Basic Food Storage--Sprouting Wheat

Why, oh why, would anyone want to sprout wheat?  I mean, with a healthier diet that is already including lots of whole grains and beans and garden produce, isn't adding in sprouts going a little over the top?

Actually, it may be over the top for some.  But there are times when being able to sprout wheat could come in handy.

First off, wheat is a bit hard for some people to digest.  Especially if those people have been eating a typical American diet high in processed foods.  Secondly, and important for all, is that wheat sprouts are far more nutritious than the unsprouted whole grain, with far more vitamins B, C, E, and K, as well as more calcium, iron, and magnesium.  And it provides a different way of using wheat, one that can add variety to salads, soups, and cereals, as well as being used to add a little crunch to sandwiches.

To start your sprouts, in a quart size canning jar, soak one cup of wheat in cool water for 6-12 hours.  One cup of dry wheat will yield approximately 2 1/4 cups of sprouts.

Plastic sprouting lids available from Amazon or health food stores make rinsing and draining easier, but you can substitute nylon netting and a rubber band.  A clean knee-hi nylon could also be used, but it somewhat hinders air circulation. 

After the initial soaking, drain the wheat and rinse thoroughly.  Do not soak or let the wheat stand in water again.  Repeat the rinse and drain cycle every 6-12 hours, with 8 hours being ideal, but this also depends on the temperature.  The ideal temperature for sprouting is 70 degrees; warmer temperatures necessitate more frequent rinsing.

For draining the wheat, the jar must be inverted and at an angle, ideally about 45 degrees.  A large bowl or dish drainer in the sink works well.  Putting the jar upside down will not permit draining.

Keeping the sprouting grain in plain view will help you remember to rinse it; however, do not place the jar in direct sunlight.  That will cook and kill your sprouts.  On the kitchen counter out of the sun will be perfect.

Taste your sprouts as they are growing.  When do you like them best?  Wheat sprouts are generally harvested between the second and fourth day of sprouting.  Dry them thoroughly for about 6-8 hours from the last time they were rinsed, and then store them in the refrigerator.  Your wheat sprouts will keep for three days, assuming they were very dry when you put them away.

There are numerous ways to use wheat sprouts--add to soups, salads, breads, sandwiches, taco meat, chili; grow into wheat grass; dehydrate and grind into flour; make sprouted breakfast cereal or porridge.  Some people just like to eat them plain.

Links to related posts:
Wheat
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B2
Vitamin C 


For further information:

https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/sprouting/how-to-sprout-wheat-berries/

https://sproutpeople.org/growing-wheat-sprouts/

https://keeperofthehome.org/getting-started-sprouting-wheat-berries/

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com 

Hypothyroidism Options in TEOTWAWKI

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on knowledge and understanding you might wish to acquire in advance of a disaster in case no higher care is available.  As long as our society is functioning, you should leave anything more substantial than applying a Band-Aid to the professionals.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care. 

Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce adequate thyroid hormone for the body.  Worldwide, insufficient iodine in the diet is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.  The addition of iodine to salt is why we do not see more cases of hypothyroidism in the industrialized world.  And this is why it is absolutely critical to store iodized salt for our families.  You can read more on that here.

The signs or symptoms of hypothyroidism most commonly observed include:

• fatigue, 
• intolerance to cold, 
• dry skin,
• constipation, 
• weight gain, and 
• hair loss.  

Less common symptoms include:

• hoarseness, 
• depression, 
• menstrual irregularity, 
• forgetfulness, 
• fluid retention, and 
• poor growth (in children).

(Extremely brief and rudimentary biology lesson for understanding hypothyroidism:  thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is produced by the pituitary gland.  This is what is measured in a blood test to assess thyroid hormone--thyroxine--levels.  TSH tells the thyroid to produce something called T4.  T4 must be converted into T3 to be used by the body.)

The missing or insufficiently produced hormone is called thyroxine.  When the thyroid doesn't produce enough T4, physicians routinely prescribe a synthetic.  The vast majority of hypothyroidism is treated with a synthetic replacement like levothyroxine (Synthroid), which ranks in the top five for most commonly prescribed drugs in the US.  It comes in wide variety of dosages and it is absolutely critical to have the exact right dosage for each patient.

Simple enough.  Except when it isn't.  And this is because the body has to convert T4 into T3, and unfortunately, this critical process can be affected by a whole host of factors, like:

• low-calorie diets,
• antacids,
• prescription medications (sucralfate, simethicone, antidepressants),
• mineral deficiency (zinc, copper, selenium, calcium),
• iron tablets,
• chronic stress (TEOTWAWKI, anyone?),
• herbal medicine (ashwagandha, lemon balm, rosemary),
• soybeans,
• cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower),
• pine nuts,
• walnuts,
• fiber, and
• a whole lot more.

That's a whole lot of stuff that can affect the T3 and T4 levels.  What's a person to do?  The best advice is to take thyroid medications on an empty stomach, and at least 1-2 hours before or 1 hour after any medications or mineral supplements to avoid or reduce interactions.

Then there are the effects that Synthroid and its generic equivalents have on other medications.  Like insulin and type-2 diabetes medications.  Synthroid can diminish the efficacy of diabetes medications.  (Type-1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and hypothyroidism can be as well.  The two often go hand-in-hand.)  On the other hand, Synthroid potentiates warfarin, so that if the warfarin dose is not reduced, serious bleeding may occur.

Getting the right dose of Synthroid is essential; unfortunately, that is going to be very difficult to do post-collapse.  It will require careful monitoring of signs from a physician.  Getting the right dose is not something that occurs overnight, or even within a week or a month.  While there is not so much risk if the dose is too low, there is significant risk if the dose is too high.  Hyperthyroidism is no good, either.

As many of us often contemplate a time when DIY everything is going to be the norm, we wonder what was done before synthetic drugs were available.  In the case of hypothyroidism, before synthetics were available, desiccated and powdered extracts from pig and cow thyroids were used.  Armour Thyroid, derived from cows and pigs, is still on the market today.  There are nutraceuticals--plants compounded into tablets and used as medicine--for treating hypothyroidism, but most physicians shy away from them.  And there are natural supplements like Thyromine.  How well any of these options will work on any given patient depends on too many variables to be able to make any general statements.

If you have hypothyroidism, according to Dr. Koelker, author of Armageddon Medicine, discuss with your doctor whether treatment is mandatory for you.  For a significant number, treatment is not actually required.  If it is required, stock up on your medications.  Synthroid is very cheap from All Day Chemist.  If you get the tablets that are double your required dosage, you can then use a pill splitter to halve your cost.

The best recommendations for dealing with hypothyroidism post-collapse are to get not only Dr. Koelker's book Armageddon Medicine, but also her hypothyroid self-study and preparation course.  I have several grid-down medicine books and have attended courses.  No one covers hypothyroidism anywhere near as well as she does. 

UPDATE 21 February 2022:  Some patients cannot take the generic equivalent of Synthroid.  An article at the following address covers this issue and suggests a few options for patients in this situation.  https://www.restartmed.com/synthroid-vs-levothyroxine/

Caution:  Untreated hypothyroidism in a pregnant woman may result in birth defects in the baby.


Disclaimer:  I receive no benefit or any compensation whatsoever from Dr. Koelker or any company or product mentioned in this post.

Links to related posts:
Salt
Armageddon Medicine review

 For more information:
Armageddon Medicine, Dr. Cynthia Koelker, pp 388-401.
Hypothyroid self-study and preparation course
https://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/herb-drug-mix-hypothyroidism-herbs-and-drugs
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2017/02/13/food-and-drug-interactions-are-important-levothyroxine-and-fiber/
https://www.sharecare.com/health/thyroid-supplement/synthroid-interact-medications-foods
https://www.livestrong.com/article/423936-synthroid-interactions-with-vitamins/

"FDA Acts to Ensure Thyroid Drugs Don't Lose Potency Before Expiration Date," US Food and Drug Administration, 3 October 2007, https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/fda-acts-ensure-thyroid-drugs-dont-lose-potency-expiration-date (accessed 10 November 2020).

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com   

29 january 2023

The Medicinal Uses of Red Raspberry Leaf

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.


When my family and I talk about the five years that we lived in Missouri, we usually mention the only three good things about our time there, the three F's:  friends (a few great friends), fireflies (who doesn't love them?), and fireworks (the most phenomenal displays I ever saw were put on by a lawyer friend from church--nothing at Disneyland, or at city/county Fourth of July events, or even Michael Milken's personal event at Lake Tahoe--no, we weren't his guests, just on a neighboring section of the beach--could come close to this lawyer's show).  But as I begin this post on raspberries, I remember how prolific the raspberries in my garden there were.  I spent a couple of hours three times each week during harvest season to pick them.  Wow, I miss those raspberries.

And as delicious and desirable as those raspberries were, the true treasure was in the leaves.  Little did I know then.  Raspberry leaves are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E, as well as the essential minerals iron (one ounce of raspberry leaves yields 18% of the RDA for iron), magnesium, potassium, zinc, and calcium.  For this reason alone you are really going to want these gems growing on your property in addition to being able to find them elsewhere.

Time to harvest:  Raspberry leaves should be harvested in the summer, rinsed, and dried well in a dehydrator or in the shade.  Insufficiently dried leaves can become toxic.

Fortunately, raspberry leaves are very easy to use.  Their active constituents are, in contrast to many other herbal remedies, extracted with water.  No alcohol involved.

Infusion:  One to two teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of boiling water.  Let steep for fifteen minutes. Drink three to four cups per day for treating diarrhea, incontinence, PMS symptoms, leg cramps, gout, and arthritis. It is particularly useful for easing painful menstrual cramps and regulating menstrual flow, especially when taken regularly.  Historically, raspberry leaf tea was used to ease labor pains, improve the quality of contractions, and help build a good supply of breast milk.  Though some sources suggest it can be used for treating morning sickness and nausea, it should be used with caution and only under the direction of a licensed medical practitioner during the first and second trimester of pregnancy. 

Decoction:  Steep five tablespoons of raspberry leaves in one quart of water for fifteen minutes.  Use as a rinse or gargle to treat tonsillitis, canker sores, cold sores, gingivitis, and sore throat.  This same decoction can be used for treating eczema, acne, dermatitis, and itching of the skin.  The cooled and filtered decoction is used to treat conjunctivitis of the eyes.

Poultice:  Dip a clean cloth into the decoction above and apply to minor wounds, varicose veins, and minor burns like a sunburn.

Contraindications:  Raspberry leaf is not for internal use in people with gastritis or peptic ulcer, or those with uterine fibroids, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, or endometriosis. 

For further information:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1016/S1526-9523%2801%2900095-2
https://www.drugs.com/npp/raspberry.html#fandc-np5263.b2
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-raspberry-leaf-tea#bottom-line
https://theherbalacademy.com/3-raspberry-leaf-benefits-for-women/


© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com

12 september 2022

27 september 2020