Surviving the Medical Meltdown (37 page)

APPENDIX C
RECIPES AND FORMULAS

1/4 PERCENT ACETIC ACID SOLUTION

An acetic acid solution is a mild antibacterial that helps keep infections at bay and kills harmful bacteria.

1 ounce white vinegar

15 ounces clean water

Add the vinegar to the water and mix well. Store in a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid. This will keep indefinitely.

COLLOIDAL SILVER SOLUTION

Colloidal silver is a suspension of submicroscopic metallic silver particles in a colloidal base. The silver helps thwart fungus in the body and is considered by some to be a powerful antibacterial and antiviral solution. I don’t take it internally, but use it for wounds and dressings. It can be a very effective sinus disinfectant as an alternative to the Sinus Irrigation Solution (see
page 254
),
but
do not use it for more than a few days, because silver, when absorbed, causes Algerolism (formerly known as Argerolism from the name of the silver-containing nasal drops) a permanent generalized blue deposition of silver in the skin. You do not want this. I have seen people with it, and they look vaguely Smurf-like. You can get kits to make this solution, but I prefer this simple setup:

1 quart mason jar

2 large-gauge pure (not sterling) silver wires

2 alligator clips

3 to 4 9-volt batteries

9-volt battery connector

1. As in the above picture, the batteries are clamped together in series using the attachments on the batteries – positive to negative to positive to negative so you have left over one positive and one negative.

2. At one end connect an alligator clamp to a red wire, and at the other an alligator clamp to a black wire.

3. Fill the mason jar three-quarters full with
distilled
water.

4. Suspend the silver wires over the lip of the jar on either side; the bottom 4 inches of the wires should be submerged in the solution. Attach an alligator clamp to each wire and allow it to sit overnight.

5. In the morning you should have a faintly brown solution that you can use for soaking dressing or to use for sinus irrigation. I know people who have dramatically improved arthritis and chronic sinus infection from drinking 2 to 3 ounces of colloidal silver daily for four to five days, but I would be leery of doing this for fear of toxicity from silver deposition. I use it topically.

SINUS IRRIGATION SOLUTION

This is a good solution that can be used to clear out your sinuses. It can be made in bulk and stored in an airtight plastic container. If you have chronic sinusitis you probably should do a flush twice daily until clear. If you just have seasonal issues, do it daily during the season to keep the turbinates (the lumpy lining of the nasal passages) free of pollen and other allergens, and to keep the sinuses unblocked. If you have chronic sinus problems a Grossnan Sinus Pulse Irrigator is well worth the expense. I cured my long-standing sinus issue this way. Or, if your problem is very mild, you could use a NetiPot or sinus rinse kit found at any drug store. The salt and soda combination in this solution is gentle on the tissues, and the xylitol is a non-nutrient substance that is taken up by bacteria but gives them no real energy to reproduce.

1/3 cup salt

1/3 cup baking soda

1/3 cup xylitol crystals

Combine the ingredients and store in a sealable plastic bag or other airtight container. To use, mix 1 to 1½ teaspoons of the mixture into 16 ounces of warm water and follow the directions on your irrigator or NetiPot.

Note: If you are having an active infection, e.g., blowing out yellow or greenish thick mucus and having pain and fever, it helps to add a few drops of chlorhexidine 0.12% to the solution. (This is by prescription used primarily for periodontal disease, but the bacteria that infect sinuses are often the same, or at least respond to this. Most physicians should not have a problem if you ask for a prescription for it. However, the same strength chlorhexidine rinse can be purchased over the counter for pet dental rinse. An 8-ounce bottle is roughly $20 and should last a long time, depending on the frequency of use.)

MY EASY-PEASY SOAP RECIPE

Makes about a year’s supply of soap for two people

For the soap molds, I just use glass baking dishes or cardboard boxes lined with waxed paper. But if you want nicer looking soap, you can use store-bought molds or make molds. I’ve seen someone use a section of a rain gutter stood on end for a mold. The number of bars is variable depending on the size you choose, and each bar lasts two or three times as long as store-bought soap. In my household, now with just two of us, this batch of soap lasted a year.

The first thing to be aware of is that lye is very caustic. It will burn skin upon contact. Always use gloves and eye protection. Never add water to lye. Always add lye to water, and do so in a well-ventilated area (outside is preferable).

1 pound lye crystals

2 pints water

5 3/4 pounds lard

2 1/2 cups pure olive oil

cooking thermometer

soap molds

Pour the lye crystals into the water while stirring constantly. Because the lye water solution produces an exothermic chemical reaction, the solution becomes warm to hot. This solution needs to cool to about 85 degrees.

While the lye water is cooling, start melting the lard in another pot until it is at 90 degrees. (I use my grandmother’s old blue-speckled canning pot.)

The point is to have the lard and the lye solution at about the same temperature. Some people do this at a higher temperature of 130 degrees.

Slowly pour the lye solution into the lard while mixing. I use a stick blender that I bought just for this purpose and leave it in the pot when not in use. But before this I used my kitchen hand mixer and cleaned it afterward. (You are making soap after all.) This mixing may take 30 minutes or more.

When the mixture is smooth and creamy and thick, pour it into the molds. I don’t add color or fragrance because I want pure hypoallergenic soap.

Put the molds in an out-of-the-way place (I use my spare bathtub) and cover with a wool blanket. That increases the temperature and speed of the process of saponification (becoming soap), which will occur mostly during the first 3 days. If the soap is hard at that point, remove and cut into the size pieces you want. Then put them in a cardboard box in layers separated by wax paper or brown paper. Let them sit for 4 weeks before using. Saponification happens slowly over these weeks, but once completed, the soap will last for many months and will be a great-feeling smooth hard soap.

SWIMMER’S EAR SOLUTION

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup isopropyl alcohol

Combine in a small glass jar with a dropper lid. This will keep indefinitely. After swimming, put 3 to 4 drops in one ear. Let it rest for about 5 minutes, and then turn your head and repeat in the other ear.

OUR FAVORITE GLUTEN-FREE BREAD

This recipe is courtesy of Domata Flour. There are other recipes for gluten-free breads at
www.domataglutenfree.com/recipes.html
. All the ingredients should be brought to room temperature.

3 cups sifted Domata Recipe Ready Flour

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 teaspoon vinegar

1/8 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups plus 1/8 cup lukewarm water

3 1/2 teaspoons Saf instant yeast

Grease a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan, and dust with flour.

Combine the flour, dry milk, salt, baking powder, gelatin, and sugar in your mixing bowl and let it sit for several minutes while preparing the wet ingredients. Whisk together the eggs, vinegar, oil, and water. Add the yeast; then add them to the dry mixture and stir for
only
1 minute.
Do not overmix
. The batter should be slightly thicker than the consistency of cake batter.

If necessary, add water a tablespoon at a time, as needed, to achieve this texture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth with wet fingers, cover, and let rise in a warm place until the dough reaches the top of the pan, about 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes; then cover lightly with foil and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove from pan immediately to cool before slicing. Store tightly covered on the counter for 3 days, in freezer for several weeks. (It will dry out in the refrigerator).

MAKING YOUR OWN GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR

I love Domata gluten-free flour, and I definitely recommend it for beginning to cook gluten-free. But to save some money I often make my own gluten-free flour. Here is my general formula:

35% white rice flour (2 1/4 cups)

30% brown rice flour (1 3/4 cups)

30% tapioca flour (1 3/4 cups)

3% guar gum or xanthan gum or a combination of the two (3 tablespoons)

2% pectin (2 tablespoons)

Sometimes I add some cornstarch as well. Although I attached numbers to give you a feel for proportions, honestly I’ve gotten to the point that I simply add to my bin as it gets low, and don’t do too much measuring. This is not rocket science. I suppose the purists will get better bread results by getting the perfect mix, but I’m not that picky. I get rice flour pretty cheaply at the local Asian market. Guar gum and xanthan gum can be purchased at large specialty groceries but I get mine on line. Pectin is used in canning and is generally locally available. You can also add some nut flours for different tastes and recipes. Nut flours add fat to the mix so shouldn’t be used in things like piecrust or French bread. I tried potato starch once and hated the taste, so I never use that. I added sorghum flour once and didn’t think the bread was as light and fluffy, but you can experiment. In any case by making your own you do save a lot of money. I still use Domata when cooking for guests or gifting and a perfect first-time outcome is required.

DR. PERLMUTTER’S COCONUT MILK MOUSSE

1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 to 2 teaspoons stevia

Chill the can of coconut milk overnight. Scoop out the thickened milk and whip with mixer till smooth and a mousse-like consistency.

Add three tablespoons of cocoa powder and the stevia to taste. Whip again and chill in small ramekins.

He has other recipes in his book
Grain Brain
that is well worth reading to preserve your brain health and more.

APPENDIX D
A SAMPLE MEDICAL RECORD YOU MAKE FOR YOURSELF

Today’s medical world is being held captive to electronic medical records thanks to Obamacare and other federal government programs that mandate conversion to digital records. I recently had a physical, and after years of going to the same provider, this time they had no record of my medications and allergies because they had implemented the mandatory electronic medical record. Because these electronic records are notoriously inaccurate, unavailable, or indecipherable, for your safety I recommend a single-page well-organized medical record that you can keep in your wallet or purse and take to all your doctor visits. (If you have many health issues, it may be longer. But keep it to two pages at the very most. More than that, and a busy emergency room doctor’s eyes will glaze over.) The point of this record is to provide a useful concise summary, not a life history of everything you have had happen to you medically. Brevity is the soul of both wit and a good medical review.