Good Quality Snot Stops Infections

Simply using herbs that tend to “moisten” mucus membranes can be your friend this fall. With dryer air in the places with a lot of dryness, like Calgary, Alberta plus spending more time indoors with forced-air furnaces, this is extremely important. As you can keep yourself from getting respiratory infections by simply having a proper mucus layer in your nose.

Moist mucus, the “clear” type is ever so important to keep the foreign invaders out so that when you breath a virus into your nose for instance the immune system can go after the foreign invader ASAP. Dried mucus in your nose means viruses can get in because the immune system cannot “get to” the virus since there is no “fluid” for the pathogens to get stuck in…not to mention they are easier to blow out of your nose when the mucus is moist and wet…and clear. Green or yellow mucus means you have an infection.

Here is an excerpt from a medical journal National Library of Medicine: Cell Host Microbe. 2016 Feb 10;19(2):159-68. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2016.01.001

“The interaction between respiratory pathogens and their hosts is complex and incompletely understood. This is particularly true when pathogens encounter the mucus layer covering the respiratory tract. The mucus layer provides an essential first host barrier to inhaled pathogens that can prevent pathogen invasion and subsequent infection. Respiratory mucus has numerous functions and interactions, both with the host and with pathogens.”

Further more;

“The classical roles of respiratory mucus are to maintain the hydration of the respiratory tract and to act as a protective barrier against the external environment by trapping particulate matter, including pathogens. Trapped matter can then be expelled from the airways by mucociliary clearance, the rhythmic beating of cilia bundles on the airway epithelium. It is now clear that this classical model is not complete and that mucus is a complicated, multi-component secretion with numerous functions. The functions of respiratory mucus now include immune response regulation, the presentation of molecules that are inhibitory to pathogens, the regulation of cell differentiation and proliferation and the maintenance of the barrier function of the epithelium.

Respiratory tract mucus is the first interaction that inhaled agents have with a potential new host. Accordingly, this mucus layer can determine the infectivity, and potentially the transmissibility, of respiratory pathogens etc.”

There are 2 big things that help keep your mucus of high quality and they are;

1. Purified water…drink up to 3 litres per day depending on your size. 25 mL of water per Kg of body weight. This keeps the mucus membranes from drying out everywhere in the body. (Drink water with minerals in it unless you have a condition that requires you to drink R/O water or distilled water.)
2. Diet low or lower in mucus. This means avoiding or limiting dairy, soy, wheat, and other gluten-rich foods. This means you will not have “excess” mucus to deal with which can clog your sinuses and nose which is not good quality snot.

Basically, you want a “moist” nose and sinuses so that your first “barrier” to the world of microbes is in tact, so that you stop it from “getting in.”

Some herbs to help you do that are;

1. Marshmallow root in a capsule form or tincture, though I find the capsules are better and you usually only need 1 or 2 per day to accomplish a moister mucus membrane.
2. Fenugreek in capsule form, the tea can be good, though I don’t like the flavour of it. Again usually 1 or 2 capsules per day are usually required.
3. Licorice root capsules or 1:1 tincture. Do not use if you have high blood pressure. Dosage 1 or 2 capsules per day or use 10 drops of a 1:1 tincture.

Other helpful tips to create great snot:

1. Rinse nasal passages with salt water to remove dried mucus and keep sinuses clear.
2. Rinse with a herbal solution containing Yerbe manse. (I make up the formula as required to help get rid of infections and moisten directly.)
3. Rub your forehead with a Lavender/Eucalyptus essential oil blend or you can also use Rosemary in the blend as well.
4. Use a drop of Peppermint Essential Oil on the back of your hand, lick it off…it will clear your sinuses and give your throat a nice cool feeling…it can be a bit of a shock when you use this as it can be strong…but it is good to do and has some anti-microbial activity as well.

With all this Covid 19 craziness going on it would be advisable to take care of your snot!

Disclaimer:

This article was written for information purposes only, not to diagnose or treat and does not replace proper medical treatment when required. Please see a Professional Registered Herbalist or another licensed Natural Health Practitioner of your choice.

How to Make the Immune Tonic Brew.

The Immune Tonic Brew contains many herbs in the dried raw form…Ie. American Ginseng whole root, Reishii Mushroom, Codonopsis, Licorice Root, Sassafras bark, Maitake Mushroom, Shitake Mushroom, Astragalus root and Echinacea angustifolia root.

It is meant for modulating your immune system so it will help if it is over-active or under-active.  It is used during the season changes when people often get sick.  You can take it to prevent getting sick or to help you get better if you are already sick.

Usually you take about 1/4 to 1 cup per day.  I recommend staring with 1/4 cup and then taking it more frequently if you are fighting something off up to 3x per day.

Supplies needed are:

1. Crock pot or large pot that can hold 4 litres of water.

     2. Stainless steel colander

     3. Cheesecloth at least 24 inches long.

     4. Stainless steel bowl.

     5. Sterilized jars with lids.  (Run through dishwasher.)

Step 1. Soak all the herbs given to you in the bag for 8 to 12 hours…12 hours is better and longer is okay…in 4 litres of water..purified water…Ie. filtered with no chlorine or other contaminants.

Step 2. Turn crock pot or stove if using large pot on stove, to low and bring to a simmer.  It may take an hour or more. 

Step 3. Simmer for 4 hours.

Step 4. Allow to cool.

Step 5. Line the inside of the stainless steel colander with cheesecloth.  Make sure that the cheesecloth goes up over the sides of the colander.  Place this over a good-sized bowl.

Step 6. Pour the mixture with the herbs through the cheesecloth/colander into the bowl it is sitting over.

Step 7. Once the liquid is all in the bowl, take the cheesecloth and pull it around the “marc”, which is the herbs and squeeze all the liquid you can out of it.  Then discard this into the compost.

Step 8. Pour all the liquid from the bowl into jars.  You should have about 3 litres.  Refrigerate.

Step 9.  It should keep in your fridge for at least 4 to 8 weeks or longer.

Note:  This is for information purposes only and is not meant to prescribe.  If you use this information to help yourself then you take full responsibility for any reactions you may have.

 

Sore Throat Be Gone!

Cayenne Pepper (also called Capsicum) drink for sore throats:  

Step 1: Take about 75 mL of water and add 1/2 of a freshly squeezed Lemon to the water along with one opened capsule of Cayenne Pepper.

Step 2: At this point you would add any other herbs,  like Barberry, Oregon Grape Root, Garlic either freshly minced or powdered (minced mixes better), Black Walnut, Marshmallow Herb etc.  Usually you add 1 capsule or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of the powdered or 1 tsp of the tincture.

Step 3: Then mix with the straw that you will drink with.  Do this over the sink because mucus will be released from your sinuses and throat area.  You may repeat as often as necessary.  If you have an empty stomach you will want to eat a piece of fruit before taking the drink so that you do not get nauseated.  If the cayenne is too hot for you you can add in Marshmallow Herb to cut the heat from the Cayenne Pepper.

This is good for viral and or bacterial infections, and if you use it at the beginning of a cold or strep throat you can do it every hour or two until your throat is not sore and you can get rid of the infection in less than 24 hours.

If you have Strep throat or suspect it, use Oregon Grape Root or Barberry in equal proportions to the Cayenne Pepper.  Do it every hour until your throat does not feel sore.

The way this works is; Cayenne Pepper activates your circulation and attracts white blood cells to the area to get rid of the infection, plus Barberry & Oregon Grape Root have antibacterial action in and of themselves.  But these herbs must come in direct contact with the microbes in order to be effective since very small amounts of the active constituent of the Oregon Grape Root and Barberry are actually absorbed into the blood stream.  Ie.  These herbs will not be effective for systemic infections like sepsis or blood poisoning since only about 5 % of the active ingredient is absorbed.

Note:  This information is used by the reader and his/her own discretion as this is not intended to diagnose or prescribe or take the place of regular medical attention.

 

Garlic Oil for Ears!

Garlic Oil for Ears:                                                                                                                

Take a medium to large clove of garlic, remove skin, place in some time of garlic crusher until it is completely emacerated.  Then add it to a small amber dropper bottle.  Put in enough olive oil to fill to the top of bottle.

Get a large mug.  Place the bottle in the large mug after putting in some boiling water.  Allow to sit in this water for 30 minutes.  When done, remove and allow to sit for a bit before using since the oil will be quite hot.  Then test the oil inside your wrist.  If it feels warm, but not burning it is good enough to put inside your ears.  Place a couple of drops up to 4 drops into ear or ears and then put a piece of cotton baton inside each ear, enough so that the oil will not leak out.  This is great for any ear infections or ear irritation and can be repeated as required.

For the Eustachian tubes it is advisable to put in a few drops of Lobelia inflata into each ear prior to putting in the garlic oil.  This will help to relax and open up the Eustachian Tubes and take away ear pain.  You can also rub the Lobelia on the outside just below the ears to access the Eustachian Tubes…the Lobelia will get into your blood stream through your skin in about 30 seconds.

 

This post if for information purposed only and not to diagnose or describe.  The reader takes full responsibility for using and applying any information here.

 

Long Life Winter Soup

Long Life Winter Soup                                                                     

Use a small handful of American Ginseng root cut up is best, a small handful of  Rehmannia root, 125 mL Wolf Berries, a medium handful of Codonopsis root, 5 large slivers of Reishi Mushroom, 6 dried Shiitake Mushrooms and 5 large Bay Leaves.

Use as follows to make your soup…you can adjust the taste as required like use more Codonopsis than Reishi to increase the sweetness of the soup.

 

1. Put herbs in 1 gallon pot along with 2 large onions cut in quarters,

2. 3 carrots cut in chunks,

3. 3 big, fat fresh burdock roots, cut in chunks,

4. and 1 whole organic chicken or 5 or 6 beef marrow bones (optional, of course). 

5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and partially and cook for  1.5 hours. Cool.

6. Pour through a colander to strain herbs, veggies and chicken or marrow bones, discard. Use herbs only once, then discard.  You can use this base for any soup that you want to make and can add whatever other spices you want to make it a tasty soup. (Ie. sea salt, seaweed, italian spices, curry, cayenne etc.)

 

Adapted from Patricia Kyritsi Howell, RH (AHG), original recipe for Winter Soup by Monica Hirai NHPC #3812, Registered Holistic Practitioner.

How to stop a cold or flu in its tracks.

Colds & Flus started early this fall…even before fall officially got started…a lot of people had their “Summer Cold” going into September.  The transition times of the seasons are hard on the body and even harder if you are not well rested and nutritionally sound.

One of the best things to do to prepare for cold & flu season is to get your juicer out in September and do a week or two of juicing.  You can juice along with eating or you can do a juice fast depending on your body type and what you can handle.  This will build up the body with important minerals for the immune system, plus antioxidants & phytochemicals to protect cell membranes.  It will also help the liver detox from the summer fair of food ingested at outdoor barbecues.  Just make sure that you do not juice too many green leafy veges or you could bring on a back ache…and do them minimally if you have had kidney stones.

The other important thing to do is to bring out your fermented drinks, but not the beer!  Bring on the Kambucha, the Coconut water kefir or a nicely flavoured water kefir to replenish your gut flora. The summer stress of doing too much or stress in general, can takes its tole on the gut flora. Take your probiotics while you ingest your fermented drinks daily to increase the gut flora and increase your immune response.  Fermented foods make the probiotic proliferate profusely in your gut.

There are brands of probiotics that are especially formulated to help your immune system during the flu season.  Take them in the early morning while your stomach acid is lower.

You can also use the Homeopathic Flu prevention kits available at the Health Food store.  Just follow the instructions carefully.

For the onset of a flu or cold, put on a “flu tea” containing; Peppermint,Yarrow, Red Raspberry, Boneset and steep 30 minutes for the full effect.  A small handful in a regular sized teapot will do.  Drink it hot. Wrap yourself in blankets or sit in your hot tub or in a hot bath.  Sit, soak and drink until you sweat!  It is the best way to flush out your flu or cold fast.

For head colds, get out your trusty Peppermint Oil and take small drops on the back of your hand and lick them off.  The “Pow” of the Peppermint will clear your sinuses, ears and throat while protecting your mucus membranes from further invasion.

Make sure you have a good quality Vitamin C & take at least 2000 mg 3 times per day. If the Peppermint has not taken care of the perpetual drip coming from your nose or back of throat…and your throat is getting sore..add in Zinc lozenges or Zinc tablets with Thyme herb in them.

For a basic drippy nose try taking the 12 tissue salts.  Take 5 to 10 of the small dissolvable tablets in your mouth 3x per day.  Great at drying up the Schnoz!

Lasso the Flu and get your immune system in gear by trying out the suggestions above.

I guarantee your winter will be sweeter with a stronger system to fend off the foe!

God Is Holistic. Our Medical System is not. Which will you choose?

God is Holistic.  When He created us we were created as one unit; body, mind, free will, spirit & emotions.  As this world became less than what it was intended to be, we have lost connection between all our parts.  But God gave us ways to ease our suffering until we see His face.  God created all the healing plants and the people who developed remedies from all parts of the earth like Samuel Hahnemann who created Homeopathy.

Unfortunately, our medical system is tainted with greed.  It started with the dissolution of the Eclectic Schools of Medicine, when a very rich family started putting their money into Medical Schools that promoted pharmaceuticals only.  This was because there was and still is very big money in drugs because they can be patented.  Greed has hit the Holistic side as well and you will find some remedies promoted for the sake of cash only.  It is too bad, but it is the way this world is right now and to get through it to make good health choices for yourself you must be discerning and find a professional to help you with the problem you have.   In fact, it is good practise to have more than one person on your health team.

The important nugget of information I want to get across is that drugs can be useful at times, with the exception of Type 1 Diabetes, most drugs should be used temporarily because they tend to suppress functions of the body and this suppresses the symptom or symptoms deeper int he body which will give you a new set of symptoms.  This is NOT a holistic approach at all.  This is SUPPRESSION.  In fact, did you know that the word ALLOPATHY, actually means to INCREASE SUFFERING.

Now having said all that, I will say I am not against drugs.  What I am against is the way our health system makes us believe it is “free health care”, when in fact, since we are one of the most taxed countries in the world…….where do you think some of that money goes to?  Especially when you consider that some drugs are marked up 3,000 per cent and it is covered by the government when this is given out in hospitals.

I believe we need health reform.  Not sure if that will happen.  But it can happen with you.  Take the time to find the cause of the problems you are having and if you pray about it see where God leads you.  Sometimes it might be pharmaceuticals, but many times “no”.  There is  a whole world out there in Natural Medicine that might have been discovered had the Eclectic Medical Schools had the money to stay open.  There is people like me that hold to their philosophy around healing you just have to seek us out.

Check out this article:http://www.planetherbs.com/history/what-is-eclecticism.html

It describes in detail Eclectic Medicine.

My heart goes out to a suffering world with huge medical expenses due to the greed of a few visionary people.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  We are the change.  We are holistic, because we were made as one unit…think about it.

How to Administer Herbs to Babies & Small Children

Administering herbs to small children & babies can be challenging to say the least.  There are a few things that you can have on hand to make this job easier and almost pleasant.  Most of these things are to sweeten the mixture so that the child will take it.  Some of these things are;

1.  Maple Syrup, most kids love this one.

2. Agave Syrup, good for low carbohydrate diets.

3. Honey, good for yeast free diets.

4. Glycerine, the best choice if you don’t want added calories.

5. Straw to suck the mixture down.

6. Small syringe to squirt the mixture down their throat.

Most tinctures of herbs that have an alcohol base can be mixed with glycerine or one of the other sweeteners listed above, to sweeten slightly to get the mixture down.  The more bitter the mixture, the more glycerine or other sweetener you will need.  Usually if you put 1 part tincture to 1 part glycerine it will be enough to sweeten it so the child can get it down.  Put it in a shot glass or another small glass and dilute a bit with purified water as well.  Then you can get the child to suck it down with a straw.

When you are using powdered herbs, that is a different story.  These need to be mixed into a smoothie of fruit or even mixed in with a little Aloe Vera juice with some glycerine for taste.  The problem with powders is that they have a texture as well as a taste and some children have a real problem with this.  The best thing in this case is to blend the powdered herb into a fruit smoothie.  Berries are ideal to do this with and don’t forget to add some hemp protein powder or some vegan protein powder if you want the drink thicker but are not using dairy products for the base of the smoothie.  You can also try just berries and ice cubes to make a thick shake without the protein or dairy base.

Some of the tinctures can be given as a tea to the child.  Just add boiling water and honey to taste or another sweetener of your choice.  This is important if the child has the flu or a cold and needs something hot to keep them warm.

Another idea to change the taste of a herbal mixture is to add either Peppermint or Spearmint essential oil to the mixture in the glass.  Just a couple of drops will do.

Can you “ear” me? Ear aches, infections & hearing.

Can you “ear” me? Ear aches, infections & hearing..

Can you “ear” me? Ear aches, infections & hearing.

The ears…oh to hear!  There is a lot about the ears to know, but I just want to briefly mention that the inner ear bones are ruled by the kidneys.  With improper mineral imbalances the inner ear can be impaired to hear!  Chinese herb combinations like KB-C made by Nature’s Sunshine are very good to help nourish the kidneys which will nourish the inner ear.

Other important factors such as mucus forming foods like dairy can really impair the ears by causing a lot of mucus congestion in the eustachian tubes which make the ears congested and can trap bacteria in them creating inflammation of the eardrum and external ear canal.

The obvious thing to do is to stop eating or ingesting dairy products in order to stop the congestion.  Goat’s milk, cheese and yogurt could also cause congestion, but it is not as usual.  You have to go by trial and error.  But make sure you are off Dairy for at least 7 days before you re-introduce another food because it takes about 1 week for the dairy to get out of your system.

Small children are very prone to getting ear infections if they ingest dairy because their ear canals are short so congestion travels quickly and so do the bacteria that cause the infection.  They need to drink clear fluids, get off dairy and then use some herbal ear drops to get rid of the infection.  (I will explain below what to use.)

If antibiotics are given, they destroy the gut flora which if done enough times will cause “small intestine bacteria overgrowth” called SIBO.  This can eventually cause the stomach not to function properly causing poor protein digestion and low serum B12 levels which eventually leads to low energy, lethargy, poor adrenal function, poor immune function and stamina.

The herbal oils to put in the ear to get rid of the infection are usually a combination, but I would make a garlic oil infusion with olive oil.  Squeeze a garlic clove into some olive oil and allow to sit for about 30 minutes in the oil, which is best in a 30 ml dropper bottle with the lid on it and put in a mug of hot water.  Take the skim off the top in order not to get the crushed garlic in the dropper tube.  Test the oil on your wrist to make sure it is not too hot before putting in the ear!  Put in the ear and fill up the whole canal then place a piece of cotton in the ear to stop the oil from leaking out.

Another oil you can make is using St. John’s wort, garlic, mullein flowers and lobelia.  Often you will have to buy the formula already made up to use since some of the herbs may not be readily available.  This oil helps to relax the ear as well as fight the infection.  You can use it exactly like the garlic oil as above.

If the ear is quite sore and you cannot get the combination oil as listed in the previous paragraph, then you can rub Lobelia tincture around the outside of the ear and down the eustachian tube on the outside of the jaw line.  This will relax the ear canal and the ear and help the garlic oil penetrate deeper.  Lavender oil can also be used to rub on the outside of the ear to help relax and let the garlic oil or combination oil penetrate the ear deeper.

Echinacea or Peppermint tea with honey can be given internally to help decongest the whole ear and nasal passage as well as build up the immune system.  Some other herbs like Oregano, Rosehips Elderberry, Yarrow, Cayenne can also be helpful.  The key to giving it to children is to use honey to sweeten the healing potion, so that they can get it down without too many complaints.  Keep giving the internal support until the infection clears up.

Use unsweetened almond milk as a substitute for milk or even the newer hemp seed milk can be nice as well.

If there is earaches without infections, then you must use the garlic oil in the ear canal, but you may also need a homeopathic single remedy like Pulsatilla or Phosphorus in order to get long lasting results.  Sometimes other herbs like Astralagus or Burdock can be used to build up the whole immune system which will stop the propensity to ear aches.

These are the ways to get rid of ear infections or earaches without destroying your gut or your kid’s gut!  Gut health is health!  It is the most important thing you can do for your health is to keep the gut health integrity alive!  If it is alive you will be alive and energetic.  Only use antibiotics for life threatening illnesses and only for as long as you need them, then build your gut flora up right away with fermented foods and probiotics!