We Asked…

Community Question

We asked readers to share on social media and in our weekly newsletter: In what ways have environmental changes in the Great Lakes region impacted your health? Thank you to all who responded. Here’s what you said….   I am not sure how it impacts my health. I would say maybe mentally because the seasons […]

Reaping Rewards

Eriko Kojima. Photo by Kris DaPra

How environmental volunteer opportunities take people outside of themselves Eriko Kojima readily admits that she used to be a couch potato. “I was an indoorsy person. I didn’t like to exercise, and I had bouts of depression,” she says. Then, one July day in 2015, she went on a hike and learned that the Forest Preserves […]

Medical Mission

Peter Smith, MD, and a team of volunteer medical workers operate on children in Colombia.

One Chicago doctor takes his compassion and skills south of the border In his desk at Shriners Children’s Hospital Chicago, Peter Smith, MD, keeps a drawing that a child in Colombia made for him. The drawing shows a doctor in scrubs with angel wings on his back. The drawing humbles Smith and reminds him of why […]

Smart Tracking

Man hiking outdoors checking his smartwatch to check health. smart health trackers. Smart Tracking

5 ways to use your smartphone (or smartwatch) to track your health When a woman on a cross-country flight fell ill recently, the pilots focused on staying calm and getting her safely to medical attention on the ground. They radioed the airport where they would land, and a physician there walked them through what to […]

Natural High

exercise outside

Why getting outside does wonders for your health Do you find yourself stuck inside, reluctant to emerge from your cocoon? Here’s a reason to force yourself through the door: Older adults who spent just 15 minutes outdoors reported feeling more grateful and more optimistic afterwards, according to a recent study. Other research has found that […]

Here’s the Beef

Portrait of a cow in a pasture. Beef is the most environmentally damaging form of meat

Cutting back on red meat has an outsized impact on the environment Katherine Tellock was in no rush to give up meat. But when the Chicago resident learned that removing meat from her diet could reduce her carbon footprint even more than switching to a hybrid vehicle, she cut down her meat consumption overall and […]

Eating for Earth

Illustration of farmer with produce, harvest, representing environmental nutrition

Environmental nutrition offers an eating approach for your health and the planet’s Healthy eating isn’t just good for you; it can also benefit society and the planet. That’s the goal of environmental nutrition.  “Environmental nutrition focuses on nourishing our population while balancing our earth’s resources,” says Beth Gordon, registered dietitian nutritionist at Northwestern Medicine. “A […]