Cure for the common cold

Contrary to the study by the NIH published last year (the one that got tons of media attention…) studies show echinacea does work after all. The previous study, which showed no change, used about 1/2 the suggested dose of echinacea. Could that be why?? Today, a meta analysis published in the British journal The Lancet, concludes that echinacea cuts the chance of catching a cold by 58% and reduces that length of a cold by 1.4 days. This study looked at a total of 14 previous trials involving over 1,600 patients.

Meta analysis-es look at a group of trials to find patterns that may not be noticeable at first glance. This particular one looked at placebo controlled studies, which are some of the most reliable types of trial we have today. (Double blind, randomized placebo controlled being the best to date. )

Since Americans spend about 3.5 billion (yes, billion) dollars annually on colds, this is obviously welcomed news! Echinacea is best used at the onset of a cold (not before) and for no longer than 8 weeks on end. (Though, if you have a cold lasting 8 weeks.. you may need to seek outside help! )

Yep, we ARE different

We are now beginning to admit that men and women are biologically different. In other ways then the obvious. As it turns out, in a 2007 report by Janice Schwartz, men and women handle drugs very differently. In some cases, the difference was simply “measurable” but in others, it was “substantial”. Since herbs and many supplements can be used as drugs, this is critically important to remember, especially in children, who react differently anyway, and in the elderly, who typically take multiple drugs.

As we learn more about how the body handles these things, we can be thankful for the safe options we have access to, and remember to use caution when taking drugs, herbs and supplements.

When germs die…

They will go to heaven! Right Mommy?

from Joel, age 3

Yet another reason…

As if we needed another reason to eat hormone free beef, a new study (published May 2007) shows us these hormones can affect the sperm production of a male offspring of women who consumed these steroids during pregnancy. (In other words: women who consume this tainted beef while pregnant with a boy can adversely affect the sperm production later in life for their unborn son) The two major findings were:

Sperm volume was 24.3 % higher in the group with low consumption

and

Roughly 18% of the men in the high consumption group had sperm concentrations below the WHO’s criteria for subfertility. (This is three times the amount in the low consumption group)

hmmm..

Calendula Balm Recipe

Here’s a special treat for the readers of The Old Schoolhouse magazine’s Homestead Newsletter:

This calendula (aka: marigold) balm is great for those summertime bites, stings, burns and other inflammatory skin problems)

You will need: 1/2 cup dried calendula petals (available in bulk at a health food store or from your garden; you may find it under it’s nickname, marigold), 1 ounce beeswax, 1/2 cup olive oil, a sterile tin to hold your finished project

Place the petals and oil into an oven proof dish. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the oil and herbs into the oven, then turn it off. Leave for 3-4 hours, then remove from the oven. It may need to cool for an hour or two on the counter. Once it is cool, strain out the herbs with cheesecloth. Add the beeswax to the remaining oil and put back into the oven (or you can use a microwave for this part) Heat just until the beeswax is almost melted. Then you can take it out and stir until it is all melted and combined. Pour into your prepared tins and let sit 15-20 minutes until cool. This will make 2 tins of balm, about 2 ounces each.

Eating Well on the Go

What’s that about the best laid plans…? In the Hawkins home, we stay pretty well on a whole foods diet, especially with the kids. Sure we give in from time to time, but I have found if I just don’t buy it, it can’t be eaten in my home.

Then we head out of the house.. and for some reason, everything goes out the window.  Apparently, I’m not the only one; I get questions about this all the time. While nothing takes the place of some good self control, I have found planning ahead can really help with our spur of the moment indulgences. Here are a few tips for eating well on the go:

1. Pack snacks. Even if you only plan on heading out for an hour, bring them anyway. Some of my favorites are: Luna / Cliff / Z bars,  baby carrots, Pirate’s Booty (hint: get it in bulk from Amazon), green grapes (Freeze them then toss them in a bag so they stay cool on a hot day), and FruitaBu fruit strips (get these from Amazon, too).

2. Get a car mini fridge. Yes, it is an investment, but after missing 2-3 trips through a drive thru, you have saved that money back.  These plug in, so as long as your car is on, it keeps things cool. Once you turn the car off, it works like a regular cooler.

3. Bento your lunch. Not only will you join in the latest food trend, you can eat well and save money while doing it.. what more can you ask for? Check out Bentos at Bento Yum and at Laptop Lunches

4. Finally, if you must eat out, look for the best options We have quite a few restaurants that offer organic foods or whole food type menu items. Panara Bread even has organic kids meals, which my kids LOVE!