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Cold and Flu Remedies by Meg McGowan Conscious Choice Winter is a time for turning inward, toward home, family, and self. If we listen, we are aware of a directive to slow down and refocus. That makes the next few months an ideal time to explore ways to prevent and treat illness, especially the colds and flus that plague our winter days. The first step in prevention is keeping our immune systems strong throughout the winter months, and keeping germs at bay. For that purpose, Echinacea (sans Goldenseal) may be taken throughout the winter as a tonic for the immune system. Take one capsule three times a day as a preventive measure, increasing dosages as recommended with the onset of symptoms. (Medicinal herbal tonics are best taken in cycles rather than continuously. Three weeks on, one week off, is a good rule of thumb.) Baptisia australis aids in resisting infection. Horseradish (armoracia rusticana) and nasturtium (Tropacolum majus) are both warming and rich in vitamin C, with anti-infective properties. A teaspoon of grated horseradish in boiling water makes a bracing drink for winter chills. These herbs, as well as garlic, may be added to a winter diet to increase natural resistance. Consider incorporating essential oils into your personal care routine for an extra measure of defense; all possess antiseptic properties. Select high quality, pure oils and prepare your body before exposing it to the elements. Add several drops to your bath water, or apply using a loofah or cloth as you shower; try geranium, lavender, and tea tree oils. Combine essential oils with a carrier oil--about five drops per teaspoon--for a body oil. Blend oils for your own personal scent. A handkerchief or tissue imbued with a drop of cinnamon, lavender, or tea tree can provide an instant inhalation if you are in the company of obvious germ-carriers. Lemon, lavender, and orange essential oils are good choices for sprays to purify the air around you, or the mouthpiece of a communal phone. Use a minimum of four drops per cup of water. If a sore throat threatens, place cotton imbued with a drop of lavender oil in each ear. Wear continuously for 7-10 days. Examine the stress level in your life as well. Chronic stress severely compromises the immune system. Relentlessly extending yourself beyond your limits is never advisable, but continuing to do so during the winter months is also at odds with your body's natural seasonal inclinations. Winter is a time for rest and rejuvenation. Take time to evaluate your priorities and eliminate needless pressures. Learn meditation or yoga, or explore another neglected area of interest. Don't, however, just add more commitments to your schedule. Instead, simplify and focus. Most herbal and homeopathic medicines recommend that you should begin treatment at the first sign of illness. It is necessary then to know what your own personal indicators are; to do this, you must first pay attention. When I am getting sick, coffee becomes unappealing to me. Even the smell of coffee is not enticing. If I listen, I respond to my body's request for water and herbal teas, avoiding the dehydrating effects of coffee. If I listen, I have time to supplement my immune system and consider how I will treat my illness before I am too sick to run to the store for vitamin C crystals or to think of anything but relief. Learn to recognize the indications that your own advance warning system is working. Certain foods or groups of foods may suddenly become unappealing (like sweets, which suppress the immune system). If food in general is unappealing, eat lighter, and eat less. You may suddenly require more sleep than usual, or become fatigued midday. Your skin may break out, or your eyes might appear glassy. Once you are aware, you can begin to respond. Popular culture urges us in the opposite direction, encouraging us to take a symptom-relieving cold treatment, gulp an extra cup of coffee, drag off to work, and perhaps, reward ourselves for the effort with a sugary treat. The result is a body which is not only unprepared to fight the imminent illness, but is further compromised by energy lost in struggling against its natural, healing instincts. Under such circumstances, self-limiting illnesses, like colds and flu, often develop into more serious complaints: throat or sinus infections, bronchitis, pleurisy, or pneumonia. If, despite all precautions, colds and flu prevail, natural remedies can help to ease the symptoms and speed recovery. Chinese medicine stresses the use of warm herbs and food if the body is chilled or cold (yin), cooling herbs and foods if the body is overheated (yang). The goal is to balance the hot with the cold--or vice versa. This is a good point from which to begin, as it corresponds with most theories of herbal and homeopathic medicine. Colds and flus usually begin as cold illnesses. If a fever develops treatment should change as the symptoms change. When a sore throat or other inflammation is present, a hot illness is indicated. Pungent foods induce perspiration, and perspiration should be encouraged in all cases. Ginger is indispensable in the treatment of cold afflictions. Ginger tea is not only a satisfying winter beverage, but one which warms the body, treats the common cold, soothes coughs, and relieves vomiting. Old ginger or "mother" ginger, available at Chinese markets, is preferred for medicinal purposes. A strong spicy drink may be made by boiling grated ginger root in a cup or two of water. Add sugar or honey to treat a cough. Boil with dried orange peel, using a ratio of 1:2, for vomiting and cough associated with a cold. If dried ginger is not available, you may use fresh or "baby" ginger, or one drop of ginger essential oil in a glass of hot water. Ginger oil or grated ginger may also be applied externally by adding to hot bath water. Soaking or washing with gingered water induces perspiration. Fennel and caraway are basically interchangeable. They are both considered warming and are used to treat vomiting. Both may be used as seasoning throughout the winter (some sources actually credit fennel with being a flu-preventative) and also taken in medicinal doses with the onset of symptoms. Fennel oil may be inhaled or used in a vaporizer. Marjoram tea is suitable for colds or flu with fever, as marjoram is a cool and pungent herb. It induces perspiration and relieves mucous discharge. Peppermint and spearmint are particularly effective in treating headaches associated with colds and flu, as well as for settling the stomach. Peppermint is cool and pungent in nature, while spearmint is warm, pungent, and sweet. Peppermint oil may be applied externally, diluted in a carrier oil, to soothe aching muscles and cool fever. It may also be taken internally for vomiting. Try one drop on a sugar cube or two drops in a glass of water. Spearmint may be used similarly, when symptoms are cold in nature. Either herb may also be inhaled as an essential oil or consumed as an herbal tea. Lemon, oranges, grapefruit, onions, radishes, garlic, and honey are all useful in treating colds and flu. Take time this winter to learn the properties of these foods, then experiment to create soups and teas that will soothe your symptoms. Above all, learn to listen to your body as it tells you what it needs. If you listen, it will speak. DISCLAIMER: Choosing a holistic approach to medicine means choosing personal responsibility for your health care. "Herbs for Health" offers a doorway through which to enter the realm of herbal healing, an invitation to further investigation on the part of the reader. It is in no way intended as a substitute for advice from a health care practitioner. | |
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Why essential oils are essential
Documented research indicates that most viruses, fungi, and bacteria cannot live in the presence of many essential oils. This is the very reason why essential oils are essential. What are essential oils? Essential oils are to the plant what blood is to the body. Essential oils are subtle, volatile liquids distilled from plants, shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds. They are oxygenating and help transport nutrients to the cells of our body. Without oxygen, nutrients cannot be assimilated; therefore, the oxygenating essential oils can help us maintain our health. Essential oils are chemically very complex, consisting of hundreds of different chemical compounds that cleanse, protect, oxygenate, nourish, and offer many therapeutic benefits. Very concentrated and very powerful, a drop or two of distilled therapeutic-grade essential oils produce quick and significant results in the human body and mind. They are not greasy and do not clog the pores like vegetable oils can. The translations of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts describe how priests and physicians used essential oils thousands of years before the time of Christ. The precious oils of frankincense, myrrh, galbanum, rosemary, hyssop, cassia, cinnamon, and spikenard were used extensively for anointing and healing the sick. There are over a hundred references to herbs and oils in the Bible. Biblical prophets appear to have recognized that essential oils protected their bodies from disease. Why might the Wise Men have brought the oils of frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child? Clinical research has shown that frankincense oil contains high immune-stimulating properties. To date, over 200 types of oils are distilled worldwide, with several thousand chemical constituents and aromatic molecules identified and registered. If we were to list all the constituents of each oil and only a few of their major benefits, the list would be extremely long. The value of essential oils is immense. To top it off, essential oils are fast acting. When applied to the feet, they can travel throughout the body and affect the cells, including the hair, within 20 minutes. The effects of a single application may last for up to five months; Yet because of their volatility and high evaporation rate, essentials oils do not accumulate in the body. Because of their chemical structure, esential oils are metabolized in the cells like other nutrients. Excerpts from An Introduction to Young Living Essential Oils by Gary Young, N.D. In a nutshell, essential oils are the lifeblood of the plant. They were mankind's first medicine. | |
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If this thread had had more cowbell it would have gotten more responses.
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