Cold, Flu, AHH-Tis the Season!

Yes, it is September and school has started. This means the cold and flu season is upon us once again. Get out your common sense hat put it on at a sassy angle and get ready.

The best thing you could have done is to make sure your immune system is up and running at full tilt. It is still not too late to work on that. The old stand by is vitamin C, D, A ( be careful with the vitamin A you can overdose very easy here), and E or CoQ10. The herbs are Garlic (Vitamins A, B1, B2, C. and Zinc), Cinnamon, Ginger (Vitamins B3, B5, and B9), Ginseng (Vitamins A, B12, and E), Pau D'Arco, Bee Pollen (Vitamins B complex and C), Cayenne Pepper (Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12), to name a few. Honey-can't say enough! The song should say a spoon full of honey not sugar. Essential Oils are easy and can help everyone and the house as well. Thieves Essential Oil, Peppermint Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Lavender Oil, Cinnamon Bark Oil, and many more. Of course, wash your hands often, bed clothes and pillows need to be disinfected quite often, phones, toys, showers and tubs, And the cars and trucks you drive. All are high traffic areas that need special attention. Don't forget the T.V. remote, light switches, doorknobs, toilet handle and car keys.

Easy ways to incorporate some of these into your daily life. Put just a small pinch of Cayenne Pepper in everything you cook. Just a little pinch of Cayenne goes a long way, you do not even have to taste or feel the heat for it to start working it's magic. Onions and Garlic go with just about everything we cook from soups to omelets. Bell Peppers (Green Peppers) are a great source of vitamin A, and C. A very enjoyable drink any time is hot water, Honey, Lemon, and a pinch of Ginger. You can drink this all day and be the better for it. This drink will help your immune system and help with the flu or cold if you have already been tagged,as well as give you the energy to finish your day on a good note. If you like you flavored coffees try putting a sprinkle of Cinnamon and sweeten with a little Honey. Don't wait until the Holidays to start drinking your spice tea, start now. Did you ever wonder why someone put all those spices into tea? One of the first health drinks. Mulled Wine, even better, just before bed. For the season try using Honey instead of white sugar whenever possible, the benefits are amazing! Garlic butter for your toast? Why not, this tasty treat is not just for Italian Dinners. Honey on your toast instead of jam? Sure, a very healthy substitute.

Do you already have a cold or flu? There is still help. Any of the suggestions from above will help.
Yarrow is an herb that is great for any mucus problems, when used at the beginning of a cold it will generally break it up with in twenty four hours. Yarrow will also help with fevers. It will help thin out the mucus so you can cough it up, or blow it out, and it will sooth and help heal the mucus membranes. Horseradish, can be eaten or grated and sniffed to help clear the sinus. This can be done when ever you start to feel congestion settling in. The vol ital oils in Horseradish are cleansing and have an antiseptic effect. White Willow Bark is good for aches and pains as well as fever. Wild Cherry Juice sweetened with Honey (hot or cold) is very good for loosening phlegm in the chest and throat, someone with Asthma can also use this to help improve their symptoms. Children also like the taste of this and do not even think of this as a treatment.

A Diffuser or a candle potpourri burner is always good to have on hand for the fall and winter months. Several Essential Oils are very beneficial for your immune system and for healing.
They will make your house smell great and purify the air. Aromatherapy is always good for keeping a balanced body and home. Eucalyptus Oil is wonderful for the respiratory system, Lavender will help you rest, Sage and Thieves will clean the air, Cedarwood can help to maintain healthy lungs, and the list goes on an on. Essential Oils can be used in baths, burners, vapouriser, misters, sprinkled on bed clothes, mittens, and scarves. Essential Oils need a page of their own to do them justice. They are as healing as herbs and cover just as many troubles.

The Ever Amazing GARLIC

Garlic is truly amazing by any ones standards. One of natures most powerful antibiotics. I don't think there is enough that can be said about Garlic.

Do you have an insect bite that in infected? Crush a clove of Garlic put it in gauze and tape it to the bite. The Garlic will kill the infection. CAUTION: Garlic is strong so keep it on the infected area, it can blister healthy tissue. If this happens slap a little Honey or Aloe vera on it and all will be fine.

Here is a list (a small list) of the wonders of Garlic: We already know it is a natural antibiotic, it can protect us from an infection and cure an infection, it will detoxify the body as well as clear it of parasites, strengthen the blood vessels, helps to lower blood pressure, helps with arteriosclerosis by removing plaque, it can help with circulatory problems, heart disorders, and liver disease. Are you keeping up?
Here are some more: Garlic can aid in the treatment of asthma, arthritis, cancer, colds, flu, digestive problems, and yeast infections. It is also good for fungus and bacteria problems. Garlic will draw pain from joints, cure a toothache, cure an earache, and a lot more.

Garlic has vitamins A, B-1, B-2, C, and zinc. Iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium , and sulfur can be found in this wonderfully delicious herb.

Garlic can be found in soft gels, capsules, tablets, tonics, tincture, extracts, and of course it's natural state, bulbs. You can make a past, a poultice, soup, oil, syrup, ointments or the best, just eat it. Personally I always try to keep plenty of Garlic bulbs on hand for cooking as well as any emergency that may happen. I like to roast a pan full of bulbs put them in a glass jar or zip lock bag and keep them in the refrigerator. They will last up to six months this way and for eating and cooking the roasting brings out the sweetness.

Honey is Natures Antibiotic

The first thing to remember about Honey is never give uncooked, unpasteurized honey to babies under one year of age. Uncooked Honey may contain botulism organisms that are easily digested and eliminated by adults, but can cause terrible diarrhea in children 12 months and younger.

The best Honey to use in any form is organic,uncooked,and unpasteurized. In a pinch regular Honey will do until you can make it to the store.

Honey works topically or internally. It is close to one stop shopping for the first aid kit. Just by itself Honey on a cut, blemish, sore, or even just a skinned knee can work wonders. Just apply it as you would any ointment and cover with a bandage. Honey Water is the best way to start the day. Just add a teaspoon of Honey to a cup of water and simmer for five minutes, great for the immune system. Drink as is or add to your favorite herbal tea.

You can also mix 1/3 Honey with 2/3 organic butter to make an ointment that will keep the bandage from sticking and have a soothing effect.

Did you know that during shortages of WWI and WWII Honey was used with oil or lard as ointments for ulcers and small wounds?

When my Granddaughter was two years old she walked through a fire ant bed and her little feet were covered with bites. On her great toe she had about four bites and by the next day her toe was red and swollen and small red streaks were forming. I made a paste using Honey and one clove of Garlic (organic) smeared it on her toe and placed a bandage around her toe. This was done about 11:00 a.m. and by 5:00 p.m. the red streaks were gone, the puss had been drawn out and the swelling was going down. I knew that the ointment was very strong and I did not want to burn her skin, so I did not reapply the ointment until the next day. When she arrived at my house the next day her toe was almost healed. I only left the ointment on for about two hours the second day. I followed up with Aloe vera just to sooth. Honey and butter would have soothed just as well but she did not eat the Aloe vera like she did the Honey.

I had a tooth that abscessed and the whole left side of my face was swelling and the throbbing was getting very intense. I did the same, making a past out of Honey and Garlic, but I added two drops of Clove Essential Oil. I placed the paste in an empty tea bag and put it between my lip and gum. I applied this from about 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon, and then from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. By the next morning the swelling was gone as well as the puss (which was very visible) and headache. I used the mixture again for about 1/2 a day and I have not had any problems since.

For bedsores you can not find anything that works faster than Honey and butter. If you have a sore that is not healing or continues to seep, you will be amazed at the results of this mixture. I have used just plain Honey without the butter and received great results.

Honey is wonderful during the cold and flu season! Honey is a major factor for helping respiratory problems. For kids with a cough from a cold or flu you can not beat hot lemonade and Honey. They can just sip or drink this all day, you will really be surprised how well this works. Grandma knew how good Honey and lemon were for colds. Honey and peppermint or chamomile tea cooled makes a great gargle for sore throats. You also can add apple cider vinegar and Honey to a cup of water for another gargle. Children tend to like the tea gargles better.

Honey has a hyper-tonic effect, which means that it draws water from the bacterial cells and causes them to shrivel and die. Did you know that the mixture of Honey and butter can work on E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus? Pretty good huh? Butter has it's own special bacteria that complements the antibacterial make-up of Honey.

Honey and Arthritis? Yep. It is easy and it taste good. You just mix 1teaspoon organic Apple Cider Vinegar with 1 tablespoon Honey in a glass of water. I can not tell you that this is a cure, but I can tell you this has REALLY help a lot of people. One to two glassed a day is a good start.

This mixture is also good for fatigue.

Honey has endless possibilities and is worth the time to do your own research.

Natures Sleep Aids

Nature gives us plenty of sleep aids that will help us fall gently asleep with out having any harmful effects.
One that almost everyone knows is Valerian Root. Valerian Root is the herb that helped the pharmaceuticals develop Valium (Valium is synthetically made from Valerian Root). If you choose Valerian Root instead of Valium you do not have to worry about any side-effects or becoming dependent on it. Valerian Root helps with the entire circulatory system and has a healing effect on the nervous system which means that it can calm you down and increase the blood flow to the brain. If used during the day before a stressful meeting it can work miracles. Valerian Root will let you inter the meeting clam and relaxed with a focused mind. It comes in the form of teas, capsules, or tinctures. Never Boil Valerian Root.
The benefits of Valerian Root are more than just relaxing you. It also helps with nervousness, ulcers, headaches, colic, gas, pain, stress, anxiety, insomnia, convulsions, muscle cramps, and spasms. It helps to improves circulation and aids in reducing excess mucus from colds and flu.
If you a are using Valerian Root for a sleep aid a cup of Valerian Root tea at bed time works the best.
If you are using herbal teas for babies and toddlers brew the tea as usual and then dilute the tea 1/1 with water.

Catnip is one that always gets me a very strange look. Catnip is not just for cats, it is also very good for people. For people Catnip has the opposite effect. It will relax you and relieve stress. It is a little stronger than Valerian Root. I have known a couple of people that drink their tea as they are getting into bed because it will work that fast on them. I would recommend that for the first time you only drink one cup and do this as the last thing before climbing in to bed.
Again, as with most herbs Catnip will do more than just helping you sleep. Catnip can be used as an aid for fever, colic, colds, flu, inflammation, pain, and convulsions, digestion (gas or cramps), great for quieting the nervous system, a mucus reducer, stress reliever, and it can also be used to stimulate the appetite.
If you have a common cold or the flu it is wonderful. Catnip taken as a tea at this time will help relieve the aches and pain that you always have as well as keep a check on your fever and let you sleep deep and sound. It will help the congestion that comes with the flu as a mucus reducer.
All in all it is one of the best for these yearly pesky problems.

Chamomile, a truly pleasant cup of tea! Chamomile will let you drift off to sleep as if you had no help at all. It has a natural feeling to it, very easily tolerated. The best way to enjoy Chamomile as a sleep aid is to brew a cup after everything is done for the night and find that good book (you had to put down last week because of what ever emergency came up) you were reading,climb in bed and snuggle down. Enjoy your tea and your book as you slowly drift off for the night.
Chamomile is widely known for relief of menstrual cramps, but again that is just the beginning. It can also be used for nervous stomachs, a digestive aid, a nerve tonic, helps relieve the bladder, a cold, asthma, even helps with colitis, and deverticulosis, great for headaches, fever, and the list goes on and on.

These are three simple but effective sleep aids that have a very healing and calming effect on the entire system. All three a worth doing research on to find the best one for you and all three can be used for multiple symptoms. These can make you forget all about the over-the-counter stuff!

Natural Needs Attention

For some reason people think that just because some things are considered natural or herbal that they are always safe. We need to look at herbs as if they were prescriptions, herbs have rules and boundaries also.

Did you know that Garlic comes from the Sulfur family. To most people even if they are allergic to Sulfur drugs they can still use Garlic, but always check. Garlic is one of natures best antibiotics. On this one consuming it fresh, or cooked does not harm any of its qualities.

What about Chamomile? It is joined in the Ragweed family, if you have hay fever always make sure you are getting organic pure Chamomile. Chamomile tea is great for headaches, cramps, relaxing so you can have a great nights sleep, it will help to reduce fever, and great for the nerves.

Vitamin E is very popular with just about everyone these days. But, did you know that it is a natural blood thinner? It is very important that any Doctor you see knows that you take vitamin E. If you are taking supplements you should not take vitamin E and Iron at the same time, they do not work well together.

Bottom line is you should always research the supplements you are wanting to take. Nature is a chemist just like the pharmacist you have filling your prescriptions. With all the information that is on the Internet today research is not a hard thing to do.

I, personally think using herbs and supplements are the best way to go. It is easier on your body and most of the time there are no side effects. I have been using herbs and supplements for over 27 years now. I still study and research all the alternate therapies and use many types. I still believe that using what nature has given us is the best way to help our body heal and still maintain a strong and healthy immune system.

Natures Natural Cures

Natures Natural Cures. To Many people this is a very familiar and comforting phrase. We think of our Grandmother or Mother running to the kitchen and grabbing some supplies out of the cupboard to fix our discomfort. Did she run and get the Fennel our of the spice rack for a cup of tea to repair the damage you did to your stomach after that wonderful Sunday Dinner? Maybe she put the Parsley on your plate for you to eat AFTER dinner, what a wonderful breath freshener and loaded with iron that is easily absorbed into your system. When it was cold outside did you see her sprinkle something red into your shoes that kept your feet warm even on the coldest days (Cayenne Pepper). When you had a very sore throat did she make you gargle with Garlic Oil only for you to realize that almost all the hurt was gone before you even finished? When you saw her get the honey out was it to cook with or to heal with? How did she know that Cinnamon would take away the sting from cuts and scrapes and also disinfect as well as make the best apple pie ever? Did you know that the Dandelion leaves she put in her salad would help Grandpa with his high blood pressure? What about that great cup of Green Tea you just fixed yourself? Did you think to put the tea bag in the refrigerator to put on your eyes in the morning to remove the puffiness of the nights sleep? Did you know that your spice rack is a first aid kit?