February 2015

by Helen Papaconstantinos • Contrary to what we have been told for over 60 years, saturated fat will not promote heart disease. Nor will fat – despite being high in calories – make you fat. There is an abundance of scientific evidence supporting the view that saturated fat is a necessary part of a heart-healthy diet. Recent studies have exonerated...

February 2015

Good fats make a fabulous comeback by Chris Gursche • My interest in ketones was stoked by the positive results people with Alzheimer’s were achieving by combining coconut oil and medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oil. My father had come up with a formula and was selling it, but he couldn’t say how it worked. Dr. Mary Newport, author of Alzheimer’s...

February 2015

Caution: addiction ahead DRUG BUST by Alan Cassels • Why are so many women taking antidepressants and what does this say about one of medicine’s biggest questions? It’s a problem that’s been growing for decades and shows very few signs of improving. Let’s strip this issue down to a few bare essentials. Q: So what is the problem? A: For some reason,...

February 2015

by Claire Maisonneuve • “If you loved me, you would agree with me and you would want what I want and think like I do.” That’s what many of the distressed couples I see in my practice equate with love. These couples tell me they feel connected, loved and supported when they have minimal differences between them, when there is no disagreement and when...

February 2015

Qigong for mind, body & spirit health There are three threads constant to all forms of Qigong: breath, posture and mind (intent) • by Shauna Mullinix • The healing art of Qigong has been practised in China throughout many millennia. Like all practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qigong places the harmony of Qi at the centre of well-being, health...

February 2015

by Suzette Meyers Curtain photo by Stan Shebs • “It all started here, in the Floral Hall, over 20 years ago. That was 1990 and the very first Seedy Saturday in Canada took place in this very room.” That’s one of the many interesting things Master Gardeners learned about the history of seed saving in Canada from uber-seed-saver Dan Jason during his talk...

February 2015

Deceit and greed the hallmarks of a century-long sham by Geoff Olson • On a cold, grey day in December, I dropped into a North Shore hospice to visit a friend. As he reclined in a wheelchair in the common room, a violin quintet played holiday standards. I slid into a free chair between him and his father to take in the remainder of the performance. In a...

February 2015

by Bruce Mason • While still under the radar of our senior governments and corporate media, the world is awash in cleantech. From San Francisco to Singapore to Surrey, cleantech expos and forums have sprung up, offering snapshots of an evolving global tapestry of innovation. At one time, an Internet search for cleantech would turn up local janitorial and...

GMO Inquiry 2015 • The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) has launched a major public investigation to dig behind 20 years of uncertainty around genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and farming in Canada. The project will be called GMO Inquiry 2015. “We’re stepping up with our own inquiry because our government doesn’t track the...

February 2015

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • With oil prices having plunged from more than $100 a barrel last summer to below $50 recently, the consequences of a petro-fuelled economy are hitting home – especially in Alberta where experts forecast a recession. The province’s projected budget surplus has turned into a $500-million deficit on top of a $12-billion...

February 2015

UNIVERSE WITHIN by Gwen Randall-Young • Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat. – Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man Games involve challenges, be they sports, board games, card games, video games or televised survivor games. We enjoy the challenges and often try to improve our skills so we can...

February 2015

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD, and Sahar Lakhani • February is Heart Month, an optimum time to care about your heart. While death rates due to cardiovascular disease have dropped – in part because many people are adopting lifestyle changes that reduce their risk – heart disease still remains the #1 killer. Every seven minutes, a Canadian dies from...

February 2015

READ IT by Bruce Mason • It rules the world, but do you know what “neoliberalism” really means? While rarely defined, often confused, misused and glossed over, understanding the term is basic to human interaction in the 21st century and the key to unlocking a different country and world. After 40 years of tracking neoliberalism’s global rise, Donald...