The name Martha Stewart can produce a wide variety of reactions, from happiness and inspiration to irritation and disgust. Various opinions aside, Body+Soul has quickly established itself as a reliable source for healthy, natural, peaceful living since it was acquiring by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2004. Launched in 1974 as New Age Journal, the name was changed in 2001 in order to reflect the wide variety of themes and topics the publication covers: "organic food, natural medicine, mind-body fitness, environmentally conscious consumerism, and spiritual and personal growth."

Having subscribed to this particular magazine for nearly three years, I've found that not only do the features offer unique insight into the sustainable world, but the simple tips sprinkled throughout the first half of each issue are just as valuable. From the magazine's website, the blurb for the June 2007 issue barely scratches the surface of all the helpful tidbits in this issue.

Live a healthy, full life! Our summer special is full of ideas to help you savor the season. Save energy and money with our home energy guide, learn 20 secrets to keep you healthy and active through Labor Day, and prepare a delicious Mediterranean barbecue for family and friends.

Often overlooked by the average consumer, magazine cover art directly affects the successful sale of each issue. The selection of the cover and inside photography highly reflects the quality of the magazine. Of course, the Martha Stewart crew has a beautiful eye and the pleasing visuals are just as splendid as the information Body+Soul offers. Clean, cozy, and lived-in is often the vibe presented on the cover of each issue, include the June 2007 copy. On the newsstands, you often finds images that are "too perfect", as though you would never see such a picture in real life. Even in a few of the other MS magazines, I personally get that vibe, but B+S feels much more down-to-earth.

While pictures are worth a thousand words, the articles and features are just as important. Each issue begins with a one-page "Action Plan", which includes six simple ways to better your life and the planet, and ends with "Ten Thoughts on Whole Living", providing an overview of the issue's key thoughts and concepts. A common complaint from the average American is that most feel the climate problem is too big for one person to make a difference, but the Action Plan bestows a few month- and season-specific tips to improve the health of your own life and our planet. I've found these two features to be fantastically useful, perfect for ripping out and hanging on the fridge as a daily reminder of how to make a difference and keep your life in perspective.

Instead of the common "Letters to the Editor" section, Body+Soul has a "Reader to Reader" section where you can read a variety of reflections from people all over the country on a particular topic. For the June issue, "readers reflect on the personal choices that have turned their lives in a positive direction." While it is nice to read what others thing of the publication and its past features, being able to learn form others you wouldn't normally meet is quite refreshing - different is good. Following this section is the "Whole Living" area, which provides "quick tips and fresh ideas for living a balanced, healthy life", a.k.a lots of mini-tips. If you are looking to learn a little bit about a number of different topics, then this is your section. For the June issue, just some of the following is included: taste-tested organic ice cream, Q&A with chef Alice Waters, weighted exercise vests, natural nursery products, a refreshing summer soup, trans-fats, antioxidants, TMJ, colon cancer, and much more.

Next, two life coaches answer reader's questions, a collection of similar beauty products are presented, and a select personal care topic is covered - for June, this is specifically healthier deodorants. With all the rumors buzzing around about under arm protection causing cancer, among other dangers, this straight-forward article comes as just the right time (before we all start hitting the beaches). The "Eat Well" section often focuses on a particular ingredients and its nutritional benefits; the June issue picks up peppers - bell peppers to be specific. Continuing the food theme, "Food Friends" is about pairing certain foods together to maximize nutrition absorption. The topic is an interesting one, but only three matches are discussed; I would have expected more, or at least a nice little table that you can cut out and save.

One of the key green features within this issue is one page 66, featuring a great illustration with a wide variety of tips on how to save money, stay cool, and have a smaller carbon footprint. Most of the tips are common for the dark green folks reading (such as using CFL bulbs and unplugging electronics when not using them), but there were even a few that surprised me, making this feature useful for everyone. The fitness section follows, featuring three basic exercises that help to strengthen your knees. Living in San Francisco with weak knees is a bit oxymoronic, but this article gave me hope that even my genetic predisposition for unhappy joints can be overcome to a certain extent.

Honey from local bees has been show to help protect a variety of people from regional allergy afflictions. With such power, I had a feeling that bees are even more important that most of us knew, and "Healing Secrets of … the Beehive" on page 78 confirms my theory. One of my favorite articles from the June issue follows, called "Cross-Train Your Brain". I already know that I don't get enough physical exercise, but what about my mind? As elderly issues of Alzheimer's and senility become more commonplace, keeping our minds fit should be just as important as the health of our bodies. Seeing an article of this topic in such a widely-available magazine is refreshing and is of use to many. Another hidden jewel is the "Afternoon Rescue" piece on page 88, which gives you a five-minute energizing meditation that you can complete right at your work desk. Turning to sugary treats to help get your blood sugar back up is the first step for most (myself included) when that afternoon lull comes around. Though temporarily effective, this habit causes nothing but long-term harm. Most of the time, a silenced ring tone and a few deep breaths can make all the difference.

Finally, we've reached the features section of the magazine, and there are many more useful things to come. Listed as the main "attraction" on both the June cover and in the table of contents, "20 Secrets to Staying Healthy All Summer!" starts on page 92 and doesn't disappoint. From sunburns and sniffles to heatstroke and blisters, summer is a time for both unpleasant and unavoidable distractions. This particular feature provides a wealth of natural health knowledge of simple and effective ways to treat these and many other common, seasonal ailments. As someone with pale skin and "sweet" blood, I often shy away from any summer activities, worried that my skin will turn into one big heat rash. Though you won't see me spending a marathon day at the beach anytime soon, I do feel more confident about venturing into the great outdoors with a few particular oils and salves in my backpack.

Ah, farm life: rising with the sun; spending the day doing honest, physical work; making a dinner from fresh ingredients; clean air and water … the list of benefits is a long one, unless you live in modern America. As the organic and local food movements grow nationwide, family farms are working their hardest to hold on to their traditions. "Growing Season" follows three women who put their life on hold and attend a year-long organic farming program in New England. We all may not have the option of leaving out usual duties for 12 months, there are a number of helpful things we can learn from the experience of these women. Following this feature is "A Mediterranean BBQ" recipe section from chef Jody Adams. The offerings are light and summery, but I couldn't see myself getting filled up from eggplant and salad.

If the knee strengthening workout earlier in this issue didn't prove useful for you, then maybe the "Confidence Workout" will suit your tastes. I don't see anyone breaking a serious sweat from this routine, but the spiritual and centering benefits make it worth the 30-some minutes it takes to complete. Another of the key green features of this issue follows the workout, called "A Green Dream Home". Moving from San Francisco to Boston, the Reingold family began to built their own house when the wife, Jeanette fell ill with multiple chemical sensitivity. This stood to change many of the previous plans the family had, causing them to investigate any and all types of less toxic alternatives. Even before the trend began, the Reingolds truly put in a lot of effort to find their best possible options. Brands like IKEA, VivaTerra, Loop Organic, Furnature, Looolo Textile, and Flor are highlighted, showing once and for all that living sustainably doesn't have to sacrifice an ounce of style.

Two final articles in the back of the June issue are worth mentioning. "Going With the Flow", starting in page 140, is a personal travel essay from a Utah woman kayaking down the same stretch of river that she met her husband on three years back. The emotional concept of learning to flow with life is important for all the learn, but the environmental poignancy is also prevalent in lines like this: "[The river] looks impossibly low, practically without current." Changes such as these show just how quickly our planet is changing, and not for the better. The second article is a monthly column, called "The Natural Vet". June's installment focuses on organic and healthy pet foods. "You are what you eat" applies to more than just the human diet, and knowing how to read the labels on foods for your pet is key. The article provides a good collection of information, but this is yet another piece that I would have loved to have a table or chart that can be cut out and saved.

Bless you if you have made it all the way through this entry, unless you are already on the way to the newsstand to grab a copy of Body+Soul's June issue - if so, then you rock. For those that have not read a issue of B+S yet, I highly recommend it, and the June issue is a great one to start with. Having subscribed to the magazine for nearly three years, it is safe to say this is one of the issues from the past year and is proof of why I continue to welcome new copies into my mailbox each month.