“You need to have something green with every meal,” I told my oldest son Kyle. He’s still young enough to feel invincible and prefers anything that is grab and go, no prep required. I remember my mother instilling the “green rule” deeply within me and I still feel her influence at every meal.

Even with healthy eating choices, I occasionally struggle to find a word and can feel it just out of reach. “Studies show that high stress levels can also contribute to brain fog, involving difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness and mental fatigue,” shares Linda Sechrist in Healthy Brain Strategies: How to Prevent Cognitive Decline [page 24]. In addition, Dr. Mark Hyman recommends taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement, omega-3, extra vitamins B3, B6 and B12, folate and a good probiotic that enhances the brain-gut relationship. I certainly notice the cognitive difference when under stress or when I neglect my supplements.

Getting enough sleep, exercise, eating a plant-rich diet and remembering my supplements always helps me have the energy I need to feel good. “Insufficient vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 can be implicated in depression and anxiety symptoms,” explains Amy Spindel, functional holistic nutritionist in Eat Well to Feel Well: Thanksgiving Fare That Boosts Mental Health [page 28]. In this article, we explore the gut/brain and the food/mood connection. Also included are nutritious Thanksgiving recipes to add to your holiday table [page 30], and you can find more holiday recipes online at my-NA.com.

Also in this issue, you’ll discover the healing power of medicinal plants with David Crow, an expert in botanical medicine, author and herbalist in David Crow on the Healing Power of Medicinal Plants [page 26]. And in Dying Well: Four Steps to a Good Death, we consider how an awareness of dying can help us live life more fully [page 22]. 

This month, we celebrate Thanksgiving as an occasion to express gratitude and live fully from the heart. I’d like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for my family, friends, colleagues, our natural health community, and readers of this publication. I am so thankful to have you all in my life. Enjoy your gathering of family and friends and sharing love and gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kris Urquhart, Publisher