What’s in Your Cabinet?

Recently, I had a bout with the flu. I mean, I wasn’t actually diagnosed by a doctor; we were “snowed in”. But honestly, even if we weren’t, I probably wouldn’t have gone anyway. I loathe going into doctor’s offices. I’ve been in enough of them during my short time here on earth (more on that at a later date). Besides, everyone’s snotting and sneezing – you end up coming out with something you didn’t even go in with! But, I know the symptoms of the flu, and you better believe…I had the flu. Everything hurt from my scalp and skin to my bones. My head felt like it was in a vice, my lungs felt like I inhaled an ocean, the chills and sweats, couldn’t eat, all I wanted to do was sleep and I had the sexy Barry White voice to match (when I could catch my breath to talk)…it was bad. And as “tough” as I am, I was miserable.

So, what do you do when you can’t get to the doctor and you have cold or flu-like symptoms? Here, I’ll list some of my essentials that I keep on hand and works for us.

***PLEASE NOTE I AM NOT A DOCTOR AND THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. I AM SHARING WITH YOU ALL WHAT WORKS FOR MY FAMILY. IF ANY OF THESE THINGS INTEREST YOU, I URGE YOU TO FIND SOMEONE WHO IS TRAINED IN CONVENTIONAL OR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES TO CONSULT WITH YOU ON YOUR CHOICES.***

Colloidal Silver: This is a must have for this crew. This stuff is good for everything and I mean everything – viruses, bacteria, fungus, cleaning out scrapes, we even cured our dog’s ear infection with it. At the first sign of something happening, if I can make it to my bottle, I take a dose.

How it works: The way it was explained to me by our trusty Naturopath at our favorite health store was that each molecule adheres to the pathogen and keeps it from replicating. There are kinds that are one and done, 1:1 ratio (silver molecule:pathogen), and there are kinds where one molecule will continuously adhere to pathogens until it’s passed through the system of your body.

Buffered Sodium Ascorbate Vitamin C: This is some good stuff too. In fact, I have a story. I have a friend that had a dog that would get cysts. The first few times they’d take the pup to the vet to get checked out because they’d often burst and bleed. But then they decided to try this on one of the cysts and it went away! They are actually the family that told me about this stuff and I can’t thank them enough! Of course, we don’t use it for cysts, but more for when we feel that pesky cold or sinus situation coming. We also take a shot of it when we’ve knowingly been around sick people with “the crud”.

How it works: CAUTION: If you have a salt intolerance, please consult your doctor before using. So, it’s not “just” Vitamin C, but it’s buffered so that you can take a lot without the stomach upset that Vitamin C often gives. Don’t get me wrong, if you take too much you can have an upset stomach. But on average, if you take just below the threshold, you’ll see you’ve probably taken more than you’re used to and it helps a lot.

Mullein Tincture: I’m just beginning to learn the joy of tinctures.

As soon as I get a chance, I’ll start growing my own medicinal herbs to make my own. I love them that much. Mullein tincture is made from the mullein plant which for years have been used to treat upper respiratory congestion and illness.

How it works: The tincture that I have is made from alcohol – most tinctures are. Some are made from vegetable glycerin or vinegar. But most you’ll find made with an alcohol, like vodka. It comes in a bottle with a dropper. Some people like to mix it with juice or water. I take mine straight out the dropper – because dang it, I’m hard core! LOL

Epsom Salt Bath: I hate baths. With a passion. I also don’t like getting in pools, so how our  kids became swimmers I’ll never know. Anyway, I knew I was sick when I asked my husband to make some bathwater for me so that I could soak. Those body aches were worse than labor pains and I have a really high tolerance for pain. My body craved water. All I could think about was how good it might feel to float. So, he went out in the snow (remember we were snowed in? Antoine is a saint AND an awesome husband) and bought some Epsom salt. And not just the regular salt (because they didn’t have any), but the “smell good kind” with the essential oils already in it. Which in a way was a bummer because we could have saved money because all the essential oils they used I already have.

How it works: The “real name” for Epsom Salt is, “Magnesium Sulfate”. If you do a little research on Magnesium, you’ll see it’s not the same thing as magnesium sulfate, but the results are the same. Magnesium has been found to relax tense muscles. (Pro Tip – if you suffer from tension headaches or migraines, do some research and talk to your health care provider about taking magnesium as a supplement.) And that’s what Epsom Salt breaks down to when dissolved in water. The idea is that your body absorbs the magnesium and helps to relax you. Of course, warm water does this too, but I like to think the Epsom Salt is magical – don’t mess up my dream.

Food: When I was ready to start putting something in my stomach, I started off with broth. One thing I made sure of was to have NO DAIRY or MEAT. These things increase mucus in the body. Pretty counteractive to what you’re trying to do. Instead, eat LOTS of fruit and veggies.

How it works: Homemade bone broth soothes the stomach and it also is an immune booster by helping to heal your gut. It actually helps with a lot of other ailments that you can research. Fruits of course are packed with various vitamins and more importantly, fluid to help you stay hydrated.

Water: Last but absolutely not least – water. DRINK IT. I prefer alkaline water when I’m sick that we buy from our trusty health store.

If alkaline water is hard to come by, your budget won’t allow it, or you just don’t feel like the hubbub, then go ahead and squeeze a lemon into your water. It will alkalize it even though the lemon is acidic. I can’t fully explain that one, so you’ll have to do your research on it. And if I’m not drinking alkaline water or lemon water, then I’m drinking Water Kefir. It’s a wonderful way to get your body full of the “good” bacteria.

How it works: Water hydrates and replenishes what you’ve lost. Did you know that when you expel mucus, you lose water? I never thought of it that way, but it’s true! And your body needs water to help flush all the toxins out that your body is destroying. Alkaline water helps to increase the alkalinity in your body and the theory is many pathogens can not survive in an alkaline environment. The water kefir is fermented water and any fermented food will have good bacteria which supports your gut and thereby your immune system.

Honorable mentions: These are things I also did, but not as often as above.

• Netti pot and saline water. It takes a minute to get used to. But for a clogged head it can work wonders.
• Salt and spice. I drank homemade broths. The salt soothes a scratchy throat and for whatever reason really made me feel good. And cayenne really helped to open up my nose when I had some.
• Elderberry syrup. It’s great for coughs and an immune builder.

There are so many more things that I keep around for “sick days” and various things. Maybe together we can explore my medicine cabinet. In the meantime…..what’s in your cabinet?