Natural Awakenings - May 2014 Read the May 2014 edition of Natural Awakenings. Funny Tummy?: Probiotic Foods Can Fix a Troubled Gut To sidestep gas, bloating, cramps, and diarrhea, we need to maintain the right balance of bacteria in our intestinal tract. Read More » Body Ease: Fluid, Flexible Movement Can Be Ours Unconscious physical patterns can throw our bodies out of whack and stiffen us up, but three approaches – Alexander, Feldenkrais and Trager – offer options for easier movement. Read More » Contraceptive Pill Chill: Dangers Include Cancer, Strokes and Fatigue Earlier bad news about the Pill grows worse with new evidence that it contributes to nutrient depletion, which fast-forwards disease and aging. Read More » Pain-Free Pooch: Five Natural Therapies that Work Modalities such as massage, acupuncture and energy healing can ease pain in injured and aging dogs. Read More » Whoa! to Limitations: Therapeutic Horseback Riding Strengthens Kids At riding centers nationwide, physically challenged children seated on the backs of horses build muscle tone and life changing self-esteem. Read More » Harmful Harmonics: Whales Under Siege by Seismic Surveys Powerful undersea air guns that probe the sea floor for oil and gas deposits are interfering with whale communication and navigation; there is an answer. Read More » Greening Garbage: Activist Turns City Food Waste into Rural Soil In Washington, D.C., a company named Compost Cab picks up food waste and delivers it to local farms for soil enrichment. Read More » Information Overload: Organic Food Labeling Causes Confusion Americans recognize the value of organic produce but some suspect that the label also applies as an excuse for higher prices. Read More » Forests Preserve: Trees Rescue Urbanites from Dirty Air The wooded areas of cities actually save lives by removing pollution from the air, reports the U.S. Forest Service. Read More » Solar Surge: Global Rise in Sun-Generated Power Countries both rich and impoverished are moving toward greater use of solar power in homes and villages. Read More » Bikes-to-Go: Cycling Gains Ground at Colleges and in Cities With racks of rentable bikes in New York and growing numbers of bike pathways at campuses, life is getting easier for those on two wheels. Read More » Sinking Reptiles: World Turtle Day Sounds Alarm The world’s oldest creatures are rapidly disappearing, but there are practical steps we can take right here at home to save them. Read More » Healthy Homemade Infant Food Reduces Kids’ Allergies: Start Children on a Diet Rich in Fruits and Veggies Early On Hand-making food with fruits and veggies for infants makes them far less allergy-prone as toddlers. Read More » Radical Fuel: Three Automakers Roll Out Hydrogen Models Toyota, Hyundai and Honda are introducing fuel-cell cars that can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour without pollution or the noise of a roaring engine. Read More » Multivitamins with Selenium Counter HIV: Supplement Aids the Immune System in Patients People with HIV taking a daily multivitamin and selenium for two years had better blood tests and fewer health problems. Read More » Vitamin D No Help for Bone Mass or Hip Fractures: Supplement Does Not Offer Protection Vitamin D is not only of little use in preventing hip fractures, it also is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, studies report. Read More » Merciér Pelvic Massage Boosts Women’s Fertility: Noninvasive Treatment Yields High Success Rate A noninvasive infertility treatment that combines pelvic massage with supplements had an 83 percent success rate of conception in a groundbreaking study. Read More » Drinking Cow’s Milk While Nursing Linked to Infant Eczema: Mothers' Dairy Intake Can Cause Skin Allergies in Babies In Thai and British studies, the babies of women that drank cow milk while breastfeeding were much more likely to have skin allergies. Read More » Volleying Life: Gabrielle Reece on Her Balancing Act The athlete, model, wife, mom and sustainability activist speaks on the importance of self-care, strategizing and supportive girlfriends. Read More » Feng Shui Fashionista: Dressing with Conscious Intention Tuning into the five elements of nature—wood, fire, earth, metal and water—can help us choose clothing that harmonizes our intention with our appearance. Read More » Best Weddings: Small, Simple, Sustainable A ceremony can affirm a couple’s love for the planet as well as for each other. Read More » Dangerous Additive: FDA Finally Regulates Triclosan It’s taken 26 years, but the Food and Drug Administration is now moving to regulate Triclosan, a possible endocrine-disrupter detected in three-quarters of people in studies. Read More » Roundup Toxin Accumulates in GM Soybeans: Glyphosate Found in Genetically Modified, Not in Organic In a recent study, genetically modified soybeans across the board contained glyphosate from Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, and also had lower levels of protein and zinc than organic soybeans. Read More » Live Your Song: It Keeps Us in Tune with Ourself We each have a unique vibrational frequency that traditional cultures call our soul song, and listening to it guides us throughout our life. Read More » The Healing Power of Massage: From Body Repair to Reversing the Blues Soothing away muscle pain is just the beginning. New studies show that massage also relieves a surprisingly wide range of conditions, from osteoporosis to post-operative anxiety to depression. Read More » Trust Your Intuition: Listen to that Still, Small Voice and Let it Lead You By moving beyond the busybody mind and relaxing deeply, we open the doorway to intuitive insights that unerringly guide us toward happiness. Read More » In-Print