Editorial
Volume 18 Issue 4 — November/December 2012
by Melva Armstrong

It is almost one year since I arrived at the new acreage near Kamsack, which means I’ve now been blessed to experience all four seasons in this lovely part of the province. The aspects of nature that stand out the most are the incredible sunsets and the skies. Many of them are truly breathtaking and magnificent, and all are unique and different. With the glorious view stretching across the horizon, each day they light up my life and bring joy to my heart.

I also like to walk the land every day. There are some lovely ponds on the property with ducks and geese, beavers and muskrats, and many other sweet little critters who live there that I never see. I enjoy the peace and quiet when I am walking, and love the soft sound of the birds’ wings as they fly gently over my head. I’ve seen a partridge several times sitting high in the nearby trees and during the summer, one of these birds smashed through the glass window in the garage and surprisingly survived the event. It ended up sitting on the roof of my car. Once the garage doors were opened, it found a way to scoot out and seemed quite fine. The old outdoor cat, Elmo, suddenly gave chase, but thankfully he never caught up to it.

Becoming a country gal has been a sharp learning curve, after being a city gal my whole life. Living on an acreage means lots of upkeep of everything, lots of yard work, and plenty to take care of both inside and outside, including all the animals. I am finding it fun and an adventurous change from city apartment living. There is a wood stove for heating, so remembering to regularly put wood in to keep the fire going is an important habit to learn.

In this issue, we have a feature article called Stem Cell Nutrition: A New Paradigm in Health (p. 24) by Jeannette McLaughlin, in which she says, “A fascinating discovery in recent years is that adult stem cells are at the core of the body’s natural renewal system, and that an important parameter in the stem cell system of renewal is the number of circulating stem cells.” She explains further that, “Stem cell nutrition consists of consuming nutritional substances that have been shown to support the release and activity of your own body’s adult stem cells.” Even more exciting, is that cellular renewal therapy and stem cell nutrition can be used on animals, as well as humans, where the stem cells help to naturally repair and renew organs and tissues. This is valuable new information in our ongoing quest to keep ourselves and our animals healthy, and I suggest it is worth further research for anyone who is guided to learn more.

Before I read Sandra Brandt’s article The Health Benefits of Gelatin (p. 12), I had no idea of its nutritional value. It is a mixture of amino acids that are extracted from animal collagen (this includes bones, ligaments, cartilage, connective tissues, skins, and hides) by a process known as hydrolysis. Gelatin has a wide variety of uses and is highly beneficial to one’s health, which you will see when you read the article. I would like to add here that I encourage and support the humane treatment of all domestic and wild animals. I feel it is imperative that the animals, whose parts are used in the making of gelatin, are raised and slaughtered humanely.

The Power of We the Consumer (p. 20) by Catherine Milos, provides an important message in these rapidly changing times. As big businesses take over many aspects of the world that affect all of us, often in what seems like unhealthy ways, we can feel helpless to do anything about it. Not so, says Catherine, we do have a great deal of power on an individual level that can bring about change for the better. From her research, she offers a number of suggestions for ways that we all can become smart consumers. Good on Catherine! I appreciate her positive attitude and suggestions on how to empower ourselves, and thus others, to be able to ask for what we want.

Please do read and enjoy the abundance of articles in this issue. They are thought-provoking and full of wisdom to help you on your life journey. I also encourage you to support our advertisers who make WHOLifE Journal possible. Thank you all.

May you enjoy the rest of the autumn season, and find much warmth and happiness throughout the festive season and celebrate the return of the light on December 21st.

Namaste
(The Spirit in me honours the Spirit in you)