Natural Cures During Cold and Flu Season

Five Natural Cures 

Before continuing with this article, it must be stressed that the following is for general information only and is not intended in any way to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professionals if you have any concerns about your health—particularly during the flu season. These natural cures may not be applicable to everyone and could be detrimental to your overall health if not discussed with your physician as to possible interaction with any prescribed medication you may be taking. Some of the time-honored natural cures that have been used for centuries to prevent colds and flu, reduce symptoms, or shorten the duration of colds and flu are showing promising results in research studies.

There are a variety of herbs, supplements, and food remedies. Listed below are five that have received favorable results.

1. Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Kefir, and Yogurt  Kimchi (pronounced kim'-chee) is a Korean spicy fermented side dish that has been getting a lot of press since the BBC published a report by scientists in Seoul, Korea who found that 11 of 13 chickens infected with the avian flu started to recover after they were fed an extract of kimchi. It is important to note that there have been no published reports of its effect on people affected by the new strain of avian flu. The key ingredient is thought to be a natural organic acid called lactic acid, that's also found in sauerkraut, milk, yogurt, kefir (a yogurt-like effervescent beverage), meat, and beer. In fact, recent reports also show sauerkraut being used to treat chickens.

2. Elderberry  Another one of the natural cures that have attracted a lot of attention is the berry extract from elderberry (Sambucus nigra) which contains more than one compound that's active against flu viruses. One of the many ways it works is by preventing the virus from attacking cells. A study found a 50% reduction in the severity and duration of symptoms in adults and children after taking an elderberry extract. Health food stores carry elderberry juice, syrup, and capsules suitable for adults and kids. Only commercially prepared elderberry products made from the berry extract should be used, because the fresh leaves, flowers, bark, young buds, unripe berries, and roots contain cyanide and can result in cyanide poisoning. This is definitely not a do it yourself natural cure that you can prepare!

3. Ginseng  The herb ginseng, used in Asia for over 2000 years, made headlines recently after a double-blind placebo-controlled study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that a ginseng extract reduced the number of upper respiratory infections by 25% during a four-month period. The treatment group took two 200 mg capsules of a ginseng extract every day for four months and reported reduced symptoms, duration of infections, and infection recurrence. Ginseng can have hormonal effects. Some studies suggest that ginseng can boost estrogen levels, so it should not be on the list of natural cures for women with breast cancer. Ginseng should also be avoided by people taking blood sugar medication or antidepressants known as MAO inhibitors, by children, people with high blood pressure, or by pregnant or nursing women.

4. Astragalus Astragalus doesn't come with nearly as many warnings as ginseng. The dried root of astragalus is a popular ingredient in traditional Chinese herbal formulas. It's now used in the United States to strengthen the immune system and prevent colds and flu. Herbalists recommend it as an immune tonic for people who tend to catch colds frequently. Preliminary research has shown astragalus can stimulate immune function in humans. It can be found in capsule form at health food stores or as a dried root in Chinese herbal shops and some health food stores. Because of its mild taste, the dried root can be added to soups. The dried root is light yellow and the size and shape of a tongue depressor. A typical daily dose is 9 to 15 g of the dried root, which equals about 3 to 4 slices. Traditionally in Asia, people took astragalus soup once a week throughout the winter. The dose is individual, and people with increased exposure or compromised immune systems may require more. Note: Herbalists do not recommend taking astragalus if you're already sick.

5. Ginger Another on the list of popular natural cures: A cup of hot ginger tea is not only invigorating, but it is also a great cold fighter. Ginger contains compounds that have been found to be active against rhinoviruses, the most common group of cold viruses. Ginger is a diaphoretic, meaning it fights colds by gently raising body temperature and promoting perspiration. Note: Ginger is also a blood thinner. Talk to your doctor before taking it if you are taking blood thinners.

Superfoods That Squash Stress

Life has a way of getting the best of us some days.  Whether it’s working too many hours, shuffling your kids all over town for their activities, taking care of your household, or dealing with personal or family matters, stress can take its toll on you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  But there are simple steps you can take to combat stress, starting with the foods you eat. 

Avoiding caffeine and alcohol is a good start when life’s particularly stressful.  Stimulants and depressants like these can both zap your energy and rob you of the fuel you need to successfully cope with tension.  Sugary foods should also be avoided as well, as they cause your blood sugar levels to spike then dip rapidly, which can, in turn, make your energy levels spike and dip at the same rate. 

However, there are several superfoods out there that provide you with the energy and nutrition your body needs to keep stress in check

Asparagus, which is high in folic acid, can help level out your moods. Folic acid and vitamin B are key players in producing serotonin, a chemical that gets you into a good mood. 

And though we may hear negative things regarding red meat, it’s actually a wise dinner option for a stressed-out family. Beef’s high levels of iron, zinc and B vitamins not only help get you into a good mood but help you stay there as well.  Your local butcher can help you select lean cuts for the healthiest options

Milk really does a body good. Chock full of calcium, protein, antioxidants, and vitamins B2 and B12, it helps strengthen bones and promotes healthy cell regeneration.  Paired with a healthy whole-grain cereal choice in the morning, low-fat milk is a great way to start your day and arm yourself to do battle with the stressors that await you.  Cottage cheese is also another great dairy choice, and when coupled with a fruit that’s high in vitamin C, it helps the body battle free radicals that run rampant during your most stressed periods. 

Almonds are also an awesome choice when it comes to arming yourself against stress.  They’re high in magnesium, zinc, as well as vitamins B2, C, and E and unsaturated fats, all of
which are great warriors against free radicals, which have been shown to cause cancers and heart disease.     

Four Creative Steps To Healing

Ever have the feeling that disease was controlling your life? Perhaps it's not even a chronic illness. Do you harbor anger? Resentment? Frustration?

Maybe it's just me and I'm talking to myself, but I've let all of these rules my life at some point. Therefore, in this short article, I thought we'd take a look at "Four Creative Steps To Healing." From it, I hope you'll gain insight into yourself, your behaviors and perhaps the way you deposit or withdraw from your own health currency.


Step One: Understand Your Energy
We've all heard about the aura that surrounds the body, but what could this possibly have to do with our health? According to Carolyn Myss in her audio program "Why People Don't Heal," the energetic exchange that happens within this field is where our thoughts become translated into energy (or what she terms as one's biography becoming their biology). Translation: These cycles or waves of energy that surround our bodies are a function of our thoughts. Thoughts are energy waves then, that affect our health in a positive or negative way. Let's look a little closer to see why this happens:

The contributors to this energy surrounding the body are the 7 major "chakras" (chakra in Sanskrit means "wheel or vortex"). It may help to note that Myss refers to each energy wheel as a "computer," one which collects and interprets information and “perceptions” the mind has about the world. It has been shown scientifically that each of these 7 wheels of energy corresponds to a particular endocrine gland in the body. Translation: In light of the adage, "you are what you eat" we could conclude with some degree of certainty that "you are what you think."

Step Two: Let Go Of Old Wounds
Now that you've been (hopefully) examining your thoughts and translating all of your negative energy into positive, Myss throws another curveball. Would you agree with her that "healing is unattractive?" I needed some time to think about this: Why in the world would healing be unattractive?

Answer (According to Myss): Our wounds give us power! And after careful contemplation, I've outlined three ways I have done this, myself.

Ask yourself: Are you leading with your wounds? You'll know if you have done any of the following:

1. Used Wounds to Manipulate a Situation or a Person. 
Let's say we find a situation unsavory, scary or inflaming a personal "hot button." Have you ever avoided a situation when you really needed to face head-on? Or, how 'bout this one: "I just can't get into this relationship - I've been burned before!" Okay, maybe I am just speaking to myself here, but I admit, I've used my wounds (more times than I care to admit) to refrain from loving unconditionally.

2. Use Them to Attract Other Wounded Souls Who Want to Exchange in the “Wound” Game.
I’ve done this myself, too. In listening to another share their wounds, I’ve given up compassion for wound ante – “Ill see you and raise you one.” Agreed, there is a difference between healing from a wound and “leading with a wound" but, in my humble opinion, I'd be willing to bet that we know the difference between being healthy and not. For example, I know when I’m healthy when I can listen with empathy, void of getting out my toolbox to “fix" or laying out my wounds unsolicited.

3. Give Up Our Ability to Listen. 
Dr. Bernie Siegel in his book "Peace, Love, and Healing" basically says, listening is the work of angels. Many times listening is all we have in a situation when someone calls on us for help. If we express what Ms. Myss calls "woundology" or "leading with our wounds" we're saying that we can’t stand the loss of power and desire all the attention for ourselves.

Since I'm laying out all my laundry here today (And what would Myss have to say for this?) here’s an example of the way I’ve led with my wounds: Recently someone confided in me about a situation where they had lost a loved one. While listening attentively, my mind searched its experiences for a similar event. All this so I could say: “Oh that’s terrible! Don’t feel so bad though, because I’ve been through this thing that is so much worse!"

To reclaim my character, however, (and after I realized what was happening), I caught myself. In reality, all this person really needed was my ear to listen unconditionally.

Step Three: Learn To Forgive Yourself and Others
The final two steps are remedies that can help heal our anger, resentment, and frustration. Step three then is simply forgiveness. For to forgive in earnest then takes our energy out of its emotional investment in the past. We give up the need to spend wasted energy making negative deposits into this account and to paraphrase Myss, is the fastest way to bring our energy into real-time. Translation: Trust me, you'll know authentic forgiveness when you experience it. The body literally “lets go” of the weight of the past.

Step Four: Love Yourself
The final creative step to healing? Loving yourself, of course! This is the most challenging concept, in my opinion. Why? To begin we must start where we are, and love and accept ourselves for who we are, today. How does this help our health? It's simple, when we realize that we are stunting our personal growth and health through negative self-talk, we can then begin to love ourselves one piece at a time.

Here’s how it’s done (Author's note: beware, this practice may seem untraditional yet if you'll consult Louise L. Hay's book: "You Can Heal Your Life" - you'll find that this is one of the remedies she used to heal herself from cancer):

Every day spend 15 minutes in the mirror sending love to yourself! Start small by finding one part of yourself where you can find perfection. Each day, or a week, or month choose new parts of yourself to love. Before long, you'll find an image of perfection before your eyes. And you'll have purified your energy, to boot!

In closing, we could make all of these steps very simple, indeed. For there is only one step here that will make you healthy and happy. Remember: It's when we've learned to love ourselves that we can truly be healed.

References:

Myss, Carolyn, Ph.D. Why People Don't Heal. Colorado, 2001. Sounds True Audio.
Siegel, Bernie, M.D. Peace, Love and Healing. New York: HarperCollins. 1989.
Hay, Louise L. You Can Heal Your Life. California: Hay House. 2004.

What Exactly is Vegan?

There are so many different phrases and slang terms that are used to describe a healthier lifestyle that often it is virtually impossible to determine exactly what Vegan is and what it is not. In order to fully understand something, it is vital that you be fully aware of what is expected and for many Vegan is just an insult if they are confused accidentally with another type of eating style.

The primary difference between a Vegan lifestyle and that of a typical person primarily is the lack of meat consumed in a Vegan lifestyle. However, many people believe that vegetarians will still eat dairy products and other similar foods. While this is correct, it is a major difference between vegetarian and vegan. People who are true Vegans do not eat any animal-related products, they do not encourage the consumption of animal-related products and they also do not wear any animal-related products. This would include items such as milk, yogurt, butter, eggs, leather clothing and also anything that can cause harm to animals during production.

Many people mistakenly believe that Vegetarianism and Veganism are the exact same thing. However, those who are vegetarian will consume animal related products such as eggs, milk, dairy, yogurt and other similar foods that do not particularly cause the animals' life to be in danger. Foods such as meat are still avoided though. This is a significant difference between Vegan’s who do not consume such foods. In order to really determine which type of lifestyle is best for you and your family, you would need to look over your typical eating habits. Many people discover that Vegan is something that is far too strict for them to abide by on a normal basis and instead opt for a vegetarian lifestyle instead.

By making some small steps and changes to your lifestyle you might find that working on a vegetarian lifestyle is much easier for you to handle initially. This can make a great starting point when you are working to move to a healthier vegan lifestyle for your entire family. If you are busy trying to ensure that you are fully aware of all of the benefits then knowing all of the differences between vegetarianism and veganism is very important. Working to improve your health as much as possible is extremely important and really is possible as long as you take the time to really study your options. A healthy lifestyle is possible, even if you are not comfortable with the idea of converting over to an entirely vegan way of life.