Editorial
Volume 29 Issue 5— January/February 2024
by Melva Armstrong

I will start with a joy-filled Happy New Year to all for 2024! One year ends and another begins, and the cycle continues. I find that everything is speeding up more and more every day, month, and year. Others I speak to feel the same way. I believe the speed-up is a positive sign that many of us are waking up more clearly, and making changes for the better within ourselves, and within human kind.

This past year for me has, once again, been full of everyday learning experiences that have helped me grow and evolve and find more joy and peace in each day. I am grateful for all the beautiful friends and family who are in my life, and with those I know through the WHOLifE family. I love keeping in touch with my friends, some who live locally, and others in Canada, and some around the world. I am blessed to have done lots of overseas travelling in my younger days. Many of the friends I met during those wild and crazy times are still part of my life. It’s been fun keeping in touch with all of them over the years.

We are starting this New Year issue with plenty of variety to spark your many interests, and I trust you’ll find lots of gems hidden inside these pages. I think that most people love dogs, so I thought it would be delightful to feature a dog on the cover and in the main story. I live with dogs and so I find the lessons in Hersch Wilson’s Dog Lessons: Learning the Important Stuff from Our Best Friends book and article (p. 16), to be enlightening and helpful, as well as affirming about dog behaviours. I love Wilson’s humour and his easy-going attitude when he speaks about dogs and their many antics. They really are totally loving companions and they bring much joy and love to the lives of those who live with them. Wilson says we don’t “own” dogs, instead he says we are “guardians” of them, then goes on to explain why. And I totally agree with him on this subject. It’s a fun yet serious read.

Most of us are aware that the food we eat is the cornerstone for what keeps us healthy. Many people have figured this out, and yet there are many who don’t comprehend how very important food and eating is. Therefore, we have included some articles that address the role of food in our lives. I’ll start with Garlic: Superfood and Super Delicious (p. 8) by Megan Maier, who says the many health benefits of eating garlic, raw garlic in particular, are quite numerous. She provides a lot of detail about the various varieties of garlic, how to grow it, and the benefits of its medicinal and therapeutic properties. It’s an excellent resource and includes some yummy recipes.

Secondly, Sussanna Czeranko’s article, It’s Not How Much. It’s How (p 14), provides, “… some basic guidelines to eat more food than what you probably normally eat on any given diet, and at the same time reach your goal of feeling and looking fabulous!” She offers four points that direct you as to what order to eat your food in each day, and she adds that changing the order of ingesting your food will create important changes in your life for the better.

Thirdly, Sandy Robertson, author and holistic nurse, has written an article called Transforming Your Relationship with Food (p.30), in which she says, “There’s valuable insight found when we take a close look at our eating habits. Understanding how and why we eat can reveal that our deeper self is in need of self-care.” In her book, Why Am I Eating This? Is This the Nourishment I Need?, she shares seven steps to help readers transform their relationship with food, making space for self-care as a form of nourishment. She sees this change in looking closely at what we eat, as a holistic journey toward intentional eating and lasting transformation.

For me, I believe it is important for everyone to look closely at why we eat, what we eat, and how we eat. In order to keep our body, mind, and the environment healthy, then paying close attention to the food we ingest is a must.

Thank you to all the beautiful people who are part of this glorious New Year issue. It has been an absolute joy and pleasure to work with every one of you. It is your generous contributions that make the journal filled with love and light.

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