Bear's Blog

Surprised at my realism last week? I highlighted things promised and detailed in the 2025 manifesto. Yet despair is a luxury we can’t afford! Trump’s plans are not self-executing. There are some laws that will hold, and people to hold them. Remember - half of America is holding the light of hope, of liberty and equality.

What to do? First take care of yourself and others! Physically, psychologically, spiritually, and our communal health.  I’ll be focusing on those other aspects through November.

First the physical – because when we are sick, nothing much else is happening! We now live in an era of myriad viruses. It takes some effort to decide the best practices for each of our unique circumstances. Vaccinations are helpful, but a strong immune system is essential. Transitional times like spring and fall leave us more vulnerable, and in winter we have more indoor exposure to others. Here are my go-to practices for illness, and to maintain health.*

General: Take vitamin C (1,000mg) and zinc (50mg -1 or 2x/day). My go-to is Emergen-C as a hot drink. Vitamin D is important, and 5,000 mg/day is recommended. One of the simplest – and cheapest - things you can do if you have a tickle in your throat is GARGLE with warm salt water (I also put a pinch of turmeric in it.) Honey, lemon, and… chicken soup is proven to help too! Ginger and garlic are age old remedies.

Here are more strategies for winter wellness:

1) Homeopathics:

Cold Calm (Boiron): When you feel a cold coming on take this immediately, 3x a day. If anyone in the household is sick, everyone else should start taking this 1 or 2x/day.
Oscillococcinum (Boiron): This remedy targets the flu. Take this IMMEDIATELY 3x/day when you notice symptoms; I find it works best at the onset rather than later.

2) Herbs:

Yin Chao: Whenever I feel something starting in my throat, I go to this Chinese herbal combination, and it stops most illnesses in their tracks. I like the brand Cold Snap in capsules, but there are many others. The main ingredients are forsythia and lonicera. Airborne has these ingredients too, along with vitamin C and zinc, but in much smaller amounts.

Turmeric: A powerful anti-viral, anti-bacterial and much more. Well known for its anti-inflammatory properties for illness it’s taken in larger doses than as an anti-inflammatory – 500mg 3x/day.

Any Chinese herbal formula with Belamcanda (I use 7 Forests) is good for the lungs. Take 2-3 tablets 2-3x a day depending on the severity. This and Yin Chao usually only needs to be taken for a few days.

3) Essential Oils:

I use blends from Young Living oils (Thieves, Raven, RC, and Immunpower). Check out the ingredients in various brands. It helps if you can intuitively get guidance on which ones are best for you - and that goes for any of these other remedies!

Put a few drops on your wrists, apply to lymph nodes behind the ears and take a few deep breaths of it. It can also be applied directly to the chest and throat, and even on the feet.

Remember that we used to "hibernate" during the winter - but in modern times we just move the show indoors. If all else fails, you must really NEED to spend a few days in bed. It’s nature’s way of forcing you to take care. Don’t push yourself, and we should all  stay home and isolate when not feeling well. Also,I don’t recommend getting more than one vaccine at a time; give your body a break of at least a week or two in between. It’s time to put our masks back on in enclosed situations with many people (sigh). Be especially vigilant when traveling by air.

Many people last winter had long-lasting sicknesses and tested negative for flu, Covid and RSV. When I talked to the virus it said that viruses are smart (we’ve realized that!) and it was learning from Covid how to hang out in the nervous system for longer. The science on corona viruses is still relatively new; we need to evolve alongside new pathogens and other threats to our health.

You know the rest of the program – good sleep, nourishing food, exercise (take a walk), mediation and gratitude. Find a way to incorporate these into your daily routine. Slow down and pay attention to your body’s signals to weather the storm. 

Being social and having fun is a powerful antidote - and immune booster - anytime. Stress is a big factor in our health, so it's a good time to limit media. Next week I will offer an exercise for keeping our energy fields as clear and charged up as possible!

Peace, love and healing -

Bear

* These are my personal recommendations and practices (I am not an herbalist, MD, or homeopath.) I hope they will help you stay healthy!