Woodford Files

Whew, let me start by apologizing that Vitality hit the streets a bit late this month. Our involvement with Whole Life Expo threw our production cycle off by a week, and we’ve been scrambling to catch up ever since. The Expo was another spectacular success and we are mighty pleased with all the folks who participated - exhibitors, speakers, and thousands of attendees. 

In this issue, we have some terrific ideas for getting you through the winter season – from 3 different recipes for gizzard-warming borscht soup, to a homeopathic remedy for loss and heartache (something many feel keenly during the holidays), to deep breathing for blowing off stress.

And here’s my own top ten ways to help you sail through the season with humour, conscience, and health intact. 

1. Avoid vaccinations, regardless of what the medical authorities say. Viruses are mutating rapidly, so vaccines made six months ago offer minimal protection. And the associated risks can be significant. For more on this, contact the Vaccination Risk Awareness Network (VRAN), or read Townsend Letter for Doctors.

2. Take Vitamin D. Days are short, the sun is weak, and we’re all covered up, so citizens of the northern hemisphere can benefit greatly from supplementation. According to health experts, a dosage of 1,500 to 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) daily offers protection from both influenza and cancer. The D2 version found in some of the cheaper supplements is not nearly as effective or as bioavailable.

(For more information, type “vitamin D” into the search engine on our website.)

3. Nurture your indoor environment. With windows and doors shut tight against the cold, you’re at the mercy of indoor air. Common contaminants are toxic household cleaners, chemical air ‘fresheners’, commercial laundry detergents, and formaldehyde from new couches, carpets, and cabinetry. As these items off-gas, they increase the toxic burden on liver and lungs which in turn challenges the immune system and weakens the body. To keep indoor air fresh and clean, buy nontoxic, environmentally friendly, cleaners and detergents. Use beeswax candles and essential oils to chase odours away. Buy an aromatherapy dispenser and put in a few drops of cedar, pine, rose, or chamomile ... depending on what mood you’re in. Or just add a few drops of essential oil to a spray bottle, fill it with good water, and spritz your home every day. 

4. Nurture each other. Think of love as a verb, and take action each day to express it. In the rush of the holiday season, it’s easy to forget that a few quiet moments spent with friends and family can be the most valuable gift on earth. Turn off the TV, talk to your kids, play games, tell stories.

5. Frolic in the snow. The more frolicking you do outdoors, the more energized and oxygenated you’ll feel from head to toe.

6. Cast your vote at the cash register. As Helke Ferrie observes in her feature this month, we can’t rely on government to protect us from toxic products, so we must become vigilant consumers with an eye for quality and integrity in the marketplace. Every purchase you make can be a vote for a greener economy; these products often cost more in terms of dollars, but cost but cost less in terms of environmental and health impact.

7. Laugh out loud at least once a day. Jolly people live longer. Even if you don’t feel like it, look for the humour in all this holiday mayhem and practice belly laughing.

8. After you’re done with indulging in rich, festive foods over the holidays, start the new year with some detoxing. Sit in an infrared sauna for an hour or two each week, or plunk your feet in a detox foot spa. If you don’t have your own, there’s plenty of advertisers in these pages who offer such services. And take digestive enzymes throughout the festive season to help your body better cope with all those heavy meals coming down the pike. Even better, take a B vitamin complex and 1000mg Vitamin C with your dinner, which will help to keep your nerves steady and arteries clear. 

9. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, visit a senior, adopt a pet. These are surefire cures for loneliness and depression – yours and theirs.

10. Count your blessings. As we charge towards the new year, it’s a good time to take stock of all we have to be thankful for, and then say it out loud. Make some noise.     JW