Every year about this time I find myself in the midst of hackers and sneezers. While most people seek out over the counter medications to relieve their symptoms, unfortunately some OTC medications can have some pretty serious side effects. Some raise blood pressure, some can even cause liver toxicity and most suppress normal immune response.
Look no further than the kitchen and garden for relief. Some of my favorite natural remedies consist of herbs that can be found in most people’s spice cabinet. Ginger, which can be found fresh in most grocery store produce sections is turning out to be high on my list of home remedies. It is anti-viral, which cold and flu both are, and helps relieve nausea. Because it stimulates the flow of blood, it is anti-inflammatory and it has a warming energy handy for these chilly mountain mornings. Ginger is active against antibiotic resistant bacteria like staph. It is also synergistic in that it can enhance the action of pharmaceutical antibiotics increasing their potency especially against resistant bacteria. Some studies have shown it to be more effective at killing cancer cells than cancer medication without damaging healthy cells. Worth mentioning, I would heavily advise against wasting your money on powdered ginger if you expect to get medicinal action from it. Ginger should have a strong smell and flavor to be effective. The ginger juice mixture shown below is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory as well as providing vitamin C, a necessity for cold & flu season.
Vitamin C
In regards to Vitamin C, most supplements found over the counter are made from ascorbic acid. Not the same thing as Vitamin C, ascorbic acid is only a fraction or an isolate in naturally occurring vitamin C. Vitamins do not consist of individual compounds. They cannot be isolated from the complex and perform necessary functions in the cells. They are biologically complex and a number of factors need to be present for them to actually work. My point being this, naturally occurring vitamin C is the best method of delivery. Where can we get naturally occurring Vitamin C? Some excellent food sources include citrus fruits, leafy greens such as spinach and green or red peppers. Lightly cooked or raw is best. Other naturally occurring sources are pine needles and rose hips. Pine needles can be cut and made into tea by pouring hot water over them. Steep only 3 minutes or so or you will feel like you’re drinking turpentine. While hovering over your cup of pine needle tea, take a few deep breaths to allow the volatile oils to coat the respiratory system as a preventative. Tea can also be made from rose hips. Just one rose hip can provide as much vitamin C as 3 lemons. Another easy method of ingesting vitamin C is to dry the peel of organic citrus fruit and grind it into a powder. One teaspoon per day stirred into water is recommended.
Back to the kitchen, no medicine chest would be complete without gingers golden cousin, turmeric. One of the most versatile herbs in the kitchen. Per the website http://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-benefits/turmeric-and-the-flu
laboratory studies have shown that curcumin, an active constituent in turmeric reduced viral replication by up to 90% in cells infected with the influenza virus. It is a potent antimicrobial meaning it is antiviral, antibiotic and antifungal to name a few. It’s also anti-oxidant, assisting the immune. It is powerfully anti-inflammatory in action and has shown benefit to those stricken with inflammation from arthritis to Alzheimer’s. Talk about bang for your buck. Turmeric has got to be one of the most inexpensive and versatile food/medicines available.
Garlic
Yet another antimicrobial found in most kitchens. Per herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner, “No other herb comes close to the multiple system actions of garlic, its antibiotic activity & its immune potentiating power.” Garlic contains hundreds of minerals and nutrients. Again fresh garlic is best, it should always be strong smelling and strong to the taste buds. Some of its healing power actually comes from a chain reaction of compounds produced by bruising or crushing the clove. The supplements found in stores that are deodorized are not going to have nearly the power or strength of the fresh herb. Although many people are subconscious about smelling like garlic, maybe there is some truth to the old wives tale about keeping the vampires away. Rich in vitamin c and potassium, garlic can help make your meals an opportunity for healing.
To learn more about garlic, there’s a whole book written on the subject called The Healing Power of Garlic by Paul Bergner.
Why are herbs better?
As with over the counter vitamins, many pharmaceutical antibiotics are isolated chemical constituents. They are one compound or one chemical – penicillin is penicillin, tetracycline is tetracycline etc. This makes them easier for bacteria to adapt to and counteract. In contrast, herbs are much more complicated. Garlic has over 33 sulfur compounds, 17 amino acids and a dozen other compounds. The different compounds work synergystically with each other. The complex ingredients of herbs work together in concert which is probably what makes them effective and safe. They don’t encourage antibiotic resistance or destroy gut bacteria as with pharmaceutical antibiotics. One of the things I love the most about herbs is they have a multitude of uses unlike over the counter or pharmaceutical medications which are typically used for only one purpose. When I write about the herbs and their uses I feel as if I am only touching the tip of the ice burg.
The beauty of “food” like herbs is that you can’t take too much but they sure can pack a punch when it comes to knocking out an illness. Ginger, turmeric and garlic bring with them the wisdom of the ages. All three are ancient spices and have been used for thousands and thousands of years without one single documented case of overdose or death.
I often wonder when the notion that eating well would contribute to better health fell by the wayside. It certainly did happen somewhere down the line as evidenced by the rise in the health and pharmaceutical industry. When I consider cooking with herbs as preventative medicine, it makes a whole lot more sense to me coming from that angle. No mystery about it. Many of your kitchen herbs are immune boosting and antimicrobial. I can’t think of one single fast food that can show benefit or positive results regarding your health. In fact, I believe leaving our health in the hands of doctors and resorting to fast food and processed packaged food to be the leading cause of obesity and diabetes as well as lowered immune function to say the least.
Ginger, turmeric and cayenne can easily be grown in the garden or even indoors. Using fresh ginger or turmeric, plant the root knobs up and watch your medicine grow.
A great ginger juice recipe for the onset of cold or flu
Juice 3 pieces of fresh ginger about the size of your thumb. Add about 10 ounces of hot water, a squeeze of lemon or lime, approximately 1/16 tsp of cayenne pepper and a bit of honey to sweeten. Drink 3-4 cups per day or more if you feel a monster coming on. You can take the remaining pulp from juicing, soak it 4-8 hours in water and drink the liquid. An alternative to ginger ale can be made by adding honey and club soda to the remaining liquid.
Folk remedy garlic foot wrap
Mince 4 cloves of garlic, make a thick paste with olive oil and spread on the soles of the feet. Cover with cotton socks. Best done before bedtime. If the person is sensitive place a cloth between the garlic paste and the skin. For children use 1 clove.
Garlic honey lemonade because everything is better with a little bit of honey.
2 cloves finely minced garlic. Add to 1 quart mason jar and fill with boiling water. Cover 30 minutes and strain. Add the juice of one whole lemon. Sweeten with honey. Serve warm.
**Large doses of ginger should be avoided in pregnancy, however used in moderation can be effective against morning sickness.
Mari Marques is a Certified Herbalist and owner of The Thymekeeper. For questions or more information contact: Mari at mugsyspad@aol.com or 719-439-7303.
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