Tis The Season~ To Get The Sniffles... or worse! PART THREE~ HONEY!

This is part 3 of MY go-to 'get well fast-er' plan.
These are tips that always seem to work for me when I am hit with a bug or feel like my immunity is low.

Many of these are everyday things that can also be used in some capacity to prevent general colds and the flu and keep you healthy!

Ok, I know what you are thinking....

"Ya ya... Honey will soothe my sore throat, no surprise there..."

Well to that I will say, YES it will, BUT there is much more to the benefits of honey than that!

AND I am not going to be talking about the kind of honey in the cute little bear bottle, which while adorable and tasty, the medicinal benefits are pretty limited.

So, what kind of honey am I talking about?

Let's start here:

1. MANUKA HONEY (UHF)

MANUKA HONEY  is pretty much the queen bee in medicinal honey in my opinion. And let me warn you, it is not cheap. But hey, neither are the various concoctions at the pharmacy, that may have their place, but will do little to actually heal. And that is the real goal right?

Manuka honey has proven itself a powerful healing agent for a long time, and that history holds up under scientific study.

It's main source of power comes from it's antibacterial properties.

It can be used for a huge variety of health issues:

• "Improves overall immune system function by killing harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (the GI tract contains 85% of the immune system)
• Colds, flu, and sore throat (it kills the bacteria your throat)
• Cough suppressant proven to work as good as over the counter cough medicines
• Mouth infections like bad breath, dental cavities, plaque, gingivitis, and periodontal disease
• Cold sores
• Skin injuries and infections like MRSA, staph, abrasions, mastitis (breast infection), boils, diabetic ulcers, ringworm, rashes, athlete’s foot, nail fungus"

If you are interested in the technical why's and how's of Manuka honey's antibacterial processes, check out this great video:

 

Some people should not use honey medicinally or otherwise, unless directed by a physician, such as:

• "Manuka honey may be contraindicated in people with diabetics or other blood sugar issues. Individuals with diabetes, whose ability to metabolize sugar is impaired, may be subject to enhanced cellular damage due to increased tissue levels of methylglyoxal. Indeed, metformin, a drug commonly prescribed for diabetics, was designed to ameliorate the effects of methylglyoxal in the tissues of diabetic patients. Topical use is perfectly safe for diabetics.
• Honey should not to be given to children less than one year old in case of rare botulism contamination.
• People with severe pollen allergies should use honey with caution.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult their doctor.
• While there are many claims that ingesting manuka honey can be a good for the side effects while undergoing cancer treatment like radiation and chemotherapy, the sugar content of honey is contraindicated for cancer, as sugar feeds cancer cells. You must decide for yourself if the benefits of honey outweigh the potential to feed and promote a cancer. Topical ingestion is fine for cancer patients."

Don't bother wasting this precious honey in your tea, as the high heat can destroy the enzymes that produce any therapeutic effects

Manuka Honey can be used orally or topically and here are some general suggestions for it's application:

• "Enhanced immunity: MGS (Molan Gold Standard) or UMF 10+ 1-2 teaspoons daily.
• Digestive upset and infections: MGS or UMF 16+ to 25+  1-3 teaspoons daily
• Topical: Apply honey with MGS 20+ or higher activity every 12 hours and cover with a dry sterile gauze and bandage.
• Rosacea, Eczema, Psoriasis, or Acne: Apply honey to affected area, cover with dressing, and leave on for one hour a day." 

2) Other Medicinal Honeys

Manuka isn't the only medicinal honey and depending on where you live you may find some honeys are easier to find than others. Considering the wide variety of uses, why not invest in some and give it a try!

• Jelly Bush (aka Tea Tree) honey from Australia (similar to Manuka)

• Ulmo honey from Chile

• Noni honey from Hawaii

• Tualang honey from Malaysia

• Yemeni Sidr from Yemen

• Honeydew (Forest or Tree) Honey from Europe, New Zealand

• Medical grade honeys "for chemo, immune, and bronchial support"

  
  
  Source: I pretty much found the BEST and most concise collection of information regarding Manuka honey at: http://www.liveto110.com/medicinal-manuka-honey/
  Their post was excellently sourced and the best collection of info I have ever found on the subject on the web, which caused me to get a bit quote crazy. I just couldn't have said it better myself!
  

  HAPPY HEALTHY HONEY HUNTING!
  

  Look out for Part 4, to get well quick, when the season hits!
  
  Please note: web advice is never meant to take the place of a doctor or natural practitioner.
  When in doubt, consult a professional!
   

Tis The Season~ To Get The Sniffles... or worse! PART TWO~ Garlic!

This is part 2 of MY go-to 'get well fast-er' plan.
These are tips that always seem to work for me when I am hit with a bug or feel like my immunity is low.

Many of these are everyday things that can also be used in some capacity to prevent general colds and the flu and keep you healthy!

So! GARLIC! Love it right?! It is pretty much a staple in many households for cooking, but did you know that: It. Is. SO. Healthy. Crazy healthy.

So healthy, that upon reading the benefits decided to start taking garlic supplements for my overall immunity.

Apparently garlic has been used by people for pretty much ever, dating back to the ancient Egyptians. So that is a great bragging point on behalf of garlic to tell the kids! lol

Garlic has not only been shown to help immunity for fighting cold and flu viruses, but also heart disease and cancer! YAY!

So, How do you take it? Well cook it in some delicious pasta for starters.
BUT if you are really concerned about getting the medicinal benefits of garlic;

'Adult
Whole garlic clove as a food supplement: 2 - 4 grams per day of fresh, minced garlic clove (each clove is approximately 1 gram, so 2-4 cloves!)

Aged garlic extract: 600 - 1,200 mg, daily in divided doses

Tablets of freeze-dried garlic: 200 mg, 2 tablets 3 times daily, standardized to 1.3% allicin or 0.6% allicin. Products may also be found standardized to contain 10 - 12 mg/Gm allicin and 4,000 mcg of total allicin potential (TAP).'
 
Also very commonly found in supplement and health-food stores are odourless (No Stinky Breath) soft gel capsules, which are very easy to take! I take it daily at the lower end of the recommended dosage, then up the dosage to the max listed, if a flu bug hits to give my immune system that extra support!

There ARE possible side effects with some people and people taking certain medications or with certain health concerns that large amounts of garlic may not be right for.

You can find many more details from my reference here:
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/garlic

I also thought that I would include this crazy amazing recipe, that uses FIFTY cloves of garlic (wow, I know!) if a winter bug hits your family and you decide garlic is right for you.

Modified Garlic Soup Recipe
Serves 4

26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) organic butter (grass fed)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 cup fresh ginger
2 1/4 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
26 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth
4 lemon wedges
Preheat oven to 350F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, thyme, ginger and cayenne powder and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 26 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add vegetable broth; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add coconut milk and bring to simmer. Season with sea salt and pepper for flavour.
Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve.
Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Source: http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/garlic-soup-made-with-52-cloves-of-garlic-can-defeat-colds-flu-and-even-norovirus/

Look out for Part 3, to get well quick, when the season hits!

Please note: Web advice is never meant to take the place of a doctor or natural practitioner. When in doubt, consult a professional!
 

Tis The Season~ To Get The Sniffles... or worse! PART ONE ~ Vitamin D!

                   

On my various interweb travels,

I often see posts like:

Oh no! I caught the worst cold, what can I do?!

 

This is part 1 of MY go-to 'get well fast-er' plan.
This always seems to work for me when I am hit with a bug or feel like my immunity is low.

Many of these are everyday things that can also be used in some capacity to prevent general colds and the flu.

My first answer is ALWAYS Vitamin D!
There is some great evidence out there to show that Vitamin D3 can help prevent a host of illnesses including diabetes and cancer, as well as viruses like colds and the flu.

Depending where you live, how much sun you get and sun protection you wear, it's fairly common to be deficient in Vitamin D. You can get your levels checked if you are curious. Your levels are measured as a compound called 25-hydroxy-vitamin D. Ideally, we should have levels of 40-60 ng/ml.

Commonly Vitamin D is available in a liquid drop form making it much easier to take happily then capsules or pills, especially for children. It doesn't really taste like anything, basically a subtle oil type flavour and is usually in doses of 1000 ui/ drop.

Vitamin D has been tested as having a very high toxicity threshold, so it is safe to take at least a few thousand ui and there are no reported cases of vitamin D poisoning at daily oral doses below 30,000 ui.

I personally take 5000 ui/ day as a prevention and when I feel a bug approaching bump it to 10,000 ui. I generally wear sunscreen and am not really a fan of being in the sun, so I feel that this is appropriate for me.

The following organization has pretty much made themselves experts on Vitamin D and have a wealth of info on their site.

So consider this my citation:
http://www.grassrootshealth.net/index.php/documentation
 
Look out for Part 2, to get well quick, when the season hits!

Please note: web advice is never meant to take the place of a doctor or natural practitioner.
When in doubt, consult a professional!