Dear Friends, 

Happy July! We have made it through half of the year and it has gone by fast. So far, we’ve managed to avoid hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, that’s a blessing. But of course, it is hot, hot, hot. If you’re going to be outside, it’s best to cozy up near the cool water (for me, preferably the Gulf of Mexico) or spend some time chillin’ in one of your fav healthy eateries.

In honor of “Healthy Food Movement month,” we decided to bring together all the healthiest food markets, restaurants and lunch spots in our area into your LOCAL HEALTHY EATS GUIDE, where we will be featuring a new eatery or market each month. Starting with Baldwin County, then moving to Mobile County, then to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we’re putting together this special list of places that bring you “Healthy Living, Healthy Planet” on a plate!

This month’s featured hotspot is Fairhope Juice Company. Lorie Ward, creator of the company is a health educator, certified in food healing and health coaching, and a long-time supporter of Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast. With Fairhope Juice Company she shares the healing powers of fruits and vegetables in a bottle. Personally, I’ve found it hard to choose between her wonderful juice blends, but I think my favorite is GREEN ENVY, a mix of kale, cucumber, celery, apple, lemon and ginger. Find out more here.

As a board-certified health coach myself, I am always in search of the healthiest places to eat out and shop for organic, natural, quality options, so I want to support all of our local eateries that make these a priority.

Not only are whole food choices better for you nutritionally for optimal health, but they are also better for the environment. The world population is steadily growing and with this growth comes increased demand for food. Producing food for billions of people takes a toll on our environment. Partially due to the destruction of rainforests for agricultural land, plus increased fuel needs, pesticide use, greenhouse gases and packaging that ends up in landfills, all add up to trouble for our world.

I’m happy to support sustainable agriculture based on real food that helps improve the health of the planet by reducing energy needs and decreasing the amount of non-biodegradable waste that humans produce.

I’m excited to continue my journey of finding local health food ‘gems’ to include in the Local Healthy Eating section of each issue as we expand to more cities along the Gulf Coast. We are lucky to have many wonderful choices of healthy food and drink in our area, let’s showcase them!

If you have a favorite health food spot or restaurant, please share your story with us. You may post on our Facebook page, NaturalAwakeningsMag or contact me directly, [email protected]. 

Eat well, be well.

God bless and keep you,

Michelle Smith, Publisher