Surviving Cold and Flu Season

Cold and Flu season is in full swing here in Arkansas.  Here is what we have been doing in our household to boost our immune system: 



*PRAY!

*Start with a Whole Foods diet.  We follow a diet similar to Paleo, but GAPS, SCD, and Primal are some others.  Never heard of those?  Have no clue what I am talking about?  Start here:
1.  Eat real, whole foods (meats, fruits, vegetables)
2.  Avoid sugar and processed foods
3.  Avoid food allergens
4.  Eat fermented foods (probiotic rich foods like Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Yogurt, Kefir)

*Whole Food Vitamin C supplement - We love Young Living's Super C.  "Super C™ not only contains 2,166% of the recommended dietary intake of vitamin C per serving, but it is also fortified with rutin, citrus bioflavonoids, and minerals to balance electrolytes and enhance the effectiveness and absorption of vitamin C.* The essential oils that are added may also increase bioflavonoid activity. Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins required by our bodies. The ingredients in Super C play a role in normal immune and circulatory functions, help to strengthen connective tissues, and promote overall health, vitality, and longevity.* Because our bodies cannot manufacture vitamin C, we can benefit by consuming this powerful antioxidant daily."

*Vitamin D - we take this in the form of Fermented Cod Liver Oil / Butter Oil, and also liquid vitamin D drops (from Vitacost).  VItamin D is actually proven far better than vaccines at preventing the flu!  (http://www.naturalnews.com/029760_vitamin_D_influenza.html)

*Immune boosting Teas, including Green Tea and Nettle Leaf Tea.  Add raw honey and cinnamon for a delicious flavor and added health benefits. 

*Essential Oils -We love to support our immune system with Thieves Vitality oil!  "With Young Living’s Thieves Vitality essential oil you can support overall wellness and a healthy immune system* with just a few drops. Thieves Vitality combines Lemon, Clove, Eucalyptus Radiata, Cinnamon Bark, and Rosemary essential oils to create one of our most popular products. These ingredients synergistically combine to offer one of the key benefits of Thieves Vitality oil: overall wellness and support of a healthy immune system. Additionally, Eucalyptus Radiata Vitality may also help support a healthy respiratory system when taken internally".

*Homeopathics - We especially love Chestal by Boiron (order from Vitacost).  Our family doctor had first recommended this to me one time when I was pregnant and had bronchitis.  Coughing with a big belly is not fun!  I was skeptical and unfamiliar with homeopathics, but quickly became a believer.  The following year, two of our children got the flu while traveling to Alabama.  My husband was about to deploy and I had to make the drive back home by myself.  Getting sick was not an option!  I immediately started Oscillococcinum (available from Vitacost), and avoided the flu.

*GOOT - We rub this on our feet every night before bed.  Smells awful, but does have amazing results.

*Regular Chiropractic Care

What are your favorite family cold and flu remedies?

(These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  I am not a doctor and do not offer medical advice.  This is simply just what our family has been doing and I hope it will encourage and help you to make the best decision for your family).

Homemaking Monday: Radish Relish

Praise God for his blessings!  We harvested many more radishes this week (most of them White Radish Hailstones).  I used the radish greens in a salad, and shredded the radishes up to make some lacto-fermented radish relish.  Below is my recipe.  You can adjust the amounts based on the size of your jar and harvest or experiment with other veggies added.

RADISH RELISH:

Ingredients:

~35 radishes, shredded

~3-5 carrots, shredded

~2 cloves garlic, shredded

~2 TBSP sea salt

Directions:

1. Mix and pound all ingredients together for about 20 minutes to release the natural juices.

2.  Pack tightly into a mason jar (or your favorite fermenting container), leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top.  Add some water if necessary to make sure the relish is covered with liquid.

3.  Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 3 days.

4.  Move to the fridge and enjoy on salads!



Homemaking Monday: Homemade Sauerkraut

We finished up the last of our Ginger Carrots and organic red cabbage was on sale this week, so I figured I would attempt to make some homemade sauerkraut.  I combined what I had read in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with the knowledge I gained from The Family Homestead blog.

INGREDIENTS:

*1 head red cabbage, chopped

*3 medium carrots, grated

*2 TBSP sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

*Mix and pound all ingredients for 30-40 minutes to release the natural juices.  Luckily, our girlies love helping out with this step!

*Pack tightly into two mason jars, leaving an inch or two of space at the top.  Cover with some filtered water if necessary (I added about 1/4 cup to the top of each jar).  In one jar I tried using the zip loc baggie method that she describes on The Family Homestead blog, but after 1 day the bottle started leaking and I was worried about too much pressure building up so I removed the bag.  I might try this method again and fill the jars only halfway full.

*Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3 days.  Have fun watching the bubbles!

*Move to the fridge and enjoy!



Homemaking Monday: Fermented Veggies Take 1

About 5 years ago I became very sick.  I was reacting to everything I tried to eat, was exhausted, and just did not feel well.  I had made several trips to the ER and visited a few specialists.  Some thought it was psychological.  Others just would say something is wrong but I don't know what.  I finally found one doctor, thanks to a family member who had similar problems, who took the time to listen to me and he empowered me to let my body heal itself.  I was diagnosed with a couple of autoimmune diseases and a long list of food allergies, but essentially it was all caused by a toxic overload in my body.  After several weeks of doing a fresh fruit and veggie juice fast, I was able to slowly introduce "real" food.  That was the beginning of my "real food" diet.  Since then I have tried to avoid all toxic chemical soups (AKA processed/boxed foods) that our society tries to pass off as food.  I have enjoyed relatively good health since changing the way I eat and view food.  However, I know that I still suffer from some vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and these deficiencies seem to be even more evident in our children.  Despite eating healthy, whole foods, "M" seems to be sick often, have brittle bones and soft teeth, and is slow to heal.  Between my concerns for her health and our desire to live more off the land, I have spent lots of time researching health, nutrition, and the foods we eat.  The more I research, the more I realize how much I do not know and how much knowledge has been lost over the past few generations!  I most recently picked up the book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon.  I thought I knew almost everything there was to know about eating until I read this book.  I was beyond overwhelmed after reading just a few pages.  Culture your own dairy products?  Ferment vegetables and fruits?  How do you even do that?!?  I was fascinated by the information though, and felt like it could be the key to some of our problems.  Sally writes on page 89, "The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels.  These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine."  A way to preserve food while making it healthier for us?  Sounds great to me!  But, how exactly do you ferment veggies?  It's definitely not something I learned from my mom or grandma.  The only way to learn was to give it a try, and so I did.  I decided to make the Ginger Carrots in her book because she says it is a great introduction to fermented veggies.  The recipe seemed simple enough:

GINGER CARROTS

*4 cups grated carrots, tightly packed

*1 TBSP freshly grated ginger

*1 TBSP sea salt

*4 TBSP whey

In a bowl, mix all ingredients and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices.  Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouthed mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices cover the carrots.  The top of the carrots should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.  Cover tightly and leave at room temperature about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

So, first I had to make whey (something I had never done before).  She tells you several ways to make it, but I chose to start with Stoneyfield Organic Plain Yogurt.  I placed a coffee filter in a strainer with the yogurt on top and a bowl below and let it sit for several hours.  What dripped into the bowl was whey, and what was left on top was cream cheese.  I mixed a little salt into the cream cheese and we ate that with some crackers and vegetables - delicious!  The extra whey I stored in the fridge.  Maybe next time I'll be brave enough to start with raw milk.

Following the rest of the directions was pretty easy.  I had no clue what to expect (nor did the rest of the family), but we were pleasantly surprised and have enjoyed adding these carrots to our dinner meals.

I tried a different fermented carrots recipe, but I failed.  After a couple of days on the counter there was definitely some mold growing.  I will continue to try and will share any successful attempts.  Do you ferment fruits or vegetables?  What are your favorites?  We have lot of radishes growing in the garden and I am hoping to make radish relish later this spring.