Sick Food

I'm sitting at home today engaging in my "ward off sickness routine."  If you're very sensitive to corn, virtually all pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter drugs are off limits. I only take them if the ailment is more scary than my corn reaction, which isn't very often. I didn't even use a prescription after sinus surgery last year. Not because I'm so pain tolerant, but because I'm not. The idea of a corn reaction on top of surgery recovery was to awful too contemplate. When battling infections or viruses, however, I do have a secret wonder "drug". One that isn't too popular when I share it, but I'm telling you it's amazing.  And that would be the humble garlic clove. Not processed into a convenient little capsule, though. I've never found those to be overly effective. Even minced up and swallowed,  success is iffy.  The real secret was found in a historical account I read years ago, thought to have originated from the middle ages, in which the speaker said that whenever they were starting to get sick they sucked on a raw garlic clove. They claimed it usually took care of the problem within a day or so. So I tried it. Yes, I was desperate. But I'm telling you, it has come through for me over and over again. I put the peeled garlic clove in one cheek, barely scrape off a little piece of it with my teeth every so often, and keep switching the clove from one cheek to the middle of my mouth, to the other cheek. You can't help but switch it around because otherwise your mouth will burn up. After awhile you have to take a break, and then start the process over once your mouth calms down. I do this off and on for a day or two. I know it sounds awful, but I think it's actually worse for the people you live with :0).

Garlic is amazing. I've read about the science of it before and will convey what I read in very brief, unscientific terms. There are various compounds in the garlic which have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Some of these are released when you chop it; some survive even through the cooking process. So whether you eat it raw in other foods or cook it, you're getting good things out of it. But there's one other amazing compound I read about a year or so ago which explained why a raw clove in the mouth works so well. This particular potent compound is released upon cutting, but only lasts for a few seconds. It is very powerful, however, in those few seconds. Thus it would only be active in a body that cut the clove inside and housed it during those few active seconds. Voila!  The reason this method works like no other.

So if you're getting a virus or battling an infection, the garlic clove is your best friend. I really don't mind this process too much anymore, probably mostly because I'm so thankful to have something to take when I'm sick. It's works especially well for respiratory issues and sinus infections. For ear infections I crush up garlic in olive oil and drizzle it into my ear, pulling the earlobe and massaging it down into the ear. Nausea and vomiting usually preclude garlic sucking so making a 40 clove chicken soup has to suffice.  (No, I'm not a doctor, and no I can't give medical advice... blah, blah blah....  I'm just saying it works for me!)

So that's my corn allergen tip for the day. Other allergies are not such a problem with meds. But it does work well, regardless, and doesn't add to the toxic load in your body.

Chicken Soup
Either cook a chicken in water with salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you like (I usually use parsley, basil and rosemary-  my dear friend recommends thyme), along with lots of garlic cloves (you may not have the nerve to use 40, but any amount will help), then debone it and cook a little longer with optional veggies (little carrot/celery pieces?). Or keep it plain.
                                                   or  
Put pre-made broth (your own frozen broth, organic broth from a health food store) in a pan with diced chicken breast pieces and all the veggies. Simmer for a good while till chicken and veggies are done and it smells good.  Have a bowl of rice or rice noodles on the side. You don't ever want to add these to the whole pan of soup because in a very short amount of time the rice products will absorb too much liquid and turn the entire thing to glop. Having experienced this more than once, we now avidly avoid the glopping factor.

Jello
Sprinkle 2 T. unflavored gelatin over 6 T. water.  Boil 2 c. pure organic fruit juice (beware of citric & ascorbic acid), and add  1/4-1/2 c. sugar or honey, depending on how sweet your juice is. Mix until thoroughly dissolved, then put in the frig until firm. Since you can't use ice cubes this takes a little longer so plan accordingly.

The rice tortilla chips posted last time make good sick crackers. Lundberg Honey Nut (no nuts) Rice Cakes, and Food for Life Gluten Free English Muffins, are also good sick foods.

Hopefully you won't need any of this stuff, but if so, I hope it helps!