Natural remedies for the flu and boosting immunity

placidfox55 said:A huge chunk of the developing world still prides itself on having a healthy lifestyle. In reality, it’s actually the opposite. Developing nations—specifically places like India and Pakistan—are seeing a massive spike in Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Basically, obesity is skyrocketing there because people are adopting what they think is a glamorous Western lifestyle—meaning less movement and way more ultra-processed food.

Meanwhile, countries in Western Europe and North America, which are more aware of these issues, are actually managing to lower their cardiovascular death rates.

That's true.
My husband grew up in a rural village in Africa eating strictly natural stuff—no chemicals, wild fruit, meat from free-range chickens and forest animals, and farm produce grown with natural compost. He has perfect teeth and a muscular build that I’d probably have to hit the gym every single day just to attempt.
But back then, he actually thought processed canned goods—the kind Americans eat—were "real" good food. He always wanted that processed stuff instead of what he was actually eating.

And yeah, this American diet has definitely messed him up (and me, too); he ended up with migraines and IBS.

For instance, if he eats anything with MSG, he gets a migraine. Coffee, alcohol, sugar, canned food... it all triggers him.

Looks like we’ve drifted a bit off course—it seems like things have gotten pretty wild in here lately 😢

Personally, I prefer a certain rhythm: a round of junk food, a round of healthy stuff, a round of junk food, a round of healthy stuff, a round of junk food, a round of healthy stuff 😁 just keeping the balance until my time comes

For example, yesterday was all about McDonald's, but today I'm sticking to trout and veggies 👍

Linda Hernandez15 said:I live by this rhythm: a round of junk food, a round of healthy stuff, a round of junk, a round of healthy, a round of junk, a round of healthy 😁 until I kick the bucket.

Case in point: I hit up McDonald's yesterday, then had trout and veggies today. 👍

As if that's supposed to convince us you're some perfectly balanced human being!! 😂

oh please, I’m just playing dumb 😉

Linda Hernandez15 said:The topic drifted a bit, and I see things have gotten pretty wild in here.😢

I prefer this rhythm: a round of junk food, then healthy stuff, then more junk, then healthy, then junk, then healthy 😁 until the day I die.

For instance, I had McDonald's yesterday, and today it's trout with veggies.👍

I used to eat at McDonald's and places like that when I first moved to North America, but I stopped.
I mean, the food doesn't taste terrible, but it's made from the absolute worst scraps and they just fry everything in the same old grease over and over.
Haven't you noticed that smell of rancid oil hanging around every McDonald's?🙂

Sandra Hayes88 said:Haven't you noticed that smell—that stench of old, rancid grease—drifting from every single McDonald's?🙂

Oh, I’ve definitely noticed—but luckily my system is still young enough to process those toxins without immediate regret. Once I hit my golden years, though, I'm strictly switching over to trout and veggies.👍

Since we’re already talking about kids and diabetes in the US, let me give you a rundown of what they eat here from breakfast to dinner:

breakfast:
pancakes with syrup. Thick ones.

-or French toast covered in syrup and powdered sugar.

-or cereal with milk, though the main ingredient is basically just sugar.

-or toast with Nutella (but the sliced bread from a bag that lists 150 ingredients, most of which sound like chemical formulas).

lunch:
-sandwiches with mayo and cheese (not real cheese, mind you, just processed stuff).

-or canned soup.

-or Kraft Mac & Cheese (boxed macaroni where you just add milk to some powder).

-washed down with a fruit drink that isn't actually juice—just water, sugar, and artificial flavors.

-plus a granola bar with dried fruit, which is really just a candy bar with a few raisins in it.

At school, they have frozen pizza or burgers twice a week, and they drink soda from a vending machine.

-fruit? They don't eat it. They just bring it back home.

In the afternoon, it's cookies and similar junk until dinner.

For dinner, they might have a regular meal with salad, and honestly, that’s often their only "greenery" for the entire day.
😲 👎

Sandra Hayes88, seriously 😢

I mean, you can't actually survive on that stuff 😲

So, what does your family even look like? 😲

Linda Hernandez15 said:Yeah, I am, but my body is still young enough to handle that kind of junk. Once I get older, maybe I'll just stick to trout and veggies.👍

Look, you can always just make your own burgers and fries at home. At least then you actually know what went into them and what kind of oil you used. You wouldn't even have to switch to the whole trout and veggie thing if you wanted.👍

Oh, sure, I definitely make them at home too—but sometimes I’m stuck downtown all day for work, and honestly? It’s just way easier to grab something from McDonald's when it's right on my way back home.

Linda Hernandez15 said:Sandra Hayes88, you're kidding, right?😢

It’s basically impossible to survive on that kind of diet.😲

I mean, what do their moms even look like?😲

Parents are usually working from dawn till dusk, so this kind of eating becomes their "normal," and honestly, most kids just follow suit.

When I worked as a nanny—I've been with four different families, including one that was local, though even they couldn't get their kids to eat anything healthy—the kids were already so set in their ways. You can't really change them; they're pretty spoiled, too. Plus, parents just hit up Costco once a month and load up on mountains of processed junk and maybe, I don't know, one single bag of oranges.

There are theories that this kind of diet is linked to ADHD in kids, and I guess that might actually be true.
And diabetes isn't far behind.

If you get a chance, check out Jamie Oliver's school dinner and everything will make sense.
Jamie Oliver, the famous chef, runs this show where he tries to push for healthy meals in schools.
I watched that program on TV, and honestly, it seems like kids in the UK eat just as poorly as they do in the US—maybe even worse.

In school (which is their main meal), they’re basically served nothing but processed junk straight from the freezer, just reheated. The school nurse Jamie interviewed mentioned that she has kids coming to her who can't even go to the bathroom; they're so backed up that they end up throwing up food that has partially turned into waste already. They're literally vomiting poop.🙂

Tony Blair personally promised to support Jamie's campaign.

What do you guys think about this?

Man, where is this world even heading?

🙂

Linda Hernandez15 said:Thoughts on this?

God, where is this world even headed?

🙂

Look, I guess the most critical thing is just getting more people aware of these issues—especially parents.
Parents really ought to be better informed.

But honestly, it’s pretty obvious they aren't actually doing it. I mean, look at how many people live in Canada—everyone has kids now, or will eventually, which basically means entire generations are growing up on this junk. It's ridiculous.

And what are they even feeding babies? Mashed carrots and squash from some homemade soup—or are they just handing them a can of mushy processed stuff?

Linda Hernandez15 said:Sandra Hayes88, you've gotta be kidding me😢

you can't survive on that stuff😲

so what does your family actually eat?😲

Nah. 😢

It’s the honest truth. 😢

The worst part is that people struggling most financially don't even get the chance to learn about—or taste—actual healthy, delicious food.

They just grab everything from one spot—Walmart—a store packed with cheap, processed junk straight from freezers and cardboard boxes.

When you try to bring up the fact that kids should be drinking water instead, they hit you with, "Oh, I always give my little one apple juice" (as if that's supposed to convince you they're feeding him fruit or anything healthy).

But how much juice is a kid actually drinking in a day? Probably 4 to 6 glasses. That's roughly 480-600 calories right there. Then we act surprised when kids are overweight.

Sandra Hayes88 said:Look, you could always just whip up some burgers and fries at home. At least then you actually know what’s inside them. Just fry them in fresh oil and call it a day—you wouldn't even have to worry about the trout or veggies.👍

Sure, if you've got an hour to kill on prep work. Most Americans just grab a frozen stack of 12 to 20 patties, toss them in a pan, and move on. Same goes for the potatoes—they buy those pre-cut, par-cooked frozen wedges soaked in hydrogenated oils so they stay crispy. Throw them in the oven and they're done in ten minutes. No peeling, no slicing, no mess left over. Dinner is served in 15 minutes flat.

Hardly anyone thinks to actually peel a real potato for mash or roasting these days.

Not to mention all the ways those hydrogenated oils absolutely wreck your body...

placidfox55 said:The absolute worst part is that the people struggling the most don't even get the chance to learn how to make—or actually enjoy—real, nutritious food.

Honestly, I find it way cheaper to just hit up a local farmers market for some kale, carrots, or chard rather than grabbing those pre-packaged meals at the grocery store. It makes zero sense!

In Canada, you can grab a cheap takeout box of junk food for less than what a single bunch of kale costs. 😢

Linda Hernandez15 said:man, where is this world even headed

Where's it going?

Straight toward whatever saves a buck or a few minutes.

Unfortunately, that's usually the losing move in the long run.

Linda Hernandez15 said:but it’s obvious they aren’t doing that. I mean, look at how many people live in Canada—everyone there already has kids, or will soon, which means generations have been growing up on this junk. It's a nightmare.

That’s the catch. Here in America, we still have those memories of grandmothers cooking traditional, healthy meals. With the right info, it’s easy to pivot back to those old recipes.

But now, we’ve got a third generation growing up fueled by industrial sludge. For them, "food" is artificial white bread smeared with what they call peanut butter—which is really just a cocktail of chemicals, since actual, nutritious peanut butter is surprisingly hard to find—or that powdered cheese disaster you just toss into pasta for a quick mac and cheese.

While I remember spinach or kale reminding me of afternoons when my mom would get home early from work and we'd eat together, they associate their moms with those processed meals.

Food is deeply tied to social experiences and childhood nostalgia. Once bad habits are baked in, they are incredibly hard to shake, no matter how much data you throw at them.

Especially in a country where government guidance is viewed through a "Big Brother" lens, and information from private corporations is driven strictly by the bottom line.

So where is anyone supposed to learn about nutrition? On some niche public station like PBS, or in schools where the curriculum gets watered down every year because the prevailing democratic consensus thinks kids shouldn't be burdened with complex information???????