Susan P. Baker

I collected bits from magazines and newspapers I've been reading. I'm including a few of them below:

Morning pickup - Lemon in the morning - sip 16 oz. of water mixed with 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (30 min. before breakfast, if possible). This allegedly will cut tiredness, brain fog, and body aches by 45% in one week. Lemons have d-limonene that encourages tissues to release toxins. The water dilutes them so your kidneys can excrete them. I've been drinking lemon water for quite a while. I don't measure it, but will now, though I add lemon to my iced tea later in the day.

Help for thyroid slowdown - 1 tsp. seaweed a day can help thyroid function by 35%. Seaweed gomasio can be sprinkled on food instead of salt if you don't want to eat seaweed.

To be peppier - 20 grams of protein for breakfast can give you more energy and make you feel stronger all day. 3 whole eggs, 1 cup Greek yogurt, or 1 cup oatmeal with ½ cup nuts.

Teeth whitening - the natural combination of xylitol (which increases saliva) and activated charcoal makes teeth look whiter. (Whether this actually makes them whiter is not clear from the article I read. Maybe it's a matter of semantics.) Tom's of Maine Peppermint activated Charcoal Toothpaste contains this. I haven't tried it. I just bought a tube, and if you're curious, contact me in 3 months.

Cracked skin - combine 2 tbsp. Ground oatmeal with 2 tbsp. water. Rub onto dry hands and rinse after 10 minutes.

Memory problems - a cup of tea a day whether black, green, or oolong can help lower the risk of mental decline by up to 50%. Tea protects nerves from amyloid protein damage, which is a toxin that accumulates in the brain.

Thinning bones - eat ½ cup of leafy greens, 6 oz. of Greek yogurt, or ½ cups of nuts every day to get silica, boron, lysine, and magnesium which stimulate cells to build new bone tissue.

~~these hints derived mostly from Women's World Magazine

In these frightening times, with corona viruses springing up—that includes the really scary Covid 19—emphasis has been on washing hands and disinfecting surfaces, and that's really important. However, we should also be diligent about protecting our families from food that may have come into contact with people who have been exposed to a virus.

Some people suggest simply rinsing your produce under the faucet prior to eating. Others say spraying with white vinegar and rinsing prior to eating will disinfect. (This will clean but not disinfect.) When I lived in Mexico, there were vegetable and fruit washes on just about every corner. They're a bit harder to find here and not always effective, though if it's easier for you, certainly use them liberally on your fresh produce.

For a home solution, I suggest the following recipes:

For most fruits and vegetables: mix together 4 cups water, 1 cup white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Fill your spray bottle with this solution and spray your fruit or vegetables liberally (you will want to put your produce in a colander in your sink). Wait about five minutes. Rinse with cool water and scrub thick skinned produce with a brush. Pat dry.

For leafy greens: fill a large bowl with 4 cups of water, one cup of white vinegar, a tablespoon of salt. Soak the greens for five minutes. Rinse completely with cold water. Dry thoroughly because wet greens decay faster in the refrigerator.

Of course constantly be diligent about scrubbing your hands with soap and water for two verses of Happy Birthday. And use disinfectant to wipe down surfaces with which strangers may have had contact.

If you're holing up in your house for any period of time, all of my books are available inexpensively as e-books. Simply go to www.susanpbaker.com for the links.

Stay safe!