To Fear or Not To Fear the Coronavirus

As a Holisitic Brain Health Practitioner, I’m a huge fan of Dr. Bruce Lipton, but he and many others are warning people about the dangers of fear, and I’m sensing a dismissing  of the magnitide of this outbreak.

But as an epidemiologist, I think that’s dangerous.

We have to honor our emotions.  They are there for a good reason. We want fear when we encounter a tiger.  The Cornoavirus is today’s tiger.

That being said we need a balance.

Lets talk about healthy vs. vs. unhealthy fear.

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Its Time to Make Compassion Cool!

As a 6^th grader, I read Farewell to Manzanar, the book about a young girl’s experience being interned in the Japanese internment camps in 1941.  I also read the Diary of Anne Frank, and then Roots (because mom wouldn’t let me watch it on TV).  Then in college, I took a class on the holocaust.

As an empath, I felt the pain of those who suffered during such awful times in history.  But I wasn’t interested in being depressed.  I was looking for answers.   Why were so many people willing to tolerate so much cruelty?  Why did so many people just look the other way?

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The Causes of Autoimmune Disease

 My Fountain of Youth:  Interrupted

I spent the week of Christmas of 2018 doubled over in pain, with horrible stomach cramps and diarrhea. The mold I had inadvertently ingested along with my tomatoes was wreaking havoc on my digestive system.  This was not how I wanted to spend the holiday!    Then when I did recover,  the problems would resurface whenever I ate tomatoes.  Had a developed an allergy or intolerance to tomatoes?

After that bout of mold toxicity, my body seemed to continue to decline from there.   It began with the reoccurring illnesses. I used to claim to only rarely get sick.   But now it seemed like every week, I was fighting yet another infection!   Why I wondered,  was I all of a sudden so vulnerable to getting sick?

Aging Fast

Around that time,

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Why We Need to Aim for an Awe-Filled Life!

A few weeks ago, the gardener for a large private estate in The Highlands in North Seattle invited me for a tour.  I jumped at the opportunity!

My Mini Vacation

As we entered the gated community of The Highlands, it felt like we had completely left the city behind. The neighborhood is encased in Redwoods!   As we approached the Gardens, my gardener friend said, “and this is where I start whistling”!   It wasn’t long before I could see why!

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Hygge: The Key to Survive Winter Anywhere

From Sunny California to long harsh winters

In my late twenties, I moved across the country to Rochester NY, known for it long, cold and harsh winters, with very little sun.   Luckily, I met friend who decided that given where I was from, that he was going to teach me how to survive winter in upstate NY.   When winter approached, he told me about the different types of clothing I needed to get to stay warm, and where to find them.  He also taught me how to embrace what winter had to offer.  He encouraged me to take up winter sports, like cross-country skiing, and ice-skating.

It worked!   While many of my peers complained about winter, I had skiing to look forward to.  Because of where we lived, I could ski from my doorstep!   Cross-country skiing even helped me get around on snow days when it wasn’t safe to drive!

Apparently embracing the snow is one strategy the Danish use to get through their long harsh winters as well!

 

How the Danish survive winter

Known to be the happiest people in the world, the Danish have a practice called hygge that keeps them happy and content no matter how cold or windy it is outside!

What is hygge?

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Reviving from Failure to Thrive

John would lock himself in his apartment for days, not talking to anyone.  After not being able to reach him for days, his mom stopped by his apartment and found pizza boxes and empty cans of coke and pepsi strewn throughout the apartment.  The place reeked with his body oder, moldy food and urine.

John had been struggling with severe mental health challenges for entire life.  In addition to depression, he had autism and oppositional defiance disorder.  He had a habit of alienating everyone he met, and so he was lonely and uninterested in life.  He was 385 Ibs, sedentary, and had diabetes.

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