After meeting with our doctor, my husband is following her recommendation for new dietary restrictions. Making modifications to a diet to be gluten-free, monitor calories or sugar intake is not new for myself or my boys, but hubby has always enjoyed an unencumbered diet and the adjustment is a new experience. I’ve found that any type of lifestyle change is a process. When I went gluten-free well over a decade ago, it took time to find the products, skills and adaptations I needed to easily navigate recipes and menus. So, to help make the process easier, we decided to kick it off with a clean-eating cleanse. My husband enthusiastically agreed to this idea, but with conditions: it couldn't infringe on our trip to Boston or boy’s poker night. He managed to find a 2-week window that didn't impact his social schedule!

In our feature article, Natural Ways to Cleanse Body & Mind , Deanna Minich, Ph.D., an author and functional nutritionist states, “Toxins are best understood less as poisons than as barriers—obstacles
to the life and health we truly want.” I like the idea of a 14-day cleanse because it also supports a lifestyle change. By focusing on eating organic and avoiding gluten, soy, sugar and caffeine, the plan provides practice choosing healthier meals making it easier to incorporate into an ongoing lifestyle.

This issue is jam-packed with tips to support a summer detox. Discover the fast path to flushing toxins by breaking a sweat and even learn 10 ways to detox your dog. Incorporate clever ways to eat healthy anywhere and natural weight-loss strategies. Enjoy reading how Maria Rodale helps organic farmers succeed and enlightening ideas about money. This month, I hope you can celebrate your independence from toxins with a fresh summer meal plan.

Happy 4^th of July!

Kris Urquhart, Publisher