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Common Cold Remedy |
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A natural cure for the common cold. Don't pollute your body with over-the-counter drugs and learn how to almost never catch a cold!
You should try not to use antibiotics or any other drugs to get rid of a cold. Antibiotics destroy the important bacterial culture in your intestines, and generally weakens your body against future attack. I almost never get sick, because my body's immune system is strong, and when I do catch a cold, I can generally kill it within a day. If you do catch a cold, the best approach is to get lots of sleep, drink lots of water, eat my nuclear
cold killing soup, eat about 3,000mg of vitamin C a day, stay away from alcohol and cigarettes (cancels the effects of the vitamins and weakens your body further – although some have said that if you drink LOTS of hard alcohol, the disinfectant is enough to kill the virus in your body), and try to eat less than normal. This is because a lot of and/or heavy foods, such as meat, will need to be broken down and will take away valuable energy from your body, which can otherwise be used to develop an antibody and kill the virus (animals, for example, fast when they are wounded – you can read more on the body's energy on my
fasting page). You can also drink certain herbal teas or eat certain foods to strengthen your system's immune system. It is natural for your body to get attacked by viruses occasionally, and it is actually healthy to get colds once in a while, because it purges your body of old and weak body cells during the healing process. Do not distort your system by taking pharmaceuticals against certain symptoms. These symptoms are there for a reason and you should let them all run their course. For example, as your body develops an antibody and starts killing off the virus, your body gets rid of it by either peeing it out (hence the importance of drinking lots of water) or through your mucus out your nose. It is therefore detrimental to your health to take pills to make you produce less mucus. This is just one example.
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How about tonsillitis? I once got a severe case of strep throat and the emergency doctor, after poking a needle full of antibiotics into my butt, told me to come back the next day if it doesn't improve. He was grinning and already sharpening his scalpel. But tonsils are the first line of defense and it is not advisable to remove them. It was a very uncomfortable week. It felt like my entire nasal system was stuffed with a thick sock. I could barely breathe and found it very difficult to sleep. I researched heavily on the internet, consulted some friends, and combined my nuclear soup (which I could barely swallow) with Salviae Tinctura (sage tincture), dropping oregano oil drops directly on my infected throat.
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Above is a brief synopsis of below, which contains additional information.
My translation service is
very efficient, because we never catch colds!
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The common cold virus rhinovirus 16 contains 60 sites capable of connecting to a receptor, called ICAM-1, on human cells. The virus uses several of these sites to gain entry into the cell. This computer-simulated model, developed by Purdue researchers, shows where the receptors attach to the outer protein shell of the virus. |
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When I was a child, I remembered I would occasionally catch a
cold
and spend about two weeks lying in bed, suffering. My joints and muscles would
ache and, although I received better treatment, being served meals in bed and
having a TV in my own room, it was still a very unpleasant period. Eventually my mother blurted something about some Nobel prize winner (Linus Pauling) who wrote an article about eating lots of vitamin C to kill colds. So I tried that one time and found I managed to get the period of immense discomfort down to four days. Then at one point garlic was mentioned and, after trying that as well, I seemed to get the period down to around one and a half days. In my earlier years, it seemed that whenever a “cold was going around”, I would catch it at the beginning AND at the tail end of it, when it had mutated slightly so that I managed to catch the next strain. Now though I’d say I get sick on average about half a day a year. |
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Since this is potentially a
costly sickness,
I thought I would add this to my list of natural ways to battle various
illnesses.
The common cold is “a contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract
characterized by inflammation (swelling and irritation with presence of extra
immune cells) of the mucous membranes, sneezing, and sore throat. It is our only
effective weapon against the alien attack of War of the Worlds, where all our
military strength and nuclear weapons proved useless.
The following explains how I manage to avoid or kill colds.
Sometimes I could be in a pub and drink from a less than clean glass and soon
feel a scratchy feeling in my throat, like the bacteria left on the glass from
the previous sick person. Or I could generally be feeling weaker and susceptible
to catching a cold. So I immediately bombard my system with at least a thousand
milligrams of vitamin C and one pill of Echinacea (description later).
Generally, I throw at least 5 cloves of garlic into everything I cook, so my
body’s general immunity should already be okay. I’ll take this dose of vitamin C
and Echinacea once or twice a day, for one or two days until I feel my body is
resilient again. This usually manages to avoid me from getting sick. However, if
the virus gets out of hand, such as if I was on a drinking binge for a few days
and lacked sleep, I then roll up my sleeves and get prepared for the all-out
ATTACK on that virus!!
How to Kill a Cold
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Once a cold has succeeded in establishing a good foothold in my body, I have
several approaches I use to “kill” it. However, as usual, I prefer to avoid all
“western medicine” approaches requiring chemicals or drugs. In the Czech
Republic, where I presently live, someone sniffles and is immediately handed a
doctor’s slip to lie in bed for four days and pound themselves with antibiotics.
Although this practice is fading, it seems to come out of communist times, when
everyone supported each other so as to work as little as possible. Of course,
most people would go out drinking and screw up their bodies further. I heard
that these manmade antibiotics
actually weaken your body, because your body does not produce the antibiotics
itself and over time grows weaker and more susceptible to catching sicknesses. Echinacea, on the other hand, is a natural antibiotic and actually STRENGTHENS your body against future sicknesses. I find Echinacea is most useful for killing viruses entrenched in my lungs, whereas vitamin C seems to work overall on the body. Another natural herb which is supposed to be good for strengthening the body’s immunity system is Lapacho, although I don’t like its flavour very much and tend not to use it. You should be able to go to your local herbal drug store and ask what various natural ingredients are good at strengthening your body’s immunity system. When sick, I tend to bombard my system with 3,000 mg of vitamin C daily, spread over the day, each time taking a dose (one pill) of Echinacea. In nature, when an animal gets injured, their natural instinct apparently is to fast. This is because the body needs to use the energy it has to fight the cold and not to process the food you are eating. Therefore, it is generally a good idea to not eat foods, such as meat, which require greater energy to break down and process. When I feel REALLY bad, I go all out and fast totally. Maybe one and a half days to two days, depending on how strong the virus is. However, as I am sure your doctor will suggest to you, all the killed virus must get flushed out of your system, in which case I find it quite important to drink lots of water. When I feel real bad, I find I can still work, but I get tired frequently and resort to sleeping in intervals. Sleeping is a time when the body generally rehabilitates itself, and is very important while you are sick. If you do not want to resort to all out fasting, you can try cooking natural rice with lots of diced garlic. Ginger is also very good at fighting or preventing colds. Therefore, you can try my favourite super duper cold killing soup, as an example: |
- in a small pot throw some cooking butter (extra virgin olive oil is healthier for your heart) and sprinkle with certain spices, such as curry, pepper, thyme, bit of oregano, hot chilli/cayenne combination according to your tastes (I always put caraway seeds into everything I cook, but a lot of people do not like caraway seeds). In Indian cooking with curry, the trick apparently is to fry/cook the curry at the beginning into butter (or Gi – very condensed butter), until a certain point (not very long) when the spices have merged into the butter and each other;
- once the spices have melted into each other (be careful not to burn the butter or curry), throw in the diced ginger. Perhaps add a little oil to prevent burning or if you don’t like too much butter flavour in your soup;
- shortly after that (depending on how much you want to soften the texture or weaken the flavour of the ginger) you can add onions and garlic. Stir fry until your desired level and throw in water;
- you can add soya now or during the frying process at the beginning;
- as the water heats up, you can add essential ingredients, such as natural rice, precooked lentils, maybe Chinese noodles, to give yourself your carbohydrate blast and fuel. Or nothing at all – depending on how much of a fast you think you can handle or are willing to take. (If you reaaally want to avoid fasting, you can make a similar meal by cooking only rice and then flavour it with the same ginger/garlic and or onion combination, with some vegetables);
- add spices to your liking, tobasco spice and all the hotness you think you can handle. Hot spices are good for getting the nasal juices pouring.
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You can also suck all day on raw lemon. I heard once that the difference between the molecules in store-bought vitamin C and the vitamin C in for example in a lemon is that the natural, living vitamin C molecules are spinning, where the store-bought ones are stagnant. This tells me that they are essentially dead and I assume that the natural ones should be a lot more powerful. You cannot overdose on vitamin C and you apparently just pee it all out, so feel free to have as much “live” vitamin C as you can handle. (However, I find my body starts to feel a bit overdosed if I have more than 3,000 mg of store bought-vitamin C pills.) |
Drink lots of water, take a lot of sleep naps, and I find I am virtually cured by the next morning. Try to avoid beer or wine – it seems to me that the yeast or something in these feeds viral growth in my throat, not to mention that it tends to neutralise or kill vitamin C and other nutrients in your body. If you really do need to drink booze or party, try to limit it to only hard or herbal alcohol.
| Also, a few people highly suggested gurgling salt water in the back of your throat. I have resorted to this when my throat really hurt, to help kill the virus living there and which was infecting the rest of my body. But since the salty flavour is so repulsive, I find that gurgling a bit of strong alcohol (vodka etc.) can do a lot of healthy sterilisation. But try not to drink too much of it (or just spit it out), as it might weaken your body and cancel out all the other prescriptions above. On the other hand, several times I've also been informed that if you drink ENOUGH hard alcohol, you can sterilise your entire body and kill a persistent virus rather quickly. This could be a risky proposal though, but I've been told it can be quite effective. |
This is how I generally manage to kill a cold – once I actually do catch one –
by the next morning. Deep uninterrupted sleep helps a lot.
But this is only once you do actually catch a cold. As usual though, why catch
it at all when you can apply a bit of PREVENTIVE medicine?
How to Avoid Catching a Cold
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Obviously, colds are transmitted by little virus bugs which land into your
throat or nasal passages and start to eat away at your body. You can be on a
metro or tram and inhale the bug from someone else’s sneeze. To prevent this, I
guess you’d have to wear a gas mask or some other mask; but for most of us, this
is not a viable option. Or you can generally eat lots of garlic
[how to avoid garlic odour] and ginger as I do, as such strengthening your body’s immunity system
(my girlfriend catches colds frequently and I certainly get closer to her than I
do to people in elevators, although I still never catch colds from her).
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- if travelling by public transportation or while in any other location where my hands come into contact with frequently touched objects (handle rails etc.), I try to always hold only with two fingers and at a “strange” location (joint between handle rails etc.) where most other people will not grab hold of (wearing gloves is certainly also good). And above all, try not to absent-mindedly wipe my nose with my fingers after holding onto something which the last hundred people held onto after wiping their nose with their fingers. This is a perfect way to transmit a virus;
- and for naughty people like me, when passing around the, uh, cigarette..
yah, I lodge the filter at the joint of my pinkiest fingers while cupping my
hand and inhale through the circle formed by my thumb and forefinger. Not only
does this create a chamber which cools a bit down the hot fume, but it is
actually a fairly strong toke, even though the average person thinks you’re
just being a pussy wimp. Try it dude!
- one last thing you can try and which, as part of my internet research on this subject, I learned may help is to put a jar of water on your heater in the winter. When it is cold outside, we heat up our homes, and heaters tend to dry out the air. When the air is dry, my lips start to chap and I often wake up in the morning with a dry and sore throat. This seems to make it more susceptible to catching colds. You can be fancy and spend all sorts of money on a humidifier, or just put a jar of water on your heaters, which slowly evaporates and helps keep the air in your home more moist. Aquariums also help.
- and lastly, perhaps contrary to the above few points, is not to be so obsessive about sterilisation. The new generation is said to be catching colds quickly and constantly because everything is so sterile, and many people take prescription antibiotics at the first sneeze. Synthetic antibiotics weaken your body. It is like a crutch, or a wheelchair, and if you sit in a wheelchair too long and don't exercise your muscles, your body gets weak. It develops a dependence on your crutch. But natural antibiotics, such as garlic, ginger, vitamin C and Echinacea instead strengthen your body. And the introduction of foreign bacteria will also strengthen your immune system, because your body is forced to develop antibodies against it. It is like taking a vaccine. A small dose and weakened version of a disease which your body can react to and develop against it an immune system. So hey, just be a bit of a pig man. But avoid strong doses as mentioned above.
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These are general preventive tactics. Of course, I guess you can include in
that trying to avoid going on drinking binges for too many days in a row while
depriving yourself of sleep, or other forms of stressful work which tend to
weaken your body’s immunity system. Or by trying to maintain a healthy and
balanced diet, with lots of vegetables and vitamins, or by exercising and taking
care of your body to make it stronger. In my internet research on this subject,
I also learned that sugar is bad for the immunity system. White sugar is
supposed to be bad for you generally. To the right, how a cold or any virus attacks the body. Similar to how Malaria works. A very interesting read and the bug that has caused the human species to evolve the most. |
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Other links to common cold remedies:
http://quanta-gaia.org/health/coldsAndFlu.html
http://www.health911.com/remedies/rem_coldsf.htm
http://www.holistichealthtools.com/colds-flu.html
http://members.aol.com/besharat/health28.htm
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/clds&flu.html
http://www.aboutchildrenshealth.com/coldsandflu.html
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< Oil of Oregano (75% Carvacrol +)
< Salviae Tinctura (sage tincture)
http://www.herbalremedies.com/sagtin2oz.html
Salvia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_divinorum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHVHqCQH0_U
http://www.alternative-healthzine.com/html/1000_2.html - The
Common Sage can have white, greenish-grey or purplish-red leaves. Often, Sage
products and preparations refer to, or contain 'Red Sage'. This is not a
different species, it is still Common Sage, but the plants with purplish-red
leaves have been used. According to medical herbalists, the red leaf sage is the
preferred medicinal variety.
The genus name 'Salvia' is derived from the Latin 'Salvare', to be saved, an
ancient reference to Sage's curative abilities. The following saying from the
Middle Ages also suggests the importance of Sage's healing properties:
"Why should a man die while sage grows in his garden?"!
From at
least as far back as the Middle Ages, Sage has been documented as a 'cure-all'
with references to longevity in folk medicine.
Commercially, Sage has always been very popular for culinary use, with its very
strong, distinctive taste and aroma. In more recent years Sage has become
increasingly popular for its therapeutic use, especially with symptoms
associated with the menopause.
USES OF RED SAGE
Research has suggested that the presence of volatile oil in Sage is largely
responsible for most of its therapeutic properties, especially its antiseptic,
astringent and relaxing actions. This also gives Sage an oestrogenic action
which is partly responsible for hormonal effects, such as reducing breast-milk
production.
In Chinese medicine, Sage is a 'Yin' (female) tonic with a reputation for
supporting the Nervous System.
Like all aromatic/culinary herbs, Sage can soothe the Digestive Tract.
HORMONES - Red Sage can;
* Improve irregular and scanty periods
* Promote stronger menstrual flow
* Reduce sweating, especially during the menopause
* Reduce hot flushes and generally help the body to adjust to
hormonal changes
GENERALLY - Red Sage;
* Relieves sore throats, taken internally and used as a very
effective gargle
* Encourages the healing process, especially for mouth ulcers,
sore gums and external wounds in general
* Aids digestion. Sage acts as a digestive tonic helping to
stimulate or soothe the Digestive Tract
* As a Nerve tonic, helps to both calm and stimulate the
Nervous System
* Is useful for stings and bites, especially if the fresh
leaves are rubbed onto the affected area
* Was traditionally used to help asthma; the dried leaves are
often used in herbal smoking mixtures
* Can alleviate mild diarrhoea, because of its astringent
(drying) properties
DOSAGE
Infusion: Half - 1 teaspoon dried herb to each cup boiling water, infuse 15
mins. Half - 1 cup three times daily or used as a gargle and mouthwash as often
as required.
Tincture: 30-60 drops, in water or juice three times daily.
Fluid Extract: 15-30 drops, in water or juice three times daily.
Capsules: Powdered herb min 325mg, 1-4 capsules three times daily.
Or follow the instructions on any proprietary pack of a Red Sage
product being used.
COMBINATIONS
Like all herbal products, Red Sage can be found with other herbs in
combination products. For example, Echinacea and Myrrh may be combined with Red
Sage in a gargle mixture to enhance its healing properties. Or, it may be
combined with other 'female' herbs known to assist with symptoms of the
menopause, such as, Agnus Castus or Wild Yam.
Find a product which works for you - either the single herb or a combination of
herbs - and continue for a full course of treatment.
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http://www.vitacost.com/Healthnotes/Herb/Sage.aspx :
It was used by herbalists externally to treat sprains, swelling, ulcers, and bleeding.2 Internally, a tea made from sage leaves has had a long history of use to treat sore throats and coughs—often used as a gargle. It was also used by herbalists for rheumatism, excessive menstrual bleeding, and to dry up a mother’s milk when nursing was stopped. It was particularly noted for strengthening the nervous system, improving memory, and sharpening the senses.
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Sage (Salvia officinalis) is native to the Mediterranean and naturalized throughout Europe and North America. Known as garden sage, meadow sage, and true sage, this pungent herb is a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint, family. The genus name is taken from the Latin salvare meaning "to save." The specific name officinalis indicates that sage was included on official lists of medicinal herbs. There are numerous species of sage, including clary sage (S. sclarea) named because of its traditional use as an eyewash. Native Americans used the roots and leaves of lyre-leafed sage (S. lyrata L.), also known as cancerweed, as a salve for sores and in a tea to treat colds and coughs. Another species, known as divine sage (S. divinorum), a native of Oaxaca, Mexico, has been used for centuries by local shamans to achieve altered states of consciousness in healing rituals.
Salvia divinorum can be chewed or smoked to produce experiences ranging from uncontrollable laughter to much more intense and profoundly altered states.
- Uncontrollable laughter.
- Past memories, such as revisiting places from childhood memory.
- Sensations of motion, or being pulled or twisted by forces.
- Visions of membranes, films and various two-dimensional surfaces.
- Merging with or becoming objects (for example a Ferris wheel).
- Overlapping realities, such as the perception of being in several locations at once.
A survey of Salvia users found that 38 % described the effects as unique. 23 % said the effects were like yoga, meditation or trance.[34]
Although only lasts about 5 minutes.
Salvia is not ‘fun’ in the way that alcohol or Cannabis can be. If you try to party with Salvia you probably will not have a good experience. Salvia is a consciousness-changing herb that can be used in a vision quest, or in a healing ritual. In the right setting, Salvia makes it possible to see visions. It is an herb with a long tradition of sacred use. It is useful for deep meditation. It is best taken in a quiet, nearly darkroom; either alone, or with one or two good friends present.”
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The chief cause of tonsillitis is a toxic condition of the system, which is brought to a head by a sudden lowering of vitality, resulting from exposure and sudden chill. The tonsils enlarge and get inflamed when the toxins cannot be got rid of through the normal channels of elimination such as the bowels, kidneys, and skin. A throat affliction of this kind is also associated with and is the result of chronic constipation, when toxins are reabsorbed into the bloodstream
Don't aggravate the throat, meaning no smoking, no alcohol, no spices
humidifier...
So, the tonsils are ideally situated to attack and destroy these germs before they can enter the respiratory tract to set up a serious infection such as bronchitis or pneumonia.
Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of inflamed tonsils. One of the most effective of these remedies is the use of lime. Half a freshlime squeezed in a glass of warm water , mixed with two teaspoons of honey and little salt, should be sipped slowly in such cases.
Tonsils are extremely important in protecting the body against infection and help to guard against inhaled or ingested organisms. They also produce antibodies which help to fight against nose and throat infections.
golden seal <research> herbal extracts
Stay away from dairy products. Some doctors believe that dairy products, including milk, cheese and even ice cream, may actually cause more mucous to form. Try avoiding these products when you have a sinus infection.
To sleep better during bouts of sinus attack, drink a cup of tea before bed. Chamomile tea is particularly useful for calming the body and mind before bedtime.
DRINK HERBAL TEA
Herbal teas, especially ginger, echinnacea, lemon and mint not only taste wonderful but give the body's immune system a natural boost. Add honey to taste if you'd like it sweetened.
ESSENTIAL OILS
You can increase the effectiveness of steam, either in the shower or in a facial sauna, by adding essential oils. Eucalyptus is known for its clearing powers, as is peppermint. Just a teaspoon in the hot water will help, or you can put a few drops on a sponge and leave it in your tub while you shower.
According to Dr. Andrew Weil, one of the leaders in the integrative health movement, a handful of dry sage and/or eucalyptus leaves (or a few drops of the essential oils of either) steeped in the hot water not only soothes congested sinuses, it can help to prevent bacterial growth.
Other essential oils recommended by aromatherapy professionals for relieving sinusitis are rosemary, thyme, peppermint, geranium, tea tree (sometimes spelled ti tree) basil, juniper, oregano, and pine.
Use a single oil, or a combination of 3-5, in the inhalation steam or put a drop on a tissue to sniff as you need to. You might also burn candles permeated with these oils at your desk or in your home.
http://www.wlnaturalhealth.com/aromatherapy-articles/aromatherapy-cold-flu-sinus-steam.htm