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Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey

Boo! To-Do: Join the Safer Halloween Movement

Halloween can be safe, economical and eco-friendly fun. Crusader costumes remain popular this year, but with a tutu twist. Avoid long skirts or capes that can trip up children and instead recycle a princess tulle skirt from a thrift shop into a shorter frock. T-shirt tops with a superhero logo plus a painted cardboard headpiece transforms kids into do-gooders. Homemade natural face paints are another alternative (see Tinyurl.com/Trick-Treat-Tips).

Treats should also be eco-friendly. Equal Exchange offers fair trade, organic and kosher low-fat chocolates from crops grown by small farmers in the Dominican Republic and Peru, shipped in a quantity big enough to split the cost with friends (Shop.EqualExchange.coop/chocolate.html). Nut-free, homemade trail mix, wrapped in eco-friendly tissue paper or a square of cloth tied shut, provides a welcome change from sweets.

In 2014, the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) organization launched the Teal Pumpkin Project. Place a downloadable sign in a window to announce that non-food, Earth-friendly treats are offered at the house for kids with allergies or food sensitivities (Tinyurl.com/TealHalloweenPumpkins).


This article appears in the October 2016 issue of Natural Awakenings.

Other Health and Fitness National Content Brief Global Brief Global and Health Briefs 2016 October Seasonal Brief
5 Top Tips to Finding Your Next Doctor

1 Keep an Open Mind! Healthcare has come a long way. Today, you have access to practitioners that branch outside of traditional medicine and aim to identify the root causes of conditions while using alternative treatments that may help you get the relief you need. Just because it’s not a pill, doesn’t make it pseudoscience.

2 Build Your Health Care Team. There is no one doctor that can be the be-all-end-all for your health needs. Be sure to have a team of practitioners with different “lenses” and areas of expertise who will treat the root cause and not just the symptom(s).

3   Environment Influences Healing. Health is multi-factorial. Your mental and emotional environment plays a pivotal role in your healing potential. Your doctors and their staff should create an office atmosphere filled with positivity so you can get the most out of your care.

4 Your Story Matters.  Before you begin any treatment, be sure to have a comprehensive consultation to discuss your health concerns. Find practitioners who welcome questions and will take the time to listen and treat you with respect.

5 Report of Findings. When it comes to our health, we often make decisions without understanding the risk versus benefits. Knowledge is an important part of the healing process and is essential to make conscious, informed health decisions. Find practitioners who take the time to explain their exam findings and the recommendations for treatment in ways that make sense to you.

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