Greetings Friends,

Welcome to springtime on God’s beautiful green and blue Gulf Coast of Alabama and Mississippi. With mild temperatures and azure skies, nature beckons us to embrace its beauty as we transition from winter into spring. This month, our focus in Natural Awakenings is on eco-travel and sustainable living, offering insights and tips for those eager to delve into these areas of interest.

Start your journey with the April Eco-Tip, the Heal-Our-World Checklist. This comprehensive list serves as a vital reminder of our responsibility towards our planet’s well-being. As alarming statistics predict the depletion of Earth’s topsoil by 2050, let’s take proactive steps together.

Take a glance at page 15 to gauge your current eco-efforts and celebrate your achievements. Consider incorporating a few more sustainable practices into your routine, such as planting a produce garden, embracing meatless meals and opting for reusable water bottles over single-use plastics, PLEASE. Small changes can yield significant benefits for both our planet and personal health.

Turning to health and wellness, for those managing diabetes, see page 10 for a compelling Health Brief with information that can potentially alter the course of the disease. Explore a much heralded approach by Daniel J. Cox, Ph.D., from UVA Health, emphasizing managing diabetes through informed dietary choices and exercise to control blood sugar levels.

As a Functional Medicine Health Coach, I have been working with clients to manage diabetes and other illnesses holistically since 2020. It’s not new! The Functional Medicine Institute, founded by Jeffrey Bland, has focused on a similar approach since the early 1990s. Being deeply invested in functional medicine and nutritional wellness, I’ve witnessed remarkable transformations with my clients. Last year, after a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, one of my clients embarked on a journey to lower A1C levels, committing to a regimen of ZERO SUGAR, whole foods, exercise and holistic practices. He saw remarkable progress going from 7.5 A1C to 5.6, underscoring the profound impact of nutrition and a holistic lifestyle on our collective well-being.

In 400 B.C. Hippocrates famously said, “Let food by thy medicine, let medicine by thy food!” Educating people on how good nutritional food can be medicine for your body has become my passion. If you’re eager to deepen your understanding of healing through food, mark your calendars for our upcoming workshop, EAT-COOK-LIVE, on June 4 (postponed from March) at Jubilee Suites in Fairhope. Join us for an interactive session led by local healthy cooking chef Kristin Alpine and me. Together, let’s empower ourselves with the knowledge to nourish our bodies and transform our health.

All the best,