As I write this, election promises are flying, especially in regards to how each political party will guarantee access to quality healthcare going forward. It’s right to be publicly debating the cost and efficiency of our ‘healthcare system’,... Read more »
Articles by Julia Woodford
The Song of Spring
The song of spring is echoing through our pages this month, bringing fresh ideas for attuning to the season. Since spring is an ideal time for liver cleansing, bitter herbs like dandelion and turmeric, along with lemon juice and flax seed oil, are... Read more »
This has got to be the most hotly anticipated issue of Vitality in years
This has got to be the most hotly anticipated issue of Vitality in years. Never before have we received so many calls and emails asking exactly when this issue will hit the street. Here’s why. Last month, we published Part 1 of Helke Ferrie’s... Read more »
Woodford Files – April 2012
This has got to be the most hotly anticipated issue of Vitality in years. Never before have we received so many calls and emails asking exactly when this issue will hit the street. Here’s why. Last month, we published Part 1 of Helke Ferrie’s... Read more »
Don Drummond’s Radical Prescription to Save the Health Care System
The recent release of the Drummond Report, which contained recommendations for rescuing Ontario from its $16 billion deficit, undoubtedly sent shock waves through the medical establishment. According to the Toronto Star, “Don Drummond’s “very... Read more »
Everyone needs a little more love
In his book Outliers: The Story of Success, author Malcolm Gladwell tells the story of a small town located on a rocky hillside in southern Pennyslvania. The remarkable thing about this town, called Roseto, is that amongst its population no one... Read more »
Woodford Files – February 2012
In his book Outliers: The Story of Success, author Malcolm Gladwell tells the story of a small town located on a rocky hillside in southern Pennyslvania. The remarkable thing about this town, called Roseto, is that amongst its population no one... Read more »
It’s been a landmark year for Vitality, and for the natural health movement
Wow, what a fantastic year this has been for Vitality. With the public appetite for natural health and alternative medicine growing steadily, our circulation has increased from 58,000 in February to a record 64,000 this month to keep up with... Read more »
Woodford Files – November 2011
My favourite lines in the movie Thelma and Louise are spoken as they’re running from the law and headed for the Mexican border. They’ve been driving all night to evade capture. As they speed down the highway, wind blowing through their hair,... Read more »
Thelma and Louise captured the mood of our times
My favourite lines in the movie Thelma and Louise are spoken as they’re running from the law and headed for the Mexican border. They’ve been driving all night to evade capture. As they speed down the highway, wind blowing through their hair,... Read more »
Woodford Files – October 2011
Provincial Election Candidates Should Focus on Prevention
As I write this, election promises are flying, especially in regards to how each political party will guarantee access to quality healthcare going forward. It’s right to be publicly debating the cost and efficiency of our ‘healthcare system’,... Read more »
Woodford Files - September 2011
The recent passing of NDP leader Jack Layton left me aghast – he was a great man who died much too soon. And I couldn’t help but wonder if alternative cancer treatment might have kept him alive longer than the cut, burn, and poison approach used by... Read more »
Woodford Files – July/August 2011
When I think about what sets Vitality apart from other magazines, two words come to mind – core essentials. Here you’ll find no airbrushed pictures of sexy girls in glitzy outfits. In fact, what we find sexy is altogether different. To us, sexy is... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2011
Whew, the sweaty days of summer are here, and if sweating wasn’t so healthy I’d probably complain. But since it’s a terrific way to detox the tissues, I’m grinning and bearing it. We’ve got a great lineup for you this month, packed full of choices... Read more »
Woodford Files – March 2003
Here comes spring and with it the casting off of winter wraps to reveal our fleshy underbellies, those rotundities which have likely spent the long dark winter months stuffed with rich comfort foods. For many, these dense foods have congested the... Read more »
Woodford Files – May 2003
Seems like the world is at war in more ways than one these days. Military war against other nations. Medical war against viral invaders. Environmental war against pestilence. In fact the military state of mind seems to have settled over our human... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2003
Seems like you have to be a real subversive these days just to keep yourself safe from the propaganda mongers out there. If health officials have their way, we’ll be dousing ourselves in DEET all summer and drinking water spiked with mosquito... Read more »
Woodford Files – October 2003
All Hallow’s Eve approaches, and with it a celebration of all things magical. It’s my favourite time of year; nights grow longer, the natural world has gone to seed, and there’s a crackle of mystery in the air that signals the approach of the... Read more »
Woodford Files – February 2004
Brrrr, baby it’s cold outside. To warm up your innards, we bring you herbal heat from the kitchen - in the form of ginger infused recipes for banishing winter chills, and erotic ingredients for stoking up the old libido. The pungent properties of... Read more »
The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Breast Cancer
This is, by far, the best book I have ever read on cancer of the breast. In it, Sat Dharam Kaur leaves no stone unturned in her quest for the causes and cures of this condition, which currently affects one woman in nine in Canada and one in eight... Read more »
Woodford Files – May 2004
While weight loss diets sprout up like tulips at this time of year, I have yet to find one that recognizes the powerful role played by adrenal exhaustion in weight gain. This is of particular importance to those of us fortysomething and up, since... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2004
I got a call the other day from a friend who had recently visited a very distraught business associate, distraught because her son was suffering from severe allergies which were growing worse by the day. All standard medical treatments had... Read more »
Woodford Files – July 2004
From our popular Annual Organics Guide to Helke Ferrie’s fascinating feature on the Schmeiser vs. Monsanto controversy, this summer issue is packed with in-depth coverage that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s exciting for us to be able to bring... Read more »
Woodford Files – October 2004
I lost a good friend to cancer last month. Diagnosed with a lung tumour in December of last year, she placed her faith and her life in the hands of the mainstream healthcare system, as most Canadians do. When asked why she chose conventional... Read more »
Woodford Files – November 2004
This could be the best issue of Vitality we’ve ever produced. Good thing too, since it’s our 15th anniversary issue, thus deserving of something very special. That something special comes in the form of our spotlight this month on alternative... Read more »
Woodford Files – December 2004
Whew! What a heavy couple months it’s been. Autumn, always our busiest season, was even more challenging this year. Cancer has been at the top of my mind for months, what with the loss of our beloved Pat Young in September, and then the arrival... Read more »
Woodford Files – February 2005
It is with pleasure that we bring you this, our first issue of the new year, filled with stories that provoke, entertain, and enlighten.
First in line, Helke Ferrie once again raises her mighty pen — this time in protest of an ominous threat to... Read more »
Chia Seed
What’s behind the surging popularity of chia seed? According to nutritional writer Charlotte Bradley, chia grain was “originally grown in Mexico and the Southwest between 1500 and 910 B.C., and the seeds were an important part of the Aztec and Mayan... Read more »
Love Your Liver
The wild winds of spring are rocking the rafters as I write this column. It has been an exceptionally chaotic change of season this year – fraught with tornadoes, floods, and shifting political tides. Many folks are feeling the unsettling effects... Read more »
Woodford Files – March 2005
Here we are on the cusp between winter and spring, and Vitality as usual has cooked up a brew of strong medicine for what ails you.
Helke Ferrie is back in fighting form this month with tales of corruption, drug pushers, and medical malpractice.... Read more »
Woodford Files – April 2005
As the rivers of spring swirl through town, so too does the flow of the season gurgle through Vitality this month. From raw foods to herbs to homeopathics, we’ve got dozens of ways to clear the debris from your own inner rivers of blood and lymph... Read more »
Woodford Files – May 2005
I used to regard with some skepticism my grandfather’s habit of drinking vinegar and honey by the cupful every day. (It was, he claimed, a health tonic.) But after reading a book by Dr. D.C. Jarvis entitled Arthritis and Folk Medicine (Galahad... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2005
With the month of June upon us we open our windows wide to take in the full warmth and light of the season. As summer heat rises, the human body opens itself fully to its environment, both physically and energetically. It’s a terrific time to... Read more »
Woodford Files – July 2005
What is the most intimate relationship we have in this world? Is it the one with husband or wife, son or daughter? Nope. The most intimate, sensual, dependent relationship we have is with our environment. Mouthful by mouthful we bring the outside... Read more »
Woodford Files – September 2005
I’m cheating this month. Instead of my usual rant, I’m including here an excerpt of an article recently written by American health activist Mike Adams that really knocked my socks off. It underscores some of our favourite themes in Vitality, and... Read more »
Woodford Files – October 2005
Last month marked the 25th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run, estimated to have raised about $40 million worldwide for cancer research. Add to that the various relays and runs for breast cancer conducted in recent months, and the total raised for... Read more »
Woodford Files – November 2005
A friend of mine once remarked, upon entering my kitchen, that the shelves look more like those of a pharmacy than a normal kitchen. Jars of burdock and motherwort steeping in vodka, vials of essential oils and homeopathic medicines, boxes of... Read more »
Woodford Files – December 2005
A woman from my yoga class asked me today why she keeps getting strep throat every time she has a cold. I told her it’s a sign that her internal chi is weak, making her fair game for any passing bacterial and viral invaders. “So what can I take... Read more »
Woodford Files – February 2006
Here we are with our first issue of the new year, and this month we turn ourselves to affairs of the heart. We’ve got hot chili peppers on the cover for two reasons: 1) we figured you could use a little “heat” in the frigid month of February; and... Read more »
Woodford Files – March 2006
As winter winds down and we continue to do battle with the colds and flus that often extend well into spring, tips for staying flu-free are always at the top of the list.
With that in mind, our food feature takes a look at cuisines of India, ... Read more »
Woodford Files – April 2006
As the season turns, we find ourselves awash in spring sunshine. Windows are wrestled open, heavy clothes flung off, and the faeries of spring dance among the first wildflowers. This month we look at easy and fun ways to align ourselves with... Read more »
Get Fresh with Yourself
Who among us has ever managed to endure a long, cold Canadian winter without feeling sluggish and congested by the end of it? Not I, that’s for sure. All those decadent comfort foods that kept us warm during long cold nights tend to clog up our... Read more »
Woodford Files – May 2006
Thyme is on your side in Vitality this month, in more ways than one. First up, Michael Vertolli explores the attributes of English thyme, a humble kitchen herb used in folklore medicine for everything from colitis to tuberculosis. Indeed I was so... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2006
A recent issue of MacLean’s magazine declared that the incidence of allergies in Canada has now reached “epidemic” proportions. I guess we can add that to the epidemics of cancer and heart disease that are already old news. This is not... Read more »
Woodford Files – July 2006
This issue is a yummy one: firstly because we’re bringing you a good cross section of farms, markets, and resources for getting local organics onto your table; and secondly because we’re dishing the dirt on corporate America’s attempt to ambush... Read more »
Woodford Files – September 2006
If the teacher were to ask me what I did on my summer vacation, I would likely answer with a mouthful of cuss words, describing the daunting process of transformation that our company has been through in the past several months. From computer... Read more »
Wanted: Green Leaders with Vision
On March 24th, David Suzuki celebrated his 75th birthday amidst a chorus of cheers from all those who value his commitment to preserving Canada’s environmental heritage. He knows he’s getting on in years. In his birthday speech on CBC, Suzuki... Read more »
Woodford Files – October 2006
What a difference a month makes. The humid days of summer have finally given way to crisp autumn breezes heralding my favourite season. As we bring in the harvest and cook up cauldrons of autumn stew, it’s a good time to contemplate our many... Read more »
Woodford Files – November 2006
A study by undercover investigators revealing that health food stores are encouraging people to take “natural cures” instead of drugs made the front page of the National Post recently. The lead investigator expressed concern that by endorsing... Read more »
Woodford Files – December 2006
Wow, what a year this has been, with many new developments breaking out in response to public interest in natural health and eco- friendly lifestyles. Firstly, now that Bill 50 has passed 3rd reading in the legislature, government regulation of... Read more »
Woodford Files – February 2007
Holy smokes! Of all the Letters to Editor we’ve received lately, the biggest response has been to our report on the government raid at Michael Schmidt’s biodynamic raw milk farm. People see this as a freedom of choice issue, and are shocked at... Read more »
Woodford Files – March 2007
With the spring equinox around the corner, sap is rising in the trees and chi is rising in the liver. All those rich comfort foods that fortified us against winter’s cold have laid a heavy burden on our collective livers, so now we turn to fresh... Read more »
Woodford Files – April 2007
An interesting news item aired recently on CTV, reporting that thousands of hospital beds are being taken up by sufferers of chronic disease every year, putting “major pressure” on our health care system. The report, released by the Ontario... Read more »
Woodford Files – May 2007
According to the latest figures from Statistics Canada, cancer is now moving into the top spot as the number one killer of Canadians. From 1979 to 2004, the cancer death rate increased from 23% to 30%. This year alone, it is predicted that over... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2007
While working on our annual Getaway Guide for this issue, I was reminded what a sparkling jewel of a province we live in. While we’re buried under the stresses and strains of city life, it’s easy to forget what treasures lay only a few hours’... Read more »
Woodford Files – July 2007
My goodness, there’s so much exciting stuff going on in the world of natural health that we can hardly contain ourselves. At 136 pages, this issue of Vitality is busting at the seams with interesting developments in different sectors, and we were... Read more »
Woodford Files – September 2007
Ever since a news item about Vitamin D reducing the risk of cancer by 50% got splashed all over our TVs back in June, I’ve been curious about how much truth was in it. Knowing that the health ‘news’ dished out by the mainstream media is often... Read more »
Woodford Files – October 2007
With the election coming up on October 10, my thoughts have turned to which party will get my vote. One thing’s for sure – it won’t be the Liberals. In the past two years, the McGuinty government has declared war on small publishers in Ontario by... Read more »
Woodford Files – November 2007
When I think back to my teenage years, there is one memory that still brings a twinge and a chuckle. I was excitedly getting ready for a big date one day, and decided to shave my underarms vigorously and slather on a brand new deodorant. Then off... Read more »
Woodford Files – December 2007
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... Read more »
Woodford Files – February 2008
Good grief, 2008 is already a month old! We greatly enjoyed our break over the holiday season, due to our double issue, and now we’re back in fighting form.
In celebration of Chinese New Year (February 7), this month we bring you the Shiitake... Read more »
Letters to the Editor – March 2008
Question: Dear Dr. Rona:
I am curious to know if you have any documentation or package concerning vaccination of school aged children directed at the school administration.
My daughters have not been immunized and we have recently just moved to... Read more »
Woodford Files – March 2008
In celebration of the spring equinox coming up on March 20th, you’ll find a new picture here, showing me taking a big bite of green medicine – a big fat organic stalk of celery that’s fresh, bitter, and nourishing – just like spring. (It’s not... Read more »
Woodford Files – April 2008
Vitality Magazine has long been known for its sharp focus on the curative powers of nutritional medicine and natural therapies, with features written by top health professionals from across the province. But this month we shift our focus a... Read more »
Woodford Files
On February 28 in the Globe and Mail, a report entitled Doctors Urge Health Care Action Plan to thwart ‘looming crisis,’ stated: “The Canadian Medical Association said Monday that public health care is in decline. Five million Canadians do not... Read more »
Woodford Files – May 2008
The tart taste of spring is on the menu this month, captured in our feature on rhubarb by Linda Gabris. According to her grandma’s old recipe books, rhubarb is a wonderful spring tonic for flushing impurities from the system, purging the blood... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2008
Wow, the Harper government has really stirred up a pot of trouble this time. Rarely have I seen health consumers as riled up as they are right now. For the past month, we’ve been receiving emails and phone calls daily from people angry about Bill... Read more »
Woodford Files – July 2008
This issue of Vitality has dirty knees.
From our Annual Guide to Organics, to a feature on Local Harvest in the Raw, to a report on City Slickers at the Farm – our writers have been down in the trenches digging up stories that highlight organic... Read more »
Woodford Files – September 2008
As Vitality readers charge headlong into the fall season, our magazine will be right there with you offering more stimulating articles on creating a healthy body and mind than ever before.
This month, Julie Daniluk’s Allergy-Free Cooking feature... Read more »
Woodford Files – November 2008
There are now hundreds of thousands of Canadians using natural health products and alternative medicine to keep themselves in great physical and mental shape. Each of us has our own favourite bag of tricks for warding off illness and protecting... Read more »
Woodford Files – December 2008
Wow, what a year! Here at Vitality, 2008 was filled with new insights, new staff and opportunities. Because we sit in the eye of the health news hurricane, we are often bombarded with the latest research on nutrition and disease, much of which we... Read more »
Woodford Files – March 2009
There’s considerable interest these days in how to wring the most value from our household budgets. At the very least, we’re re-evaluating our priorities in terms of what is essential and what is not. Even for those of us with great jobs, it’s an... Read more »
Woodford Files – April 2009
Ready or not, here comes spring! Everywhere you look, nature’s wild strength is emerging – flowing in fast rivers, busting out in flower buds, thrusting up through the ground and out through the tree limbs. With a rushing river, if the way is... Read more »
Woodford Files – May 2009
Well, after sending this issue off to press I had to sit back and chuckle because one thing you can never call Vitality Magazine is timid. In fact, if Helke Ferrie’s feature on Big Pharma in this issue doesn’t make your hair stand on end, nothing... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2009
Well, the table is set for a season of luscious local cuisine and thirst quenching herbal beverages. Shown on our cover this month is my favourite summer herb, lemon balm. Whenever I want a pick-me-up, I just lean out my back door and grab a... Read more »
Woodford Files – February 2011
I’ve been a fan of CBC’s “Marketplace” for ages. Their hard-hitting journalism has covered many controversial issues, including the oral contraceptive, Yasmin, and the health risks associated with this pill. But when they recently aired an episode... Read more »
Woodford Files – July 2009
Wow, there’s so much going on in the world of natural health and green living that it’s hard to keep track of it all. But we’re giving it our best shot! From an Events Calendar jam-packed with things to do and places to go, to our Annual Guide to... Read more »
My first blog
So this is a test drive of the blogging tool - my first blog - gung hay fat choy - happy chinese new year!!
Woodford Files - October 2010
Aaah, autumn. I just love it. From leaves crunching underfoot to market shelves groaning under the weight of local produce, this is my favourite time of year. In this issue of Vitality, the harvest of good ideas is also plentiful, especially Pat... Read more »
The Woodford Files November 2010
The popularity of natural health care is increasing at a remarkable rate. According to a report by the University of Guelph: “The functional food, nutraceutical, and natural health products industries represent one of the fastest growing markets in... Read more »
Woodford Files – September 2009
Wow, I’m turning 52 this year and never felt better. Unhindered by the chronic diseases typical of women my age, I’m free to enjoy a fearless midlife. Am I some sort of superhuman who lives a squeaky clean lifestyle? Heck no. I work too hard,... Read more »
Woodford Files – November 2009
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much controversy in regards to influenza vaccination as what we’re witnessing now. This is good – controversy makes you think. To add to the debate, this month we complete our trilogy of alternatives to... Read more »
Woodford Files – December 2009
At this point in the year, wild horses couldn’t keep me away from the rest and relaxation coming up in the next couple weeks. Because this is a double issue, my staff and I get to take a big fat break, which is well deserved by everyone here.... Read more »
African Herb Helps Addicts Get Off the Drug Treadmill
For the hundreds of thousands of people addicted to both legal and illegal narcotics, the future is grim. Those trying to free themselves from addiction typically face great physical and psychological pain within hours of discontinuing the drug.... Read more »
Woodford Files – March 2010
Some say March is the cruelest month. It’s still freezing out, we’re tired of winter, and spring is still a ways off. So to stoke the fuel in your furnace, this issue we bring you Pat Crocker’s feature on fiery fare for your table. With recipes... Read more »
Woodford Files – May 2010
Premier Dalton McGuinty’s recently proposed drug reforms have certainly drawn a firestorm of opposition from pharmacies, and have renewed the debate on how best to handle our future healthcare needs in the face of a $25 billion government... Read more »
Herbs for Lyme Disease
When I asked Francis Ashwagandha, Ayurvedic Consultant at the Big Carrot Dispensary, what he would suggest for people battling Lyme Disease, his first response was “Andrographis.” Curious, I searched Vitality’s archives online for a reminder... Read more »
Woodford Files – April 2010
The winds of spring are blowing through Vitality this month, bringing fresh ideas to make your season sing and dance. In “A Taste of Wild Things”, holistic nutritionist and popular TV personality Julie Daniluk combines the earthy flavour of... Read more »
Woodford Files – June 2010
I don’t think any of us started out as activists; it just became inevitable in the course of pursuing our passion for human and environmental health. After working on this June issue for the past several weeks, it occurred to me that Vitality has... Read more »
Nature’s Answer to Summer Allergies: The Holistic Approach
According to a report recently aired on CBC, “More than one in six Canadians suffer from hay fever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis. Depending on what a person is allergic to, allergy season can start in the early spring and last right through to... Read more »
Letter from the Editor - Uncut
Whew, after the sweatiest summer on record, everybody is back to school and back to work. Actually we’ve already been at work for a month, putting together this big honking September issue which is packed with up to the minute health news you’ll... Read more »
Woodford Files – July 2010
Wow! With a record total of 47 entries in Vitality’s Guide to Organics 2010, this has got to be our yummiest issue of the year. It’s exciting because this big honking Guide showcases the flourishing organic movement in Ontario. And its growth is... Read more »
Green Medicine for Menopause ~ HERBS TO THE RESCUE ~
Whew, the summer heat is on and nobody feels it more than a menopausal woman. Trust me on that. When beads of sweat start to trickle down your neck, and that warm glow becomes a raging fire, you want nothing more than to tear off your clothes and... Read more »
Woodford Files – December 2010
What an exciting year this has been for Vitality. In 2010, our coverage spanned everything from the dangers of fluoride in drinking water, to the intelligent revolution of citizens saying no to corporate health care fraud, to the best natural... Read more »
STURDY BURDOCK - Potent Herbal Medicine Clears Inflammation
Burdock root has many important medicinal uses. First and foremost, it is an excellent depurative or detoxifying herb. As a result it benefits any chronic inflammatory disease of the skin, muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. These include acne,... Read more »
