In last week’s post, I shared some of the immune boosters that I use to keep my kids and I healthy, even during the dreaded “cold and flu season”. While those items work amazingly well to keep most pathogens at bay, some do slip through and catch us off guard sometimes. The goal then is to shorten the severity and duration of whatever the symptoms du jour may be.
What often ends up happening, if I can nip things in the bud, is that we get not much more than sniffles and maybe some light coughing. Nothing as severe as we used to have to deal with in my pre-holisitic days…..and hallelujah for that!
Once again, I’m not a doctor and won’t pretend to be. The things I use and write about have come to me after many years of research and working with a bevy of amazing integrative doctors. Please consult with your health care providers prior to adding anything to your diet or regimen….although sadly a lot of non integrative doctors may not have any idea what you are talking about.
Too many allopathic doctors just go by the books they were taught with in med school and never look outside of that box. The result is a lot of sick people not really getting better….just having their symptoms masked with meds and more meds. I will forever recommend that everyone find an integrative doctor, or at least one familiar with holistic medicine. You want someone who is interested in and able to try and find the root of what ails you….not just send you to the local CVS.
Ok, so enough of that rant, and back on track! The germ killers that I love and always keep on hand in case any of us do start feeling under the weather are Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C, Allicin, Elderberry Syrup, and Oil of Oregano. I can tell you with 100% certainty that you won’t ever find a deficit of those items in my home. They are powerful immune boosters, and studies have even shown that high doses of lypo-spheric Vitamin C can reduce the symptoms and severity of whooping cough. That’s the kind of power I’m talking about!
We’ll start with the Lypo-spheric Vitamin C….I remember an on-call pediatrician telling me that using Vitamin C was a waste of time when my son was a toddler. I internally rolled my eyes all the way to the back of my head, smiled, nodded, and made sure to order more.
He obviously knew nothing about the type of C I was talking about!! The thing is, lypo-spheric C is not your run-of-the-mill vitamin. Unlike it’s orange tasting, chewable, kind-of-yummy, distant cousin “regular Vitamin C”, this one is readily absorbed by your body.
Since regular C is a water soluble vitamin, it can’t properly bind to or interact with our cell membrane walls which are made of fatty acids. Lypo-spheric (also known as liposomal) Vitamin C is encapsulated in lipid based nano particles giving it the ability to be absorbed by the body and delivered straight into the bloodstream.
The absorption rate of this type of Vitamin C is 90% as opposed to the 20% of regular C. Need an immune boosting, super antioxidant blast? This is what you take. When I notice that I am starting to get a tickle at the back of my throat, or my kids are becoming sniffly or sneezy, out comes this stuff. One dose in the morning, and one before bed. Kicks all the bad guys out of our systems faster than Amazon Prime delivers!
Next on the list is Allicin. If you’ve ever crushed a clove of garlic then you know what this stuff is…and now maybe you also know why grandma always added a ton of garlic to her chicken soup. Allicin is a biologically active compound that is released when garlic is crushed. Although normally very unstable, scientists have found a way to harness its antibacterial, antiviral, and anti fungal goodness and deliver it in high dosages via liquid or capsule form.
My mother was always a bit ahead of her time when it came to natural medicine and would give me a crushed clove of garlic wrapped in a piece of bread anytime I was coming down with a cold. It worked. Years later I do the same with my kids, but I do it via drops in a little shot glass of juice or capsules.
They can’t taste it, and don’t end up smelling like a hot night at the local Italian enoteca. This stuff works, although it’s not cheap, but it does the trick and is worth every penny. Plus, one bottle lasts a loooong time. I guess unless you’re trying to ward off the bubonic plague or vampires. Then you may need two bottles
Elderberry syrup is an age old European remedy for a stronger immune system. Although there are many types of elderberry trees, which are native to Europe, the one used medicinally is sambucus nigra. The berries from this tree are harvested, dried, and then made into a syrup or tincture. Once taken internally, it gives your body a sizable antioxidant boost, raises cytokine levels (our immune systems communicate with cytokines in order to fight off infection), and helps suppress viral activity.
Since this is such an age old remedy, there are a plethora of studies that have been done, and continue to be done as to the efficacy of elderberry syrup….and the findings are impressive. The only caveat is, that people who suffer from autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, may not react well to this or any number of immune boosters, and should always consult with a physician before using it.
When my kids and I start to feel run down, we take a dose in the morning with breakfast, and another in the evening with dinner. If your kids don’t like syrup (although this stuff tastes pretty good!) you can find capsules, lozenges, or even gummies made from it. I do prefer the syrup since it helps coat your throat which is nice if you feel like you’ve got a sore one coming on. Kind of warms you on the way down, like maybe whisky and honey would…only less controversial and habit forming. 😉
Then there is Oil of Oregano….and this is another health booster I cannot live without. My love affair with his stuff started as a child. I spent several weeks at my late grandfather’s house when I was 2 years old and due to he and his wife being chain smokers, I ended up developing bronchial asthma.
While on a day to day basis, I was fine and didn’t need an inhaler, nor were my activity levels inhibited, when I would get sick it ALWAYS ended up going straight to my lungs. I would end up with deep, constant, guttural coughs that would last for months. I was put on steroid pills, inhalers, you name it….NOTHING WORKED.
What did work was a remedy that a little old Cuban lady gave my mom when I was 9 years old. We lived in a Costwolds themed apartment complex in Tampa, Florida at the time. Worthington Park….still remember the name! The woman could hear me up coughing all night from a few units away, and told my mom to take dried oregano leaves and cook them in olive oil, then to give me a teaspoon of the cooked oil every few hours until my cough dissipated.
My first night taking the oil, I stopped coughing. That was it. Our apartment stunk to high heaven when my mom was cooking the oil and it tasted like absolute hell, but it worked. Years later I rediscovered pre-made oil of oregano when trying to get my kids’ immune systems iron-clad….and I’ve ended up using it religiously. At the first sign of a sniffle or cough, out it comes…..I add a few drops to a spoonful of honey and administer it as often as needed. No need to stink up the house cooking it, and it’s slightly more palatable this way.
Oil of oregano has been studied and used successfully to treat all sorts of respiratory, viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. It’s even been proven effective in the treatment of MRSA. How can it do all this? Well, oregano delivers a strong pathogen killing compound called carvacrol which, in a nutshell, weakens viruses and bacteria allowing your immune system to step in and finish them off faster and more effectively than it could without the help of carvacrol. Not bad. Not bad at all.
So, there it is! My holistic medicine cabinet completely exposed and ready for the taking! I can’t tell you how happy I am to have all of this stuff at hand to help keep my little family healthy. I know what life was like without them, and can’t imagine still having to deal with any of it. Some of these remedies are not cheap, but I don’t believe in putting a price on health. Not to mention, days off of work, and trips to the doctor really add up…so in essence, using this stuff is actually quite cost effective!
Will any of it make you never, ever get sick again? No. I’m not trying to share miracle cures. Everything I’ve written about, and will continue sharing, simply helps your body work and respond at optimal levels.
A strong immune system that is bolstered by natural compounds rather than chemicals, will be able to work better than one that is weakened and unsupported. You may still get sick, but it won’t be as bad or last as long as if you didn’t give your body a little added boost. The key is to be consistent with these natural remedies, use them as directed, and continue making healthy choices on a daily basis. That’s all, folks! 🙂
**As an affiliate, I make a small portion of every sale made via links in my blog.
**Photo by Karolina Grabowksa @Pexels.
