I recently bought some honey, and on the label it said something like, "To lawyers and those who hire them, honey should not be given to children under the age of 1." I bought that particular honey simply because of that very pointed label! So, in that same vein of thought, let me throw it out there: I'm not a doctor, blah blah blah...this is my personal experience only and not a medical recommendation, blah blah blah...and to lawyers and those who hire them, disregard all information below and simply continue to go to your regular doctor multiple times per year and wonder why you're not well. :)
Now, for the rest of y'all who have asked me what we do for the cold and flu season, I've finally put it in blog form.
Quick background information: In 2003, I had a 5-year-old daughter who had just been to the doctor for pink eye and an ear infection, a 1-year-old son who had just been to the doctor for roseola, and a husband who was particularly affected by sinus infections and migraines. And, quite honestly, I was tired of doctors and medicines (which never really seemed to get to the root of the issues, because we'd be right back in the doctor's office again). Enough was enough! So, I walked into a local herb store where I had bought a few things here and there, and I told the owner of the store that I wanted to learn enough to take care of my family's health. She hooked me up with a course that covered herbs, essential oils, reflexology, etc. And that, my friends, was the end of our trips to doctors. No, I'm not against doctors. I have good friends who are doctors. And if I have a broken leg or need a blood transfusion, I will surely walk into their doors. But for common illnesses, I have found the herbal route to be far superior, and we have taken our health out of the hands of doctors.
And the results? With lots of prayer and herbs, we have 4 healthy children who rarely get sick. When they do get sick, they are very quick to get over it. My husband has never had another sinus infection since I learned how to prevent them, and his migraines have never returned since getting regular chiropractic care. Since 2003 (11 years!!), we have had sick visits to a medical doctor a total of only 2 times, and both of those times have been for our youngest daughter who was not yet verbal and couldn't tell me what was hurting. I simply needed a doctor to look in her ears, listen to her chest and tell me what the issue was, and then I treated it at home with herbs. I don't recommend doing this if you have no idea what you're doing, but if you get educated in herbs and essential oils or if you get hooked up with a reputable herbalist, you will have a firm hold on alternatives to the traditional medicinal route.
Okay, so here's what my herb cabinet looks like:
And the big question that I get asked often this time of year is:
What do you do for cold and flu season? So, I won't go into detail on every item in my herb cabinet. I will simply tell you what I pull out when a cold or flu does hit. I use the same products every time with excellent results, so this is easy peasy.
FIRST and arguably the most important supplement is a good probiotic. When I mean good, I mean that if you get it at Walmart, it's not going to be the best stuff. When it comes to supplements and herbs, don't skimp. Go for the good stuff. Pay more. Get what you pay for. One company I trust is Nature's Sunshine, as they have had an untarnished reputation since 1972. Think of probiotics as simply good bacteria that is put into your body to eat the bad bacteria. My favorite is Probiotic Eleven, which has strands of 11 different kinds of good bacteria. This stuff is seriously amazing, and since taking it regularly, we have noticed a great reduction in illnesses. Adults can swallow capsules, and for children, you can break open a capsule and pour it into their applesauce or yogurt. Nature's Sunshine also has a chewable probiotic for children, but some of my children don't like the taste of it.
When someone has a cold or the flu, ALJ and Echinacea/Golden Seal is an excellent combination to take. ALJ keeps fluids running so that they don't stagnate in the sinuses. Echinacea/Golden Seal combo is a natural antibiotic. Think of it as your anti-sick-germs stuff. It's powerful and works well. I give these 2 together and according to the doses on the bottle. Herbs in combination are powerful, and this combo has had the best results for us. I personally don't like the taste of these liquids, and some of my children aren't crazy about it. But, they know it works, so they don't complain when they have to take it.
For teens/adults, I give the capsule form of ALJ and Echinacea/Golden Seal.
During seasonal changes or cold/flu season, a great supplement is elderberry (and it's yummy!).
I also keep medicinal tea on hand for cold/flu season. Peppermint is good for calming tummies, and my children will request this when they have been throwing up or if they are nauseous. It's soothing, and it tastes like candy canes! Ginger is good to take when someone has diarrhea. (*I also keep Pedialyte popsicles on hand to replenish electrolytes*).
Essential oils are amazing, and if you ever want to do some studying on them, you'll be hooked. These are my 2 tried-and-true, most used essential oils. I keep Lavender Fine on hand all the time (and carry a bottle in my purse everywhere I go), because it is great for burns, scrapes, bites, etc. (Don't apply to open wounds though). Just Google lavender fine oil, and you'll see why I keep it on hand. Tea Tree Oil is great too. And for ear infections, I will apply tea tree oil (mix it with some olive oil to cut down the power of this particular oil...you can Google that info) to the outside of the ear in a U-shape from the bump in front of the ear, down under the ear lobe and then back behind the ear. I reapply every 2 hours, and this has rid every ear infection we've had.
Now, this is what I refer to as my "big dog." This is what I pull out if we have an illness that is really rough (like a bad flu). It's Silver Shield, which is colloidal silver. Do NOT mess with inferior brands or homemade colloidal silver. Stick with a very reputable brand, like Nature's Sunshine. This is VERY powerful and will knock just about any illness off its course. **Consult a good herbalist as to the dosage per age of person.**
Now, this doesn't have to do with colds or flus, but this is a must for every herb cabinet. Activated Charcoal is excellent for food poisoning. I keep this in my cabinet at all times, and we have used it on various occasions. If we have bad tummy cramps, we just take the recommended dosage, and those cramps are always gone very quickly. Activated Charcoal actually acts as a sponge to absorb all the toxins and stop the cramping. It has saved us quite a few times. I give this to adults/teens.
We also break open a capsule, add a tiny tad of water and make a paste. You can put this on bee stings or insect bites to pull out toxins. Be warned that this is VERY BLACK and will stain, stain, stain. So, I apply it while child is in an empty bathtub or over a sink. I usually leave the paste on for about 15 minutes and then wash off. Skin will be stained black for a little while.
Okay, so what does this look like in real life during cold and flu season? Well, first, we are giving probiotics daily if possible but at least 3-4 times per week. This is a preventive measure that works wonders at reducing illness. And especially when we travel or when we are exposed to crowds of people, we make sure we take probiotics.
Then, if a child or adult comes down with a cold or the flu, I always tell them to tell me when they feel the very first little symptom. Herbs work best at first symptom rather than days into an illness. Sometimes, when I feel the very first signs of feeling run-down, I begin taking herbs, and often the illness is gone before it begins.
So, if someone says they aren't feeling well (cold/flu), I give them ALJ, Echinacea/Golden Seal, elderberry, and daily probiotics. I also make sure everyone else is taking daily probiotics when someone in the house gets sick, because we know the germs spread. So, the non-sick people begin to take elderberry and probiotics daily. (I'm also pretty big on washing germs off of light switches, toilets, sinks, TV remotes, etc when we have an illness in the house).
Also, when someone is sick, we cut out all sugar, dairy and processed foods. AND DEFINITELY NO PORK...because pork has bacteria in it that cannot be cooked out of it, even if you burn it. So, if you are a pork-eater, cut it out of your diet until you are completely over your illness. Sugar will weaken the immune system, and dairy thickens mucus...so cut it all out until you are no longer sick. Drink lots of water, and take herbs according to directions on the bottle. And, you will most likely find that you will not be sick for very long. Your body will fight hard and quickly when it is given the proper nutrition (herbs are food!). In our experience, we usually are over colds within 1-2 days, and most of the time the flu will be gone within a few days rather than a week or two.
I have to mention, too, that going to a GOOD chiropractor does wonders for keeping a body healthy. I don't recommend a regular chiropractor that just twists and cracks. Not all chiropractors are the same. We
go to an Upper Cervical Chiropractor, and it is NOTHING at all like going to a general chiropractor. I cannot even begin to express the good this does for the body. And get your children in before puberty, when their bones will begin to harden into place. If you get their bones in place before that hardening process begins, you will do them a world of good for the rest of their lives. And very few people know that good chiropractic care is AMAZING at keeping the body healthy in every cell. We take our children regularly to an upper cervical chiropractor, and we've seen wonders (including our child who has scoliosis that is being treated effectively).
So, there you have it...a peek into how we prepare for colds and flus. If you're interested in having some resources on hand, I have 2 books I recommend. Here's the first one...
This book has ailments in alphabetical order, so it's easy to look up whatever issue you want to research. Then it gives recommendations. I have found that most are good, though I have seen a few recommendations that are more mainstream and not in line with the natural route. Overall, it's good stuff.
The other book is this one, which I love...
It is a highly interesting book about essential oils. The beginning of the book has an intro to essential oils, and the rest of the book has info about individual oils, how to use them, what to use them for, etc.
