Happy New Year! Seems like some powerful forces are being unleashed in the world this year, forces driven by Shakti, the divine feminine. This potent goddess energy is compelling women to say no to repression and abuse, and no to keeping quiet and being nice. At the same time, there are cracks forming in the foundations of Western medicine as we turn away from its patriarchal slash, burn, and poison approach and towards Mother Nature’s embrace. The feminine healing arts are rising to the fore, nourishing us with herbs, remedies, movement therapies, and loving care. We are hearing so many stories these days from people who have turned their lives around with natural medicine, and we look forward to what more Shakti has in store for us as she gains strength in 2020.
To get you through the next few freezing months, we bring you a batch of recipes by Ben Kim that are perfect for healing while you hibernate. From Korean Mul Kimchi, to Cancer-Preventing Stew, to Broccoli Soup for soothing an inflamed digestive tract, Ben offers yummy folklore medicine to keep you hale and hearty. And turning up the heat even more, Linda Gabris brings us “The Joy of Ginger” featuring a Good-for-Everything Ginger Tea recipe that will clear your sinuses, cook your colds, and chase away chills. Fresh grated ginger in hot tea with honey is a winter favourite of mine.
Also in this issue, we have Dr. Rona’s feature: “Save Your Sight – Before It’s Gone.” In it, he offers his prescription for preventing macular degeneration, including omega-3 fatty acids, vegetable and fruit compounds, minerals, and herbs. By following his advice, your eyeballs will be well fed. To that advice, I’d like to add a comment about bad lighting. This topic is widely under-reported, and deserves more attention. In our quest to adopt energy-saving lighting, I think we have made some bad bulb choices that are adversely affecting our vision, especially in regards to compact fluorescent lights and LED lights. I personally avoid both of them, preferring to scrounge around in hardware stores for the old incandescent bulbs. To find out more about this, take a look at the article by Dr. Joseph Mercola, MD, entitled “How LED Lighting May Compromise Your Health” posted.
And finally, this month we bid farewell to one of the leading activists of our times. On page 6, Helke Ferrie has written a tribute to Shiv Chopra, who died on January 7, 2020, at the age of 84. Shiv was a man who dared to rebel against a corrupt institution, and put his job on the line in order to protect us from toxic poisons entering our food supply. He took a stand for what was right, and he leaves behind a food supply that’s safer because of it. Chopra is an example of the tremendous good that can come when we stand up and say no, we’re not following your rules anymore. In the words of Maude Barlow, “Shiv Chopra was a true national hero.”
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Julia Woodford, Editor, Vitality Magazine
