Eating to Help Prevent Swine Flu

I have complete confidence that you've heard about the possible swine flu pandemic that might have started in Mexico and as of this writing, has entered Canada, USA, Spain and more places. It has caused 86 deaths and many more people have caught it and survived.


But don't take a chance; read this article (http://colorado-preppers.blogspot.com/2009/04/swine-flu-pandemic-possibility.html). Then take charge of your life to minimize your chances of getting this swine flu. Supercharge your immune system by making some changes today!

1. Healthful fresh foods and nutritional supplements.
2. Sensible daily exercise.
3. Stress reduction.
4. Heartfelt daily prayers or meditations.
5. Regular loving intimacies with your mate.

Let's concentrate on number 1: eating healthy foods and taking supplements. I've been reading, and based on independent research, many people believe that eating as close to Nature's Buffet will help boost your immune system. That means:

• Take a multi-vitamin daily
• Add to your supplements: echinacea, goldenseal, zinc, vitamin c, vitamin d, and peppermint
• Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and beans
• Don't overcook your food, eating as much raw as possible
• Add lots of garlic to your diet - it helps to clean out your blood and boost your immune system
• Eliminate all meats (animal products) and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, etc.) no matter how hard it is
• Eliminate all sugar, white flour, and any and ALL processed foods, especially any with words that don't naturally occur (like maltodextrin, dyes, enriched anything, etc.)
• Stock up on dehydrated (without sulphur) fruits and vegetables
• Start your garden, if you haven't already. Even if you have only a little bit of space in a tiny apartment, you can have a grow light and couple of pots growing fresh greens, carrots, tomatoes and peppers
• Grow and eat sprouts on a regular basis: beans, alfalfa, clover, etc.

We are pretty ready, considering VHTS (Very Hungry Tween Son) has adverse reactions to many foods, including corn, soybean, wheat, peanuts, seeds and nuts. We could have rice, millet or certified-gluten-free-oats daily, along with lots of rice crackers, homemade rice brownies. He also loves dried peas, blackberries, blueberries and mango so he could have those daily. We have lots of apples and pears - enough for a couple of weeks minimum. He loves canned baked beans so we have plenty of those. He will take fish oil in applesauce (to get more amino acids in him). He's a very picky eater, but I'm working on a flourless brownie that has lots of flax seeds (again, more amino acides) to hide certain bits of produce in it... like spinach, zucchini and carrots. I might be able to hide herbs in there too!

Our garden will soon produce carrots, radishes and greens/lettuce, although VHTS won't eat salads without ranch dressing. Our seedlings for tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra, etc. are comiing along well.

We have lots of herbs and medicines stocked up. Besides having lots of fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds and beans, be sure to have lots of herbs and supplements too. Peppermint to settle stomachs. Echinacea and elderberry for lung health. Goldenseal. Zinc. Vitamins C (strawberries!) and D. Grow the garlic. Step out into the sun for 15 minutes a day (that includes your gardening time!).

As you may know, we are starting to prepare to sell our house. We rented a storage unit this past weekend and plan to pack and add to it weekly. Meanwhile, in doing this, I seem to have misplaced much of our prep items, including the night-time cold medicine and cough syrup. That means, I need to get more, dag-nab-it! At least I know where all of the food is!


I already have a cough but have had this for the past couple of weeks so I'm pretty sure it's not the swine flu. But today... besides getting more cough medicine (and celebrating my birthday), VHTS and I have lots to do today:

• I just placed another order for dried fruits and veggies from my fav place (http://www.justtomatoes.com/)
• Ordered more N-95 respirator masks - hope they still have some in stock!
• Health food store for more herbs, rice crackers and puffed rice
• Sam's Club for more honey, peeled garlic, dog food and socks
• Wal-Mart for more water, chocolate chips, eggs
• Dollar Store for disposable gloves, goggles and plain masks

Unbelievably, though, I awoke to 4 inches of very heavy wet snow on my car! What the heck? I can't drive in this stuff any more. Argh!

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Disclaimer:

This website and specifically this article does not intend to replace professional assistance, either medical or legal. Please consult your physician for additional information.

Borage is a Medicinal Herb and Tasty in Salads

We didn't take the picture to the right.
We forgot to photograph ours until
after the frost hit and killed it.


BORAGE: An annual, it was so easy to grow though. Out of many herb seeds we sowed in peat pellets, this one grew even when neglected and unwatered. By the end of the Summer, it was well over 2 feet tall and wide. The leaves were fuzzy and smelled amazing.

We never did get any flowers, though. Not that we remember. Maybe it was our fox problem that stopped it. Or our weather. Or maybe we started and transplanted it at the wrong times.

Since this is an herb for medicinal and culinary use, we plan on more successfully growing it next year. The seed content is an excellent source of oil, and it's a supplement we take regularly. Now we won't have to buy them!

Plus the leaves can be eaten in salads with a light cucumber taste. The flowers are a little sweet like honey and is often used to decorate dessert.

The following is information from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-borage.htm (we did a little editing)...

• An herb is a plant whose leaves, seeds, or flowers are used for flavoring food or in medicine. Other uses of herbs include cosmetics, dyes, and perfumes. The name derives from the Latin word herba, meaning “green crops.” Borage, also called bugloss, is an herb, Borago officinalis, in the same family, Boraginaceae, as the Virginia cowslip and Virginia bluebell. It is an annual that grows wild in the Mediterranean, notably in Crete and Sicily, and is cultivated elsewhere.
• History. Though less well-known than other herbs, borage has nevertheless been used for centuries as an herb and a pot herb. There are records of Roman use, dating back to the early years CE.
• Description. Borage, which grows up to two to three feet (60 to 90 cm) tall, is notable for it’s blue or purplish star-shaped flowers. The “furry” foliage is a grey-green color. The flowers and young leaves have a mild, cucumber-like flavor, and the plant is a great favorite with bees.
• Gardening. An avid reseeder, borage prefers a sunny site and well-drained soil. It spreads assiduously, so plant it in spots where this is a desired trait. It can be used as a border plant.
• WARNING: Note, however, that some sources recommend that pregnant and nursing women refrain from eating borage, so check with a medical professional for any health-related concerns.
• Food and Other Uses. Borage is often not available in United States grocery markets, so if you wish to use it, you may have to grow your own. The flowers can be used sugared for decorating or sprinkled on salads, and young leaves are used in salad, soup, and pasta. The leaves may be cooked in quantity, like other greens, and served as a vegetable side dish or used as a pasta stuffing or crepe filling. As noted, the leaves are “furry,” but the covering is said to disappear after cooking.
• Borage seed oil is used in topical treatments for dry skin, for people with diabetes and eczema, for example. Borage honey is also available.

Peppermint Is Important

Here's a link to something to think about...Candy Canes Fight Germs, Settle Stomachs

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/24/candy-canes-germs.html

Guess that enforces our decision to store peppermint tea, candy canes, and peppermint oil (candles, soap, aromatherapy, etc.) as well to grow some. Our main problem is containing the peppermint plant since it's a huge spreader.

But... yummy medicine!

Peppermint Study

Here's a link to something to think about...

Candy Canes Fight Germs, Settle Stomachs
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/24/candy-canes-germs.html

Guess that enforces our decision to store peppermint tea, candy canes, and peppermint oil as well to grow some. Yummy medicine!