Natural Awakenings of NWFL

11/14/2025

🥣 Cozy Fall Recipe: Velvety Sweet Potato Bisque🍠

Looking for a nourishing, flavor-packed dish for the holidays (or any chilly evening)? Try this Sweet Potato Coconut Bisque — a creamy, plant-based comfort soup that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. 🌿✨

🌾 Yield: 2–3 servings

Ingredients:
🥔 5 organic sweet potatoes
🥥 1 can (13.5 oz) unsweetened Thai coconut milk
🥣 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
🌿 Olive oil, ghee (or vegan ghee), maple syrup, coconut sugar, cinnamon, ginger, smoked paprika & salt

Optional topping: Toasted pumpkin seeds with smoked salt, curry powder & a touch of coconut sugar — crunchy perfection! 😋

Directions:
1️⃣ Boil chopped sweet potatoes in broth until tender.
2️⃣ Blend with coconut milk and seasonings until smooth.
3️⃣ Swirl in extra coconut milk before serving.
4️⃣ (Optional) Add toasted pumpkin seeds for extra flavor and crunch!

This simple, nourishing bisque brings warmth, color, and gratitude to any Thanksgiving table. 🧡

Recipe courtesy of Marlaina Donato

11/13/2025

🌎🍂 A Sustainable Thanksgiving Feast 🍁

The Thanksgiving table is a place for gratitude, love, and delicious food — but it can also lead to food waste, energy use, and excess. With a little planning, we can make this holiday more eco-friendly and mindful of Mother Earth. 🌱

✨ Tips for a Sustainable Feast:
🥕 Shop local and seasonal — visit nearby farmers markets.
🍗 Choose pasture-raised or certified-humane meats.
🥦 Try plant-based mains like stuffed pumpkins or lentil loaves.
🍽️ Use cloth napkins and reusable tableware.
♻️ Save veggie scraps to make homemade broth and reduce waste.

🚗 Conscious Travel:
Drive on off-peak days, take public transit when possible, and pack reusable water bottles and containers.

🌿 Meaningful Touches:
Decorate with natural items — dried plants, fruits, or beeswax candles.
Share gratitude around the table and consider volunteering to spread kindness.

💚 Maximize Leftovers:
Freeze extras for future meals or share a plate with a neighbor in need.

Let’s celebrate with gratitude for each other — and for the planet that sustains us. 🌎💛

11/12/2025

🍂 Thanksgiving Food Distribution – Saturday, Nov. 15 🍗

Representative Michelle Salzman is partnering with Farm Share and Marcus Pointe Baptist Church to host a Thanksgiving Food Distribution this Saturday, November 15, at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church (6205 North W St., Pensacola).

📦 Distribution begins at 7:30 a.m. — while supplies last.
🚗 Cars may begin lining up at 6:00 a.m.

This special community event will provide 30,000 pounds of food and full Thanksgiving meals to the first 300 families! Each car will receive:
🥬 One box of fresh food
🦃 One box with a complete holiday meal

“This event is about coming together as a community to take care of one another,” says Rep. Salzman. “We’re grateful to Farm Share, Marcus Pointe Baptist Church and all of our partners who make it possible to provide for local families during the holidays.”

🙏 Volunteers Needed!
Community groups, students, and teams are encouraged to help make this event possible.

To sign up or learn more, contact Jennifer Harrison at
📧 Jennifer@GCPromo.com

📞 850-324-2744

Sponsored by: Farm Share, Marcus Pointe Baptist Church, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, International Paper, and Florida Power & Light — with support from additional community partners.

11/11/2025

✨Honoring Our Veterans ✨

Today, we pause to honor the brave men and women who have served our country with courage and dedication.
At Natural Awakenings, we celebrate not only their strength and sacrifice but also their resilience and commitment to peace, community, and well-being.

May we continue to support our veterans with compassion, mindfulness, and gratitude—today and every day. 💚

11/10/2025

As autumn’s wick burns low and sunsets unfurl their glory at an earlier hour, November emerges as a time of profound spiritual healing when we can learn how to navigate life’s transitions. Whether we are challenged by the chill of cooler temperatures, battling the grip of seasonal affective disorder or enduring the unpredictable waves of inner change, this sometimes-dim threshold into winter presents an opportunity for us to illuminate our own paths.

We might have to work a little harder to achieve our comfort, but simple pleasures like unplugging from our devices every afternoon to savor a hot cup of tea or a mug of frothy hot chocolate can help us find a lovely groove. Stocking up on cozy slipper socks, making savory stews in the slow cooker and flopping into a favorite well-worn chair with an inviting book are easy ways to guide our nervous system toward a slower rhythm.

As trees, plants and animals prepare for winter, we too can heed nature’s cue, despite our constant, on-the-go tendencies. The Persian poet Hafiz wrote, “I felt in need of a great pilgrimage, so I sat still for three days.” This reminds us that seeking quietude can be a gateway to realizing that we already possess what we truly need.

Tending to our own hearth—both literally and metaphorically—can be equally as enriching as traveling the world. Home is not just a physical structure that surrounds us, but also a rich and fulfilling realm within us. It’s a sacred place where we can find soul nourishment as the seasons change outside our door.

Here are a few gentle nudges for the last month of autumn:

· Indulge in specialty teas, coffees or cocoas.

· Enjoy a candlelit breakfast or dinner.

· Burn a cinnamon stick as a natural incense.

· Take a moment to observe twilight and savor the tranquility.

· Luxuriate in soft blankets and fluffy pillows.

· Write a snail-mail letter on beautiful paper to a special someone.

🖊Marlaina Donato is an author, painter and composer.

11/09/2025

11/09/2025

Happy Friday! I have 2 Red Light or 1 Reiki appointment left for Saturday at 10:15 AM CT. DM me to book!

11/07/2025

🍽️ Balancing Act: Blood Sugar Stability for Better Health and Mood

About 34–36 million Americans live with Type 2 diabetes—and another 88 million have prediabetes, a reversible condition often hidden in plain sight. But even for those without a diagnosis, unstable blood sugar can lead to low energy, mood swings, brain fog, food cravings, belly fat, hormonal imbalance, and poor sleep.

Experts say the key to feeling better starts with glucose stability—what and when we eat. Choosing whole, nutrient-dense foods, spacing meals wisely, and adding blood sugar–balancing herbs and spices like cinnamon, fenugreek, and moringa can make a big difference.

🩺 Pro Tips from the Experts:
• Eat protein and healthy fats before carbs to prevent glucose spikes.
• Focus on high-quality protein (about 30–40g per meal) and colorful veggies.
• Enjoy smart snacks like eggs, edamame, hummus, or cottage cheese with berries.
• Try herbal support—think cinnamon, holy basil tea, and Gymnema sylvestre for steady energy and fewer cravings.

As Dr. Iginio Stoppa notes, “Because glucose fuels both the brain and the body, balance is essential to feeling your best.”

Small daily choices can create lasting stability—helping you thrive with better mood, sharper focus, and all-day energy. 🌿

Learn more by reading the full article at https://www.naturalawakeningsnwf.com/

11/07/2025

11/06/2025

🌿 Bridging Science, Spirit & Healing: The Journey of Dr. Patrick Hanaway 🌿

For more than 25 years, Dr. Patrick Hanaway, a board-certified family physician and leader in functional medicine, has explored the art and science of true healing. From helping found the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine to teaching globally through the Institute for Functional Medicine, his work has shaped the future of integrative care.

But Hanaway’s journey goes deeper. Initiated as a Mara’akame (traditional healer) by the Huichol people of Mexico, he weaves together modern medicine and ancient wisdom—helping patients heal not just the body, but the mind and spirit.

After facing stage 4 laryngeal cancer, Hanaway embraced both medical treatment and shamanic practice, learning from nature, community, and the power of connection. “I discovered that I’m not alone,” he shares. “Healing happens when we ask for help—from people, from the earth, from life itself.”

Today, as Chief Medical Officer at KnoWEwell, Hanaway continues to guide a global wellness community toward wholeness—bridging science, spirituality, and the sacred relationship between humans and the living world. 🌎

Learn more by reading this Online Exclusive article at https://www.naturalawakeningsnwf.com/

KnoWEwell