Garlic!

If your cold or flu turns into a secondary infection then garlic will be your best friend.  Based on experience with our family, this usually means bronchitis for big people and ear infections for the little ones.  In this case, I have had great results in using one of nature's most powerful antibacterial weapons, garlic!

For the upper respiratory infections, I take raw garlic just like a pill.  Just peal it and cut a piece the size of the last joint of your little finger (this is very scientific), for me this is about 3/4" long and 1/2 " wide, and take it with water.  You can cut it in half or thirds if this makes it easier to swallow.  There is no need to chew it up, though you could if you would like to smell strongly of garlic for the next several days.  In fact, that is how you know that your body needs, and is using the garlic.  There will be no apparent garlic smell through the skin until the job is done.  When you feel like you're permeated with garlic and are starting to stink, it's time to stop.   This is a very safe and effective remedy.  I take it 4 times a day as needed.  When the discharge begins to run clear (instead of yellow or green) you'll also know it's done the job.

For ear infections, you can use the garlic oil, which can be made easily at home.  Just infuse the oil with raw garlic and add a little lobelia, a great muscle relaxant.  Warming the oil before putting it into the ear will make it more soothing.  You can put a cotton ball and tape over the ear to hold the garlic oil in over night.

My good friend, and master herbalist, Tisha Mecham, considers garlic a wonderful herb that everybody should learn to use.  She writes, "Garlic has been nicknamed the Russian antibiotic; it is anti-bacterial.  Garlic is effective against yeast, bacteria, cancer and virus.  It rids the system of parasites when used raw.  Clears the skin and dissolves tumors.  Very good for the heart, circulation, liver, lungs, ears, nose, throat and bronchi."

We use it regularly at our house for many of the purposes listed above, including yeast overgrowth and it works very well for us!

And remember, a couple cloves minced garlic in a spoon of honey with 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne will cure strep throat. Let it trickle down your throat. Take at least four times a day as needed.

So glad I know about the mighty garlic!!

Cold and Flu Season

As per a few requests, I am sharing some suggestions that work for me in getting over colds more easily.

First, an illustration:

     In simplistic terms our body can be likened to a wood stove.  Like a stove, we take in fuel and air and burn them to create heat and energy.  Naturally, the better quality of fuel and air we receive, the hotter and cleaner our stove will burn with a minimum of waste.  When the fuel we take in is inferior, like eating lots of junk food, the fire will burn poorly and our bodies will get clogged with waste.  This will result in a lack of energy to properly run the body's many functions and we will eventually end up getting sick.  (In addition to eating clean foods to prevent toxic build-up, fasting is a good natural way to help clear out the toxins.)   

The theory is that the symptoms of many diseases are the results of the body's efforts to remove the waste material from the system.  There are four "chimneys" through which this waste can be eliminated - the digestive tract, the urinary system, the skin and the respiratory passages.  When the body tries to use the digestive tract we can experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.  When the body uses the skin we experience body odor, rashes, pimples and pox.  If the respiratory passages are used we experience runny noses, coughs, earaches, sore throats and so on.  Using the kidneys results in kidney and bladder irritations and infections.  Fevers are seen as the body's efforts to "burn  up" waste material to be eliminated more easily.   

So, "the cold is the cure", as stated by Dr. Steven Horne, in that through this process of elimination, which unfortunately results in symptoms we don't like, our bodies are getting rid of the waste or toxins that are creating this condition.  "Germs" actually feed on toxins, and by eliminating these toxins, the germs will no longer be able survive.  Naturally then, by helping the body to do it's job of getting rid of, or flushing out these toxins, we will get well faster.  And conversely, trying to block this process (such as using anti-histamines to stop the nose from running) we will delay getting well.  Our bodies know just what to do to rid themselves of these toxins but the process can be slow.  By using herbs, pure water and other natural means we can help the body to accomplish this task more quickly.  

SO, with these basic principles in mind, following are a few tips that work well for me:

     At the first hint of a cold coming on take warming herbs to heat up the depressed body.  (Xpac helps with this too.) For me two capsules of cayenne and a tall drink of water work well.  Some people take this as often as every hour with no other food and this alone can help you get better in just a few hours.  Children should take milder warming herbs like ginger, cinnamon or peppermint.  It should be noted that it's good to give the digestive system a rest during this process. The more simple the foods we eat the better; like clear broth soups, juices and teas.

Along with warming herbs, I also take yarrow (hot tea or capsules with hot water) to relax and open the pores of the skin so that the toxins can "dump" more easily.  (Yarrow is also mildly anti-viral and anti-bacterial, as well as helping to stop bleeding.)  To enhance the effects of the yarrow (peppermint works too) take a hot bath or shower and wrap up to keep warm to speed the process.  Remember to drink a lot during this process.

It is also important for children and adults to clear the bowels quickly as toxins can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream.  (Is this too much information? :) We use Dr. Christopher's Lower Bowel formula.

If the symptoms are upper respiratory, sinus rinses are also useful.  We use Neil Med sinus irrigators from Costco.  Rinsing your sinuses is also a good preventive measure if you are around others who are sick as it may stop an infection before it even begins.  I like to add a pinch of goldenseal root powder to the rinse as it also is antibacterial and antiviral. (And speaking of preventative measures, echinacea should not be taken at the same time as vitamin C  as it will render it less effective.)  Sinus rinses are also useful for calming sore throats as the irritation is often caused by toxins dripping down from the sinuses.  Another good remedy for sore throats is cayenne stirred into a spoonful of raw honey.  (See my post about honey.)

In addition to these simple steps we take, here are a few other herbal tips for fighting colds:

     For early cold symptoms consider using lemons, elderberry, vitamin C, wild cherry.

     For old cold symptoms more useful are garlic, horsetail, thyme and rosemary.

     For a yellowish tongue, bitter herbs like horehound and goldenseal.

I hope these suggestions are helpful.  Feel free to share other ideas you have or contact me with questions.