Welcome to our September edition, packed with information to help you live your best life, naturally. Be sure to look around here on our website for additional content.

Have you ever foraged for mushrooms? Wild mushrooms infuse dishes with exciting flavor and texture. Sometimes called chicken of the woods, the species that grow wild throughout North America are also grown commercially. Check out the recipes for seasonally focused dishes featuring the complex flavors and textures of fungi.

The organic and locally sourced foods we carefully select deserve to be prepared in the healthy cookware. Learn how to choose non-toxic pots and pans in green living on page 20.

As children begin a new school year, whether as homeschoolers or in public school, nurturing their creativity and imagination rests largely on parents and caregivers. Creative thinking skills peak at age 6 and start to decline once a child’s formal education begins. As a parent I find that alarming. Taking in new information should stimulate a child’s imagination, not stifle it. Learn techniques to encourage curiosity and imagination in natural parenting on page 24.

An unknown author wrote, “A great horse will change your life. The truly special ones define it.” Equine-assisted psychotherapy combines mental health counseling with equine care. Horses are relationship-oriented and intuitively sense and honestly respond to the emotions of those around them, which makes the horse-human bond a powerful healing mechanism. As a horse owner and equine enthusiast, I’ve experienced the healing power of horses. Learn more about it in natural pet on page 22.

We hope you enjoy this edition and encourage you to explore new ways to obtain optimum wellness. Connect with our skilled and intuitive advertisers. It’s their partnership that makes this monthly magazine possible.

To your health,

Rebecca Young, Publisher