Losing Eden

by Lucy Jones

"Why human beings have a powerful and fundamental need--mental, spiritual, and physical--for the natural world; the profound impact it has on our consciousness and ability to heal our soul and bring solace to the heart, and the new cutting-edge scientific evidence proving nature as nurturer. In Losing Eden, Lucy Jones interweaves her deeply personal story of recovery from addiction and depression, with that of discovering the natural world and how it aided and enlivened her progress, giving her a renewed sense of belonging and purpose. Jones writes of the intersection of science, wellness, and the environment, and reveals that in the last decade, scientists have begun to formulate theories of why people feel better after a walk in the woods and an experience with the natural world. She describes the recent data that supports evidence of biological and neurological responses--the lowering of cortisol (released in response to stress), the boost in cortical attention control that helps us to concentrate and subdues mental fatigue, and the increase in activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing the heart and allowing our body to rest"--