Category: Herbs

Herbs, Nutrition

Swine Flu Scare…

Gretchen

In the past I haven’t been one to worry about sicknesses going around (West Nile, Avian Flu, etc.).  However, Randy and I are really worn down from a long list of activity on our farm and Mom and Dad’s.  Plus we have company, Randy’s Dad and Stepmom, visiting next week.  So we are taking some extra precautions to help get our systems built back up so we are ready to enjoy our company and prevent sickness in our home.

 

I just placed and order with Vitacost for:

CoQ10 (daily)

Vitamin C (daily at first, then as needed)

Echinacea (as needed)

Kyolic Formula 103 Aged Garlic Extract (initially it will be taken daily)

          Ingredients:  Vitamin C (Ester-C)

          Aged Garlic Extract Powder (bulb)

Premium Mushroom Complex Shiitake, Maitake, Poria Cocos, Reishi, and Agaricus

          Astragalus Extract (root)

          Oregano Extract (leaf)

          Olive Leaf Extract (Oleuropin 18%)

 

I placed this order after reading this article.  I know the title refers to Avian Flu, but it is still the recommended steps to take for Swine Flu or any flu for that matter.

 

I’ve also been reading up on ways to get the vitamins our body needs from herbs instead of synthetics.  The 1918 Spanish flu epidemic cases tackled by modern medicine had a 30 percent mortality rate while those treated by homeopathy had a 1.05 percent mortality rate.  “Homeopathy was 98% successful in treating the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918” (and the modern flu today).

 

I can’t say I won’t take Tamiflu along with the masses if I were to get sick, but I would like to know I tried to get myself as strong as possible if this thing continues to spread across the nation and the world.

 

I am already taking Calcium and Magnesium per my Kinesiologist’s orders.  Randy and I have also added Cod Liver Oil to our routine again.  This should cover our Vitamin A, D, EPA, DHA, and Vitamin E.  We eat real butter to ensure the CLO is utilized in our body, but you can also add gold butter oil for good measure.  This is an added expense I personally couldn’t cough up the money for and decide to invest in other supplements while adding good quality butter to our diet instead.

 

Another great addition to your diet would be coconut oil.  We use this (virgin unrefined, 1 gallon)in our smoothies, cooking, and even on our hands as a lotion when they get really dry or cut up.  It has great antiviral (influenza) and antibacterial properties amongst a long list of other benefical qualities.

 

**I am not a medical professional, and everyone’s body is different.  You should research and/or seek the help of a professional when adding supplements to your daily life (especially if other medical conditions exist).  This is just what we are implementing in our home to try to strengthen our immune systems and get some energy back.

 

Hope everyone is staying healthy and enjoying the spring weather. 

Around the Homestead, Herbs

iHerb

Gretchen

I just found a pretty great site.  Keep in mind I have not ordered from this site yet, but would like to know if anyone has used it.  I was on Katie’s site reading about her love for Wahini rice and went in search of it in bulk.  I came across iHerb and as always pick a product (this time it was a 25 lb bag of Lundberg, Organic wild rice.  I waited for it to calculate the shipping for the usual $10-$20 usually charged.  What, $4?  I added another bag to see if it would increase, recalculated, $4!  So, I started perusing their products and found some interesting stuff. 

I’ll let you know if I order and how it goes!

Have a wonderful day!

Animals, Around the Homestead, Herbs

Just an Update…

Gretchen

I have started getting the signs of a cold coming on.  We have Randy’s Christmas party this weekend so it is no time to be sick.  I am taking Echinacea/Goldenseal morning/night, Vitamin C 1000 mg morning, and Elderberry concentrate with ½ cup orange juice morning.  I have also been putting eucalyptus and tea tree oil in our humidifier which seems to be helping at night.  Randy says our room smells like pine needles, but a small price to pay for good health.

Our little kitten, Spooky, has been sick pretty much since we got him.  I took him to a third vet on Friday.  She thinks his little system has been overloaded with antibiotics, so you know what she prescribed?  Yogurt, I was so impressed.  She thinks he just needs to rebuild the good bacteria in his system, and he will be good as new.  She just became our full-time cat doctor.  We like to use as many vets as we can, so if there is an emergency we have them all “on call.”  Our dogs use one, our sheep and llama use another, and our cats now use another.

I saw a fox on my way to work.  I tried to get a picture, but it was gone by the time I turned the car around and got situated.  Foxes are kind of rare for our area, but it was so neat to see one with its big poofy tail.  We also had a chubby little possum in our front yard this morning when I walked out.  I think they are so cute in and ugly kind of way.  He waddled as fast as his little stubby legs would carry him into the pine trees.  Too cute.

We had a Nourishing Traditions soup last night.  I will try to remember to post it, it was good.  Our menu rotation (2 week-rotation) is going well so far.  We get messed up here and there, but for the most part it is working.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!