Pears for wildfire season

It's been smoky in San Francisco, and I hope your lungs are doing ok. Even as the wildfire smoke is clearing, I've been hearing about people with sore throats, headaches, coughs, and other lung symptoms. While everybody's body is different, there's one thing I find myself recommending over and over again:

Pears.

Autumn is the season of the lung in Chinese Medicine, and one of the foods that nourishes the lungs is pears. The lungs love to stay moist, and pears help bring moisture to the lungs.

Steaming them or poaching them is a great way to prepare them, as these water-based cooking methods make them even more moistening (and cooking them makes them easier to digest).

They're also really appealing to kids, making them a good snack when the air is hot, dry, and smoky. I've been making sure my kids snack on pears every day while the air has been bad, and they look forward to eating them!

I've also been taking a homemade syrup made from yerba santa, plantain, and mullein daily, and it's been very supportive. Taproot Medicine sells a syrup called Mighty Lungs which is also lovely, and the Deep Lung tonic from Wish Garden is great, too.

Bonnie Rose Weaver is another local herbalist, and they wrote a great post on tips for fire season that has great information.

Of course, if you need some personalized support right now, don't hesitate to reach out. The transition of seasons is always a great time to support your health for the season ahead.