March, they say, comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I’m not sure the old cliché still applies given climate changes. Still, my youngest son, Matthew, is gearing up with a catalog of heirloom seeds anticipating the vernal equinox and the first day of spring. As always, I look forward to seeing what he plants. I particularly want to help expand this year’s herb garden. There is no comparison to the rush of harvesting homegrown veggies and then collecting a bouquet of fresh herbs to accent the wholesome bounty. The fragrances alone produce feel-good endorphins as you snip off the branches.

Eating healthfully is a choice we all have the opportunity to make several times a day. We are endlessly bombarded with marketing messages pushing us toward processed convenience foods. Today’s hurried lifestyles have long supported the growth of the high-calorie, low-nutrition takeout food industries in ways unprecedented in human history. Plus most are doused in chemical preservatives and other unhealthy additives. Who else has noticed that the frozen prepared foods section of the supermarket has spread to both sides of the aisle? It makes me flinch; it’s a worrying sign of our times that’ not in our best interests. Like me, you may have noticed how hard is it to find healthy options close by when eating on the run.

I remember watching local whole foods expert Christina Pirello about 20 years ago when she first started her PBS show Christina Cooks, still on the air today. Cooking “live” organic foods based her show as well as her personal survival after being diagnosed with cancer. Her repeated lesson—that you get back the energy you put into preparing your food has stuck with me through the years. I don’t see how it’s possible that we can receive that loving reciprocal energy when machines have done all the work. How many cooks other than family put love into every dish?

Melinda Hemmelgarn’s feature article, “Fresh Food Trends,” on page 16, shares a hopeful glimpse of top food trends that support the health of people and the planet. More Americans are becoming aware of the vital importance of eating healthy food and knowing where it comes from.

The onslaught of adult diseases in our children sounds an alarming wakeup call to us all (see Healthy Kids department, page 32). Genetically modified organism (GMO) crops and processed foods continue to gain ground at industrial farms and manufacturers and researchers believe such factors may be contributing to the rise in food sensitivities, with culprits ranging from synthetic additives like partially hydrogenated oils, artificial colors and flavors to artificial sweeteners.

We all need to become nutritional detectives to rid our bodies of troublesome ingredients. Better understanding of the rights and wrongs of current food production will ultimately be a good thing for society. Every enlightened consciousness helps lead the way.

To growing your own goodness,

Don Moore, Publisher