More About Hand Washing

Health Issues, ,

Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo learn from Dr. Poland from the Mayo Clinic how to properly wash your hands. He starts out by having them spread something on their hands that resembles what it would be like to have bacteria on their hands. He then shows it under a black light so you can see the “bacteria” glow.

He talks about an acronym WLSRD meaning to wet, lather, scrub, rinse, and dry. He then had Guillermo wash for only 5 seconds, Jimmy washed for 10 seconds, and Dr. Poland washed for 20 seconds. He put the black light back on so you could see the difference.

He then demonstrates the proper way to wash hands – even what to do with the paper towels when done, like don’t touch the handle of the sink with your hand or even the door when leaving the (public) bathroom.

Covid-19 Compared to Spanish flu of 1918

Health Issues, ,

covid-19We are in the midst of a pandemic the likes of which anyone living now would not remember. The last huge pandemic was the Spanish flu in 1918.

Remember not to panic. The Spanish flu of 1918 was worse than Covid-19, the current pandemic that is being passed around these days. What brings about the deaths from Covid-19 is usually pneumonia. Those at risk are people who already are challenged with respiratory issues, such as asthma or COPD. If you are older, you are more at risk as well.

The spread of the Spanish flu was slower because they didn’t have air travel in those days. The mortality rate of the Spanish flu was closer to 10-20% compared to 2-3% with Covid-19. The Spanish flu lasted 2 years. We cannot expect this pandemic to go away very quickly.

We should learn from the past and shelter in place, avoid crowds, clean often and use disinfectant when you can. Hopefully you have cleaners on hand as it is is getting harder and harder to find wipes or cleaners anywhere.

Source

So How Do You Wash Your Hands?

Health Issues, ,

covid-19The thing on everyone’s mind these days is the coronavirus known as Covid-19. It’s all over the news. As the number of cases and deaths increase daily, we need to take some precautions to be safe.

Here is more specific ways to protect yourself from the CDC:
Prevention from CDC

The CDC website has a lot of good advice for coping with some of the things you need to do or put in place to be safe.

Here is a demonstration of how to properly wash your hands with a dark ink visual on gloves:

Here is a redo of “Sweet Caroline” from Neil Diamond:

PREbiotic Foods

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So last week we discussed some PRObiotic foods. Let’s look at some PREbiotic foods. These are types of dietary fiber that feed the good bacteria in your system. This helps produce nutrients for colon cells and aids in digestion. Some also have fatty acids that are nutrients absorbed to improve metabolic health.

Here are some examples of PREbiotic foods:

Chicory root
I remember my grandpa using this as a coffee substitute. I never could get used to the flavor but it can be made into a drink. This helps relieve constipation. It can also cause diarrhea as I have had happen from this being in some healthy granola bars.

Dandelion greens
Again, I remember grandpa picking these from his yard. This also helps reduce constipation.

Jerusalem artichoke
These are not like regular artichokes. These are more like a tuber that looks a little bit like ginger. These also increase friendly bacteria in the colon.

Garlic
Now you are talking! Garlic promotes good bacteria and can also be taken in the form of extract.

Onions
This helps with the body’s flora and helps breakdown fat.

Leeks
These belong to the onion and Garlic families so they have the same benefits.

Asparagus
This helps the good bacteria and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Bananas
These are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber. Unripe bananas also have resistant starch which is good as well.

Barley
This cereal grain has prebiotic fiber and also helps with LDL cholesterol.

Oats
Another healthy grain hight in fiber. Oatmeal slows digestion to help control appetite.

Apples
Apples are 50% fiber. The pectin also has prebiotic effects, as well as anti-inflammatory and is antioxidant.

Konjac root
This is a yam-like tuber also known as elephant yam. It is 40% fiber.

Cocoa
Cocoa beans have flavanols and beneficial cardiovascular effects.

Burdock root
This root is more common in Japan.

Flaxseeds
The fiber is 20-40% soluble and has a lot of cellulose and gums. Vegans make “eggs” from flaxseeds and water the properties of the gums work so well.

Yacon root
These are similar to sweet potatoes.

Jicama root
Low in calories, high in fiber, jicama also lowers blood sugars, helps digestive health.

Wheat Bran
This is the outer layer of whole wheat grain. the fiber content, known as AXOS is about 64-69%.

Seaweed
This isn’t eaten by much more than fish but maybe we get benefits from the fish? The fiber contents is water soluble.

Get your prebiotic on!

Prebiotic Foods

Probiotics

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Probiotics have been around for quite a while. I first heard of them when Activia Yogurt came out. But I never knew what they were. Probiotics are living microorganisms.

Yogurt
Yes they are found in yogurt as mentioned above. Probiotics also come from fermented foods. In fact, yogurt is one of the best sources to find these bacteria. Milk is actually fermented with the bacteria. If you have lactose intolerance, you may be able to eat yogurt as some of the lactose becomes lactic acid.

Kefir
This is a fermented probiotic milk drink. Kefir grains, not really a grain, but rather cultures of bacteria and yeast, are added to milk.

Sauerkraut
This is something we usually equate with hotdogs or kielbasa. It is finely shredded cabbage fermented with lactic acid bacteria. Unpasteurized is better as pasteurization kills the live bacteria.

Tempeh
This refers to fermented soybean products. It can be formed into a patty that tastes nutty, earthy, or like a mushroom. It is used the world over as a meat substitute.

Kimchi
This is a (very) spicy Korean side dish usually with cabbage as a main ingredient. There are a lot of seasonings added as well. This also contains lactic acid bacteria.

Miso
This is a Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans with a fungus known as koji. Grains are added like barley, rice, and/or rye to make a paste. It can be used to make a soup.

Kombucha
This is a fermented black or green tea. This is feremented by bacteria and yeast.

Pickles
These are simply cucumbers that have been pickled in salt and water. They have their own lactic acid bacteria present naturally that ferments.

Buttermilk
There is both traditional and cultured buttermilk. The traditional is the liquid left from making butter. Cultured buttermilk (what is mostly found in U.S. groceries) doesn’t usually have any probiotics.

Natto
This is another fermented soybean product with bacillus subtilis. This is mixed with rice and served for breakfast in Japan.

Cheese
Some cheeses are feremented but not all are probiotic. Look for “live” or “active” cultures on the label. Ones with probiotics include Gouda, mozzarella, cheddar, and cottage cheeses.