What to have in your Herbal Medicine Cabinet
Eat these foods, Mix these remedies, Take these herbs, and stay Well!
Here’s a secret you need to know: Herbs and natural remedies work best when taken at the first sign of illness. Herbs can stop sickness in its tracks if taken soon enough and at the right potency.
If you are prone to “change of the season” allergies or “back to school” colds, practice PREVENTION AND PRO-ACTION with these easy steps.
TIPS FOR PREVENTION
1. Take a comprehensive multivitamin daily that contains zinc (15-30mg), magnesium (200-400mg) vitamins C(2000mg),D3 (2000-5000IU),E and complex Bs. These are your first line of immune defense.
2. Cut white sugar out of your diet. “Consuming 3 ounces of sugar lowers your white blood cell count (immune system) by 50% for up to 5 hours” Total Wellness, Joseph Pizzorno
3. Add these immune boosters to your diet.
Pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, lentils, all beans, oysters (all high in zinc)
Raw cacao, brown rice, all dark leafy greens, avocado, broccoli (high in magnesium)
Red bell pepper, kiwi, guava, papaya, lychees, brussel sprouts, and rose hips (all higher in vitamin C than oranges)
Wheat germ oil, hazelnut oil, and/or almond oil on a salad, sunflower seeds, almonds, salmon, trout, hazelnuts (high in vitamin E)
Salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, eggs (high in vitamin D3)
Whole grains, dark leafy greens, meat, eggs, nutritional yeast, lentils, all beans (high in complex B vitamins)
4. Go to Bed. Sleep is a great healer, don’t ignore this sign. When your exhausted and its only 7pm, its a sign your immune system is getting run down. Don’t bully through it, go to bed.
5. Oil pulling moistens the mucous membranes of your sinuses and throat to keep them from drying out and breeding bacteria. Oil pull first thing in the morning by swishing 1 tsp-1Tbsp sesame, coconut, or safflower oil in your mouth for 5-10 minutes. Spit into toilet and rinse mouth with ¼ tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp baking soda and ¼ cup warm water. Spitting water into toilet as well. Oil pulling draws out bacteria that has gathered in the mouth and throat during the night.
“You can’t wait till you have a full blown cold or flu and then take a low dose herb and expect it to work. It won’t and you’ll complain that herbs don’t work which isn’t true. ”
Be PRO-ACTIVE with herbs and natural remedies and they will work for you.
Be PRO-ACTIVE at the first sign of illness
1. Dr. John Christopher Immune Tonic will make any bug think twice before setting up residency in your body. A powerhouse formula of anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties in a simple easy to make at home remedy. Find the recipe below.
2. Goldenseal, Licorice, Oregon Grape Root, and Yarrow are powerful immune boosters. Herbs in tincture form are more concentrated and have greater medicinal impact on your health. You can find the medicinal strength of a tincture on the label. For example 5:1 means 5 parts alcohol to 1 part herb which would be more diluted or lesser strength tincture than a 2:1 ratio. The concentration will reflect in the price. The more concentrated the tincture meaning the closer to a 1:1 ratio, the more expensive but also more effective the tincture will be. Ask your naturopath for advice on dosage if you have questions.
3. Garlic in Honey. Peel and fine chop a clove of garlic. Add ½ or 1 tsp raw honey and stir to coat garlic. Do not give honey to anyone under 9 months of age. For those without a honey allergy, 2-4 yrs old = ½ to 1 tsp, 5-12yrs old= 1-2 tsp, 13-adult= 1 Tbsp. Could rub garlic clove on bottom of feet of child under 9 months of age. Great for boosting immune function.
4. Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide overnight to prevent reinfecting your throat with bacteria. Rinse toothbrush before using.
Do you prefer bodywork that supports the immune system? Try one of these immune boosting therapies.
Raindrop Therapy Great for alleviating sinus and respiratory infections as well as boosting overall immune function. Uses essential oils with specific anti-viral, fungal and antibacterial properties applied along the spine and feet as well as an inhalant to boost overall immune function. Learn more here.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage boosts the immune system, decongests lymph nodes, alleviates sinus and ear congestion, fibrocystic breasts, digestive distress, constipation, edema, carpal tunnel and assisting in overall detoxification effort. Learn more here.
Far infrared Sauna raises your internal temperature to slow the replication process of viruses. Stimulates profuse sweating which assists in detoxification and warms you to the core. Learn more here.
Schedule any of these therapies now at either of our locations.
We’d love to hear what you do to keep your immune system up this season!
Share with us in our comment section!
The recipe you’ve all been waiting for:
Dr. John Christopher’s Immune Tonic
Take 1 Tbsp daily to keep immune system invigorated. Take 2-3 Tbsp throughout day at first sign of illness.
Recipe: (organic ingredients as often as possible)
1 part grated fresh horseradish
1 part white onion chopped
1 part fresh ginger
1 part fresh garlic
1 part hottest chili peppers available
Fill glass jar with the above ingredients and cover with Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar. Allow to sit for 3 days, strain and then take 1 Tbsp daily for immune support. Store in fridge.