Another email inquiry you may have some wisdom to share…
Zuhal wrote:
Hi Joanne,
I recently came across your site when I was searching for raw milk. I am only just starting to make changes in my diet and my children’s diet to include good clean food. MY daughter has contracted the flue, and the last thing that I want to do is is take her to the doctor who will pump her little body with antibiotics. What would you suggest? Apart from some good time uot in the sun?
Btw I live in Sydney.
Thanks.
In answered….
Zuhal
Naked sun time is awesome. My daughter just had a flu for a couple of days. She asked to go lie in the sun. Amazing how their intuition guides them so well. Other than that, make some chicken broth. Chicken bones covered in water, splash of vinegar to bring out the minerals, simmer for 4 to 48 hours, strain and serve (with salt - Ed). It’s good to have some around the house all the time. I just keep all the bones to all the meat I ever eat in the freezer and add that to my turkey neck broth every week.
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Since sending this, I realised I should send Zuhal to my post about Flu and Vitamin D. Do you, dear Nourishers, have any other suggestions for Zuhal and her kids?
About the Author...
Joanne Hay, Editor of Nourished Magazine, Chief Nourisher and Mother of three is very grateful to live in Byron Bay and be able to share all she has learned about Nourishment. She has trained as an Acupuncturist (unfinished), Kinesiologist (finished) and parent (never finished). She serves the Weston A Price Foundation as a chapter leader. She loves sauerkraut, kangaroo tail stew, home made ice cream, her husband Wes and her kids Isaiah, Brynn and Ronin (in no particular order…well maybe ice cream first).
Aug 14th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Elderberry sirop is extremely good- both when you have got the flu and to prevent it.
Several studies in Scandinavia shows that it helps body to fight flue.
I don´t understand why a doc would give antibiotics ???
- here they are only given when there are a test result showing BACTERIA - and a flu is a VIRUS…
so the antibiotics are really only waste of money and poisening the little ones - not to mention that overuse makes bacterias resistent to antibiotics…
I don´t think that the common elderberry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra
grow in Australia - but maybe you can get a ready made sirup ?
I know that Blood type diet sells proberry sirop/ and pills
and it is very good no matter how you feel about btd othervise.
http://www.4yourtype.com/InternationalCust.asp
I do make my own every september - I boil the black berries from elder with blueberries, raspberries - maybe a bit of cherries - add sweetner and boil it so it gets very concentarted - add a bit of lemonjuice.
It is not the vitamin C that does wonders - but the dark pigments and other stuff that works.
Rest, hot broths, sun and high vitamin cod liver oil does wonders as well.
Aug 15th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Zuhal emailed me saying:
I can’t seem to find anything on the site for coughing though - I’ve tried onion and honey, manuka, brewed linden tea flowers and ended up using ventolin!
I returned:
There’s an illegal herb called Lobelia, My husband used it when he had uncontrollable cough, smoked it. It worked. We were amazed. It seemed to immediately relax the muscles of the chest and lungs or something. You can get it from legal high shops like happy high herbals http://happyhighherbs.com/info-store-locations-contactus.htm.
Shen then wrote:
I’ve used linden tea flowers (I’ve been told sage helps too)and that’s helped me quite alot - also using the liquid from onion and honey has helped too. My vocal cords are a mess from the coughing! I’m somewhat better but I think its going to take time. I know this is a recurring thing for me, I had bronchitis *every* winter when I was a teenager, and yes I was on antibiotics the whole time.At the beginning of 2005 my coughing got so bad I almost ended up with pneumonia. I don’t know how else to build my immunity:/
What makes the herb illegal? Its a shame, when so many of them can be so good for serious illnesses:/ I’ll see if I can speak to someone in Newtown.
Aug 17th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Here’s a couple of good articles on building immunity and preventing or healing from the flu.
http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Strengthen_Your_Immune_System.htm
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/June04/wisewoman.htm
I haven’t used lobelia (as it’s not common where I live either) but my understanding is that it is a very strong herb that needs to be used with care.
There are many herbs that will bring relief to a cough - mullein, thyme, mallows, licorice (low-medium dose, short term), horehound, elecampane… research well to find which is the best for the type of cough you have.
I second elderberry for flu healing. Also linden is specific to flu. And there is the old gypsy remedy of peppermint, elderflower, and yarrow.
This article is helpful for learning more about working with medicinal herbs:
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/Weed_letter_Nov-01.htm#article
Aug 17th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Another couple of Susun’s articles, more specific to the flu, and to lung healing.
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/November04/healingwise.htm (flu)
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/june03/herbalmedicine.htm (lungs)
Aug 19th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Wow, Kate. More please. I’m pretty sure I have been burned once before for my knowledge of herbs… I had a shocking rememberence when watching the beginning of that Kate Blanchett film, Elizabeth, when a ‘heretic’ gets burned - I was revolted and felt physically sick, then started feeling it happening to me. It was shocking to discover this, and I’ve never been brave enough to get into herbs since… But here you are, Kate, a warrior of the green. Will you share more of your knowledge with us. Please start a Nourishing blog. We could use your wisdom to thrive by.
Aug 19th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
I Had a French Wwoofer staying at my farm a few months ago and she would make a tisane of thyme and honey for a cough or a tickling throat. I had lemon thyme growing so she used that and said that she got relief from it. Not a cure for the flu, but might ease the symptom a little.
Aug 23rd, 2007 at 4:36 pm
I take echinacea at the first sign of the flu. Leave it too long and it won’t work. I also up my dose of coconut oil, I take some whenever my throat feels scratchy. Also foods high in zinc, I take a supplement if I need to. Catnip tea with honey, lemon and coconut oil is good.
Of course this year I got the flu when I was on holidays and didn’t have any of the above with me! Planes are notorious for spreading disease. I really missed my herbs out in the backyard. Nothing worked on my cough, had to resort to asthma meds (I could hardly breathe), but stopped as soon as I could.
Sep 7th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
Thanks for the invite to blog, Joanne! I’m fully committed at the moment sorry. Here’s some great herb links though:
http://www.susunweed.com - nourishing paradigm herbalism. I know there’s some of Susun’s work on your site already, but her website is such a great resource of home based herbalism it bears repeating the link.
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/ - one of the most awesome herbsites on the net.
And these great blogs, based around nourishment herbalism:
http://bearmedicineherbals.com/blog/
http://crabappleherbs.com/blog/
http://desertmedicinewoman.blogspot.com/
Apr 9th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
apple cider vinegar added to ramen noodlesoup and cayenne
will enhance healing
promote breakup of phlegm
honey on top
much healing to all
ps a few cloves of garlic and piece of kelp and some cilantro and ginger too!!