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Put an End to Earaches
March 1st, 2009Here’s the $64,000 question: Why do children’s ear infections keep coming back despite multiple courses of antibiotics? Because they’re mostly caused by viruses, not bacteria. Antibiotics don’t treat the cause of the problem—the virus. They just provide temporary relief of the symptoms, says Sandy Newmark, an integrative pediatrician in Tucson, Arizona.
Antibiotics are not the answer to healing persistent ear infections.Feed Your Flora
November 1st, 2008Popping probiotics and still having digestive problems? Here’s a novel solution: Gobble a handful of almonds. The Institute of Food Research recently reported that almonds act as prebiotics that function as food for probiotics—the good bacteria that restore a healthy balance of gut flora.
Alternative Medicine Cabinet: Fight Food Poisoning
September 1st, 2008From fine dining to take-out Thai, Americans eat out much more than they used to—an average of four times every week. Food poisoning is also on the rise—it’s second only to the common cold in how frequently it strikes. Some 76 million Americans suffer from it each year.
Bounce back faster with these gentle cures.The Beauty Bar: Probiotics in Skincare
August 1st, 2008You may already know that taking probiotics helps maintain a healthy intestinal tract and fight myriad diseases (see “Fermented Food Fest,” online). But new research shows probiotics can clear up your complexion, too.
Fermented Food Fest
August 1st, 2008When most of us decide to add “good” bacteria to our diet, we typically turn to probiotic supplements and yogurt. Good choices to be sure, but not the only ones available. Look beyond the dairy aisle to fermented foods, which teem with healthy, good-for-you bacteria.
Simply delicious and easy to make—and so good for your health.Basic Homemade Yogurt
August 1st, 2008Unfeatured4 cups (1 quart) milk (skim, 1 percent, 2 percent, or whole)
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1/2 cup powdered milk (optional, for thicker yogurt)
1/2 cup plain, live culture yogurt1. Heat milk and powdered milk (optional) over medium heat in a small saucepan to 180 degrees (use a candy thermometer), stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and let cool to 110 degrees (about an hour).
2. Gently stir yogurt culture into milk, and pour mixture into a clean glass jar. Cover.
3. Choose your incubation method:
• Use a commercial yogurt maker (such as the Salton 1-quart yogurt maker).
• Place jars in a hot water bath in the oven on its lowest setting (temperature should not exceed 110 degrees).
• Pour hot water into a cooler, and incubate the jars in there, changing the water every few hours if necessary.4. Incubate yogurt at 110 degrees for four to 10 hours or until set. The longer you incubate, the more tart the yogurt will taste. The mixture needs to stay close to 110 degrees for the bacteria to do their job. Lower temperatures deactivate the cultures, and higher temperatures will kill them.
5. Stir in sweetener, honey, or fruit as desired. Refrigerate up to two weeks.
Quick tip: Homemade yogurt tends to be thinner than store-bought, but adding powdered milk to the mix will thicken it. Make sure the plain yogurt you buy to inoculate your homemade yogurt says “live and active cultures” on the label.Nutrition info per serving (using 1 percent milk and whole-milk yogurt): 121.2 calories; 3.4 g fat; 2.2 g saturated fat; 16.2 mg cholesterol; 9.3 g protein; 13.6 g carbohydrates; 0 g fiber; 121 mg sodium
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