Geoffrey Levens

Just short of 2 years using only baking soda and vinegar, sometimes just one or the other. Only real change is that it is far less expensive than "clean" shampoo and I seem to need to clean hair in this way much less often since I guess scalp is healthier. Nothing you can see or point to though. 1st couple months my head itched a lot and I got a lot of fine flake, dry skin dandruff and very greasy/oily hair. But then that cleared up and fine ever since.

What inspired me to start in the first place was that I was in Ecuador and outside of a few gringo catering shops in the few bigger cities, everything there, not just shampoo but EVERYthing is saturated w/ truly offensive petrochem "fragrance" that permeated the bathroom and adjacent room and made me feel vaguely ill. Scary to use toilet paper that smells like that!

Have not posted here for long time but saw this thread linked in Paul's latest email. I was an acupuncturist/clinical herbalist for over 25 years and an herbal user/studier for many years before that. Also have had pneumonia and I know it is a beeeeatch! I long ago came to the decision that deep, bacterial infections are best treated w/ the big guns i.e. modern antibiotics. Viral infections- there are some specific ones that have good meds for but otherwise, herbs all the way. Actually a big part of making that decision about antibiotics was my pneumonia experience.

Must admit as a "side bar" that the codeine cough medicine was quite a revelation; I can easily see how junkies get hooked Downside of course is that each dose is much less effective than the previous one. Not to mention expense and overall toll you your body. Oh well, still Mr Clean.

Elderberry has several studies behind it as an effective medicine for cold and flu virii.

Sadly, though excellent vs influenza virus, totally ineffective against colds. Can't remember off hand but one is a virus w/ a capsule, the other without, two different families of virus. Elderberry only works agains the one family but not the other.

Best you can do w/ the cultured foods is take as far away in time from the antibiotics as you can and eat lots of them. Continually putting in/replacing the good bacteria may speed healing and will definitely help prevent later back lash from the drugs.

Wish you a speedy and smooth recovery!

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I like water kefir to not have noticeable sweet taste, mostly complexly sour, more vinegary. After a few days in fridge it does not taste as good in some undefinable way, at least to me. Don't know what that means, just reporting it.

I am primarily after the live probiotic culture, the flavor secondary. But one of the things I like best about it is the simplicity and speed of brewing. For me, managing a chem experiment would take it off my list. That is a fine thing to do for those who enjoy it, just not my thing.

Just found this via links at bottom of page. Worth a look

https://permies.com/t/23515/fermentation/kefir-beer

Only potential issue is as water kefir ferments it gets more acidic. At some point the acidity stops the fermentation. Adding small amount (pinch) of baking soda can help some and allow the critters to work longer

Water kefir only takes 36-48 hours start to finish. Very robustly resistant to contamination. I made new batch every couple days (just water, brown sugar, molasses) for a couple years. Somewhat similar in flavor to kombucha but not at all identical; quite different colony of critters.

Jay, thank you for that response! Sounds like post and beam will be what I do.

Sort of bouncing sideways off original topic of thread I have been wondering about building the cob walls directly on top of the rubble trench without a stem wall; this would be in Western Rockies, up well out of any possible flood zone, with maybe a 3 foot overhang of roof all around. I was thinking if the trench was wider than the building footprint by a foot or so then any run off water would just drop down into that and not impact the walls at all. Is this just a nutso idea? I don't really mind if some sort of stem wall is needed, just trying to minimize the labor ( no carrying big rocks around to build the wall)

Yes, good add-on. I am planning a cob build in near future and had planned on using outer walls (likely the only walls) as the roof support. Alternative would be post and beam to hold roof (built first) and then infill w/ cob.

Jay C. White Cloud wrote:Hi Kris,

As a professional in traditional/natural building, I must in good faith warn against structural cobb...especially in any area the is subjected to tectonic events.

Jay, does this mean you would not build roof attached to/supported by cob walls??? Only use cob as infill to post and beam structure or some such