Dear Holistic Health & Natural Healing Friends,
Do you fit into any of these categories?
"I get the flu shot every year so, I never get sick"
"I get the flu shot every year-why am I still getting sick?"
"I've had the worst flus the last few years"
"My chest & lungs hurt when I get the flu, they never used to"
"I can't seem to kick the flu the way I used to"
"Why do my colds linger?"
"Why do I feel like I'm always coming down with something in the Winter?"
...etc...
Humans have used food, herbs, fluids, movement, rest, meditation and various, other forms of natural healing to prevent, lessen the severity of, and speed the duration of colds and flus for many generations.
In fact, for thousands of years, physicians and healers around the world have studied herbs & nature, as well as practiced diverse, forms of herbalism and natural healing to cure common, chronic illnesses.
In recent decades, with the invention of synthetic chemicals, we have cut down on our use of herbs and even herb-based pills (did you know that aspirin was originally, made from the willow tree?) and instead, have reached for over-the-counter formulas to help stave off normal, cleansing illnesses such as colds and flus. Synthetic formulas often, have distasteful or uncomfortable side effects, can be expensive, and usually, work to obscure or suppress illness-causing microbes.
However, viruses, bacteria & molds...are simple, creatures yet very, old & wise! They quickly, learn to evolve and 'outsmart' many drugs we create and cause new sicknesses in humans. For instance, did you know that it is common for viruses to change just enough in one year that the flu shots we receive do not protect us from some of the current year's viruses?
It is interesting to note that in the last several years, even makers of O-T-C drugs have started re-incorporating herbs into their formulas.
While flu shots and over-the-counter cold & flu medicines can be helpful, particularly, in certain low-immunity populations, nothing replaces Mother Nature's healing gifts for soothing an achy body and stuffy nose! With or without flu shots & O-T-C medicines, we are biological, organic beings who are part of nature and require nature to be well through choosing nutritional foods, drinks, herbs, and other gentle, forms of healing.
***
Try adding or increasing these natural anti-'biotics' (biotic means 'living') or herbs in your diet to prevent unnecessarily, repetitive, long, and intense Winter illnesses :
peppermint, spearmint, basil, chocolate mint, orange mint
lavendar, rosehips, hibiscus, ginger, chamomile
cinnamon, cumin, curry, coriander, roobois
oregano, thyme, parsley, bay leaf
fennel, licorice, chicory, lemongrass, orange zest
black pepper, cayenne, white pepper, green pepper
Try adding or increasing these fruits & vegetables in your diet to help boost your immune system:
grapefruits, oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, kumquats
onions, garlic, scallions, leeks, shallots, chive
turnips, radishes, beets, jicama
Including more of these immune "boosters" gives our bodies a "shot" of natural medicine that works with metabolic, self-regulation in fluctuating weather to fight off microbes and give us extra zest to ride out the changing seasons.
Try adding or increasing fluid intake in your foods:
Home-cooked soups, stews, warm bean & rice dishes like vegetable miso, chicken soup, Hungarian goulash, hummus or black beans and brown rice add extra inner warmth and purification to our systems.
Try adding these foods to help coat & soothe mucous membranes:
Sea salt has an abundance of compounds that heals raw tissue and fights of disease. Honey and olive oil coat our mucous membranes which are primary, points of entry for cold & flu-causing microbes. Using local, organic, and unprocessed honeys is always the best!
Give it a try and tell us how you feel!
As always, we love your feedback ;*)
Peace, Love & Healing from the Big Easy,
*Jen*
(8/26/09)
Do you fit into any of these categories?
"I get the flu shot every year so, I never get sick"
"I get the flu shot every year-why am I still getting sick?"
"I've had the worst flus the last few years"
"My chest & lungs hurt when I get the flu, they never used to"
"I can't seem to kick the flu the way I used to"
"Why do my colds linger?"
"Why do I feel like I'm always coming down with something in the Winter?"
...etc...
Humans have used food, herbs, fluids, movement, rest, meditation and various, other forms of natural healing to prevent, lessen the severity of, and speed the duration of colds and flus for many generations.
In fact, for thousands of years, physicians and healers around the world have studied herbs & nature, as well as practiced diverse, forms of herbalism and natural healing to cure common, chronic illnesses.
In recent decades, with the invention of synthetic chemicals, we have cut down on our use of herbs and even herb-based pills (did you know that aspirin was originally, made from the willow tree?) and instead, have reached for over-the-counter formulas to help stave off normal, cleansing illnesses such as colds and flus. Synthetic formulas often, have distasteful or uncomfortable side effects, can be expensive, and usually, work to obscure or suppress illness-causing microbes.
However, viruses, bacteria & molds...are simple, creatures yet very, old & wise! They quickly, learn to evolve and 'outsmart' many drugs we create and cause new sicknesses in humans. For instance, did you know that it is common for viruses to change just enough in one year that the flu shots we receive do not protect us from some of the current year's viruses?
It is interesting to note that in the last several years, even makers of O-T-C drugs have started re-incorporating herbs into their formulas.
While flu shots and over-the-counter cold & flu medicines can be helpful, particularly, in certain low-immunity populations, nothing replaces Mother Nature's healing gifts for soothing an achy body and stuffy nose! With or without flu shots & O-T-C medicines, we are biological, organic beings who are part of nature and require nature to be well through choosing nutritional foods, drinks, herbs, and other gentle, forms of healing.
***
Try adding or increasing these natural anti-'biotics' (biotic means 'living') or herbs in your diet to prevent unnecessarily, repetitive, long, and intense Winter illnesses :
peppermint, spearmint, basil, chocolate mint, orange mint
lavendar, rosehips, hibiscus, ginger, chamomile
cinnamon, cumin, curry, coriander, roobois
oregano, thyme, parsley, bay leaf
fennel, licorice, chicory, lemongrass, orange zest
black pepper, cayenne, white pepper, green pepper
Try adding or increasing these fruits & vegetables in your diet to help boost your immune system:
grapefruits, oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, kumquats
onions, garlic, scallions, leeks, shallots, chive
turnips, radishes, beets, jicama
Including more of these immune "boosters" gives our bodies a "shot" of natural medicine that works with metabolic, self-regulation in fluctuating weather to fight off microbes and give us extra zest to ride out the changing seasons.
Try adding or increasing fluid intake in your foods:
Home-cooked soups, stews, warm bean & rice dishes like vegetable miso, chicken soup, Hungarian goulash, hummus or black beans and brown rice add extra inner warmth and purification to our systems.
Try adding these foods to help coat & soothe mucous membranes:
Sea salt has an abundance of compounds that heals raw tissue and fights of disease. Honey and olive oil coat our mucous membranes which are primary, points of entry for cold & flu-causing microbes. Using local, organic, and unprocessed honeys is always the best!
Give it a try and tell us how you feel!
As always, we love your feedback ;*)
Peace, Love & Healing from the Big Easy,
*Jen*
(8/26/09)
