Stomach Flu

It works! 

So, I started to come down with THE stomach flu on Tues evening (today is Thursday) and my natural healing instincts kicked into gear. I ate no dinner and instead made a quart of red raspberry leaf tea with a some peppermint leaves thrown in for flavor and stomach soothing action (it's a nervine) and drank it. Over the course of the next 36 hours I drank a gallon or more of this raspberry leaf tea and ate a little alkalizing, whole food and I feel almost completely healed.  (Remember, with a virus no potatoes, tomatoes or bell peppers.) I feel the bug has been flushed out in a miraculous way. I dodged a bullet! ! Of course, I also took a couple yarrow capsules with my hot tea that first night to open my pores and encourage perspiration, and cayenne and had a nice hot sweat bath to dump the toxins. That night before bed I took a couple Dr. Christopher's Lower Bowel caps to further cleanse and nourish the system. And I took plenty of XPAC throughout the next day.

Did I say I am grateful to be healed?

Red raspberry leaf tea is not only good for strengthening and toning the female organs, it is very cleansing and nourishing to the lining of the stomach, which is why it also helps with pregnancy nausea. And it's mildly laxative. In addition, it is packed with essential minerals and vitamins, so while you're not eating much, you get all the nutrients you need. 

Thirty six hours later, I ran five miles today and I feel great! 

Go, red raspberry leaf tea!!  

Cool Clear Water

Many of us overlook the important role that pure water plays in our general health and well being. Not only are our bodies mostly water, but water is required to carry out most of our body functions. Dehydration not only makes us feel thirsty, it puts our bodies in a compromised condition.

Following are a few facts I have learned about hydration:

66% of dehydration comes from inside the cells.

The brain is the most hydrated organ of the body - 85%.   Dehydration reduces brain function.  

Dehydration causes sugar cravings.  (People tend to overeat instead of drink.)

Hydration and exercise help break down and burn fat more efficiently.

Water is required for digestion.  If not available - water is pulled from the body.  Without proper hydration we can experience indigestion, heartburn, etc.  Salt aids in digestion -  it helps retain more water and helps form hydrochloric acid to aid digestion.

All elimination channels require water.  (bowels, kidneys, upper respiratory, skin)

Dehydrated herbs (the capsules we all take) require water to work properly.  (Taking herbs in tea is better.)  8 oz water required for 3-4 capsules of herbs.  (Same with tinctures!)  

Taking too many herbs or supplements w/out water will actually make a person “sicker”.  

The action of herbs is to move fluids in the body. Can't do it without water.      

A lot of moisture is lost through the lungs - talking and exercising.  

Water shortage constricts the lungs.

Pain can be a sign of lack of oxygen to tissues and/or dehydration.

Adequate water intake can optimize nutrient and waste exchange from the cells - reducing pain.

Dehydration reduces spinal cushioning - can cause back pain.

Many types of headaches are caused by lack of water

Joint pain can be eased with hydration.

Take water for frazzled nerves: reduces anxiety, helps sleep, helps with concentration and remembering, reduces irritability.

Dehydration can cause DNA damage and ultimately can lead to cancer.  

Dehydration is involved in kidney stones, skin problems, etc

Water helps regulate body temperature - cold or hot.

So, what kind of water should we drink?

Tap water - no

Carbonated water - no

Filtered water - sure, if you are in good health. It can help provide essential minerals.

Reverse osmosis water - better for any unhealthy condition because it can carry out more of the waste and unwanted mineral deposits from the body tissues. 

Distilled water - best for cleansing. Distilled water, along with reverse osmosis water is considered "hungry" water because it is "empty". Distilled water attracts and carries waste material, dead cells and excess minerals out of the body. It is best to drink when you are on a cleanse, have a cold or virus, or are experiencing mineral deposits that can cause joint pain. Many people have gotten rid of their arthritis by drinking lots of distilled water alone.

Feeling thirsty? Go get a drink!!

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.

Three Day Juice Cleanse

Here's a good way to rid the system of built-up toxins and waste materials.  Cleanses have become so popular these days!  This one is from Dr. Christopher, whose natural healing course I am taking.  It's simple and seems effective. 

Start off each morning with 16 oz. of prune juice, which draws toxins from the tissues and organs (and eliminates them quite well too!) 

Through the course of the three days drink only one kind of fruit juice.  Apple is the best.  (Don't use frozen.)  Carrot and grape are good too.  Swish and "chew" each swallow slowly.  Through the course of each day you should take in about one gallon.  (Does this sound ridiculous?)  Sipping on purified water through the day is okay. 

Three times a day, take 1-2 Tbs. olive oil.   

You will definitely feel the toxins coming out of your lymph system!  This is a good thing.  Give it a try!!  Dr Christopher recommends doing this once a month.  A couple times a year is good enough for me.  :)  

Nancy