Allergies

I read in a Reuters story today that a Mediterranean-style diet can help reduce allergies.

Well, bring on the grapes, olive oil and tomatoes.

While that may be (OK, it is) an oversimplification, it still has a grain of truth to it.

The article cited a study where Greek children don't suffer as much from wheezing and allergy symptoms. Researchers found that children who ate the most fresh fruits and nuts were the least likely to suffer from breathing allergies, and those who ate the most margarine were the most likely to.

That certainly makes sense to me. Eat healthy fresh foods and you'll have fewer allergies. That's certainly news I can stomach, especially with allergy season in full swing.

Does anyone else have any allergy-reducing tips? I'm definitely game to try a few home remedies. Post your suggestions in the comments section.

Pet food recall

As news of the massive pet food recall keeps surfacing and the recall itself continues to expand, I've started thinking more about the sheer number of people who will ultimately either lose pets or who will have to take care of an ailing pet because of the contaminated food.

I listened to part of a radio broadcast a few days ago on 107.9 (The Link's Cooper Lawrence show) where a vet was saying to take pets to the vet immediately if they had eaten any of the contaminated food. He was suggesting taking animals to emergency veterinary hospitals right away. Here's a link to the show.

It seems to me that a lot of the brands affected are either the super low-end foods or the high-end foods, but that's just my impression of the thing.

I also heard on the news tonight that cans of Alpo have been recalled.

That's where I get a little touchy. I give Gracie and Lulu one can each every Friday night for dinner. I figure it's the canine equivalent of my night out at Doc's or Joe's in uptown Shelby. While it may not be particularly healthy, it tastes great (at least that's how the dogs act).

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to check my cans because the girls and I are out of town this weekend, but it's first on my list of things to do.

I don't want to risk either of my dogs' health, so I'm going to call the vet immediately if I have fed some of the contaminated food to my dogs.

If you're like me, you've probably heard a lot of rumors, but don't know where to look for good information. Here's a site that seems to have its act together.

I'd also recommend going to your pet food manufacturer's Web site, the FDA's site and Menu Foods' site.

If you get overwhelmed or stumped, let me know and I'll try to get you some good information about it.

I'm still left with a lot of questions, though.

I wonder how people first figured out that the foods were making animals sick. Could this thing also extend to farm animals like pigs, chickens, cows and horses? If so, the contamination theoretically could ultimately make it into the human food supply. I don't even want to imagine the consequences of that. I'm also a little curious to see what will happen to the originating companies. Will any of them go out of business? How would that affect our economy, considering the pet industry is growing rapidly? I'm also a little curious about how Menu Foods' public relations and customer service departments are handling it all. Lastly, I wonder how long it will be before litigation begins. I have a strong feeling that it will be soon.

I guess only time (and maybe a few good vets, doctors and economists) will tell.

Doggie heimlich

I cruised around The Star's Web site for a while this afternoon and came across an AP national video about a dog that saved its owner's life in Maryland.

Toby, a 2-year-old golden retriever, knocked his owner down and jumped up and down on her chest to dislodge a piece of apple that was obstructing her airway.

The dog that she saved from a Dumpster ended up saving her life.

How cool is that?

Here's how you can watch it:
1. Go to shelbystar.com and click on national videos.
2. Go to http://www.ap.org/ovn/, scroll down and do a video search for Heimlich.

Road trips

I took a vacation day this week. Instead of spending my time vegged out on the sofa, I took a road trip to Raleigh and beyond.

The best parts:

• Plugging in my iPod in the car, turning it up and rolling the windows down
• Wearing big sunglasses
• Not being in a rush
• Going pottery shopping in Seagrove
• Passing through a town called Olivia on my sister, Olivia's 15th birthday

The worst parts:

• Getting lost somewhere near Asheboro
• Having dead camera batteries and not being able to send the birthday sister a picture of her town

Overall, though, it was a great trip and gave me lots of time to think about things and relax.

Have you taken a great (or not-so-great) roadtrip? If so, please share it in the comments section.

Statement of Purpose

Around The Star, there are a few things I'm known for: my cooking, talking about my dogs and being "the card lady." My parents see me as the daughter with the quick wit and sharp sense of sarcasm. To my sisters, I'm going to be the perpetually single, kid-hating older sibling. My friends know me as someone who is intensely loyal and someone who will always listen. I see myself as someone with a purpose.

But how do readers of The Star see me? Well, they probably don't.

That's one of the reasons for this blog. If all goes according to plan, each post should give you a glimpse of me.

I hope you like what you see.