Editorial
Volume 20 Issue 3 — September/October 2014
by Melva Armstrong

Welcome to the new issue for autumn 2014. It’s a pleasure to be back with you all again. I have been enjoying the summer and the warmth of the sunshine on my face, the soft breezes gently flowing through my hair, and the walks with two perpetually happy dogs. They always bring a smile to my face as I watch them frolic in the grass, each one running its nose up and down certain blades of grass they find enticing. I try to imagine exactly what it is they are smelling, but I’m likely not even close. Each one lives in its sweet little world and they are so precious and good for our well-being.

The small garden next to the house has been coming to life from the tiny seeds that were planted in June. Once again, the pumpkins are taking over half the space with their beautiful orange and yellow flowers and huge prickly leaves spreading out onto the grass. They are incredible climbers. Nature is always amazing! So far, I’ve had green and yellow beans, peas, Swiss chard (a favourite), and some tiny new potatoes from the new crop. I know I’ll enjoy feasting on the rest of the harvest over the next month and beyond. We are truly blessed in this province with great abundance, a peaceful environment, and caring neighbours and friends. Each day, I am grateful for all the gifts in my life.

As we each grow and evolve, so does our world. It seems to be transforming at a rapid pace. Sometimes, I find it hard to keep up with all the changes, and yet, I enjoy the opportunities and experiences that this emerging world offers. I appreciate that so many people in our province are tuning into a multitude of natural ways to keep themselves healthy and happy. There are numerous yoga studios, an abundance of naturopathic doctors, as well as medical doctors expanding into integrative medicine. There is a rise in the demand for organic and natural food, farmers’ markets are booming, and folks I speak to everywhere are seeking out all kinds of healing modalities. Then there are others who are switching to natural healing careers that have called them to be of service on a new level. When I started WHOLifE nineteen years ago, many of these current services and practices were not even available in the province. Today, there is at least one massage therapist in every small town. I find it exciting to see and feel the energy of our communities moving in so many positive directions. May it continue.

I am always thankful and truly delighted at the quality of contributions that are submitted to the journal each issue. It gives me much joy to work with those who place the advertising and those who write the articles. For the last five years, WHOLifE has been blessed to have Sandra Brandt writing the food articles, and what an amazing job she has done. They’ve provided a wealth of well-researched nutritional information and deliciously healthy recipes. Sandra will be writing her last article for the Nov/Dec ’14 issue. I wish her much happiness as she moves onto new adventures in her life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. She is skipping this Sept/Oct ’14 issue and we are delighted to give a warm welcome to Stacey Tress and her new Mindful Food column. Her first article, The Power of Live-Culture Foods for Optimal Health (p. 8), is a timely one as there is a growing body of scientific studies showing the highly beneficial use of fermented foods, known as power foods, in one’s diet. Live-culture food has a long list of benefits, and the top one is its ability to help the body naturally combat bad bacteria. Don’t stop there, read on and you’ll discover some amazing details!

Vanessa Proznick-Fransoo, a nurse in Saskatoon, has studied at the Arizona Centre for Integrative Medicine (Dr. Andrew Weil’s program), and kindly submitted an article called Reintegrating the Basics of Food as Medicine (p. 10). In it, she explains the importance of the anti-inflammatory (AI) diet to help combat the impact of chronic inflammatory diseases on individual health and the increasing cost to the health-care system. It is time for our culture to go back to using food as medicine, so we age in a natural, healthy wholistic way.

Absolutely all the material in this issue may be highly beneficial to your well-being, so I recommend reading it from cover to cover.

May you be thankful and grateful for the autumn harvest and may it nourish and delight you. Until next issue…

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