Fight the Flu with Natural Remedies

The media loves to create a frenzy especially when it comes to the flu season. While this year has been particularly tough there are still may great ways to stay healthy. Here's a few that we do in our house. 

Bone Soup

Making your own stock is great preventative medicine and is also great to use medicinally when you are sick as well. From a Chinese Medical standpoint making soup stock from bones is incredibly nourishing to the kidneys and the kidney system is most active during the winter months which is the best time to nourish them.  Bone soup is also great if you are suffering from digestive troubles. I made garlic beef stock yesterday with this recipe and added red lentils, carrots, celery, rainbow chard, and broccoli this morning for dinner tonight. An added bonus is the house smells delicious. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

‎"Cold Season Prevention & Remedy #3 for Pregnancy - Drink 1 - 2 Tablespoons of RAW-Unfiltered-Organic Apple Cider Vinegar each day. You can mix it in 8 oz of water or apple juice to make it more palatable. This improves your body's PH balance and strengthens the immune system. Also fends off yeast, speeds healing of infections, soothes a sore throat, and relieves heartburn. We like Bragg brand." -Mamaste Yoga 
Also equally good if you are not pregnant. :) For more info about apple cider vinegar check out here. Whatever brand you choose make sure it has the "mother" in it for optimal results. 

Thieves Essential Oil

I know, I talk about this all the time. Thieves essential oil is a blend of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, and lemon. It was named thieves after the infamous band of apothecaries that would use these herbs and spices to cover their faces when robbing the dead bodies during the black plague. It is 99.9% effective in killing bacteria and other sickies and because its a natural source bacteria can't mutate to it like anti-bacterial soaps. We diffuse thieves at home and in the office to clean the air and spray thieves on door handles and other surfaces. You can also put a drop of thieves in your water or tea if your feeling run down or have a scratchy throat. Young Living essential oils carries this essential oil blend and if you need some I can order it for you at wholesale price. 


Alternative Home Remedy for Sore Throat 

 For a sore throat and overall immune boosting - cut up 2 lemons, drop them in a small mason jar. Finely grind 1/2 - 1 fresh ginger root. Add 1 tsp. cinnamon or pumlin spice mix. Pour raw honey over. Stir well. Store in the fridge. Take 1 teaspoon 3-4 times a day (or more if desired). Can be added to a cup of cold or warm (NOT HOT!!!) water or tea.

Alternative Home Remedy for Pedialyte and Gatorade

Lemon Electrolyte Drink

• 1 quart of water

• juice of 2-3 lemons (fresh is preferable, but I’ve also used 1/3 c. lemon juice concentrate in a pinch)

• 1/3 c. raw honey (do not give raw honey to children under the age of 1) (see my note at the bottom for an alternative for little ones)

• 1/4-1/2 tsp. sea salt (not table salt – but unrefined sea salt)

For more information on this recipe visit here. 

Don't forget that acupuncture is a great preventative tool as well. Studies have shown that acupuncture points carry higher concentrations of white blood cells and when stimulated give a boost to the immune system. You can also use acupuncture for a persistent cough, congestion or the onset or a sore throat. If you have a fever though please stay home and use the natural remedies above. 

Heartburn Relief

Heart Burn Relief 

If you are taking Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix, Losec, Zegerid,Prevacid or omeprazole then you'll want to read this article and recent findings of taking these medications and your bones, especially if you use one of these for heartburn without ulcers orgastroesophageal reflux disease.

In Chinese Medicine we say food is our first medicine. This may seem like a foreign concept in the land of fast food on every corner but many times if we change our diet even just slightly we won't have an use for these medications that come with a price. What is most alarming is that these medications will reduce a symptom but they are not treating the cause of discomfort. Louise Hay argues that heartburn is about holding onto fear.

If you are suffering from heartburn take note of what triggers it. Look at what you are eating and how. Review the blog about stress and your spleen/stomach system.

You might give apple cider vinegar a try. Hippocrates used it as a cure all and it has often been called a "wonder drug". What is most important when choosing a brand is to make sure it has the mother in it. The most nutrient rich apple cider vinegar will have a brown tinge to it and will be slightly cloudy with particles floating in it, this is the mother. I've personally been a big fan of apple cider vinegar for quite some time and get mine from Trader Joe's. It can help immenselywith urinary tract infections. Other health benefits of apple cider vinegar include: relief from hair loss, weak finger nails, brittle teeth, sinusitis, and a permanently running nose, joint pains, constipation, headaches, arthritis, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, helping one maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance as well as lose weight.

Proflavanol 90 by Usana is another supplement worth mentioning. It is a grape seed extract and is great for inflammation of all kinds.

Sarah Zender LAc

Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)

230 Florence St

Crystal Lake IL 60014

815.983.9825

www.clnap.com