Hiippocrates once said, “let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” But what does that mean exactly? Sure we can use REAL food to nourish, energize and keep our bodies healthy, but what about as medicine when we are not feeling well? or can’t get rid of a certain nagging chronic sickness?
Certain foods, herbs, spices, essential oils even chiropractic care and acupuncture have been used for centuries to cure and heal common ailments before we even had any medicines, or what we would consider today as common household medicine’s. These were the medicines! As much as I love nutrition and fitness I also have a strong interest in alternative medicine. This is mainly because so many of the home remedies I have tried and cooked up in my own kitchen actually have worked on myself and my family! Sure I believe in medicine and its ability to help many people when in need. But common over the counter medications can be dangerous if used to much and they don’t do much but put a band-aid over what the real problem is.
Alternative medicine uses natural compounds from healing foods that work with the body to heal itself. They are also safe and many can be purchased at your local health store or made right in your own kitchen without any scary side-effects to worry about.
The best and first home remedy is really not a remedy but an ongoing lifestyle we need to try to adapt to keep us in good standing health. This is to eat a whole REAL foods diet full of pastured eggs, healthy fats like pastured butter, flax, olive oil, coconut oil, raw or organic grass fed full fat dairy, wild seafood, grass fed beef, pastured poultry, vegetables and fruits (preferably organic), fermented vegetables, and minimal whole grains prepared by soaking first and occasional gluten free grains.
Without these sound health food staples in the diet the body will be constantly run down and it will be difficult to stay and keep healthy. If sickness does strike this winter before you run out to the drugstore or run to the medicine cabinet, first try these home remedies to help your body heal itself on its own naturally…..
EARLY STAGES OF A COLD or VIRUS➔
Peel 3 raw garlic cloves smash and swallow with lemon water (like you would a vitamin). Do this in the a.m. and p.m. Smashing the garlic causes a chemical reaction that releases allicin. Allicin is a powerful antibacterial only present shortly after garlic is crushed and before it is heated. Eating fresh garlic will knock out that terrible feeling associated with the onset of a cold. Do this for a few days until the bug is gone! Also drink plenty of water and hot unsweetened herbal chamomile tea throughout your day, avoid sugar and flour, eat or juice foods high in vitamin C like red peppers, broccolli, kale, and citrus fruits, take cod liver oil, and exercise to sweat out toxins.
FULL BLOWN COLD,SNEEZING,RUNNY NOSE ➔
So if the cold has set in and is in full force consider making homemade bone broth from pastured meat bones. This is the ancient way and how soup broth or chicken noodle soup became known as a soothing nourishing food for a cold. Today’s commercial soups are loaded with excess sodium and preservatives, even boxed broths you need to watch out for. Its best to make your own broth. It is rich with minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, and trace minerals. Check out the Weston A. Price article “Broth is Beautiful” for recipes and more information. Also a supplemental form of vitamin D and cod liver oil will help build up the immune system, eating light clean foods, avoiding sugar and flour, exercise if you are up to it, and use plain saline spray in the nose to moisturize nasal passages.
SORE THROAT ➔
Add a pinch of celtic salt and two pinches of turmeric powder to a glass of warm water and gargle then spit out. Do this a few times per day and drink green tea with 1 TBLS of raw honey and lemon throughout your day.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger, a pinch of cloves, a pinch of cinnamon powder, and one teaspoon of honey to a cup of boiled water and drink it as tea. Eliminate sugar, flour, and dairy especially as it can create excess mucus in the body.
SINUS PROBLEMS AND HEADACHES ➔
Drink peppermint and spearmint tea with ginger in it. Grate and smell horseradish. Drink bone broth with a pinch of cayenne in it. Headaches are many times caused by dehydration and stress so drink plenty of water and try to chill. If you have persistent headaches or migraines you may be magnesium deficient. Try eating more magnesium rich foods such as nuts, and chlorophyll rich vegetables such as spinach or taking it in supplement form.
TUMMY TROUBLES (STOMACH FLU)➔
It is a myth that sugary carbonated drinks such as soda, Vernor’s, lemonade, or juice can ease stomach problems. If anything they may make matters worse. We need hydrating liquids such as plain water or warm tea when dealing with the stomach bug. If you have vomited let the stomach completely rest for at least 3-4 hours. Once this time has passed and there is no vomiting sip SMALL amounts of water. Do this for the next 1-2 hours. Next you need to take a high quality probiotic in higher than normal dosages throughout the day until you start to feel better. Also drinking kombucha tea and hot tea steeped with grated raw ginger will help settle the stomach. For children its important to watch for dehydration and get to a hospital if necessary. Otherwise the above guidelines can be followed. If they insist on eating something, small bites of a banana or baked apple or organic applesauce are good to start on.
JUST A FEW MORE NOTES….. if you do end up having to take antibiotics make sure you are also taking a potent probiotic. Antibiotics can be very helpful but along with taking out all the bad bacteria they also strip the gut of the good. Chronic antibiotic use can lead to long term stomach, intestinal, and health problems due to insufficient “good bugs” in the body.
When it comes to children many home remedies can easily be scaled down to their liking. Of course your toddler is not going to swallow garlic but you can be sure to add in extra into the meals that day. Also eliminating flour, sugar, and pasteurized dairy on sick days will help. Some good staples for kids most common ailments are herbal teas with raw honey and lemon, homemade bone broth, cod liver oil, elderberry syrup, and probiotics.
Its time to start trusting mother nature. She has been creating and perfecting healing chemicals in plants for nearly 4 billion years! You will be surprised at how you can prevent getting sick and how quickly you blow past common ailments when you use alternative treatments and a REAL whole foods diet.
Sources:
Healthy Self – Dr. Paul Chabra, Prescription for Nutritional Healing- Phyllis A. Balch, Healing with Whole Foods – Paul Pitchford.
I think this is a real great post. Cool.
insurancewhisper
Great thank you for the feedback!