How are your sinuses and lungs? I have been feeling dry, dry, dry. The air quality in Colorado has been terrible since mid-summer with smoke and ash visible in the air. And not just Colorado, the fires all over our country have brought smoke hundreds of miles away, impacting millions of people at a time when our lung health is more vital than ever. Lung dryness and vulnerability is a key player in determining your vulnerability to contracting COVID and other viruses.
So how do we care for our lungs, moisten them along with our sinuses, and strengthen our immune system? In Chinese medicine, pears clear heat, resolve mucus and phlegm, and moisten dryness.
Here is one of my favorite recipes. I will make this recipe and eat a little bit each morning and/or evening.
Poached Pears Recipe
Ingredients (6 servings):
6 small, firm Anjou pears just ripe or even a little unripe
4 tablespoons raw, organic honey (local if possible)
1 one-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise with seeds scraped out
1 cinnamon stick, split into 2-3 pieces
2 cups filtered water
In a pan large enough to fit all the pears, add all ingredients except for the pears.
Bring to a simmer, add the pears and cover for 15-20 minutes. Turn and rotate pears every 5 minutes.
Once pears are soft enough for a fork to easily penetrate, remove from the pan and set aside. Keep liquid in the pan and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, until the liquid gets thicker.
Once thick like maple syrup, remove from heat. Serve the pear with a tablespoon of the sauce from the pan and any additional honey to sweeten.
Enjoy daily while air quality is low!