The Free Radical

I eat ebola for breakfast.

Okay, not really… but I could… without fear.

The natural world is conspiring with us to provide all the assurances and defences we need.

The rose bushes especially have responded rather favourably to my constant appreciation and gratitude. There are literally millions upon millions of rose hips along my daily route. And the great thing is… they all taste slightly different from patch to patch, from bush to bush. Their flavour ranges from distinctly apple to blends of apple with strawberry and cherry, and on occasion, even like the citrus of orange. Every rose hip ingested is a moment of anticipation, discovery and sublime satisfaction. I look forward to our interaction every day.

Incidentally, the paper I recently read about the efficacy of high-dose vitamin C in combatting the effects of ebola specifically listed rose hips as the preferred source in ebola cases. I’m covered.

Other allies and helpers have been going the extra mile too… like this sweet clover in nearly full bloom on October 17th. That’s astounding! I use the vanilla-flavoured blossoms in combination with juniper berries to create what I call cinnamonilla lollipops. Juniper berries have substantial antiseptic properties as well as being a mild diuretic. I eat about twenty of them every day– which will continue right through the winter… along with about two dozen rose hips every day.

Additionally, I have been digging a lot of wild onions lately, as the winter season approaches. Soon the ground will be frozen and my onion supply will have to wait until the spring thaw. Onions are an excellent prebiotic. That means that they favour and promote the conditions within our gut for positive microorganisms (probiotics) to take up residence. The human immune system is about eighty percent centred around our digestive tract. That’s our first line of defence.

In other news, the forest has been rather quiet lately, with the animal interactions tailing off significantly. It’s as though we’re in a momentary pause. This has been ongoing for several weeks already. It’s like the animals are waiting for us to catch up… so that we can finally forge a new relationship with them.

Yesterday however, I received a reliable report that a pair of adult cougars were spotted in the yard of one of my parents’ neighbours. Perhaps a reacquaintance is in the immediate offing. I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, feast on this…

Simple, positive visual impressions are just as important to ‘feed’ on as are nutritious immune-boosting foods. Be sure to get out and feast your eyes…!