Growing up with a small field behind our house, we planted a fresh vegetable garden each spring. We’d till the garden, prepare the soil, sow the seeds and then tend and harvest the tomatoes, peppers, green beans, lettuce, squash, cucumbers, radishes and corn throughout the summer. Fresh-from-the-garden, organic, non-GMO vegetables and various greens with nutrient-dense soil attached were part of our daily meal consumption during my childhood summers.

Although a field is no longer available where I currently live, there is space for a raised bed gardening project. I’ve been thinking about it for the last several seasons, and this may be the year to get this project moving. I’ve been envisioning where the beds might be placed, how to construct them and of course, how I will I keep the squirrels out. As Bob Proctor says in You Were Born Rich, “Thoughts become things. If you see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hand.”

That quote reminds me of the phrase, “As within, so without”, which has been a historical cornerstone of religious, philosophical and psychological discussion. Perhaps the most common interpretation is: What we think about will be reflected in the world in which we live. This month, I’d like to consider that phrase in terms of what is happening within our bodies; specifically, in our gut. Perhaps the adjusted phrase may best be expressed, “As within our gut, so throughout the rest of our body.”

It seems that 70 to 80 percent of the immune system resides in the lining of the gut. That's just one important issue addressed in this month’s feature article on page 24, which encourages you to ditch the diet, eat for yourself and the planet, and learn how to care for and feed the all-important microbiome that resides in your gut.

Local medical experts Leia Anderson, ND, MS, from Natural Paths to Wellness, and Ross Marchegiani, DC, MSCN, from Turnpaugh Health and Wellness Center, also weigh in on the importance of proper gut health for both children and adults on page 28.

With spring right around the corner, seasonal allergies may not be far behind. Three stories in this issue are designed to help readers cope—with strategies for kids, adults and pets—along with a round-up of local contributors discussing natural ways to significantly reduce allergy symptoms on page 35.

As a challenging winter comes to a close, another spring turns on the calendar, bringing with it the eternal hope of a loving future as we continue to find and share ways to feel good, live simply and laugh more.