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leelai

leelai

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Well here's my onion email.

It's certainly interesting and food for thought and maybe even a little experimentation if you should happen to have a cold.



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ONIONS! I had never heard this!!!


In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu... Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser. She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion wo uld be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough it happened just like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

This is the other note. Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

Ed, who was our tour guide, is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made mayo is completely safe.

"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the summer picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table, and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that, when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!). Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.
 

J. A.

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Curious as I am, I wanted to know if there's some truth about this, after I read your post. This is what I found:


It's not the onions; it's how you handle them

According to science writer Joe Schwarcz, onions are in no sense a "magnet for bacteria." In fact, Schwarcz writes, cut onions contain enzymes that produce sulphuric acid, which inhibits the growth of germs. Onions can become contaminated during handling, but there's nothing about them that makes them intrinsically more susceptible to bacterial growth or spoilage than any other raw vegetable.

"So unless you have sliced your onions on a contaminated cutting board, or handled them with dirty hands," Schwarcz explains, "you can safely put them in a plastic bag and store them and there will not be any bacterial contamination."

Food folklore: Onions 'attract' or 'collect' infectious bacteria

The notion that onions are a "bacteria magnet" may stem from an old wives' tale dating at least as far back as the 1500s, when it was believed that distributing raw onions around a residence guarded against the bubonic plague and other diseases by "absorbing the elements of infection."
Though it has no scientific basis whatsoever, some people still believe this today.
(Urbanlegends)


There are sometimes emails circulating, telling "facts", that are not always true, or not completely true. A few weeks ago, I received an email with a wonderful poem. As an explanation to the poem I could read, that it was from a young woman who has cancer and will die soon. What I found out was that the poem (Slow Down) was from Dr. David L. Weatherford. I still think it's a beautiful poem, but the explanation in the email was a lie.


What I also found was a National Onion Association with their own website. They deal with that myth as well. :)
 
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leelai

leelai

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Curious as I am, I wanted to know if there's some truth about this, after I read your post. This is what I found: It's not the onions; it's how you handle them According to science writer Joe Schwarcz, onions are in no sense a "magnet for bacteria." In fact, Schwarcz writes, cut onions contain enzymes that produce sulphuric acid, which inhibits the growth of germs. Onions can become contaminated during handling, but there's nothing about them that makes them intrinsically more susceptible to bacterial growth or spoilage than any other raw vegetable. "So unless you have sliced your onions on a contaminated cutting board, or handled them with dirty hands," Schwarcz explains, "you can safely put them in a plastic bag and store them and there will not be any bacterial contamination." Food folklore: Onions 'attract' or 'collect' infectious bacteria The notion that onions are a "bacteria magnet" may stem from an old wives' tale dating at least as far back as the 1500s, when it was believed that distributing raw onions around a residence guarded against the bubonic plague and other diseases by "absorbing the elements of infection." Though it has no scientific basis whatsoever, some people still believe this today. (Urbanlegends) There are sometimes emails circulating, telling "facts", that are not always true, or not completely true. A few weeks ago, I received an email with a wonderful poem. As an explanation to the poem I could read, that it was from a young woman who has cancer and will die soon. What I found out was that the poem (Slow Down) was from Dr. David L. Weatherford. I still think it's a beautiful poem, but the explanation in the email was a lie. What I also found was a National Onion Association with their own website. They deal with that myth as well. :)


Well that certainly does make for some interesting reading! ;)

I've often thought some of these types of emails may have stemmed from urban legends and some may just be made up by some imaginative folk who only want to build a marketing list.

I always take them with a grain of salt and don't put too much stock in them regardless.

But having said that. I have one on egg whites also and then there's a lemon one too. ;)
 

J. A.

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Well that certainly does make for some interesting reading! ;) I've often thought some of these types of emails may have stemmed from urban legends and some may just be made up by some imaginative folk who only want to build a marketing list. I always take them with a grain of salt and don't put too much stock in them regardless. But having said that. I have one on egg whites also and then there's a lemon one too. ;)
Sounds interesting. :) Do you intend to post them?
 
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leelai

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These are some wonderful Wall makeovers! I know many walls which would benefit from something like this.....I bet you all do too!!

Enjoy!



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scifan57

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Great photos, Leelai! There are a few buildings like this where I live. If I get the chance I'll get some photos and post them.
 
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leelai

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Great photos, Leelai! There are a few buildings like this where I live. If I get the chance I'll get some photos and post them.

I'm glad you like them and I look forward to seeing yours Sci..........

I think it's such a great idea to use art in this way....makes something dull, alive and wonderous! ;)
 
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leelai

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Oh my, how beautiful are they and so different.

I have the plant in the third photo.....called a ponytail here.....it only has 3 or 4 branches at this point but if it gets that big I'm going to have a problem! :O

Gorgeous flowers JA!
 

skimonkey

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Oh those are lovely flowers...I so missed my flower garden now after seeing your pics! Just stunning.

Leelai-that tree/bush does look huge. Hope yours doesn't get that large!
 
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leelai

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Oh those are lovely flowers...I so missed my flower garden now after seeing your pics! Just stunning. Leelai-that tree/bush does look huge. Hope yours doesn't get that large!

So do I! Mines quite close to my house......it's the base you have to worry about with these plants as they get huge. They will bust any pot you put them in also!

Here's mine.....not flowering though and nowhere near as big! Would just hate to have to dig it out though, hubby will just want to kill it :O



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