5 Questions for Healing Powers Series Author--Tea, Superfoods, Honey...

 By Cal Orey

5 Questions and Answers

As a California native (a state touted for its no-nonsense health nuts) I'm a seasoned author-journalist--and fiction writer. I grew up in the post-hippie era. In my teens I rebelled against processed foods and meat. That is when I began to have an interest in health and natural living... (All of the 9 books in the popular Healing Powers Series include stories with a myriad of my travels across America, Canada, not to forget Alaska and Hawaii.)

Enter the Europeanized Mediterranean Diet—rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs, some dairy, wine, water, and exercise.  You’ll find easy and sophisticated recipes for satisfying foods like Pizza Baguettes with Garlic Oil, Fudgy Coconut Oil Brownies, 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 surprising…

Q: Sugar or Fat? Which one does a writer need more?

Fat. I used to be a sugar junkie. These days, when I incorporate real butter (no fake stuff for me) and oil(s) with superfoods, I’m satisfied and keep lean and fit. Sugar on occasion in natural ice cream and a homemade cookie or brownie finds its way to my life, but only in moderation.

Q: Your writing resume is impressive. Two degrees in writing, three decades of articles and book experience. How did you end up as the Healing Powers Series author?

A: Before finishing grad school at San Francisco State University, I was a published magazine writer. I used to write articles for well-known men’s mags. I spun both fiction and non-fiction. Then, I moved over to women’s mags and wrote about every romance and relationship topic imaginable. Fast forward to 1999. I got my first real book deal from Kensington, a New York publisher. (I penned dozens of diet-related mini mags found in grocery stores.)

Many moons later, I’m known as the Healing Powers author. I’ve written eight books on superfoods: vinegar, olive oil, chocolate, honey, coffee, tea, superfoods, and essential oils. (Most of these books have been embraced by major book clubs including, One Spirit, Literary Guild, Quality Paperback, and Good Cook.)

Q: Your Healing Power series has also been translated in 20 languages; Congratulations! Tell us a little about the past and new updated and revised olive oil book.

A: When I started the vinegar book, red wine vinegar was supposed to be the new twist.  During my research, however, I discovered while it does contain some good for you compounds like resveratrol (found in red wine), I needed more information to honestly tout vinegar’s health benefits. I fell into the wide world of the Mediterranean Diet and lifestyle because it includes not only red wine but healthful olive oil—and that superfood led to the first and second edition—The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, A Complete Guide to Nature’s Liquid Gold, Revised and Updated. The first edition is my second best-selling book and now the second edition is followed by a third edition. Vinegar has sold about 1/2 million copies (that would include three formats, three editions, foreign rights in more than 20 countries).

Q:  Did you discover any real surprises while researching your books?

A: I found out that other oils, including coconut and canola, have healing perks. Combining olive oil with other oils can help fight fatigue, infections, and insomnia, and help you to fight fat and shape up! Tea? I'm still in love with chamomile (it keeps you young) and adore white tea! Superfoods? Ah, pizza, cheese, potatoes, ice cream? You betcha. The right kind in moderation, though. 

Q: What's an interesting fact about olive oil that most people don't know?

A:  Discovering that you can combine a variety of oils is becoming more commonplace in the kitchen; even seen on Food Network with its creative celeb chefs as well as every day folks are teaming these oils in entrees to desserts as well as home cures and beauty recipes.

Q: Did you learn something new that will shock readers?

A: 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. I’ve learned that while I was sneaking butter into my recipes and diet that I was doing the right thing. Lose the margarine!

Q. Do you have a personal favorite dish that you use two oils instead of just olive oil?

A: Chocolate! I simply adore chocolate semi-homemade brownies. It makes my kitchen smell like I’ve soared to Chocolate Heaven and the taste and crunch with nuts and chewy coconut takes me away to a happy place.

Q. Bonus Question. What's new in your book collection?
A. The Healing Powers of Vinegar, gift size 3rd edition, The Healing Powers of Superfoods, and the new book in progress! The Healing Powers of Essential Oils.

Chocolate muffins with coconut oil can work, too...
Check out The Healing Powers of Chocolate book!

Fudgy Coconut Oil Brownies

* * *

Welcome to fudgy brownies with both olive oil and coconut oil. Also, dark chocolate and nuts are part of this bar—heart healthy foods—perfect for February is American Heart Month and Valentine’s Day. This is a classic recipe but with my own healing oils spin of semi-homemade (the brownie mix nutrition label reads no trans fats). But note, these bars are good so if you want to stave off a “muffin top” as noted in Eat Pray Love,  savor one not a whole batch like I did.

¼ cup and 2 teaspoons cup extra virgin olive oil                   ¼ cup coconut oil

¼ cup water                                                                             2 organic brown eggs

1 package store-bought premium dark chocolate                  ¼ cup cake flour 

brownie mix (with no trans fats)                                             (at high altitude)

½ cup dark chocolate chips                                                    ½ cup almonds or walnuts, sliced

1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded                                       
butter for greasing dish

In a large bowl, combine oil, beaten eggs, and water. Add brownie mix and flour, stir till smooth. Fold in chips and nuts. Lightly grease (with extra virgin olive oil or butter) an 8-inch-by8-inch glass square dish, pour and spread brownie mixture. (Or pour batter into a cupcake paper lined muffin pan.) Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes. Don't over bake. While warm from the oven, sprinkle top with coconut. Makes about 12 brownies. Serve with coffee or tea. More amazing healing oils shared in dozens of new recipes.   The Healing Powers Series at all online bookstore! All formats! 

Invisible Ink -- I Am a Ghostwriter-Co-author

 INVISIBLE INK

By Cal Orey

I am a ghostwriter. I am often on the job writing books for someone else. For example, writing as a military wife, I dished out heartfelt feelings in a woman’s magazine about my husband’s service in Iraq. Writing as a witty English doctor, I prescribe anti-aging secrets in a self-help book. Writing as my sensitive mixed-breed cat, I dispense advice to pets and humans in a bimonthly horoscope column.

    In the past year I've co-authored novels: Romance, True Crime, Sci-Fi, and Historical Creative Fiction. Currently, I'm wrapping up a historical novel. The locale is based in the South and it has underlying themes of civil rights plus a bond between a youngish white man and elderly black man. Truth be told, I've cried many times during the "Fried Green Tomatoes" work. And I've fallen in like and awe with both characters.

            Sound like fun? For writers who don’t mind losing a byline (or who can do developmental writing and complete a book or novel so it sings), ghostwriting is an interesting and potentially lucrative career option. Here are five reasons why you should consider this often-overlooked writing path.

1 Interesting assignments

Ever wish you were someone else? As a ghostwriter, you can live your dream vicariously—without having to get credentials or be reincarnated. Being a “ghost” is like channeling into someone else’s body and mind. For example, I write for my 5-year-old cat, Kerouac, who pens the column “What Do the Stars Hold for Your Pet?” for a pet magazine. Not only is his name on the masthead, each column pays for his premium cat food and toys.

            Eric Neuhaus, a New York ghostwriter, did the writing and more for a book by fitness guru Joe Decker As part of the assignment, Neuhaus and a diet consultant cooked up healthy versions of traditionally unhealthy dishes such and meatloaf and fajitas. “The kitchen in my one-bedroom apartment became the test kitchen,” Neuhaus says. “I bought another book on how to write recipes. All of this was trail by fire. I never thought in m wildest dreams that I’d be testing recipes.”

Ghost Tip: “If you enjoy people, ghostwriting is a way to delve into some of the most unusual people on the planet,” says Marc L. Weber, a former ghostwriter.

2 An occasional credit

When I was assigned the Iraq article for Complete Woman, I collected the very personal first-person narratives of two military wives, using their unique voices to put together their heart-warming tales. I received an “as told to” author credit.

Ghost Tip: If you think the book has potential to be a bestseller, request co-author credit. If you are a known author with a platform it can help boost sales for the work. But if the project is an author’s tool (i.e., selling products), credit isn’t a big deal.

3 Appreciative clients

“One of the most surprising facts I have learned about ghostwriting is that there are some extremely intelligent people out there who cannot put anything onto paper,” Habert says. “For some reason, somewhere between the thought process and the actual movements of their pen or fingers on keyboard, they become babbling fools.”

            In my ghostwritten book on anti-aging, I noticed while the doctor had good command of the English language, his prose tended to be dry. I was hired to “dumb down” his health advice and product information. And the doctor appreciated my ability to do just that.

Ghost Tip: “You have to check your ego at the door,” cautions Deborah Kotz of Silver Spring, Md., who has worked as a ghostwriter on several health books. “Realize that you are the ‘writer’ and not the ‘author.’ There’s a big difference between the two. You are not the authority. So, you have to convey the message that the author wants to convey.”

4 Fine-money potential

Some book advances can make you smile. Case in point: More than once, I signed a book agreement for a five-figure deal, and bonuses. Currently, I am content as I channel into characters in a story that is a fascinating and controversial topic. So, this summer I get to escape to another region without facing the crowds and chaos at the airports. How rich is that?

5 Unlimited prospects

The best part of ghostwriting is that it’s like a deep well that never goes dry. Habert understands the glory of ghostwriting. “It is a lucrative source of writing, not only in a monetary manner but also in the volume available,” she says.  Weber adds that a baby boomers age, “that generation becomes interested in holding on to its memories, so there is more work for ghostwriters to do than ever before.”

Ghost Tip: “Network as much as you can,” Weber says. “Make sure people know you have the talent to help them."

            Each in his or her own way, Habert, Weber and Neuhaus have discovered that ghostwriting is a good avenue to a never-ending road of projects. You, too, can arrive at that point. Just put on your mask and go to work but it's like kid's play every day.

Words of Wisdom for Ghosts and Authors

Get it in writing: “If you’re going to collaborate, you’re going to need a written contract or agreement that spells out show does what and how much you get—and when,” Neuhaus says.

Tackle Tasks:  Outlines, restructuring and crafting, developing characters, writing prologues, cliffhanger chapters, and WOW endings, settings, description, dialogue -- and much more! work.

Develop a specialty: “Whether it’s fitness or fashion, write about what you love and have a passion for,” says New York City ghostwriter Eric Neuhaus.

Network with other ‘ghosts’: Often, ghostwriters will be busy with projects and may refer clients to you for a finder’s fee.

Discuss the editing process: If you want to avoid ghoulish re-dos, talk with the author about edits and ongoing revisions before you begin. Personally, I have incorporated the phrase: No revisions, no refunds. You are free to delete and add details.  And as a courtesy I may offer to do minor tweaks.

Copyediting is a must-have. I advise my clients to run not walk to a copyeditor who knows my work and can do minor edits (i.e., grammar to typos and formatting). Work needs editing.

Remember, everyone has at least one book in them:  It’s your job to connect mentally and emotionally with someone who want to hire a ghost—namely, you.

Published in The Writer (since 1933, RIP)

For more information: Email me. COrey39184@aol.com  Keep in mind, since each project is different, price differs, too.  Novels/Novelettes: Romance, Sci-Fi & Adventure/Thrillers...

BIO: CAL OREY, M.A. Meet a super versatile author-journalist, columnist & ghostwriter (fiction: crime, romance, sci-fi, adventure, psychological thrillers, memoir & most genres) and a known on-air personality... 

I'm a born and raised Californian who keeps it real. I hold two degrees in English (Creative Writing) from SFSU, and pen the "hugely successful" Healing Powers Series, available at all fine bookstores --all 9 books have been graced with online bookstore website Bestseller banners; (translated in 25+ languages), many featured by Good Cook and Literary Guild book clubs to Newsmax media.

 

NEW BOOK RELEASE: 

The Healing Powers of Herbs & Spices: Timeless Treasures #9 published in 2021 by Kensington  

It has made its way to being a pick in Woman's World Magazine Book Club, and covered by Booklist, American Global News, GlobalInformerNews, NYC Daily Post, New York Daily, City Buzz News, Huffington Post, on board with Newsmax, and in more than 75 libraries worldwide (multiple branches, many copies), articles in hard copy and online magazines... noted on C2CAM, KSFO...

Essential Oils for the Worried Well...During Winter/Spring

By Cal Orey 

Past Plague, Magical Rx from Mother Nature

Viruses are nothing new. During the Middle Ages, 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 and herbs formula for freedom. They explained that they washed themselves with the antiviral and antibacterial infection-fighting liquid every few hours.

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. It can be used as a preventive measure to stave off viral infections, such as the flu.

5 Essential Oils to Guard Your Immune System

The antiviral and antibacterial compounds in essential oils can help guard your body against germs and contracting the virus. Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, founder of the Pacific Aromatherapy Institute points out that “the most effective essential oils for viral infections are those with sizable contents of cineole, mono terpene alcohol, and mono terpene hydrocarbons.” He adds, “These three types of components form an effective antiviral synergy.”

Here are five oils containing antiviral and antibacterial compounds, which may help you, like the four thieves, to guard against a cold, flu or virus.

1.     *Eucalyptus: This oil is one of the best essential oils to help keep the flu at bay because it boosts your body’s immune system. It contains cineole which is effective for viral infections. Try It! It can be used in baths and showers, saunas and steams, and a vaporizer.

2.     *Lavender: It is touted for its antiseptic, antiviral and antibacterial properties, which can help treat respiratory infections. It can also soothe aches and pains in the joints and muscles. Try It! Inhaling this oil in a steaming vaporizer, baths, or even used as a culinary oil infused in tea blends and foods.

3.    *Lemon:  This essential oil contains mighty flavonoids (super antioxidants) which may also help fight viruses. The citrus oil can also be used to relieve coughs, fevers, and a sore throat. Try It! It can be used in soaps and household cleaners.

4.     *Peppermint: This essential oil can ease muscle pain due to its cooling effect, like eucalyptus oil. Its ingredient menthol can help to relieve congestion from a cold. Try It! It can be used in a foot soak, diffuser, or one small drop neat (undiluted) under your tongue or on your forehead or back of your neck.

5.    * Tea Tree: Medical research shows tea tree oil contains antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties called terpinen—ol and a-terpinol. These two components may help disease linked to bacteria and infection. Try It! It can be used in a vaporizer or diffuser. But note, it is not a culinary oil.
      Other immune-enhancing oils include: basil, cedarwood, cinnamon, and sandalwood.

Essential oils are budget-friendly and available year-round at your health food store and online.

Ebook/Paperback

Bacterial Fighting Citrus Hand Soap

If you don’t want to use store-bought hand soap, this DIY method is not difficult. Here is a liquid hand soap recipe. It contains germ-fighting citrus essential oils, and knowing this will give you peace of mind when you wash your hands, especially during the flu and cold season.

1 cup castile soap

2 tablespoons sweet almond essential oil

2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

50 drops steam distilled lemon essential oil

30 drops steam distilled essential lime oil

Mix all ingredients in a pump bottle. Store in a cool place. Use as needed.

(Courtesy: Plant Therapy)

The bottom line: Your best line of defense is similar to the four robbers remedy used by them  and other folks in the Middle Ages. Wash your hands often. Also, do wipe down objects and surfaces. Essential oils can be helpful to bolster your immune system and disinfect your world as the world is in a wait and see mode.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring the unpredictable virus and variants. 

 (Adapted from Cal Orey’s The Healing Powers of Essential Oils: A Complete Guide to Nature’s Most Magical Medicine, published by Citadel Press Kensington. You can find the Infection-Fighting Four Thieves Formula recipe and dozens of home cures and recipes for the body and household.)

 Cal Orey, M.A. Is an author and journalist. Her books include the Healing Powers Series (Vinegar, Olive Oil, Chocolate, Honey, Coffee, Tea, Superfoods Essential Oils, Herbs and Spices) published by Kensington. (The collection has been featured by the Good Cook Book Club.) Her website is www.calorey.com .

Dump 5 Pounds on the Weekend Coffee Diet

 COFFEE: The Skinny Beverage 

By Cal Orey

Men and women can lose lbs/body fat with java

Did you know?  Spas around the globe include java to help boost your metabolism, energize and calm you—golden keys to getting and staying slim. Follow this jump-start fast semi-fasting diet plan and lose up to 7 pounds in 2 days (depending on your weight and metabolism).

Since biblical times, the health conscious and spa goers have turned to juice fasting for its body-cleansing and weight-loss benefits. Natural fruit and vegetables flush toxins from your body. And they flush away fat, too. What’s more, coffee can speed up the weight loss, too. Eating this way isn’t just about weight loss; it’s about cleaning out your digestive system. You’ll not only feel thinner, you’ll also feel positively thinner.

Enter The Coffee Diet.  Since the thirties on into the fifties, Hollywood dieters have turned to the slimming power of this wonder citrus—and coffee. The grapefruit’s status as the ideal diet food was born when researchers found evidence that it contains fat-dissolving compounds. Further elevating the fruit’s status in the world of weight loss: It’s low cal, fat-free, fiber-rich, vitamin-packed and satisfying.

• Grapefruit:  One medium grapefruit has just 74 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, and it is a good source of fiber.
• Eggs:  One medium-boiled egg has only 69 calories. Try eating just the hard-cooked egg white—it’s low in fat and calories and high in the amino acid cysteine, a skin supporting nutrient.
• Coffee: Plus, the coffee—black—acts as an appetite suppressant, making this plan easier to stick with. (I don't recommend more than 3 cups per day.)
• Eat vegetables and fruits.

The Healing Powers of Coffee was
featured in WW ... author Cal Orey
quoted to say she knows women who
lost unwanted lbs. drinking java

Tips:  Consult your doctor before starting this 2 day semi-fast or any weight-loss regimen. Drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water and/or herbal tea daily (including coffee). Use spices such as cinnamon to enhance the flavor of grapefruit and vinegar for vegetables.  Excerpted and adapted from The Healing Powers of Coffee (Kensington).

To get the complete quickie diet that really works--for women and men--and why (plus how to smooth the appearance of cellulite and detox your body); grab a copy of The Healing Powers of Coffee! Penned by the former Woman's World diet and nutrition columnist, author of more than a dozen weight-loss mini mags, including "Cool Ways To Fight Fat" and "From Firm To Fat At Any Age"... As the coffee book author, I practice what I preach. I savor premium coffee in the a.m., and then hit the swimming pool/walk the dog duo. Repeat on the weekend before the rowing machine (latest thing for me).

Q: What about the benefits of green coffee beans?

A: Green coffee refers to the new or unroasted [beans] of Coffea fruits. It has been praised for its weight-loss benefits on the popular "Dr. Oz Show." One study published in January 2012 in the Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Journal shows 16 adults using green coffee bean extract lost an average of 17 lb in just 22 weeks. It's believed that chlorogenic acid slows absorption of fat from food intake and also boosts metabolism of extra fat. Evidently, it may be a better source of chlorogenic acid than traditional brewed coffee.

Spice Boom Woos America During a Pandemic

 Cal Orey

UPDATE: Home-cooking is still popular during the ongoing pandemic. The Healing Powers of Herbs and Spices (Recipes/Home Cures/Immune-Boosting Best Picks) can whisk you to a flavorful, happy, healthy place right at home. Plus, Mother Jones magazine will feature the book in the Mar/Apr issue. And right now the Ebook format is on New Year, New You sale...Check it out on Amazon and other online bookstores.

The word is, an uptick in herbs and spices has left manufacturers scrambling to fill orders for hungry and lonely consumers -- longing for excitement, travel, and flavorful fare.

What gives? Blame the surge on the stay- at- home new normal. Herbs and spices have been touted as timeless treasures. Their draw goes back centuries ago, to the days of the spice trade. Seafarers searched for pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg which were a priceless commodity. And now, during a 21^st century plague, we are experiencing another spice explosion, sort of.

The Covid-19 challenge has already played a role in our food chain. Back in March, we endured bare shelves – a lack of eggs to meat -- in our grocery stores.  But spices were growing in demand, too. As months passed, and during quarantine home-cooking, using herbs and spices became hot for people around the globe.  But in 2019 nobody saw the virus coming… 

 

Pre-Pandemic Introduction to Seasonings

Flashback to when I began my book research for The Healing Powers of Herbs and Spices: Timeless Treasures (Kensington Books -- bookstores to pre-order for Dec release), I found a big cardboard box on my doorstop—a gift. When I opened the package, I was greeted by a strong wave of different aromas. The box was filled with dozens of individual packets containing a variety of herbs and spices.  It was if they were all are saying, “Look at me! Choose me!” I took out each cellophane wrapped and labeled packet. There were rows of small packages on my dining room table. Each one was filled with powders, pods, seeds and stems--some familiar, some not. I brought out a kit of glass bottles with stick-on labels which I had ordered online and went to work filling each container with a dried herb or spice. Foolishly, I did not wear a mask. My eyes began to water, and sniffles started. I sneezed several times. I was experiencing the potent compounds in the botanical plants. But I persevered! Within a few hours, all my seasonings were inside the glass bottles and labeled. I was ready to arrange them in racks. It was time to start my personal journey into the world of herbs and spices.

Little did I know these timeless treasures would end up making a huge comeback during a pandemic stay-at-home lifestyle.

 Surge in Spices

            Why? Why did spices see a rise in growth during a pandemic? Well, there is a myriad of reasons. Here, take a look at some of the popular changes.

* As more people look to natural remedies as a way to avoid the side effects of drugs, the demand for usage of herbs and spices continues to build.

*Modor Intelligence reports that the seasonings and spices market  (think big like McCormick) has seen growth, with people wanting nutritional benefits – first and foremost.

* Celebrity chefs increasingly promote more natural, plant-based diets that include many herbs and spices for flavor, texture, health and visual appeal.

And people are having more sit-down immediate family meals like back in the fifties – and seasoned, flavorful food like we get eating out is playing role. What’s more, though the holiday season into the New Year, spice companies will likely enjoy a greater demand for favorite seasonings. Think cinnamon, cloves, garlic, sage, thyme, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. And since American households will be experiencing smaller holiday meals at home – spicing up recipes will add fun. Indeed, aromatic herbs and spices will be part of a homestyle safe haven chock-full of nostalgia from pre-pandemic times.  

 

Cooking Is Hot & Chillaxing

During stressful times people often turn to baking bread or cooking casseroles – familiar comfort food. While we cope with COVID-19 – losing a loved one to a job layoff, cooking connects you to a sense of normalcy. During stay-at home advisories, we cook more meals, and herbs and spices have entered our take-out and home cooking routine.

According to chefs, using herbs and spices provide different flavors and can create different cuisines, from Mediterranean to Indian – a connection to traveling which we cannot easily do right now.  It’s an escape to embracing different cultures and humanity – a way to feel connected during physical distancing.

Let’s face it. Staying well, whether with family, friends, or solo, is on our minds -- the key to vibrant health for all generations is in your kitchen… Anise, bay leaf, garlic, parsley, turmeric, and more—for thousands of years, herbs and spices have been praised for preserving and flavoring food, as well as preventing and even curing illnesses.

The latest research reveals that the seasonings already in your pantry—or easily found fresh in your supermarket or garden—can lower your risk for getting sick. Nature’s gifts including allspice, chives, fennel, oregano, pepper, tarragon, saffron, and special blends like Herbes de Provence are gifts during the holidays and year-round. And yes, herbs and spices can help guard against colds and flu, banish a hacking cough, and even ease stress and anxiety during challenging times.

Herbs and spices are part of a comeback and are predicted to be in demand during the pandemic fall to winter months. After all, dried herbs and spices are ideal to stock the pantry -- if we have to hunker down (again). Other good-for-you products are wanted, too. There is a scent-sational allure for aromatherapy candles and essential oils. After all, scented nature’s medicine helps keep the home cozy and calming  -- and us healthier and happier. 

And don’t forget, back in March when the pandemic came to America, cookbooks to flour, yeast, sugar and butter flew off the shelves in grocery stores. So, as we cope with a second wave, these items are popular again. Most likely, enjoying nature will help us survive during the predicted “dark winter” before we have a vaccine and can live our lives. Yes, herbs and spices and other things will get us through tough times until post-pandemic days ahead – with promise of hugging, gatherings, and traveling – the variety of spice of living.

Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune Health in 2022

   By Cal Orey

UPDATE: Update: Back in February 2020, I predicted the epidemic would end up as a pandemic. Two years ago, I wrote: At this writing, I forecast a second wave will hit the U.S. -- and likely we would eventually have vaccines and therapeutics. But I also noted it would not go away but we'd have to learn to live with it -- its variants to even a potential new superbug.

As a former magazine journalist living in San Francisco, I wrote about the frightening AIDS epidemic, which we learned can affect all people of all ages. Later, I penned books, including Doctors' Orders: What 101 Doctors Do to Stay Healthy to the Healing Powers Series.

The glitch is, while this new respiratory virus--coronavirus--may not be as deadly as the deadly 1918 Spanish flu--it doesn't discriminate. Worse, it comes with a longish incubation period--and there is no cure yet. People with healthy immune systems are not immune. 
But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you get and stay healthier and you end up contracting the virus from getting infected by another person, your body will be in better shape to fight the symptoms of the flu and get well faster.

*  *  *

The Four Thieves Formula, different versions, can be found in chapters of both The Healing Powers of Vinegar and The Healing Powers of Essential Oils  I discuss in length how each ingredient works its magic with its antiviral properties. In other words, you can build up your immune system to guard against colds, flu, and even new viruses. (Books are available at all fine bookstores--ebook, paperback, mass market.)

Past research shows vinegar and herbs to essential oils can help kill  germs--and guard against a virus. 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 vinegar to a variety of herbs were used to fight 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.

And now, Europe to the U.S., and other countries are being challenged again. 

10 Ways to Bolster Your Immune System

1. Drink plenty of fluids. Drinking water, herbal teas, and vitamin C-rich liquids can flush out any toxins that you accumulate.

2. Wash your hands frequently. (See the link and popular doctor who agrees.) Viruses can be transmitted by shaking someone's hand and then touching your face, nose or mouth. (This is probably the most important strategy. Use the recipe Four Thieves Formula--apple cider vinegar and herbs or the version with essential oils. It can be used topically, to clean surfaces in your environment, and more.)

3. Eat right. "There are many plant chemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids that have antiviral and antibacterial activity," one California-based medical doctor told me. So eating nutritious produce daily will help keep your immune system strong. He also eats fish, whole grains, onions and garlic which help stave off flu, too.

4. Treat yourself well. "I try to minimize junk food, but I do succumb to chocolate or calcium-rich ice cream once or twice a week," said the good doctor. He added, "It's possible that lots of sugar can interfere with the proper functioning of the immune system."

5. Take vitamin C. Most of the research says that it improves the immune system.
6. Take echinacea. This herb is touted to have both antibiotic and immune-stimulating properties. But note, it's best used as a preventive measure before you get the flu.

7. Zinc yourself well. Zinc is a potent virus-fighters that can cut the time you spend in misery.

8. Drink herbal teas. Tea is a superfood chock-full of antioxidants.

9. Exercise, exercise, exercise. "It helps me sleep more deeply at night. Deep sleep is a time when the immune system has a chance to regroup itself and get revitalized," pointed out the health practitioner that taught me well.

10. Chill out. By keeping your stress levels down, you can keep your immune system up and healthy.

Chocolate Ebook on Sale 1.99 for Chocolate Lovers -- Boost Feel-Good Endorphins!

 By Cal Orey

Get Happy, Beat Cabin Fever with Chocolate

By The Writing Gourmet

THE HEALING POWERS OF CHOCOLATE

By Cal Orey
Kensington Trade Paperback, January 2010
ISBN: 0-7582-3820-7, $14.00/$17.50 (CAN)

Here it is, the timeless Chocolate book (part of the internationally popular Healing Powers series). You can purchase THE HEALING POWERS OF CHOCOLATE right now amazon.com  (sale price for Kindle)...

“Decadent” and “sinful” are words commonly associated with chocolate, but they no longer apply. Approximately 4000 years ago, in Central America, the Mayan Indians considered cocoa beans “food of the gods” because of its medicinal benefits. Later, it got tagged as a “bad” fatty food. But by the end of the 20th century, a twist of fate turned chocolate back into a health food.

THE HEALING POWERS OF CHOCOLATE traces the origin of chocolate, from bean to bar, from centuries ago to the present day. In creating this informative and fascinating book, renowned health expert and author Cal Orey (who lives near San Francisco, one of the nation’s chocolate hot spots) interviewed America’s top chocolate makers and chocolatiers, nutritionists, medical researchers, and chocolate lovers to find out how this ancient “food of the gods” can prevent and fight common ailments and diseases.

The result is a lively comprehensive guide to the wide world of quality chocolate, from 70% dark truffles to Italian biscotti baked with extra virgin olive oil, in America and around the globe. With proven data for eating dark chocolate containing cocoa flavanols to reduce heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and dozens of pesky ailments, this book—with a European twist—takes you on a magical chocolate tour, complete with wit, charm, and entertaining personal anecdotes from ancient folklore to the 20th and 21st century.

From Ancient Folk Medicine to Modern Health Wonder, Discover the Amazing Powers of Chocolate!
* Discover the healing powers of dark chocolate and cocoa—now widely recognized as an accepted “health food” and “SuperFood”—versatile cure-all.
* Find out how chocolate’s powers can lower the risk of developing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and weight woes.
* Learn how chocolate contains more antioxidants than green tea and red wine—without the alcohol.
* Put dozens of chocolate home cures to work for treating acne, anxiety, brain fog, cabin fever, cough, depression, fatigue, and other ailments.
* You’ll also find chocolate beauty and anti-aging treatment—from masks, manicures to bubble baths and body wraps—made from antioxidant-rich chocolate teamed with natural plant extracts.

Incorporating cutting-edge scientific research, plus Mediterranean-style heart-healthy chocolate recipes, from Sicilian Mole to Dark Chocolate Mousse, THE HEALING POWERS OF CHOCOLATE is a well-rounded one-of-a-kind resource that will show you why savoring this no longer forbidden “food of the gods” is the 21st century trend.

Endorsements:
*Number 3 in 7 books the Healing Powers Series: Pairs well with The Healing Powers of Coffee, Honey and Tea

* Formerly Featured in the Good Cook Book Club and One Spirit Book Club
* Editor's Fave book in long running Complete Woman magazine (Feb./March 2010 issue)

* The right kind, the right amount of chocolate may just save your life.
Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., author of New York Times bestseller The Fat Flush Plan