Articles from ‘April 2024’ Issue
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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,… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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),… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]
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… [click headline to read more]