Category Archives: immune system


The Benefits Of Garlic

Are you a garlic lover? You may not have realized that with all that garlic breath you’re actually improving your health (and maybe warding off vampires). In fact, its health benefits have been noted dating all the way back to ancient Rome and Egypt, but what exactly does it do for you?

Nutritional Profile

A great source of vitamin-C, vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron, zinc, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese, garlic’s secret lies in the compound called allicin.  This compound is responsible for all the purported health benefits by increasing the body’s production of hydrogen sulfide and leading to a number of changes.  

Health Benefits

Believed to protects against cancers, it is an anti-inflammatory vegetable that boosts the immune system, It is also antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal. As if that's not enough, it's also highly supportive for detoxification.

With the increase in interest in detoxing your body, it’s good to know how garlic helps with this process. Remember those sulfur compounds mentioned above? Those compounds activate liver enzymes that rid the body of toxins. On top of that, it provides both allicin and selenium, which protect the liver from damage. So next time you’re looking for a new detox recipe, try using garlic.

An interesting health benefit of garlic is that it helps with cough, sore throats, and stuffy noses or congestion. [editor note: when we have illness in our home a favorite remedy is to chop up a fresh clove of garlic and swallow it down with water.  It may be a bit pungent but it seems to do the trick.  Note of caution, do not do this on an empty stomach or you may vomit.]

Also good for circulation; the hydrogen sulfide compounds found in this vegetable relax the blood vessels.  It is believed to increase blood flow and may even help protect the heart. Because of the changes in blood and circulation, it may also improve aerobic performance

Adding Garlic to Your Diet

You can easily maximize the health benefits that you do get from garlic by putting a little thought into preparation. The healthy compounds are boosted and can withstand cooking when the cloves are crushed or cut at room temperature and then allowed to sit for 10- 15 minutes.

To get the most out of your garlic for health and flavor, cook it the least amount as possible. When adding it to a recipe that calls for onions and other aromatics always put the garlic in last.  Finally, researchers believe that aged garlic contains the healthiest properties.

Possible negative effects: If you’re a garlic lover, you may not even care about the negative effects, but for some, they can be a large deterrent. Negative effects include bad breath, gastric upset, body odor, heartburn, and bloating. However, if you’re opting for supplements rather than fresh, some rare effects can happen including headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. Lastly, because it is a blood thinner, you may bruise more easily or if you combine a high garlic intake with blood thinners, you run the risk of severe bleeding.

Randi Upshaw, a Certified Athletic Trainer, contributed to this article.

Garlic Recipe

I’m a huge fan of Instant Pot. It’s so convenient and a great way to get a meal on the table. While the Instant Pot is great for soups and stews, it’s actually a very versatile kitchen appliance and can be used for a number of recipes. Like these quick and easy wings. After they’re done in the Instant Pot you can toss them into the oven for the quick broil and you’ve got a fabulous appetizer or side dish (although we have been known to eat just wings and salad for dinner on occasion — shhh, it’ll be our secret)

Instant Pot Asian-Style Wings

Time Tip: This recipe calls for fresh or thawed wings. If you want to use them already frozen you’ll need to add 4 minutes to the active cooking time.
Budget Tip: If you buy whole wings at the grocery store they’re going to come with the tips. There’s not much meat on those so I recommend cutting them off with a good pair of kitchen shears (just trim right at the joint). Save the tips in the freezer and add them to the pot the next time you make bone broth .

Ingredients
  

  • 4-4½ pounds organic chicken wings, segmented
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup water
  • White sesame seeds as garnish
  • Sauce

    ¼ cup coconut aminos

    2 Tbsp sesame oil

    3 Tbsp honey, raw and local preferred

    1 Tbsp organic butter, unsalted

    2 tsp fresh ginger, grated finely

    2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions
 

  • Season wings with salt and pepper
  • Place metal trivet inside the Instant Pot® and add one cup of water
  • Arrange seasoned wings on top of the trivet, secure the cover, and set the vent to “Sealing”
  • Turn on “Manual” setting for 8 minutes
  • In a small sauce pan heat the coconut aminos, sesame oil, honey, butter, ginger, and garlic
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until butter is melted
  • Remove from heat and set aside
  • Allow natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining steam
  • Remove lid, place wings in a large bowl, and set aside to cool slightly
  • Place an oven rack in the top position and pre-heat broiler to high
  • Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and put a wire baking rack on top
  • Pour 1/2 of the sauce onto the wings, toss to coat
  • Place wings on the wire rack and broiler for 3-4 minutes or until the wings start to get crispy. Turn the wings over and repeat on the remaining side
  • Remove wings from the oven and toss with remaining sauce
  • Sprinkle with white sesame seeds and serve immediately

For more delicious Instant Pot Recipes check out:

child's peanut allergy

Food Allergy Awareness: Raising A Child With Peanut Allergy

This article by Ned Newton shares his experience as a parent who has had to learn to deal with the issues of food allergy, his young child's health and safety, and how it has changed the nutritional plan in their home.


It seems pretty ridiculous now, but I have always remembered the one kid in my elementary school class who was allergic to chocolate. Me? I liked chocolate. A lot. But this one allergic reaction meant that any cupcakes that were brought in for birthday parties were always, to my disappointment, chocolate free.

Peanut Allergies

When my four year old son was diagnosed with peanut allergies, my first thought was about Joey from middle school. I was afraid that my son would be stigmatized, even if it was not in an overt way, for being different. Then I learned about EPI-pens and anaphylactic shock, and I had a new set of almost overwhelming concerns.

(more…)

Colic And Probiotics

crying newborn | photo: Melimama

Recently I wrote a post about gut health and allergies.  In that post I mentioned a study that was done in Sweden which seems to highlight the benefits of having a diverse bacterial eco-system in the gut to help protect against future allergies and conditions, including eczema.

Strong and diverse health does more than protect against allergies.  It is also important for babies when it comes to colic.  Colic is believed to affect as many as 1/3 of all babies.  There does not appear to be a difference between those babies that are breast fed and those which are bottle fed.  There are many different theories as to the cause of colic and it's important to note that no one knows for certain.  Given that we are bio-individual creatures it's likely that there are multiple reasons.  Dietarily there appears to be some success for a large number of babies when lactose (milk sugar) is removed from their diet.  These babies have what is referred to as lactose overload, or functional lactase insufficiency.  In plain English, they are not producing enough lactase (the enzyme which breaks down the lactose) and this causes gastric distress.  This is not lactose intolerance, but rather the undeveloped digestive system not having enough lactase; this situation does correct itself over time.

Over the past few years the health of the intestinal eco-system has come under scrutiny as a possible reason for colic.  Back in 2009 researchers at the Texas Health Science Center (THSC) in Houston found a connection between gut health and colic.  The study seemed to indicate a correlation between bacterial balance and colic.  Although the initial study was a small one, all the colicky infants tested positive for Klebsiella, a bacteria which is often found in the mouth and intestines of adults.  The study concluded, “Infants with colic, a condition previously believed to be nonorganic in nature, have evidence of intestinal neutrophilic infiltration and a less diverse fecal microflora.” (the less diverse microflora theory was shown to be true in the Sweden study mentioned above.)

Now another, study published in the journal BMC Microbiology in June 2011, appears to show positive results for inoculating with beneficial bacteria, such as lactobacillus. In this study two strains of lactobacillus had positive, antimicrobial effects. Studies are continuing to see which strains are best; I assume the studies will also look at how to best deliver probiotics to the infant without overwhelming their system.

I know many mothers add higher levels of probiotic foods to their diet in order to help their own immune systems be as strong as possible.  I also know some mothers who have used liquid probiotics and put it on their nipples just before breast feeding in order to help the infant get some beneficial effect.  If you feel it would be beneficial to add probiotics to the diet of your infant child it's important to let your health care professional know. If you are working with a lactation specialist let them know as well.

One thing that neither of these studies addresses is the gut health of the mother.  As I've mentioned before, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride points out that most gut disturbances tend to be generational disorders.  It is highly beneficial for the mother to have a strong bacterial eco-system, this is what gets passed along to the infant and what helps to inoculate them during a natural birthing process.  For all of us, having a strong, diverse, healthy gut is important to health.  Now it looks like it's even more important to support the health of future generations.

Klebsiella study: http://www.ei-resource.org/news/irritable-bowel-syndrome-news/klebsiella-bacteria-linked-to-infant-colic-and-irritable-bowel-syndrome/
Lactobacillus study: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/11/157/abstract/
hygiene hypothesis

The Hygiene Hypothesis

In the United States there seems to be an increasing number of people affected by asthma and allergies.  These conditions are especially prevalent among children.

One reason put forward is that Americans have become more focused on cleanliness, to the point where we have created problems.

Overuse of antibiotic soaps and cleansers has reduced our exposure to pathogens, or germs, in our environment.  Because our bodies have been designed to fight these germs, to develop a healthy immune system, when we severely reduce our environmental exposures it is theorized that our bodies over-react.  They become sensitive to increasingly more substances, most of them environmental or food exposures.  

As odd as it may sound, the research supports this.  Studies show that children who grow up in rural areas, especially non-Westernized countries, with more exposure to a wider range of microbes, have a vastly reduced rate of allergies.

Western Lifestyle, Diet Tied to  Allergies and Intestinal Disease

Of increasing interest to me is the concept that this hyper-clean state that we've created has affected our intestinal health which in turn leads to more problems.  Gary Huffnagle, co-author of The Probiotics Revolution has gone a step further with the hygiene hypothesis and developed a concept that he calls the microflora hypothesis.  He posits that our Western lifestyle and diet have altered our microflora, our ecosystem, and opened us up to more allergies and, by extension, more digestive disorders.  By not gaining exposure to a wider range of microbes we are unable to build an ecosystem that is fully supportive of our overall health.

Part of the reason that this is so fascinating to me is that in working with clients I am also seeing more and more digestive health issues. And I believe the numbers are rising.  More leaky gut, more IBS, IBD, more dysbiosis.  Dr. Liz Lipski, the author of Digestive Wellness, shows, in her work, that the immune system is very strongly tied to digestive function.

Foods to support your gut

In order to support our health, we need to stop killing off our symbiotic partners, those bacteria that inhabit our gut, through the overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial products.  We also need to feed and support these probiotic colonies.  What do they eat? Prebiotics.  Their food comes from insoluble fibers found in our food.  Berries, onions, legumes, oatmeal, and other whole grains support not only the probiotic bacteria but also help maintain good bowel health.  

We also need to re-inoculate our systems with a steady supply of healthy bacterial colonies. Those are found in fermented foods such as kefir, kombucha, and kimchi.  You do not need to eat an overwhelming amount of these on a regular basis, but they should be a regular part of your diet.

Research does not, as yet, appear to show how much we can reverse the effect on our immune systems, but we certainly can keep it from continuing to decline.  Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, speaking at a Wise Traditions Conference in Dallas, stated, "We are a shell, a habitat for our eco-system."  We need to support our ecosystem.  We can also protect future generations by focusing on and acknowledging that the ecosystem needs to be fully supported in order to function properly.

Sources

 

Liu, Andrew H. "Revisiting The Hygiene Hypothesis For Allergy And Asthma". Journal Of Allergy And Clinical Immunology, vol 136, no. 4, 2015, pp. 860-865. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2015.08.012. Accessed 

 

Interested in knowing what your gut microbiome looks like? Schedule a consult with Mira to learn more.

Eat White Food

I frequently spend a lot of time asking people to eat the colors of the rainbow.  There are so many tasty colorful foods that I am at a loss to understand how the Standard American Diet came to be mostly beige.  On my Facebook Fan Page I often push colorful foods.  For the most part this means fruits and vegetables that are higher in nutrients, tasty and easy to incorporate into the diet in their whole food form.

Today however I'm here to advocate for white foods; at least some of them.  I'll still be one of the first to tell you that white rice, white pasta, white bread, white potatoes and that ilk are primarily simple carbs and not a great choice.  But there are some other white foods that are fabulous and should definitely be part of your nutritionally dense, healthy eating plan.

Cauliflower ] photo: Liftarn

Cauliflower – A cruciferous vegetable that is loaded with vitamin C, cauliflower also provides vitamin K, and some folate.  It's also got a type of phytonutrient called glucosinolates which are a good choice for detoxification activity within our bodies.  Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make cauliflower high on the list for cancer prevention and heart health while it's high levels of fiber make it a great choice for supporting healthy digestion.  You can eat it raw, steamed, baked, roasted, and cooked.  Don't forget about the greens, these are also edible and make a great addition to a stir fry or curried greens.

Parsnip | photo: A.Cahalan

Parsnips – A root vegetable that is loaded with fiber, parsnips also provide vitamin C, vitamin K and folate.  They have a wonderful mineral content that includes calcium (yes folks, 1 C. of parsnips gives you 5% of your RDV for calcium), magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese.  I've read that before people knew that potatoes were edible, parsnips were one of the prized root vegetable for their mild, delicious flavor.  They can be eaten raw, cooked, mashed, steamed, and make a wonderful addition to a root vegetable medley or a carrot, sweet potato, parsnip latke.

Garlic | photo: geocachernemesis

Garlic – Another wonderful root vegetable garlic is a fabulous antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, cancer fighting, immune system boosting food that needs to be a part of your diet.  If chopped and let to sit for a few minutes oxidization boosts the powerful antioxidant allicins.  Many people, myself included, when feeling a little under the weather, will chop a clove or two of garlic and swallow it down raw (do not do this on an empty stomach as it may cause digestive upset).  Delicious, healthy, easy to use in a vast array of dishes, it's one white vegetable that belongs in your pantry.  As tasty as it is, it's no wonder that there's a recipe for chicken with 40 cloves of garlic.

White Onion | photo: multadroit

Onions – there are all different types of onions so it seems a bit odd to single out the white ones since I tend to use them all.  The white ones include sweets, cipollinis, shallots, pearl onions and more.  Try them all, they're delicious and so good for you. High in chromium, which is great for your blood sugar, onions also have a high level of sulfur compounds which makes them a great choice as a heart healthy, immune boost, cancer fighting, anti-inflammatory vegetable.  They also provide copper which is important for bone health.

Mushrooms | photo: Chris 73

Mushrooms – everyone is going crazy for shitake, oyster, portobello, maitake and other mushrooms these days.  But that doesn't mean that you should discount those tasty white mushrooms.  They pack a nutritious punch with lots of fiber, vitamin B12 (especially important for vegetarians and vegans), potassium, copper, and selenium.  1/2 cup of mushrooms provides a whole lot of flavor yet only 7 calories. Another easy, versatile vegetable they can be used in many different ways in a wide variety of cuisines.

White Beans | photo: Rasbak

White Beans – This color covers a number of different kinds of beans, navy, great northern, cannellini, pea beans, and more.  A great source of protein, white beans also offer a great source of iron and fiber.  They are good for stabilizing blood sugar, good for your heart, your digestion and can be eaten so many different ways.  They pair well with an almost endless combination of vegetables, herbs, and spices.  One of my favorite ways to eat them is cold (after cooking) in a salad drizzled with a pesto dressing.

Celeriac | photo: AlbertCahalan

Celeriac – Sometimes referred to as celery root this tastes like a cross between celery and parsley.  It's great in combination with other root vegetables, goes great into a slaw, cooks up well in a casserole, and is another great choice to add to your diet.  Low in calories but high in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese it's considered a detoxifying vegetable.  It may also help with blood pressure health and support bone health.

So eat a rainbow of food, whole foods that is, but don't forget white is all the colors of the rainbow and needs to be part of your plate too.

what's in season: june

Superfoods Trending Down

According to a recent news article, superfoods are trending down.  Not all superfoods, just the ones that have been the media darlings, acai, goji berries and the like.  I actually like this trend because as I wrote previously (back in 2008 I might add) we don't need to import superfoods. Bringing them to your table from other countries that adds to the environmental impact of sourcing them. We would do better to utilize those that are readily available.  It's more sustainable, eco-friendly, and also easier on your wallet.

What are superfoods

While there isn't a true definition for a superfood, it's generally accepted that they are foods with high levels of vitamins, minerals, and/or antioxidants. Eating them is supposed to be beneficial due to their increased nutrient values. To take advantage of their health benefits, choose local, or domestic, options.

Domestic superfoods

Berries– with lots of fiber and antioxidants they're great and easy to add to the diet in cereal, yogurt, salads, plain, anytime.
 
Eggs – high in protein (1 egg provides 6 g) with lutein and zeaxanthin (good for your eyes) eggs are nourishing, versatile and satisfying.
 
Nuts – raw and unsalted are the best. Soaked nuts are optimal for good nutrition. Providing monosaturated fats they are a great heart-healthy choice.  Add them to foods such as cereals or baked good or take some along for healthy nutrition boosting snack.
 
Broccoli – yes, it is a super food.  With an amazing nutritional punch, it provides not only fiber and a wide range of vitamins, but it also has sulforaphane which is a potent cancer-fighting detoxifier.
 
Beans – with a hefty dose of fiber and iron beans are an all-around good for you food.  Soups, stews, and dips are a great way to add them to your meals.
 
Beta-carotenes – okay so this isn't a food but rather a group of foods.  Found in orange foods (think sweet potatoes, winter squashes, carrots, etc) and dark leafy greens (the chlorophyll hides the color) like kale, spinach, collards, and more betacarotene is a powerful antioxidant that supports immune system health, reproductive health, and it's very good for your eyes.
 
So while imported superfoods may be trending down I'm rooting for an overall upward trend in the concept of nourishing foods.
 
winter sunshine, vitamin D

Winter And Vitamin D

Recently I have been getting a number of emails with questions about vitamin D;  I'm sure it's generated by all of the press about the changing recommended levels, levels of exposure and how important it is for our health.

Where to get Vitamin D

Vitamin D, known as the “sunshine vitamin” is a fat-soluble vitamin produced in the skin by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) type B rays.  For food sources we can look to fatty fish and eggs as a good source of vitamin D. It is often added to milk.  
 
I have a personal theory that part of the reason behind the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency is that our parents were forced to take cod liver oil by their parents.  They hated it so much they decided not to give it to their kids.  The science of the times did not recognize how important cod liver oil was and it was considered “old-fashioned.”  As a result of this, I, and many others of my generation, grew up not taking it.  So we didn't give it to our kids.  While I'm not sure how much scientific veracity there is to that theory it certainly seems to fit the current situation.  Decreased cod liver oil consumption combined with reduced sunshine/increased sunscreen and suddenly many people, including pregnant women and their infants, are deficient.
 

The importance of Vitamin D

Why all of the scientific attention to vitamin D lately?  It turns out that it's very important for our health and there are significant consequences to being deficient.  Not only does vitamin D help support our bone structure, it's vital to immune system health, increasing activity of our natural killer cells and macrophages.  Many studies now show that it may help protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease and there are even suggestions that vitamin D deficiency may be a contributing factor to increased influenza rates during the winter months.

How much should I take?

One question I recently received about vitamin D was concerned with how much to take:
 
I was taking 400 IU but a while back started reading about re-examined attitudes toward D and upped it to 2,000 IU.  Then I thought that might be too much so I am currently taking 1,000 IU.  Your thoughts?”
 
Here's a little information to help you understand vitamin D better.  
 
I believe, and the studies support, that we do not get enough and that the levels set by the government are too low.  If you wear sunscreen you need to be aware that SPF8 and over will effectively block UV-B; this means your body cannot synthesize D from sunlight.
 
If you do not get enough outdoor exposure, are over 60 years of age (our ability to synthesize D decreases as we age), and/or live in northern latitudes you are probably not getting enough vitamin D.  Someone who lives in New England or further north generally does not get sufficient vitamin D during the winter months and can become deficient.  Especially if they did not have sufficient stores to begin with.
 
How to find out if you need more?  You need to get a blood test.  It is important to get the 1,25 OH-dihydroxy,  not the 25(OH) vitamin D to find out what your levels are.   Taking between 2,000-5,000 IU per day is not unreasonable, especially in the winter.  
 
Osteomalacia (vitamin D deficiency) is often treated with 5,000-50,000 IU for three to six months.  Once a good level is reached doctors usually drop people to 1,500-2,000 per day.  Most doctors aim for at least 30-40 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter) although many Functional Medicine practitioners prefer a level of 50-80 ng/dL.  It is important to note that too much vitamin D can be just as bad for you as too little, which is why it is important to get tested and know what your levels are.

How to get vitamin D

When you take vitamin D is it best to take it as vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) combined with K2 which is the most effective form.  D2 (ergocalciferol) is not as effective.  
 
I personally prefer to take a sublingual D3/K2 liquid formulation to make sure that I am getting the best possible absorption. A combined liquid formulation also ensures that I am getting a synergistic balance of the proper amounts of D3 to K2.

The very best way to get your vitamin D?  Get sunshine.  Whenever possible get 15-20 minutes per day before you put on your sunscreen.  

More Information

Here are a few other resources which provide good information about vitamin D:
 
 

Gluten-free In An Rv

Increasing numbers of people have food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances these days.  There are a lot of theories as to why this is, but the bottom line is that it can make it very difficult for folks to eat outside their home.  Maintaining a healthy pantry is critical for these folks, as is an awareness of what to look for when eating on the road.

Now that summer is over and the kids are back in school, it's time to get back to the regular routine while daydreaming of summer vacations.  My friend Tina recently shared the story of her family and their ability to take a long-awaited cross-country family vacation.  It's wonderful that they were able to achieve this dream, and a definite testament to how much advance preparation they had to do to be able to make this trip a reality.

Traveling gluten-free and dairy-free definitely changes what you do and how you do it.  Our family has dreamed of a cross-country trip for years.  Those dreams were challenged by the fact that my husband is very sensitive to gluten and dairy… even a crumb or drop can leave him with asthma and GI problems for weeks.  We decided that the best way to travel would be to take our kitchen with us and do most of our own cooking. With the help of a friend who lent us their RV we were able to do finally make our dream come true and take this trip.  

Starting from CT, going across the northern states, down California, then returning via the southern states and up the eastern coast it was a wonderful adventure.  We were so happy our dream could become a reality and we had a great time. However we definitely had to consider how we would feed my gluten and dairy-free husband along the way.

Carefully considering our menus we pre-stocked the kitchen with gluten and dairy-free staples we knew we could have a hard time finding on our travels across the country.  Not every area of the country offers a wide range of dietary choices and not every store has things like:

rice/potato pastas
gluten-free pretzels
gluten-free bread crumbs
gluten-free bread
dairy-free buttery spread
gluten-free chicken broths
gluten-free, dairy-free cold cuts
gluten-dairy free brownie mix
gluten-dairy free cake mix (we had some birthdays to celebrate along the way)
corned beef without anything added in (in the midwest a lot of stores only sold corned beef with everything already added in and we couldn't trust it)


Our dinner meals were usually a meat (chicken, steak, pork, burger), sometimes breaded with veggies or a stir-fry with brown rice.


One family favorite is a breakfast that we usually have in the winter before spending the day snowmobiling out in the cold.  It's tasty, filling, and an easy on-the-road breakfast. 


The Berge's Hash and Eggs


Can of corned beef (plain, no potatoes added)
4 potatoes (or as many as you feel is adequate for the # of people you have), diced
3-4 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
ground pepper, to taste
onion powder (optional)
eggs (1 or 2 per person)


Put the onion in a frying pan with a 1 T. oil until softened. 
Add the potatoes, more oil if needed, and cook until potatoes start getting soft. 
Add the corned beef and brown it all (no need to add salt since the corned beef has it already) 
Season with pepper and more onion powder if needed 


When the hash is browned remove from the pan and set aside
Cook the eggs (we like sunny side up)
Place eggs on top of the hash and serve


It's so delicious and for lunch you can get by with just a piece of fruit and some nuts or other light meal… works great when you're travelling around for the day.


My husband's diet influenced us in other ways as well. We ate “out” at a restaurant only twice during the five weeks we were on the road.  Before being seated we would ask our server lots of questions about whether they could accomodate us; if they said they could, we would try it.  However there was always that feeling of playing “Russian Roulette” with his GI system since you're never really “sure” that the chef and wait person “get it.” 


While we were on the road  we would seek out health food stores and would be in heaven if we found a gluten-free bakery or somewhere with treats (we were on vacation after all!). We were surprised to find  that out west people do not know what italian ices are. There's a market to be tapped there, for sure!


We talked a lot about how it would be great if there were some quick, healthy drive-thru type places where gluten and dairy free people could find food. Unfortunately it doesn't exist, even the salads are usually tainted with croutons and/or cheese. It was eye opening how much harder it is to travel when you don't fit into the majority.


Travelling with food allergies can be a great experience if you plan ahead on how to find or make foods that work. Yes, it would be nice to be able to eat out a little more often while on vacation (food is half the fun of vacation!) but we were able to manage. The good news is that the States seem to be getting more aware of food allergies and it is definitely easier to find gluten-free and dairy-free foods than it was 10 years ago.


photo courtesy of:  Bill Ward's Brickpile

Hawthorne For Health

Karen asks, “What do you think about using hawthorne berries to help prevent the flu?


I am not an herbalist so I had to do a little digging to come up with some information but here is my opinion on this:

Hawthorne (Crataegus monogyna) is a small tree or shrub that grows mostly in Europe, Asia and Africa. It is usually grown as a hedge, the leaves are edible in salad and the fruits, or berries (called haws), are frequently made into jams, jellies, syrup, or used to flavor brandy for liqueur. It's herbal properties are cardiac, astringent, and diuretic; the parts used are the blossoms and berries. It seems to primarily be useful for lowering high blood pressure, as aid to help with diarrhea and for cardiac health.

I was not able to find any specific information relating to using the berries or their powder as a flu preventative.

I think the best ways to avoid the flu are the obvious ones of washing your hands frequently with soap; it's very important to monitor small kids who may skip the soap part, check out this article for proper hand hygiene including a video on how to wash your hands the right way. it's also important to avoid contact with anyone who has the flu and to make sure that you are consuming immune boosting foods such as garlic, ginger, cayenne, and vitamin C.


As an interesting side note I learned that the oldest known Hawthorne, called the Hethel Old Thorn, is reputed to be over 700 years old and is found in Norfolk East Anglia, United Kingdom

Photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:EugeneZelenko

http://www.organicnutrition.co.uk/articles/colds.htm
www.botanical.com
www.bulkherbstore.com
The Complete Medicinal Herbal