Blessed Thanksgiving

Surviving the Fall Allergy Season
By Marie-Elsie Ade

Fall is the season of change. It is really beautiful to see the leaves go from a healthy green to a lively orange before the dead of winter claim them. I used to always look forward for fall when I used to live in upstate New York. However the changing weather, from summer to fall or from winter to spring find me at my most miserable time. You see, I suffer from various allergies and it is absolutely horrible with the running nose, the itchy and watery eyes and finally the marathon sneezing, as if my body is trying to break the world record for longest continuous sneezes. These are the worst of all symptoms because they leave me lifeless and exhausted.

To alleviate the symptoms, I left New York State, heck, I left the entire northeast section of the United States and moved to Florida to escape the changing whims of the weather to no avail. Don’t get me wrong, it was alleviated but I still suffered from time to time with allergies and the fall season seems to be the worst.

There are several ways to deal with allergies. You can move from one state to the other (like I did) or you can take one of the several classes of drugs available on the market: antihistamines, decongestants, mast cells stabilizers or leukotrienes modifiers or even steroids. Drugs such as diphenhydramine, loratadine(Claritin, Alavert), cetirizine (Zyrtec) or clemastine (Tavist), montelukast (Singulair), . These are highly effective at alleviating the symptoms of allergies, especially the runny nose and watery eyes symptoms. However, they come with the side effects of drowsiness and the feeling that you are having an out of body experience. If you have tried these to no avail or you want to try something different, there is still hope for allergy sufferers in the form of natural remedies:

Antihistamines: These drugs block histamine, a chemical released by our immune system during an allergic reaction.

Grape Seed Extract, unique flavanoids, with very powerful antioxidant properties. Laboratory studies have shown that grape seed can be up to 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in antioxidant capability.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), probably best known for its effects as an antioxidant and its role in maintaining proper immune function.

Leukotriene Modifiers: These drugs block the effects of leukotrienes, inflammatory chemicals released by your immune system during an allergic reaction. Such medications have proved most effective in treating allergic asthma, but they also relieve hay fever.

Butterbur, seems to significantly reduce the bothersome allergic symptoms (1). The doctors concluded that it is effective and well tolerated. In some cases doctors even recommended butterbur as first line therapy for seasonal allergies along such accepted conventional treatment as Zyrtec (cetirizine) (2). Petadolex is a patented form of butterbur extracted from the root and standardized to contain a minimum of 15% of petasin and isopetasin.

Mast Cell Stabilizers: Mast cell stabilizers prevent the release of histamine, the same inflammatory chemical that antihistamines stop. They may also reduce the inflammation associated with hay fever and allergic rhinitis.

Quercetin, may be useful in relieving hay fever and sinusitis as a result of its ability to reduce inflammation in the airways and the release of histamine. It appears to block allergic reactions to pollen as well.(3)

Stinging Nettles, preliminary evidence is showing that stinging nettle above ground parts might improve symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Starting stinging nettle at the first sign of symptoms seems to provide subjective improvement (4).

Natural D-Hist contains vitamin C, Quercetin, Stinging Nettles, Bromelain and N-Acetyl cysteine. So you get all the benefits of an antihistamine without taking too many pills.

In this allergy season, know your natural therapies options so that you don’t have to suffer through this bothersome disease and enjoy the fall foliage and the arrival of winter. I know I will.

References:

1. Schapowal A; Petasites Study Group. Butterbur Ze339 for the treatment of intermittent allergic rhinitis: dose-dependent efficacy in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004 Dec;130(12):1381-6

2. Schapowal A; Petasites Study Group. Randomised controlled trial of butterbur and cetirizine for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis. BMJ. 2002 Jan 19;324(7330):144-6.

3. Anon. Quercetin. Alt Med Rev 1998;3:140-3

4. Mittman P. Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta Med 1990;56:44-7

Marie-Elsie Ade is a Pharmacist with a B.S from Long Island University in New York and a PharmD from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She is a licensed pharmacist as well as a licensed consultant pharmacist (Florida license PS29264 and PU4703). She works for one of the premier health systems in South Florida. She has lectured on various topics at Senior Citizen Centers, Women’s groups and Community Fairs about generic drugs, herbal medications and drug interactions and the use of pharmaceuticals in general.

She believes that natural health and modern medicines can be complementary and has set out to inform patients about the effects of their prescriptions medications and their natural health or herbals products. Visit us at www.thenaturalhealingplace.com to ask questions about your natural and conventional remedies.

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The Fall Season Brings Mold Problems
By Harold Kevin

The continuing dampness from summer participation can contribute to heavy mold growth later in the year. The fall season can bring with it a large amount of mold and mold spores can affect a homeowner’s heath.

For many people, symptoms from allergies are usually get worse in the late fall. After the leaves come down or after a rainstorm there is often an increase in mold allergy symptoms. Piles of rotting leaves release mycotoxins and mold spores into the air. The higher humidity causes problems inside the home. During the fall season, windows are usually kept closed in cool weather. However, it’s not cold enough for the furnace to run often enough to keep down the moisture levels.

A heavy rainstorm can lead to increased dampness in the basement, again increasing indoor humidity. The cool and damp environment inside the home creates the perfect environment for mold to grow.

Below are some tips to help fight fall mold infestation:

- Put on the furnace or heater a few times a day to help dry out the inside air and prevent dampness.

- Use a dehumidifier in the basement to reduce excess moisture. Set it below 50 percent humidity.

- Keep your house aired out. Open the windows at least once a day to circulate clean air.

- Fix any roof or basement leaks. Be sure drainage runs away from the foundation.

- Repair any water-damaged items or structures from leaking roofs or basements.

- Wipe down bathroom walls with a chlorine and bleach solution (use ratio of one ounce bleach to one quart water) to keep down mildew and fungus.

- Mold can enter a home via shoes that are dirty with wet leaves and dirt. Damp firewood is also a breeding place for mold. Be sure to keep firewood in a dry space, preferably away from living areas.

- Keep your yard raked up and do not allow large piles of leaves to accumulate, especially near the home.

Fall mold allergies have symptoms that are similar to other seasonal allergies. These symptoms can include a runny nose, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, and possibly flu-like symptoms. If you have persistent issues, consider having your home tested for mold contamination.

H&H Environmental Construction and Consulting provides mold removal services in New York. We also serve New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

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Spring and Fall Turkey Hunting Seasons - Perfect Time For Hunting Turkeys
By Irsan Kao

Turkey hunting will give you mental satisfaction and pleasure. During the vacation, you can utilize the leisure hours by hunting turkey birds. With the advent of the spring and fall season, turkey hunting becomes much more popular and famous. However you need to know that there is the difference between the spring and fall turkey hunting permit. In the case of spring turkey hunting, you must choose the particular place for shooting the turkey birds. You can do continuing your turkey hunting program on any one day out of compact five-day turkey hunting session.

On the other hand if you like to do the hunting in the fall season, you can fulfill your dream any day during the season and you will get the permit. After collecting the turkey hunting permit, you must take the preparatory measures for making the fantastic package for hunting the turkey birds. You must train yourself how to control your temperament. Be cool minded and specific in targeting object. It is up to you to be a good decision maker. You can concentrate fully to shoot the turkeys nicely for entrapping them into your cobweb.

In fact, the spring turkey hunting is much more convenient and easier. There are different types of calling sounds to address the birds. You can produce a friction sound by rubbing stones or hard objects for drawing the attention of the turkeys. Secondly you can use your own sweet voice. Just whistle by drawing the air into your mouth and start whistling, it will be a matter of great attraction for the turkey and they will master strong at your feet. Turkeys can produce different whistling tones which are very effective. They can yelp, cluck or purr.

You should be familiar with different types of sound. Turkey hunt is my favorite game and I like to participate in the different hunting trip for catching the turkeys. Choose the perfect calling place which is better for watching the birds. When you place the decoy or treat, you must not frequently move the treat from one place to another. It will be better for you to be in disguise. If you wear orange cap or the same colored gloves, you will overtake their vision and they will not recognize you clearly. Try to locate your gun at the perfect angle for shooting the birds. After getting full confidence, you can start shooting at the targeted bird. Do a lot of practices and you will be gainer in shooting the right turkey.

Irsan’s passion is to write on wide varieties of subjects. His latest writing is at gift fruit baskets which contains reviews on organic fruit baskets and other information about fruit baskets.

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Why You Should Fall in Love With Fall Turkey Hunting
By Bill M Murphy

Even if spring is considered as the mating season for capturing the gobblers, it is not hard to fall in love with fall turkey hunting. The fall season can still provide the same exhilarating challenge that most turkey hunters associate with the spring season. In fact, fall turkey hunting has been becoming popular as well, not only for the sheer hunt but for a good chance of having that yummy fall turkey on the Thanksgiving centerpiece.

When the weather changes, there is also a change in behavior in turkeys. Unlike spring, there is no gobbling activity among the toms or the mature male turkeys. Instead, little offspring or young male turkeys or jakes can be seen around together with the hen flocking an area in search for food. This is because fall precedes winter, and the turkeys need to store sustenance before the snow hits the ground. This is also the season where it is more likely for a hen to get captured rather than a tom.

A hunter needs to observe painstakingly where the turkeys frequent to eat because that’s where they are most likely to be found. To observe the turkeys effectively, this could be done early in the morning before the sun is up.

When the hunter finds out where the turkeys feed, this is the time to employ several fall turkey hunting tactics. First, the hunter just needs to wait around for that hen to come up to feed near a nesting area, a roosting area or a feeding area.

Another tactic for fall turkey hunting is to bust up a flock, and wait for the turkey to regroup. When a flock of turkey comes up within line of vision to feed, a hunter can scare and distract the flock so that the turkeys fly and scatter in different directions. A hunter can now make strategic turkey calls to be able to attract a lost hen or jake into his direction.

The turkey call that can be very useful for this fall turkey hunting technique is the kee-kee-run call. This type of turkey call is produced by a lost young turkey that is anxious to reunite with the flock, particularly the hen. Hunters repeat the kee-kee-run turkey call a few times until finally a hen is within reach.

If you would like more tips on fall turkey hunting and separate yourself from the usual results obtain by amateur turkey hunters, please visit http://www.howtohuntturkey.com

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How to Make a Traditional Puerto Rican Thanksgiving Day Dinner
By Alicia Evarista Cruz

Even though Thanksgiving was not always a traditional holiday on the island, many Puerto Rican families calling the States home began celebrating it by adding a touch of Sabor Latino. A traditional Puerto Rican Thanksgiving menu will likely consist of Pavochon, Mofongo stuffing, Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Tostones, and Tembleque or dulce de leche. I serve a green bean casserole with my meal and for an appetizer I fry up some Platanos versus the Tostones. I season mine with garlic, black pepper and salt and serve them with Mojo Criollo.

I’m usually cooking enough food to feed at least five Marines so I get a 12-15 lb turkey and call it a day. My mom always taught me to begin prepping my turkey the day before Thanksgiving so my seasonings have time to soak into that bird.

Two Days or One Day Before:

To thaw your bird slow you can stick it in the refrigerator two days before or for fast thawing submerge it in it’s wrapping (DO NOT take wrapping off) in your tub or a deep sink in cold water. Make sure the entire bird is submerged. The bigger the bird the longer it’ll take to thaw. A big turkey like the ones I cook usually take 2 days to thaw out in the refrigerator.

The Day Before:

Season your bird with Adobo, inside and out. Be generous. Your guests will appreciate it. No one wants a bland turkey. Gather your black pepper, garlic salt, oregano and paprika and rub them all over the bird. Poke holes in your bird with a fork so that the seasonings will soak into its skin. Set the bird back in the fridge.

THANKSGIVING MORNING:

I usually begin cooking my bird around 4 a.m., which only leaves me room to do other things like pull out my tree and decorations and set up other dishes. Begin by preparing your mofongo stuffing.

Mofongo Stuffing.

You’ll need:

6 large green plantanos,

1/3 C of chicken broth

4 tsp. chopped garlic

1 lb bacon chopped into small pieces and cooked. Throw away fat.

3 sweet chili peppers, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

Mix bacon, garlic, peppers, and olive oil. Mash the platanos and olive oil mixture in your pilon. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Mix mofongo and broth and if mofongo isn’t moist enough, add more broth. Stuff the bird with the mofongo and cook. and follow instructions that came with your bird.

NOW FOR THE BIRD:

Heat your oven to 375º.

Rinse your turkey well. Rinse the inside once you remove the bag from the turkey’s cavity. Be sure to pull out the bag from your turkey BEFORE you begin cooking it!!! Muy Importante!

Put the bird in a deep and sturdy aluminum or tin foiled roaster. LINE it with aluminum foil first.

Place chunks of butter on top of and all around the turkey. Place an entire stick of butter inside of the turkey’s cavity. Be generous. You’ll have a juicy turkey in the end.

Now begin stuffing your turkey with the mofongo. If you’re a newbie cook, forget the mofongo and just whip out the Stove Top Stuffing and follow directions on the box. It’s okay. We’re all beginners at one time.

Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and put it in the oven.

TURKEY SIZE & COOKING TIME:

4 to 6 pound turkey = 3 to 3 ¾ hours.

6 to 8 pound turkey = 3 ¾ to 4 ½ hours.

8 to 12 pound turkey = 4 to 5 hours.

12 pound and beyond = 5½ to 6 hours.

Always be sure to read the side of the turkey wrapping for exact cooking time. Better to be safe than undercooked. Yuck! About 45 minutes before your bird is done, remove the foil on top and continue to cook uncovered until the bird is crispy on top.

12 Lb. turkey

Lots of Adobo

Paprika

2 tsp. of Black pepper

4 cloves of garlic (mash in a pilón)

2 tsp. of oregano (Leaf)

4 sticks of Butter

To begin preparing your Arroz con Gandules:

YOU’LL NEED:

2 packs of Sazón

3 cans of Gandules

6 cups of water

4 cups of rice

2 cups chopped bacon, cooked

2 cups of Sofrito

2 Tablespoon of Goya Olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large caldero or pot.

Drain and rinse the cans of Gandules

Sauté the sofrito and chopped ham for about a minute and a half

Add rice, water, gandules and Sazón

Once it begins to boil, let it continue for about 3 minutes

Cover the pot tight and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it cook for 35 to 40 minutes.

***DO NOT use a lid with those vent holes and DO NOT lift the lid to check the rice!

When it’s done stir the rice once or twice before serving and serve HOT.

PREPARING YOUR GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE:

2 pound green beans, washed and trimmed

2 cloves garlic, cut in half

3 tablespoon chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ packet of Sazón and ham seasoning

1 tablespoon butter

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup boiling water

Slice green beans in halves. Heat oil and butter in a skillet. Add Sazón and ham seasoning then sauté both with onion and garlic until soft. Remove garlic then add green beans, salt, pepper, and boiling water. Cover and cook for 25 minutes over medium heat until tender. You can add a little more water, if needed.

MAKING FRIED PLATANOS (Amarillo’s):

I like to wait until my platanos are yellow with a few black spots. To me, they taste better…sweeter. No Puerto Rican dish (to me) is complete without rice, gandules, habichuelas and platanos! To begin preparing the platanos. Use 4 platanos to make enough to serve several people and get a bottle of mojo criolla for sauce.

Cut off about one inch from each end of the platano using a sharp knife.

Slice them down the middle then horizontal to fry them like chips except make them a little bit thicker.

Place the sliced pieces in very hot water and let soak a few minutes.

Take your knife and place it under the skin of the sliced piece and begin removing the skin. Kind of like you’re peeling the skin off of a potato. Sometimes I just use a potato peeler.

Drain them on a paper towel then sprinkle the slices with black pepper, a dash of salt or garlic then fry each slice in the mixture of olive & vegetable oil over medium heat until tender and golden brown. Turn them one time only.

And for the coupe de gras: DESSERT

We have Tembleque! This is a traditional Puerto Rican dessert for the holidays.

YOU’LL NEED:

4 cups coconut milk and ground cinnamon

½ cup of cornstarch and ½ tsp. salt

2/3 cup of sugar

A medium sauce pan, serving dish and square pan.

Dissolve cornstarch in a saucepan with 1/4 cup of the coconut milk. Once it’s dissolved add the rest of the coconut milk followed by the sugar, and salt. Cook at med-high heat and stir continuously!

As the mixture gets thick, lower heat until it boils. Immediately pour into your pan. Let it cool then cover and place in fridge for at least 2 hours. Carefully separate the tembleque from the mold using a knife. Turn it over unto a serving dish then sprinkle with the cinnamon. I serve this with café con leche or the men usually just want another beer.

VOILA! You have just made your first Puerto Rican Thanksgiving meal! Enjoy!

Now if you dare…go a step further and add Coquito to the menu. This is a Puerto Rican favorite mostly popular during Christmas and New Years. Nobody makes Coquito like my Abuela!

YOU’LL NEED:

40 ounces coconut milk

14 ounces evaporated (condensed) milk

1½ cup water

½ tsp. cinnamon

2 cup Bacardi rum

Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Taste and add more rum if you like it stronger. You need to add the water because it will get thick once you refrigerate it. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate well. Collect pint size bottles to pour Coquito in for guests to take home as a party favor.

Alicia Cruz is a native Nuyorican raised in the South Bronx. She is a published journalist and has worked for several newspapers and Emagazines throughout her career. She is currently a Senior writer for the [http://blackurbantimes.com] and resides in Eastern North Carolina. She can be reached at info@theblackurbantimes.com or misscruz@earthlink.net.

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