HN4U Blog
The Flu and Prevention
Published April 14th, 2015
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
This year, that flu “vaccine will only reduce your risk of ending up in the doctor’s office with the flu by about 23 percent. The vaccine was developed nearly a year ago in February, 2014, and it’s not an ideal match for H3N2, the strain of the virus prevalent this [...]
Build Muscle
Published April 7th, 2015
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
One of the most feared events for the elderly is a fall and the breaking of a hip, leading to a lengthy and sometimes fatal stay in a hospital. When I say fatal I don’t mean because the hospital did something wrong, however complications can occur outside of their control. [...]
Compounding Pharmacies – Your Right to Medications Under Attack Again
Published February 23rd, 2015
by Tammera J. Karr
We are not all the same – thank goodness, and for mega-pharmaceutical company’s and industrialized medicine that creates a problem solved by compounding pharmacies. The standardized dosage approach works well some of the time for some of the patients, it does not however take into account many factors that affect how [...]
News in the New Year 2015
Published February 15th, 2015
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
Yale University reported on January 5, 2015 that, The common cold virus can reproduce itself more efficiently in the cooler temperatures found inside the nose than at core body temperature, according to a new study. This finding may confirm the popular yet contested notion that people are more likely to [...]
Pro-biotics to the Rescue
Published January 12th, 2015
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
There is confusion over what is a probiotic versus an enzyme, and what are prebiotics. These are questions I answer on a regular basis and for the general consumer, the confusion often persists due to advertising language.
“The Immune System comprises all structures and processes that are involved in defeating [...]
Older than Metallurgy, and Far Better Tasting
Published January 5th, 2015
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
Bread is older than metal; even before the bronze age, our ancestors were eating and baking flat breads. There is evidence of neolithic grinding stones used to process grains; but the oldest bread yet found is a loaf discovered in Switzerland, dating from 3500 BC. Since California’s gold mining days, [...]
Tasty Fermented Foods
Published December 29th, 2014
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
On weekends when my dad was home, he always made breakfast, and most of the time it was the same thing; Pancakes made with beer instead of buttermilk or water. Now this has nothing to do with my dislike of most breakfast foods – but when you’re a kid it [...]
Christmas Eve and Traditional Meals
Published December 23rd, 2014
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
Tis the season to be jolly, and eat and eat and drink ourselves Merry. Many of us consider mountains of cheese, crackers, summer sausage, cookies, pies, bread and candy – holiday foods, along with ham, turkey, roast beef, potatoes….. but is it really traditional?
The idea of what do others [...]
The Amazing Cranberry – an all American food
Published December 20th, 2014
by Tammera J. Karr, PhD
With thanksgiving behind us it is far from the end of the preparation and enjoyment of cranberries. The bright red color and vitamin C rich tang has added a pizazz to poultry, pork and fish throughout American history.
The cranberry, along with the blueberry and Concord grape, is one of [...]
What is Food?
Published November 12th, 2014
by Tammera J. Karr, Ph.D.
Have you ever really asked the question “What is Food?” Many may already be making rude noises thinking what a silly question, everyone knows what food is. Humor me here and ask as I did this question to students, the answers may surprise you, or not.
When I ask [...]