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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

Palo-Santo-Candles

Just the Good Stuff

Every month I struggle with what to write about. I want to state my opinions about the oceans being polluted, the effect of plastics on the environment, the water situation in our cities, litter, homelessness, war, peace, socialism, hackers that hack for no reason. 

But I can’t. We’re not an opinion magazine.  

I also want to write about parenting, our education system, how hard it is to be in the moment. I want to write about what I have learned through life—about the mistakes, the emotional dysfunction I have lived through, the ability to change and looking in the mirror for the answers.  Mostly I want to write about seeing the good, rejecting the negative, building an attitude for life and growing as a human.  

And I usually do.

As a health and wellness magazine, our mission is to offer readers important information that can be used to improve health, expand awareness and support the local, community connection. We also know good vibes are not just for fun—positive energy is key to health and happiness so I’m free to give my opinion on thinking positive, doing good, being honest and nurturing my soul. And I love that. But I’ve also learned that keeping opinion out of our pages is also a good thing. It keeps me from paying attention to the things that stress my brain. In my seven years as a publisher, a reader has never written to me with conflict about an opinion. And that’s a good thing.  

So, the bright thing is I love who we are, and I love what we do. No opinion—just good stuff printed here.  

In love, peace and laughter,

Joe Dunne


Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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