Prison Stew follows a principle of "let your food be your medicine." This can be a useful principle to follow for helping all kinds of distressed populations, from homeless Americans to people in need of aid in war-torn places like Aleppo and Gaza.
The following are ideas for applying this idea to cold prep ramen, which is what Prison Stew is intended to be.
Onions are lung support and moderately antimicrobial.
Celery goes well in soup and is very alkaline, like lettuce. I've been getting onions with celery and adding snow peas for a little protein.
Cheese would be fine for protein and is bone marrow support for people who tolerate it. Maybe offer an alternative protein for those who are lactose intolerant.
Hot peppers cover "everything." They are antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal.
Cheese and beans both have selenium. Both Jews and Muslims eschew pork, which is high in selenium, so both those populations are likely prone to being selenium deficient and if you are serving them, you may need to try to get their selenium levels up.
In contrast, Black Americans tend to eat a lot of pork and tend to have high blood pressure, probably because selenium raises blood pressure. So you may want to limit selenium for diets aimed at Black Americans.
Zinc deficiency was common in the Middle East before covid because unleavened bread makes zinc less bioavailable. Any population that has had Covid is likely zinc deficient.
Yeast leavened whole wheat bread can help if the people will eat it and it's adequately fresh but you can also look up other zinc-rich foods and pick ones appropriate to your situation.
Also, some people can't have cow cheese but do fine with goat or sheep. Options include: Romano instead of parmesan and the salty Greek cheese called feta.
Cheese is a source of good quality salt. Salt plays an important role in immune function and especially in hot weather people may need extra salt.
I don't do well with seafood, but there are dried seafood options available online which may be appropriate as well. I just don't have firsthand experience with it.
A cup of ramen, a baggie of veggies and a choice of protein would be fine dining for folks in distressed situations.
Beef jerky, canned tuna, cheese, snow peas and chickpeas are some potential protein options.
I'm not a big fan of canned goods, but canned chicken peas would probably be good in soup and if someone is, say, vegetarian and lactose intolerant, it may be the best option available.
Spices are generally medicinal, so skew towards extra spices -- garlic, onions, hot peppers, salt and pepper, etc. -- to try to fight off infection for populations in distressed situations. B vitamins and healthy fats are critical to the ability of the body to produce white blood cells.
Odds are good they were already sick and you have provided their immune system with the tools it needs to combat existing infection. If possible, provide teas, which are medicinal, and encourage people to stay hydrated as a primary means to keep fever below 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
And make sure they get enough zinc and salt.
The following are ideas for applying this idea to cold prep ramen, which is what Prison Stew is intended to be.
Onions are lung support and moderately antimicrobial.
Celery goes well in soup and is very alkaline, like lettuce. I've been getting onions with celery and adding snow peas for a little protein.
Cheese would be fine for protein and is bone marrow support for people who tolerate it. Maybe offer an alternative protein for those who are lactose intolerant.
Hot peppers cover "everything." They are antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal.
Cheese and beans both have selenium. Both Jews and Muslims eschew pork, which is high in selenium, so both those populations are likely prone to being selenium deficient and if you are serving them, you may need to try to get their selenium levels up.
In contrast, Black Americans tend to eat a lot of pork and tend to have high blood pressure, probably because selenium raises blood pressure. So you may want to limit selenium for diets aimed at Black Americans.
Zinc deficiency was common in the Middle East before covid because unleavened bread makes zinc less bioavailable. Any population that has had Covid is likely zinc deficient.
Yeast leavened whole wheat bread can help if the people will eat it and it's adequately fresh but you can also look up other zinc-rich foods and pick ones appropriate to your situation.
Also, some people can't have cow cheese but do fine with goat or sheep. Options include: Romano instead of parmesan and the salty Greek cheese called feta.
Cheese is a source of good quality salt. Salt plays an important role in immune function and especially in hot weather people may need extra salt.
I don't do well with seafood, but there are dried seafood options available online which may be appropriate as well. I just don't have firsthand experience with it.
A cup of ramen, a baggie of veggies and a choice of protein would be fine dining for folks in distressed situations.
Beef jerky, canned tuna, cheese, snow peas and chickpeas are some potential protein options.
I'm not a big fan of canned goods, but canned chicken peas would probably be good in soup and if someone is, say, vegetarian and lactose intolerant, it may be the best option available.
Spices are generally medicinal, so skew towards extra spices -- garlic, onions, hot peppers, salt and pepper, etc. -- to try to fight off infection for populations in distressed situations. B vitamins and healthy fats are critical to the ability of the body to produce white blood cells.
- Sources of B vitamines include: mushrooms, meat, seafood (including seaweed).
- Sources of healthy fats include: clarified butter, cheese, quality meats, and bacon (for those willing to eat pork).
Odds are good they were already sick and you have provided their immune system with the tools it needs to combat existing infection. If possible, provide teas, which are medicinal, and encourage people to stay hydrated as a primary means to keep fever below 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
And make sure they get enough zinc and salt.