Publishers Letter. July 2013

Dear Natural Awakenings Readers and Friends,

Food, glorious food! This month's theme has to do with all the summer pleasures we enjoy: food, fun and personal glory! It is no wonder that when Lionel Bart wrote the opening song for the musical Oliver! he named it "Food, Glorious Food!" It is sung when the workhouse boys from the 1960s West End and Broadway musical and 1968 film adaptation are dreaming and fantasizing about food while going to collect their porridge from the staff of the workhouse. It goes to show you that all classes and generations often consider food as being a glorious experience. And why is that?

Food is an experience of the senses. A "sensual" experience of taste, smell, and sometimes even touch, that allows us to journey and alter our being to another state. For me it's always a state of happiness (unless it's bad tasting or bad quality food). This month, we have others who share with you their own personal experience with glorious food, such as supermodel, Carol Alt (pg 18) and wellness activist, Kris Carr (pg 26). This fabulous time of year, allows us to enjoy a greater variety of naturally produced foods from the north east region that you find at the many markets on the streets of New York.

Another important piece dear to my heart that we address this issue is Letting Kids Just Be Kids and how they thrive on natural, unstructured fun (pg 24). It seems that everyone today is in a busy hurry and they get their children in that same routine. A much different stretch of time from when I was a kid and we can just find entertainment from those on our block instead of being scheduled into daily activities. Although I understand why at times schedules are important, you should allow yourself and your kids a block of time to be free and do what comes naturally. Last summer and this summer I vowed to have no activities planned for my son and to allow each day to be it's own personal local journey. We have so many relationships that we never have time to fully explore and this plan allowed us to catch up with all those we love since we were not stuck in schedules and vacation plans. The memories are all positive from that experience.

While this month of July is unfolding, there is also a plethora of health, wellness, and spiritual events, all local, occurring within short miles of you. These personal and social experiences of summer allow us to thrive under the umbrella of the sun, while we soak up vitamin D and positive energy from the world around us. Have a wonderful summer!

Feel Good, Live Simply, Laugh More,