Trying not to get sick...

I’m a bit of a people person, if you cannot tell.  All my life I have adopted families left and right, and I doubt that will ever change.  My current adopted family has come down with several illnesses.  A few have the flu, one has bronchitis...so there is coughing, sneezing, blowing, and all sorts of stuff floating around.  I can FEEL my body fighting back, not to catch what is going around. I have a slight sore throat and I have less energy than usual, but so far no further symptoms.  Now I am NOT a physician.  I do not give you medical advice, only share what I do and what works for me. If you do not feel well and want to seek medical advice, please do so! (Although my recommendation is a D.O. or a naturopath…I have yet to find an M.D. that does anything but overmedicate.)

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There are two things that I do myself, and I recommend to others when you think you are getting sick.  First – STOP EATING!!!  Your body has been perfectly designed to heal itself and protect itself from foreign invaders. The more things we ask of our bodies, however, the less it’s focus is on staying healthy.  We have been conditioned as a culture to reach for chicken noodle soup when we are sick…or crackers.  As soon as we engage our digestive system, we cut our defenses in half.  Then, if we engage in eating foods that our bodies have difficult times digesting (i.e. meat, milk products, complex grains, high sugar foods)…then we take more energy away when we crucially need it. Our bodies very often tell us that we aren’t hungry when sick – and sometimes even induce vomiting.  Listen to them – don’t put food in!  We have also been conditioned to believe that we derive energy from food, and need to keep our energy up.  False.  Quite the opposite! If you can water fast while sick – do so…your body will thank you for it, and you will recover much faster.  If you cannot (I have always found it difficult to water fast and have not succeeded yet), then eat foods that are easily and quickly digested.  I prefer blended foods or fresh juices – Green Smoothies or freshly squeezed Orange juice.  They are blended or juiced – less for your digestive system to do. They are quickly assimilated and eliminated.  They provide wonderful nutrition that your body craves while sick – vitamin C and other immune boosting vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. They also fill you up so you aren’t craving items that you have programmed your brain to desire when you are sick (i.e. soup).

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My second recommendation is to drink a concoction I call “Cold-Buster Water.”  It’s quite simple.  We know of MANY medicinal herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables that have been around far longer than the synthetic compounds we have created within the past hundred years. The water I drink has crushed garlic, lemon juice, raw honey, and cayenne powder.  Sounds weird? Perhaps, but it does the trick!!!  Lemon is ridiculously high in vitamin C – an immune system booster which protects against illness and aids in healing.  Garlic, Raw Honey, and Lemon are all anti-bacterial – which prevents, protects against and helps cure bacterial infections. Garlic, Cayenne, and Honey are all anti-fungal as well.  Garlic and lemon are also anti-viral which helps against these viruses (flu, etc.). Raw honey is also antiseptic – which means you can apply it to an open wound and it will guard against infection, as well as keep it sterile! Cayenne is wonderful as well, and researching it was eye-opening! This incredible spice helps to flush your system out (without any mess), and aids in heart health.  It regulates blood flow from your head to your feet! Here is what I usually do.

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A pitcher of “Cold Buster Water” 
(A.K.A. Spicy Lemonade)

• 2 lemons, juiced
  
• 2 tbsp raw honey
  
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  
• 5 cups water
  
• 2 tbsp cayenne pepper

Now…I usually blend this mixture in my vitamix – until it makes a smooth juice.  It’s delicious and has quite an after kick. It yields 6 cups and I drink it slowly for a meal.  If I’m not planning on making a whole pitcher, I’ll just squeeze half a lemon into a glass of water, a spoonful of honey, and crush a clove of garlic into it.  

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