Dear readers.
I have been poorly again. It never seems to end. The result of my last issue, where I thought it was heart issues, then shingles, really turned out to be Parotitis (inflammation of the parotid gland). Oh, the parrot and pirate jokes keep coming from friends and work colleagues!
Two weeks of antibiotics, a couple of days of bedrest where I had to take more sick leave the week after Easter. I managed to get back to work all last week.
So why am I asking for a home remedy? Well, because my immune system is a bit low, I managed to catch a chest infection over the weekend, as well as loosing my voice. Maybe i shouldn’t have been so quick with my cheese podcast announcement 🙁
More time off work, and lots of bed rest, which is where I am now. More antibiotics.
I need a big boost to my immune system, so hoping that you can help with suggestions of natural ways to achieve this. I have been making thyme tea to clear the throat, but the chest the real problem. I don’t want to catch anything else.
I need to have a voice by tomorrow evening, as I am presenting “Save Money on Your Power Bills” for the sustainable living group. I do have a backup speaker, but I would really like to do it myself.
Over to you! Hope you can help out.
Get a few chicken carcass’s slow cook them for 24 hours, strain and have three times a day. Also, make your own natural probiotics to increase the good bacteria’s in your system by making 24 hour homemade yoghurt using raw milk and homemade sauerkraut. These are emphasised in the GAPS diet by Natasha Campbell-McBribe for increasing nutrition and healing the body.
Once again, it is the simple and traditional which makes the difference.
All the best.
Karen
Green tea, hot and fresh (with a dash of lemon and a good honey). Lots! (and lots of sleep).
not a home remedy gavin but THE best supplement out there…reliv, its amazing, i never knew you could feel the difference with taking a supplement until i tried these products (which my friend pestered me about for a year) and just launched with a new ingredient lunarich which has great anti inflamatory products. if you wanna know more let me know i will put you in touch with someone who can help (im a distributor but dont want you thinking im after your money so will stay out of it 😉 )
olive leaf extract is the one we swear by and also, fresh ginger in your tea.
And rest , Gavin…that means slowing down ,not making cheese or soap or anything ..maybe even buy some if you need it . It is okay to do slow living and slow down sometimes.
http://naturesgiftaromatherapy.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/fragonia.html
http://naturesgiftaromatherapy.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/lemon-tea-tree-oil-aspergillosis-and_08.html
I thought either of these might be useful
trace
Hi Gavin, I agree with Kim, olive leaf extract is fabulous if you are feeling unwell. Be warned it does taste disgusting but it does the trick. Extra strength garlic oils are also a good cold/flu/infection fighter but you need to get the ones that are an actual oil and smell of garlic not the over-processed ones that smell of nothing. I hope you are feeling better soon. All the best, Gillian
Gargle with warm water mixed with salt. Eat lots of yogurt.
I was just reading on someone’s blog about powdered myrrh in capsules. It is supposed to help the immune system.
Best of luck.
Barb
I second bbarna’s suggestions about salt water gargle and also yogurt. Breathe steam, with therapeutic quality essential oil in the water if possible – eucalyptus is good. Hang your head over a bowl of steaming hot water, drape a towel over your head to make a tent. It will help break up the guck in your chest, and you’ll have lovely clean skin pores as a bonus! Good luck! It’s horrible getting low like this, and feeling like you’re just never going to get back to normal – but you will.
Hi Gavin, Sorry you are poorly.. This is not a home remedy but it does work for infection, inflammation and immuno boosting. I use Olive leaf extract, the brand I use is Goodhealth Viralex. Everyday immune booster. It cured my young daughter of an ear problem; where her glands grew like balloons caused by dodgy silver earrings’; whilst we were on holiday, overnight. People are skeptical but I never get the flu!
Jo in Auckland NZ
Hi Gavin, sorry to hear you are still unwell. Over the last couple of winters my family and I have really come to rely on raw garlic and have found it particularly good for chest infections. It does take a couple of days to start working and unfortunately there is no avoiding the garlic breath (although munching on fresh parsley may help a bit!!) We used to take all manner of commercial supplements but this seems to be a winner for us. And as someone else commented…plenty of sleep is essential. Take care and I hope you find something that works for you. Karyn from Brisbane.
When I’m feeling low I go for chicken broth with lots of ginger and garlic. Even if it does nothing – it at least cheers me up!
Hope you get back on your feet soon.
Jen
Hi Gavin I have not been reading blogs for the last week so I am sorry to hear you are unwell. Try adding some sage to your tea. My herb book recommends a few other things to try. For loss of voice you could try slippery elm powder 1 tsp in 1/4 cup water 3 times a day followed by a glass of water each time. I think a steam inhalation with tea tree or eucalyptus would also be a good idea.
I’m so sorry that you’re still under the weather. I don’t have any suggestions to offer as far as short-term “immune boosters” since I don’t put much faith in them, and never use them. I am, however, a huge fan of finding the correct long-term way of eating that will result in an optimized immune system, so that you rarely, if ever, get sick.
I know that you’ve been trying to go vegetarian for quite some time, and while there’s nothing wrong with that IF it keeps you healthy, it does seem to me that it’s not working so well for you. From afar, it appears that you get sick far more often than is normal for a “healthy” adult.
I tried eliminating meat many years ago. Didn’t work. I developed skin problems (eczema), my summer allergies were horrible, and I got sick (mostly colds) all the time. These were all signs of a struggling immune system. When I went back to eating meat, all that stopped.
The immune system depends on high quality, bioavailable protein in order to keep things running smoothly. I firmly believe that for some of us at least, plant proteins just aren’t up to the job no matter how careful we are at combining them. As I said, experience taught me that if I ate the way you do, I’d be sick all the time too.
I’d strongly encourage you to read all you can on paleo diets. I suspect that, long-term, elimination of all your niggly-naggly health problems lies there. Some people are strict paleo, others (like me) follow a more modified version. I avoid cereal grains, most legumes, and of course sugar, but eat limited amounts of dairy – mostly as yogurt.
In the meantime, I’d recommend daily yogurt while you’re on the antibiotics and for awhile after the pills are gone. Antibiotics kill the good and bad bacteria in your gut indiscriminately, and the yogurt helps to restore the good guys.
Hope this helps a little bit! Get well soon.
Hi Gavin
I second the chicken broth and any fermented foods such as yogurt and saurkraut. I strongly recommened that you get some kefir grains too (I use water but you may prefer milk). I asked for mine on Freecycle and have found that kefir is amazing! I hope you feel better soon : )
Another thought that I just had…if your meat intake is reduced, are you getting enough iron? That can really affect your immune system. Might be an idea to go hell-for-leather on the leafy greens, lentils and eggs for a while and make your occasional meat intake a really high iron one (like liver or steak). Incidentally, I think olive leaf extract is really high in iron….Here endeth the lesson!
xxjen 🙂
Zinc is also really important for the immune system. Oysters are a really good source but also red meat.
For a sore throat, I drink sage tea with honey – the sage REALLY helps me. For the immune system, garlic, garlic, garlic 🙂 Jenni
I endorse the chicken soup, garlic, ginger, and rest prescriptions. Astragalus root is also good for the lungs. You can simmer a piece or two in your soup stock or buy capsules of the powdered root. The capsules I get also have powdered reishi mushroom, another immune booster. If you go the soup route, you can add shitake mushrooms as an immune booster.
Probably not what you’d like to hear as a cheese maker, but go easy on the cheese and meats and increase your intake of leafy greens in green (non-dairy) smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
Fresh ginger root tea with raw honey and fresh lemon juice. Ginger gives your immune system a boost and the honey and lemon make it taste better and coats a sore throat. The vitamin C in the lemon will evaporate quickly though, so put the lemon in just before you drink it.
Processed sugar will depress your immune system.
The absolute best and most universal is sleep. You have to give your body the time and spare energy to heal. Admittedly boring, so I listen to audiobooks to pass the time.
Hope you feel better soon!
2nd Ree. Go easy on dairy, there is a reason professional singers dont eat dairy for a certain amount of days before a performance. It makes thick mucus. (ew even writing that). its something to do with the fat content.
I have an inhaler steam cup. it is excellent. I am awful, every time I get a cold I get a cough. it really helps me. I was told by the dr to put some decongestant in it. Olbas oil.
other than that I try and drink Echinacea tea. and eat lots of vitamin c rich foods.
I am wondering if maybe when you are on the train if you are catching these bugs. I am extreme with hand sanitiser as I use public transport and people are pretty disgusting on the bus. But since I am more vigilant I havent had as many colds. I think when something has really knocked you for 6, you take months to recover.
I hope you feel better soon
Ginger tea and yoghurt to combat the effects of antibiotics came to mind, but for immunity go green – broccoli, kale, etc (I think spinach is a bit too acidic). Perhaps as a smoothie/shake sweetened with apple or pineapple juice.
Actually, I heard a naturopath recommend mushrooms for shingles so that might be good too.
Dear healers. Thanks so much for your sage advice. Chicken broth with green veg and rice noodles, home made of course, was the get well remedy. To supliment, I have been drinking green tea with sliced ginger and honey. All seems to be on the improve.
You have all been a great help, and I will investigate many of your suggestions over the coming days, especially the dietary advice.
Yours in greening
Gav x