Natural Tips for Cold & Flu...

It hits everyone from time to time, no matter how healthy and no matter what precautions you take,

everyone at some point or another gets a cold or the flu.

And if you know anything about our family, it's that we always choose the natural route - to everything.

We always make sure we eat organic plant based foods,

we are active and get outdoors, and we take care of our mental health,

so it's no surprise that when we get sick, we choose not to take any over the counter medications or pills,

but rather stick to a more natural approach.

I am not a professional, so please do what is best for you.

I am just taking you down the path that my research and experience has showed me, and what works for my family.

The flu has been a topic of discussion in our house over the last couple of weeks, because my mom is visiting from South Africa and came with a touch of flu - and that, coupled with the changing seasons, set off a chain of events that took us all down within days of each other.

But the reason it's been such a big topic for discussion,

is because my mom is like most people, who, when they get sick,

will take conventional meds and use conventional methods to treat herself without a second thought about it.

So you better believe I was going to take the opportunity to share my wisdom with her.

Especially because she takes quite a lot of chronic meds as it is.

I think a lot of people forget how powerful food and herbs can be,

and just how effective they are for treating almost anything.

We are so bombarded with adverts for over the counter meds,

that most of us don't think twice about what we are actually ingesting, because we don't believe that the 'people in charge' or pharmaceutical company's would give us anything harmful.

This is where my naturally curious and slightly rebellious personality jumps in, because I like to think I'm the one in charge,

and I like to know exactly what it is I'm putting in and on my body, and why.

Being a vegan and environmental enthusiast,

I have no doubt in my mind that the government,

pharmaceutical company's and whoever else,

have got nothing in mind but the bottom line,

and they will, and DO feed and sell us hundreds of products that they are fully aware cause cancer, and are harmful to humans.

Just think about the fact that cold meats have been put on the level one carcinogen list with cigarettes and alcohol, yet there are shelves of the stuff everywhere being fed to our children daily.

It really isn't that hard to find the correct and true information if you go looking for it in the right places.

But let's not go down that road right now...

Let's talk about what the average person will do when they come down with a cold or flu.

It's no secret that it can make a person feel really lousy,

almost like you've been hit by a car and need hospitalisation kinda lousy.

So a lot of people will go straight to the doctor in hopes of getting antibiotics.

A lot of other people will go straight for the chemist and stock up on nose spray and cold & flu tablets, maybe even ibuprofen or other pain meds, cough syrups and lozenges.

I wasn't ever super into meds, but I did my fair share of this once upon a time.

But after changing my lifestyle, doing my own research, and not putting my trust in strangers who only care about the bottom line,

I came out the other side more aware of what my body needs, and how I can really help it.

Just like so many other things in this world that get said or seemingly understood - but actually don't, over the counter meds are no different.

I know that I never really thought about what they were really doing,

I just always thought they'd make me better.

But as most of us know, they are only there to cover up or relieve symptoms.

And antibiotics are for really serious bacterial infections,

that is literally all they are good for.

And considering that most of the bugs that circulate these days are viral,

it's not going to do a single thing for you, except make your immune system weaker and ultimately destroy your gut biome, that is vitally responsible for your health.

The reason we think it works, is because we have to finish the cycle,

and usually the virus has run its course by then,

so naturally we assume it was because of the meds right?

not our amazing bodies that are designed to heal us with the proper rest and fuel.

Same goes for cold & flu tablets, lozenges and nose spray etc,

it's all just powerful, potentially harmful chemicals covering up the symptoms for a couple of hours at a time.

It's not nourishing your body, it's not giving it the fuel it needs to boost your immune system and fight off the foreign bodies,

it's not even taking away your pain by fixing the source of it.

An ibuprofen tablet works on your brain, telling it not to feel the pain, it's not actually taking away the pain.

The second that I truly understood and grasped this was where things changed for me.

I couldn't keep taking things that were ultimately coming with a list of side effects far worse than what I was feeling,

just to simply cover up the symptoms.

I wanted something that was not going to have any side effects, and actually go straight to the problem to tackle it head on, fixing it, not just covering it up.

Just like other changes I have made in my life,

there were expectations that had to be adjusted.

Like when I stopped using shampoo, or soap, I had to ask myself if smelling like flowers was worth the chemicals, plastic and stripping of my natural oils that came along with it,

or if I could and would just get use to the smell of me.

Using food and herbal remedies to treat illness works,

there is no doubt about that,

but at the same time you can't take a pill and 20 minutes later have no headache.

You need to ask yourself whether or not you are willing to still feel a bit of a headache, and rest and experience mild symptoms,

while your body heals itself,

or if getting rid of the symptoms at the expense of the side effects are worth it for you.

Most people totally ignore those leaflets that come in boxes of medication.

I was one of those people, thinking yeah yeah I know all about that.

But do yourself a favour and read one.

Even what you thought was the most mild and "natural" of meds can give you some very real and very scary side effects.

You have to get honest with yourself and get in touch with your body,

and even more importantly with your mind.

Trust yourself.

So here is what we do have in our medicine cabinet,

and what we use for colds & flu.

It's normal to feel weak and really run down, so first things first - rest.

We take time off our usual chores and responsibilities and just rest.

You won't be of any use to anyone if you don't give yourself time to rest, especially in those first couple of body-ache days.

We also increase our liquid intake,

not only water but also freshly brewed ginger tea.

Ginger is a serious immune booster and also great at relieving symptoms momentarily,

so it's great for helping with body aches and headaches because of it's anti-inflammatory properties,

at the same time that it's healing, nourishing and assisting your body in fighting off the virus.

This is our main helper - ginger, ginger, ginger!

We take a big bowl of fresh ginger - peel and chop it, put it in a big pot of water to simmer for 30 minutes, and then let it steep for a while after that. We put that in a jug in the fridge and use it to make ginger tea with lemon.

The nice thing about ginger other than the fact that it's so good for your health, symptoms and illness in general,

is that you can have as much as you want and enjoy it with no side effects. Unless clear skin and great gut health counts as side effects.

We also juice ginger, and take ginger shots in the morning, for a boost.

The shots are very effective for seeking out the problem area.

Each one of us will feel the warmth of the ginger shot in the area that we are struggling with the most.

Vern is quite a chesty person, so he feels it in his chest,

and I am usually more throaty, so that's where I feel it.

It's like a little targeted ninja that goes straight to the worst enemy.

We have also used extra strength ginger capsules in the past that worked wonders, so if you aren't the kind of person who can stomach ginger, then I highly recommend trying those.

***

Congestion is also a major part of being ill, and can lead to some pretty nasty symptoms like sinus headaches, and all sorts.

The way we tackle this instead of using nose sprays or sinus tablets,

is by using sea salt spray.

Best invention ever!

It is literally nothing but sea salt in a spray can, that you just flush everything out with.

So using this every so often when you are getting clogged up, helps a treat.

But steaming; regular saline spray (the one for babies), or even forward fold in yoga, all work well to drain the sinuses.

We just keep clearing and blowing and doing whatever it takes to get it out. We do not sniff it in, because this blocks the sinuses and also turns into a more chesty situation.

***

If we do have a sore throat,

which is the worst for me, with swollen glands and pain pain pain -

we gargle with warm salty water at regular intervals, and also just rest with a warm cloth or bean bag on our necks.

I'm also a huge fan of essential oils, and we utilise these on our skin in different places for relief too, like eucalyptus and peppermint.

Sipping on ginger tea or peppermint tea are also great for soothing throats.

***

Another big thing we do is obviously increase nutritious foods.

Most of the time we don't really feel like eating anything, but when we do we make sure it's fresh organic fruit and vegetables,

home made vegetable broths, and anything that is going to boost the immune system.

Never underestimate the power of wholesome, nutritious food.

For aches and pains and headaches, we use a good quality CO2 extracted CBD oil, as well as magnesium spray, which is specifically for relaxing muscles and soothing aches and pains.

I swear by magnesium spray for so many things, and anyone who knows me can attest to how I go on about the stuff.

It's incredible stuff, and once again, it's something your body needs and wants, so you can use to your hearts content.

***

All of these things are nourishing our bodies and boosting our immune systems, at the same time as relieving symptoms and helping us actually get better, not just feel better.

They are all natural, so we can have as much as we want or need to,

without any worries about taking too much,

and they have no side effects, so we don't have any added struggles,

that most people think are just from being sick,

but can actually be from the meds itself.

I definitely want to emphasise that when we are sick,

we listen to our bodies and give it time to heal.

Plenty of sleep and rest is key, and all you really can do,

whether you are taking conventional meds, or natural food and herbs,

is let it run its course.

The big difference is that you are 100% speeding up the process by giving your body all the tools it needs to keep strong and fight the enemy,

rather than putting in more foreign substances that it has to try and utilise, while trying to filter out all the added sugars and other nasty stuff.

Sometimes I feel like I want to stand on top of a mountain and scream this out into the universe,

because I have seen it work time after time,

and have even had the opportunity to see it work time and time again alongside conventional meds users, with much greater success.

We are never ill more than 3 days, and we go through all the same stages,

but we move through them swiftly and get better and stronger so much faster than we ever did before we adopted this way of life.

I don't know when or why herbal medicine stopped being a thing,

or when they got labelled as some wishy washy thing that people stopped taking seriously,

but food and herbs work,

full stop.

Pharmacies haven't always been around, so how did people successfully treat themselves before they came about?

And how does half the world still successfully treat many, many illnesses with herbal remedies?

Next time you have a cold or flu, try the ginger tea,

that alone will give you such a boost.

And I really hope that through all my ranting you have found something that can help you and heal you.

Get well soon!

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