Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

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Common contaminated surfaces, and how to avoid infection

Monday, May 28th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, May 27, 2012

We have become a society afraid of infection, leading us to seek ways to avoid contamination. Infectious bugs live on just about every surface we encounter (including our own skin and hair), and are also present in the air we breathe, so it is impossible to avoid these bugs. But there are things we can do to reduce exposure and enhance our immunity.

NOTE: there are also non-infectious diseases such as cancer that cannot necessarily be avoided by avoiding contamination, but may be avoided by enhancing your immunity

First, lets explore the most contaminated surfaces we encounter every day, then look at ways to enhance your immunity so you don’t succumb to contamination or exposure to infectious disease. (more…)

Posted in Ecology, Health, Home & Ranch, Simplify | Comments Closed

A matter of prescription

Monday, May 28th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, May 27, 2012

This post is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of other members of the ESP team.

I recently became ill with “walking pneumonia” caused by mycoplasma bacteria. I understand is going around the valley. I’ve had pneumonia before, and I know that puts me at greater risk for this disease and for a more serious condition. My symptoms were: no fever, wheezing, coughing (sometimes intense, bringing up phlegm), and depleted energy. Because it is bacterial, it can be treated with prescription antibiotics. However, based on the experience I had following this diagnosis, I have some advice to share with you.

But first, my experience. It all came to a head on a Friday, so knowing the weekend was ahead with limited access to health professionals, I did two things: (more…)

Posted in Health, Recycle, Remedies | Comments Closed

Barefootin’

Friday, May 4th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, April 29, 2011

Sometimes one of life’s great pleasures turns out to be good for you. And going barefoot is one of them, because your feet can communicate with the soil. True, if you live in the south, it can invite parasites such as hookworm that enters your body through the soles of your feet. But we have little chance of that here in the Flathead.

So take off those shoes and socks and go for a walk on a sandy beach or cool, dewy grass.

When you must wear shoes, choose those with real leather soles and shun plastic or rubber-soled shoes, as these inhibit communication between the soil and the soles of your feet. Besides, natural materials are far more sustainable that plastics made in power-monger industrial factories.

What’s so important about this soil-to-feet communication: grounding! (more…)

Posted in Health | Comments Closed

Hi-Carb, Low-Carb, No-Carb

Monday, April 16th, 2012
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Field of Wheat

by Catherine Haug, April 16, 2012

(photo, right, fromWikipedia)

Over the last 40 years, dietary advisors have advocated different levels of carb and fat consumption, so that it is hard to know just what is good for YOU. Right now, the dominant advice is a high-carb diet; indeed, this is the diet pushed on us by the USDA in the food pyramid and food plate logos (see my post: New USDA diet recommendations: My Food Plate). Their current recommendation has carbs (grains, fruits & veggies) at nearly 75% of the diet. Protein and dairy comprise the rest of the diet. Fats aren’t even shown on the plate.

However, ever since the USDA started favoring carbs in their dietary recommendations, the rates of obesity, heart disease and other diet-related problems have skyrocketed to epidemic proportions. Obviously, somthing is wrong with this picture. (more…)

Posted in Cat's Fats, Food-Nutrition-Health, Health | 1 Comment »

Wild Fermentation of Veggies

Monday, April 16th, 2012

Fermented Bread & Butter Pickles

by Catherine Haug, April 16, 2012

(photo of Cat’s Pickles, by Catherine)

Dr. Mercola features a Video Interview of Carolyn Barringer on the topic of culturing veggies – how to, and the health benefits thereof. It’s a long video (1:48 hr), but for those of us who attended our gatherings on Lacto-Fermentation with Don Bates, & Jeanette Cheney Aug 17, 2011, or Homemade Sauerkraut, and introduction to Lacto-Fermentation, with Melanie Hoerner (pdf from October 2008), we’ve seen live demonstrations.

Carolyn uses a slightly different technique than we’ve presented, in that she does the fermentation in the quart glass jars that are also the storage jars (so no need to transfer from crock to jar), and uses the sodium-rich juice of celery instead of salt. Note that the fermented product is NOT canned (heat-treated) as that would decimate the probiotics and enzymes in the ferment.

Six Simple Steps to Veggie Culturing

(more…)

Posted in Fermentation, Culturing & Curing, Food-Nutrition-Health, Health | 2 Comments »

“Just Label It” Campaign

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

Frankenfood

by Catherine Haug, February 5, 2012

Montana Organic Association has joined other partner organizations to support the FDA petition for mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE, GMO) foods. See JustLabelIt.org. See also the MOA’s GMO Page for lots more about this threat to the environment, and human health

I’ve added a new GMOs category in the right-hand column of our home page called GMOs, where you can find links to the Just Label It campaign and to all my earlier posts on GMOs.

Read on for a 3 minute video about this campaign, and a transcription of MOA’s short article about this problem and the Just Label It petition. (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Health | Comments Closed

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