Here are some of my tried, and tried again, prevention tips and
remedies for those nasty little bugs called "cold" and
"flu".
[PREVENTION]
You have probably heard it a million times yet it is still worth
repeating: wash your hands...A LOT. Use your elbow to cough and
sneeze into, don't touch your face [not your eyes, not your nose, not your
mouth] until after you have washed your hands and even then, only if necessary.
Avoid using anti-bacterial soaps and lotions. They may seem like a
good idea but ultimately the bad bacteria will mutate and become immune to the
chemicals designed to kill them. This will lead to bigger, badder forms of
bacteria and render our bodies unprepared to fight them off. That being said, in school season I keep a pump bottle of this hanging on our door and have my kids squeeze a bit on their hands whenever they enter the house.
Get enough sleep. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.
Sleep, sleep, sleep. There is a reason the days are shorter and nights are
longer during cold season. Or maybe it's cold season because we are not paying
attention to our body's need for additional sleep during the winter months.
Either way, get enough sleep [at least 8 hours a night].
Eat organic, local, whole foods and avoid ones that are processed,
packaged, contain sugar / preservatives / artificial colors / chemicals, limit
alcohol, don't smoke, you know the drill. Skip fast food and make some soup.
Learn to love beans. Eat leafy greens and then eat some more. Onions and garlic are your
friends - use them often.
Eat raw garlic daily. If you are brave, just chomp on a clove and
chase with some water or [my preferred garlic chaser] kombucha or honey. If you
can't stand the stuff, finely chop a raw clove or two and add to your food just
before eating. Raw is important here. Note: make sure your child is at
least 1 - 2 years old prior to giving them honey.
Eat raw honey. Both honey and garlic have anti-bacterial and
anti-fungal properties. Having a teaspoon to a tablespoon a day [rough, right?]
can go a long way in illness prevention. Note:
make sure your child is at least 1 - 2 years old prior to giving them any kind of honey.
Make or purchase elderberry syrup made with honey. Add to tea,
smoothies and homemade popsicles, use on oatmeal, or simply take a tablespoon
or two every day. Check out Rosemary Gladstar's "Medicinal Herbs" for
a great elderberry syrup recipe. Note: make sure your child is at least 1 - 2 years old prior to giving them any kind of honey.
Throughout the cold season, cleanse your sinuses using a
Neti-Pot on a regular [if not daily] basis.
Either purchase or make a medicinal mushroom tincture and take a
dropperful 1 - 2 times daily. I like Mycoferon by Metagenics.
Take an echinacea extract / tincture or supplement every day throughout the cold
season, grind the dried herb and add to smoothies [try this super herb smoothieblend], or drink an echinacea tea.
A humidifier can work wonders
during the dry winter months. If your furnace is hooked up to one make sure it
is on and working properly. You don't need to use an additional humidifier if
your house has one - too much humidity can cause yeast for form in the ear. You can add bacteria fighting, anti-fungal essential oils to the humidifier [eucalyptus, tea tree, peppermint, etc.] just do a little research especially if you have an infant.
Get outdoors. The more you are
outside the less likely you are to get sick. Your body is able to adapt to the
changes in season more easily if it is accustom to outdoor activity. You are
also breathing cleaner air - stagnant indoor are is more likely to host
numerous strains of bad bacteria.
Use Thieves Oil, Winter Blend, or Oil of Oregano essential oils and / or garlic
oil [recipe under "adult remedies"] on feet and pulse points prior to
heading out of the house.
Take a vitamin D3 supplement daily.
Grapefruit seed extract. It tastes like soap but the stuff works and works well. Take 8 - 10 drops 3 times daily if you feel any symptoms coming on or if you know you will be in a an area packed with germs [school, airport, grocery store, etc.]. Note: Recently I've heard mixed reviews on the efficacy and safety of GSE so please do your research and be an informed consumer!
Grapefruit seed extract. It tastes like soap but the stuff works and works well. Take 8 - 10 drops 3 times daily if you feel any symptoms coming on or if you know you will be in a an area packed with germs [school, airport, grocery store, etc.]. Note: Recently I've heard mixed reviews on the efficacy and safety of GSE so please do your research and be an informed consumer!
Take a high quality probiotic
daily. Make sure it has Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus acidophilus as the two primary ingredients. It's also important you purchase a product that requires refrigeration.
Drink kombucha, water kefir, coconut kefir, and eat other
fermented foods [like fresh, unpasteurized sauerkraut and raw apple cider vinegar]. Fermented foods are full of good bacteria that help ward off
viruses.
Stay hydrated - drink a lot of pure water and then, drink some more.
Drink bone broth daily! Not enough can be said about the health benefits of homemade bone broth. Make sure your bones, no matter what species you choose, come from pasture-raised, grass-fed, organic animals.
Drink bone broth daily! Not enough can be said about the health benefits of homemade bone broth. Make sure your bones, no matter what species you choose, come from pasture-raised, grass-fed, organic animals.
Do a detox at every change of
seasons [meaning the transition from winter to spring, spring to summer, summer
to fall, and fall to winter]. This will help eliminate built up toxins in your
body and give you a clean slate going into the next season. Following a detox,
work hard to eat foods that are in season, organic, and whole [meaning not
processed in any way]. One detox DOES NOT fit all and is not appropriate for all seasons. For example, in the cooler months and raw detox is not appropriate. If you have a predominantly Vata constitution a raw detox may not ever be appropriate.
Wet a pair of cotton socks with cold water. Crush two cloves of garlic or use a Thieves spray or Thieves essential oil. Rub the spray or oil on the bottom of each foot or hold a clove in the middle of the bottom of each foot and gently pull each sock over the cloves. Adjust the clove is necessary. Next, put on a pair of 100% wool socks over each of the wet socks. It will feel very weird at first but the socks will quickly warm up from your body heat. Crawl into bed and sleep. By the time you wake up the wool socks will have pulled the moisture from the cotton socks as well as the toxins in your body.
Practice a detoxifying yoga sequence focused on eliminating toxins from the body and boosting immunity. You can find a large selection at YogaGlow.
Daily skin brushing is a good way to sluff of dead skin, improve immunity, and charge up your body.
Make super immunity jell-o and eat daily!
Wet a pair of cotton socks with cold water. Crush two cloves of garlic or use a Thieves spray or Thieves essential oil. Rub the spray or oil on the bottom of each foot or hold a clove in the middle of the bottom of each foot and gently pull each sock over the cloves. Adjust the clove is necessary. Next, put on a pair of 100% wool socks over each of the wet socks. It will feel very weird at first but the socks will quickly warm up from your body heat. Crawl into bed and sleep. By the time you wake up the wool socks will have pulled the moisture from the cotton socks as well as the toxins in your body.
Practice a detoxifying yoga sequence focused on eliminating toxins from the body and boosting immunity. You can find a large selection at YogaGlow.
Daily skin brushing is a good way to sluff of dead skin, improve immunity, and charge up your body.
Make super immunity jell-o and eat daily!
[ADULT REMEDIES]
Continue all of the preventative measures listed above as well as:
Increase medicinal mushroom tincture to 2 dropperfuls 3 times
daily.
Increase elderberry syrup to 1 tablespoon 3 times daily.
One of the best remedies I know is fire cider. Go here for the
recipe [this requires prep a month or so in advance] OR make this [my take on
fire cider that can be used immediately]:
Combine in blender 1/4 - 1/2 c. raw cider vinegar, a pinch - 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 4 one inch pieces of ginger, 4 cloves of garlic, an onion, and horseradish [if you have it on hand]. Put mixture in a quart size or larger mason jar and cover with boiling water. Let steep until water has cooled. Strain and reserve "tea". Add honey to sweeten. Take a shot glass worth or as much as you can stand throughout the day. This won't taste the greatest but people swear by it.
Use garlic oil in your ears [DO NOT USE if you have
a perforated ear drum]. To make garlic oil simply peel and slice
2-3 cloves of garlic and place in a pot. Pour in enough extra virgin olive oil
to cover an inch or two. Warm over very low heat for 30 minutes or until oil
smells strongly of garlic. Strain out garlic and pour into a glass jar with a
tight fitting lid. Allow to cool to body temperature. Using a glass dropper,
place a few drops of cooled oil in ear while head is tilted to side. Place
cotton ball in ear and keep your head tilted for several minutes to allow the
oil to work it's way into your ear. Repeat on other side. I have found that the
pressure of the cotton ball on my ear will help to relieve any ear discomfort
caused by sinus congestion.
Drink chamomile + lavender tea with lemon juice, fresh ginger, and
honey.
Eat raw or gently cooked foods that are easy to digest. For
example, applesauce, bananas, oatmeal and rice, broth-based soups, and lightly
cooked or steamed leafy greens.
Give yourself a steam: Boil water. Place boiling water in a large
bowl or sink and add 2 - 3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. Place face over
bowl or sink [not touching water] and cover your head with a towel. Steam for
20 minutes or as long as needed. Repeat throughout the day as necessary.
Sit in a steam room or sauna if possible.
Take an epsom salt clay bath: Place 2 cups of epsom salt, 1 c. bentonite clay, 1/2 cup of
raw apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of aluminum-free baking soda, and a few drops of lavender or
eucalyptus essential oil in tub. Fill with hot water and soak for at least 20
minutes up to an hour.
Use this gargle for a sore throat [it is the best remedy I know!]:
Pour 1/2 c. boiling water over 1 T. dried sage leaves, cover and
allow to steep for 30 - 45 minutes. Strain sage. To sage "tea", add 1
- 2 tsp. sea salt, 1 tsp. goldenseal powder [organically cultivated, optional
if you don't have in the house], and tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir to
dissolve and then add 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar. Gargle [for as long as
you can stand] a teaspoon or two every 30 minutes to 1 hour. Recipe
from Rosemary Gladstar's "Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health".
Cold / Flu Tea with Phlegm Reducing Herbs
Tea for Stomach Distress, Flu and Heartburn
Cold / Flu Tea with Phlegm Reducing Herbs
Tea for Stomach Distress, Flu and Heartburn
[CHILDREN REMEDIES]
Continue all of the preventative
measures listed above as well as:
Place a piece of raw onion by your child's bed. This will help
clear congestion.
If older than 2 years of age, give them a small spoonful of honey
a couple times daily. This will help restore immunity, fight the virus, and
sooth a sore throat.
Make this Formula for Lung and Chest Congestion from RosemaryGladstar's "Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health". In a glass jar
mix 2 T. licorice root + 1 T. cinnamon chips + 1 T. echinacea root + 1 T.
elecampane root + 1/4 T. dried ginger pieces. Place 2 - 3 tablespoons of herb
mix in a small saucepan and cover with 1 cup of water. Heat slowly and simmer,
covered, for 20 - 45 minutes [the longer the better and stronger]. Strain herbs
and reserve liquid. Give your child [younger than 2 years old] anywhere from
1/2 - 1 teaspoon, 2 - 4 years old 2 teaspoons, 4 - 7 years old 1 T., and 7 - 11
years old 2 T., 3 - 4 times daily. Store in refrigerator for 2 - 3 days.
Continue breastfeeding or, if your child is on solid foods, give
them a very simple diet. Applesauce, banana, oats or a little rice [cooked very
well], and broth.
Keep your child dehydrated with extra water and pure coconut water [to
restore electrolytes].
Give your child a epsom salt and vinegar bath: 1/4 c. epsom salt + 1/4 c. bentonite clay + 1/8 cup raw apple cider vinegar + 2 T. baking soda + a drop or two of lavender
essential oil. If your child is an infant and in a child tub, reduce ingredient
quantity by half to 1/3 depending on size of tub.
Make a simple rub to relieve congestion and respiratory problems: add 2 - 3 drops each tea tree oil + eucalyptus oil to 2 T. of lotion, salve, or coconut oil [you should be able to easily smell the essential oils] and rub on their chest as need.
Make a simple rub to relieve congestion and respiratory problems: add 2 - 3 drops each tea tree oil + eucalyptus oil to 2 T. of lotion, salve, or coconut oil [you should be able to easily smell the essential oils] and rub on their chest as need.
Use mullein and garlic ear oils. Mullein oil is great for ear
infections and garlic oil is good during colds to prevent ear infections and
build immunity in the body.
Again, a room humidifier can work wonders if your furnace isn't
hooked up to one. Just remember - too much humidity can cause yeast to form in
the ear.
[RESOURCES]
The How To Herb Book by Velma Keith and Monteen Gordon
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