Woodford Files: On Pantry Preparedness, Mushroom Coffee, and Steroid Alternatives

Julia Woodford, Editor

After slacking off all summer, I am finally back in the saddle this month. There's so much going on in the world that I can't resist adding my two cents worth to the public conversation.

I think one of the biggest issues we face today is an increased risk of inflation caused by global supply chain disruptions as well as poor management of our own country's economy. The cost of everything is not going down from here. So it might be wise to start preparing now for a possible economic recession combined with rising prices in the near future.

Harvest season is the most budget-friendly time of year to stock our pantries for winter since stores and farmers' markets are offering local produce at pretty good prices. After all, what's more fun than scouting around the markets and coming home loaded with fresh peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. The trick is to preserve all that lovely bounty so you have it on hand after the harvest season ends, rather than relying on expensive imported produce.

For guidance on preserving the harvest, check out Linda Gabris' story on Lacto-Fermentation as well as Julie Daniluk's piece entitled Capture the Flavours of Fall: Fermenting, Freezing, and Dehydrating, (Side note: There is a food dehydrator loaded with peppers and onions chugging away on my back porch as I write this.)

To include squash and pumpkin in your pantry preparations, see Pat Crocker's feature this month on Scrumptious Squash: Feasting on Fall's Bountiful Gourds. Here we find recipes for Curried Pumpkin and Squash Soup, Spiced Squash-Corn Pudding, and even Squash Nut Bread. The beauty of it is – you can double the recipes and freeze the extras so they're ready to transform into hot meals when you're hunkered down in the depths of winter. This is a great way to increase your food sovereignty and prepare for disruptions to the food supply that may occur.

Also on deck this month is a guest post on Mushroom Coffee: What It is and Why Canadians are Consuming It. Introduced to the market by Canadian entrepreneurs Heather and Blair Kovacs, this product line blends high quality coffee beans with chaga, reishi, and myriad other mushrooms. What could be better than adding the immune boosting power of mushrooms to the stimulating and aromatic properties of good coffee? It's a grand idea.

And in our September newsletter we offer an updated version of Dr.  Zoltan Rona's feature entitled Natural Cortisone and Prednisone Alternatives Can Clear Inflammation Effectively. Here he explains strategies such as removing gluten and allergenic foods from the diet, along with taking anti-inflammatory supplements such as curcumin, serrapeptase, and ginger to clear pain and flush toxic heat from the body. These are far safer than the steroids riddled with side effects.

Add to that our story on TCM for Lupus, a new guest post on Alpiste: a Plant-based, Protein-rich Seed Milk, and our fabulous Service Directory with all the best practitioners, and you've got a recipe for nourishing mind and body. Thankfully we are part of a vibrant and growing natural health community that is here to help you heal and thrive in the months ahead. The healthier you are, the more resilient you will be going forward.

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Have a great fall season, Julia Woodford, Editor