SHARON POPLER, LECTURER
3640 E. Bath Road
Morrice, MI 48857
(989)634-5748
gma4hugs@hotmail.com
MARCH/APRIL 2018 GRANGE NEWS
FLU FIGHTING TIPS TO KEEP YOU AND OTHERS HEALTHY
This years flu season has hit almost every state very hard. The hospitalization rate for the 4th week of 2018 is about 51 people per 100,000 . This years virus strain is a challenge to this year’s flu vaccine, proving only 10% effective against the H3N2 virus, though the flu shot provides more protection against other currently circulating strains.
Foods can be used to fend of the flu. Common foods that many people already have in their pantries can be powerful flu-fighters. Cacao (chocolate’s purest form and raw) and cocoa (heated form) come with a host of surprising health benefits. The cavao beans in the chocolate contain all the benefits. The two main antioxidants in cacao are flavonoids and polyphenols that help keep us healthy and promote longevity. In plants, flavonoids provide important protection such as shielding them from environmental toxins, and when we consume plant-based foods that are rich in flavonoids, we also get a lot of the same benefits the plant gets.
1. Chicken soup-A bowl of chicken broth will free up congested airways. Luckily, the veggies also provide vital antioxidants while the chicken provides protein energy needed to kick a nasty sickness.
2. Garlic– Raw or lightly cooked, garlic contains natural antibiotics-especially from an ingredient called allicin - which provides natural decongestant and immune-strengthening prowess when you’re sick. Garlic is most potent when eaten raw, but you can toss a minced clove into a bowl of soup at the end of cooking and still get many of the benefits.
3. Dark Chocolate-Chocolate lovers will rejoice in the fact that DARK cocoa contains theobromine, an active ingredient that suppresses a nagging cough by calming the nerves in the throat. Studies back-up the fact that 2 ounces of dark chocolate deliver the same cough-calming benefits as a regular dose of over-the-counter medication.
4. Chili Peppers-Add a heaping teaspoon of cayenne and red chili peppers to a hot glass of water with lemon. The capsaicin in the chilies frees up nasal passages by acting as an expectorant, or natural decongestant medicine.
5. Orange Juice- We are wisely advised by our mother’s to drink OJ when we have a cold. Indeed, just one small glass infuses the body with half the daily-required intake of vitamin C, which not only boosts the immune system by fighting germs, but also reduces the length of a stubborn flu.
6. Bananas- If you have the flu, you’ll likely suffer a troublesome tummy along with a slew of other symptoms. Eating a banana each day encourages mucus production, which lines the tummy and protects the digestive system from stomach acids. This is why we’re often encouraged to the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) diet following a lengthy sickness.
7. Elderberries– High in vitamin C and antioxidants to shorten the life of viral infections and strengthen immunity, these dark berries can be eaten raw (consume only the berries, the roots, leaves and stem are toxic), You can also find elderberries in dried teas or supplement form.
8. Salmon– The omega-3 prowess in salmon and other fatty fish gives the immunes system a much-needed kick-start in the face of flu. Salmon is also high in zinc and selenium. Antioxidants that eliminate viral infections and reduce inflammation.
9. Yogurt– Did you know that when your digestive tract isn’t healthy, fighting off illness is more difficult? However, eating yogurt containing healthy bacteria will promote healthy bacterial growth so you can fight off the flu and ease tummy and digestive upsets.
10. Tea– Green tea gets its share of kudos, but black and white teas are equally beneficial flu fighters. Brewing a cup will infuse your system with polyphenols, a plant antioxidant that reduces inflammation, lubricates mucus membranes, and frees up congested airways.
FLU FIGHTING TIPS TO KEEP YOU AND OTHERS HEALTHY
This years flu season has hit almost every state very hard. The hospitalization rate for the 4th week of 2018 is about 51 people per 100,000 . This years virus strain is a challenge to this year’s flu vaccine, proving only 10% effective against the H3N2 virus, though the flu shot provides more protection against other currently circulating strains.
Foods can be used to fend of the flu. Common foods that many people already have in their pantries can be powerful flu-fighters. Cacao (chocolate’s purest form and raw) and cocoa (heated form) come with a host of surprising health benefits. The cavao beans in the chocolate contain all the benefits. The two main antioxidants in cacao are flavonoids and polyphenols that help keep us healthy and promote longevity. In plants, flavonoids provide important protection such as shielding them from environmental toxins, and when we consume plant-based foods that are rich in flavonoids, we also get a lot of the same benefits the plant gets.
1. Chicken soup-A bowl of chicken broth will free up congested airways. Luckily, the veggies also provide vital antioxidants while the chicken provides protein energy needed to kick a nasty sickness.
2. Garlic– Raw or lightly cooked, garlic contains natural antibiotics-especially from an ingredient called allicin - which provides natural decongestant and immune-strengthening prowess when you’re sick. Garlic is most potent when eaten raw, but you can toss a minced clove into a bowl of soup at the end of cooking and still get many of the benefits.
3. Dark Chocolate-Chocolate lovers will rejoice in the fact that DARK cocoa contains theobromine, an active ingredient that suppresses a nagging cough by calming the nerves in the throat. Studies back-up the fact that 2 ounces of dark chocolate deliver the same cough-calming benefits as a regular dose of over-the-counter medication.
4. Chili Peppers-Add a heaping teaspoon of cayenne and red chili peppers to a hot glass of water with lemon. The capsaicin in the chilies frees up nasal passages by acting as an expectorant, or natural decongestant medicine.
5. Orange Juice- We are wisely advised by our mother’s to drink OJ when we have a cold. Indeed, just one small glass infuses the body with half the daily-required intake of vitamin C, which not only boosts the immune system by fighting germs, but also reduces the length of a stubborn flu.
6. Bananas- If you have the flu, you’ll likely suffer a troublesome tummy along with a slew of other symptoms. Eating a banana each day encourages mucus production, which lines the tummy and protects the digestive system from stomach acids. This is why we’re often encouraged to the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) diet following a lengthy sickness.
7. Elderberries– High in vitamin C and antioxidants to shorten the life of viral infections and strengthen immunity, these dark berries can be eaten raw (consume only the berries, the roots, leaves and stem are toxic), You can also find elderberries in dried teas or supplement form.
8. Salmon– The omega-3 prowess in salmon and other fatty fish gives the immunes system a much-needed kick-start in the face of flu. Salmon is also high in zinc and selenium. Antioxidants that eliminate viral infections and reduce inflammation.
9. Yogurt– Did you know that when your digestive tract isn’t healthy, fighting off illness is more difficult? However, eating yogurt containing healthy bacteria will promote healthy bacterial growth so you can fight off the flu and ease tummy and digestive upsets.
10. Tea– Green tea gets its share of kudos, but black and white teas are equally beneficial flu fighters. Brewing a cup will infuse your system with polyphenols, a plant antioxidant that reduces inflammation, lubricates mucus membranes, and frees up congested airways.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 GRANGE NEWS
Boy oh Boy, what a busy year and an extra busy Christmas Season. I know all of you have been busy with family events, Grange events, baking for the holidays, shopping and traveling to and fro. I hope you’ve had a Wonderful time and may the New Year be filled with Good Health, Love and Joy for all. With the new year here and the Michigan State Grange paper being sent out, the program booklet for next year is included. I have made some changes in each of the category’s. I hope you enjoy them and can get started working on some of them. Have Fun.
FUN WINTER FACTS AND TRIVIA
Boy oh Boy, what a busy year and an extra busy Christmas Season. I know all of you have been busy with family events, Grange events, baking for the holidays, shopping and traveling to and fro. I hope you’ve had a Wonderful time and may the New Year be filled with Good Health, Love and Joy for all. With the new year here and the Michigan State Grange paper being sent out, the program booklet for next year is included. I have made some changes in each of the category’s. I hope you enjoy them and can get started working on some of them. Have Fun.
FUN WINTER FACTS AND TRIVIA
- The lowest temperature ever recorded was in the Antarctica on July 21, 1983. It was –98.2 degrees Celsius (-128.6 Fahrenheit).
- Winter cold kills more than twice as many Americans as summer heat does.
- The months December, January & February are winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, but in the
- Southern Hemisphere (for Example, in Australia) the coldest months of the year are actually June, July, and August.
- The Southern Hemisphere typically has milder winters than the Northern Hemisphere. This is because the Southern Hemisphere has less land and more maritime climate.
- According to the Guinness World Records, on January 28, 1887, a snowflake 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick fell in Fort Keogh, Montana, making it the largest snowflake ever observed.
- Every winter, at least one septillion (that’s 1 followed by 24 zeros) snow crystals fall from the sky.
- The largest recorded snowman ever built was in Bethel, Maine, in February 1999. The 113 foot, 7 inch snowman broke the previous record held by Yamagata, Japan at 96 feet 7 inches.
- A single snowstorm can drop 39 million tons of snow.
- Snow appears white because snow is a bunch of individual ice crystals arranged together. When light hits snow, it bounces all around the ice crystals and the “color” of all the frequencies in the visible spectrum combined in equal measure is white, While white is the color we see in snow, the individual ice crystals are actually translucent.
- Depending on the season, some animals actually change color. For example, the Arctic fox’s fur changes to white during the winter so that it can better blend in with the snow.
- During the winter, the black bear goes into hibernation , slowing its heartbeat to about 8 beats a minute from the usual 40 or so. It can go as long as 100 days with out food!
- Mt. Baker ski area in Washington State holds the world record for snowfall at 1,140 inches of snow during the 1998-1999 winter season.