I just heard that one of my friend’s kids was down with the H1N1 virus. My god! Is that bug still around?

It IS! So, recently, I find myself slacking when it comes to absolute hygiene. Not to say I’m a dirty person, but when the first H1N1 wave came in, I was pretty anal about bringing my kids out, washing hands 10 times a day, stuff like that. I was pretty alarm to say the least, and at that time, my kids were ill all the time, so I was deathly afraid their weak bodies would not be able to cope with something so dangerous.

Anyways, no prizes for telling me that we should all still be really careful.

Here’s what Kristen Suzanne, (a raw food chef) from Kristen’s Raw blog (who by the way is happily pregnant) tips on keeping oneself healthy. Those below and chugging green juice like there’s no tomorrow.

…After scouring the Internet for information on pregnant women and the seasonal / swine flus, I came have a list of things to do (I came up with most of these from Mothering.com’s forum):

Wash hands for 30 seconds with soap OFTEN (avoiding anti-bacterial gels). A good trick is to hum the “Happy Birthday” song three times while hand washing.
PLENTY OF REST!
Don’t touch face
Get Vitamin D!!! (I get mine from the sun, 15-25 minutes daily or every other day)
Gargle with warm salt water twice a day
Take warm salt water and dip a q-tip into it and swab the inside of nostrils daily (or use a neti pot)
Eat fresh, organic, raw garlic
Drink warm liquids
Consume plenty of vitamin C-rich foods
Stay hydrated
Avoid crowded places

In the old days, restaurants used to buy blocks of ice from ice vendors who would make ice probably from tap water. And once the blocks of ice is made, they would wrap the ice in saw dust before transporting them over to the restaurants in motorbikes and bicycles. Once the guys get the ice blocks, the would bring out the ice picks and hack away to make smaller pieces of ice to put into drinks.

Thankfully, that’s all in the past. Today, vendors are very professional. Their crew members run around all over town carrying clean ice cubes in large clear plastic bags stored in refrigerated vehicles. These guys bring in ice, once a day, twice a day, or even more, based on the quantity and frequency required.We may take things for granted, but they really provide an important service to the community. By offering clean ice to street vendors, for example, they are really reducing the level of food poisoning in the community. Think about it. I would cringe if I saw restaurant workers breaking up ice in kitchen sinks, and who knows, even at floor level if someone allowed them, at the back of the kitchen. It’s unsanitary, and you know, in the old days, nobody would have bat an eyelid because it was pretty much the norm.

Anyways, I’m just reminiscing, for it’s nice to look back and remember how it was done in the old days.

Some of the Atlas Edible Ice crew members. Atlas is one of the biggest ice manufacturers in Malaysia.
That’s one of the vehicles that carry ice, shown in the background.

My mum loves bread, and she loves butter and jam on it. We make healthful jam in my mum’s house. She’s just made a huge, huge batch of easy-to-do jammy marmalade about 2 weeks back. And our family loves coconut jam which is called “Kaya”  which uses a simple combo of coconut milk, brown sugar, pinch of salt and an egg.  So you see, there’s no preservatives involved.

I love Egyptian and Iranian dates

While I looked at the bottles of Marmalade jams my mum packed away to be given as gifts, I realise, there’s actually a healthier alternative to my mum’s super duper no preservatives jam. Raw, full of enzymes, fruit jam is what I recommend.

It’s so easy to do, and you don’t need a lot of fruit, just sulphite-free preservative dried fruits.

Just take a handful of dried fruits (I like sweet chewy dried mangos, dried apricots are great as well), soak in a bit of water overnight. Some of you may like to soak dried stone fruit in brandy or some other hoo hoo hoo alcoholic liquid, well, you can. Just let me turn away for a minute while you do that. Done? Ok. Then, whizz it in your mini blender with a little of the water you used to soak the fruit in. Add honey or some raw syrup of your choice to taste. That’s it. So simple and full of all the enzyme goodness not destroyed by heat.

Now, there’s actually all sorts of dried fruits sold. Most of the unusual ones are sold in exotic shops. Dried mangos can be found at Indian stores. Sweet whole dried oranges can be found at Chinese Medicine shops.  Luscious dates are imported from the Middle East. Just be sure to ask if it’s been preserved with sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide has been used since the Greek and Roman times. However, this preservative has been known to cause problems for people who are prone to asthma so naturally dried fruit is still the best way to go. If you want raw dried fruits, not those that are dried in high heat, look for the word “dehydrated”. Look for the words “organic”, “preservative free” and “sulphite free” as well.

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More on raw food

• Super pepper, better than popping multivitamins?
• Not enough healthy food around? Here’s my tips
• Small plate of soy sauce packed with good stuff
• Peach so cheap!
• Protocol For Pineapple Parasite Cleanse
• Eating raw while I travel
• Raw, fresh Egyptian dates … yum!

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I was reading the 2nd page of the Star newspaper today, and I was quite troubled at what I had read.

The article said, Pharmaceutical firms view Malaysia as ideal location for research.

Additionally, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said priority could be given to such value-added (clinical) trials as Malaysia’s multi-ethnic composition represented a big portion of the global population.

University of Aberdeen Institute of Medical Science lecturer Professor Anne Glover said Malaysia could serve as a one-stop centre for clinical trials due to its multi-ethnic population.

“Pharmaceutical companies are interested to use the resources here,” she said.

Light moment: Najib at the meeting in Kuala Lumpur Monday.
With him are Science, Technology and Innovation Minister
Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili (left)
and the Prime Minister’s Science advisor
Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Zaharudin Idrus.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/17/nation/20091117070831&sec=nation

I checked the Business Times (belonging to New Straits Times)  and they quote the Prime Minister as saying, “Malaysia should give priority to “value add clinical trials” and “diagnostic trials” in the medicine field as the country has a plural society suitable to test the global market.

“We’ve Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sabahans and Sarawakians who represent the major global market. Malaysia is most suitable to conduct the study,” he said.”

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20091116144600/Article/index_html

Jasmin says,

What does this mean? Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the article mean that we, the Malaysian population are now targeted as guinea pigs for medical tests? Does it mean our bodies will be subjected to untested medicines and such?

And if it is, how will these companies test us? Will they be using the almost free Malaysian public health care as a vehicle to distribute the medicine and test their products on unsuspecting Malaysians. Will they inform the us beforehand that we will be targeted as guinea pigs or will they just quietly test us without our knowledge?

I’m really troubled about this. I would not want my family and I to be used in a clinical trial as who knows the ramifications of using untested drugs. Would you? Can someone care to enlighten me on this and tell me what I’m reading is right or wrong? I do hope I’m wrong, and maybe misinterpret the article.

Radiant Terri on healthful food

Terri Jyl Clarke in Face book

Fri 6 Nov 2009 9:58am

I still have a sore throat and so tired today. I was coughing the last few days in public. I may be fighting the swine flu…

Fri 6 Nov 2009 11:47am

I need to take some time off FB because I have caught the swine flu…off to bed and loads of water and green juices.

Fri 6 Nov 2009 7:33pm

Should be in bed, but i think I am a little attached to FB….I am off to drink a liter of alkaline water now..Tomorrow I am only having green juice and soups with loads of garlic and ginger.

Sat 7 Nov 2009 9:07am

Last night a drank green juice and two liters of water with Arm and Hammer baking soda in it and this morning ALL my flu symptoms are gone !! Wow wow wow….(:

Terri believes she had overcome the flu twice with GREEN FOODS. About six weeks ago both her husband and son suffered terribly from flu and fever. However, she did not catch it. Here’s what she said “I credit living green foods for my stronger immune system. I am very thankful to God for showing me the way out of lifelong illnesses and protection from seasonal flu and colds.”

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Jasmin says,

If you are wondering how to make alkaline water, here’s a recommended dosages from the Arm and Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1925:
During the first day take six doses of half teaspoonful of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at about two hour intervals.

During the second day take four doses of half teaspoonful of Arm and Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals.

During the third day take two doses of half teaspoonful of Arm and Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter half teaspoonful in glass of cool water each morning until cold is cured.

Alternatively, you may want to purchase an alkaline water machine like the one I use.

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More interesting reading

• Daily dose of baking soda could stop kidney patients needing dialysis
• Coca-Cola managed to somehow reposition the 100 Plus isotonic drink as a holy water drink that heals people who have dengue fever.
• Baking soda cleans fruits
• Go to Terri’s blog to see her rawsome food creations

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