Natural Awakenings Philadelphia

10/09/2025

Salmon and Roasted Asparagus

Yield: 2 servings

2 wild-caught salmon fillets

1 lb fresh asparagus, washed

2 Roma tomatoes

1 avocado, sliced

1 head butter lettuce, divided in half

½ lemon, sliced in two

1 to 2 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp fresh or dried thyme leaves

Sprinkle of oregano

Himalayan salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, drizzled



Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Place salmon in a baking dish and squeeze an even amount of lemon juice on each fillet. Season filets evenly with chopped garlic and thyme leaves. Add Himalayan salt and black pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake salmon in the oven for 25 minutes.

Place asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil on top. Add Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste. Roast the asparagus in the oven for 15 minutes.

Serve salmon on a bed of butter lettuce with chopped Roma tomatoes, avocado and roasted asparagus on the side.

**ARTICLE TO BE CONTINUED ON OUR WEBSITE**

👉Read more on our website: www.naphiladelphia.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine

10/08/2025

Feeding Our Brain Power: What To Eat for Mental Acuity

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about one in 10 adults aged 45 and older experience worsening memory loss or cognitive decline, a precursor to dementia. A 2022 study in JAMA Neurology indicates that 22 percent of adults over age 65 experience mild cognitive impairment. Our dietary choices significantly impact brain longevity, and what we avoid is equally important.

The late pioneering researcher Dr. Martha Clare Morris developed the MIND Diet, which merges the Mediterranean and DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diets to enhance cognitive function with plenty of delicious versatility. A 2015 study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that strict adherence to the MIND Diet can reduce Alzheimer’s risk by 53 percent, while moderate adherence can lower it by 35 percent.

The MIND Diet is a stress-free, lifelong plan with bountiful menu options, including fish, lean poultry, vegetables, nuts, berries, whole grains, legumes and high-quality olive oil. It accommodates gluten-free and plant-based preferences. With satiating breakfast options like Greek yogurt or scrambled eggs, spicy chili for lunch and fun dinner burrito bowls, this diet is flexible and beginner-friendly, allowing for moderate consumption of pasta, potatoes and bread, with a focus on whole-grain, complex carbohydrates over refined ones. It also recommends oven roasting instead of high-heat frying.

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👉Read more on our website: www.naphiladelphia.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine

10/08/2025

We love and support local animal rescue❤️ Fostering saves lives.

🚨 POOR JUDD HAS NO WHERE TO GO AND NO ONE HAS OFFERED🚨
This baby beat PARVO & faught fo his life … but not one single person has offered to foster him 💔

Judd has to leave the hospital.
He’s only 12 weeks old and just survived one of the toughest battles a puppy can face. After everything he’s been through, he deserves a soft place to rest, not to be stuck in a kennel.

He’s still on antibiotics, so his foster home must have fully vaccinated dogs or no dogs at all. Judd is gentle, grateful, and just wants to finally feel safe.

Please if you’ve ever thought about fostering, this is the one who truly needs you right now. ❤️

📍 Located in the Philadelphia area
📋 Foster Application: https://airtable.com/appghIpDwwgbj9bGg/shrSxdQa3JaNscsP7
🐾 Kennel License #18024
📬 P.O. Box 5299, Springfield, PA 19064

10/07/2025

Strong at Any Age: Embracing Resistance Training During Menopause

Menopause marks a significant transition in a woman’s life, bringing with it numerous physiological changes that can affect health, mobility and quality of life. Among these changes, declines in muscle mass, bone density and balance present particular challenges. Research suggests that resistance training is a safe and effective strategy to counteract these effects.

For women navigating perimenopause and menopause, it is not just a savvy fitness choice, but a crucial intervention to improve strength, balance, lean muscle mass and bone health, thereby reducing the risk of falls and injuries while supporting healthy aging.

Physiological Challenges of Menopause
Perimenopause can last for two to 10 years leading up to menopause, which is officially marked by 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 and involves a natural decline in estrogen production. This hormonal shift accelerates loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) and bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis), both of which are critical factors for maintaining physical function and preventing injury.

“Once in menopause, we lose muscle and bone mass at a faster rate, so strength training helps counteract that loss,” explains . Dr. Brenda Heinecke, physical therapist and pelvic floor specialist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Muscle weakness and decreased balance increase the risk of falls, a leading cause of injury in older adults, while reductions in lean body mass slow metabolism and contribute to weight gain.

**ARTICLE TO BE CONTINUED ON OUR WEBSITE**

👉Read more on our website: www.naphiladelphia.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine

10/06/2025

Experience Holistic Healing at Interconnective Health’s New Center

Interconnective Health will open its new wellness center at 5055 Swamp Road, Suite 203, in Fountainville, on October 1, offering a wide range of holistic services to support body, mind and spirit. To
celebrate, the center will host an Open House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 25, inviting the public to tour the facility, meet practitioners, explore services and connect with a community focused on integrative well-being. Refreshments will be provided.

Designed as a unique wellness center, Interconnective Health provides a multitude of modalities, including homeopathy, naturopathy, bioenergetic testing, HeartMath testing, hypnosis, art therapy, reiki, acupuncture, reflexology, qigong and yoga classes, nutritional coaching, food preparation/meal planning and pick up, retreats, intravenous therapy, personal training, lymphatic drainage, red light therapy, ionic foot detox, massage, chiropractic care, coherency healings, corporate and long-term care, energetic healing for pets and more.

Practitioners emphasize individualized care, empathy and deep listening, supporting those navigating chronic pain, seeking stress relief or pursuing overall vitality. Visitors to the Open House can ask questions, experience demonstrations, and learn how the center’s services can help balance hormones, reduce stress, support detox and promote wellness.

**ARTICLE TO BE CONTINUED ON OUR WEBSITE**

👉Read more on our website: www.naphiladelphia.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine

10/04/2025

Connecting Community With Yogic Tradition: Kula Kamala Ashram Offers Universal Teachings and Restorative Practices

Nestled in the peaceful countryside of Berks County, Pennsylvania, Kula Kamala Foundation & Yoga Ashram is quietly reshaping what it means to live a spiritual life in today’s world. More than just a local yoga center, the ashram serves as a nonprofit sanctuary for both local and global communities, supports meaningful causes, fosters creative solutions and encourages inclusive spiritual exploration.

“We are an interfaith, inclusive space rooted in the principles of Sanatana Dharma—a universal perspective of truth, goodness, service and nonviolence. The work we do is summoned by our sincere calling to make the world a little more welcoming, a little less intimidating, and life more radiant and peaceful,” explains Swamini Shraddhananda Saraswati, affectionately known as SwaminiJi. Founded in 2015 by SwaminiJi and her husband, Ed RamaChandra Allitt (now deceased), the ashram is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, with offerings available both in person and online.

One of the ashram’s most beloved offerings is chanting—a practice rooted in yogic tradition. “The music and mantras are filled with messages of love and peace,” SwaminiJi observes. “We teach mantra from the beginning. We start with the history, work through the pronunciation and cultivate the bhav, the sweetest intention of devotion.” SwaminiJi personally leads the chanting training programs, which focus on either a traditional method called veda or a more modern approach. “When we chant, we witness people relax—their faces and nervous systems soften. It’s transformative physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.” Chanting is offered both online and in person.

**ARTICLE TO BE CONTINUED ON OUR WEBSITE**

👉Read more on our website: www.naphiladelphia.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine

10/03/2025

Step Up for Love: Join Fifth Annual Village Walk/Run for Haiti

We the Village, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the Love Orphanage in Haiti, invites the community to take part in the fifth annual Village Walk/Run on October 4. Participants can join in Philadelphia at the Art Museum, walk with Soul Sanctuary’s South Jersey group at Strawberry Lake Park, in Moorestown, or take part anywhere—they can walk, run, swim, cycle or even dance their way through a 5K or 10K, solo or with friends and family.

Love Orphanage was founded by Haitian-born Gabriel Fedelu after the devastating 2010 earthquake, which left thousands of children orphaned or abandoned. Fifteen years later, it continues to provide stability despite political unrest, food shortages and disrupted schools.

**ARTICLE TO BE CONTINUED ON OUR WEBSITE**

👉Read more on our website: www.naphiladelphia.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine

10/03/2025

Step Up for Love: Join Fifth Annual Village Walk/Run for Haiti

We the Village, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the Love Orphanage in Haiti, invites the community to take part in the fifth annual Village Walk/Run on October 4. Participants can join in Philadelphia at the Art Museum, walk with Soul Sanctuary’s South Jersey group at Strawberry Lake Park, in Moorestown, or take part anywhere—they can walk, run, swim, cycle or even dance their way through a 5K or 10K, solo or with friends and family.

Love Orphanage was founded by Haitian-born Gabriel Fedelu after the devastating 2010 earthquake, which left thousands of children orphaned or abandoned. Fifteen years later, it continues to provide stability despite political unrest, food shortages and disrupted schools.

*ARTICLE TO BE CONTINUED ON OUR WEBSITE**

👉Read more on our website: www.nasouthjersey.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine

10/03/2025

Honoring the Legacy of Jane Goodall

Today, the world bids farewell to Dr. Jane Goodall, a true pioneer whose life and work transformed our understanding of primates, conservation, and the interconnection of all living beings.

From her groundbreaking research with chimpanzees in Tanzania to her global advocacy for environmental stewardship, Jane Goodall reshaped the way humanity views the natural world. She showed us that animals are not objects of study, but individuals with rich emotional lives, complex social structures, and the right to exist in peace.

Her tireless efforts extended far beyond science. Through the Jane Goodall Institute and her Roots & Shoots program, she inspired generations of changemakers to take action for animals, people, and the planet. Her message was always one of hope — that each of us has the power to make a difference, no matter how small the action may seem.

As we reflect on her passing, we celebrate her extraordinary legacy: a life lived with courage, curiosity, and compassion. Jane Goodall reminded us that to protect nature is to protect ourselves, and her work will continue to guide and inspire future generations.

May we honor her memory by carrying forward her vision — a world where humans live in harmony with animals and the Earth. 🌍💚

10/02/2025

Activating Neuroplasticity: The Brain’s Ultimate Rewind Button

The brain has an amazing ability to rewire itself by strengthening, rerouting or growing new connections in response to learning, experience or injury. This continuous reshaping is known as neuroplasticity. The changes can be positive, such as regaining movement or speech after a stroke or learning a new skill. Sometimes they are neutral, and other times they can be harmful when maladaptive patterns reinforce chronic pain or anxiety. Fortunately, the brain can grow and adapt at any age, and there are many ways to help it thrive. Nourishing foods, mindful movement, meditation, social connection, clean air and restful sleep are everyday choices that can nurture the brain in powerful ways.

Neuroplasticity Across the Lifespan
It has long been believed that children’s brains are more malleable as they grow, and that once they reach adulthood, the brain stops evolving. But new research suggests that this may not be the full story. While the brains of developing children are certainly very adaptable, the adult brain is far from fixed.

A variety of influences, including stress, hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, medications, environmental stimulation, learning and aging, can reshape how brain cells are built and function. These factors may trigger changes in the size or structure of brain regions, shift the brain’s chemical makeup, alter the shape of individual neurons and even rewire networks of connections, sparking the growth of new neurons in a process called neurogenesis.

Scientists have long known that injuries, chronic stress and the natural process of aging can take a toll on the brain. Yet, new discoveries in neuroscience and integrative medicine point to the remarkable potential for repair and renewal at every phase of life.

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👉Read more on our website: www.naphiladelphia.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine

10/01/2025

Letter from the Publisher

Friends,

They say 50 is the new 30. Honestly, I’m still not sure who they are or what scale they’re using. Energy levels? Looks? Retirement countdown? If it’s about remembering why I walked into a room, I can tell you with confidence that they are mistaken. At this stage, I can forget my purpose mid-step and somehow manage to wake up sore after a night of lying perfectly still. Apparently, sleep now counts as a high-impact sport.

But here’s the good news: aging isn’t only about what we lose—it’s about what we can strengthen, discover, and celebrate. Which brings us to this month’s issue—where we shine the spotlight on brain health.

Our feature story, “Activating Neuroplasticity: The Brain’s Ultimate Rewind Button,” explores the brain’s ability to rewire itself. From regaining speech after a stroke to learning a new hobby, our brains constantly reshape and strengthen connections. It’s proof that fresh starts are possible at any age.

Food also plays a starring role in mental vitality. In “Feeding Our Brain Power: What to Eat for Mental Acuity,” we look at how simple shifts—like adding leafy greens, omega-3s, and antioxidant-rich foods—can sharpen focus and protect long-term brain health.

The body-mind connection also shines through. “Strong at Any Age: Embracing Resistance Training During Menopause” shows how strength training builds confidence and vitality. Meanwhile, “Rewiring the Stress Response: Therapies to Restore Balance and Calm” offers practical ways to quiet the nervous system and manage stress with resilience.

**ARTICLE TO BE CONTINUED ON OUR WEBSITE**

👉Read more on our website: www.naphiladelphia.com
👉Link in bio to the Magazine