Walking Therein

Posted By Jacque on September 27, 2009

I originally wrote this up in April, when all the talk of Influenza came out. We have dealt with Influenza before, when everyone in our family got in 2007. At that time, it took us each a few days to get over it, except for Caleb, who it took almost eight weeks. As I was writing this up, my Aunt emailed me some information and recommendations of her own. I have always respected my Aunt’s opinion in medical issues, because has been in the health care field for as long as I have known her, and because she is willing to use natural remedies instead of always going directly to the pharmaceuticals. This is what emailed me, and I got her permission to include her recommendations in my post:

Hello everyone,
In today’s news there is a lot of press about the possibility of a pandemic flu.  Many have asked me about what they need to do to prevent getting ill—so here are my holistic recommendations to help you create a healthy body in order to stay healthy during any pandemic episode—plus some tips on taking care if you become ill.

The recent news about the Swine Flu has created a media panic. Having worked with CDC for over 15 years, I know that, while this strand of the flu has not been seen in a generation, there is no cause for alarm. All viruses behave in the same way, and most mutate during each flu season as well. The lack of immunity is not a cause for alarm. It IS a call for better diet and lifestyle.

To your health~ (Her recommendations are below)

I have been adding to this post in the past week and organizing it. I have had several people ask me about remedies for influenza and the GOOT recipe. Today, I saw so many people on FB who are under the weather that I figured I better go ahead and post it.

The main thing to remember is that prevention is the best medicine. Waiting to apply these things to your life until you are sick is going to make it harder to recover, not to mention, you will likely then spread it to several people around you before you even realize how sick you are.

In our own home our first line of defense has been to pray and ask the LORD’s protection on ourselves and our animals.
Matt handles packages and mail from all over the country and the world, and we are believing and in prayer for protection from the Most High.

Another way to protect your body is to strengthen your immune system. There are many proactive ways to do so.

Be sure to eat foods or take supplements with natural sources of the following:

Garlic – natural antibiotic, eat it raw and use the GOOT recipe

Vitamin C – citrus fruit, red chile, and many others.

Zinc -

Probiotics: yogurt, kefir, acidophilus

B-vitamins help combat stress, which wears on your immune system. Natural sources of B-vitamins are: potatoes, beans, bananas, brewer’s yeast, molasses, tuna, chile peppers

Coconut oil – You can see info on Virgin Coconut Oil here.

Other herbs that will strengthen your immune system include:

*Echinacea – this has long been a cold and Flu remedy. See below for its purposes.

*Olive Leaf Extract – My midwife gave me this as an all-around remedy a few years back when we were preparing for our first home birth. My Aunt gave the details of its purposes below.

Be sure to:

Get plenty of rest so your body can heal itself, even before you have flu symptoms.

Get out in the sunshine daily. Vitamin D has been proven to contain properties that are able to prevent and remedy Influenza. Get into the sun for 10-20 minutes per day.
See: Vitamin D Kills the Flu Virus

Get moderate exercise to keep your body healthy and your immune system stimulated.

Consider buying organic. Organic foods do not contain the pesticides that are found in most foods today. Pesticides will obviously wreak havoc on your body’s immune system and other systems.

Drink plenty of water each day. I learned a long time ago that fluids is not enough. While you must always keep your fluid intake up, water is necessary to flush out toxins and keep the body healthy. Also, beware of the dangers of bottles waters. They are not all as healthy as previously supposed.

Chicken soup as a healing aid is not an old wives’ tale: Broth is Beautiful Broth recipes and information.

Avoid the following foods, as they are counter-productive to a healthy immune system:

The whites: white bread, white sugar, white flour.

Junk food is also full of sugars, fats, high salt content and other nutrient-wasting sources.

Soda pop is full of corn syrup, sugars and other bad things that take away from the health of your body.

Antibiotics may be necessary in dire circumstances, but they will kill all of the good flora in your system and disable your body from properly fighting off other harmful things. To counteract them, you must give your body the good probiotics it needs to keep a “healthy gut”. Probiotics are listed above and also below.

The brand of natural vitamins I trust is Shaklee brand. They are very effective and I trust the brand. I know there are also very good brands to be found in health food stores, but most OTC vitamins, etc. are not even used in the body, so be sure to get a good recommended brand.

As you know, these are recommendations and not meant in any way to be a diagnosis or a prescription. You should always discuss any concerns you have with your medical professional.

Here are my Aunt’s recommendations:

Viruses will not multiply in a healthy body.

We constantly are exposed to and have viruses in our body yet we rarely experience them. The same is true of this Swine Flu and other viral strains. Exposure will lead to disease only if the immune system is suppressed and if the vitality of the person is weakened. Using herbs and vitamins will increase your health and reduce your susceptibility.

DIGESTION
Some say that the flu virus “begins in the gut and ends in the gut”. This means that if you have good digestion, you will increase your resistance to this and other flu strains. Therefore, it is recommended to take a probiotic daily*. Live probiotics are available in natural food stores, and probiotics are now more widely available in grocery stores, in yogurt culture and even in chocolate.

LIFESTYLE ADVICE
1. Get Plenty of Sleep
To improve your resistance to any disease, the most important thing you can do is get enough rest. Your body knows how to heal, and it does this best when sleeping. Get adequate rest on a daily basis, and if you begin to feel fatigue during a time of increased stress to your immune system, take naps, get into bed earlier, relax and let your body do what it does best: restore and rebuild.

2. Hydrate
Our bodies are 80% water. Drink plenty of water each day to stay hydrated and to allow the body to flush toxins from the blood and the liver. Drink pure water, not soda or juice, for best results.

3. Exercise
Exercise increases your resistance to disease. It stimulates the cleansing blood flow and increases your natural stress reducing hormones. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to be beneficial. Science has shown that walking daily is good for your health and well being.

4. Spend time outdoors
The healing benefits of nature are yours and all you need to do is step outside. The fresh air cleanses your lungs and the vitamin D from sunshine is great for general health. Even on a rainy day or at night, the fresh air is beneficial. Please dress appropriately to avoid being chilled—being chilled adds more stress to the body.

5. Exercise
Exposure to nature and the great outdoors helps healthy emotions.

HERBS TO BUILD PROTECTION AND NATURAL IMMUNITY
1.Echinaea–Echinacea is best taken in advance of getting sick and for only ten days at a time per month. Echinaea is considered to be an immunostimulator, stimulating the body’s non-specific immune system and warding off infections.

2.Olive Leaf–a superior herb to use. Natural olive leaf and olive leaf extracts (OLE), are now marketed as immunostimulator, natural antibiotic, and an antiaging chemical. Clinical evidence has proven the blood pressure lowering effects of carefully extracted Olive Leaf Extracts. Bioassays support its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory effects at a laboratory level. A liquid extract made directly from fresh olive leaves recently gained international attention when it was shown to have an antioxidant capacity almost double green tea extract and 400% higher than Vitamin C.

3.Elderberries –an excellent and highly effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that stimulates the immune system.

A study published five years ago showed that 93% of flu patients given extract were completely symptom-free within two days; those taking a placebo recovered in about six days. A current current study shows that, indeed, it works for type A flu, reports lead researcher Erling Thom, with the University of Oslo in Norway. Thom’s findings were presented at the 15th Annual Conference on Antiviral Research. The study has been accepted for publication in the Journal of International Medical Research. The study involved 60 patients who had been suffering with flu symptoms for 48 hours or less; 90% were infected with the A strain of the virus, 10% were infected with type B. Half the group took 15 milliliters of extract or and the other group took a placebo four times a day for five days. Patients in the extract group had “pronounced improvements” in flu symptoms after three days: Nearly 90% of patients had complete cure within two to three days. Also, the extract group had no drowsiness, the downside of many flu treatments. The placebo group didn’t recover until at least day six; they also took more painkillers and nasal sprays. It’s likely that antioxidants called flavonoids — which are contained in the extract — stimulate the immune system, writes Thom. Also, other compounds in elderberry, called anthocyanins, have an anti-inflammatory effect; this could explain the effect on aches, pains, and fever. Elderberry extract could be an “efficient and safe treatment” for flu symptoms in otherwise healthy people and for those with compromised immune systems, such as the elderly, Thom adds.
Russell Greenfield, MD, a leading practitioner of integrative medicine and medical director of Carolinas Integrative Health, advocates treating flu with black elderberry, he says in a news release. “It can be given to children and adults, and with no known side effects or negative interactions,” he says. “But don’t expect grandma’s elderberry jam” to ease flu symptoms like body aches, cough, and fever, he warns. “Extract is the only black elderberry preparation shown effective in clinical studies.”

4 Adaptogens–
Adaptogens are plants that have the ability to resist chemical and biological stressors and to pass that ability on to humans. Eleutherococcus research has shown a 30% to 50% decrease in influenza in Russian workers. Shisandra has long been used in Chinese medicine to improve immune function through its healing action on the liver. In recent research, Shisandra proved curative to the viral hepatitis. Codonopsis is another adaptogen used in Chinese herbal medicine. It increases the red and white blood cell counts and strengthens the immune system.

VITAMINS
1. Vitamin A is one of the main components of the skin. To strengthen the skin’s protective ability, take vitamin A daily. Vitamin A also increases the white blood cells that fight disease.
2. Vitamin C –Research has shown that vitamin C improves resistance to disease and prevents flu symptoms when 1,000 mg doses are taken every six hours.
3. NAC is an amino acid that has been shown to raise immunity to the flu in clinical trials.
4.*Probiotics. Healthy flora in the gut supports immune function.

By improving your lifestyle, your diet, and supplementing with natural herbs and vitamins, you can improve your immune system and your overall vitality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you fall ill with the flu—monitor your symptoms…If symptoms persist or if a high fever develops, it is best to seek immediate medical attention. If normal flu and malaise symptoms are present, follow these common sense guidelines and let the body heal itself.

1.Bed rest
2.When you are ill, being active will weaken your defenses. This can make you susceptible to possible future complications.
3.Maintain a consistent room temperature and avoid changes like going outside, because this puts extra strain on the body.
4.Drink plenty of fluids, at least one quart of liquid a day.
When you have a fever, you lose body fluids through perspiration, and dehydration can occur. Also, you can get the nutrients you need to heal from liquids, especially if you drink soups or juices that contain nutrients and electrolytes. Chicken soup has been shown to be effective in treating colds and flu. Juices of both fruits and vegetables provide easily absorbed vitamins. If you drink soda, allow it to go flat before drinking or it may make you more nauseated. Do not drink alcohol as it lowers you immunity and can lengthen the duration of your recovery.

Suggested protocol for treating the flu:
1. When you first feel symptoms and for duration of the flu…
Vitamin C. 1000/hour
Zinc- a few times a day
Cod liver oil- 1 tsp 2x a day or 1 capsule 2x a day.

2. Foods to speed recover of the flu:
Chicken soup with cayenne pepper
Lemonade with cayenne and maple syrup
Hydrate with natural sports drinks that contain sodium, chloride, and potassium
Bland diet- white rice
Eliminate SUGAR, DAIRY, and artificial chemicals from diet

3. For fever:
Elderflower peppermint tea

4. For sore throat
Carrot poultice
Gargle with salt
Lemon and honey tea

5. Foods to avoid:
Dairy products (cheese, milk, eggs, butter, ice cream, etc.) produce extra mucus. Also avoid sugar, soft drinks, artificial sweeteners, MSG, food additives, aerosol sprays, fried foods, saturated fat, white pasta and bread, salt, all sulfites and preservatives and processed foods.

6. GENERAL RULES FOR TREATING THE FLU
Stay home and rest. Let your body spend its energy healing.
Stay warm.
Get plenty of rest.
Hydrate.

Again, See a doctor if symptoms persist of if you develop a high fever.
And, as always, be sure to consult with your physician before starting any new health regime.

For a balanced view and information about different strains of influenza, including the swine strain, Mercola.com is a good place to look: Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction?

On Tamiflu: At age 2, Caleb was prescribed Tamiflu after testing positive for influenza. After paying the outrageous $80 for the Rx w/insurance, we noticed that it did not make him better. His fever went up, he felt worse even if he had been feeling better for the entire day, and we discontinued its use with him after a couple of doses. Upon speaking with an ER Doc, I was told that Tamiflu only helps 50% of those who take it. It will not be effective if you have had Influenza for over the 24-48 hour initial onset of the illness, either. Basically, he agreed that it was not worth giving it to Caleb, which gave me the reassurance I needed to throw it away.

Today, I found this: Tamiflu May Kill Children. Oxford University. Having given it to him and noticed it was not right for him, I am glad we didn’t give him any more of it.

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