The most economical tool is garlic. Garlic oil can be rubbed on the bottoms of the feet, around the ear and dripped in (2 drops in each ear) at night to kill infection. Two cloves of garlic is equal in strength to an adult dose of penicillin.

GARLIC OIL RECIPE

Combine 1 chopped clove of garlic with 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a covered container.

Let sit for at least 2 hours. The longer the garlic sits in the oil, the stronger the oil becomes. After a few days, or when you’re done using the oil for the time being, strain out the garlic and refrigerate leftover oil for future use.

You can also buy ear oil already made at your health food store. This oil in a dropper should run between $5-$10 a bottle and can be a blend of herbs and garlic. Look for one with mullein in it.

Our well-used ear oil.

Mullein is an herb which helps with ear pain. If you can’t find it in a pre-made oil, you can buy some cut mullein and add it to your homemade oil. Just strain it out of the oil before you apply it.

Another potent tool for ear infections is essential oil. Basil is best, but thyme, rosemary,

eucalyptus, oregano and cinnamon will also work well. These need to be diluted with carrier oil like olive oil or fractionated coconut oil. I only rub these around the ear (not put in ear), or drip them on a cotton ball I lay over ear or I rub on the bottoms of the feet.

Many different oils can be effective because most of them have strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Also excellent is Doterra’s protective blend called On Guard. I rub this on the bottom of my kids’ feet to boost their immune system and help fight infection wherever it may be in their body.

I also give my kids Dr. Christopher’s Kid-e-Well herbal formula internally, which also helps fight infection and boost immunity.

Another well used bottle from our cupboard.

Often, the cause of ear infections is mucus overload in the body. Mucus is formed by many environmental factors, but diet is most often the largest contributor. When mucus sits long enough, Mother Nature uses infection (viruses & bacteria) to devour mucus and “clean house.”

The biggest mucus producers are:

• animal & dairy products (most notably milk, eggs, meat & cheese)
• white flour
• white sugar
• other processed and unnatural foods

These items need to be avoided for a time, at least until the body can cleanse itself without clogging the ear canals or respiratory channels. Water with a few drops of lemon essential oil (I sweeten with stevia) helps cut mucus faster.

I always give my children a squirt of Kid-e-Reg to make sure the digestive tract is moving to assist the body in getting the junk out.

Prune juice works well, too.

Aside from the crooked label, Walmart brand is just fine.

I’m amazed that so many antibiotics are used for minor infections, which results in killing off of the healthy flora in the digestive tract and weakening the immune system. This practice also contributes to antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Using oils and herbs can not only resolve the problem, but preserves digestive flora and strengthens the immune system.

These natural tools help heal the root cause of ear infections making them less likely to repeat.

Get empowered, get rid of those obnoxious infections and take control of your child’s health!

Believe me, it feels great!

I told them to come over and I started gathering remedies. I pulled out my dependable Cuts & Bruises oil which eases pain, reduces inflammation and fights infection.

I grabbed some Complete Tissue ointment and Bone, Flesh & Cartilage herb blend (BF&C) for her to use in a tea for healing. Incidentally, comfrey is a valuable herb that heals things very speedily. If you have a toxic liver from taking drugs or alcohol, large quantities of this herb by itself can overload your liver, but this is rare. Generally it is very safe and cuts healing time in half.

I personally have taken comfrey in this formula for healing would take this formula in large amounts for broken bones or other serious injury to tissues or ligaments, but of course you need to be your own judge. (One of my mentors, Sandra Ellis, gave her son 100 capsules a day internally when he broke his elbow. He had no pain because he was getting the healing nutrition his body needed.)

Our friends came over and Nicole was in pain. Her toe nail ended up coming completely off. We dripped on a few drops of the Cuts & Bruises oil and I gave her the other items. I told her that cayenne has traditionally been used to stop bleeding.

Her toe bled that night, so she put cayenne powder on the wound to stop bleeding. It stung, but did the job.  (I would use cayenne if the bleeding were life threatening or the person was in shock. For most bleeding I now use straight helichrysum oil, which works excellently without stinging.)

She applied a drop of Cuts & Bruises every time before using the Complete Tissue formulas.

At night she made a tea of the Complete Tissue herbs (put a teaspoon of the herbs in a cup of boiling water for 15 min), soaked a cloth in it (wrung it out loosely), wrapped her toe with it, and covered it with a plastic bag. She did this nightly for about 5 days.

She also soaked her toe in Epsom salt twice a day with hot water and this helped prevent and draw out infection.

After the first week, she continued to apply the Complete Tissue ointment periodically.

Her toe healed quickly and over a few months a new nail grew nicely until it was back to normal.

Natural plant tools have been around throughout the history of the world! We are so fortunate to live in a time when we can purchase them easily in many convenient forms, thus facilitating and expediting the healing process.

PS-Nicole used the same routine on her son who fell off the top bunk, landed on a small wood chair, and punctured his outer ear. She soaked his ear in bath of Epsom salt, applied Cuts & Bruises along with Complete Tissue ointment until the ear healed. Thus she avoided another costly trip to the ER.

If you end up with a crushed toe and have none of the above tools for healing, you could always do what Mike’s great, great grandmother did when she crushed her toe. Fearing infection and future gangrene, she put her foot on the chopping block and cut her toe off with an ax.

I don’t recommend it.

My throat is my barometer for the well-being of my body. When my throat starts to hurt, I know I need to cut back on heavy foods (especially after the holidays) and give my body a break.

Here are a few things I do to help my body get balanced again and fight any infections that may be starting.

1. Stop eating meat, dairy, sugar and flour products.
2. Drink lots of filtered water.
3. Get enough sleep.
4. Drink raw fruit or vegetable juice for breakfast and/or lunch.
5. Eat a light soup or salad for dinner.

Here are my favorite sore throat remedies. Generally, the more your throat hurts, the greater chance it is growing infection. And the longer you have this condition, the more aggressive you have to be to resolve it.

1. Garlic: 3 cloves are equivalent to an adult dose of penicillin. Capsules can help systemically, but garlic going down the throat will kill infection by contact. These are the easiest ways to take it:

• Mixed with butter on toast. Press 1 garlic clove into a dish and mix well with 1 TB of butter (or olive oil).  Spread on bread and eat or toast and then eat (less potent if toasted). I love eating this even when I’m not sick.
• Mix with honey. Press 1 clove and mix with 1 tsp to 1 TB of raw honey. Eat straight or on bread or toast.
• Press a clove into a bowl or hot or warm soup or broth.
• Blend up 1 or 2 cloves in raw, fresh carrot juice.
• Choose any of the above and repeat every 2-3 hours.

2. Vickie Sorensen’s Anti-Plague or Dr. Christopher’s Garlic-Immune Formula. Take a half dropper or 1/2 teaspoon every hour. I gave the Anti-Plague to myself and kids over Thanksgiving when we were around sick relatives and eating a bunch of white sugar. It got rid of some runny noses fast and immediately eased the pain in my throat. (They both contain garlic).

3.  Essential oil respiratory or immune (On Guard) blend rubbed on throat externally or a few drops taken internally. I love Vickie’s Respicare Oil. I rub about 5 drops on my neck straight, and it immediately eases pain. I also use Doterra’s Breathe and On Guard blends on my neck. They are powerful and must be diluted with a few drops of carrier oil (fractionated coconut or olive oil). If the throat condition is bad, I drink 2 drops of On Guard in my herbal tea and rub it on the bottom of my feet.

My sister Emili swears by the new Doterra On Guard Throat Lozenges. I’m sure they’re effective, if you’re willing to pay a little more for a remedy. She says the reason she loves them is that by sucking on them you get those essential oils (clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary & myrrh) right in the back of your throat where you need them, for 10-20 minutes. She usually coughs up a good amount of phlegm when she uses them, so they work well as an expectorant also.

4.  Other Substitutes for Antibiotics

• Take 6 drops of On Guard in an empty capsule 3 times a day.
• Take 5 drops of Oregano oil and 5 drops olive oil in an empty capsule 3 times a day.
• Vickie’s Infection formula, 2 capsules, 3 times a day.

I’ve found it’s better to do remedies more often, perhaps in smaller quantities, than to do larger quantities only a couple times a day.

You don’t have to be out of control of your health. Manage your own well-being by eating a cleaner diet, living a healthier lifestyle, and educating yourself so you can doctor yourself and your family with the many wonderful remedies that are available to us.

I LOVE helping people with eye problems, because this remedy has worked EVERY TIME. I’ve used it on myself and my children over the years with reliable success.

About 8 years ago I bought a 4 oz bag of Dr. Christopher’s Eyebright formula in powder form. Every time something comes up I take a little powder out to use of give away and I still have a couple ounces left.

My never-ending bag of magic powder

Only a small amount is required at a time.

1. I combine 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of the powder with 1 Tablespoon of boiling water in a glass cup, stir, and cover for 15 minutes or until cool.
2. I do not stir it again.
3. With a dropper, I take a few drops off the top without getting the powder in the dropper.
4. I drip 1-2 drops in problem eye, or both for prevention.

If I treat things early on, as soon as I see gunk or mucus accumulating, the gunk or infection usually resolves with only 1 or 2 applications. More serious cases take 2-3 applications per day until resolved.

It stings just a little for about 30 seconds (like conventional treatments). I have my kids count and soon they’re fine.

The above tea lasts 24 hours and then needs to be remade with new powder. If you’re worried about herb particles getting into the eye, you can strain the tea through a dishcloth, cheesecloth or muslin.

You can buy the capsules and open them for this remedy or take them internally for all maladies of the eye. The herbs in the Eyebright formula specifically nourish, strengthen and heal the eyes.

This formula has also been used to heal cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinopathy, and night blindness. For more serious conditions as these I would also suggest some whole body cleansing and super nutrition.

Another friend of mine called me a few months ago saying that her husband had an eye infection and was taking antibiotics, but his eyes were still driving him crazy. His eyes were hurting and he was having a hard time seeing and even keeping his eyes open, which isn’t so good when you’re trying to work at a job.

My friend made some eyebright tea from the powder I had given her, and within an hour his eyes stopped hurting and felt much better.

So bring on the pink eye! I’m always ready to pull out my magic powder.

P.S.-You can now purchase Herbal Eyebright on this website, fresh from the producer by CLICKING HERE.

Disclaimer: I will be talking about “women issues” openly. Please do not read this post if that bothers you.

I have always loved children. Whether it be babysitting a big family (which I did often when I was young), helping a family with small children stay quiet in Church or a new baby in the family, I was always the one in the middle of it.

I felt I could relate to kids in a special way and it always made me happy to be playing. If there was a baby in the room, I was usually the one holding it. So, naturally I have always wanted a big family of my own.

I was married in May of 2003 when I was 24 years old. I started birth control a month or so before getting married because that’s “what you do” when you get engaged – right? But I had a problem with my birth control.

I was on a dance team that toured the state and danced 2-4 shows a day at elementary school assemblies on one of our trips we stayed overnight, and I forgot to bring my birth control with me. How could such a simple and small mistake hurt my body so much? I started bleeding. Heavily. It was on and off for a while, and I figured it was “normal” and my fault since I had missed the one dose.

Fast forward a couple of months to where all of a sudden my periods became unbearable. Before birth control I rarely had bad pain or super heavy bleeding, but that seemed to be all I was experiencing now. Not only that, but my period decided to come much more often making my cycle way shorter. It was horrible.

All of a sudden my life felt like it was revolving around it, and I was losing a lot of blood due to the heavy, HEAVY bleeding. I became anemic and finally went to see a doctor. After trying a couple different birth controls, without success, he ordered some tests and an ultra sound and found that I had 2 uterine fibroids, one of which was quite large.

He said that in his opinion, he didn’t know if I could get pregnant without cutting them out. They were right in the middle of my uterus. He recommended surgery, but that was the last thing I wanted when it was RIGHT there, in the middle of my uterus, where one mistake could cost me motherhood.

Instead he took me off birth control and gave me a shot of Lupron, which inhibits estrogen production in women, to see if that would help. It helped the bleeding a little, but put my body into “menopause” mode. So, at the age of 25, I was having hot flashes, sweating in my sleep, mood swings, and all kinds of miserable side effects.

But this was only a temporary fix. Lupron shrinks the fibroids, but then they usually grow again back after a few months. And I learned later, that it is usually done right before surgery. So why did that doctor give that to me? Hmmmmm.

My Mom went out and bought me 8 books about uterine fibroids. I flipped through them, browsing the treatments and reading parts here and there, but they looked too depressing and didn’t have solutions other than surgery. So, I quit birth control and tried to get on with life.

I got pregnant right away and carried the baby for 10 weeks until one morning I started bleeding. I made 2 trips to the ER, both devastating. I was clueless and didn’t know that when you’re pregnant and you start bleeding, often you are having a miscarriage. I just didn’t think that could happen to me.

It didn’t hurt (yet) and I sat in the ER for 8 hours while they tried to figure out what was going on. They sent me home telling me that there was no fetal heartbeat and that I was threatening a miscarriage. The pain didn’t start until 8 hours later. Pain, vomiting, contractions, it was horrible.

I went back screaming, took the anti-nausea medicine, the pain-killers and had a D&C right there. I met with the OBGYN later who told me once again that I had 2 large uterine fibroids right in the middle of my uterus. She said that she couldn’t legally say that was why I miscarried, but that she thought surgery would be a good idea in my case.

I called my Mom instead. She was well into extreme health and alternative medicine by then, so I told her I would try whatever she recommended. It was not pretty. She put me on essaic tea and all kinds of different supplements. I took them faithfully.

My husband was doing PA rotations at the time working to get his certification as a Physician Assistant. He worked with a surgeon on a rotation in Ogden and I had a chance to get another ultra sound at their office. I had been doing Mom’s regime for about 6 weeks and figured it should make a difference. We measured the fibroids and they were smaller, but still quite there.

The surgeon recommended surgery and told me that I wouldn’t be able to carry a baby in there because the fibroid would work like wrecking balls and knock out whatever I had going. But, I’m stubborn and I had decided surgery would not be my solution, so I kept up the tea and the supplements.

Right about October I was pregnant again. By this time we lived in Vernal, UT where I had access to an ultra sound machine and my husband worked in the local Urgent Care. I wanted a baby so bad that I thought I could just pray it there safely. The tea had made a difference and I just hoped it was enough, but I was scared of the thought of having another miscarriage.

For Thanksgiving we drove down to Jenni’s home in Cedar City. She was pregnant and due before we would get there, but when we arrived, the baby still hadn’t come. She had decided to have him in her home with a midwife named Vickie Sorensen. While I hadn’t really considered a midwife for myself, I respected Jenni’s decision and was excited to be there when this baby entered the world.

The process was wonderful and the baby came on Thanksgiving Day, almost a whole week late. I was so impressed with Vickie and the whole experience, that I decided I wanted to have my baby the same way. I hadn’t even announced yet that I was pregnant, because I was afraid of losing it and dealing with that grief again.

I decided to talk to Vickie about it. I told her about my miscarriage and the fibroids. She told me that neither was a big deal and gave me 2 specific supplements to take in addition to her prenatal vitamins. First, was her Pau D Arco tincture, a glycerin extract that she told me to take a dropper full of daily.

I was a little surprised that she didn’t freak out and prepare me for the possibility of losing the baby to the fibroids. I took it consistently and months later was able to see that the fibroids were actually shrinking away. Even the ultra sound tech told me that whatever I was doing was totally working.

Second, she put me on her Fem Ease formula. She said that most miscarriages are due to a lack of progesterone and that many medical supplements aren’t effective enough. She said to take it until I was 13 weeks and that I wouldn’t have a problem. Now, she is a certified Nurse Midwife, but not a doctor, so I realize that she couldn’t guarantee it, but she told me that when her Mom’s are on this supplement, she rarely has a miscarriage.

Fast forward to July 19, 2005 when I gave birth to my first child, Noah, in Jenni’s home with Vickie attending. I’ll tell you about that experience later, but he was healthy, happy and huge.

Dallon & Baby Noah

I have continued to take the Pau D Arco tincture, when I remember, and my periods are back to normal with regular bleeding and rarely any cramps. I have since had 2 more children, all with midwives, without fibroid complications and without miscarrying.

I am so grateful that I didn’t get the surgery, and that heavy bleeding and pain no longer plague my life.

I know the fibroids are still there, because I’ve seen them at every ultra sound, but they are so small that they don’t bother anything at all.

#1- Get Elderberry. It cuts flu recovery time from 6 days to 2. Health food stores have it in many varieties since a flu study came out a few years ago. I double the dose of most products for my own family if I suspect flu. I recommend Mountain Rose Herb’s Syrup or Dr. Christopher’s Elderberry Extract and use 1-2 dropperfuls every hour in a drink. Elderberry prevents the virus from getting into healthy cells.

#2- Get a high quality essential oil. I rub it on the bottom of my children’s feet. Essential oils are potently anti-viral. Oregano is the strongest infection fighter, but it’s also the hottest. So dilute a few drops in some olive oil or other carrier oil (even vegetable oil will work). Doterra has a quality immune blend called On Guard. It smells amazing and it works. I give  2 drops with honey in some herbal tea for a painful, sore throat. I rub another blend called Breathe (diluted), on the neck and chest for congestion.

#3- Push fluids. Give your child lots to drink: water, herbal teas, or fruit juices as long as they don’t contain white sugar or corn syrup (these feed bacteria and suppress immunity). Peppermint tea is a “kid cure-all” at my house. I put this tea in bottles, sippy cups, or a glass with a straw. Kids need to stay hydrated, and peppermint has long been used for fevers, flu and calming tummy trouble.

#4- Include echinacea. I make echinacea tea, add the mild tasting glycerin extract to other fluids, or squirt it straight in my child’s mouth. Echinacea fights infection indirectly, by stimulating the body’s own immune system to ramp up the fight. I use glycerite from Dr. Christopher or Mountain Rose Herbs.

#5- Get Dr. Christopher’s Antispasmodic formula. I rub this liquid on my kids’ throats, and it immediately relaxes the muscles and stops dry coughs. This herbal preparation has rescued me from late-night discomfort, sleeplessness and even agony many times. It’s effective.

#6- Give a ginger bath. Baths help keep kids hydrated, help with fevers, and relax achy muscles. Put 1 Tablespoon ginger in the bath, or in a muslin tea bag in the bath. Run the water hot at first to infuse the ginger into the water, then adjust to the highest comfortable temperature for your child. Working up a sweat in a hot tub helps sweat out infection.

#7- Get some Vitamin D3. I’d take 2,000-4,000 IU a day unless a true epidemic hit.  Then I’d triple the dose. Vitamin D quiets the immune system’s response to invading viruses in the respiratory tract. It can prevent the overproduction of inflammatory substances that can lead to fluid buildup and more severe symptoms. This may just be the most dangerous part of the swine flu. I use the RX brand. It’s a bit pricey, but for me it’s worth it (for this brand the dose is only 1 drop).

#8- Make garlic toast. We know garlic fights infection. For kids, press a clove of garlic into some butter or olive oil, spread it on whole wheat bread, and toast it in an oven or toaster oven. Have your child eat some as is or with some honey added. Raw honey has natural infection fighting compounds. Four cloves of garlic are equal to an adult dose of penicillin.

#9-If all comforts fail, try Motrin. For the temporary headaches, body aches and discomfort caused by the flu, ibuprofin is an easily attainable, fast acting remedy for kids. I save over-the-counter remedies for temporary, extreme conditions, and when symptoms are the worst, I’ll use it.

#10-Read up on flu drugs and vaccines before you try any of them. There are many reports of side effects of the drugs, especially in children. Much more concerning is the vaccines. They are poorly tested, and have not been proven safe.

Dr. Kent Holtorf, expert on infectious disease calls the Thimerosal-Mercury that can be found in Flu Vaccines ”a proven neuro-toxin. It has 25,000 times the level of mercury that would be considered toxic if it were a food or water. Negative long-term effects are unknown and pose much higher risks than the flu itself.

Here is an excellent interview by 60 Minutes. Please, please, please watch it before you vaccinate! There are side effects of vaccines, and it is difficult if not impossible to get reimbursement from the government or pharmaceuticals for vaccine injury.

The government has spent billions on the vaccines, but that doesn’t mean we have to use them if they’re dangerous. Let’s not only protect our children from this extreme risk, but educate ourselves and raise our voices to protect our country’s children.

The statistics and information available make it clear that the Swine Flu is no more dangerous than regular flu, and with effective tools on our side, we don’t need to live in fear of flu.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor (that would be my husband), and it is not my intent to diagnosis or prescribe. These are things I do in my own family, and represent my personal experiences.

When I got the bag new, it was almost twice this full.

A few years ago, I found a company that sells tea bags in bulk, and I mean bulk.

San Francisco Herb Co. sells peppermint, spearmint, and chamomile tea bags in 1 pound size. It’s a large bag that lasts a year and only costs $7=way cheap.

Here’s how to make Kid Calm-All Tea fast:

1.  Put a peppermint tea bag and a chamomile tea bag in a jar with 1 cup boiling water, covered for 2-5 minutes.

2. Swish jar.

3.  Add 1 cup room temperature water and a shake of KAL Stevia.

4. Pour into a bottle, sippy cup, or glass cup with straw.

5. Make sure it’s sweet enough and not too hot, by taking a little sip.

Ideally, tea is supposed to steep for 10-15 minutes.

But when kids are crying and tired, and I don’t have time to rock or read them to sleep, I can make this comforting drink in 2 minutes flat.

Once in a while, I do think ahead and do the above before it’s needed. Then when I check the jar, it’s cold. At that point, I add 1 more cup of hot water, and pour.

When my kids are sick, I add liquid herbal preparations to the tea. These are my favorites:

1. Echinacea extract-Jump starts immune system (1 dropperful 3x a day, glycerin base).

2. Elderberry extract -Prevents viruses from spreading (6 drops, alcohol base or 1 dropperful, glycerin base).

3. Dr. Christopher’s Kid-E-Well Formula -Contains yarrow, elder flowers, peppermint, and echinacea (1 dropperful per hour, glycerin base).

4. Cayenne extract -Increases circulation, supports immune system, warms (1-2 drops, alcohol base). Works really well in warm lemonade with honey.

Think about stocking your cupboard now, so the next time your kids are sick, you can be your own Dr. Mom.

However, the sheer number of 162,000 cases worldwide has some countries scanning the body temperatures of travelers to pinpoint fevers and using other types of scrutiny to detect potential cases of Swine Flu.

Some travelers have been quarantined for up to a week, even though they had no symptoms. Schools and businesses around the world are debating whether or not to keep their doors open.

But do the figures support these kinds of responses?

How Many People Are Dying?

According to CNN, as of August 5, 2009, deaths from the Swine flu worldwide total 1,154. This number is no higher than the number of people who die each year from seasonal flu strains.

Even these numbers are up for debate, as the Center for Disease Control has claimed that 36,000 people die per year from the flu, but only 1,000-2,000 cases on average have been reported per year. The British Medical Journal pondered this discrepancy in its 2005 article, “Are US flu death figures more PR than science?” concluding that the numbers are inflated to scare the public in order to sell more vaccines.

Lets compare the above numbers to the estimated number of people who die in America from errors and infections from hospitals and adverse effects of medication. In the year 2000 the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article entitled, “Is US Health Really the Best in the World?,” which estimates that doctors and drugs could be the number one cause of death in America, causing almost 500,000 deaths every year.

That’s more deaths per day in America from conventional medicine and pharmaceuticals, than has been caused by the Swine flu, worldwide for it’s entire existence. We may want to change our focus and decide if it’s wise to combat flu with more conventional medicine.

Problems with Conventional Drugs

As a society, we look to big pharmaceuticals for the solutions to scary problems. Right now the drugs being used to treat people with the H1N1 virus or Swine Flu are Tamiflu, Relenza and Laninamivir. Each of these drugs has questionable effectiveness, along with mild to serious side effects, especially for children.

Side effects from the vaccines, which are being produced by the millions, are not even known yet. Mercury is only one of several potentially toxic ingredients and animal byproducts, which are often found in vaccines.

Many detrimental effects of vaccines are suspected to occur in the long term, and have been indicated as the cause of many autoimmune diseases. Are these therapies true cures for the swine flu or are they billion dollar scare tactics? One must wonder, is using the drugs and vaccines really worth the risk?

Safe Treatments for Swine Flu

There are many safe defenses that have been used effectively against influenza. In multiple studies, elderberry extract has been shown to eliminate all symptoms, without side effects, within 2 days in 93% of influenza A and B patients (those taking a placebo recovered in about 6 days). These findings of lead researcher, Erling Thom of the University of Oslo in Norway, were presented at the 15th Annual Conference on Antiviral Research.

Other treatment agents, which have been used and studied for decades include super nutrition (this means eating whole foods and supplements, not processed products of the westernized diet), Garlic (a clove is equal to an adult dose of antibiotics), Onion, Echinacea, Astragalus, and Oregano (essential oil).

Oregano oil outperformed 18 other antibiotics against antibiotic resistant MRSA (a strep infection found in many hospitals). Many essential oils have powerful anti-viral properties. These oils can be taken internally (if pure) or just applied to the bottoms of the feet and will kill infection throughout the body.

There are alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines that have unknown efficiency and detrimental side effects. We don’t need to be held hostage to scare tactics, or forced to take “necessary” vaccinations.

Lets educate ourselves about tried and true therapies, get aggressive with what we know is safe, and make our own informed decisions so we don’t have to live in fear.

Start learning now.

Stinging Nettle

I discovered a great way to treat “plant stings” while in the woods.  I was in the woods doing an herb walk for my master herbalist seminar, and I was at the back of a line of 32 people, so I didn’t hear the teacher talking about the Stinging Nettles plant they were walking by.  When I got up to it, it caught my eye, because I had been studying plant identification cards.  I asked the guy behind me, but he didn’t know what it was and suggested I pick off a part to ask the teacher.

I didn’t see any thorns on it, so I picked off the top with my bare hands. I felt a tiny sting, but not enough to think much about it. I took it to the teacher, who informed me that it was indeed stinging nettle. Duh!

Plantain (some regard as a weed)

I thought it was novel I was actually holding it, so I showed the other students at the back of the line, and then tossed it away.  One of them handed me a leaf of Hound’s Tongue, which I started rubbing on my finger that was stinging a little. My finger felt better, but I felt a little idiotic about the whole thing.

Dr. Christopher taught that if you ever close encounter Poison Ivy or Stinging Nettles in the woods, a remedy will be growing nearby. When you’re camping or hiking, especially with kids, this is a valuable thing to know!  Just look for plantain, mullein or hounds tongue, pick a leaf, bruise it up a bit, and rub it on the affected area.

Mullien (take a drive in the mountains and you'll see those stalks all over the place)

I have a couple field guides I take camping to help me identify plants. After learning and locking in to my brain what a few certain plants look like, I am noticing them everywhere. It’s a wonderful thing to have so many helpful plant tools available for our use.

Dr. Christopher does sell already made rash ointment, which I’ve used on many occasions and highly recommend.

Picture credit for top left: From a website called kitchentablemedicine.com with a great article on The Healing Power of Stinging Nettles. Bottom pictures: From a card reference set called Nature’s Medicine Chest ID and Use Cards.

Cough suppression and expectorant formulas by Robitussin generally contain the drugs Dextromethorphan and Guaifenesin.

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant. It affects the signals in the brain that trigger the cough reflex.  Guaifenesin is an expectorant. It helps loosen congestion in the chest and throat, making it easier to cough out.

Guaifenesin* seems to be somewhat less problematic than Dextromethorphan, nevertheless, the side effects of this combination are mild to severe dizziness, slow, shallow breathing, headache, skin rash or itching, nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, anxiety, restless feeling, nervousness, confusion, hallucinations or addiction. This medicine can also cause allergic reaction of hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat. This medicine can have negative interactions with many other drugs.

When coughs are productive, it is important not to suppress them, as they are eliminating mucus waste from the body. Viruses or bacteria can cause mucus production in the body.

These can be treated with infection fighting compounds (i.e. Garlic, Echinacea, Oregano oil, Christopher’s Super Garlic Immune or Cold Season Immune Formula, etc.), or the mucus could just be a sign that the body is trying to “de-junk” itself.  In this case, Dr. Christopher’s formulas for detoxing the lower bowel, liver, urinary tract, and blood are excellent tools for keeping the internal environment of the body clean.  They are all found in his Cleansing Kit.

Some natural expectorants for expelling mucus from throat and bronchioles include:
•    Onion & honey (cover onion slices in a non-aluminum saucepan, bring to low simmer, let sit off heat for 45 min & strain, 1 tsp-1 TB, 3x a day),
•    Garlic (raw pressed with 1 TB honey, or added to onion syrup)
•    Lemon (squeeze ½ into an 8 oz cup & fill with pure, very warm water, add 1 tsp honey and a pinch of cayenne or 3 drops of cayenne tincture)
•    Organic apple cider vinegar  & olive oil (1 TB each, 3x a day)
•    Anise and/or fennel (tea as needed or essential oil on throat, diluted)

For relief of unproductive, dry cough, the remedy that I’ve used for the past 10 years with unmatched success is Dr. Christopher’s Anti-Spasmodic Formula.  It is an extract with an alcohol base, that is rubbed on the throat and chest, which immediately causes the throat and bronchioles to relax.

I’ve used this so many times, especially on kids coughing at night, and the coughing stops fast.  I’ve had a couple tough cases myself, where I took 15 drops in some water with 1 tsp honey, or kept this “tea” next to my bed at night.  It worked like magic, and saved me from going to the ER on at least one occasion.

Essential oils are also amazing remedies for cough and mucus expectoration and reduction.  A couple drops of lemon oil with 1 tsp honey, works very well.  Finding not only a pure source, but also one that offers very high quality oils, is important.

I prefer a company called Doterra because they offer Certified, Pure, Therapeutic Grades oils.  I can tell just by smelling them they are better than almost all others I’ve found. One of their blends, called Breathe, is an excellent remedy for coughs and congestion.

There are so many wonderful alternatives out there, even in our own kitchens! We shouldn’t feel like we have to use drugs that may be detrimental or toxic to our bodies.

Find something better for your family.