Woodford Files: On Sugar and Disease; Detoxing with Superfoods; Our Big Online Library

A few weeks ago, I ran out of the organic honey that usually goes in my tea, so I switched to sugar until I could get to the store. Within two hours of making the switch, I started to feel a pain in my shoulder. I ignored it and carried on working. Within 8 hours, after a few more cups of tea, my right hand became so painful that I could no longer type on the keyboard. Egads! Arthritis had struck.

But then I got more honey and dropped the sugar. Within 24 hours, the pain in my shoulder and hand dissipated; it was only later that I realized that sugar, for me, turns on inflammation that triggers arthritis. (And it is now known that sugar also turns on the cancer gene for some people.)[1] So this little story would suggest that our symptoms are truly our friends, and if we can figure out what they’re saying, that puts us in a strong position to cure our own ailments more easily. Recovery from illness is not only about what you do, but also what you stop doing.

In her groundbreaking 1990 book, Tired or Toxic, Dr. Sherry Rogers advised us to cherish our symptoms as early warnings: “Far worse symptoms will appear should you choose to ignore the early warnings and merely mask them with medications. We don’t have chronic pain or high blood pressure or asthma because the design of the world is malicious. They are early warning signs; they act as a guide to tell us to alter our diet, lifestyle, or environment.”

In Helke Ferrie’s feature this month, we learn what happens when the body becomes so overwhelmed by incoming toxins that an inflammatory condition called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity develops. For some people, the condition is so severe that they become incapacitated and house-bound.

I would venture to guess that all of us are carrying hefty toxic loads these days, thanks to the chemical contamination that is legally allowed in our food, air, water, and soil. But never fear, spring cleansing season is here! In this issue, we bring you three ways to detox:

1. With “Marvellous Miso” – a fermented food that’s been found to pull radiation and heavy metals out of the body;
2. By giving your liver a “Spring Boost” since this main channel of elimination must first be cleaned and cleared before a detox;
3. By trying out some of Dr. Rona’s “Top 10 Favourite Spring Detox Remedies.”

Meantime, our transition to a new schedule of publishing Vitality magazine 6 times per year, along with great blogs, videos, and articles on our website 12 times per year, is going well. Readers are enjoying the steady stream of independent health journalism provided in print and online, and the convenience of accessing the easily searchable library of over 1,200 articles on our website.

As well, comments are starting to appear at the end of online articles, enabling readers to discuss them with each other, and ask questions of writers. We’re lucky that our content has such enduring value for so many. To stay informed of new developments, order a free subscription at: subscribe@vitalitymagazine.com

Happy spring cleansing, Julia Woodford

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[1] See Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who are Curing Cancer by Suzanne Somers; Random House Inc