Our son Colin had a cold recently. He missed two days of school and was back Monday morning. Our only medicine? Homemade chicken soup, oil of oregano, tea tree oil, and two trips to Redbox.
As I watched his quick recovery, I thought back to our days in Colorado when colds, coughs, and sore throats were part of our daily life. As were over-the-counter medications.
After vacating our home, inventory was done of each item in our house. The 60-page document lists everything from dog food to mascara to cherished baby boxes and books. Here is a peek at our list of medications (minus first aid and diabetes supplies):
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications make up a growing market. In 2001, the FDA reported more than 80 classes of OTCs. According to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, in 2011 there were more than 100,000 OTC products on the market. As indicated above, our family took advantage of many of them.
I checked our current collection of OTCs and counted two: ibuprofen and Benadryl. I stand amazed at how infrequently we need the pain reliever and our virtual lack of need for the antihistamine.
Food as Medicine
Hippocrates made a profound statement when he encouraged us to “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Oils taken from plants, herbs, and flowers contain wonderful healing properties, and homemade chicken soup offers a soothing elixir. Then there’re fermented foods, full of probiotic bacteria and yeasts.
It took many years to transition away from convenient and quick foods. It has not been easy to alter our lifestyle. But after spending years in doctors’ offices, I’m grateful to find my pharmacy in my kitchen.
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Hi Andrea,
May I ask how the tea tree oil and oregano oil ( oral intake ?)contribute to helping with a cold ?
Any ideas for a teenager’s acne 🙂
Thank you,
Aban
tea tree and oil of oregano have strong anti-viral properties. I put several drops in an empty capsule and swallow. Diet has helped the most with skin in our house. Also, bentonite clay, zeolite taken internally or as a face mask. It sure is individual…some of our kids respond differently to different substances.
Have you found anything useful for constipation during mycotoxin binding protocol?
I searched your site but didn’t find anything specific to keeping things moving during a mop-up or detox.
I have high ochratoxin, stubbornly high, and have kidney symptoms which are worsening but getting stopped up seems to cause the worst outcome … So trying to find solutions!
Enemas have helped us a great deal with this! Here is a post I wrote about it:
http://moldrecovery.blogspot.com/2011/08/candid-colon-cleansing-conversation.html
Other options include:
Natural Calm for magnesium
castor oil on abdomen or taken internally
oxypowder
homozon powder
Hope this helps.
I use enemas and magnesium but those others are some new suggestions I can add to my regimen.
Thanks Andrea.
Alex
My dietary habits are not always what they should be, despite all the great things I have been learning, but two nutritional steps seem to be responsible for keeping from the flu that recently hit the rest of my household. I was the only one oil pulling (adding drops of oregano and cinnamon oils to the sunflower oil) and taking regular swigs of apple cider vinegar throughout the day to help keep my body alkalized. This really encouraged me to keep looking at dietary changes as my first line of attack against illness.
Oil pulling with some drops of cinnamon and oregano oils added, along with regular small doses of diluted apple cider vinegar are what I credit in not getting the flu which hit the rest of my household recently. I will definitely continue to look at nutrition as a first line of attack against viruses.