Garrison Keillor writes about his stroke; magazine offers kitchen remedies

Recovery

Garrison Keillor's stroke of genius Men's Health, December issue

Despite a minor stroke in September 2009, "Prairie Home Companion" host Garrison Keillor would like everyone to know that he's "not staggering around with one arm hanging limp, or glassy-eyed or slurring my speech, flecks of spittle on my lips." In a long, witty, slightly off-color and occasionally profound essay, Keillor, 68, recounts what happened after a blood clot traveled from his heart to his brain, "landing in what neurologists call a 'silent area' - think of it as the Wyoming of the brain." He ponders God, his daughter, all of the women he's been with, and he longs for strong painkillers, "the ones that make you feel like a warm muffin."

kitchen concoctions

Recipes for fighting colds and flu Whole Living, December issue

Do you rush to the drugstore at the first sign of cold or flu? There might be more natural - and cheaper - remedies available in your kitchen. Whole Living magazine's "Winter Wellness" guide offers recipes to fend off common winter ailments including low energy, depression and the flu. For a cold, Whole Living recommends creating a Vitamin C-loaded citrus salad with cashews and mint and brewing some green tea with lemon and pomegranate. For a hangover, try a restorative breakfast of oatmeal, walnuts and blueberries. It's worth a shot: The worst-case scenario is a home-cooked meal.

- Rachel Saslow