In our community we have trainers and park group leaders who lead outdoor classes on foot, bicycles, and kayaks through the woods on the trails, out to the beach and on inland waterways. In addition, many people follow their own schedule and spend their workout time alone or with family and friends in one of the many awesome parks we are blessed to have in Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties. Whichever way you choose to get your outdoor workout in, just simply keep moving. Motion is the best medicine we have and being outdoors is free and good for the soul!

In this month’s Fit Body section titled “The Great Nature Gym – Outdoor Workouts Make the Most of Summer,” by Carrie Jackson we look at Summer as the prime time to skip the gym for a workout in fresh air, with nature amplifying the achieved revitalization and stress reduction. Armed with sunscreen and water bottles, we can walk in parks, run for long distances or in sprints, cycle on bike-friendly lanes in cities, take yoga mats outdoors to breathe in fresh air more deeply, go canoeing or kayaking on a lake or river, or join the again-popular rollerblade craze garbed in protective gear.

Our July feature “The Healthy Food Movement – Pandemic Trends Are Shaping Better Local Food Systems,” by Bob Benenson reflects on how the pandemic emptied grocery shelves, closed down farmers markets and increased people’s anxieties about present and future food availability, but the substantial silver lining is that consumer interest is booming for locally produced, healthy food. Throughout the country, the growth of sustainable natural products is far outpacing that of conventional packaged goods, farmers markets are bouncing back and a wide range of innovative solutions are being pursued by e-commerce entrepreneurs and food-equity advocates to get healthier, local food into more hands and neighborhoods.

Turning to our Green Living article titled “Pollinator Haven – Create a Toxin-Free Yard for Critical Critters,” by Sandra Yeyati, we focus on how the invertebrate species are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, climate change and pesticides, but we can help them survive with eco-friendly practices in our gardens and lawns including planting hardy native species, using restraint when clearing debris, developing a greater tolerance for weeds and pests, and using non-chemical pesticides. Eco-lawn care strategies are to plant only a limited turf grass area, aerate the lawn, use compost and leaf mulch, and mow less often and as high as possible.

I absolutely love the bee’s and butterfly’s that visit my garden. I am mindful of them with everything I plant and use. To me there is also a very spiritual component. A few years ago, after my sister completed her circle of life, I remember being surrounded by butterflies on my morning walks and thinking, how nice if they were sent by her!

To conscious living,
Pamela Gallina, Publisher