Natural Awakenings - April 2015 Read the April 2015 edition of Natural Awakenings. Healing Journeys: Paul Stutzman Finds Universal Truths on His Treks Crossing the country by foot and bike, he exorcised grief and experienced the real America. Read More » Mastering the Force: The Martial Arts Hold Deep Inner Lessons Martial arts focus equally on internal and external well-being. Here are five key life lessons that martial arts can teach us. Read More » Strong Winds Strong Roots: What Trees Teach Us About Life The Biodome desert experiment proved that trees need the challenge of strong winds to grow tall. What’s the lesson for us? Read More » Nature’s Wisdom: Its Lessons Inspire, Heal and Sustain Us Nature is essential to our well-being on every level—and when we need healing strategies and breakthrough innovations, it turns out to be the best teacher around. Read More » Spring Greening: Easy Ways to Detox a House No need to worry about ripping out floors and tossing furniture! These simple, doable steps will banish a multitude of toxins from our home. Read More » Natural Awakenings Earns Top Franchise Business Award Natural Awakenings has been ranked in the best 50 in its size class among 200 companies named in the Franchise Business Review’s 2015 Top Franchises Report. Read More » Corporate Do-Gooders: U.S. Recognizes Companies for Earth-Sound Policies The State Department honors companies that practice sound environmental, social and diversity goals in their foreign operations. Read More » Curbside Composting: No Food Scraps Need Go to Waste More than 180 municipalities are asking residents to separate out food waste from trash to lighten the load on landfills. Read More » Thriving Eco-Towns: Malaysian Villages Model Sustainability Low-cost, easily-built homes and communal farming operations are lifting incomes while supporting a healthier environment. Read More » Buzzing Buddies: ‘Flying Doctor’ Bees Prevent Cherry Disease Australian researchers are using bees to introduce a biological control agent directly into cherry tree flowers. Read More » Soil Salvation: Organic Farming May Counteract Greenhouse Effect A planetary return to small-scale organic farming could capture more than 40 percent of each year’s greenhouse gas emissions. Read More » Vanishing Wildlife: 50 Percent Gone in Under 50 years An authoritative report finds an alarming 52 percent drop in the numbers of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish since 1970. Read More » Sustainable Shopping Tips: Smart Choices Help Our Home Planet Although American food buying has improved, compared to other countries we still buy the most processed food as well as fewer fruits and vegetables. Read More » Strawberries Reduce Blood Pressure: Lower Levels Through Fruit Consumption In just six weeks, people ingesting a drink made of freeze-dried strawberries had significant drops in both diastolic and systolic measures. Read More » Memory Works Better Reading Real Books: Paper Over Pixels Two studies have found that adults and children are able to comprehend and remember the stories better that they read in paper form rather than on a digital device. Read More » The Color Green Makes Exercise Feel Easier: Fit Shades Exercisers shown videos predominantly green, red or grey in tone while cycling did best with green, reporting that it raised their mood and made the activity less laborious. Read More » Acupuncture Increases Quality of Life for Allergy Sufferers: Alternative Solution for Seasonal Symptoms Hay fever sufferers receiving acupuncture plus medication reported a better quality of life than those only receiving drugs. Read More » Olive Oil Boosts Healthy Cholesterol: Good for the Heart A joint U.S.-European study found that olive oil rich in plant compounds known as polyphenols boosted healthy HDL in the blood. Read More » Dogs with Library Cards: Kids Love Reading to Animals By reading out loud to dogs and cats, even hard-to-reach children rapidly gain reading skills. Read More » Earth in Peril: Children Confront Climate Change Rising seas, disappearing fish, vanishing flowers… kids are rightfully alarmed, as an HBO Special this month demonstrates. Read More » The Food Artisans Next Door: Homemade Delicacies, Direct from Our Neighbors The passage of “cottage-food laws” in 42 states now means we can cook many types of food and sell it from our homes—or buy it directly from the great cook down the street. Read More » Home-Grown Organic Made Easy: 10 Time-Saving Tips for a Healthy Garden By planning ahead on seeds, containers, mulch and more we can both grow an abundant garden and relish time for summer fun. Read More » Local Toxins Increase Risk of Autism: Environment Linked to Intellectual Impairments A University of Chicago study has linked autism and intellectual disabilities to local exposure to such toxins as pesticides, lead and pharmaceuticals. Read More » In-Print