Current Issue

Cozy Comforts
by Stacey Tress

Hello my friends. Out here in the Prairies, December through February have some of the darkest, coldest days, which include the Winter Solstice (day of year with fewest hours of daylight December 21, 2025), and average temperatures in January (Regina) being –17.5º C, not including the windchill! I thought it best to welcome you with a "Cozy Comforts" article for this winter months’ edition of Mindful Eating. Dark days and cold temperatures can wreak havoc on our skin, digestive system, and mental health. Our food choices can support that in many cozy ways. This article shares some of my favourite seasonal habits, supported with nutritional context, and spirit lifting recipes. Let’s keep those digestive fires burning!

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Exploring the Gut Microbiome: Nutrition’s Influence on Health and Longevity
by Kaitlin Rae Wilson, R.H.N., CFNP

My journey to becoming a holistic nutritionist began with a backpack and a passport. For four years, I travelled across continents, immersing myself in different cultures and ways of living. One of the most formative experiences came while working for the Northern Territory Government of Australia in Darwin, collaborating closely with Indigenous communities. Watching their deep connection to the land, traditional foods, and cultural practices sparked my fascination with how nutrition, environment, and culture intersect to shape overall health.

Crisis in Men’s Health: Research & Resources
by Paul Buffel

Several Canadian organizations, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Men’s Health Foundation, and the Movember Institute of Men’s Health, have identified a crisis in men’s health. This article examines the current state of men’s health, the call for national strategies, and available resources aimed at improving outcomes for men and boys. The Current State of Men’s Health: Each November, the Movember Institute of Men’s Health raises awareness and funds for critical issues like prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. Their recent findings show troubling trends: • 50% of Canadian men will die prematurely, mostly from preventable causes; • 3 out of 4 suicides are men; • Men account for 75% of opioid overdoses. Many of these deaths are linked to lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, alcohol, poor diet, and inactivity, as well as avoidable issues like delayed medical care and accidents. Men are less likely to visit doctors, often waiting over six days with symptoms before seeking help. Lower health literacy and societal ideals of masculinity further compound these risks, encouraging men to ignore pain and avoid appearing vulnerable.

Filling in Nutritional Gaps With a Carefully Selected Multivitamin
by Dr. Louise Gagné

Introduction: Nutritional deficiencies are commonly experienced. Many North American diets are filled with calorie dense, but nutritionally depleted, foods. Thus, I do think there is a place for supplements, not as a replacement for a healthy diet, but to fill in any gaps that someone might have in their diet. Always keep in mind that supplements are never going to take the place of healthy food, because it turns out food is incredibly complex. Fruits and vegetables are full of fibre, vitamins, minerals and hundreds of phytonutrients, or phytochemicals that are playing a big role in their beneficial effects.

Reflexology: A Path to Healing, Purpose, and Professional Growth e
by Carolynn Sikorski

According to the Reflexology Association of Canada, more than 30,000 Canadians turn to certified reflexologists every year for relief, relaxation, and support. But what many don’t realize is that reflexology is not just about where to press on the feet — it’s about listening to the body, fostering balance, and stepping into a calling that changes lives, including your own. Hi, I’m Carolynn Sikorski, a Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist (RCRT) and Licensed Reflexology Teacher (LCRT). Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of helping countless clients find relief through reflexology—and guiding new students toward fulfilling careers in this remarkable field. As we look toward 2026, there has never been a better time to learn reflexology your way—whether for personal wellness, or as the beginning of a meaningful new career in health and wellness.

Pendulum Dowsing – Useful for Daily Life
by Theresa Rempel

Dowsing is a way to access your own inner knowing, and a pendulum is the most portable dowsing tool since it can easily fit in a pocket. They can be beautiful – crystals suspended from a chain, or practical – the necklace you are wearing. It needs to have some weight evenly distributed so it will swing well. I am a long time pendulum user. I confess I have a number of them, and tend to use them for different subjects. One of them is an orange calcite that makes me think of a carrot – I am a fan of all calcites. Another is made from seasoned driftwood by an experienced dowser in the U. S. – it is beautiful and responsive. My newest is ruby in feldspar – another favourite crystal combination. It feels like it was meant for me.

The Elegant Reset: The Hybrid Fasting Method(tm) for Women Who’ve Done the Work
by Lorrel Elian

You’ve done the diets, the gym, and the healing. You’ve paid for the memberships, the treatments and even the pills, and your body still whispers – something’s missing. Many women arrive at a point where their bookshelf is full of wellness wisdom—they’ve done the work, committed to the protocols, even done the surgery, and their cells still feel tired, anxious and inflamed. Years of pushing through stress, multitasking, and doing all the right things can leave your body in parasympathetic dominance—stuck between fatigue and hyper-vigilance, giving too much, for all the right reasons, and it’s so unfair to have to deal with hormone imbalance, weight gain, brain fog, or depression after following all the rules. True healing often begins with simplicity. Space to rest, reset, and repair.

Editorial
by Melva Armstrong

Welcome to the second quarterly issue of WHOLifE Journal. It is lovely to have you joining me again, or perhaps for the first time, great! I trust you will enjoy all the priceless material that is written on these pages. Be sure to read from cover to cover, so you don’t miss anything, because it’s all meant to help you as you travel along your life path. It’s all about natural health and wellness and you’ll find lots to inspire you to live your best life, and even help others along the way. We’re going into winter season and with it comes the darkness and very cold temperatures, as well as snow. I always feel like being a bear, going to sleep for the winter season and waking up in spring to enjoy the return of the light. Although I feel more like hibernating, I know it’s not possible. So, I get on with the daily routines and find ways to cope with the chilly temperatures, the snow, and all the conditions that accompany the prairie winter.

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