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Articles from ‘December 2015’ Issue

“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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 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 […]

Ask The Herb Lady

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]