Flu Shot

[Kerry F]

I am curious how many of you get the flu shot and how much you think it helps to keep you from catching the flu.  I have never gotten them and I do seem to catch the flu, although knock on wood, I seem to get lighter cases of it.  I have just always been of the opinion that immunizations, while they have certainly protected against awful diseases back in history, they ultimately weaken the immune system. 

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

Twice ever I've bought stuff from the mercola site; spent a grand total of $100.  Yes, he sells stuff and yes, that reply about grapefruit seed extract is extremely disappointing and awful, but that doesn't deter me from reading and respecting him. He's been on Dr. Oz several times, and the vast majority of his articles do not mention his products.  The link on oil pulling and the flu don't mention any products, for example.  

And this recent article entitled The Benefits of Minimally Invasive Dentistry, which has started me on taking my dental hygienist friend's advice to use baking soda instead of toothpaste at night, doesn't either:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/03/minim...

(I use grapefruit extract when making my own DIY veggie wash.  I get it from iherb.)

Many years ago (least twenty) I wrote him about cooking with aluminum foil.  Maybe I had read sometihng; don't remember.  He wrote back that it's a really bad idea because it could cause alzheimer's disease and it's best to use a clay pot, which I bought and have used since then and continue to avoid aluminum foil while cooking.

So I guess trust but verify.  Everything I do I google and read.  My almost 2-month practice of oil pulling started with Joe  Mercola but I verfied on many other sites.

[Emily Erickson-Sandstrom]

Yes, but it's still a lot of information on the subject that is efficidently divided up.  It's a good place to start, and then go on.  I lost the great site I had for that sort of information, darn it. 

Mercola isn't the first, in my experience.  I used to write him about things that were not widely known yet.  Rhodiola rosea prompts the body to MAKE neurotransmitters, and gives a feeling of well-being.  I have seen it make nasty people nice, and it's recommended for autistic children because of their myelin sheathe damage to the brain, due to vacicines.  The addiction and the fluoride problems (among others) that pharmaceutical anti-depressants create - the ones that reuptake serotonin, etc. - is not a problem with rhodiola rosea.  I don't know whether Mercola has reported this yet or not.  (I don't write him any more since you have to be a member or something.)

Another new thing that isn't widely known yet is that coriander oil kills MRSA both internally and externally.  It clears up facial blemishes even if they are fungal, in my experience.  It cleared my skin that was a problem for fifty years!

You can start with Mercola, then put the words in that article into your search to get a rounded perspective.  For instance, that your rhodiola rosea should be from a very cold climate like Siberia.

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

interesting stuff, Emily.  

Here's another "source," in quotes because who the hell knows, that a friend just sent me today.  I signed up for his newsletter.   And I'm going to stick with coconut oil in spite of what he says!

http://www.jonbarron.org/article/oil-pulling-detoxing?page=1

[Emily Erickson-Sandstrom]

Coconut oil's high smoke point is a big selling point with me.  Burnt oil is carcinogenic - most everyone agrees on that.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

 I have some coconut oil I bought from Trader Joe's and never knew what to do with it.  I'm not the greatest cook in the world.  Do you just substitute this oil for like olive oil or something?

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

For starters, Kelli, never ever buy microwave popcorn.  Here's Dr. Oz's version:

2T coconut oil to pot and stir in the ½ cup popcorn kernels and cover pot. After a few minutes, the popcorn will begin to pop vigorously. When the popping begins to slow and several seconds pass between pops, pour the popcorn into a large bowl.

Tips to ensure that it won't burn:

Use a pot large enough so that all the popcorn kernels fit in a single layer. This helps them cook evenly without scorching.

Use a heavy pot; this might be harder to shake but also helps keep the kernels from burning.

Listen to the popping: If it’s been 4 seconds since you heard a pop, immediately transfer the popcorn into a bowl. Don't let it sit in the pot, where the residual heat could burn it.

 and here's another recipe:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_popcorn/

1 Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat.

2 Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.

3 When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. (Count out loud; it's fun to do with kids.) This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

4 Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.

With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop (I counted 4 unpopped kernels in my last batch), and nothing burns.

5 If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan.

6 Salt to taste.

Additional tips: From the comments section

a If you add salt to the oil in the pan before popping, when the popcorn pops, the salt will be well distributed throughout the popcorn.

b Fun toppings for the popcorn - Spanish smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, cayenne powder, chili pepper, curry powder, cumin, grated Parmesan cheese.

Yield: Makes 2 quarts, a nice amount for two people, or for one hungry one.

 And another recipe:   http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-kettle-corn/

I haven't used it used for food food.  When I'm sauteeing onions, for example, I use "bean juice" (cooking water from beans that I cook from dry beans and then freeze into popsicle molds; not the soaking water which is starchy and is dumped before cooking) and when I need more moisture in a saute pan, I throw in another cube), but coconut oil would be good to try.

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Well I started getting sick on Friday.  I don't think it was a cold, so it must have been the flu.  I was absoluely drained and the pain was radiating through my body.  I was sure I was in the last stages of dying on cancer.  Got to the store last night, juice, chocolate milk - and Nyquil.

 

Some of you are pretty big moneymakers or have kids that need taken care of.  If you can't afford the four to seven days of downtime for being sick, get the flu shot.  Consider it cheap insurance.

[Emily Erickson-Sandstrom]

Mary, taking as much grapefruit seed extract as you can will prevent the worst symptoms, or it did for me. 

Marge , you might enjoy steamed onions. I put chopped onion in my Black and Decker steamer, and sprinkle a little curry (health, and I enjoy the flavor, but a little doesn't 'spice things up) on top about halfway through.  These onions are very sweet and still have texture.  They go with anything.  And only water was used.  You might steam them in your ice cube water, too.

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

Interesting you mention steamed onions today, Emily.  Just tonight I quartered about 8 onions and put them in my clay roaster that had been soaking in cold water and put it into a cold oven, turned it to 350, washed & poked holes in 2 giant yellow-on-the-inside sweet potatoes (glad I put them on a baking sheet because of all they ooze), and you should smell my house now.  No seasonings.  I combined half of one of the sweet potatoes with about half of the steamed onions, mixed, used my kitchen shears to cut it all up, and man, am I full now.  What a great combination.    Delicious!!  I have 3 more meals but have to buy more onions!  

If it had been bland, I'd have put some garam masala on it or maybe za'atar but it didn't need anything.  So good.   And virtuous!  A nice departure from the super bowl crap I had for 3 days!  Gave the rest away tonight.  So happy it's out of my sight!

I can see throwing a few bean juice cubes in the roaster another time.  Good idea.  Wouldn't have thought of it!

[Emily Erickson-Sandstrom]

Yum.

[Kellie Zollars]

Flu shot didn't work in our house.  all four of us got it - one adult, one kid had shots, other kid and other adult didn't. Hope you feel better soon.