
In the springtime, we eagerly anticipate the fresh green of the new foliage, signifying the awakening of life in the flora around us after a cold and often long winter. As each season fades into the next, and the green turns into various hues of gold, red, orange and brown, then retreats into bareness, we may grumble and express our discontent. Yet, when acres of green forest teeming with life are cut down to raise lifeless, colorless buildings, we do not seem to be bothered.

There was a time in the not too distant past when choosing what to eat was simple. It entailed a jaunt to the garden or orchard and harvesting what was in season or venturing to the cellar for canned green beans or peaches. Meats were processed at the local butcher and cured for longevity. Maybe you traded raspberries for apples with a neighbor.
America has become the land of the unhealthy. About two-thirds of the nation is considered overweight or obese, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some lay blame at the hands of food conglomerates that bioengineer our food for higher profit margins. Others scapegoat our sedentary behaviors. Looking back at the way things once were, it is easy to ask: Were we better off before microwaveable meals, fast food restaurants and 24/7 on-demand entertainment?
Minnesotans are continually making choices for a greener life and now, with the reemergence of green burial, it is becoming easier to make environmentally aware decisions regarding our deaths.
Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting-edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies' ability to ward off and combat disease. Naturopathic physicians base their practice on six timeless principles founded on medical tradition and scientific evidence: (1) let nature heal, (2) identify and treat causes, (3) first, do no harm, (4) educate patients, (5) treat the whole person and (6) prevent illness.

What we consider to be alternative medicine today was not always so "alternative." Around the turn of the 20th century, there were 22 homeopathic medical schools, more than 100 homeopathic hospitals and more than 1,000 homeopathic pharmacies in the U.S. About one third of all doctors practiced homeopathic medicine as their primary method of care. Like many sustainable solutions offered in Do It Green! Magazine, alternative medicine isn't anything new—instead, it includes some of the oldest forms of medicine that have been tested for centuries around the world.
The average salon customer is in contact with hair color ammonia about every 4-7 weeks while hair stylists have daily contact with ammonia.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ammonia is listed as a hazardous substance that has related negative health effects including headaches, loss of appetite, and fatigue due to the ammoniated smells.