December 2020 Natural Awakenings Jacksonville - St. Augustine Welcome to the December 2020 Issue! Amazon Climate Label Facilitates Greener Choices Amazon is labeling approximately 25,000 products with a Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) designation to meet a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2040. Read More » A New Story for the World: Re-Visioning the Script for a Healthier Society and Planet A revolutionary new way of viewing the world and our place in it points to a future that regenerates the natural environment and reinforces our essential interconnectedness. Read More » California Passes Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act California governor has signed the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act into law, which bans 24 ingredients from cosmetics and personal care products sold within the state. Read More » Christmas Cocoa Crunch Bark Spread cheer over the holidays with this delicious recipe for Christmas Cocoa Crunch Bark, a healthy way to sweeten the season. Read More » Climate Refugees Could Reach One Billion by 2050 According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, more than 1 billion people worldwide will live in countries with insufficient infrastructure to withstand climate change by 2050. Read More » Eat Cruciferous Veggies for Cleaner Blood Vessels Research finds those that eat more than 45 grams of cruciferous vegetables a day, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, are less likely to have calcium buildup in the aorta. Read More » Energy Bites These customizable energy bites are the perfect snack to grab and go, taking 5 minutes or less to make. It's easy to create festive bites for the holidays by adding food coloring. Read More » For a Healthy Baby, Take a Multivitamin, Exercise and Ditch the Devices Studies find that device use can lower sperm quality, daily prenatal multivitamins can reduce the risk of autism, and healthy diet and exercise during pregnancy can protect against obesity. Read More » Fresh Rituals for a New Year Here are several New Year’s rituals to help us connect more deeply to our loved ones, to ourselves and to a richer sense of purpose as we embrace the promise of 2021. Read More » Holiday Treats for Pets: Homemade Recipes They Will Love These festive holiday homemade pet treat recipes for Pumpkin Apple Pie, Eggnog, and Turkey Meatballs will have a dog woofing for more and a cat purring for seconds. Read More » Instilling the Giving Spirit in Kids The holiday season is the perfect time for parents to encourage children to learn about the value of giving, teaching empathy and compassion as lifelong lessons. Read More » Lentil Brown Rice Soup Give your loved ones the gift of healthy food this holiday season with a recipe and jar full of all the dry ingredients to make Lentil Brown Rice Soup. Read More » Matt Kahn on Transforming the Planet With Love Interview with bestselling author, spiritual teacher and empathic healer Matt Kahn on mantras, lessons from turbulent times, advice for protesting and awakening on a collective level. Read More » MilkRun Gives Farmers Direct Sales MilkRun, a Portland, Oregon company, is supporting local farmers on small farms by enabling them to sell produce safely and directly to consumers. Read More » Mind-Body Fitness: How Mindfulness Benefits Workouts Have fewer exercise injuries, improve immunity, reduce stress and develop a commitment to fitness by applying mindfulness approaches to your workouts. Read More » Nap Less for Heart Health For normal nighttime sleepers, taking a midday snooze for more than one hour may hurt cardiovascular health, reports a surprising new study. Read More » Pay Where We Play: Boosting the Hometown Economy Spending money on purchases from local businesses in the community is so important to help to build robust hometown economies. Here are ways to support your region with your buying power. Read More » Practice Yoga to Improve Atrial Fibrillation Yoga postures and breathing may significantly reduce episodes of atrial fibrillation, suggests a new study. Read More » Ras el Hanout Spice Mix Spice up dishes with the zesty blend of flavors in this recipe for Ras el Hanout, great for sprinkling onto roasting vegetables or added to falafel mixes, soups, stews and tagines. Read More » Reinvent the Holidays: More Meaning, Less Stuff The pandemic is shifting this year’s holidays, motivating parents to seek out affordable, meaningful, sustainable and non-material gift ideas for kids, saving money and creating memories. Read More » Retain Muscle Mass with Vitamin C New research shows that older people that simply eat lots of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables have greater skeletal muscle mass than those that don’t eat these foods. Read More » Rosemary-Infused Vinegar This fragrant, versatile rosemary-infused vinegar recipe makes a delightful holiday gift that can be enjoyed for months, delicious in salad dressings, on vegetables or added to sauces. Read More » Saving Arctic Ice Using Glass Beads Arctic Ice Project is proposing to scatter a thin layer of reflective silica glass particles over parts of the Arctic in an effort to protect it from the sun and help ice to re-form. Read More » Sing to Heal: Using the Voice to Uplift Mind and Body Singing along to music, humming or chanting mantras can boost mental and physical health, from improving immunity, memory and mood to reducing stress, depression and anxiety. Read More » Starting Off Singing: Humming and Singing Tips to Try Expert advice on how to start reaping the health benefits of singing by consciously humming, listening to an uplifting playlist or chanting a mantra. Read More » The Gift of Yum: Homemade Treats Spark Holiday Cheer Edible homemade gift ideas that make for healthy holiday treats to help slow down the shopping frenzy of the season and provide nourishing food to loved ones. Read More » ’Tis the Season to Save the Planet: Eco-Friendly Holiday Ideas Reduce holiday-related waste with these sustainable twists on classic traditions and eco-friendly, low-waste gift ideas and tips. Read More » WellExplorer App Can Warn of Toxic Drinking Water WellExplorer is an interactive tool that allows residents and scientists to find out what toxins have been deposited in their drinking water as a result of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Read More » Inner Peace, a New Definition of Happiness Our mental health needs to be one of our top priorities. When you feel mentally healthy, happiness and productivity automatically increase. Consider following these suggestions to gain inner peace and purpose in your life. Read More » More of North Florida’s Edible Plants The flowers, leaves and/or roots of many of our native plants can also be eaten, with some providing healthy doses of antioxidants. It’s important only to eat plant material from areas that are free of herbicide and pesticide treatments. Read More » Move and Soothe Class and Past-Life Regression Meditation Event at Mind, Body and Beyond Center Mind Body and Above hosts two exciting up-coming classes. Read More » Variety of Teacher Training Options Available at Yoga Den for 2021 Yoga Den, with multiple studios in the Jacksonville area, has many 200- and 300-hour teacher training courses available starting in January. Read More » In-Print singing festive edibles world story simplify holidays