Where Have All the Honey Bees Gone?

By Cal Orey

The Healing Powers of Honey was
featured in Good Cook, One Spirit,
Crafters, and Literary Guild book clubs

This morning at 8:30 AM, I was a guest on SF KSFO. Host Bob Tanem and I dished on honey, bees, pollen, and the healing powers of nature's nectar. Informative, fun... You can tune into the podcast next week if you missed it.

Story of Manuka Bath in Honey Book

Meanwhile, take a look at this info, straight from my timeless book--available at Walmart  to Amazon and other fine bookstores as well as the publisher Kensington. The Healing Powers of Honey has also been given praise by The Bee Journal, Wellbella, Newsmax as well as enjoyed at book signings at Barnes and Noble bookstores, including Reno, NV, Roseville, CA, San Jose, CA, and Bellevue, WA.

5 Questions:

Where Have All the Honey Bees Gone?

Q. Colony Collapse Disorder was excluded as a cause of the dead bees in the Florida incident. So, what exactly is this term?
A. Back in 2006, an apiary owner in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, made the problem known. Penn State researchers took note of the bee colony decline, due to a condition now known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This condition causes honey bee colonies to simply vanish without a trace—go AWOL leaving their hives in the dust—lending to eerie images of The Happening and I Am Legend sci-fi films of human and animal extinction.

Q. What are some of the theories behind CCD?

Honey Glazed Hen, Honey Tea Bread, Filo Pear
and Honey Tarts plus more Mediterranean-style
recipes!

A. Theories include climate change, diet, mites, pesticides, and viruses. Also, the stress of traveling for pollination of crops and the usage of cell phones (perhaps due to the radiation), chemtrails, and even changes in the Earth's magnetic field are in the mixed bag of possibilities for why the bees are vanishing and leaving their beekeepers out of work and shocked by losing half or more of their prized colonies to an unknown cause.

Q. How will the die-off of the honey bee affect our food chain?
A. Millions of acres of U.S. fruit, vegetable, oilseed, and legume crops depend on insect pollination—and that includes the sacred honey bees. This little insect giveshuman gifts from the hive but also helps pollinate our crops (one-third), home gardens, and wildlife habitat. And don’t forget most beef and dairy products enjoyed in the United States count on insect-pollinated legumes, such as alfalfa and clover. Worse, if the bee disappears our food chain would decline in diversity and quantity, and images of the futuristic doomsday films without fresh food like Soylent Green and The Road could become a grave reality.

Q. What are scientists doing about CCD?

A. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to help get a handle on Colony Collapse Disorder. In 2010 it dished out $6 million in emergency assistance to beekeepers who had lost their bees. And scientists are busy at work trying to discover what exactly is causing the vanishing of honey bees.

California bee expert Dr. Eric Mussen of UC Davis says, “None of us know why the bees are not as vital as they used to be. In many cases this may be due to limited access to a good varied supply of pollens.” He hopes in our lifetime scientists will discover what is killing the honey bees. “But,” he adds, “even if we find the cause, will we be able to overcome it?”

Q. What can you do to help keep the honey bee alive and well?

A. Devote a portion of your property to growing annual and perennial plants the bloom consecutively over the whole season that honey bees are collecting nectar and pollens for food. Reduce the pesticides of all kinds to a minimum. In areas with extended dry periods, supply fresh water in a way so that visiting bees don’t become a nuisance.

Consider donating funds to bee researchers around the country who are trying to determine the cause of CCD and what can be done to bolster the bee populations. 

Excerpt from The Healing Powers of Honey: A Complete Guide to Nature's Remarkable Nectar! (Kensington, October 2011)

A Tribute to My Father

A Tribute to My Father--

a Dog Man with Heart

The 20th century, a happy time for dad and mom

By Cal Orey


Tomorrow is Father's Day. Sure, my dad is in Parent Heaven, along with my mom, the love of his life, but that doesn't mean I'm fatherless. Jack is in my mind and heart--his spirit is around me despite the body is gone.

My dad taught me to be competitive, a trait required for authors

We had a love-hate relationship. We didn't see eye to eye on many things: politics, religion, and risk-taking. For instance, he was Protestant, I was baptized and confirmed Catholic. He was Republican, I was Democrat.  He wanted me to be a working dental assistant--not an author. He told me to write on weekends and get a "real" job for security. It was my mom that said, "You can always be a secretary, go to school and be a writer." And I did just that. But I see now my dad wanted me to be comfortable and not suffer from the ups and downs endured by authors in the writing world.

I love my father for teaching the healing powers of swimming

Moving on to the feel-good pleasures I will always be thankful to my father. Dad taught me how to swim and how swimming is a great exercise and way to chill.  As a little girl I remember going to a club in south San Jose with two huge pools, swim club to compete, a soothing Los Gatos lodge where we'd swim and sun all day. And now, I swim every other day at a resort pool and other spots year round. I give sincere thanks to him for this exercise for the mind, body, and spirit.

I have my dad's red hair, brown eyes

And that leads me to the wide wonderful world of dogs. Canines are another link to me and my dad. He was the one that got us a Boxer...a Dalmatian, Norwegian Elkhound, and Llasa Apso. I loved each one of these dogs. In fact, my bond with the dog followed me in my travels hitchhiking across America, Canada, and Mexico. Each day, now in the present, when I awake to my Brittany and Aussie, it's a link to my father--a dog man like authors John Steinbeck, Jack London,  and cartoonist Charles Schulz, three dog men (who reminded me of dad in many ways with their characteristics) whom I've written about in books and articles.

Trees, water, a dog like our Norwegian Elkhound

Moving on to men. My father picked up on my independent nature and feisty, masculine personality. I am outspoken and do not like to be told what to do. He actually forecasted that I wouldn't marry and the disease that took his life to another place. (Born on October 20,  he a Libra/Scorpio cuspy, was an intuitive, like me.) While I have endured three long-term loves I find myself balanced when alone (my father preferred a mate) but flanked by loyal companion animals.

Where I grew up, trees, cozy burbs

My dad was creative. He landscaped our front yard and  backyard complete with a patio. Both areas were like an oasis to me as a kid. Trees in the suburbs were probably the beginning of my love for the mountains... When I grew up I gravitated to forests--ended up living in Santa Cruz mountains and the Sierra, Lake Tahoe. Thank you, Dad...

My sibling loves dogs, water, trees--like my dad

Sunday morning. I am alone. I am amid two dogs and a cat. I am a working author.  I have these things to thank my father for and one more...my sibling. I know my dad and brother developed a close bond; sometimes sibling rivalry existed. But now, my brother and I are best friends. He's like my surrogate dad...and he, too, loves dogs, swimming, trees. So I've come full circle. Thank you Dad. Happy Father's Day. We love you now and always. I hope they have golf courses, infinity swimming pools, and dogs in heaven.

Summer Blues Hits Home for Author

By Cal Orey

Off season, during summer this
 beach
is off limits due to wayward dogs 
with a bone to pick

In two days, summer will arrive. This morning I decided to skip my swim at the resort pool (due to tourists) and I sit here trying to troubleshoot how I'm going to deal for the next three months. I did a quick online search for tips and didn't come up with anything I can use except that I now know I'm hardly alone with my summer blues...

Imagine this scenario: The streets are jammed with traffic and accidents seem more common. Sirens are heard more frequently due to more problems. Wayward off-leash dogs make it an obstacle course to walk my two canines. Fourth of July is a intense night that I must desensitize my critters and act like the noise factor of fireworks and concerts is normal. 

Vacant vacation homes which are now are filled with people and cars--making you feel like a stressed out fish in an aquarium. The resort pool you love is no longer yours to enjoy even if you arrive at 7:00 AM...because you will be greeted by dozens of kids jumping off rocks onto your head while their parents are oblivious while you try to swim laps. 

Goodbye until fall

Need to escape in mind and body

Living in a popular tourist town like Lake Tahoe is a challenge. 
Your stores are now filled with people of all ages who are excited, loud, and take over the aisles you once liked. The yellow pollen (nah, it's not the tourists' fault but maybe the trees are rebelling?) is dropping on the deck and dust is everywhere indoors and outdoors. And so it goes...

Signings better in the summer?

Ironically, I used to be a summer girl--letting my hair down and wearing flip flops. I love to get golden brown, swim, walk the dogs without slipping on black ice, enjoy cactus and Boston ferns on the deck and watering the landscaped trees, looking at the vibrant colored wildflowers everywhere, savoring clean food (fresh summer fruits and vegetables), drinking iced tea, wearing cut off jeans to sleeveless tank dresses--but it's different now. 
The season is changing and I feel it in the air. Instead of wishing I could fast forward the channel of life to fall in a resort town, I've come up with a working list to deal.

New swimming hole during lap swim time

Tips for Surviving Summer Tourists

* Go to grocery store early in the morning to avoid crowds: stock up on water, staples before gone
* Swim laps at the outdoor pool for locals
* Purchase ear plugs, turn up white noise
* Allow my dog duo to bark when tourists are too loud, too late, too loud
* Use the outdoor blinds and indoors blackout shades to black out invaders
* Do not write articles/books (only edit and proof) on weekends for sanity's sake
* Walk dogs but be on guard: have cell, digital camera for proof of a surprise canine attack

Brainstorming Summer Getaway

* Do food shopping days before Fourth of July and Labor Day Weekend

Going back to PNW to Escape Summer Blues

* Get Disaster Preparedness kits ready in case a wildfire happens and be ready to evacuate in a cool manner like during the June Angora Fire
* Make dental and vet appointments weeks in advance
* Shop online to avoid swirl cookie lines
* Adopt mantra: Autumn and Temporary
* Realize this invasion will pass within 90 days; weekdays will be almost doable
* Remember living and loving pre-fall and autumn off season in a beautiful resort town will be the reward
* Plan to flee in August: book signings in other locales and/or going back to Canada and become a tourist
* If you can't beat them, join them? That works for me. I have some saved flight miles... 

UPDATE: I broke the New Rules: Note to self: Never ever go to store after noon! It was a zoo. Tourist Intense City. Fantasizing about moving...rural, rural, rural. Extrovert has turned introvert--except when I'm a tourist. 

Do You Believe in Good Omens? Frogs and Rabbits

By Cal Orey

Vancouver, Canada Aquarium Frog--a Good Omen

As the Healing Powers series author I do believe superfoods can and do enhance your health and well-being. Research and folklore backs up its good work--and a bit of luck, too. In some of these books I dish about feng shui and candles (in The Healing Powers of Honey and The Healing Powers of Coffee)--and have used this art in my environment.  And that's not all...

A rabbit connection

More than ever now I do believe in animal symbolism and its effects. Frogs to rabbits are considered to be good omens. Early June I faced a few obstacles that blindsided me.  As one who is resilient I went into pro-active mode. During this time, though, three rabbits crossed my path.

So one morning a brown rabbit was in the backyard of my neighbor's home when I was looking out the kitchen window.  A few days later, the rabbit was in my front yard--we made eye-to-eye contact. Then, two rabbits gave me a face-to-face and played chase around a tree...

s

Two Signs--Good Luck on Its Way

A few days later, my challenges were gone and victory was the end result. Could it have been due to these rabbits? There is no scientific proof but I've never seen rabbits in my neighborhood. Plus, I find the turnaround of events is extremely uncanny. So, I'm giving a heartfelt thank you and have real gratitude linked to these creatures who are gone but remain in my soul.

Un-bee-lievable Honey Cures From Your Kitchen

Sweet Home Remedies
By Cal Orey

The Healing Powers of Honey attracted
Barnes and Noble bookstore customers

I’ll describe 50 common health ailments from A to Z, and provide amazing at-home honey cures. I include tried-and-true folk remedies, real-life stories, scientific studies, and medical experts’ words of honey wisdom—and my own experiences with honey. But caution, consult your health care practitioner before putting to work any honey cure.

Available at fine bookstores

1 ACNE  (Brush off blemishes)   Red dots on your face, back, and shoulders are the scourge of the young and beautiful. But adults aren’t immune from adult acne or flare-ups. As a teen, I blamed my mom and dad on a blotchy face. (Genes and hormones can play a role in acne.) I turned to gooey Clearasil cream and smelly Stridex pads and went to war like a fearless Indian using war paint and getting ready to go to battle. But my efforts didn’t work.

What Honey Rx to Use:  Put a dab of honey (a darker variety such as manuka) on blemishes. Repeat twice per day. Sip a cup of chamomile tea to chill—and drink 6 to 8 ounce glasses of water daily and stay clear of empty nutrition sugary beverages with caffeine.

Why You’ll Bee Happy: It’s the antibacterial compounds in honey that work to help fight redness, inflammation, infection, and dry up the blemish.  Manuka honey is antioxidant-rich that can help give you a clearer, smoother complexion. “As a teenager,” recalls one honey lover, “I would smear raw, organic honey on my face and did it after I came home from school, every day.”  Two months later, he recalls seeing sweet results—a 50 percent clearer complexion. The credit goes to using the right “type” of honey—not processed kinds. 

2 ALLERGIES (Stop seasonal misery)  Dealing with annoying acne is no picnic, but sneezing, a runny nose, and coughing can ruin an indoor or outdoor event, thanks to seasonal pollen. Every year when the yellow pollen arrives like an uninvited visitor at Lake Tahoe I hold a tissue in one hand and am on the phone to pharmacist with the other. I am always on a mission to find the natural remedy to stop my sniffles. 

What Honey Rx to Use: Try eating a tablespoon of locally produced honey. Proponents of honey tell me that your immune system will get used to the local pollen in it (it should be within a 50 mile radius from where you live).

Why You’ll Bee Happy:  By taking the honey cure, you may lose your allergy symptoms. Or not. It’s worth the effort and is less pricey than a visit to the doctor or an allergist. Also, honey is a natural remedy and doesn’t come with unknown side effects linked to allergy medications or pricey shots.  One summer day, I looked outside and the Tahoe yellow pollen was everywhere—cars, trees, and the ground. I started putting honey (not just the local alfalfa variety) in my tea, yogurt, and baking. Two days later, my sniffles were history. If it was coincidence or a honey cure it doesn’t matter. It worked. If you have mild respiratory problems, from allergies to asthma, honey may enhance the immune system to build up a better arsenal against airborne allergens—and help you breathe easier. 

3 ANEMIA (Iron up) Allergies can affect people of all ages, but anemia may be more of a problem for people who are dieting or vegetarians who are not getting sufficient iron. Simply put, anemia is a lack of red blood cells and hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that moves oxygen to cells in your body. The symptoms can include feeling tired and lightheaded.

What Honey Rx to Use:  Try incorporating a dark honey, such as buckwheat, in your daily diet. Pair it with Mediterranean iron-rich foods, including fish, seafood, apricots, and figs.  

Why You’ll Bee Happy: If you’re borderline iron deficient, you need to pump more iron into your body. The Daily Value of iron is 18 milligrams. If you are borderline anemic, you can take boost your iron intake by increasing iron-rich foods and dark honeys containing iron which can help boost the lack of red blood cells in the body.

4 ANXIETY (Beat the jitters monster) Anemia sometimes comes with warnings of symptoms, but when anxiety hits (often worsened by stress) you know it like when an earthquake strikes. Anxiety can wreak havoc on your nervous system and up your odds of heart problems, stress eating, and other chronic health problems.

What Honey Rx to Use: If you’re under pressure and feeling high anxiety or sense a stressful event is in the works, make a cup of chamomile tea. Put in one teaspoon of your favorite honey. Repeat twice a day as needed.

Why You’ll Bee Happy: Honey—all varietals—is touted by folk medicine healers for its calming effects. The natural superfood can help soothe your nerves rather than put you in higher anxiety mode. The relief it provides may be due to its multiple vitamin B content—anti-stress vitamins.  Pairing it with calming tea or milk (which is rich in tryptophan, an essential amino acid which helps to alleviate feelings of anxiety and stress) can help you to chill.  So next time you want to relax, one of the best cures is carbohydrates—and the fastest worker to giving you a chill pill is nature’s sweet honey.

5 BAD BREATH (Freshen up your mouth) Feeling anxious about if you breath is not as sweet as it should be? Bad breath can be linked to a variety of causes, from a bad tooth, gingivitis, eating onions to sinusitis.

What Honey Rx to Use: Try 1 teaspoon of honey in a cup of herbal tea. Repeat as needed.

Why You’ll Bee Happy: If you are suffering from post nasal drip, drinking hot tea with honey (which has antibacterial properties) can help clear up mucous and that’ll help sweeten your mouth. Drinking a cup of honey and chamomile tea will also soothe inflamed gum tissue because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Onions, like any pungent food, will take a while to fade out but a honey and tea remedy may offer a quick fix. And if you have a tooth that needs attention, seek it and save that sweet tooth.

6 BED SORES (Stave off a sore spot) Halitosis can be a sensitive issue for folks, but bed sores are another pain (at any age). If you’ve been a caretaker for an elderly person (or if you’re the one who is dealing with bed sores due to being bedridden) you’re aware of the potential of getting and coping with pain and potential infection.

What Honey Rx to Use: Try applying a medicinal honey, such a Manuka, on the sore. Repeat in the morning and night. Follow directions on the product you use because there are different forms available.

Why You’ll Bee Happy: Scientific research proves honey contains powerful antibacterial compounds which can help soothe inflammation and heal sores—all kinds. So, if this tried and true all-natural cure works, it will provide a sigh of relief and honey power will be a welcomed change for the better.

Excerpt from The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington): The book was featured in Good Cook, Literary Guild, One Spirit, Crafters book clubs; purchased by Walmart; Newsmax; Wellbella; translated in different languages; sweet review in Bee Culture Magazine.

Vinegar a natural germ fighter...Can it work to deter MERS?

By Cal Orey

South Korea is being challenged by a virus called MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in the same family as a common cold and SARS...
In the current news you'll find research shows vinegar can help kill the germs that cause tuberculosis (what is TB?). People used it during the Swine Flu pandemic, SARS in China (actually, prices soared for nature's remarkable remedy), and even in the Middle Ages to fight bubonic plague. 
I wonder: is it possible white, apple cider, and red vinegar (used both internally and externally) can boost immunity and stave off contracting MERS that is spreading in South Korea--a region where superfoods and healthful vinegar drinks are a long-time popular trend.

E-book

 Vinegar Rx

Protection for Immunity 

Can vinegar really help us--the "worried well"--to stay healthy and get peace of mind during the ongoing outbreak of of different viruses? It's possible, according to history. In my book, The Healing Powers of Vinegar, I document the amazing therapeutic formula used by four savvy robbers who escaped the bubonic plague...

During the Middle Ages, vinegar made its mark, too. Four robbers in the French town of Marseilles preyed upon the homes and belongings left behind by the people who fell victim to the bubonic plague, or "Black Death" of Europe. Eventually they were caught and brought before French judges, who wondered how these four thieves had protected themselves from the deadly plague while looting plague-ridden possessions.

The legend is that the four thieves bargained and exchanged the famous Four Thieves Vinegar for freedom, explaining that they washed themselves with the infection-fighting liquid every few hours. Upon learning about these immunity-boosting qualities, the formula was used by priests and doctors who treated the ill.

No one seems to know who wrote the formula, which differs from recipe to recipe, but it is basically the same and it works in various ways. It can be used to disinfect sick rooms. If diluted with water, if can be used as a body wash. Taken by the teaspoonful (consult with your doctor for the safe amount), it can be used as a preventive measure to stave off viral infections, such as the flu.

Therapeutic Formula of the Four Thieves

Basic ingredients: Combine 3 quarts apple cider vinegar; 3 tablespoons each of rosemary, lavender, sage, mint, rue, and plantain; and 6 cloves of garlic. Let it sit in a covered container for at least 24 hours.

For more information on antibiotic and immune-boosting benefits of vinegar, turn to The Healing Powers of Vinegar, Revised and Updated.

From Folk Medicine to Modern Miracle— Discover the Amazing Powers of Vinegar!

• Discover the healing powers of apple cider vinegar—now widely recognized as a valuable weight loss tool and a potent elixir.
• Find out how vinegar’s curative powers can also help prevent age-related diseases like cancer, heart disease, and bone loss.
• Learn how red wine vinegar contains the same important antioxidants as red wine—without the alcohol.
• Put dozens more home remedies to work for treating allergies, arthritis, toothache, sunburn, swimmer’s ear, sore throat, and other pesky ailments.

You’ll also find a wealth of natural beauty treatments and environment-friendly household hints—from making kitchen countertops sparkle to cleaning up kids and pets.

Incorporating the latest scientific evidence, plus Mediterranean-style heart-healthy “fisheterian” recipes, The Healing Powers of Vinegar is a must-have, invaluable resource that will show you how to make the most of this proven powerful healer!

 “Wonderfully useful for everyone interested in health.” —Elson Haas, M.D., author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition

NEW book attracts olive oil and vinegar companies and B&Bs

Gift Size coming Dec. 2015
Pre-order, may get before 
Christmas gift packages (ask for specifics)

New Book on the Amazing Powers of Olive Oil:
by Cal Orey

The Healing Powers of Olive Oil

A Complete Guide to Nature’s Liquid Gold ,

Revised and Updated
1 minute must -see Trailer (click)

By Cal Orey

Kensington Health, December    30  20 14 

ISBN: 978-1-61773-453-3
Publish Date: 12/30/2014
Format: Trade Paperback

Special Sales:  212-407-1533.

Cal Orey’s previous book, The Healing Powers of Vinegar, has sold over 150,000 copies, 27th printing. 

The Healing Powers Series have been purchased by the prestigious One Spirit Book Club to Walmart. 

The five timeless books--studies, nutrition data, health perks, stories, and recipes--have been translated in 20 languages.

1st edition sold more than 90,000 copies,
was featured in Good Cook book club
and still praised on Newsmax website/online store

From ancient times to present-day, olive oil has been used as a remarkable remedy for everything from health ailments to beauty and household uses and so much more. Now evidence shows that a diet based on olive oil can promote longer life and may even prevent some of the diseases linked with American diets. In  THE HEALING POWERS OF OLIVE OIL , health journalist Cal Orey describes the latest medical research from leading experts on the many benefits of olive oil such as:

A fascinating read--olive oil is not only delicious--it is good medicine!" --Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D.

Discover Olive Oil's Extraordinary Powers!

Revised and updated, this indispensible book reveals why chefs, doctors, and nutritionists all love extra virgin olive oil, a key ingredient in the Mediterranean Diet--and why other healthful oils from vegetables, fruits, and nuts are not far behind. You'll find easy recipes for satisfying foods like Pizza Baguettes with Garlic Oil, Fudgy Coconut Oil Brownies, Honey-Citrus-Olive Oil Fruit Kabobs, and Macadamia Nut Oil Cookies. Also included: home cures that beat colds and reduce pain, beauty and household secrets, and pet care tips that really work!

 Deliciously healing surprises. . ..

The art of using olive oil for mind, body, and spirit goes back 6,000 years. Hippocrates, "the father of medicine," used olive oil in over 60 healing remedies.

New research confirms that olive oil can help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, and it can stall age-related diseases.

Combining olive oil with other oils (like coconut and macadamia nut oils), can help combat fatigue, infections, and insomnia, and help you fight fat and shape up!

Bring on the butter--especially the right kind and right amount. When paired with oils, this twentieth-century "forbidden" saturated fat is a new twenty-first-century health food.

"Orey gives kudos to olive oil--and people of all ages will benefit from her words of wisdom." --Dr. Will Clower, CEO Mediterranean Wellness

About the Author:

Nov. Roseville, CA Barnes and Noble
very successful book signing
sold dozens of copies

CAL OREY is an author and a popular international journalist. She has a master’s degree in English from San Francisco State University, and for the past twenty years, has written hundreds of articles for a wide variety of national and international magazines. She specializes in topics on nutrition, health, beauty, and relationships. Her books include The Healing Series (Vinegar, Chocolate, Honey, Coffee, and Tea--in progress). Her website: www.calorey.com .

Contact: 

Cal Orey

Author

Phone: 530 541-1964

E-mail: COrey39184@aol.com