In This Issue - July 2020

Read this issue in full here or see individual articles below.

The July issue features: Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson; Toxic Exposure, Veterans and Our Health; Masking Your Face and Facing Your Mask; Medicinal Bath Soaks and More at Healing Spirit; Beyond Factory Farms; Gut Talk; Principles of Intuitive Eating; Artist Spotlight on Betina Falk; Plus much more... Read the issue now!

Chlorhexidine Mouthwash

Avoid Chlorhexidine Mouthwash to Reduce Cavity Risk

Chlorhexidine gluconate, a mouthwash commonly prescribed by dentists for gingivitis, actually increases acidic levels in the mouth, leading to an increase in cavity-causing bacteria. Read More »

Strength Stability Exercise Pose

Balancing Act: Exercises for Strength and Stability

Protect yourself from falls and injury with core-strengthening balance training, yoga and tai chi exercises and poses designed to increase agility. Read More »

Cow at Beef Factory Farm

Beyond Factory Farms: ‘Big Meat’ Comes at High Cost

The industrial factory farms that monopolize the livestock industry at great cost to the environment are getting a pushback from people and organizations exploring sustainable options. Read More »

Ayurvedic Bacopa Motivation

Boost Motivation with Ayurvedic Bacopa

Anhedonia—the clinical name for a lack of motivation and inability to feel pleasure in life—can be helped by Bacopa monnieri, also known as Brahmi, an Ayurvedic herb. Read More »

Mother Calming Child's Anxiety

Calming Kids: Ways to Turn Anxiety Around

In these uncertain times, many kids are feeling anxious, but parents can use these straightforward strategies to help lower childhood anxiety. Read More »

Pregnant Woman During Pandemic

COVID Kids: Stress Can Impact Sperm and Future Offspring

Fear and anxiety brought on by major stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic may have a lasting impact on a man’s sperm composition that could affect future offspring. Read More »

Content Man Feeling Joy

Cultivating Contentment: The Spiritual Discipline of Evoking Joy

Tending to our own happiness begins by seeing joy not as a mood dependent upon circumstances, but as a spiritual discipline like any other. Here are ways to create more joyous moments. Read More »

Dog at Eco-Friendly Green Vet Office

Earth-Friendly Pets: Our Animals Can Go Green, Too

Eco-friendly alternatives pet owners can choose for toys, homeopathic remedies, grooming, food and more for dogs and cats. Read More »

Citrus Weight Loss

Eat More Citrus for a Thinner Waistline

Studies show that eating citrus fruits or their extract can significantly reduce body weight. Read More »

Couple Taking Selfie at Beach

Eco-Friendly Beach Tips: Maximizing Sun and Surf During Crises

It’s more important now than ever to soak up vitamin D to bolster the immune system, but social distancing and other health and environmental precautions need to be practiced at the beach. Read More »

Deforestation Human Diseases

Forest Loss Leads to Spread of Human Disease

Viruses like COVID-19 that jump from animals to people will likely become more common as people continue to transform natural habitats into agricultural land, says a new study. Read More »

Bare Feet on Organic Green Grass Lawn

Greener Green Grass: Why Organic Lawns Make Eco-Sense

The use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides on lawns damage both the environment and our health. Here are ways to naturally, organically and sustainably grow green grass. Read More »

Gastrointestinal Tract

Gut Talk: Tips for a Healthy Microbiome

Healthy gut bacteria are essential for our metabolic health and immune system. Here are foods and lifestyle tips for developing and preserving gut health. Read More »

Ultraviolet Radiation Skin Inflammation

Healthy Glow: Ultraviolet Radiation Suppresses Skin Inflammation

In research that could help target new treatments for skin cancer, scientists have identified how human skin suppresses inflammation after exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Read More »

Ear Acupuncture Stroke Recovery

Help Recover from Stroke with Ear Acupuncture

Researchers have found that acupuncture in the ear can help speed rehabilitation of stroke patients. Read More »

Woman Practicing Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness and Meditation May Promote Longevity

Mindfulness and meditation techniques have been linked to anti-aging and longevity, as marked by longer telomere length, a biomarker of human aging. Read More »

Nature Outdoors Cognitive

Natural Thinking: Spending Time in Nature Increases Cognitive Performance

Nature may improve cognitive function by improving memory formation and recall, specifically that of short-term or working memory, and goal-oriented or directed attention. Read More »

Grilled Vegetable Kabobs

Outdoor Feasts: Inspired Picnics and Healthy Grills

Whether firing up the backyard grill or having a picnic, these healthy, plant-based recipes are perfect outdoor meal ideas to savor this summer season. Read More »

Berberine Reduces Artery Plaque

Reduce Artery Plaque Risk with Berberine

A new study concludes that berberine, an alkaloid compound found in goldenseal, Oregon grape, barberry and other herbs, can potentially reduce artery plaque. Read More »

Tai Chi Brain Health

Reduce Cognitive Decline with Tai Chi

Research shows that practicing tai chi can improve memory, learning, mental speed and attention, the ability to formulate abstract ideas, mental flexibility and visuospatial perception. Read More »

Stephen Dinan Founder and CEO of The Shift Network

Stephen Dinan on a Sacred Vision for America

Stephen Dinan, founder and CEO of The Shift Network, discusses his new book, Sacred America, Sacred World, and how we can all help to build a new chapter in American history. Read More »

Music Heart Health Medicine

Sweet Serenade: Music as Medicine

Listening to music for 30 minutes a day can lower post-heart attack anxiety and significantly reduce future cardiac risks, reports a new study. Read More »

Turmeric Ginger Black Pepper Osteoarthritis

Try Turmeric, Ginger and Black Pepper for Osteoarthritis

Researchers find a turmeric extract, ginger and black pepper combination works just as well as the anti-inflammatory drug naproxen, Aleve, in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis. Read More »

Trust that Gut Instinct

Most people have had gut instincts, or a gut feeling. It’s a knowing that something is about to happen or that something is right or wrong. Read More »

Nature Basics: Sanitation 101

Being conscious of germs and viruses has been on people’s minds for months now. Because of this pandemic, sanitizing supplies have been difficult to get. Read More »

Betina Fink: Learning How to See and Be Mindful

How we look at art and how we create art is a lesson in mindfulness. We use skills of observation and focus on details. Read More »

Principles of Intuitive Eating

The practice of intuitive eating has, at its core, the spiritual dictum written at the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, home of the Oracle of Delphi—“Know Thyself”. Read More »

Stop Struggling with Gut Issues

Many people experience frequent bloating, gas, abdominal or pelvic pain, sluggish digestion, constipation, diarrhea, brain fog, lack of energy or excessive fluid in the abdomen or legs. Read More »

Everyday Gut Health

Healing the gut is central to healing the body. The gut or the gastrointestinal (GI) system begins with the mouth and ends with the anus; the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines are in between. Read More »

Biofield Balance Intuitive Readings Now Available

Danielle Dvorak recently earned a certificate of completion in Biofield Balance Intuitive Reading. This means she is trained to view the electromagnetic field that surrounds and permeates the human body Read More »

Medicinal Bath Soaks and More at Healing Spirit

n the center of the Tucson desert lies an oasis. Healing Spirit is a magical place to regenerate the spirit, connect with the mind and heal the body. Read More »

Masking Your Face and Facing Your Mask

Yesterday, an unkempt, wild-haired gentleman rang the studio doorbell. I opened the door and welcomed him in. He refused... Read More »

Toxic Exposure, Veterans and Our Health

Over the past 15 years, it has become clear that toxic exposure is a powerful mitigating factor that impacts the process of healing brain injury conditions—particularly in veterans. Read More »

Cleanliness is Key at Govinda’s Natural Foods

With the highest level of cleanliness and purity, Govinda’s Natural Foods, in Tucson, is no longer a buffet. Read More »

Reflexology to Relax in Times of Stress

Anyone feeling off base or disconnected in any way right now is not alone. Read More »

The Spiritual Practice of Floating

For many who are feeling like they are in a forced isolation because of COVID-19, the thought of getting into an isolation tank, or flotation tank, may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s not. Read More »

Find Dream-Like Tranquility at Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson

Inspired by the Japanese Garden Center near the Morikami Museum near Palm Beach, Florida, Patricia Deridder started her dream, or yume (in Japanese), to create such a peaceful garden in Tucson in 2011. Read More »

Spirituality Includes Social and Racial Justice

The Web of Life Animist Online Church is committed to the Earth, and all of her sacred people. Those with open minds and hearts to be self-reflective are invited to Web of Life Church’s weekly circle throughout the summer... Read More »

July 2020 Letter From Publisher

It’s time we give much deserved attention to our guts. They’re often credited with helping us make big decisions, but rarely mentioned for how much constant work they do in keeping us healthy. Read More »