Happy July 4th! It is truly a time to appreciate our freedom and independence!!

While it seems like just yesterday we were caravanning across the country, we have now been in Idaho for a year! We have met many new people and have a wonderful circle of friends. We are active in the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce (CDA Regional Chamber) , the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club (Rotary Club), and Bernie was recently named a Board Member of the Museum of North Idaho (MONI).

Last fall the Museum sponsored Cemetery Tours during Halloween! We had a wonderful time on the Tour learning about the history of the area and the people which spurred our interest in the Museum.

For those of you here in Idaho, we would appreciate if you would consider joining the Museum. Actually, anyone can join, as a sizable portion of Museum members are from out of state! There are several membership options for both individuals and corporations, including reciprocals with other Museums throughout the country. You can see those here: Become A Member. There are also opportunities to donate Donate and corporate sponsorships as well (call Bernie for more details).

July has several health awareness topics associated with it. We will comment and focus on two: UV Safety Awareness Month and Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month. As we continue this theme of health awareness, we find it quite interesting how many “awarenesses” there are each month. We have found an even more comprehensive list at: Health Observances Calendar.

Safety in the Sun

We have had a few articles in the past about sun safety. Among our favorite sun protection products are those from 3rd Rock Essentials. This link takes you to a brief article about 3rd Rock from where you can go to their website and learn even more! Healthy Sun Protection

Our newsletter from August 2016 also included some valuable information about enjoying the sun. Here is that link: Enjoy the Sun

Juvenile Arthritis

A quick thought on this topic. We have come across several cases where the medical diagnosis is juvenile arthritis, but the underlying cause was gluten sensitivity. When gluten is removed from the diet, the “arthritis” goes away. Keep this in mind as other food sensitivities, particularly to nightshades and corn can create inflammation in both kids and adults that can be diagnosed as arthritis.

Here’s some presentation slides to help you better understand gluten, the relationship to celiac and other digestive disorders, and why gluten-free diets may not completely resolve the issue: Understanding Gluten

A major debate in natural health concerns the relationship between glyphosate (the popular and universally used pesticide) and gluten. There is some evidence that glyphosate plays a significant role with gluten issues. Glyphosate

And of course we cannot discuss food sensitivities without considering corn: Corn