now is the time to plant seeds for your fall vegetable garden. Seeds of arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, peas, radish, spinach, and turnips can all be planted now. Seeds need time to germinate and grow large enough to harvest […]

Stay Healthy This Holiday Season

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

I love the holidays. It’s a time when we have the incredible opportunity to gather together with our friends and loved ones. However, if we’re not careful, the holidays can also mean a time of unwanted weight gain, stress, and illness. Luckily, we have some tips to help you avoid these […]

Stay Lung Healthy When Outdoors This Summer

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Our lungs are always hard at work. In just one day, a healthy person breathes nearly 25,000 times. For those with lung ailments, each and every breath can be a challenge, particularly when the air they breathe is unhealthy.

Many areas in the United States produce enough ozone during the […]

Staycation Vs Vacation

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

This summer a lot of people are opting for a staycation instead of a vacation. I spoke with a family who recently went on a staycation.

Carolyn O’Laughlin — just finished her Ph.D. at SLURebecca O’Laughlin — works as an academic advisor at Wash UThe kids are Caleb (12) and Avery […]

Staying Active During The Holidays

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

As winter settles in around us, we often start to slack off when it comes to physical activity. It’s not difficult to see why this happens – it’s cold and snowy outside, which limits the ability to do fun, outdoorsy activities, and we fall into […]

Staying Cool (and Green) This Summer

By Maeve Elder,Communication & Outreach Coordinator, Missouri Gateway Green Building CouncilIt’s that time of year again in the sultry Midwest when the warm days of spring blaze into the scorching days of summer. Despite the sweltering heat, it’s one of my favorite times of year. I relish the endless opportunities to be outside – luxuriating […]

Staying Hydrated & Healthy

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Summer’s hottest months are upon us, and with the heat and humidity comes the risk of dehydration. It’s easy to get dehydrated in these summer months, especially since everyone is so busy with tons of outdoor activities. Compounding the risk for dehydration is the fact […]

Stem Cell Therapy as a New Regenerative Medicine: A New Hope – Seeing and Experiencing is Believing?

By Simon Yu, MD

I saw my good friend Dr. R.B., an elderly medical doctor from Ohio at the International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM) conference this fall, and noticed he seems to have more youthful enthusiasm. At dinner, he described how he volunteered for stem cell therapy thru nasal injection at the previous ICIM meeting […]

Stem Cell Therapy is The New Breakthrough in Medicine

By Dr. Raj Banerjee

Our Advanced Healing Stem Cell Therapies Overcome Pain & Chronic Conditions

When you have pain in your back, hips, shoulders and knees you cannot get a good nights sleep, and can miss out on so many things that life has to offer, like playing with your grandkids, taking a walk on the beach […]

Stem Cell Therapy is The New Breakthrough in Medicine

By Dr. Raj Banerjee

Our Advanced Healing Stem Cell Therapies Overcome Pain & Chronic Conditions>/h3>

When you have pain in your back, hips, shoulders and knees you cannot get a good nights sleep, and can miss out on so many things that life has to offer, like playing with your grandkids, taking a walk on the beach […]

Stem Cell Therapy is The New Breakthrough in Medicine

By Dr. Raj Banerjee

Our Advanced Healing Stem Cell Therapies Overcome Pain & Chronic Conditions

When you have pain in your back, hips, shoulders and knees you cannot get a good nights sleep, and can miss out on so many things that life has to offer, like playing with your grandkids, taking a walk on the beach […]

Step into Spring with Revitalizing Nail Care Treatments

Spring is the perfect time to rejuvenate your hands and feet.

Proper nail care is not just about appearance. It also offers many physical and mental health and wellness benefits.

During the cold winter, your hands and nails can become dry and rough. Daily pressure on your feet can cause discomfort and lead to calluses and rough […]

STL Toxic Waste Alliance





By Christen Commuso

The STL Toxic Waste Alliance recently rounded out our first year of work. As a reminder, the Alliance was created as a partnership between MCE and the grassroots community organization, Just Moms STL. Together, we believe it is every person’s right to know the communities in which they live, work, worship, or play […]

Stop and See the Roses

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

I write this article as the U.S. begins the slowing and stopping of daily interactions. Hopefully time away from others will succeed in stopping the spread of COVID-19. 

Gardens are safe spaces during this trying time. Being outdoors is good for our physical and mental health. Sunshine brightens […]

Stored Memories

By Dr. Gail Cloud

It is very important to tell our stories and our secrets, or to give them air in some form.  Otherwise, they end up festering inside of us. In most families, there are secrets which go to the grave with them. 

Did you know that when our old hurts are buried and/or not talked […]

Storm Damage Prevention Using Properly Installed Steel Cabling On Old Large Trees

By Wendell Phillips (Phil) Berwick,
Certified ISA Arborist

I happened to be in Gulfport Mississippi, the day after a large section recently ripped out of a 500-year-old ‘Live Oak’, named the “Friendship Oak” on the Southern Mississippi University campus.

It might have been avoided with proper installation of two or three steel cables. There were two poorly installed […]

Storm Damage, Tree Paint and Other Tall Tree Tales

By Phil Berwick
Living Tree Care

I am often asked to look at a tree that’s close to a house, with an owner concerned that it might fall on the house in the event of a storm. Most of the time, when I have inspected and not seen a hazard, I will explain that if their […]

Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD 

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections. The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections. 

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to […]

Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System!

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Natural immunity to COVID-19 is not lasting. People who have had documented cases of COVID-19 when I tested months later no longer are positive for antibodies. What that means is that 8-12 months after the initial infection, protection has diminished to the point that original antibody tests are negative and new infection with […]

Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System!

By Amy Davis, MD

Natural immunity to COVID-19 is not lasting. People who have had documented cases of COVID-19 when I tested months later no longer are positive for antibodies. What that means is that 8-12 months after the initial infection, protection has diminished to the point that original antibody tests are negative and new infection […]

Strategies to Enhance Your Immune System!

By Amy Davis, M.D.

We are constantly exposed to potential infectious agents like viruses and bacteria that cause infections such as colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections.  The immune system defends us from invaders and repairs the damage that occurs with infections.

When the immune system is weak infections may occur frequently and be difficult to resolve. […]

Straub’s Fine Grocers and St. Louis Composting Work Together To Divert 50,000 Tons of Food Waste Since 2010

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 40 percent of the food produced in America never gets eaten. Supermarkets and restaurants discard much of it, with more than 30 million tons of food and organic waste ending up in landfills each year.

Fortunately, environmentally sound change is afoot. In October, 2014, Massachusetts began enforcing new […]

Stray Rescue Of St. Louis Closes On Property

Building the Future Home of Stray Rescue of St. Louis Sanctuary, Adoption & Humane Education Center

Stray Rescue of St. Louis has been a staple in the metro St. Louis region for a quarter of a century. Throughout that time, the organization has rescued and saved the lives of thousands upon thousands of at-risk dogs and […]

Stress: A Functional Medicine Perspective

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Stress comes in a variety of forms – traumatic emotional events, physical injury, infections, inflammatory conditions, sleep deprivation, nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities, and toxins.

To the body stress is stress – the response to the stress, whatever the source, is the same.

Stress places demands on the body and activates two systems: the […]

Striving Toward A Pawsitively Fear-Free Veterinary Visit

By Teresa Garden, DVM

There is a growing trend in veterinary medicine to provide a more relaxed atmosphere for our furry patients. This is a good thing. Many pet owners tend to skip routine veterinary care because their pet is scared to death to be in a carrier, scared of the car ride, or scared of […]

Stroll Through Water Gardens And Be Refreshed By Nature

June 22nd and June 23rd

June is the perfect time of year to enjoy the outdoors. Gardens are lush and green after the Spring. The beauty of nature takes root, literally, and we are treated to landscapes rich with color, scent, and sound. Take a stroll through local gardens with spectacular water features on the 24th […]

Strong Partnerships Can Help Us Avoid Illness

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

February is the month of Valentine’s Day, which brings our focus to relationships with the people in our lives who we care for and love and how we can make those relationships stronger.

The quality of our personal relationships has an enormous impact on our overall health and wellness. Research shows […]

Structural Integration and Being Seated

By Sally and Alan Cina

One of the many things we educate our clients about is how to sit. Good posture while seated is very helpful to ones overall health.

Many of us sit too far back and are sitting on the back points of the sitting bones and the tip of the tailbone. This can feel […]

Structural Integration and Standing

By Sally & Alan Cina

One of the ways we assist our clients is getting them to be able to stand comfortably. This is useful for much of our life as we stand and talk with colleagues, and friends, or wait in line.

Part of what we do is assist our clients to create their own ease […]

Students Making A Positive Impact with Green Schools Quest

By Fredericka Brandt,USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

The annual Green Schools Quest project-based challenge of the US Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter continues to grow every year. For the 2019-2020 Green Schools Quest, 68 schools and 68 mentors across the gateway region participated in implementing no or low-cost sustainability projects at their […]

Students Rally Around a Challenge to Green Their School

By Hope Gribble, USGBC-MGC Education & Green Schools Coordinator

Students at North Kirkwood Middle School rallied around the challenge to green their school. The challenge was the Green Schools Quest, and their aim was manifold. Not only did the students want to create a learning environment that was healthier for the planet, but also one that […]

Students Set Their Sights on Sustainability in the Green Schools Quest

Story by Tricia Bisoux

Paper or plastic? Electric or solar? Gas-powered car or hybrid? Each day, we face a myriad of choices, from how we shop to how we power our homes to how we travel. Any one choice might seem of little consequence, but together they can add up to have considerable—and potentially negative—impact on […]

Studies Show Tea Helps Lower Blood Pressure

If a nice hot cup of tea sounds good to you, there’s even more reason to enjoy one now. Scientists have gained new insight into how tea helps lower blood pressure, perhaps pointing the way to new types of blood pressure medications.

The researchers found that certain compounds in both black and green tea help relax […]

Stuffed Mushrooms, Mix of Breaded and Not Breaded

Ingredients

6 large and 9 smaller fresh whole button mushrooms

6 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons reduced fat shredded cheese of your choice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

How to Make It

Step 1Remove stems from mushroom caps. Clean the mushrooms, I use a vegetable brush, but you […]

Styrofoam Collection Discontinued at 2018 Recycling Extravaganza

Beginning in 2018, St. Louis Earth Day’s Recycling Extravaganza – the largest collection event in the St. Louis Metro Area for hard-to-recycle items — will no longer accept any form of Styrofoam. By eliminating Styrofoam collection from their annual Recycling Extravaganza event, St. Louis Earth Day aims to reinforce a fundamental recycling message: Styrofoam is […]

Success Stories: Waste Reduction, Recycling, & Feeding Children During A Pandemic

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding programs for recycling and waste reduction. The service area includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. Funding […]

Succulents: Unlike Any Other

By Abby Lapides

You won’t want to take your eyes off these truly one-of-a-kind hardy succulents! Unlike any we’ve ever seen, these long-lived perennials demand all eyes with their unique, flamboyant foliage. They make excellent choices for tucking into rock gardens or dry landscapes, as ground covers in large drifts, or in combination containers with other […]

Suffer from Bursitis, Tendonitis, TMJ, Plantar Fasciitis or other soft tissue conditions? New treatments you may want to try!

by Dr. Paul Hyland

Chiropractic is typically associated most closely with back pain, neck pain and headaches. Most of our patients are shocked to find out that we can also effectively treat many other conditions from plantar fasciitis to carpal tunnel syndrome without surgery. How is this possible? With the innovation of new therapies, soft tissue […]

Sugaring: All Natural Hair Removal

By Linda Hoff

Are You Going to be the Last Woman to Try Sugaring? Did you know that the only sugaring spa in St Louis is close by in Webster Groves? Why haven’t you tried this amazingly gentle form of hair removal? Do you even know what sugaring is?

Sugaring is an all-natural hair removal process that […]

Summer Bummer? Feeling Bloated or Sluggish? You Can Feel Better!

By Angie Smith, Clinical Director

Summer can be wonderful — it provides opportunities to get outside and see family and friends. However, these activities can encourage us to eat junk food, often leading to bloating and constipation.

A Common Problem
Surveys indicate that constipation is one of the most common GI problems in the United States, affecting 42 […]

Summer Camp Guide

Saint Louis Science Center Summer Science Blast
Get ready to have a blast! Sign up for Summer Science Blast at the Saint Louis Science Center and find amazing summer adventures. Learn to fly a real airplane. Design and build your own robot. Build and launch your very own rocket! Explore the science behind cooking and more! […]

Summer Craft & Specialty Beer Guide

Where Beer Is Brewed & Enjoyed In The St. Louis Area
Breweries

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Co
www.4handsbrewery.com

AB InBev
www.ab-inbev.com

Alpha Brewing Company
www.alphabrewingcompany.com

Augusta Brewing Co
www.augustabrewing.com

Cathedral Square Brewery
www.cathedralsquarebrewery.com

Charleville Brewing Co.
www.charlevillevineyard.com

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling Co
www.crownvalleybrewery.com

Edg-Clif Brewing Company
Edg-Clif Farms and Vineyard are proud to announce our new Craft Beer line made on site by Edg-Clif Brewing Company. Stop in this summer […]

Summer Craft & Specialty Beer Guide

Where Beer is Brewed & Enjoyed in the St. Louis Area

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Company
4 Hands Brewing Company, located in the LaSalle Park neighborhood, will provide the craft beer enthusiast a handcrafted portfolio inspired by the American craft movement that pushes the limits of creativity. They have 6 year round beers , a large […]

Summer Craft & Specialty Beer Guide – Where Beer Is Brewed And Enjoyed In St. Louis

Breweries

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Co
www.4handsbrewery.com

AB InBev
www.ab-inbev.com

Alpha Brewing Company
www.alphabrewingcompany.com

Augusta Brewing Co.
www.augustabrewing.com

Cathedral Square Brewery
www.cathedralsquarebrewery.com

Charleville Brewing Co.
www.charlevillevineyard.com

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling Co
www.crownvalleybrewery.com

Excel Bottling Company
www.excelbottling.com

Exit 6 Brewery
www.exit6brewery.com

Ferguson Brewing Company
www.fergusonbrewing.com

Griesedieck Brothers Brewery Company
The Griesedieck family has been involved in the brewing industry for over 245 years, spanning two continents, surviving the Napoleonic Wars, two World Wars and Prohibition. At […]

Summer Craft Beer Guide

Breweries

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Co
www.4handsbrewery.com

AB InBev
www.ab-inbev.com

Alpha Brewing Company
www.alphabrewingcompany.com

Augusta Brewing Co
www.augustabrewing.com

Cathedral Square Brewery
www.cathedralsquarebrewery.com

Charleville Brewing Co.
www.charlevillevineyard.com

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling Co
www.crownvalleybrewery.com

Excel Bottling Company
www.excelbottling.com

Exit 6 Brewery
www.exit6brewery.com

Ferguson Brewing Company
www.fergusonbrewing.com

Griesedieck Brothers Brewery Company
The Griesedieck family has been involved in the brewing industry for over 245 years, spanning two continents, surviving the Napoleonic Wars, two World Wars and Prohibition. At […]

Summer Craft Beer Guide

Breweries

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Co
4 Hands Brewing Company, located in the LaSalle Park neighborhood, will provide the craft beer enthusiast a handcrafted portfolio inspired by the American craft movement that pushes the limits of creativity. Our barrel-aging program will produce a truly unique line on beers. The use of wine and spirit barrels containing […]

Summer Fun Guide

Eat, Drink, Explore, Experience, Enjoy!

Summer in St. Louis has arrived and there is plenty to do in the Gateway City. Here are some of our suggestions for every member of the family. We have something for everyone!

Create a memory or keepsake at YuCanDu Art Studio in Webster Groves. YuCanDu offers art camps, workshops, art parties […]

Summer Garden Reading

By Linda Wiggen Kraft,
Green & Growing Editor

Now that the gardens are planted, there might be some time for reading about other gardens. Two very different books are on my reading list this summer. The first, A Way to Garden, is a coffee table book primer on organic gardening for human and wildlife habitat in your […]

Summer Heat & Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Summer time draws all of us out to be more active, exercising through yard work, or walking and jogging around our special haunts. It is important to understand a few points regarding our pets’ well being.

Heat stroke is one of the primary concerns we have this time of year. It […]

Summer Heat Concerns For Your Pet!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Summertime draws all of us out to be more active, exercising through yard work, or walking and jogging around our special haunts. It is important to understand a few points regarding our pets’ well being.

Heat stroke is one of the primary concerns we have this time of year. It can take […]

Summer Heat Concerns For Your Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Summertime draws all of us out to be more active, exercising through yard work, or walking and jogging around our special haunts. It is important to understand a few points regarding our pets’ well being.

Heat stroke is one of the primary concerns we have this time of year. It can take […]

SUMMER HEAT Concerns For Your Pets!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Summer time draws all of us out to be more active, exercising through yard work, or walking and jogging around our special haunts. It is important to understand a few points regarding our pets’ well being.

Heat stroke is one of the primary concerns we have this time of year. It can […]

Summer Heat Concerns For Your Pets!!!

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Summertime draws all of us out to be more active, exercising through yard work, or walking and jogging around our special haunts. It is important to understand a few points regarding our pets’ well being.

Heat stroke is one of the primary concerns we have this time of year. It can take […]

Summer Vacation Breakfast Skillet (AIP/GF)

 By Natalie Toney M.F.A., C.H.

Summer’s here, the days have grown longer, kids are home from school having playdates, swim parties, and sleepovers! A breakfast skillet is a quick and easy way to get veggies and protein into a meal while in the midst of a staycation, camping trip, weekend at a cabin, or having a […]

Summer Vacation for Caregivers

By Denise Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

The phone rings. It’s your daughter, calling to invite you to spend a weekend at the lake with the grandkids. Unfortunately, you say you can’t go because of your responsibilities as a family caregiver. Everyone is disappointed, including you. Does this sound familiar?

As all caregivers know, sometimes you just […]

Summer Volunteer Guide for Youth and Teens Now Available Online Offered by United Way of Greater St. Louis

United Way of Greater St. Louis’ free Summer Volunteer Guide for Youth will be online by the end of April. This valuable online guide is full of volunteer possibilities this summer at reputable non-profit agencies throughout the St. Louis region for youth and young adults ages 8-19.

Opportunities are now available online at www.unitedwaystlcares.org.
“This Guide is […]

Sunflower Seed Oil For Skin Care

By Julie Longyear,
Herbal Chemist

The humble sunflower is an example of a miraculous botanical that is often underappreciated, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Sunflower seed oil is not an expensive or “precious” natural skincare oil largely because sunflowers are super easy to grow. Sometimes great things are literally right in our backyards, though!

Most skincare manufacturers like […]

Sunflowers – For Beauty, Food & Ukraine

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

As the world focuses on Eastern Europe and Russia wages an evil war against Ukraine, there are many ways to honor and show solidarity to the people of Ukraine. Sunflowers are their national flower and a symbol of peace. In 1966 sunflowers were planted at a […]

Sunflowers – Native Keystone Plants

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

This summer be sure to include sunflowers in your garden. Sunflowers (helianthus) are the flowers of sunshine and happiness. They brighten any garden, are easy to grow and are essential for the well-being of insects and birds. Their importance in our garden isn’t just for beauty, […]

Sunflowers and Sunflower Houses

story & photo by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Imagine a house with walls made of sunflowers and a ceiling of morning glories. Each morning the easterly facing sunflowers greet the day and blue trumpets of glory welcome the sun. If we could all be so lucky as to spend some days and nights in such a home.

For […]

Sunflowers Will Bloom Again at MDC’s Columbia Bottom Conservation Area this August

Visitors should be able to enjoy impressive golden displays for viewing and photography again this summer.

Photo Caption: A large field of sunflowers is seen from above with a number of people scattered in and around it taking photos. Columbia Bottom staff has planted additional sunflower fields for viewing and photo opportunities again this year. MDC […]

Sunset Hills Celebrates Earth Day April 12

On Saturday April 12, preceeding Earth Day, The City of Sunset Hills is honoring our environment in partnership with GO (Green Objectives).

This Earth Day celebration starts with a 5k run/Walk at 8:30 am. Runners will meet at Watson Trail Park; 12450 West Watson Rd. To register for the race go to www.racesonline.com and search for […]

Super Quick Super Bowl Hummus

By Julie and Matt Allen, Healthy Planet Food Editors

Ingredients:

1 x 15 oz can of chickpeas1 x tbsp of tahini paste1 x large garlic clove, chopped3 x tbsp of fat free Greek yogurt1 x half a lemon2 x cucumber3 x carrots

Method:

Drain off the chickpeas using a sieve over a bowl or jug to catch the liquid […]

Super-symmetry in Physics and Medicine: Delusions, Miracles, and Asymmetry in Medicine

By Simon Yu, MD

Physics is considered a rather boring subject for most people. When you start talking about quantum physics and theoretical physics, people start rolling their eyes and are ready to jump into a black hole in hyperspace or change the subject. Theoretical physicists are kind of mad, nerdy scientists who love to theorize […]

Supplements For Canine Hepatitis

By Teresa Garden, DVM

In our last article we discussed various supplements used to treat or support liver disease. In this article we will focus on a specific and common liver disease in dogs and how supplements are incorporated into their treatment plan.

Canine hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver characterized by fibrosis, hepatocellular necrosis […]

Supplements To Support Liver Disease

by Teresa Garden, DVM

Liver diseases are common ailments in both dogs and cats. Signs and symptoms are similar to those found in people: anorexia, weight loss, depression, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and increases in drinking and urination. Severe cases will present with jaundice and ascites (abdominal distension due to fluid accumulation). Liver diseases can be acute […]

Sustainability – How can we contribute to the world wide effort?

By Linda Tatum, Rooftop Sedums and USGBC-Missouri Gateway Membership & Marketing Committee 

As the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) came to a close, many of us are asking, “How can I, my family, and my company/organization step up and be part of the solution?” First, we can examine what sustainability means and our roles. 

Sustainability is handling […]

Sustainability & Climate Protection in St. Louis

By Catherine L. Werner,
Sustainability Director,
City of St. Louis

To many, summer in St. Louis means Cardinals games and Ted Drewes trips. St. Louis summers can also mean high heat, severe thunderstorms, drought, poor air quality, and even flood conditions.

What do these things have to do with Climate Change? Quite a bit, actually. Experts suggest that there […]

Sustainability Institute for Educators — Celebrating “The Joy of Nature”

By Ben Freiman, Missouri Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

The Sustainability Institute for Educators returns to onsite programming in the St. Louis area this year on June 20 and 21, 2022 with the theme of “The Joy of Nature”. This two-day event which is designed for K-12 and informal educators from all roles and environments will center […]

Sustainable Backyard Tour Set For June 10

By Terry Winkelmann

Once upon a time, it was normal to see laundry lines strung across backyards, patches of tomatoes and peppers, an apple tree or two, and grapes on the garage. Composting was not the complicated process it’s often viewed as today — it’s just what you did with your kitchen scraps, if you had […]

Sustainable Fashion

By Audrey Friesen

Choosing sustainable fashion over fast fashion is a small but meaningful contribution toward the fight for climate security. Sustainable fashion aims to achieve a carbon-neutral fashion industry built on ecological integrity and equality. Slow fashion – made-to-order clothing – reduces waste and overproduction.

Fast Fashion – coined in the 1990s – explodes consumerism by […]

Sustainable Innovation in Water Management and Quality

By Eva Klein, USGBC-Missouri
Gateway Chapter Intern

From region to region across the U.S., and worldwide, issues surrounding water use, water infrastructure, and water quality are prevalent and varied. Communities large and small within the Mississippi River Basin confront issues of water abundance and flooding while other parts of the U.S. face water scarcity and drought. The St. […]

Sustainable New Year’s Resolutions — for Everyone

By Charlotte Renner

Looking for a New Year’s resolution that shows your commitment to keeping our environment safe? The following resolutions are doable no matter who you are and where you live. 

Stop buying single-use plastics 

Just by taking a trip to the grocery store, you’re probably buying more single-use plastic than you realize. Produce like potatoes or […]

Sustainable Worlds

By Don Fitz

People across Missouri are building ecovillages, revitalizing Dr. Martin Luther King streets and “naturescaping” back yards. May 2013 episodes of Green Time show how Missourians are engaged in making their part of the world more sustainable.

During the first show, Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage co-founders Tony Sirna and Rachel Katz describe how 75 people share […]

Sweet Fall Vegetable Gardens Start Now

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

During the hot days of August it is sometimes hard to remember the sweetness of cooler fall days. Now is the time to plant seeds for that vegetable fall sweetness. The garden will be full of delicious flavors due to the cooler temperatures and freshness of new plants. 

Seeds should be started now, […]

Sweetgrass and Sweet Gardens

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Sweetgrass (hierochloe odorata) is a native perennial grass that grows in most areas of North America as far north as the artic and as south as Texas. The name, hierochloe odorata, comes from the Greek meaning “holy fragrant grass”. It has the sweetest vanilla scent, fresh or dried, where its long strands […]

Sympathy For Soiling Senior Pets

By Teresa Garden, DVM

As some of us already know too well, it’s not easy getting older. One of the common problems I encounter every day in practice is complaints that older pets are soiling in the house. Dogs are no longer making it outside to defecate and cats are leaving little nuggets of feces outside […]

Synthetic Biology on Artificial Parasites: Long COVID Antidote with What?

By Simon Yu MD

What is synthetic biology? I have been reading about synthetic biology on how we can manipulate genetic materials to create new species of biological entities. The idea is not a new concept, but I am quite alarmed with what we have been through with the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic may have […]

T.V. Personality Ruth Ezell Offers Vinos de la Cruz Wine Tasting At Healthy Planet Expo, Oct. 14

by Ruth Ezell

You may be wondering “why is Ruth Ezell promoting wine?” There are a couple of reasons: For starters, they’re very good.

I had my first glass of Vinos de la Cruz at Rue Lafayette cafe in St. Louis (Check it out if you’ve never been. Its croissants are shipped in daily from Paris!). I […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

by Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

by Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

by Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan for Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

Like everyone else, the St. Louis T’ai Chi Ch’uan Association has found itself having to change its usual class schedule in response to the corona virus. We hope to have in person classes when our fall semester begins in September. We may limit class size, have live stream classes, or […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

Like everyone else, the St. Louis T’ai Chi Ch’uan Association has found itself having to change its usual class schedule in response to the corona virus. We hope to have in person classes when our fall semester begins in September. We may limit class size, have live stream classes, or […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

Like everyone else, the St. Louis T’ai Chi Ch’uan Association has found itself having to change its usual class schedule in response to the corona virus. We hope to have in person classes again in mid-spring 2021. We will limit class size, may live stream classes, or some combination of […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitnessby Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

Like everyone else, the St. Louis T’ai Chi Ch’uan Association found itself having to change its usual class schedule this last year in response to the corona virus. We are planning to start an in-person class for beginners in September. If you are interested, […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill GrivnaYou’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden.  You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial.  You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow-moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels, it is a formidable martial art […]

T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Fitness Sept. 6 & 13

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

Like everyone else, the St. Louis T’ai Chi Ch’uan Association has found itself having to change its usual class schedule in response to the corona virus. We hope to have in person classes when our fall semester begins in September. We may limit class size, have live stream classes, or […]

Tackling Rising Summer Temps to Help St. Louisans Breathe Easier

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Climate change is driving warmer temperatures, making ozone pollution more likely to form and harder to clean up, according to the findings of the latest “State of the Air” report from the American Lung Association. Although the three years covered in the latest report (2017-2019) were somewhat cooler than […]

Tackling Rising Temps One Step at a Time to Protect Human Health

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

As climate change continues and warmer temperatures settle in for the summer months, cleaning up the air will become ever more challenging, according to the findings of this year’s “State of the Air” report from the American Lung Association. The three years covered in this report (2015-2017) ranked as […]

Tai Chi Ch’uan For Health & Fitness

by Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

Tai Chi Ch’uan For Health & Fitness

By Paul MacFarlane and Bill Grivna

You’ve probably seen people practicing T’ai Chi on TV, in a movie, or even locally, in a park or at the botanical garden. You know it’s a slow moving, graceful exercise that is supposed to be beneficial. You may have heard that at advanced levels it is a formidable martial […]

Take A Forest Bath

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Taking a bath in the forest is not what Forest Bathing is. It is taking a leisurely walk in the woods so that your body, mind and spirit can be bathed in the beauty, fragrance, sounds and sensual experiences of nature. Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, is the official Japanese term for taking […]

Take a Walk with Native Lands, Plants & Art

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

The treasures of Forest Park are often a surprise. A few weeks ago, my husband and I experienced both native plants growing on what was for thousands of years native land* and art created by Native Americans. We took a walk through the Savanna in Forest […]

Take Action for Cleaner Air This Summer to Maintain Healthy Lungs as COVID-19 Lingers

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

While the St. Louis region and cities nationwide are experiencing a decline in the number of overall COVID-19 cases, the staggering toll of the pandemic has driven home to the world the importance of healthy lungs. New research shows that exposure to elevated levels of air pollution is linked […]

Take Action for Cleaner Air This Summer to Maintain Healthy Lungs as COVID-19 Lingers

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

While the St. Louis region and cities nationwide are experiencing a decline in the number of overall COVID-19 cases, the staggering toll of the pandemic has driven home to the world the importance of healthy lungs. New research shows that exposure to elevated levels of air pollution is linked […]

Take Back Outdoors with Skitopel

Summer is here and with that comes all the bugs. Many people are now deciding to spend most of the summer inside instead of either getting bitten and stung or having to resort to putting chemicals on themselves which is very sad.

A few years ago, we found that we could be outside without any bugs […]

Taking A Fresh Look At Nutrition: The First Step In Preventing & Reversing Disease

by Dr. Varsha Rathod, M.D.

Symptoms of most chronic diseases, and often the disease itself, can be ameliorated with a few basic lifestyle changes. These are: sound nutrition, exercise, air and sunlight, stress management techniques and fostering love and relationships in your life. The purpose of this article is to discuss the contribution that good nutrition […]

Taking Action For Cleaner Air This Summer To Maintain Healthy Lungs

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Breathing comes so naturally that we oftentimes give it little thought and take our lungs for granted. The reality is, every cell of our body counts on them and the oxygen they supply, which is why it is so important to prioritize lung health, especially during extreme weather conditions.

With […]

Taking Back Our Power

By Jasmin Acosta

The new year is starting, which means we are leaving the past behind us and starting anew! This is the time to start our self-healing journey to celebrate the new year and to expect great opportunities to come along with moving forward from the past. To be able to embark on our journey […]

Taste of Vegan Fest Set For June 8 At The Ferguson Community Center

The second annual Taste of Vegan Festival is happening here in St. Louis on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at the City of Ferguson Community Center (1050 Smith Ave. Saint Louis, MO 63135) from 10am to 6pm. Get ready for a day filled with FUN, ENLIGHTENMENT and most importantly FOOD! If you’ve never tasted good vegan […]

Taste of Vegan Fest Set for June 8 at the Ferguson Community Center

The second annual Taste of Vegan Festival is happening here in St. Louis on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at the City of Ferguson Community Center (1050 Smith Ave. Saint Louis, MO 63135) from 10am to 6pm. Get ready for a day filled with FUN, ENLIGHTENMENT and most importantly FOOD! If you’ve never tasted good vegan […]

Tasty, Trim Tacos Prepared In A Healthy Way

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Many people say tacos are one of their favorite meals. In fact, we’ve devoted an entire weekday to the delicious dish—Taco Tuesday, anyone? Oftentimes, tacos can be loaded with a lot of fat and sodium, but they don’t have to be. There are several ways […]

Tears — More Than Meets The Eye

By Ava Frick, DVM, CVC, FAIS

Tears have a purpose; to lubricate and moisten the eye. Many pets have facial staining from excessive tear production. We often see it in small breeds, brachiocephalic and large round eyes. This can happen if eye lashes rub against the eye, irritating it. But there are other underlying reasons too.

Tears […]

Teeth and the Focal Infection Theory

By Michael Rehme, DDS, CCN
(Certified Clinical Nutritionist)

Are your teeth “connected” to other parts of your body? In other words, can an abscessed or infected tooth actually cause a problem somewhere else, say your lower back, sinuses, stomach or even your heart?

Focal Infection Theory (FIT) is the idea that a local infection affecting a small area […]

Tell Your Hormones to Melt Your Excess Belly Fat

By Raj Banerjee, DC
Dr. Banerjee’s Wellness Centre

Dear Seeker of Health & Fitness, Be honest with yourself. Do you like what you see
when you look in the mirror—especially a full-length mirror? Do you want to turn back the hands of time? Has your quality of life been diminishing a little bit here and a little bit there because your appearance, […]

Ten Telltale Signs that You or Your Child Has Allergies and Not a Cold

By Dr. Ian Wahl

With the start of school, so starts the season for colds.

Do you have children? Are you a teacher? Can you tell the difference between whether you or a child has a cold or an allergy?

The symptoms of sinus allergies are very similar to cold symptoms – runny nose, watery eyes, cough, nasal […]

Text Neck: Is Your Smartphone Destroying Your Spine?

By Brenda Kingen DC

So, what’s your body position while you’re reading this?

Are you slumping in your chair or hunched over with your neck sticking out like a turtle? Chances are your neck and shoulders feel sore.

Don’t just dismiss it as everyday fatigue. Doctors say that 80% of technology-users are complaining of a neck or back […]

Thank A Tree – Especially Native Trees

by Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

In this season of gratitude and thankfulness, give your blessings and care to trees. Trees are so essential to the ecosystem we live in. Trees are not the entire ecosystem with all the biodiversity every ecosystem has. But trees are a critical part of the fragile […]

Thank the Leaves — Leave the Leaves

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, The Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

As the leaves turn brilliant colors and fall to the ground, we can reflect on the amazing beauty and ability of leaves to eat sunlight in the miracle of photosynthesis. Leaves inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen in this process. They take in carbon from […]

Thank You Dad

By Dr. Gail Cloud

It can be so easy, at least it can feel easy, to stay distant from our parents. This is especially true when we have a painful or difficult relationship with them; or one of them. It can also be true when we have separation from them; and with situations such as divorce, […]

Thank You Note to Daisy’s First Family

By Sarah Wilson, MA

Daisy came to me from the Humane Society of Missouri. The following is to the people who took her there:

You had other options. You could have kept her even though I can tell from her behaviors that she was a lot for you. You could have just given Daisy away to strangers. […]

The “Spring Cleaning Guide” for Personal Energies!

By Diane K. Wilson

Spring is a time of renewal, a chance to shake off the heaviness of winter and embrace the fresh opportunities that lie ahead. But while we often focus on cleaning out our closets and scrubbing our homes top to bottom, it’s equally important to consider the energy we carry within and […]

The 29th World Peace Day, “Heart of Joy”- 6 a.m., Dec. 31

By Jeannie Breeze

St. Louis is a heart center where all the arteries come together (the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Meramec). Each year at World Peace Day, we acknowledge the truth that peace begins with us, and we understand that what we imagine and create here in the heart circulates into the body of our Mother […]

The 2nd Annual Green Dining Week Takes Place October 17-23

Each day of the week will feature different Green Dining Alliance establishments donating a portion of their sales to support the GDA.

St. Louis, MO (September 20, 2022) —  The 2nd Annual Green Dining Week returns October 17-23 and includes 17 Green Dining Alliance establishments. Each day of the week will feature at least one GDA member, […]

The 4th annual Sunset Hills Makers Market – A Juried Art Fair

Saturday, October 21, 2023

The Fourth Annual Sunset Hills Makers Market will be held in Watson Trail Park (12450 West Watson Rd. 63127) on Saturday October 21, 2023 and will run from 10:00am–5:00pm.

It’s time once again for The Sunset Hills Makers Market! Everyone is stoked about this one day outside fair for artists, designers, crafters and […]

The Amazing Holographic System of Healing with Command Points

by Adam Lehman, En.K.

Isn’t it amazing that the Asian healing systems of thousands of years ago were so far ahead of their time that they used principles that are only now being understood? As an example, principles that showed an awareness of the functions of hormones and neurotransmitters and ways of balancing them to bring […]

The Art of Relating

The Art of Relating
with Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW,
Therapist & Relationship Coach

Their Cheating Isn’t About You!

“Like me” on facebook for great relationship tips and advice at Facebook.com/christinekniffen.
Sign up for my monthly newsletter to hear this month’s featured radio show www.christinekniffen.com.

People cheat. We may not like it, but it’s a reality. Plenty of people have felt the […]

The Art of Relating

Balancing For A More Stress-Free Life

 with Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW,  Therapist & Relationship Coach

Self-improvement is an extremely broad concept that provides many opportunities and presents numerous areas in which to inject change. As I have worked with clients through the years I have frequently heard that all too common complaint regarding stress. In my humble […]

The Art of Relating

with Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW,
Therapist & Relationship Coach

Taking Ownership of Your Part in the Equation

Fixing your relationship does take work, but just how much work and how much energy has everything to do with you. Resistance is the greatest hurdle to overcome. Resistance slows the process as a whole and it is why you have […]

The Art Of Relating

With Christine Kniffen, LCSW, Therapist & Relationship Coach

The Art Of Compromise

“Like me” on facebook for great relationship tips and advice at Facebook.com/christinekniffen.
Sign up for my monthly newsletter to hear this month’s featured radio show www.ChristineKniffen.com.

According to dictionary.com, compromise is defined as, “A settlement of differences by mutual concession”. I thought that perhaps, as someone who […]

The Art of Relating

with Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW,
Therapist & Relationship Coach

Getting Back In The Game

“Like me” on facebook for great relationship tips and advice at Facebook.com/christinekniffen.
Sign up for my monthly newsletter to hear this month’s featured radio show www.ChristineKniffen.com.

When it comes to dating it is important to think about it in the context of various stages in order […]

The Art Of Relating

with Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW,
Therapist & Relationship Coach

Self-Improvement In The New Year

Sign up for my new Art of Relating Newsletter at www.christinekniffen.com Find out what’s coming up this month on my weekly radio show, as well as info on upcoming articles and free relationship tips.

Where do I start? Are we talking weight loss, less […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Shed the “Limiting Labels” for a Happy New Year

Like my Facebook page via my website in order to get alerts to new episodes of my “Quick Tips on Love” video series on YouTube and upcoming seminars. www.ChristineKniffen.com

Well here we are at the end of another year. It’s that time when […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

How To Fall In Love Successfully

So, you have just met someone and you find yourself ready to fall in love again. The big question then becomes determining how this love will be different from previous experiences you have had at other times throughout your life. More importantly, how will you truly know […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Change Takes Action

Plenty of us have periods in our lives when we are simply taking some time out to just rest. We have ventured out towards our endeavor, only to seemingly hit a brick wall, and have once again retreated to the comfort of our daily routines. After all, there […]

The Art Of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Demystifying Couples Counseling

I think that people have no idea what to expect when they go to couples and marriage counseling. As someone whose practice consists of roughly half couples and half individuals I have a pretty good idea of the common fears. Individuals worry that they will be told it […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Doing Your Work Before You Get “Hitched”

Be sure to check the “Happenings” section of this month’s HP for information on a single’s event “Pickup in Isle 5” at the Town & Country Whole Foods on June 11th. Now accepting inquiries for a new, Relationship Oriented – Group Therapy class now forming […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Making It Happen

How to get there is simple, but it’s the execution of those steps with which we all struggle.
See You at the EXPO!!!!!!!
Visit the Web – www.ChristineKniffen.com

A great relationship always guarantees one thing. You are happy. Otherwise, you just wouldn’t call it a great relationship, as these interpersonal issues tend […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Falling In Love This Lovely Fall Season

Like my Facebook page via my website in order to get links to new articles, “The Art of Relating” shows on Blogtalk Radio and information on upcoming seminars. www.ChristineKniffen.com

So, you have just met someone and you find yourself ready to fall in love again. The […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

The Dangers of Ignoring The Bickering

Visit www.ChristineKniffen.com today
Now accepting some insurance. Call to inquire.

Are you currently struggling with some aspect of your relationship or do you feel that there is certainly room for improvement? A relationship is like a car. It has many components and all need to […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Coaching For Personal Growth

So, you have a few things you want to improve about yourself, but you aren’t sure how to make that happen. Do you struggle with setting boundaries? Are you uncomfortable saying “no” and speaking your mind? Do you find yourself struggling with moving ahead by setting concrete […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Reinventing Your Life

I always like to say, “The great thing about life is that you can reinvent who you are anytime you want”. Fortunately, we don’t have to continue our current negative self-narrative that we have carefully cultivated through the years. This is the negative self-narrative that is associated with lots […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Anxiety and Depression

It seems that the incidence of anxiety and depression has risen dramatically over the last 10 years. What is the reason? Is it that we just talk about it more? Is it genetic? Is it the endocrine disrupting quality of the pesticides used on our food supply? Is it […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Good Couples Work: Checking Your Own Relationship

Now Accepting Insurance
www.ChristineKniffen.com

Do you know what all that pain, angst and resentment is really about between couples? It revolves around three important factors. It is the absence of listening, the presence of reactive behavior and the vacancy of empathy towards our loved one who is […]

The Art of Relating

With Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Therapy — your commitment to you!

As you can imagine, many people cringe at the idea of going to see a Therapist or Counselor. There are so many old myths, it is probably impossible to dispel them all. One of the big ones, “only crazy people see a therapist”, unfortunately stops many people […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Good Stress Management Skills Equals A Less Stressed Life

Now Accepting Insurance
(see website for more info)
www.ChristineKniffen.com

Self-improvement is an extremely broad concept that provides many opportunities and presents numerous areas in which to inject change. As I have worked with clients through the years I have frequently heard that all too common complaint […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

A Roadmap to Lasting Love

Insurance Accepted!
www.ChristineKniffen.com

That is your heart telling you that you want? What would you like to be different in your life this year as it pertains to love and relationships? Contrary to the scenes that play out in many wonderful romance movies, great relationships don’t just drop from […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Happiness Begins & Ends With You

Upcoming Seminar: Anxiety & Depression: A New Approach to Finding Relief
Check the “Healthy Planet Happenings” section for details
www.ChristineKniffen.com
Now Accepting Insurance

Just about everyone has heard the saying, “No one can make you happy but you”. We hear these sorts of platitudes so often, that they seem to go […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

How To Fall In Love Successfully

Now accepting Insurance
visit www.ChristineKniffen.com

So, you have just met someone and you find yourself ready to fall in love again. The big question then becomes determining how this love will be different from previous experiences you have had at other times throughout your life. More importantly, how […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Shifting ‘The Energy’ This Holiday Season

Now accepting Insurance
visit www.ChristineKniffen.com

Have you paused long enough recently? Have you stopped, taken a step back and just felt the soothing, gentle wind and its calming effect? It is a light, but brisk reminder of all that it good about nature and its ability to restore […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Shed the “Limiting Labels” For A Happy New Year

Now accepting Insurance
visit www.ChristineKniffen.com

Well here we are at the end of another year. It’s that time when everyone starts thinking about those many goals they wanted to accomplish that have slipped by, yet again, unrealized for the umpteenth time. These would include the […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Adjusting the Balance of Power: The Best Valentine’s Gift for Your Relationship

www.ChristineKniffen.com

As a therapist who works with couples it is my job to assess the dynamics between the partners. There are some common themes that emerge as to why individuals just aren’t getting along. One of the first […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Manifesting Your Dreams: Focus On Getting A Great Relationship

www.ChristineKniffen.com
(now accepting insurance)

Isn’t the thought of getting what you want exciting? Isn’t the idea of a healthy, loving and respectful relationship appealing to all? Who wouldn’t agree with that notion? Almost everyone would agree with that, but many people have lost their […]

The Art of Relating

With Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Doing Your Work Before You Get “Hitched”

Thinking about getting married this year? Does the idea of a 50-plus percent divorce rate weigh on your mind at times? Do you want to greatly increase your odds of having it last? Then it is imperative that you “do your work” before you get […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Sudden Grief: Finding A Way Through

On Saturday, May 13th, my 57- year-old brother suffered a massive heart attack and died instantly. Like most people, I didn’t believe it when I learned the news. I had to do a figurative double take in order to comprehend what had just happened. I have had […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Beating Addiction: The Missing Link for Success

www.ChristineKniffen.com

I have spoken to many clients at length about balance. I tell them that in the absence of balance there is stress and at times chaos. The struggle against “excess” is something many of us battle to overcome. When someone leaves a holiday desert at […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
www.ChristineKniffen.com

Essential Prerequisites For Love

There is a very important distinction between finding love and having a fulfilling, successful relationship. However, for many of us the logic seems to follow the route of we fall in love and then a good relationship ensues. But, I think this logic, while reasonable, is what causes many […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen,
MSW, LCSW

Sometimes the Sweetest Love Happens in the Second Half of Life

www.ChristineKniffen.com
www.TheArtofRelatingBook.com

During one of my Blogtalk radio shows I had the unexpected pleasure of interviewing the author of a fantastic book titled, “Autumn Romance: Stories and Portraits of Love after 50”. I knew that I would like the topic, as I am a […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

The Best Present for You or Someone You Love: Coaching for Personal Growth

Visit: www.ChristineKniffen.com
TheArtofRelatingBook.com
(Insurance Accepted)

So, you have a few things you want to improve about yourself, but you aren’t sure how to make that happen. Do you struggle with setting boundaries? Are you uncomfortable saying “no” and speaking your mind? Do you find […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Shed the “Limiting Labels” For A Happy New Year

Now accepting Insurance
visit www.ChristineKniffen.com

Well, here we are at the beginning of another year. It’s that time when everyone starts thinking about those many goals they wanted to accomplish that have slipped by, yet again, unrealized for the umpteenth time. These would include the ever-popular […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Real Change Through Real Action

Plenty of us have periods in our lives when we are simply taking some time out to just rest. We have ventured out towards our endeavor, only to seemingly hit a brick wall, and have once again retreated to the comfort of our daily routines. After all, there […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Demystifying Couples Counseling

Visit the Web for a complete list of my services: www.ChristineKniffen.com

I think that people have no idea what to expect when they go to couples and marriage counseling. As someone whose practice consists of roughly half couples and half individuals I have a pretty good idea of the common […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Spring Clean Your Life

Visit the Web for a complete list of my services – www.ChristineKniffen.com

Well, it’s that time of year when you need to sit up and start to do some Spring Cleaning in your life. However, I am not talking simply about cleaning out your garage. Instead, I am referring to dusting […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Resistance: The Biggest Block To Fixing Your Relationship

Visit the Web for a complete list of my services • www.ChristineKniffen.com

Fixing your relationship does take work, but just how much work and how much energy has everything to do with you. Resistance is the greatest hurdle to overcome. Resistance slows the process and […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Resistance: Realigning the Power Balance in Your Relationship

Visit the Web for a complete list of my services — www.ChristineKniffen.com

Have you ever found yourself giving away the power in your relationships? By this I mean a pattern of becoming overly focused on your romantic relationships and losing your independence to some degree. […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
www.ChristineKniffen.com

How Vulnerable Are You?

It’s one of the most common complaints I hear from the individuals that come to my office for Relationship Coaching sessions. “Why do I keep finding people that are emotionally unavailable every time I try to have a relationship?” I hear the resounding chorus, “I don’t know that […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Having Your Wonderful Relationship

Visit: www.ChristineKniffen.com

Isn’t the thought of getting what you want exciting? Isn’t the idea of a healthy, loving and respectful relationship appealing to all? Who wouldn’t agree with that notion? Almost everyone would agree with that, but many people have lost their faith in this ever truly happening to […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Falling In Love Again

Visit: www.ChristineKniffen.com

So, you have just met someone, and you find yourself ready to fall in love again. The big question then becomes determining how this love will be different from previous experiences you have had at other times throughout your life. More importantly, how will you truly know […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

How To Breathe New Life Into Your Relationship

It’s easy to get complacent and it’s easy to take your relationship for granted, although not consciously meaning to do so. We have busy lives, we fall into predictable routines and we forget that relationships are a living, breathing entity. Those who know me […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Wanting a Relationship but Doubting Your Ability To Choose Wisely?

Your “Personal Relationship Coach” is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

Spring is afoot and that is the time when we come out of our winter cocoons and begin yearning for companionship. However, plenty of people have been burned in their quest for […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Does Your Relationship Need A Spring Tune-up?

Your “Personal Relationship Coach” is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

I think that people have no idea what to expect when they go to couples and marriage counseling. As someone whose practice consists of roughly half couples and half individuals, I have a pretty good […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Good Stress Management Skills Equals a Less Stressed Life

Your “Personal Relationship Coach” is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

Self-improvement is an extremely broad concept that provides many opportunities and presents numerous areas in which to inject change. As I have worked with clients through the years I have frequently heard that all […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
Your “Personal Relationship Coach” is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

Meaningful Change Requires Tangible Action

Plenty of us have periods in our lives when we are simply taking some time out to just rest. We have ventured out towards our endeavor, only to seemingly hit a brick wall, and have once again retreated […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Stop Getting In The Way

Your “Personal Relationship Coach”
is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

Fixing your relationship does take work, but just how much work and how much energy has everything to do with you. Resistance is the greatest hurdle to overcome. Resistance slows the process as a whole and it is why […]

The Art Of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

What It Takes To Be Happy

Your “Personal Relationship Coach” is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

Just about everyone has heard the saying, “No one can make you happy but you”. We hear these sorts of platitudes so often, that they seem to go in one ear and out the other. It’s […]

The Art Of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
Your “Personal Relationship Coach” is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

Three Fundamental Requirements For Achieving A Successful Relationship

There is a very important distinction between finding love and having a fulfilling, successful relationship. However, for many of us the logic seems to follow the route of we fall in love and then a […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Why So Many of Us Struggle with Balance in Our Behaviors: Understanding vs Blaming

Your “Personal Relationship Coach”
is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

I have spoken to many clients at length about balance. I tell them that in the absence of balance there is stress and at times chaos. The struggle against “excess” […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Good Stress Management Skills Equals a Less Stressed Life

Your “Personal Relationship Coach” is just a click away at www.ChristineKniffen.com

Self-improvement is an extremely broad concept that provides many opportunities and presents numerous areas in which to inject change. As I have worked with clients through the years I have frequently heard that […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW Settling vs Differenceswww.ChristineKniffen.com

It’s hard to recall the number of clients that have come into my office to try to answer that precise question, doubting as to whether-or-not their current relationship is really the best fit. That’s not always easy to answer. However, it helps to have a better understanding of the types […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW www.ChristineKniffen.com

How To Heal A Broken Heart

As I have probably mentioned before, most who come to a counselor’s office do so in reaction to a troubled relationship or one that has just ended. “I want the pain to stop” is what most say upon entering my office. I often reply, “If I had […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW 

Falling In Love In A Healthy Way

So, you have just met someone, and you find yourself ready to fall in love again. The big question then becomes determining how this love will be different from previous experiences you have had at other times throughout your life. More importantly, how will you truly […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW 

This Too Shall Pass

Everyone feels their life upended to some degree due to Covid19 sweeping the world. Many of us are now having to work from home, favorite restaurants and bars are closing in droves around the country and travel is on hiatus for most people. In addition, economic concerns are […]

The Art of Relating

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW 

Do Your Work Before Getting Married

www.ChristineKniffen.com

Now Offering Video Sessions on Phone or Laptop

This Coronavirus affects people in all kinds of ways we often do not think about. I have several clients who have had to postpone their spring wedding plans. This has been understandably upsetting to them, with no idea of when […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW 

Couples Coaching On-Line… A Sign of the Times

www.Christine Kniffen.com

Your Personal Relationship Coach is just a click away…. 

Most therapists I know have quite abruptly been thrust into the “telehealth” world, participating virtually in on-line sessions with our clients. I am happy to say that I have been working with telehealth for quite some time and […]

The Art Of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW www.ChristineKniffen.comYour Personal Relationship Coach is just a click away…

Feeling Secure in the Early Stages of Dating

As many of you know, I am a therapist first, but serve as a Relationship Coach as well. I have had hundreds of people come to my office over the years wanting help in getting a great relationship. […]

The Art of Relating

Getting What You Want

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW www.Christine Kniffen.comYour Personal Relationship Coach is just a click away… Now Offering Video Sessions on Phone or Laptop

Isn’t the thought of getting what you want exciting? Isn’t the idea of a healthy, loving and respectful relationship appealing to all? Who wouldn’t agree with that notion? Almost everyone would agree with that, […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW 

A Roadmap To Lasting Love

www.Christine Kniffen.comYour Personal Relationship Coach is just a click away…. Offering sessions on your laptop.

What is your heart telling you that you want? What would you like to be different in your life this year as it pertains to love and relationships? Contrary to the scenes that play out […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Wanting a Relationship but Doubting Your Ability to Choose Wisely?

www.Christine Kniffen.comYour Personal Relationship Coach is just a click away….

Plenty of people have been burned in their quest for relationships and are therefore, naturally reluctant to hurl themselves back in the game. You are not alone. I have been working for years with […]

The Art of Relating

Is Resistance Ruining Your Relationship?

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSWwww.ChristineKniffen.com  Your Personal Relationship Coach is just a click away…

Fixing your relationship does take work, but just how much work and how much energy has everything to do with you. Resistance is the greatest hurdle to overcome. Resistance slows the process as a whole and it is why you […]

The Art of Relating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW 

Shifting ‘The Energy’ This Holiday Season

www.ChristineKniffen.com Your Personal Relationship Coach is just a click away…. 

Have you paused long enough recently? Have you stopped, taken a step back and just felt the soothing, gentle wind and its calming effect? It is a light, but brisk reminder of all that it good about nature and […]

The Art of Relating: Addiction and Your Relationship

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Now accepting Insurance
visit www.ChristineKniffen.com

Don’t miss The Art of Relating on blogtalkradio
Featured show for October
“Autumn Romance: Stories and Portraits of Love after 50”

A recent national study found that approximately 21 percent of Americans experienced at least one alcohol related problem in the prior year, and roughly 1 in 3 Americans […]

The Art of Relating: Change Takes Action

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
www.ChristineKniffen.com
(now accepting insurance)

Plenty of us have periods in our lives when we are simply taking some time out to just rest. We have ventured out towards our endeavor, only to seemingly hit a brick wall, and have once again retreated to the comfort of our daily routines. After all, there is […]

The Art of Relating: Feeling Secure In The Early Stages of Dating

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

www.ChristineKniffen.com

As many of you know, I am a therapist first, but serve as a Relationship Coach as well. I have had hundreds of people come to my office over the years wanting help in getting a great relationship. Understandably, people have lost faith in their ability to choose wisely in the […]

The Art of Relating: Getting Past The Winter Blues

With Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
Like my Facebook page via my website in order to get alerts to new episodes of my “Quick Tips on Love” video series on YouTube and upcoming seminars. www.ChristineKniffen.com.

Plenty of people experience some “blah” feelings during the winter, becoming bored and cooped up during the cold weather. They may not have […]

The Art of Relating: Giving Away The Power

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Have you ever found yourself giving away the power in your relationships? By this I mean a pattern of becoming overly focused on your romantic relationships and losing your independence to some degree. Have you found yourself going along with most things and letting someone else make many of the […]

The Art of Relating: Happiness Begins and Ends With You

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
www.ChristineKniffen.com

Just about everyone has heard the saying, “No one can make you happy but you”. We hear these sorts of platitudes so often, that they seem to go in one ear and out the other. It’s as if the idea is so simple, that we can’t believe it is really the […]

The Art of Relating: Is Your Partner’s Drinking Affecting Your Relationship?

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW
visit: www.ChristineKniffen.com

A recent national study found that approximately 21% of Americans experienced at least one alcohol related problem in the prior year, and roughly 1 in 3 Americans engaged in risky drinking patterns. Risky drinking patterns include high-volume drinking, high-quantity consumption on any given day. Alcohol abuse plays a role in many […]

The Art of Relating: Real Change Through Real Action

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

When it’s This Hot Outside,
Make Productive Use of Your Inside Time
by Preparing for Real Change Through Real Action.

Plenty of us have periods in our lives when we are simply taking some time out to just rest. We have ventured out towards our endeavor, only to seemingly hit a brick wall, […]

The Art of Relating: Staying Too Long Really Does A Number On Your Ego

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

www.ChristineKniffen.com
TheArtofRelatingBook.com

The pain of a relationship that ends can feel devastating. This is especially true when you ignored nagging thoughts along the way that were telling you to go and that you would not be able to get your needs met by this person. Furthermore, if the other person then does the […]

The Art of Relating: Valentine’s Day Success

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

To find out more about me or my services, I invite you to take a look at my website: www.ChristineKniffen.com. I look forward to seeing you at the March 29 Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo!

We can all have very strong feelings about this particular day in mid-February. Some think it […]

The Art Of Relating: What Kind of Love Do You Want?

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Love is not supposed to make you feel bad, rejected, unhappy or stressed out. Period. Stop selling yourself short.

HEALTHY LOVE PARTNER

Supportive – supports your endeavors and wants to see you grow as a person.
Validating – your partner validates your feelings as logical (different from always agreeing with them).
Communicative – willing to talk things out, even […]

The Art of Relating: Your Spring Roadmap To Love

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Visit ChristineKniffen.com

Spring is just around the corner. It’s a time for rebirth, renewal and the awakening of your inner-self. Are you listening? What is your heart telling you that you want? What would you like to be different in your life this year as it pertains to love and relationships? Contrary […]

The Beet Goes On

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

February may be short on days of the month, however it’s full of occasions to prepare, share, and savor fun finger foods with flair. Valentine’s Day is the Wednesday just after Superbowl Sunday, and Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday bridges the festivities together this year. Ash Wednesday is also […]

The Benefits of Pure Oxygen for the Skin

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

The holidays are over, but the blistering cold temperatures are sticking around for a bit longer. With low temperatures comes drier air, and with drier air comes drier skin. If your skin’s appearance is dull and feels chapped from winter winds, then it might […]

The Benefits of Rehab For Pets

by Ava Frick, DVM, CAC

In the present human medical world it would be very rare for a surgeon not to recommend some form of rehabilitation or physiotherapy following a procedure. This is an important aspect of regaining full recovery and tissue function. So it should be for our pets too. While you may choose not […]

The Benefits of Thermography in Maintaining Breast Health

By Linda Spradling

October was breast cancer awareness month but we like to call every month breast health awareness and education month! We want to answer some of the questions we get about the benefits of thermography in maintaining breast health. While we do not advise our clients to have a thermogram in lieu of a […]

The Best In Their Class

By Abby Lapides

With the vast amounts of perennials available, making selections can be daunting. Over the years we’ve tried and observed thousands of perennials, and have found that some are far superior than others. We found that Starship Cardinal Flowers far outshine older varieties. 

Considered the best in their class, Starship Cardinal Flowers, Lobelia, dazzles with […]

The Big One is Back! Home & Garden Show, Missouri’s Largest Home Product Market Place, Returns March 3-5

St. Louis (January 13, 2023)–The 45th Annual Builders St. Louis Home & Garden Show, presented by LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding, returns to America’s Center & The Dome Friday, March 3 through Sunday, March 5. The Home & Garden Show gives area consumers a chance to see, learn about and buy the latest home products and services under […]

The Birds and the Bees

Pollinators & Native Gardens’ Exhibit
At St. Louis Public Library Through Aug. 4

By Jen Hatton, St. Louis Public Library

It’s summer time in St. Louis. The birds are singing and the flowers are in bloom. It’s the time of year to spend outside, enjoying the sounds and sights of nature, and exploring and learning new things.

A new […]

The Blessing Basket Project

On October 19, 2013 St. Louis will create a positive global change

When you make the powerful choice to join The Blessing Basket Project at the organization’s 8th annual warehouse sale on October, 19th, 2013 – you are making a decision to make the world a better place. This world-changing event happens only once a year […]

The Builders Home & Remodeling Show is the One Stop for Your Next Home Project!

The 43rd Annual Builders Home & Remodeling Show, presented by LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding, returns to St. Charles Convention Center September 22-24. The Show, produced by the Home Builders Association of St. Louis, gives area residents the opportunity to see more than 150 companies in 300 booths on both levels of the Convention Center. Show visitors can […]

The Business of Beer Is Booming!

The business of beer is brewing up many success stories in the St. Louis area. There are nearly 50 craft breweries currently, according to Troika Brodsky, Executive Director of the St. Louis Brewers Guild. Brodsky points out the growth in just the past two years by bullet pointing this beer boom.

2nd Shift Brewery is opening […]

The Charm of Colcannon

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

Spring is near, with St. Patrick’s Day almost here, and green will be sprouting up everywhere to be seen. Rain or shine, parades will line the streets, while corned beef and cabbage simmer in area homes, churches, and pubs. Meanwhile in Ireland, it’s not likely that […]

The Choice is Ours

By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC

It can be a choice to feel happyAnd can be a choice to be healthyEven when we are dealt cards that seem to stealthily undermine usLike a genetic condition that hits us without our volitionOr an accident or a sudden strokeThat on the surface acts to provoke us

It is how we […]

The Colors of Your Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

In my many years of designing gardens, everyone has flower color preferences. Each of these gardens had a base of green foliage colors, but the colors of flowers were what inspired the garden. There were several all-white gardens; gardens with only pastel blue, white & pink; […]

The Comfort Food Cure

Celebrating the Wisdom of our Culinary Traditions

By Greg Kiger

Well for starters, you wouldn’t have to watch CNN to know if eggs were good or bad. You wouldn’t have to count calories, go hungry or consume “health foods” that taste like cardboard. You wouldn’t need to wait for a hospital, drug company or government agency to […]

The Creatures of Halloween Night: Should we fear them or admire them?

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Halloween is a different sort of celebration today in contrast to its more sinister beginnings in very early Irish/Celtic culture. This period of the year represented a change from sunny, warm and long lighted summer days to the onset of cooler, darker and shorter days of fall. This time was also […]

The Creatures Of Halloween Night: Should We Fear Them or Admire Them?

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Halloween is a different sort of celebration today in contrast to its more sinister beginnings in very early Irish/Celtic culture. This period of the year represented a change from sunny, warm and long lighted summer days to the onset of cooler, darker and shorter days of fall. This time was also […]

The Dangers of Acetaminophen

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

We recently discussed the problems with ibuprofen, which had many people thinking they would just reach for acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, instead. However, before you do so, it’s important to note that acetaminophen has its own problems.

Acetaminophen is an OTC analgesic consumed in the United States in massive quantities. Each week, […]

The Deep Connections of Native Plants

By Linda Wiggen KraftHealthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

A garden isn’t only a collection of plants, it is a community of connections. It is a network of life forms and forces, an eco-system. Plants, insects, birds, soil, sun, rain are each part of the connection. The strongest connections are those of native plants and native […]

The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Vegetables and Fruits

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Nearly 70% of produce sold in the United States comes with pesticide residues. Each year the Environmental Working Group publishes its list of the top 12 fruits and vegetables that contain the highest amount of pesticides compared with organic. The surprising news this year was the inclusion of Kale, 92% of […]

The Doggie Diarrhea Days Of Summer

by Teresa Garden, DVM

Our pets tend to spend more time outside enjoying summer’s pleasant weather as do their human counter-parts. This allows them the opportunity to commit the crime of “dietary indiscretion”. Dietary indiscretion is a broad term encompassing such felonious behavior as consuming dead things (think road kill), decomposing things (trash, garbage, mulch, compost), […]

The DOWNS & UPs of Vibration & Health

By Diane K. Wilson

With awareness and intentional choices, it’s possible to maintain high resonance to avoid negative energies from manifesting into physical form. Make it a goal to transform your life into a light & happy experience!

Food: Heavy, greasy foods, meat, dairy & processed foods drain energy, leading to fatigue and illness. Opt for fresh […]

The Eagles Are Back!

Eagle Days Jan. 16-17 at The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and its partners offer anyone eager to see eagles the chance to discover a close connection with our nation’s emblem bird. The Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 […]

The EarthDance Pay What You Can Farm Stand opens May 3, 2024

By Jess Coffin

Photo: EarthDance Operations & Farm Stand Manager Margaret Gerker and Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator Alisha Harris are two of the friendly faces you’ll see regularly at the Pay What You Can Farm Stand at 233 S. Dade Ave. in Ferguson.

Pandemic pressures have eased for many, but food insecurity continues to rise. The EarthDance […]

The Eating Habits of Centenarians

By Dr. Gail Cloud

Centenarians have been interviewed about what they attribute their long lives to. There are many factors, and one important factor is their eating whole foods.

They grew up on veggies from their garden and they may not always eat well, but generally they eat whole foods. This means they don’t eat much food […]

The Enemy Creating Chronic Disease

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Many people understand that food allergies can be life threatening events, like someone eating a peanut and having an anaphylactic reaction. Severe food allergies are scary. However, these types of allergies are relatively rare. More commonly people have what is known as a food sensitivity. Food sensitivities are low-grade reactions to […]

The First Colors of Spring — For Our Bodies and Our Souls

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Gardens of spring feed both our bodies and our souls. The burst of colors with spring blossoms is like the change in the Wizard of Oz as it goes from black and white to color. Something awakes deep within us with living colors from the earth. […]

The Five ‘Rs’ of Gut Health

Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair and Rebalance

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Optimal function of the digestive system is critical to health. Problems within the gut can cause more than just stomach aches, gas, bloating or diarrhea. GI issues may be the root of chronic health problems including autoimmune diseases, skin problems, fatigue, headaches and heart disease. How […]

The Five “Rs” of Gut Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair and Rebalance

Optimal function of the digestive system is critical to health. Problems within the gut can cause more than just stomach aches, gas, bloating or diarrhea. GI issues may be the root of chronic health problems including autoimmune diseases, skin problems, fatigue, headaches and heart disease. How […]

The Five “Rs” of Gut Health

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair & Rebalance

Optimal function of the digestive system is critical to health. Problems within the gut can cause more than just stomachaches, gas, bloating or diarrhea. GI issues may be the root of chronic health problems including autoimmune diseases, skin problems, fatigue, headaches and heart disease. How can […]

The Five “Rs” of Gut Health

Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair, Rebalance.

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Optimal function of the digestive system is critical to health. Problems within the gut can cause more than just stomach aches, gas, bloating or diarrhea. GI issues may be the root of chronic health problems including autoimmune diseases, skin problems, fatigue, headaches and heart disease. How can […]

The Five “Rs” of Gut Health Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair and Rebalance Framework

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Optimal function of the digestive system is critical to health. Problems within the gut can cause more than just stomachaches, gas, bloating or diarrhea. GI issues may be the root of chronic health problems including autoimmune diseases, skin problems, fatigue, headaches and heart disease. How can we correct what’s gone wrong […]

The Flower at the Bleeding Edge of Spring

Conservation Corner

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo: Bloodroot flowers are some of the very first blossoms you’ll see as winter begins to fade. Photo by Dan Zarlenga.

You might not be able to get blood from a turnip, but you can get it from a flower.

Take a walk through your local woodland starting as […]

The Food-Mood Connection: ADHD, Mood Swings, & Performance at Work & School

By Ian Wahl, Founder and Mdical Director
of St. Louis Allergy Relief Center

You already know that what you eat triggers your sense of taste. But did you know that what you eat also triggers your perceptions and emotions? That’s right, food affects your mood. We’ve all experienced eating something that affects how we feel, think, and […]

The Future Of LEED: The Green Building Rating System Gets An Update

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

As Americans, we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors, and the buildings where we work, live, and learn have a huge impact on our personal health, our community, and our environment. The built environment consumes 76% of our national electricity use, creates 65% of […]

The Garden In Winter

By Cindy Gilberg

Winter is a time for both looking at the year past and towards the new year. As the leaves and temperature drop, a whole new appearance to the landscape is revealed. Take advantage of this time to reflect on the garden in winter—is it visually exciting? Does it have color and interesting forms? […]

The Gardening Season Starts with Seeds

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

The winter holidays don’t end at the first of the year, they continue into the first few months of the year when seed catalogs and plant cravings creep into our lives. Like visions of sugar plums, visions of plants dance in our heads. It is time […]

The Gifts of Flowers’ Living Color

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

The living colors and shapes of flowers send powerful beauty and energy into the world. Although a flower’s main purpose is to attract pollinators, humans are also attracted to and caught in a flower’s allure.

A large part of a flower’s attraction is the fact that flowers create living colors. Yes living colors. […]

The Giving and Receiving of Gardens

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

The garden gives and we receive. As the garden year shifts from the time of harvest and abundance, to the time of garden rest, it is time for giving to our gardens so they can receive an abundance of our feelings of gratitude and love. It […]

The Gluten Enigma

by Gretchen Inman

Three million Americans have celiac disease and the counts are on the rise with over 18 million with gluten sensitivity. The continued emergence of people afflicted with some sort of sensitivity or full blown intolerance to gluten is slowly becoming an epidemic. As a food lover I could not imagine being restricted to […]

The Greatest Freedom

By Phylis Clay Sparks

The greatest freedom is the freedom to choose,
Either this way or that… to win or to lose.
One chooses laughter, another a frown,
One gets up while one stays down.
I can choose love or I can choose fear,
You can choose peanuts, I can choose beer.
We can argue against or decide to agree
Because it’s our […]

The Greatest Gifts of a Garden Healing and Hope

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

In this time of gift giving, it is the garden that gives us its greatest gifts: healing and hope. There is so much healing that our world needs, along with needed hope that will allow us to take action to better the world. At home, it’s been hard weeks since the U.S. […]

The Green Schools Quest is ON — Because Where We Learn Matters!

by Cindy Bambini, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Green Schools Committee Member and Director of Business Development, Brightergy

It’s August in St. Louis and you know what that means… the latest and greatest options for school supplies have been in the stores for almost a month, swimsuits and shorts are on the final mark-down racks and everyone is […]

The Happy Little Jack-O-Lantern©

By J.B. Lester 

Jackson walked through the giant Halloween pumpkin patch looking at all the wonderful pumpkins with his mom. “Come on Jackson, pick one,” his mother said with her cart already full of pumpkins and gourds for her Halloween porch display. Jackson got to pick his own pumpkin this year and he wanted just the […]

The Healing Arts Center Offers Free Massage For Cancer Patients In Treatment

Clients in cancer treatment have been coming to the Healing Arts Center to receive free massage for the past several years. As a client in this clinic, you receive care and compassion, which are an important part of the healing process. The Healing Arts Center is a wellness center and massage therapy school that offers […]

The Healing Power of Nature’s Beauty

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Imagine a medicine so strong that it alone will let you go home a day early from hospital surgery, you will feel less pain and have fewer complaints about it. In fact, there is a medicine that strong which science is now recognizing and measuring. This medicine is simply the power of […]

The Health Benefits of Birdwatching are Too Good to Pass Up

By Charmin Dahl

This time of year, I find it hard to get motivated to go outside. The combination of bad weather, indulgent holidays, and bittersweet year’s end leaves me feeling mushy in mind and body. But being busy, bloated, and blue are all good reasons to go outside, immediately. Spending time outdoors provides numerous health […]

The Health Benefits of Juice Plus

By Julie Branson

Have you ever wanted to shout from the mountain top and tell others about something you have learned? “Children born in the year 2000 or later are not expected to outlive their parents.” – Dr. David Katz “For the first time in history, U.S. children are sicker than the generation before them. They […]

The Health of Earth on Earth Day, 2020

By Ian Wahl, founder & medical director of St. Louis Allergy Relief Center

Although you are reading this article in the April edition of The Healthy Planet, I am writing it on March 13, 2020, the day President Trump declared the coronavirus a national emergency. In the days before, and even more so in a matter of […]

The Healthy Benefits of Essential Oils

By Linda Hoff

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. They are very clean, almost crisp to the touch and are immediately absorbed by the skin. Pure essential oils are translucent and range in color from […]

THE HEALTHY PLANET 2021 GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMPS

Ackermann’s Swim Program & Summer Swim Camp

Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety since 1942. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two week sessions. […]

THE HEALTHY PLANET 2022 GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMPS & OPPORTUNITIES

Ackermann’s Swim Program & Summer Swim Camp

Teaching children 4-11 the life skill of swimming and water safety since 1942. Family owned and operated at the same location, 1044 Curran Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Group swim lessons in 4 heated pools with different water levels for progressive safe learning. Enrollment by one or two week sessions. […]

The Healthy Planet is Proud to Present Exclusive Interview Info on Two Of This Month’s Major Performances

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Irish music need not be limited to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Celtic Thunder is aptly named as an Irish vocal group that has taken the world by storm. They rumble into St. Louis for a one-night performance on November 8 at The Fabulous Fox Theatre. These six singers – […]

The Healthy Planet Magazine’s Guide To Resale Shops In The St. Louis Area

There is nothing more exciting than a bargain! And this love of a “great find” has spawned an enormous growth in resale shops throughout the greater St. Louis area. From clothes, to furniture, to collectibles to any sort of knick knacks you can imagine, thousands of bargain-hunting consumers are out in droves frequenting resale shops, […]

The Healthy Planet Natural Living Gift & Holiday Guide

The Art of Entertaining
Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? Need the perfect party appetizer or meal? Call The Art of Entertaining to order party trays, appetizers, salads, breakfast dishes, or a full dinner for the holidays. Low sodium, low calorie, and gluten free meals are also available which are ideal for the person […]

The Heart Chakra: Emotional, Physical & Energetic Well-being

By Diane K. Wilson

Always listen to your heart, because even though it’s on your left side, it’s always right.

-Nicholas Sparks

 Visualize your whole life & what consumes a significant part of it? Matters of the HEART – the FEELING of HAPPINESS.

 When we are children, certain things hold importance: safety, comfort, our first kiss, making friends, getting […]

The Heart: An Extraordinary Organ that Should Not be Taken for Granted

By Jon P. Frieda, MBA

February is heart health month. How much do you know about you heart? It pumps blood throughout your body, right? But, are you aware that it is a far more miraculous component of your being than you may even imagine? For example, do you know that your heart emits electromagnetic fields, […]

The Herb Lady

With Cathy Burkemper

Q: Are you being fair to your supplements?

A:Most people are accustomed to western medicine and expect immediate results. You have to remember, most drugs are like a band-aid to the problem. They usually just mask the symptom. What supplements and herbs do is work on the root or cause of the problem. With […]

The Hip Bone’s Connected to the Leg Bone

The Hip Bone’s Connected to the Leg Bone

by Dr. Joseph F. Unger, Jr. DC., F.I.C.S.

As the lyrics of a famous old song go, the bones comprising our skeletal structure are connected. But that’s only part of the story. In fact, everything in our bodies is connected. It is truly difficult to comprehend or […]

The History of Metro Lighting’s Energy Efficiency Program

By Nick Frisella

Working for a family business has its benefits and challenges. Growing up I worked in the warehouse sweeping floors and putting away stock during summer breaks. After college I quickly realized how hard it is to make it in the world and decided to return to the family business. Upon my return one […]

The HP Axis and its Involvement with Hormonal Difficulties Unlocking the Hormonal Mystery

By Dr. Mark Schopp, D.C.

The HP Axis is a major part of the neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress and regulates many body processes, including digestion the immune system, mood and emotions, sexuality, and energy storage and expenditure. In the treatment of any hormonal problem the Doctor must evaluate whether or not the HP […]

The Human-Animal Bond: From Feelings To Facts

by Teresa Garden, DVM

The greatest fringe benefit I enjoy as a veterinarian is being able to bring my dog to work with me. I’ll sneak into my office between appointments and just steal a glance at her as she sleeps in her little bed beneath my desk. I immediately feel love, tenderness, and warmth. Baby […]

The Humane Society of Missouri and Purina® Present Bark in the Park

5k Run, 1-Mile Walk and Family Festival

Saturday, May 17 from
9am to 1pm at Cricket Field
in Forest Park…

Benefits Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Fund

The Humane Society of Missouri and Purina® present Bark in the Park, the largest dog festival in the Midwest! The annual event will be held Saturday, May 17, 9am – 1pm at […]

The Impact of Corporate ESG Action

By Abigail Sirevaag, WELL AP, LEED AP ID+C, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council, Board Secretary

You might have heard about “ESG” in the news lately, either in a positive or negative context. This small acronym has vast power, as Environmental, Social, and Governance issues of all types are currently dominating our world. The concept of ESG […]

The Intersection of Health & Climate Change

By Lois Sechrist, LEED AP, Manager of Environmental Stewardship at Ascension

Across the country, conversations are taking place around climate change and health. We’ve seen the horrific and mesmerizing images from hurricanes, wildfires and floods. The cost of not being prepared is oftentimes beyond economic. Hospitals are anchor institutions and support the viability of their communities. […]

The Invisible Thread: How Love’s Fleeting Presence Shapes Us

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Love captivates us, yet it can also become the bane of our existence. Every type of love draws us in, filling not only our heart but also our mind, body, and soul as we could easily pour too much, too little, or feel overwhelmed when our glass is overfilled.

It […]

The Key To Your Well-Being

by Dr. Rosa Kincaid, MD

Your body’s chemical messengers, hormones, are the key to your well-being. Hormones relay chemical instructions to every cell in your body. As hormones are released into the bloodstream, they control and influence many bodily functions, as well as how you age.
As an example, hormones partially determine your body composition. Are you […]

The Latest, and The Greenest!

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

Each January, the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council announces our annual educational catalog. We strive to provide high quality educational opportunities that provide practical knowledge and inspiration, focusing on hot topics in sustainability and green building. I’m excited to highlight a few of our […]

The Light Within

By Dr. Gail Cloud

As I sit here gazing obliquely into the sunFeeling its rays illuminate my hairLightening my whole being who before just now didn’t know it needed to be It is a time I need to be led; to be taken by the handTo move to the next dimension of my beingAnd show me from […]

The Limits to Staying Cool

By Maeve Elder

Forecasts predict another hot summer ahead. Last summer, I shared tips for staying cool. With another record-breaking summer likely this year, I’m thinking about the factors that make staying cool a challenge (or an exorbitant expense) for many St. Louisans.

We are lucky to have a beautiful stock of historic brick buildings in St. […]

The Living Colors of Spring

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Spring isn’t just when the weather turns warm, it is when the world bursts into color. The grays and browns of winter turn into the purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red of spring blossoms. These bursts of colors aren’t just any colors, they are living colors. Colors that have a life […]

The Lost Words Spell Songs — Songs of Love and Lament for Nature

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

There is now a fourteen song musical companion to the highly successful book The Lost Words, A Spell Book. The songs are blessings, protests and praise words that were inspired by The Lost Words book. Written in 2017, the book is a response to Oxford Dictionary for Children removing fifty nature words […]

The Main Street Medium of St. Charles

Kare Reiki, a Metaphysical Center, is located at 524 S. Main Street, Suite #04 (downstairs), in Saint Charles, Missouri. After discovering the wonders of Reiki, Kare (pronounced “care”) began a business in an effort to spread Energy Work. Shortly thereafter, she added Tarot Card Readings and Medium Readings to her business. She is a retired […]

The Many Benefits of Lymphatic Drainage Therapy

By Kelly McNally, Licensed Massage Therapist at Vitality Unlimited Spa

I’m sure when you first hear the words “Lymphatic Drainage”, you automatically think of treatment to help someone who has a compromised system. It is primarily used for someone who has had lymph nodes removed due to surgery or damaged from an injury. It can also […]

The Marvels of Medicinal Mushrooms

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Many cultures throughout the world have known and revered mushrooms for their medicinal powers for hundreds of years. Modern research can now explain what the ancient healers already knew through practical experience. Studies indicate medicinal mushrooms contain polysaccharides (beta glucans), lysozymes, and triterpenes, which have antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-tumor properties. Mushrooms can […]

The Mind-Body Medicine Approach

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to make many changes in our daily lives. We are experiencing pandemic fatigue, social isolation, anxiety, anger, sadness and loss. Because long-term stress is more constant, the body never receives a clear signal to return to normal functioning. This has real impact on our emotional […]

The Myth of Diagnosis

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Many people mistakenly believe that if you know the name of your disease, you know what’s wrong with you. This myth is pervasive throughout medicine, and it is THE single biggest obstacle to changing the way we do things and finding the answers to our health problems.

The problem is simply this—we […]

The Native Network = Balance Of Nature

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

A garden is not only plants, it is a network of life forms and forces. It is the community, communication and communing of plants, insects, birds, soil, sun, rain and all parts of the ecosystem called garden. Each part is in relationship. The strongest relationships are those that give life and support […]

The Natural Medicine Cabinet – An Alternative to Antibiotics

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

According the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly. Overuse has led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant superbugs like – MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

So what options do you have when you get sick and would like to avoid unnecessary antibiotic […]

The Natural Medicine Cabinet – An Alternative to Antibiotics

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

According the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly. Overuse has led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant superbugs like – MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus). 

So what options do you have when you get sick and would like to avoid unnecessary antibiotic […]

The Natural Medicine Cabinet – An Alternative to Antibiotics

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

According to the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly.” Overuse has led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant superbugs like – MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

So what options do you have when you get sick and would like to avoid unnecessary […]

The Natural Medicine Cabinet – An Alternative to Antibiotics

By Dr. Amy Davis

According to the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine — not to be taken lightly. Overuse has led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant superbugs like — MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

So what options do you have when you get sick and would like to avoid unnecessary antibiotic […]

The Natural Medicine Cabinet, An Alternative to Antibiotics

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

According the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly. Overuse has led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant superbugs like – MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin- resistant Enterococcus).

So what options do you have when you get sick and would like to avoid unnecessary […]

The Natural Medicine Cabinet: An Alternative To Antibiotics

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

According to the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly. Overuse has led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant superbugs like – MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

So what options do you have when you get sick and would like to avoid unnecessary […]

The Natural Medicine Cabinet: An Alternative to Antibiotics

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

According to the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly. Overuse has led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant superbugs like – MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

So what options do you have when you get sick and would like to avoid unnecessary […]

The Natural Medicine Cabinet: An Alternative To Antibiotics

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

According to the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly. Overuse has led to increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant superbugs like – MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

So what options do you have when you get sick and would like to avoid unnecessary […]

The Need to Forgive Healing From Our Past Mistakes

By Jasmin Acosta  

We all have our faults as human beings since we cannot be perfect, and we are prone to make mistakes in life. It is only natural that we trip over life’s unexpected events that occur in our lives, but it is essential how we react to life events that are rooted in […]

The New Environment

By the Master —, through Benjamin Creme, 31 May 2014

When the Masters begin Their historic return to the everyday world, They will find much to do to enable Them to function adequately in the new environment. As many know, telepathy is Their normal mode of communication but, working with men, They will have to learn […]

The Next Big Scare In Liver Health!

By Asia Muhammad, ND

Gastroenterologists and hepatologists are predicting that in the next 15 years, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) will be the leading reason for liver transplants, displacing alcoholism and hepatitis C.

Metabolic syndrome is an umbrella term that encompasses excess body weight, elevated blood sugar, elevated lipid levels, and elevated blood pressure. NAFLD is the […]

The Oak Tree Web — Butterflies, Moths, Caterpillars, Birds, Leaves & Seeds

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

A web of life is a cycle where all parts are connected and needed to keep it whole. All parts support each other. We don’t often see the web of oak tree connections when we look at the beautiful oaks in our urban, suburban and rural landscapes. The butterflies and moths that […]

The Path to Sustainability: 2017-2018 Green Schools Quest Comes to An End but the Work Continues

By Shawn Fluckey, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Intern

The U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter’s 2016-17 Green Schools Quest ended last month. This year-long challenge targets elementary, middle, and high schools within the Chapter’s territory, which includes the state of Missouri and parts of southern Illinois. The Green Schools Quest challenges each school to devise […]

The Peers Store: A Conservation Outpost For Magnificent Missouri

Imagine a place where you can listen to bluegrass music on the front porch of a country store overlooking a native grass and wildflower prairie – and arrive there on the Katy Trail!

Magnificent Missouri believes that this place, near the Missouri River west of St. Louis, is one that can bring new friends to the […]

The Physical Touch of Nature, Needed Now More Than Ever

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Tree hugging has been somewhat of a joke in our society, yet an April 2020 report in the Iceland Review states: “The Icelandic Forestry Service is encouraging people to hug trees while social distancing measures prevent them from hugging other people.” 

We are a society now able to stay connected via phones and […]

The Positive Air Quality Impacts of Idle Reduction

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

Do you idle your personal vehicle in drive-thrus, parking lots or drop-off zones? Consider this: Idling vehicles emit 20 times more pollution than a car traveling at 30 mph. And the pollution released from vehicle idling includes air toxics, which are known to cause cancer, respiratory and reproductive effects, […]

The Power Of Past Life Regression Find Healing In The Past

By Peggy Levinson, LCSW, LMFT

In America, many of us ache for the next thing that will make us feel like we are okay. Sometimes we look to the little things – the company of a friend, escaping into Netflix, a drink, exercise, a delicious meal. Other times it feels like a major life milestone is […]

The Power of Prayer to Heal

by Teresa Garden, DVM

Prayer has been associated with healing for millennia. People pray for good health and for relief from illness, pain, and suffering. Intercessory prayer can be defined as a direct request to a higher power to intercede in a situation and to help bring about a good outcome. Prayer may result in health […]

The Power of Purple Coneflower

Story & Photo by Linda Wiggen Kraft

Purple coneflower is one of the best-known and best-loved native prairie plants.
Its daisy-like composite shape with its large spiky orange and brown seed heads and pink/purple flower petals is well loved by gardeners living in prairie lands and way beyond those borders. It is also well loved by insects […]

The Power of Quiet Time

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 […]

The Power of Touch and Breath

By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC

Most everyone would like to be healthy and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. We want to feel good and have the energy to learn, move and experience life. When we are younger, unless we have a chronic illness or disability when we are children, we take our health for granted. And why […]

The Price that Comes with Love

By Jasmin Acosta, The Healthy Planet Staff Writer

The love that we could feel for others can at times seem inconceivable that we have the capacity to feel such a complex emotion, but with this great emotion comes with a price, which is grief.

We create relationships with the people around us like family, friends, and significant […]

The Risk of Breast Cancer

It is one of the most feared diseases a woman can get, yet the subject is very complex and controversial even among medical professionals. There are many aspects to breast health and breast cancer, each with different points of view. More women are getting breast cancer and they are getting it at younger and younger […]

The Road To Net Zero Carbon

By Victoria Coleman, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Intern

From reaching its 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals two years early to the recently approved Solar Readiness and Building Energy Performance Standard ordinances, St. Louis is leading the Midwest in efforts to be carbon neutral 2050. 2050 has significance because the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) report states that […]

The Role Of Self Compassion In Building Self Esteem

By Vera Gabliani, Ph.D.

Every day I talk with parents about their daughters and self-esteem. We are all aware of how preoccupied pre-teens and teens are with fitting in with friends. One of the most common and painful scenarios that I encounter is the girl who feels left out of her peer group.

Although this is a […]

The Secret Of The Messy Garden

Native landscapes exist in sharp contrast to many of their manicured counterparts. Those monocultures of lawn punctuated with a sentinel tree and a few trimmed bushes.

Most native landscapes include broad varieties of species. Problem solver plants, multi-season beauties, and low-maintenance workhorses. These interesting plants create diverse landscapes that change their appearance year-round. And, native plants […]

The Seventh Sense and Fat Electrons: Meridians as Ancient Matrix of Brain-Gut-Immune System

 By Simon Yu, MD

Three years ago, Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, now Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience and Neurosurgery at the Washington University School of Medicine, wrote, “The Seventh Sense” in the Journal of Experimental Medicine and Scientific American. I was excited reading his article on the central nervous and immune system connection, and have carried it with […]

The Shadow that Looks Back

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

The shadow that we have is the part of us that we tend to forget exists because it holds our inner-flaws that we usually do not want to confront, so we decide to turn our backs to that aspect of ourselves.

Rather there comes a time in our lives where […]

The Silent Killer Affecting 50% of Americans

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

One out of every two of you have a deadly disease that’s making you fat and sick and will kill you and 90% of you don’t even know you have it. What’s worse is that your doctor isn’t trained how to find it and they’re not even looking for it. This […]

The St. Charles Home Show is the Place for the Latest Home Products and Services, Plus Expert Home Improvement Advice

The 18th Annual Builders St. Charles Home Show, presented by LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding, is April 14-16 at St. Charles Convention Center, with free admission and parking. Local companies bring countless experts to this event who offer valuable home improvement knowledge and advice. People can see, learn about and buy the latest home products and services in […]

The St. Charles Home Show, presented by James Hardie Building Products, is the Place for the Latest Home Products and Services, Plus Expert Home Improvement Advice

The 19th Annual Builders St. Charles Home Show, presented by James Hardie Building Products, is April 5-7 at St. Charles Convention Center, with free admission and parking. Local companies bring countless experts to this event who offer valuable home improvement knowledge and advice. People can see, learn about and buy the latest home products and services […]

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District Success Stories

The St. Louis – Jefferson Solid Waste Management District is a regional agency that was created in 1993 to assist the public, private and nonprofit sectors in establishing and expanding programs for recycling and waste reduction.   The service area includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. Funding […]

The St. Louis Area Sustainable Backyard Tour Returns Live & In-Person June 26

What: The Sustainable Backyard Tour 2022 Where: Private Yards throughout St. Louis and St. Charles When: Sunday, June 26, 2022; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Free The Sustainable Backyard Tour is a free, open-yards-style tour of eco-friendly spaces throughout St. Louis and St. Charles.

Get tips and ideas for living more sustainably on a […]

The St. Louis Earth Day Festival Returns April 22 & 23

Annual festival in Forest Park emphasizes the importance of a sustainable lifestyle 

Take part in the largest Earth Day celebration in the Midwest on April 22 and 23, 2023, at the Muny Grounds in Forest Park. Free to the public and running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, earthday365’s annual festival offers ample opportunities […]

The Stone Institute Announces New Professional Reflexology Certification Program

Looking to become professionally credentialed in therapeutic reflexology? The Stone Institute LLC is accepting applications for the professional Therapeutic Reflexology Certification Program to begin January, 2014.

Thanks to dual enrollment, massage therapists and nurses earn 250 CEs while attending classes for certification. “We created dual enrollment to allow professionals to get the most from their education. […]

The Story Of Megan*

Megan and her husband were, by most standards, very healthy. They ate a diet high in vegetables and lean meats. They exercised every single day. And, they loved to travel. Several years ago, Megan began to notice that she became fatigued more easily and more frequently than before. She went to numerous doctors. She spent […]

The Surprising Trick To Creating A Better New Year

By Kimberly V. Schneider

I start hearing it sometime in November each year: “I can’t wait until next year! I need a fresh start.”

If you’ve had a difficult year, the sentiment is understandable. We all have challenges every year, but some times are more challenging than others, and if you’re in one of those times, there’s […]

The Sweet Relief of September

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

The roaring heat of summer sends its last hot breaths into the early September garden only to retreat as cooler air and shorter days bring the return of a garden’s freshness. This freshness is not like the new innocence of a spring bloom and planting. September gardens have a deeper fresh. They […]

The Tale Of Mr. Peanut

By Teresa Garden, DVM

February is Heart Health month and we were asked to write about heart matters. As a twist on the subject, I decided to take the opportunity to write about a chance encounter with one of God’s creatures which left an indelible impression upon my heart.

It was Saturday, August 31, in the hellish […]

the Total Health Competitive Advantage

By Donna Langenbacher

Be Young Total Health is focused on a complete approach to restoring life. Our mission is in our name: to offer complete, whole-body wellness to people in search of a comprehensive alternative solution to ongoing health concerns. Be Young Total Health product line is designed to provide all natural, no preservative, whole food-based […]

The Truth About Ibuprofen

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, are among the most commonly used drugs worldwide, with 70 million prescriptions and 30 billion over-the-counter doses sold annually in the United States. However, ibuprofen’s popularity belies its high potential for adverse effects, including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hepatic, kidney, and neonatal health complications.

It carries cardiovascular risks. The […]

The Ultimate Women’s Wellness Weekend is Coming to Trout Lodge Feb. 22-24

A squad, tribe, gal pals – whatever you call them, you need them. These are the ladies that are there for you no matter what. They answer your calls, celebrate your successes, and console your pain. A getaway with them can make tough times suddenly seem sunny, and the laughter can last you through the […]

The Unscientific Bias of Modern Medicine on Life Force: Immunotherapy and Energy Healing

By Simon Yu, MD

The new wonder of modern medicine, Immunotherapy, is considered, “as God’s gift, the chosen elixir, the cure for cancer,” according to Dr. John Timmerman, an oncologist and immunotherapy researcher at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). It has been hailed as a new breakthrough in cancer treatment, attracting billions of research […]

The Urban Wood Movement: Green Your Home

Have you ever wondered why the removed trees in your neighborhood couldn’t be used for some higher purpose? Most urban trees get chipped up, sent to a landfill to rot, or a select few may become firewood. Couldn’t they be used for some of the lumber and wood products we need and use everyday so […]

The Wabi Sabi of a Summer Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

My gardens seem loveliest at this time of year, in a wabi sabi kind of way. The Japanese term “wabi sabi” is defined as “a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that […]

The Water Energy Nexus: The Connection Between Water Use and Energy

By Marla Esser, USGBC-Missouri
Gateway Chapter Education Committee

I am sure every parent has said it more than they can possibly remember… “Don’t waste the water!” It is an important habit to instill in children. But not wasting water has other implications that even we adults need to be more aware of. Water has a lot more connection […]

The Whole Story On Whole Grains

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

Whole grains are good for the whole body, but what exactly makes a grain whole? And what happens to grains, nutritionally-speaking, when they are refined and no longer whole?

A whole grain contains all three parts of the original grain kernal—the bran, the germ and the […]

The Winds of Change

By Dr Gail Cloud

The winds of change are calling into my ear

As I choose to listen even with my fear

What comes next

And what do I hold dear?

Is there a particular calling?

One that I can hold close to my heart?

Or is it time to nestle in, to listen to all my parts?

Sitting all day doing word […]

The Wings of a Garden – Birds, Bats, Insects and Fairies

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

It is those things that fly that bring a special energy and magic to the garden. No garden is soil, sky and plants alone. Yet we often think only in those terms when we think about our garden.

A garden is a system of life, a web that sustains and nourishes not only […]

The Wood Wide Web… How Trees Talk, Feel and Communicate

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Trees suckle their children” is something German Forester Peter Wohlebben likes to say. He describes old trees that nurture younger trees and have connections with most other trees in a forest as mother trees. He and Suzanne Simard, a Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia, star is a […]

The Year of the Dog

How to Stay Healthy the Year of Covid-19

By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC

Recently, by zoom of course, I was speaking with my cousin and he referred to 2020 as the year of the dog. This made me laugh, but the more I thought about it I realized how true a description it is. First of all, […]

Therapeutic Reflexology Classes Teach Methods Proven to Reduce Pain, Improve Sleep

Long recognized throughout the world for their healing ability, reflexive therapies (reflexology is one of the most popular) have come into their own. Reflexologists use fingers and hands to work specific areas (both large and small) called reflexes on the feet and hands to encourage the body to normalize, balance, and heal itself.

Long a folk […]

Therapist’s Daughter: A New Book Launching This Month

By Dr. Gail Cloud

This July, I am launching my first published book. It is officially coming out at the end of the month, and I am excited and anxious for its arrival.

You are invited to the official launch party for my book on August 2nd from 4 pm until 6 pm at Mansions on the […]

Therapy Pets: Everyday Heroes!

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Have you ever considered if your pet dog could be a therapy dog? Therapy dogs or “visiting pet programs” have been around since the 1980s. These are programs in which animals help people just by visiting with them. The benefits to the people they visit are vast and far reaching. A visiting […]

There Couldn’t Be A Better Time To Connect With Nature… and Forrest Keeling Nursery!

Winter will pass, the days will lengthen, the ice will melt in the pasture pond. The song sparrow will return and sing, the frogs will awake, the warm wind will blow again. All these sights and sounds and smells will be yours to enjoy… this lovely world, these precious days…” ~ E.B. White, “Charlotte’s Web”

With […]

There’s Only One Earth

Earthbound Recycling takes hazardous waste that others won’t

The world is changing, the climate is changing, and we as humans need to change too. At least that’s the idea, but it can be difficult when you call a recycling center or scrap yard and they tell you about all the things they don’t take, while the […]

There’s Only One Earth

The world is changing, the climate is changing, and we as humans need to change too. At least that’s the idea, but it can be difficult when you call a recycling center or scrap yard and they tell you about all the things they don’t take, while the list of things they do accept keeps […]

There’s “LOTS” to See and Do in the Arts World Coming Up Soon

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Have you ever noticed that vacant lot on Washington, across the street from The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts? Rather than seeing a vacant lot, the Pulitzer staff viewed it as a blank canvas. Joining with the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University for […]

There’s No Magic Bullet for Health

By Monica Stoutenborough

How often do you read about a new supplement or diet plan that is the easy and quick way to find the good health you are searching for? We’ve been led to believe that each and every ailment has a magical fix that does not require any effort on your part and that […]

Thermal Imaging – A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words…

By Linda Spradling

Medical Thermography is Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging or “DITI”. A set of thermographic photos is taken measuring temperature patterns and abnormal variations in the body. These photos capture temperature readings sensitive to .01 degree, at a per pixel level. The images are then sent to Certified Medical doctors, specializing in DITI, who interpret […]

Thermography Is For Everyone

By April Abbonizio
Certified Clinical Thermographer

Thermography, or Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI), is a very reliable and accurate tool that provides precise and objective information that can lead us to a successful diagnosis and treatment. It is quick, painless and there is no radiation involved. It is a test of physiology and function of our bodies. Thermography […]

Think Dental When the Latest Medical Therapy Fails

Mouth Battery, High Speed Drill and Others

By Simon Yu, M.D.

Whenever there are resistances to standard medical care, you need to think about missing links. Specifically, think about dental related medical problems that might be the underlying cause of your illness. In other articles, I’ve covered the dangers of dental/medical problems from amalgams, systemic effects of […]

Think Like A Flower, Think Like A Bee

By Linda Wiggen Kraft,

Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Fortunately there is a change in the way gardeners think about gardens. For too many years the only one who counted was the gardener. The garden’s purpose was to look beautiful for the gardener. Bees, insects, pollinators and wildlife were not welcome. Beauty, as deemed by […]

Think Outside, No box needed! Adventures in the Shawnee

Hike more, worry less!  Get the family back outside and take time to reconnect with nature and one another. The fresh air is good for your mind, body and soul. There’s no better place to do that than with an adventure to the Shawnee National Forest in Southernmost Illinois.

Hiking

Take time to enjoy one of the […]

Thinking Of Spring In September

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Fall gardens are growing full force now, which is the perfect time to dream and plan for next year’s spring and summer gardens. Spring blossoms bring a sense of renewal after winter’s cold. Now is the time to plan for them. There are spring bulbs to be planted soon along with perennials, […]

This Fall, Give Your Lawn A Facial

Top Dress With Compost!

By The Experts at St. Louis Composting

Your lawn was good to your family this summer. Reciprocate this fall by giving it a top dressing “facial” using the ultimate 100% natural lawn care product – STA-certified compost.

Just as a spa facial restores a healthy glow and smooth texture to your skin, top-dressing – […]

This Fall, Give Your Lawn a Facial. Top Dress With Compost!

Your lawn was good to your family this summer. Reciprocate this fall by giving it a top dressing “facial” using the ultimate 100% natural lawn care product – STA-certified compost.

Just as a spa facial restores a healthy glow and smooth texture to your skin, top-dressing – which simply involves spreading a thin layer of compost […]

This Fall, Noboleis Vineyards Celebrates its 11th Anniversary

Fall is the best time of year in Missouri wine country. At Noboleis Vineyards, located in the heart of the Augusta AVA, fall is all about harvest! Over the past 6 weeks, the Noboleis winemaking team has been fully immersed in picking, processing and pressing their grapes. With four varietals growing on over 17 acres […]

This Is How We Change The World

By Hope Gribble, Membership
& Education Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

A defining moment in K-12 education occurred in April 2012. The first Green Ribbon Schools were honored by the U.S. Department of Education. This voluntary program is the first comprehensive green schools program by the federal government. It is modeled after the Blue Ribbon Schools Program which recognizes […]

This Is Our Last Print Issue For A While… Sign Up For Your Free Online Subscription

The Healthy Planet magazine will go online only beginning with our January 2021 edition. This decision came after realizing that the Covid 19 pandemic is surging and it has taken a toll on our magazine, our advertisers, our readers and our delivery crew. We think the responsible thing to do is to take our magazine […]

This is Summer: Register today for overnight Summer Camp at Camp Lakewood

Long summer days and loud camper cheers. Moments that start with “Hey remember that time when…”

It won’t be long before a new group of campers will be experiencing Camp Lakewood overnight summer camp for the first time, and our returning campers will add to their list of “remember that time” moments!

Located in Potosi, Mo., Camp […]

This New Year’s Resolution: Less Stress and More Energy

Understanding the Effects of B Vitamin Deficiency
and Supplementing with B Vitamins

by Jon P. Frieda

The B vitamin complex comprises a number of vitamins that exist as a family. The B vitamin family consists of: Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12 […]

This Year Blessing: Live Together In Peace

By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC

The clock is turning. Another year is making its way known in the Western hemisphere through Fall colors, reminding us of the wheel of time towards our winter and time for inner contemplation.

For those who are Jewish and wheel of time time-keepers, this is also the time of the Jewish New […]

Thoughts for a Positive Life

This is the title of a new 106 page, affordable, and easy to read, book that is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble bookstores. The author is a local person named Dr. Larry A. Brown who has amassed and entire career of work in the community and with people, organizations, and corporations. This allows […]

Three Million Dollar Kentucky Woman’s Case: Adrenal Burnout, Lyme, Seizures and More

By Simon Yu, MD 

Recently, I saw a 40-year-old patient from Kentucky with myriad symptoms too long to list, including Lyme, seizures, severe fatigue, neuropathy, migraine headache and chronic pain. She told me that she had been at a major medical institution in the Midwest for a month, and her insurance was billed about $3 million […]

Three Pearls For Pet Health

By Teresa Garden, DVM

After thirty years of practicing veterinary medicine I realize there are a few problems that affect most of our pets. Preventing or treating them will vastly improve a pet’s quality of life and longevity as well. Lack of good grooming, periodontal disease and obesity are the three evils afflicting most pets.

GROOMING
Overlong toenails […]

Three Perennials That Will Make Your Annuals Worry

By Abby Elliott, Owner, Sugar Creek Gardens

Put planting annuals every year behind you. Years of research and testing by plant scientists and hybridizers have created perennial jewels that display excellent hybrid vigor, exceptionally long-blooming periods, and spellbinding exotic blooms. And the best part–they return every year. These beauties will replace your annuals with season-long vibrant […]

Throwback Thursday: 1989

Taste of Green November 14

Earthday365 will host its annual Taste of Green fundraising party from 6–9pm on Thursday, November 14 with the theme, Throwback Thursday – 1989! The celebration will take place at the event space at St. Louis ArtWorks, 5959 Delmar in the Loop East, and feature food tastings and drinks by 25 restaurants […]

Thyroid Disorders and Brain Function

by Dr. Adam Hughes

It’s often overlooked, but brain function is extremely important in supporting the thyroid. The brain controls every bodily function. Your pituitary gland drives the thyroid gland. It releases TSH. The part of your brain called the hypothalamus drives the pituitary.

Our brain needs two things to survive: fuel and activation.

Fuel comes in the […]

Thyroid Epidemic: Part 1

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

The United States has a thyroid epidemic. Here are just a few of the sobering facts concerning thyroid disease in our country:

Twenty million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and up to 60% of these people are unaware that they have the condition.
One in eight women will develop a thyroid […]

Thyroid Epidemic: part 2

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

As you recall, last month we addressed why the standard of care treatment for thyroid disease is inadequate from both a testing and treatment standard. This month is dedicated to why the standard of care approach to thyroid health makes it difficult to identify autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis).

The reason the […]

Time to Die. Is it Possible to Bend Time?

By Simon Yu, MD

Dead Man Talking

Death and dying is a touchy subject I address with my patients and their families every day. I’ve also spoken with many patients about their “Time to Heal” and written several articles on that subject. Now, it is time to talk about Time to Die. Every Wednesday morning, we have […]

Time To Get To Work, Not Lose Hope

By Johanna Schweiss, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

In early October, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report that calls for significant emissions reductions over the next decade to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, the level needed to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. In order to meet the […]

Time to Heal at Last: The Story of Ron’s ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)

By Simon Yu, MD

When an advanced cancer patient or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) patient comes to see me for an evaluation, the patient and I understand that we are racing against time to beat the odds of the inevitable, dying and death. We often ask the question, “Is there time to heal?” I previously wrote […]

Time to Start Planning for Viewing the 2024 Solar Eclipse

By Kathie Sutin

It’s time to mark your calendar for important dates in 2024.

Monday, April 8 is one date you’ll want to be sure to note. It promises one of the most exciting celestial events of the decade—a rare total solar eclipse spanning parts of the continent from Mexico, through the U.S., into Canada. Primary viewing […]

Time To Start Your Garden

By Crystal Stevens

April is a wonderful time to start a garden. If you have a large garden space that gets plenty of sun, prepare your space as soon as the ground is thawed (typically mid-March). Use a broad fork or a potato fork to turn the top layer of soil over and gently break it […]

Tips for Life! Make it Easy!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet columnist

Welcome to my new articles of proven ideas and strategies to make life better. I love learning and spent most of my life developing tricks for taking short cuts and making life easier. Anything from housework, staying healthy, making quick, nutritious, and delicious meals, saving money and time, self-care, having […]

Tips For Living With Chronic Illness

By Denise S. Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain,” – Vivian Greene

Many of us are living with chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, COPD, or fibromyalgia. We struggle with issues such as limited mobility, special diets, chronic pain, fatigue, and other difficulties. […]

Tips For Summertime Fun With Your Dog

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Spring has sprung! It’s been another long dreary COVID winter and most of us are ready to break out of our hovels and have some fun. Our pooches probably feel the same! Spending time outdoors with our dogs can get both man and dog into better shape physically and mentally. All of […]

Tips to Help Save Energy During the Summer Swelter

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

With the dog days of summer now settling in, the risk of poor air quality conditions is on the rise, as heat, humidity and intense sunlight react with hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide emissions to create ground-level ozone pollution. With much of the pollution we breathe coming from power plants […]

TMS: A New Treatment For Severe Depression

By Dr. Steve Harvey, MD

TMS is a new and highly-effective treatment for major depression. TMS, which is transcranial magnetic stimulation, treats severe depression by stimulating a targeted area of the brain with magnetic pulses. TMS was approved by the FDA in 2008, and has improved since then.

Most people who suffer from major depression get relief […]

TMS: A New Treatment For Severe Depression

By Dr. Steve Harvey, MD

TMS is a new and highly-effective treatment for major depression. TMS, which is transcranial magnetic stimulation, treats severe depression by stimulating a targeted area of the brain with magnetic pulses. TMS was approved by the FDA in 2008, and has improved since then.

Most people who suffer from major depression get relief […]

To See a Flower Face to Face

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

In my work as a garden designer I am asked to create a unity of flowers, foliage and plants so that the whole of the garden has a rhythm, beauty, grace and joy when viewed up close as well as from afar. Because I spend so […]

To See Nature and the Universe in Your Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

There is a William Blake poem from the early 1880s that starts with “To see a World in a Grain of Sand, and Heaven in a Wild Flower”. It is a call for us to know the universe in the forms of nature. There is a modern version of knowing nature and […]

To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate Your Pet: That Is The Question

By Teresa Garden, DVM 

Vaccines can be life-saving medicines. But, like all medicines, they should be used only when necessary. The revaccination needs of adult dogs should take into account your individual pet’s risk of exposure, geographical location, and life style factors. 

Vaccines are not innocuous products. The questions regarding benefits versus risk needs to be addressed […]

Tom’s Story: A Heart Felt Success

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

February is National Heart Health month. I would like to share a heart health story with you. This is the story of Tom.

Tom initially came to see us because he was concerned about his weight. His goals were to “lose weight” and “stop heart disease before it starts.” While we too […]

Tooth-less in St. Louis, God Forbid — Toothless in Vienna: Fairy Death Tale from Berlin

By Simon Yu, MD

On my way from St. George’s Klinik near Munich to International Holistic Medical Days ( IGMEDT) in Vienna – for my lectures and training on acupuncture meridian assessment (AMA) – I visited Dr. Helmut Retzek’s clinic in Voecklabruck, Austria for a few days, and I saw some patients for fun. Dr. Retzek […]

Top 10 Problems & Myths Concerning All-Natural, Latex Mattresses

By Doug Belleville

1. Latex Mattresses are expensive.
They can cost from $1500 and range up to $5500 putting them in a class that either requires monthly payments through financing or may be out of range for some buyers. However many owners of latex beds believe it’s worth the cost because they last so much longer than […]

Top Pollinator Plant Loaded with Top Features

By Ann Lapides

Don’t be fooled by this beauty’s low-key presence. Blunt Mountain Mint, Pycanthemum muticum, packs a wallop of top features. In summer, a flat flower cluster of pale lavender-pink is set off by silvery bracts. The bracts create a soothing yet fascinating display. A strong mint-like scent fills the air when the leaves are crushed. […]

TOPDRESSING! Get the Key to a Beautiful Lawn This Fall

Feeding plants and your lawn a nutritious diet of compost throughout the year is the key to the best lawn on the block! Top dressing your lawn with compost in autumn is key to making it the greenest on the block come spring. Top dressing, an industry secret among ground crews at golf courses, involves […]

Tortilla Española

Ingredients

Serves 8 people

1lb/450 g Russet potatoes2 cups olive oil2 onions, chopped2 large eggsSalt and pepper Spring of fresh parsley

Other ingredients can be added, such as ham, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, 

Steps:

Peel potatoes, cut into small cubes, then put on a clean dish towel to dry them.Heat on low the olive oil in a large, heavy bottom or nonstick […]

Toxoplasmosis Parasite Deceiving Medicine: Reversing Unsuspected Mental Illness?

By Simon Yu, MD 

Is it possible to reverse engineer unsuspected mental illness? Several years ago, I saw a 59-year-old nurse from North Carolina with chief complaint of parasites coming out of her oral cavity through her teeth and gums. Nobody believed that she had parasites. Her family wanted her hospitalized in a psychiatric unit for […]

Tradition American Crafts Sale July 16-17 In Historic Ste. Genevieve

Thomas and Patricia Hooper own and operate ASL Pewter in beautiful, historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, MO, where we handcraft traditional, functional pewter pieces. All our pewter is 100% lead free and food safe. We use a large selection of antique molds from as far back as 1650, as well as designing and making our own […]

Traditional Chinese Face Reading: ‘Get Vibrant Energy & Health Now’

By Dr. Carrie Jardine

You look at a map to reach a destination, so why don’t you look at your personal health map? It’s your FACE! As an office of acupuncture, chiropractic and naturopathy, we evaluate the face with a branch of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) called Mien Shiang or FACE READING.

Your face can tell […]

Trailnet’s New Interactive Map Allows St. Louis Residents to Map Neighborhood Greenways

Trailnet and partners are excited to share the progress of Trailnet’s Neighborhood Greenways St. Louis project. In the project’s newly released video, featuring St. Louis pedestrians and bicyclists, viewers see how Neighborhood Greenways can make walking and biking a way of life in St. Louis. A new online interactive map encourages residents to plot their […]

Tranquil Companion Offers Integrative Therapies For Your Animals

By Maureen Keller

Tranquil Companion is in the business of using integrative, non-invasive therapies to help deliver and maintain wellness as well as quality of life to all clients. We use a variety of therapies such as light / Photon, magnetic, acupressure, sound, therapeutic grade essential oils, and much more to enable our animal clients the […]

Travel Options For Pets

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Many families rush away for a final summer vacation prior to the onset of the school season. In many cases, people enjoy bringing their pets along, if they are traveling by car. There are a number of issues to address to be sure you have a safe trip, free of safety […]

Travel Options For Pets

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Many families rush away for a final summer vacation prior to the onset of the school season. In many cases, people enjoy bringing their pets along, if they are traveling by car. There are a number of issues to address to be sure you have a safe trip, free of safety […]

Travel Options For Pets This Summer

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

School is over and guess what, families like to start traveling ASAP!!! For pets not joining the adventure, I encourage pet owners to discuss one or more options with their veterinarian.

Commercials kennels can be great. Nonetheless, they can be costly and stressful to your beloved pets. It is important to visit […]

Tree Peony Growing Guide

By Abby Lapides

Coveted Tree Peonies, Paeonia suffruticosa, delight us with enormous blossoms that appear in spring. Loaded with velvety petals in multitudes of colors, their blossoms bring ethereal, exotic beauty to the garden. Tree Peonies are woody shrubs that do not die to the ground like garden peonies. They mature to incredible specimen plants 3-7’ […]

Tree Poems

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, The Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

My nectarine tree grows in a garden bed next to the street where many people walk by. The tree grows along with several shrubs and many perennials. In the winter the tree is bare of its leaves, but late last winter it had tree poem […]

Tree Surgeon to Arborist

By Wendell Phillips ‘Phil’ Berwick, Arborist / Abolitionist

I’ve been involved in tree work from when we were called tree surgeons, but beginning in the 1980s old French term of ‘Arborist’ took over. Englishman John Davey came to the U.S. in 1873, the son of a farm superintendent in England with an interest in planting trees […]

Trees Work!

MDC’s Campaign Focuses on Our Trees and Forests

Trees Work. Trees work for your health. Trees work for your family. Trees work for your wallet. Trees work.

Did you know that being around trees lowers your blood pressure and pulse rate? Guess what else. Kids perform better on tests and have reduced symptoms on ADHD after being […]

TREES WORK!

MDC’s Campaign Focuses on Our Trees and Forests

Trees Work. Trees work for your health. Trees work for your family. Trees work for your wallet. Trees work.

Did you know that being around trees lowers your blood pressure and pulse rate? Guess what else. Kids perform better on tests and have reduced symptoms on ADHD after being […]

Trees Work! Campaign Focuses On Trees and Forests

Trees work for your health.
Trees work for your family.
Trees work for your wallet.
Trees work for the environment.
Trees work for your community.
Trees work for the economy.

Did you know that being around trees lowers your blood pressure and pulse rate? But that’s not all! Kids perform better on tests and have reduced symptoms on ADHD after spending […]

Trees Work! MO Dept. of Conservation Educational Campaign Focuses On Trees and Forests

Trees work for your health.
Trees work for your family.
Trees work for your wallet.
Trees work for the environment.
Trees work for your community.
Trees work for the economy.

Did you know that being around trees lowers your blood pressure and pulse rate? But that’s not all! Kids perform better on tests and have reduced symptoms on ADHD after spending […]

Trees Work! MO Dept. of Conservation Educational Campaign Focuses On Trees and Forests

Did you know that being around trees lowers your blood pressure and pulse rate? But that’s not all! Kids perform better on tests and have reduced symptoms on ADHD after spending time around trees and in nature. Trees along city streets raise home values by an average of $8,000.

The trees around us are constantly “on […]

Try Acupuncture In 2020

By Traci Bredenkamp, LAc

Acupuncture is a form of treatment that involves inserting very thin filiform needles through a person’s skin at specific points on the body to various depths to stimulate the nervous system, brain and fascia to heal. It can help relieve pain and is used for a wide range of other complaints. It […]

Try these 40 Hacks to SUCCESSFULLY Survive & Thrive!

Navigating holidays & challenging times requires a multifaceted approach.

By Diane K. Wilson

Connect with Loved Ones: Surround yourself with support.

Practice Self-Care: Prioritize well-being: sleep, nutrition, exercise.

Set Realistic Expectations: Manage stress, acknowledge imperfections.

Create Boundaries: Protect your time and energy through limits.

Seek Professional Support when needed.

Practice Mindfulness: Stay present.

Express Gratitude: Focus on positives.

Volunteer or Give Back: Find purpose […]

Turkey Day is On The Way!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Holiday Cautions for Your Beloved Pets

November houses Turkey Day, and that means tons of great foods, lots of family love and more. Many of our pet health concerns around Thanksgiving have to do with all those scrumptious table goodies getting into the mouths of our non-descriminating pet gourmets.

Generally speaking, any introduced […]

Turkey Day is On the Way! Holiday Cautions for Your Beloved Pets!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

November houses Turkey Day, and that means tons of great foods, lots of family love and more. Many of our pet health concerns around Thanksgiving have to do with all those scrumptious table goodies getting into the mouths of our non-descriminating pet gourmets.

Generally speaking, any introduced and thereby, unfamiliar foods can […]

Turn Your Yard Into An Edible Oasis

By Crystal Stevens

August marks the beginning of the harvest season in the Midwest. Gardens and farms across the region have been hard at work since spring, planting seeds, weeding, watering and applying mulch. These gardens and farms are now bursting with juicy vine ripened tomatoes, an abundance of summer squash, green beans, herbs, kale, and […]

Twilight Zone in a Dental Chair: MAD at the Sense of Non-Sense in Medicine

By Simon Yu, MD

The Medicine and Dentistry (MAD) professions parallel but rarely interact for their patient care. Many patients suffer, and it is maddening to make sense of non-sense in the medical-dental maladapted disconnection (MD-MD) phenomenon. Sitting in a dental chair is like entering the Twilight Zone: the popular 1960’s TV show which unfolds with […]

Uncircumcised Unvaccinated – Distorted Vaccine Immunology & COVID-19

By Simon Yu, MD

Immunology is complicated. The immune system has a complex Cellular Sense connecting the Brain-Gut-Immune system and clinical immunology is even more complicated, with unpredictable interactions of immune cells with self and the outside environment. What do vaccine critics think? They are concerned with potential short-term and long-term side effects of COVID mRNA […]

Understanding And Making Peace With Emotions

By Vera Gabliani, Ph.D.

Every day I talk to girls and women about their painful experiences of feeling overwhelmed by life and their emotions. What most women have in common is the belief of being defective or not good enough in some way. In truth, our lives and our emotions are not the real issue. The […]

Understanding Particle Pollution and Your Health

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

The more researchers learn about the health effects of particle pollution, the more dangerous it is recognized to be. In the years covered by the American Lung Association’s latest “State of the Air” report (2018-2020), findings reveal close to 63.2 million people lived in the 96 counties that experienced […]

Unique, New Weight Loss Seminar July 20

by Jackie Fokkens (CH)
Certified Hypnotherapist

I am so excited to tell you about how I can help you manage overeating, smoking or any behavior that no longer serves a purpose! I am a Certified Hypnotherapist who understands the daily challenges of life. I personally have seen many clients overcome fears, test anxiety, win at sports, stop […]

Uniting Terrain and Germ Theories for Optimal Well-Being

By Diane K. Wilson

In the realm of health, two prominent theories are: the Terrain Theory and the Germ Theory. Imagine your body as a complex landscape, and pathogens as explorers seeking entry. Just like a ship navigating treacherous waters, our health journey is a delicate balance between the terrain we offer and the germs we […]

University City School District and Principia School Honored as 2022 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools

By Ben Freiman, Missouri Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

Photo Caption: Left: University City hosts a “Growing Together” event for artwork, yoga, and tree planting. Right: Students from Principia studying forest dynamics.

This Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Education announced the 2022 Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) honorees, including Principia School (St. Louis) and University City School District, […]

Unleash Your Potential: Overcoming the Fear of Seeking Help

By Diane K. Wilson

Do you find yourself hesitating to seek help even when you know you are not yourself? Many individuals struggle with the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of solutions, and the daunting prospect of personal improvement. This fear often leaves them feeling stuck and drained, affecting their mind, body, spirit and ethereal […]

Unlock The Mysteries of Cheesemaking

Comprehensive two-volume set offers clear directions and photos, teaches traditional and professional methods of making the finest artisan cheese

Cheesemaking has quickly become one of the most popular hobbies in North America, yet many individuals spend a lot of time and money struggling to get good, consistent results.

Enter Merryl Winstein, cheesemaking consultant and educator. In her […]

Unlocking Fulfillment: The American Dream vs. Soul Purpose

By Diane K. Wilson

The American Dream and Soul Purpose/Path: While both hold significant weight in the pursuit of fulfillment, they diverge in both essence and impact. Understanding the distinction is very crucial:

The American Dream:

Materialistic Focus: Centered around material success, defined by wealth, possessions and status symbols.

External Validation: Its pursuit relies heavily on external validation, conforming […]

Unscientific Basis of Anti-Aging Program: Power of N-of-2

By Simon Yu, MD

Millions of people are taking medications that will not help them. However, based on clinical trials and scientific statistical analysis, funded by pharmaceutical companies, physicians keep pushing specific drugs. They explain to their patients that the latest medical science proves the need to take the medications for whatever their conditions or ailments […]

Update: Radioactive Contamination in St. Louis, Missouri

By Christen Commuso

Missouri Coalition for the Environment has spent decades educating and advocating for the cleanup and restoration of our private and public lands and water, and ultimately the public’s health surrounding the contamination from Manhattan Project era radioactive waste in St. Louis. 

A brief history: 

In 1942, Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in downtown St. Louis was contracted […]

Updates on Hazardous Waste in St. Louis

By Christen Commuso

There has been a whirlwind of activity since we recommitted to working on St. Louis’ longstanding radioactive waste issue. For those unfamiliar with St. Louis’ role in the Manhattan Project and nuclear weapons production, please visit our website for a brief history.

UPDATE: Jana Elementary School

As you may recall, MCE broke the news of […]

Urban Chestnut Named One of EPA’s Sixteen National “WasteWise” Winners

Urban Chestnut Brewing Company was recently named one of the EPA’s sixteen national WasteWise Award Winners for their sustainability efforts in 2017, earning Small Business Partner of the Year. The WasteWise program recognizes organizations ranging from small nonprofits to large multinational corporations that demonstrate significant effort to prevent and divert waste.

“Sustainability has been a major […]

Urban Chestnut’s Non-Alcoholic, Sparkling Hop Water Set To Release Summer 2019

Urban Chestnut Brewing Company’s first foray into non-alcoholic, craft beverage production is one of hopforward deliciousness. Infused with American hops, UCBC Sparkling Hop Water is unsweetened and naturally free of both alcohol and calories.

“It’s been a fun challenge for us to create a refreshing beverage without using grain, sugar, or yeast. The result is a […]

Urban Farmers Cultivating Eight Acres in Berkeley Eager To Deploy Mountain of Compost Donated by Schnucks

Donation Marks Success of Grocer’s Food Waste Recycling Program

Berkeley’s celebrated band of urban farmers know exactly what to do with the mountain of compost being donated to them by Schnucks, the area’s largest grocer. “It comes in real handy,” said Richard Austin, 79, of Berkeley. “We haven’t had anything like this compost before. It will […]

Urgency & Resolve in the Face of US Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

The USGBC-Missouri Gateway is deeply disappointed in the administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

Our regional green building work is now even more urgent. For over 15 years, the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter has been educating on the importance of climate action and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, supporting […]

USGBC Growing Green Awards Honor Those Transforming the Community and Built Environment

By Becky Finch, Growing Green
Award Committee Chair

On March 31st, partners and friends of the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council gathered for the annual Growing Green Awards celebration at the MOTO Museum. Guests spent the evening reflecting on the organization’s 15 year anniversary and celebrating the nominees and winners of the 2016 […]

USGBC Growing Green Awards Honor Those Transforming the Community and Built Environment

By Katie Dieckhaus,
Growing Green Awards Committee Co-Chair

On March 27th the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council held their sixth annual Growing Green Awards banquet at the Mad Art Gallery to announce and celebrate the 2014 winners. Attendees joined to celebrate the accomplishments of all the nominees. Winners and nominees are outstanding individuals […]

USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter ECORIDE Connects Green Learners With Opportunities

By Johanna Schweiss,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

On Sunday, October 20th, cyclists and walkers will gather in Soulard at 9 a.m. for the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter’s Fourth Annual ECORIDE. And while participants will enjoy a day of pedaling or touring the historic Soulard neighborhood, the impact of this event will be felt by members […]

Using A Barter Exchange Makes Good ‘Cents’ In A Sluggish Economy

by Richard Harris

One growing sector in this sluggish economy is barter, not just swapping services directly for products or service we need, but doing business with a professional barter exchange. Most business owners have excess time in their schedule or inventory that can be utilized and save cash.

Barter is being used daily to increase sales, […]

Varsha Rathod M.D. Joins Elite Group Of Certified Functional Medicine Practitioners

If total healthcare costs in the United States, more than 75% is due to chronic conditions. The key to reversing the rapidly spreading epidemic of chronic disease is to address the underlying causes and solutions for chronic disease, which are primarily driven by the lifelong, daily interaction among an individual’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle choices. […]

Vegetables For Dessert?

by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

We’ve always been told, “Eat your vegetables,” but did you know this could apply to your dessert too? A recent trend picking up speed is creating desserts that highlight vegetables rather than other typical sweet ingredients. And we’re talking more than just the old favorites […]

Vehicle Idling: Myth vs Fact

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

With the heat of summer now upon us, it may be tempting to crank the A/C in the car and enjoy the cool air while idling your vehicle. Unfortunately, making the choice to idle can wreak havoc on the region’s air quality – especially during the hot summer months […]

Verde Kids: Business On A Mission

Walking into Verde Kids, your first impression might be of a cute baby outfit or a fun game, but upon closer inspection you will realize that every item in the store has a story. That story is related to the store’s mission: To offer a wide variety of eco-friendly clothing, toy, and kitchen and bath […]

Vesterbrook Farm: Year-Round CSA Supreme!

By Nancy Smith

One look at Vesterbrook Farm’s website (www.vesterbrookfarm.com) is enough to convince the reader that this is a farm that is doing a great job of both growing and marketing. The growing is caring, sustainable, and beyond organic. The marketing is well presented, convenient, and tailored to the customer’s needs.

Vesterbrook Farm, owned by Mike […]

Veterinarian, Heal Thine Own Dog

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Baby Love Garden came into my life five years ago courtesy of the Xolo Rescue League. Baby, a toy Mexican Hairless, was deemed a “special needs” adoption who required a home with no children and no other dogs. She needed a lot of time and attention since she was extremely shy and […]

Vin de Set and Eleven Eleven Mississippi Offer “Tower To Table” Dinners & Tour

Tower To Table Dinners will be offered at Vin de Set June 7th, July 5th, August 2nd and September 6th. Limited space available. Reservations are required. Please call 314-241-8989. They will also be offered at Eleven Eleven Mississippi June 21st, July 19th, August 16th and September 20th. Limited space available. Reservations are required. Please call […]

Virtual Green Living Festival June 6, 9, and 11

Online at mobot.org/greenlivingfest

Help your family, friends, and coworkers live green!

Join us for a series of virtual workshops, children’s activities, panel discussions, and exhibitor consultations that explore the links between sustainability, energy efficiency, conservation at home, and a healthy environment.

Visit the Embassy Suites St. Louis Hotel And Adjacent Laurel Apartments July 10

The local U.S. Green Building Council, along with the developer, investors, rehabbers, architects and apartment dwellers of Embassy Suites downtown and the adjacent Laurel Apart-ments are hosting a giant open house on July 10. Between 5:30 and 6:15 PM, complimentary PI pizza and beverages will be served. A brief overview of […]

Visit Willow House B&B to Enjoy Romantic Getaways, Girls Weekend, Business Lodgings

Located just 3 blocks off the historic town square in Perryville, MO, Willow House Bed and Breakfast is awaiting your arrival. This lovingly restored Victorian, built in 1901, has all the amenities you’d hope for, in choosing your next get-away. Spacious common areas, dining space, and multiple porch areas are available for your use, to […]

Visit Willow House B&B to Enjoy Romantic Getaways, Girls Weekend, Business Lodgings

Located just 3 blocks off the historic town square in Perryville, MO, Willow House Bed and Breakfast is awaiting your arrival. This lovingly restored Victorian, built in 1901, has all the amenities you’d hope for in choosing your next get-away. Spacious common areas, dining space, and multiple porch areas are available for your use, to […]

Vitality Unlimited Spa – Where Your Well-Being is Our First Concern

Tucked away in Webster Groves is Vitality Unlimited Spa, a hidden gem where stressed minds, bodies and spirits are soothed, centered and nourished in a warm, friendly and relaxing sanctuary. The holistic day spa offers the highest quality services, including massage therapy, reflexology, facials, waxing, manicures and pedicures, as well as a wide selection of natural skin-care and self-care products. 

Locally owned […]

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Can Go Unnoticed

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

An estimated 47 million people in the U.S. have a vitamin B12 deficiency and most of them don’t even know it as symptoms can go unnoticed for years or are attributed to other causes. This is why vitamin B12 deficiency has been referred to as a silent epidemic. And one with […]

Vitamin C and Cancer

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

It is an unfortunate part of the day and age we live in that virtually every person reading this article will have been affected by cancer in some way or another, whether it be through a friend, a loved one, or even yourself. This is why we would like to introduce […]

Vitamin D Deficiency Can Lead To Illness & Disease

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Did you know that the vast majority of the population—up to 90% of adults in the US—is believed to have a Vitamin D deficiency? And over 95% of the elderly population is believed to be deficient. As the population of overweight and obese adults and children has risen steadily over the […]

Volunteers Make A Difference Greening The Places They Love

By Johanna Schweiss,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator

All of us at the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter believes that everyone deserves to live, work, learn, and play in green and healthy spaces. Every year we make progress towards our goal of transforming the built environment, and 2015 has been no exception, largely due to the hard […]

Volunteers Needed as YMCA Book Fair Rapidly Approaches

Thousands of St. Louis area residents have been finding new friends in old books at the YMCA Bookfair for 33 years, and that tradition continues August 17-22, 2012 at the Kennedy Recreation Complex.

Started in 1978 by a group of dedicated Y volunteers, the YMCA Bookfair has grown into a massive, six-day event for book lovers. […]

Volunteers Needed as YMCA Book Fair Rapidly Approaches

Thousands of St. Louis area residents have been finding new friends in old books at the YMCA Bookfair for 33 years, and that tradition continues August 17-22, 2012 at the Kennedy Recreation Complex.

Started in 1978 by a group of dedicated Y volunteers, the YMCA Bookfair has grown into a massive, six-day event for book lovers. […]

Volunteers/Fencing Supplies Needed to help miscellaneous dogs stay in homes.

By Dara Ashby

Ferguson Animal Coalition, a 501c3 non-profit organization in Ferguson is trying to keep dogs safe off the streets, stay in good homes, and out of already packed shelters!  One of our many goals is to help seniors/lower income dog parents in Ferguson, by repairing fences so pups don’t run the streets. We […]

Wake Up! The Truth About Sleep… (Part 2)

By Jon P. Frieda, VP Marketing and Sales for Neels Pharmacy

One of the fastest growing segments of the pharmaceutical industry is the prescription sleep medication market. Recent statistics indicate that in the last decade, prescription sleep medication use nearly doubled for the 20-44 year old age group, and rose nearly 85% for children aged […]

Wake Up! The Truth About Sleep… It’s Not Overrated! (Part 1)

By Jon P. Frieda, VP Marketing
and Sales for Neels Pharmacy

As we move from spring into the summer months, the days are longer, the temperatures are warmer, and many of us stay up later in the evening. No doubt, these seasons are more expansive than the fall and winter months that are conversely more contractive. But […]

Want A Healthier Heart? Change Your Oil!

By Dr. Adam Hughes, DC, IHS

Over the last 10 years, many doctors and researchers have come to find that changing the type of fat and oil in an individual’s diet is perhaps the most important issue in health care. We now know just how terrible trans fats are for your health, but it wasn’t so […]

Warm Wintry Mix Salad

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

January is here, and it’s a bright new year! After the indulgent culinary offerings of the holiday season, perhaps you’re craving a meal that’s a bit lighter fare, yet still comforting on the blustery, winter days. This Warm Wintry Mix Salad is a toasty, healthful option that’s even delicious to have […]

Watch Out! Allergy Triggers to Look Out For this Winter

By Ian Wahl, founder and medical director of St. Louis Allergy Relief Center

As the seasons change and the cold sets in, we are often stuck indoors for most of the day. Although it may seem that winter arrives with his own set of allergens, some of the most common allergy triggers are the same […]

Watching Out

By Don Fitz

Things happen which make environmentalists keep their eyes open. December 2014 episodes of Green Time TV look at antibiotic resistance which can be traced to factory farming, social and environmental problems with cannabis prohibition, social environments of black children, and promises to reduce carbon emissions.

Nearly 80% of antibiotics sold in the United States […]

Water Sampling in North St. Louis County

By Christen Commuso

In case you missed it, Missouri Coalition for the Environment and Just Moms STL recently partnered to form the STL Toxic Waste Alliance. We believe it is every person’s right to know the communities in which they live, work, worship, and play are safe and free from hazardous and radioactive wastes. Through outreach […]

We Are Trees

After a day of climbing and trimming a tree, I sat in my pickup truck staring down as sunlight shown on my hand rested on my knee. The veins from the wrist to the knuckles were winding from what looked like root systems, tree trunks, flowing in and out of crotches into branches and I […]

We Need a World of Green Buildings

By Emily Andrews, LEED AP O+M, GPRO O+M, Executive Director, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council

“We need a world of green buildings.” I read this sentence in World Green Building Week materials a few years back and got really excited. Of course that’s what we need because our buildings – greener, healthier buildings – are solutions. […]

We Need A World of Green Buildings

By Emily Andrews,
LEED AP O+M, GPRO O+M
Executive Director,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

World Green Building Week was last month – did you even know there was such a thing?! When I went to their website, I read the following sentence: We need a world of green buildings. And then I got really excited. Of course that’s what we […]

We Never Stop Working On Ourselves

By Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C.

I often have patients ask me when the work on themselves will end.

My answer is: it never does. It gets easier, and we recover more quickly when triggered or upset, but the work never ends. We certainly have times when we rest, and we coast a bit. But, we also have […]

We Will Help Find The Cause Of Your Pain

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

At The Institute of Natural Health, we see a lot of people in pain. In fact, over 100 million Americans suffer with chronic pain. With so many in pain, it seems silly to us that no one is asking the important question: “What is causing the pain?” If you are in […]

We’re On A Mission – for Better, Greener Buildings That Will Tackle the Challenge of Climate Change!

By Nick Bristow
Chair, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Board of Directors

From existing buildings to new construction, we know that buildings play a crucial role in meeting the urgent challenge of climate change. According to the Energy Information Administration, buildings in the United States are responsible for over 40% of national greenhouse gas emissions. The City of St. […]

Webster University Sustainability & Butterfly Energy Works presents Collaboration in Our Community: A Summer Lunch & Learn Series

Join Webster University Sustainability and Butterfly Energy Works Wednesdays from 12pm-1pm this summer to learn about strategies and solutions being created and used right here in our local community to improve environmental, social and economic sustainability. These events are FREE and box lunches will be provided. After the final session on August 10th, attendees will […]

Weekend Wellness Retreats Include Camping, Yoga, Plant-based Meals and Outdoor Activities

Adventure Tribe Retreats (ATR) in collaboration with Lost Hill Lake will begin hosting weekend wellness camping retreats this summer. ATR will launch the 2019 season with their first annual Yoga Arts Music Festival aka YAM Fest on May 17-19, and will host their first weekend retreat June 14-16. Each ATR weekend retreat has a unique […]

Welcome to Being a Green Building Professional

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 […]

Welcome to the very first Healthy Planet Virtual Natural Living Expo!

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to cancel our traditional Natural Living Expo on March 29, 2020. We decided to bring you many of those exhibitors here, virtually, for you to browse and discover many resources that will help you live a healthier and more sustainable life. At each booth you will find a live link […]

WELL-Being in the Workplace

By Abigail Adams, USGBC-Missouri
Gateway Chapter Education Committee

As sustainable practices become more prevalent in the design and construction of buildings, the art of green building continues to evolve. While strategies centered on resource efficiency and waste minimization remain at the core of green building, there is a growing focus on occupants’ physical and mental well-being. Grounded […]

Wellness & Energetic Strategies for Winter Months!

By Diane K. Wilson

Don’t succumb to the winter blues! Use the following to focus on holistic health & wellness:

1. Superfoods Nourishment

Pomegranates, citrus fruits, kale, sweet potatoes & squash.

Immune-boosting foods rich in vitamin C.

Spices such as cinnamon, ginger, turmeric to boost your digestive & immune system & add flavor.

2. Hydrate & Moisturize

Drink herbal teas, warm water […]

Wetland Species are a Natural for Urban Landscapes

Imagine. A beautiful landscape that works with you, thriving in its setting. Native plant communities can help you create a landscape that works with you. These plant groupings evolved within natural communities to survive and be compatible within an environment.

In Missouri, forest, glade, prairie, savanna, and wetland are our five natural communities. Native plants and […]

What Are Your Symptoms Telling You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine identifies the Root Cause of disease, and recognizes that symptoms manifest and provide clues to the underlying cause.  The symptoms experienced provide key information to help identify and treat the root cause. 

Symptoms that correlate with digestion and the gut microbiome are among the most common. They provide us […]

What Are Your Symptoms Telling You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine identifies the Root Cause of disease, and recognizes that symptoms manifest and provide clues to the underlying cause. The symptoms experienced provide key information to help identify and treat the root cause.
Symptoms that correlate with digestion and the gut microbiome are among the most common. They provide us with […]

What Are Your Symptoms Telling You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine identifies the Root Cause of disease, and recognizes that symptoms manifest and provide clues to the underlying cause. The symptoms experienced provide key information to help identify and treat the root cause.

Symptoms that correlate with digestion and the gut microbiome are among the most common. They provide us with […]

What Are Your Symptoms Telling You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine identifies the Root Cause of disease, and recognizes that symptoms manifest and provide clues to the underlying cause. The symptoms experienced provide key information to help identify and treat the root cause.

Symptoms that correlate with digestion and the gut microbiome are among the most common. They provide us with […]

What Are Your Symptoms Telling You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine identifies the Root Cause of disease, and recognizes that symptoms manifest and provide clues to the underlying cause. The symptoms experienced provide key information to help identify and treat the root cause.

Symptoms that correlate with digestion and the gut microbiome are among the most common. They provide us with […]

What Are Your Symptoms Telling You?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine identifies the Root Cause of disease and recognizes that symptoms manifest and provide clues to the underlying cause. The symptoms experienced provide key information to help identify and treat the root cause.

Symptoms that correlate with digestion and the gut microbiome are among the most common. They provide us with […]

What Can Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Do For You?

Laith Naayem, Licensed Acupuncturist

There is very little it can’t do! The World Health Organization acknowledges that acupuncture has been proven to treat hundreds of conditions, from infertility to osteoarthritis. The National Institute of Health conducts and evaluates research on many forms of medicine, including acupuncture and Chinese herbology, and has concluded that it can treat […]

What Causes You To Look Older Than You Are?

by Dr. Carrie Jardine

We all get older but accelerated aging can occur at any age. For example, one day four years ago, my mirror told me I aged 10 years in the past month. I ate good, exercised, took supplements and lived spiritually and yet those wrinkles and eye circles revealed my organs weren’t working […]

What Do Growing Tomatoes and Developing Children Have In Common?

More than you think.

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

In my container garden, I noticed some of my tomato plants were smaller with yellow leaves. These plants did not produce fruit. Next to the weak plants were others with deep green leaves, sturdy branches and lots of developing fruit. The vigorous ones had been planted in new […]

What do you find hard to love?

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Our love for others is sometimes given unconditionally without any limitations. Still, we often limit the love we give ourselves based on the parts of us that we find hard to love since we tend to measure our worth depending on aspects about us that we believe are flawed.

Usually, […]

What does it mean to be “eagle-eyed”?

By Sarah Wilson, MATo start with, it means eagles can see a wider range of colors than we can. We have three types of cones (photoreceptors) in our eyes; eagles have four. This allows them to detect ultraviolet light. If you’ve watched any crime dramas, you may know that many bodily fluids, such as blood […]

What is A Real Pet Emergency?

Blood Loss • Difficulty Breathing • Loss of Conciousness
Traumatic Incident • Possible Poisoning • Other

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

After more than three decades as a veterinary practitioner, several of those years working at the Animal Emergency Clinics, and handling after hours calls for my own clinic, I have come to realize how difficult it is […]

What is Clinical Hypnotherapy?

By Helen Boland

Modern Clinical Hypnotherapy is founded in our ancient alchemical healing traditions. Clinical Hypnotherapy offers natural, Client Led access, into our own subconscious mind that runs ALL patterns of behavior, health, and even personality! By consciously activating the parasympathetic system, the state of us at rest, or our “healing state,” we discover our overview […]

What is Glutathione and How Can You Get More of It?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

GLUTATHIONE (pronounced “gloota-thigh-own”) is the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer’s disease. It is the mother of all antioxidants.

The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad […]

What Is Homeopathy? The Short Story

by Beth Reese, LPC, CHom

What is homeopathy? It would take a book, or two, to fully explain what homeopathy is and what it does; however, I will offer a brief, concise picture. Homeopathy is a 200 year-old natural method of healing both physical and mental/emotional complaints by supporting the body’s ability to heal itself. Symptoms […]

What is Laser Therapy

By Dr. Brian Harasha,
Certified Laser Practitioner

As a healthcare consumer you may have heard about or seen advertisements for laser therapy. This is the first in a series of articles about laser therapy that aim to help you make informed decisions about what laser therapy is, if it can help you, and the questions you should […]

What is Laser Therapy?

By Dr. Brian Harasha

The term laser therapy in this article refers to specialized lasers designed to enhance the body’s own healing processes. These are not the lasers utilized in surgery, hair or tattoo removal, Lasix, cosmetics, podiatry or dentistry. In those therapies, laser is used to cut, scale or remove tissue. 

Laser therapy is also not […]

What Is Montessori?

by Anita Chastain
Founder and Head of School
Chesterfield Montessori School

Montessori is a proven educational philosophy developed by the Italian physician and educator Dr. Maria Montessori beginning in 1907 and currently practiced in an estimated 20,000 schools worldwide, serving children from birth through age 18. In the United States, more than 4,000 independent schools, as well as […]

What Is Montessori?

Anita Chastain
Founder and Head of School
Chesterfield Montessori School

Choosing a school or educational philosophy for children is one of the most important decisions parents can make. It can be quite a challenge weighing the pros and cons of private vs. public education, and traditional education vs. a more progressive style of education. There are financial considerations […]

What is Montessori?

by Anita Chastain
Founder and Head of School
Chesterfield Montessori School

Choosing a school or educational philosophy for their children is one of the most important decisions parents can make. It can be quite a challenge weighing the pros and cons of private vs. public education, traditional vs. a more progressive style of education and the financial considerations […]

What is Montessori?

Anita Chastain Founder and Head
of School – Chesterfield Montessori School

Choosing a school for your children is one of the most important decisions parents make. It is a challenge to weigh the pros and cons of private vs. public education, and traditional education vs. a more progressive style of education. For those parents who are […]

What is Montessori?

By Anita Chastain

Choosing a school for your children is one of the most important decisions parents make. It is a challenge to weigh the pros and cons of private vs. public education, and traditional education vs. a more progressive style of education.

For those parents who are contemplating a private education for their children, Montessori […]

What Is Permaculture?

By Crystal Moore-Stevens

I first learned the term “Permaculture” 14 years ago while a senior in high school. I was on an eco adventure in the Caribbean rainforest of Costa Rica with an environmental leadership program called Eco-Act, a program founded and facilitated by The Missouri Botanical Garden in 1981 to inspire earth stewardship in youth. […]

What is Shockwave Therapy?

By Dr. Brian Harasha

Most people know me as the ‘Laser Guy’, so why have I added shockwave therapy to my preferred modalities? To me, laser therapy is the king of promoting tissue healing, however, sometimes chronic issues and areas with lower blood flow are slow to respond. Even though special parameters used with a laser […]

What Is Yoga, Actually?

By Jan Herzog

I have been teaching and training in yoga for over 30 years. I have personally benefited immensely. I have taught countless students that have reported reduced pain and stress and increased happiness and joy. Many are now accomplished teachers themselves.

 Since yoga has gotten so popular since I started teaching in 1997, I also […]

What is Your Risk of Developing Breast Cancer?

By Linda Weber Spradling

It is a controversial problem that all women must ask themselves. What is my risk and what precautions do I need to take? For some, the answer is easy. For many, it is difficult to wade through all the information.

If you are over 50, have no family history, do monthly self exams […]

What Makes Functional Medicine Different?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine is proactive, predictive and personalized medicine which empowers patients to take an active role in their own health. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. The Functional Medicine physician […]

What Makes Functional Medicine Different?

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

Functional Medicine is proactive, predictive and personalized medicine which empowers patients to take an active role in their own health. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. The Functional Medicine physician […]

What Position Does CHIROPRACTIC Play In Sports?

By Dr. Paul Hyland, D.C.

Chiropractic plays the position of “The Edge” in performance, prevention and future. Would a 10% “Edge” in performance help you make the team, get that scholarship, win that championship or recover from an injury in time for that game? Regular chiropractic care can be that “Edge”. Dan O’Brien, Olympic Gold Medal […]

What Story Your Eyes Tell About Your Health

By Dr. Carrie Jardine

To truly know a person, take a long look into their eyes. This is true both mentally and physically.

Looking to the eye for health clues has a rich history in various countries. Warriors were chosen by looking into their eyes to detect courage, reaction time and physical stamina. The Egyptian hieroglyphs reveal […]

What To Do If Your Child Worries Too Much

By Lucy Schrader,
former HES Associate State Specialist and Building Strong Families Program Coordinator, University of Missouri Extension

My daughter worries at bedtime every night. She always asks, ‘Will you check on me soon? Will you check on me after you go downstairs? Will you check on me before you go to bed?’ I always tell […]

What To Do With That Halloween Pumpkin?

By J.B. Lester

There is nothing more iconic than a Jack-O-Lantern on Halloween. The carving event with the little ones watching and waiting in anticipation as the lid slowly comes off the pumpkin and “SCREAM”, the witch comes flying out. Or at least that was the tradition at our house growing up and so it was […]

What To Eat Before, During and After Pregnancy

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Research is clear that consuming the Standard American Diet isn’t a recipe for giving birth to a healthy baby who grows into a healthy adult. Eating like our ancestors did, however, is. While there isn’t one optimal human diet, we’re genetically adapted to eat whole, nutrient-dense plant and animal foods. An […]

What YOU Can Do With Medical HYPNOSIS

By Rev. William Mitchell, M.Div. BCH, CI

The Original Natural Medicine

When people find out that I am a Hypnotist, they want to know what can be done with Hypnosis. Hypnotism is much more than a party trick or a comedy routine. The National Institutes of Health technology assessment panel recognizes hypnosis in the treatment of a […]

What YOU Can Do With Medical HYPNOSIS, The Original Natural Medicine

by Rev. William Mitchell, CI

When people find out that I am a Hypnotist, they want to know what can be done with Hypnosis. Hypnotism is much more than a party trick or a comedy routine. The National Institutes of Health technology assessment panel recognizes hypnosis in the treatment of a variety of disorders and recommends […]

What You Can’t See, Can Hurt…

By Ava Frick,
DVM, CVC, FAIS

It’s easy to ignore things that are not visible. Like your pets teeth. Their cute muzzle lips cover the teeth so well that it takes effort and intention on your part to actually observe what is going on inside their mouth. What you can’t see can be hurting their very existence.

It’s […]

What You Should Know About Dehydration

By Denise Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

Unless you are an athlete or work outdoors in extreme temperatures, you may not stop to consider whether you are drinking enough water. Dehydration is quite common, and can happen quickly. The average adult will lose more than 10 cups of water each day simply by going through their usual […]

What’s Growing On at EarthDance Organic Farm School?

By Molly Rockamann

“Essential” – that’s what grocery store workers, healthcare personnel, truck drivers, and farmers have been classified during the pandemic of 2020. People want to keep their immune systems strong and local farmers have the medicine: local, fresh, nutrient-dense food, grown in living soil. 

When the dangers of COVID-19 demanded the closure of schools and […]

What’s in Our Air

By Sophie Watterson and Jim Karpowicz 

Communities across Missouri are impacted by air pollution: whether poor air quality is driving up asthma rates or the odors from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) are driving down property values. We know the importance of clean air, and yet we have shockingly little information about what we’re breathing. […]

What’s New?

By Cindy Gilberg

When asked “what’s new” in gardening, most horticulturists will rattle off the names of new plant cultivars. When it comes to native plant landscaping, it’s not about new cultivars, but about new concepts, resources and approaches to gardening. Yes, fortunately, some Missouri native plant growers have introduced plants that are now more available […]

What’s Wrong With Big Kitty?

By Teresa Garden, DVM

I first met Big Kitty in 2003. He showed up at my friend Shelley’s house looking down on his luck: dirty, old battle scars covering his face, and a torn and infected left eye lid. Shelley, being the kind-hearted person that she is, managed to trap him and brought him in to […]

When is a Pet Emergency Truly a Pet Emergency?

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Blood Loss, Difficulty Breathing, Loss of Conciousness, Traumatic Incident, Possible Poisoning, Other.

After 32 years as a veterinary practitioner, several of those years working at the Animal Emergency Clinics, and handling after hours calls for my own clinic, I have come to realize how difficult it is for pet owners to determine […]

When the Food You Love Doesn’t Love You – Food Intolerance

By Dr. Amy Davis

Food intolerance is different from true food allergies.  It is delayed in its onset and is less serious (not life threatening) but can be very annoying just the same.  The symptoms are a result of a delayed immune response which occurs gradually 1-24 hours after eating.

If you have food intolerance, you may […]

Where We Learn Matters

By Susan Lanigan

On Sept. 27, 2014, the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council will sponsor the 3rd annual Green Apple Day of Service. This global event will bring together thousands of students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community members for education, community events, and service projects to contribute to the goal that […]

Which Goldenrod Should You Plant?

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

According to author/entomologist Doug Tallamy, Goldenrods are a top Keystone Plant supporting 100+ species of butterflies and moths and 40+ species of specialist native bees. A versatile plant, there is a goldenrod for nearly every light, soil, and moisture variation. And, drumroll, they are deer-resistant. 

With over 100 species of […]

Whitaker Music Festival Ready For Summer Fun at Missouri Botanical Garden

The Whitaker Music Festival returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden for the 22nd year, offering a ten-week lineup of free Wednesday evening outdoor concerts! Pack a picnic supper and enjoy the beauty of the Garden grounds in summertime bloom as you listen to the grooves and rhythms of an eclectic rotation of artists. Concerts will […]

White Roofs Are Green, Energy-Efficient & Cool!

White Roofs Are Green, Energy-Efficient & Cool!

White Caps, Green Collars LLC is making St. Louis an even cooler place to live! Established in April 2009, we’re a local, woman-owned business devoted to painting flat roofs white in order to save energy and money, create green-collar jobs, and make our community and environment healthier and more […]

Who Did I Used To Be

By Dr. Gail Cloud

Who did I used to be

Certainly I used to be somebody

As I get older and old enough to join the purple hat club

With my full head of gray hair

I notice that people look at me differently

Doors get opened graciously

And I no longer am looked at as someone who is somebody

I am looked […]

Who is Afraid of Alternative Medicine?

By Simon Yu, MD

Disappearance of Alternative Medical Doctors

A culture of fear and paranoia is probably the best way to describe the current state of alternative medical professionals. Several patients informed me by phone or e-mail that several alternative medical doctors in Florida and Georgia who were outspoken against vaccinations or chemo/radiation cancer therapies had died […]

Who Needs Dr. Oz in St. Louis, When We Have SLiiM?

Who Needs Dr. Oz? The St. Louis Institute of Integrative Medicine (SLiiM) has the answers regarding your optimal healthcare … right here in our own backyard! A consortium of medical practitioners from a variety of disciplines, SLiiM is dedicated to prevention, wellness and finding the root cause instead of just treating the symptoms.
Nearly 50% of […]

Who Peed in the Tub

by Dr. Althea Eller

When I am not at the office being a physician, time is consumed with my 3 small children. Just the other evening, all three were washing in the oversized tub. I heard my oldest say, “I think someone peed in the tub”. I went through the rounds of questioning. “Was it you?”“Was […]

Who Said Edible Gardens Can’t Be Pretty?

By Abby Elliott
Sugar Creek Gardens

Many gardeners are delighted to discover vegetables, herbs, and berries that are as gorgeous as they are tasty. Whether placed in the garden or in your favorite container, you can create beautiful gardens that will excite your senses. With the plants listed you’ll enjoy colorful flowers, luscious fruit, and intensely scented […]

Who Should Be Having Annual Thermal Imaging?

by Linda Weber Spradling, CCT, CHt

Digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) is a totally non-invasive procedure for detecting and monitoring a number of diseases by showing the thermal abnormalities present in the body. X-Ray, C.T. Ultrasound and M.R.I. are all tests of anatomy that measure the structures of your body….”DITI” is unique in its capability to […]

Who’s Your Health Ally?

By Jamila Ownes-Todd, ND

I am excited to see the continuous growth of holistic practitioners in St. Louis. I am also honored to be apart of this community. As new technologies increase and ancient herbs are revisited, along with modifications on a healthful eating plan; it is refreshing. It is refreshing to see how holistic medicine […]

Whole Body Vibration Helps Ease Pain And Improve Health

By Janie Oelke
& Myriam Boter, NCLMT

Worldwide research from over 100 Universities has found that almost everyone can benefit from using the Whole Body Vibration Machine (WBV) for either exercise, physical therapy or massage. Fortunately, this technology is now “vibrating” all over the world because it really works to improve the many health challenges people are […]

Whole Body Vibration Helps Ease Pain And Improve Health

By Janie Oelke & Myriam Boter, NCLMT

Worldwide research from over 100 Universities has found that almost everyone can benefit from using the Whole Body Vibration Machine (WBV) for either exercise, physical therapy or massage. Fortunately, this technology is now “vibrating” all over the world because it really works to improve the many health challenges people […]

Whole Body Vibration Therapy Helps Ease Pain & Improve Health

By Janie Oelke & Myriam Boter, LCLMT

According to extensive research, Whole Body Vibration (WBV) has gained momentum on the health front with revolutionary ways that are improving the many health challenges people are facing today. When injured, our bodies can become stagnant and out of balance. When standing on the plate, the body moves in […]

Whole Life Insurance (With No Health Questions) For Those 50-80 Years Old!

By Michael Cohen

Guaranteed issue whole life insurance policies are being offered by Michael Cohen and Associates. This is an opportunity for an individual aged 50 to 80 to get Whole Life Insurance with no health questions asked.

With this Guaranteed Life Insurance Plan, you can have peace of mind knowing that you’ve planned ahead to ease […]

Whole School Sustainability: A Framework for Organizational Change

By Hope Gribble & Carlton Poindexter, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

How can we create sustainable educational institutions? Schools across the country are trying to answer this question. Some are approaching this pursuit by incorporating sustainable practices into their physical environment – composting and recycling, rainwater collection, green cleaning, and lights-out campaigns. Others are integrating sustainability into their […]

Whose Garden Is It Anyway? Gardens for All.

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

In this dreaming part of the year as we prepare for the upcoming garden season, think of your garden in perhaps a different way. A way of gardening where we realize that we are guardians not just gardeners. We are here to care for the sanctuary […]

Why Am I So Stuffy?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

We frequently see patients who report suffering from constant sinus issues. Congestion, stuffiness, runny nose, post nasal drip, and other sinus problems… these are all caused by inflammation. Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense system. So the question becomes, what is causing inflammation in the body?

Instead of covering up […]

Why Annual Mulch Is Important

There are multiple benefits a layer of mulch provides to plants and trees. Aside from offering an aesthetically pleasing look to your landscape, mulch contributes the following benefits that lead to healthy and flourishing flowers, plants, trees and shrubs:

Improves nutrients water retention in the soil;
Helps protect the root zone from winter injury;
Helps sustain an even […]

Why Are People So Depressed Today?

By Nigel Lester, MD

Two thousand years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato said, “Life must be lived as play.” In many ways the huge rise in mental illnesses in our society, and especially depression, can be seen as a collective forgetting of the potential for joy and awe that human existence offers us. With so much […]

Why Are Summer Camps/Programs Good For Kids?

Summer camp can be one of the most rewarding, unforgettable experiences in a child’s life. Camp provides children with a community of caring mentors who provide experiential education that leads to self-respect and appreciation for life. All of the outcomes—friendships, overcoming challenges, staying healthy and building character— prepare them for bigger, brighter lives down the […]

WHY Are You Sick?

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

People come to our office looking for answers and a different healthcare model. Most are looking for the “why.” Some of the common questions are: Why do I feel the way I feel? Why did I become sick? Why aren’t I getting better? Why hasn’t anything helped? Why can’t anyone figure […]

Why Bees? Beekeeping Workshop Feb. 10 Explains What All The Buzz Is About

MAN’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE HONEY BEE began even before recorded history, man was gathering honey from honey bees living in hollow trees. But honey wasn’t the only reason for keeping honey bees because man soon learned that the honey bee was an interesting and exciting social insect. The story behind what appears to be […]

Why Bees? Beekeeping Workshop Feb. 11 Explains What All The Buzz Is About

Beekeeping is an interesting hobby with sweet rewards! The world that bees create inside their hive is largely self-sufficient, requiring monitoring more than intervention. The infrastructure and hierarchy they create is a breathtaking creation requiring not much more time and effort than a garden. Colonies will forage up to 8,000 acres, so the entire community […]

Why Bees? Beekeeping Workshop Feb. 11 Explains What All The Buzz Is About

Beekeeping is an interesting hobby with sweet rewards! The world that bees create inside their hive is largely self-sufficient, requiring monitoring more than intervention. The infrastructure and hierarchy they create is a breathtaking creation requiring not much more time and effort than a garden. Colonies will forage up to 8,000 acres, so the entire community […]

Why Bees? Beekeeping Workshop Feb. 6 Explains What All The Buzz Is About

Beekeeping is an interesting hobby with sweet rewards! The world that bees create inside their hive is largely self-sufficient, requiring monitoring more than intervention. The infrastructure and hierarchy they create is a breathtaking creation requiring not much more time and effort than a garden. Colonies will forage up to 8,000 acres, so the entire community […]

Why Bees? Beekeeping Workshop Feb. 9

Explains What All The Buzz Is About

MAN’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE HONEY BEE began even before recorded history, man was gathering honey from honey bees living in hollow trees. But honey wasn’t the only reason for keeping honey bees because man soon learned that the honey bee was an interesting and exciting social insect. The […]

Why Bees? Beekeeping Workshop Feb. 9 Explains What All The Buzz Is About

MAN’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE HONEY BEE began even before recorded history, man was gathering honey from honey bees living in hollow trees. But honey wasn’t the only reason for keeping honeybees because man soon learned that the honey bee was an interesting and exciting social insect. The story behind what appears to be the […]

Why Do Female Cardinals See Red?

By Sarah Wilson, MA

It’s long been known that female Northern Cardinals prefer the reddest males around. What hasn’t been understood until recently is why?

The first clue to this mystery is that what birds eat impacts how they look. It does for us, too. If we consistently binge on carrots, overtime we can turn ourselves a […]

Why Do Lawns Need Watering but not Prairies?

By Sarah Wilson, MA, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Seeing sprinklers watering lawns is so common that most of us don’t give it a thought. Of course, plants need water during hot spells, right? No. Native plants, once established, don’t need our help. They can help themselves. Why the difference?

Because most lawn grasses have puny little root systems […]

Why Do Most Of Us Need Nutritional Supplements?

By Amy Davis, M.D.

I am commonly asked from my patients, “Can I get all the nutrients I need from food?”
In an ideal world, eating organic, whole, fresh food, would provide all the nutrients our bodies require to function optimally. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we still fall short. Some of the reasons for the nutritional […]

Why Do Pines Have Needles?

By Sarah Wilson, MA, Healthy Planet Staff WriterNeedles 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 […]

Why Do Seniors Count?

Vote YES on Proposition S on Nov. 8

As 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 each day nationally, taking a critical look at the funding for and sources of senior services is imperative. Especially in the three county St. Louis metropolitan region (St. Charles County, St. Louis County, and the City of St. Louis), where 22% of […]

Why Do So Many People Have Allergies These Days?

by Jason Sibert

In years past, it was the pasty-faced, sickly kid in class that had all the allergies. Today it seems everyone is allergic to something – peanut butter, animals, pollen, dust, grass, and even the air we breathe.

Why are allergies on the increase in the United States?
Approximately 54 percent of the population suffers from […]

Why Don’t Ducks Feet Freeze?

By Sarah Wilson, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

The recent deep freeze got me wondering how ducks can walk across ice or paddle in near-freezing water without a problem? 

To understand this, we begin with the fact that according to the Phylogenetic system, birds are reptiles. This system sorts life by ancestry, not by how they look.Both birds […]

Why Don’t Frogs Freeze to Death?

By Sarah Wilson, MA

When the cold comes, our Spring Peepers nestle under a log or into fallen leaves to ride out the winter. There they become frogsicles until they hop back to life in the spring. How?

Anyone who has mistakenly frozen a can of soda knows all about one of the biggest challenges: frozen liquid […]

Why Falls Are A Big Concern For Older Adults

By Denise S. Pott, LCSW
Assistance Home Care

Certainly falls can cause injuries, but they may also be the earliest indicator of a significant change in the health of an older adult, the harbinger of further decline. Every year, about one-third of people over age 65 experience a fall. Of these, one in five cause serious injury. […]

Why Grow Heirlooms?

by Randel A. Agrella

Quality Modern vegetable breeding has yielded some useful varieties, but at a price: quality has been sacrificed to convenience in harvesting and shipping. Crops have been bred for uniformity, or to ripen all at once (simplifying mechanical harvesting), or to withstand rough handling. Quality, taste, and nutritional value have been casualties of […]

Why Have Thermal Imaging?

By Linda Spradling, owner
Medical Thermography of Metro St. Louis

Thermographic breast health screening offers an opportunity to help women identify and reverse unhealthy breast imbalances before those imbalances develop to the point of needing risky surgery and toxic radiation. In other words, an opportunity not just to survive but to also save the breast tissue.

One misconception […]

Why I Cut Down my Bradford Pears

By Sarah Wilson

Photo caption: Caterpillars are baby bird food. It takes 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to raise a single family of Chickadees. Caterpillars can’t survive on Bradford Pear leaves.

These trees are bullies. 

Bradford pears (aka Callery pears) are not native to the US. Most everything that eats them lives back in Asia, too, so these trees […]

Why is Spring Grass So Nice? It’s the Nutrients, Not Just Nitrogen!

by Randy Greene

By this time of year you’ve probably put down a dose of pre-emergent fertilizer and have already had to mow the lawn a few times. Everything looks great! Your yard looks healthy and green and it will stay that way, right?

The reason your lawn looks thick and lush in early Spring is because […]

Why is Spring Grass So Nice? It’s the Nutrients, Not Just Nitrogen!

By Randy Greene

by this time of year you’ve probably put down a dose of pre-emergent fertilizer and have already had to mow the lawn a few times. Everything looks great! Your yard looks healthy and green and it will stay that way, right?

The reason your lawn looks thick and lush in early Spring is because […]

Why Isn’t My Son Getting Better? Part I of III

By Dr. James Feinberg,
Child Clinical Psychologist

More and more boys are being referred to me because they have not benefited from prior mental health treatment. Are these boys really untreatable or is something else amiss?

In my experience, many so called “treatment failures” can be traced back to an inadequate evaluation. Because most parents don’t know what […]

Why Isn’t My Son Getting Better? Part II of III

By Dr. James Feinberg
Child Clinical Psychologist

Previously (in part I), I addressed how an inadequate psychological evaluation typically results in a treatment failure. Lack of rapport, lack of experience, lack of intensity, and poor boundaries are additional reasons why boys do not benefit from mental heath treatment. Let me explain:

First, no boy is going to trust […]

Why Isn’t My Son Getting Better? part III of III

By Dr. James Feinberg,
Child Clinical Psychologist

In part I, I addressed how an inadequate psychological/psychiatric evaluation often results in boys not benefitting from mental health treatment. In part II, I addressed how other mental health provider (“MHP”) factors can contribute to treatment failures. In this last segment, common parental mistakes, leading to complications in treatment, are […]

Why Leave Leaves?

By Sarah Wilson, MA

This is the time of year I look forward to — the cool air, the leaves turning, the sound of those leaves as Daisy and I walk through them.

Left alone, those leaves blow into drifts and piles. They settle, creating, over time, strata for life. Near the ground, the leaves mat up […]

Why Movement Matters

By TJ Williams, DC, PhD

Your body is a complex and beautifully designed system that can become your greatest tool towards a healthy and happy life. Keeping it strong and able is key in staying youthful and preventing stress, injury, chronic disease, and many other issues down the road.

We’ve known for quite some time that aerobic […]

Why We Should Avoid Declawing Cats

By Teresa Garden, DVM

Declawing consists of amputating not just the claw but the whole phalanx (up to the joint) including bones, ligaments, and tendons. It is still a relatively common surgery in veterinary medicine in our country but not a minor one. Declawing is a painful operation. It is the equivalent of removing the first […]

Why Your Endocannabinoid System (ECS) Is Trying To Heal You

By Jamila Owens-Todd,
Naturopathic Doctor at MINT
Owner of RootBerryLeaf.com

I love discussing the beauty of the body and how it is always conspiring to heal you. We know that we have an innate immune function that heals us. The inflammatory response is also there, to create healing in an acute phase of imbalance. Nerves and cells have […]

Wild Eating: From Your Garden and Beyond

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

The decline in nutrition of plants isn’t something that started with big agriculture, in fact it started during the dawn of the agricultural age, when humans switched from hunter gatherers to growing food.

According to some historians, this decline in plant nutrition is over ten thousand years in the making. But how can […]

Will an El Niño End the Midwest’s Drought?

All those early spring rains are but a fond memory. The Midwest is in an extreme drought with a drier-than-normal April and one of the driest Mays in history. Spring is usually the wettest time of the year, so the lack of rain is even more problematic for plantings.There are signs that the Midwest is […]

WINDCREST DAIRY — Yummy Yogurt & Much More!

By Nancy Smith

If you’re looking for a really great outing for the whole family, you need look no further. The Windcrest Dairy Farm Store is one of the best places to get to know your farmer, enjoy a real farm experience, find lots of delicious food to take home, and even milk a cow if […]

Winner’s Circle Perennials: Exceptional Plants For 2020

By Abby Lapides

From the thousands of perennials grown, some stand above the rest. Returning year after year, these top perennials have the powerhouse blooming ability of annuals, but don’t have to be replanted every spring. Use them in flower beds, as edgers, in containers, and cutting and pollinator gardens. They work fantastic as mass plantings […]

Winners Circle – Top Plants for 2021

By Abby Lapides

Of the thousands of perennials grown, some stand above the rest. These plants have pushed the boundaries with the extreme flowering of annuals, but with the low maintenance, disease and pest resistance, and drought tolerance of perennials. These fantastic plants are dreams for flower beds, edging, containers, cutting and pollinator gardens. Use them […]

Winter Dreams of a Summer Garden

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

January is the beginning of the gardening season, when dreams are planted for the coming year’s garden. The ritual of looking through seed catalogs, whether printed on paper or illuminated by the computer screen, stirs the soul. The images of flowers, fruit or foliage in glossy colors and vivid descriptions plant seeds […]

Winter Garden Planning

February Is A Great Time To Organize Seeds According To Planting Dates

By Crystal Stevens

February is a great time to start planning your garden and ordering seeds.

Seedsofchange.com has an excellent variety of Organic Seeds. Rareseeds.com (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds) is a great resource for heirloom seeds. Seed Geeks, a local St. Louis company, offers a […]

Winter Getaways and Adventures to Shawnee Forest Country

Winter is a great time to enjoy the slower, quieter side of Shawnee Forest Country in Southernmost Illinois. The cooler temperatures mean no bugs or snakes and the trees are bare, allowing you to see much further into the forests. Bluffs hidden behind the summer foliage emerge dramatically into sight. The Shawnee National Forest can be magical any time of […]

Winter is Upon Us! Take Heed!

by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

We are just getting a taste of winter weather, albeit with little snow, but more than enough frigid cold. What are our pet concerns this time of year? Many should be obvious, but nonetheless, we will review them for our reading audience.

Cold can be threatening, but wet cold and wind are […]

Winter Is Upon Us. Take Heed!

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

We are just getting a taste of winter weather, albeit with little snow, but more than enough frigid cold. What are our pet concerns this time of year? Many should be obvious, but nonetheless, we will review them for our reading audience.

Cold can be threatening, but wet cold and wind are […]

Winter Wonder Gardens

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

Gardens are full of wonder year round. In winter gardens speak to us in a whisper instead of a shout. Winter gardens are more like a meditation than a celebration. During the growing season we celebrate the riot of flowers, foliage and fruit. It is during the quiet of the winter when […]

Winterize Your Home For Better Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Comfort

By Malachi Rein, Building Energy Exchange Saint Louis Director

I live in an old South City house.  I’m not exaggerating by saying its first family was living there before many of mine set foot on this continent.  When we bought this house we were recent graduates, fresh in our jobs with student loan debt, and parents […]

Wired For Love

By Phylis Clay Sparks

This comment was once made by self-help author, Tony Robbins: “I never fail to be amazed at the overwhelming number of people whose rules wire them for pain.” When it comes to relationships, how are you wired? Can you think of some rules you have made for yourself and your relationships that […]

Wise & Inspiring Nature & Garden Books

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

Winter is coming on. Time to curl up with a book and replenish our deep love of nature. Books filled with wisdom can replenish us and push us into action, inspiring us to be guardians of nature not just gardeners. 

Mary Reynolds is a “reformed” Irish garden […]

Without Licensure, How to Choose a Professional Reflexologist?

No two feet are alike. The same applies to reflexologists. Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois do not have licensure for reflexology. Yet, reflexology is one of the most requested bodywork therapies in the U.S. What makes reflexology special and how does someone like YOU choose a professional?

Modern-Day Reflexology
Reflexologists use fingers and hands to work specific […]

Women and Heart Health

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

February is American Heart Month, and since heart disease is the number one cause of death for women, it’s important to employ strategies now to help prevent it. Simple lifestyle changes, along with getting your numbers checked, can help you stay on top of your […]

Women in Green: Celebrating ‘Sheroes’ of Sustainability

By Abigail Sirevaag, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Board of Directors

In 2012, the US Green Building Council began a Women in Green initiative to recognize and empower women who advocate for green buildings and communities around the world. This year’s program theme is “Sheroes,” which represents the female hero who excels under pressure and overcomes adversity. In this […]

Women Unite! The Fun Start To A Healthier You in 2017 (Yes, Really)

What’s YOUR New Year’s resolution? Most people vow to get into better shape, lose weight or adopt a healthier lifestyle. There’s got to be a fun way to get in a healthier mindset that doesn’t require changing your whole world and keeping a smile on your face.

The perfect solution to start those motivational juices flowing […]

Women Unite. Fun is Healthy, Too!

Make Plans Now For Women’s Wellness Weekend at Trout Lodge YMCA of the Ozarks April 13-16

The holidays are long over and thoughts are now turning to Spring. When the trees and flowers begin their amazing transformation and we finally emerge from the cold much like a butterfly from a cocoon, women will gather and revel […]

Women’s Fitness Offers Personal Body-Mind Training

Ladies, are you intimidated by the big box gyms with no personal attention? Or just looking for a fitness routine that is fun, geared toward your fitness goals, and full of camaraderie and encouragement from fellow lady friends? Then you should visit Women’s Fitness.

Women’s Fitness Personal Training is a personal training studio in Fenton, MO […]

Women’s Health Naturally Expo & Workshops

Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, In Carbondale, Ill

Women’s Health Naturally Expo & Workshops (WHN) will be held at the Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave, on Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9am-4pm.WHN Expo & Workshops is an annual event that brings together natural healthcare professionals, while creating a nurturing environment where healthcare practitioners can meet with […]

Women’s March Shines Light On Social Issues & Human Rights

By Crystal Stevens

On January 21st, 2017 millions of women around the world gathered to celebrate diversity, to walk in solidarity with women, to march for women’s rights and equal rights, and to rise together. Women marched beside their friends and family to speak out against racism, sexism, classism, and to protest violence against women. Millions […]

Women’s Wellness Weekend At Trout Lodge Feb. 19-21

What’s YOUR New Year’s resolution? Most people vow to get into better shape, lose weight or adopt a healthier lifestyle. But do you notice when you go to the gym – no one is smiling. There’s got to be a better way to get in a healthier mindset.

Here is the perfect solution to start the […]

Women’s Wellness Weekend At Trout Lodge Feb. 24-26 Valentine Weekend Feb. 10-12

What was YOUR New Year’s resolution? Most people vow to get into better shape, lose weight or adopt a healthier lifestyle. There’s got to be a fun way to get in a healthier mindset that doesn’t require changing your whole world and keeping a smile on your face.

The perfect solution to start those motivational juices […]

YMCA Camp Lakewood Can Be “Your Camp” Too!

YMCA Camp Lakewood’s summer overnight camp for boys & girls ages 6-17 of all abilities is located 90 minutes south of St. Louis and provides a well-rounded experience for campers by getting them outdoors having fun, making new friends and learning new skills. With a 360-acre lake, 5,200 wooded acres, caves, creeks and more, there […]

YMCA Camp Lakewood Creates Memories For Kids Of All Ages

YMCA Camp Lakewood – it’s not just any overnight summer camp. It’s that special time, at that perfect place, with friends, fun and memories your children ages 6-17 will take with them throughout their lives. Help them to high-five every accomplishment, celebrate their growing independence and their wonder of the world around them through the […]

Yoga As A Lifestyle Helps You Tune Into And Understand Natural Rhythms of Life

by Jaime Sanchez, E-RYT 500, ND, founder of West-East Natural Healing Traditional Yoga School

Established in 1996 at Saint Louis University, West-East Natural Healing Traditional Yoga School is the oldest yoga program in the city of St. Louis, MO. We have offered certified 200-hour yoga teacher trainings since 1998 and recently registered its 500-hour program with Yoga […]

Yoga Breathing for Healing

By Jan Herzog

Yoga breathing is also called pranayama in yoga lingo. I have been dealing with frozen shoulder- adhesive capsulitis. Even though I have a mild case and I can still use my arm it is “stuck” in certain movements.

I have been working with a really good physical therapist and also some awesome massage therapists. […]

Yoga For A Healthy And Happy New Year

Yoga For A Healthy Back

by Monica Stoutenborough

Back pain is one of the most common health complaints and reason for physician visits in the United States. On average, health care spending for those with back pain has been estimated to be around 60% higher than those without back pain. There can be a wide variety of causes including prolonged periods […]

You Can Help “Build The Book House” This Holiday Season

Independently owned, community bookstores are the backbone of the local literary community. In a world of e-books, glowing tablets and online ordering, the Book House has stood the test of time for more than 30 years offering an eclectic assortment of new, used, rare and out-of-print books from a character-filled Victorian house in Rock Hill. […]

You Can’t Change Your Weight Until You Change your Mind! Hypnosis Works!

by Rev. William Mitchell, CI

Hypnotism can be applied successfully as a tool in psychotherapy, medical and dental pain management, to enhance academic achievement, to overcome fears and stage fright, to improve sleep, to increase athletic performance and other applications, however most people think of Habit Control, smoking cessation, weight loss, nailbiting etc.

When I was first […]

You May Be Blind To One Of The Easiest Ways To Make Money

TeleSeminar & Workshop Explains Why

By Samantha St. Julian, Ph.D. & Kimberly Schneider, LPC

If you had a sensing mechanism that was as powerful as sight in its ability to give you information, wouldn’t you want to use it every day? Wouldn’t you rely on it to make decisions about relationships, health, money and life? You DO […]

You’ve Got A Lot Of Nerve

by Dr. Joseph F. Unger, Jr. DC., F.I.C.S.

You truly do. All told, the human nervous system is about 600 miles long. The brain has about 100 billion neurons and the spine over 13 million of these nerve cells. There are more nerve cells in one person than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. […]

Your body is talking to you: Recognize and Heal The Pain

by Carolyn Baker
Transformational Healer

I find that people with busy schedules who don’t have time to think about themselves are the ones who ignore the pain until they can’t move. Most people with this lifestyle come to see me with complaints like, “I have had the headache for about a week”, or “My back has been […]

Your Career Path May Lead To The Healing Arts Center

Are you looking for the right path for you? Have you always had an affinity towards helping others or wanted to give back to the universe in a positive way? If this is the case, we would like to invite you to come and visit the Healing Arts Center. We have recently grown into a […]

Your Hose Called… It’s Taking The Week Off

By Abby Lapides Elliott

You want to be a good gardener, have gardens overflowing with blossoms, gardens your family can be proud of. But alas, you’re super busy and watering is the last thing you have time for. Don’t despair, there are lovely plants that do well with less watering, and even plants that prefer dry […]

Your Personal Relationship Coach

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Skype Coaching — A Sign Of The Times

I’ve been away from what I love most for almost two years. Life has a way of doing that at times. But, now I have returned to what gives me the most happiness and fulfillment in my helping profession. Let me take a moment to introduce […]

Your Personal Relationship Coach

Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

COMMITMENT: What is it and are you both fully engaged in your relationship?

I was recently a guest on City Corner with Steve Potter (see website for full interview). I was asked to be a guest to talk about my SKYPE Services, as it is was something different and trending. I was […]

Your Personal Relationship Coach

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Do You Feel Stuck In A Bad Relationship

“I’m not happy, but I don’t know what to do about it.” “I’ve tried everything and nothing has changed.” “Should I stay or should I go?” “What if there is no one out there for me?” “Isn’t something better than nothing?” If you find […]

Your Personal Relationship Coach

By Christine Kniffen, MSW, LCSW

Ready For A Lovely Fall Romance?

Like my Facebook page via my website in order to get alerts to new episodes of my “Quick Tips on Love” video series on YouTube and upcoming seminars. www.ChristineKniffen.com.

So, you have just met someone and you find yourself ready to fall in love again. The big question […]

Your Valentine Will Love the Gift of Relaxation

This Valentine’s Day, express your love and appreciation for your partner with the special gift of relaxation. Physical, mental, and spiritual well-being are keys for a healthy and happy life. Sharing self-care with your partner can bring you closer together and is a perfect way to show how much you care.

Vitality Unlimited Spa offers spa […]

Zucchini Pizzas

Ingredients:               

1 large zucchini cut into 1/4-inch slices, around 16 slices.1/8 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon pepper1/3 cup pizza sauce or light alfredo sauce3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella or low-fat cheese of your choice. 16 turkey pepperoni slices

Directions

Preheat broiler. Arrange zucchini in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Broil until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes per side.Sprinkle zucchini with salt […]

Zyto Technology an Energetic Connection

by Ava Frick, DVM

Unfortunately we can’t directly communicate with our pets and ask them how they feel. Even for adults, using words to explain how you feel can be a challenge. Now, there is a way to stop the guessing and open up an entirely new communication channel between your doctor and your pet’s body. […]