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Flu Remedies--Natural from Self Heal School
Flu Remedies--Natural from Self Heal School
Date: 1/12/2013 3:27:58 PM ( 11 y ) ... viewed 976 times
THIS COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO A COLD MAKES SENSE TO ME
lu Scare - With the flu epidemic getting more scary every day, it’s a really good time to learn how to take care of ourselves naturally. By now you’ve probably heard that folks across the country are flooding emergency rooms.
What are they going to get there?
Advice to go home, rest and drink plenty of fluids.
But there are some good natural measures beyond this.
I drink master cleanse, a hot lemonade consisting of:
2 Tablespoons of organic lemon Juice (about 1/2 a Lemon)
2 Tablespoons of Organic grade B maple syrup
1/10 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper powder, or to taste, but make it hot. I use 1/2 Teaspoon.
Ten ounces of filtered water
A bit more on Maple Syrup - Most of the maple syrup that you find in regular supermarkets is not only void of any nutritional & mineral content, it is composed of 80% or more high fructose corn syrup, artificial maple flavor, and preservatives. Only 20% or less of this syrup is composed of actual maple "sugar" - in it's refined form. In order to make one gallon of pure, Grade B Maple Syrup, approximately 40 gallons of maple sap is needed. By comparison, it takes much more time and effort to produce Organic, Grade B Maple Syrup, than it does it's counterpart.
Vitamin C – I take 4-6 Grams of Vitamin C on sick days. It’s a great antioxidant. Should you still become sick, studies have shown that the powerful antioxidants in vitamin C can reduce both the symptoms and duration of the flu.
Antimicrobial Herbal Combination – This combination is time-proven to reduce the time and symptoms. And remember to take probiotics to replenish the gut flora.
How about prevention?
Taste the rainbow
Eating a wide variety of fresh, wholesome foods packed with powerful vitamins and minerals is the first step to ensuring a strong immune system. Vitamins A, B6, C and E and the minerals zinc, iron, copper and selenium are critical for maintaining strength and immunity. Make sure that your diet consists of a rainbow of organically grown fruits and vegetables to ensure that you are getting all of the necessary nutrients. Commercial produce is almost devoid of minerals and has reduced levels of other vital nutrients because the plants don’t get the minerals they need to be healthy and productive.
Vitamin C - During cold and flu season, increase your dosage of vitamin C for added virus fighting benefits.
Eat extra garlic
Certain foods can give you an extra boost and should be factored into your regular eating habits. Garlic is known for its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties and can prevent infections from taking hold and spreading. A daily serving of two raw garlic cloves will provide you with the bulbous herb's healthy benefits. Tips: To avoid offensive garlic breath, cut the cloves into smaller pieces and then swallow them with water or herbal tea. Follow with a sprig of parsley. Also, if you bite into a lemon before chewing up garlic, it won’t burn. If it does start getting hot, bit into the lemon again.
Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been found to increase production and activity of white blood cells, improving your chances of fighting off infection. Both shiitake and maitake mushrooms provide the biggest immunity boost. These possess immune-boosting compounds called beta-glucans, which, though present in certain other foods, possess a structure in these mushrooms that is particularly effective. Receptors for these polysaccharide molecules, known as D-fraction, are found on a category of white blood cells known as macrophages. When you eat these mushrooms macrophage cells, which have the job of engulfing foreign particles such as pathogens and tumor cells, are activated. Macrophages, in turn, activate other components of the immune system, such as natural killer cells and cytotoxic T cells.
Drink Green or Black Tea
Jump-start your immune system each morning with a fresh pot of green or black tea. While the healthy properties in tea have been known for centuries, a recent Harvard University study confirmed its healing effects. The study found that people who drank five cups of tea a day for two weeks had 10 times higher levels of the cold- and virus-fighting chemical interferon than those who did not drink tea.
Exercise
Exercising for 30 to 60 minutes daily can give your immune system the extra kick that it needs. A study conducted by David Nieman at Appalachian State University found that people who walked regularly for 12 weeks had half the number of colds and sore throats as people who were less active. Regular moderate exercise increases the production of neutrofils, first-responder white blood cells that help prevent and treat infections.
Exercise is also a great way to reduce stress and its harmful effects on the immune system. It has been estimated that 90 percent of illness and disease is stress related. Most folks know that stress kills. Most don’t understand why. Researchers from the University of Connecticut Health Center have found that the same part of our nervous system that is responsible for the fight-or-flight response (called the sympathetic nervous system) also controls regulatory T cells, which are used by the body to end an immune response once a foreign invader has been removed or destroyed. "We show for the first time that the nervous system controls the central immune police cells, called regulatory T cells," said Robert E. Cone, Ph.D., a senior researcher in whose laboratory the work was done.
Stress is also acidifying to the body, which causes mucus congestion that impairs immune response and provides an environment conducive to pathogens. Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist who postulated the germ theory recanted on his death bed stating that, “the germ is nothing, the soil is everything.”
But don’t overdo it! Too much exercise can have the opposite effect on your immune system. Exercising for more than 90 minutes a day could make you more susceptible to the flu virus.
Meditation
Another good way to reduce stress is, of course, meditation. We offer information and support for those interested in learning more about this vital component to holistic health.
Sleep on it
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for the immune system to recharge itself. An overly fatigued body doesn’t have the necessary strength to fight off infections. With eight hours a night of solid sleep, your body will be ready to face a new day and ward off pesky invaders. There are some great herbs to help here such as valerian root, chamomile, hops, and passion flower.
Lather Up
A strong immune system should be able to combat the flu virus, but washing your hands frequently can increase your health odds even more. Use warm water and soap and avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes to prevent the virus from entering your system. And don’t just do a quick wash. It is recommended that you spend enough time to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
Avoid the flu shot
According to Dr. J. Anthony Morris, the former Chief Vaccine Control Officer at the FDA, "There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine, thus far developed, is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza." When you also consider the toxic mixture of chemicals found in the flu vaccine, the decision becomes a no-brainer. Among the vaccine’s ingredients are such toxins as ethylene glycol (a.k.a. antifreeze), formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), aluminum (linked to Alzheimer’s disease and known to produce cancer in mice) and thimerosol (a form of mercury, the most toxic of all heavy metals). Thimerosol has had so much scrutiny in the past decade that it has been banned in all childhood vaccinations in the United States, yet it still remains in the influenza vaccine today.
Non-Specific Immune Potentiating Herbs such as Astragalus, Schizandra, and Eleuthero can be taken daily to make you less likely to “catch” any flus or colds.
Elderberries – These tasty berries contain a compound known as sambucol, which works in a very clever way. The virus is covered in tiny spikes, which it uses to pierce the wall of a healthy cell to reproduce. Sambucol acts on the virus by flattening the spikes thus making it unable to replicate itself.It is established science that viruses cannot replicate themselves on their own. To do this they must invade living cells and alter their function. This means that if you could prevent the virus from entering a cell you would defeat it. The flu virus invades a cell by puncturing the wall with tiny spikes called Hemaglutinin which cover the surface of the virus. The two active ingredients which are isolated from the proteins of the black elderberry actually disarm these spikes by binding to them and preventing them from puncturing the cell membranes. In addition, the viral spikes are covered with an enzyme called neuraminidase which acts to break down the cell wall. It was discovered that the bioflavonoids which are present in high concentrations in the black elderberry appear to actually inhibit the action of this enzyme. We’ll see our local Elder, Sambucus mecicana, on our herb walks as it is common in San Diego. Elderberry syrup is available (usually) in health food stores.
This year the flu season doesn’t have to get you down. Take good care of your body and you will be rewarded with a lifetime of good health. And just think of what you can do with all of those unused sick days!
Holistic Consultations with Jane Richmond
Jane has practiced as a professional herbalist, nutritional consultant and deep intuitive since 1982. She helps her clients take charge of their own health at all three levels- body, mind, and heart, incorporating integrated holistic modalities to provide the tools for an individual’s own healing. She guides her clients in exploring the origins and development of health issues, and provides guidance in healthy diet choices, stress management and lifestyle issues, as well as individualized programs incorporating herbal therapies and dietary supplements, offering an affordable and efficacious alternative to drug therapy. Jane will teach you how to nourish yourself, become more in touch with your spirit, and will inspire you to care for yourself. Call to discuss your health goals or to make an appointment.
We hope this proves helpful to you.
John and Jane
Self-Heal School of Herbal Studies and Healing
http://www.selfhealschool.com/index.html
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