Vegan sore throat remedies?

February 22, 2010

Need them like whoa. Hit me with them please!

Thanks

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

February 22, 2010

I find elderflower and lemon " tea " works very well... there's also some sore-throat sweets called Ricola which I've used in the past - but I don't know if oyu have them in the US...BBPeter

On 22 February 2010 08:46, <bluerose156 wrote:

Need them like whoa. Hit me with them please!

Thanks

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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February 22, 2010

At 8:46 AM +0000 2/22/10, bluerose156 wrote:

>Need them like whoa. Hit me with them please!

>

1. Steam. Stand in a hot shower, or, according to someone on my

alum list: " get a gadget called a " facial steamer " that

lets you stick your face, nose, and mouth in a silicon mask and

breathe steam. What a great gadget. At the first hint of a nose

cold, I steam myself. After many years of having the worst sorts

of head colds and runny noses in Boston, I found steam to be the best

therapy. All kinds of viruses thrive in a chilled nose and then make

it " run " which keeps it cool and so they thrive. Steam

them! "

2. Gargling with warm salt water can be very effective in getting

rid of an infection, if you catch it early enough. I don't use salt

for cooking and usually forget about this one, but I know someone else

who was susceptible to tonsillitis who happened to be at the beach

with no other remedies at hand, and kept from getting sick by gargling

with ocean water.

3. Drink more liquids, especially water (plain hot water is soothing)

or noncaffeinated herb teas. Drink more liquids, especially water

(plain hot water is soothing) or noncaffeinated herb teas.

4. For a sore spot in my throat, I like some of the throat-spray

tinctures. My current favorite is an Elder Berry and Red Root throat

spray from Eclectic Institute (Elder is good for flu and viral

conditions, and Red Root [Ceanothus] helps with lymphatic conditions,

such as tonsillitis). Usually, one or two spritzes at the very first

hint of soreness makes the sore spot go away. Eclectic also has an

Osha and Lomatium throat spray, which would be good for coughs or

bronchitis. I've also used other echinacea-based throat sprays.

Pineapple juice, which is an antiinflammatory, is also good, if

soreness persists.

5. Take vitamin C, either as vitamin C powder or as Emergen-C

(vitamin-mineral mixture). Emergen-C has 1 gram of virtamin C, and I

have taken 1-2 grams at a time. But the body cannot assimilate more

than 500mg at a time, so consider sipping a glassful over a couple

hours rather than drinking the whole thing at once.

6. Eat more colorful (green, orange, red) vegetables. If I happen

to be at a store, I buy some carrot juice. I cut way back on any

prepared foods (anything that comes in a package) and totally

eliminate " junk " foods (anything that is not phytochemical-

and nutrient-dense), including pasta, rice crackers, bean chips,

breads, and desserts. Make a big pot of soup with lots of vegetables,

plus a bean and a grain.

7. Eat lots of raw garlic, a powerful antibiotic. I can usually

eat 4-5 cloves at a time, chopped up on toast, with fresh tomatoes if

they are in season, or with other vegetables, or in a salad. It's

important to eat it raw. Sometimes I peel a clove and keep it in my

mouth for a while, biting down on it when I can stand it.

8. Get more rest. Cancel activities, or avoid checking e-mail, or

drop whatever's not crucial so I don't add to the sleep deficit. (This

is the hardest thing to do.) If possible, go to sleep early _and_

sleep late, or take naps. Over the years I've noticed that one of the

only ways to slow down was to get sick, so I've learned to slow down

_instead of_ getting sick.

9. Being aware of subclinical symptoms is the first step._

Herbs and vitamins are most effective in preventing an acute

phase if you start taking them when you first notice subclinical

symptoms. Some subclinical symptoms are a lower energy level, or the

first signs of a mildly scratchy or sore throat or runny nose. ASAP

after noticing any of these subclinical symptoms, I do one or more of

the above.

And here's an article by (vegan) Dr. Klaper

who used to be (not sure if he still is) at

Institute of Nutrition Education and Research 1601 N. Sepulveda Blvd.,

Ste 342 Manhattan Beach, California 90266 Tel/Fax: (310) 374-3733

Questions & Answers

KEYS TO CURING BRONCHITIS

Dear Dr. Klaper,

I have been lacto-vegetarian for ten years and find myself getting

several episodes of bronchitis every winter. I am a drummer in a rock

music band and hate to miss work. Why do I keep getting ill? Is there

something I'm not seeing?

-- J.R.G.

Dear J.R.G:

Whenever I hear, " Doctor, why did I get sick? " I am reminded

of the last words of famed microbiologist, Louis Pasteur. In the late

1800's, Dr. Pasteur's scientific insights into microbiology pioneered

great strides in public health and food safety including

pasteurization. Pasteur felt that bacteria and other microbes were the

all-powerful factors in causing disease - and for good reason. The

terrible tissue destruction caused by the staphylococcus and

pneumococcus bacteria which Pasteur observed and described, are

rightly feared by physicians and patients everywhere. We now know that

even smaller particles such as viruses, can be agents of scourges like

smallpox and encephalitis, as well as of influenza and the common

cold. Pasteur believed that conquering these invading organisms was

the key to maintaining health.

However, Pasteur's academic rival, physiologist Dr. Claude Bernard,

felt that whether infection actually would occur was determined not by

the presence of microbes, but by the health of the body's tissues. The

classic duel between them was Pasteur claiming the supremacy of

invisible bacterial assailants, while Bernard championed the

resistance of the body tissues in saying " the terrain is all. "

Much of modern medicine's campaign against disease has focused on

developing antibiotics to thwart bacteria-caused infections. However,

the truth of Dr. Bernard's assertion of the primacy of the body's

natural resistance to infection has become clearly evident.

As my professor of internal medicine told me in medical school,

" People don't 'get' diseases - they 'earn' them... "

Getting sick is easy. The recipe for depressing your body's resistance

to disease and thus inviting illness to set up housekeeping in your

system is well known:

1.Short-change yourself on sleep (averaging 4 or 5 hours per night,

for several nights in a row, usually does it for me),

2.Diminish your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables,

3.Increase the intake of sugary or fatty junk foods,

4.Spend too much time breathing in smoke-filled meeting rooms,

exhaust-choked traffic jams, or other chemical ambushes,

5.Top with a layer of life stresses (assignment deadlines, financial

worries, relationship difficulties, traffic tie-ups, etc.) and -

voila!

Your throat gets scratchy, your nose begins to run, every muscle in

your body begins to ache, and the readings on the fever thermometer

begin to creep up. The next thing you know, you feel terrible, and you

know you're in for at least a few days of bodily miseries.

(How to treat an infection once it has begun is the subject of another

article. If the feeling of being too ill to go to work or function

normally in your daily life lasts more than 48 hours and/or does not

respond to fluids, rest, and pain relievers, you should contact your

physician.)

The old adage, " An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure "

is certainly true, and since this article is about not getting sick in

the first place, here are some tips:

1.Get enough sleep! Babies grow while they sleep and adults heal and

restore their immunity while they " get their Z's. "

Consistently short-changing yourself of needed sleep is a great way to

lower your immunity and open the door for infections - and worse...

Often, you can help abort an infection in the early stages by going to

bed early, taking an afternoon nap (snooze at lunch instead of eating

or put your head down on the desk for ten minutes during a

" coffee break, " etc.), or otherwise increasing your sleep.

Sleep around the clock if you need to...

2.Drink enough pure water! When we don't keep up with our water needs

- while losing hydration with every breath, through our perspiration,

each time we urinate or defecate, etc. - the normal mucus secretions

of the lungs, throat, intestinal tract, etc., become thickened.

Antibodies in these viscous secretions do not protect us as well, and

thus we lay out the " microbial welcome mat " ... To stay more

hydrated and healthy, drink a glass of water, fresh vegetable juice,

or something else liquid and healthful every few hours.

3.Keep your diet clean! Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables

(preferably organically grown) have antioxidants, bioflavonoids and

other phytochemicals that strengthen our immunity. Vegetarians are

often at an advantage here because of their generally higher intake of

high-quality produce. Refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, and other

chemicals in processed food, weaken our immunity and here, " junk

food vegetarians " lose their healthy diet advantage. In addition,

specific foods in a vegetarian diet, especially dairy products and

wheat, have been associated with increased allergic reactions and

mucus flow - possibly factors that facilitate infection. A trial

without these foods for a few weeks or months during your

" sickness season " - and especially at the first sign of

illness - may be quite beneficial.

4.If necessary, assure vitamin and trace mineral adequacy by taking a

high-potency multivitamin/mineral tablet each day. Vegetarians take

note: a healthy immune system requires sufficient zinc, vitamin B12,

and omega-3 fats, nutrients that can be scarce on a completely

plant-based diet. Be sure your diet supplies enough of these (zinc in

whole grains, fortified cereals, etc.; omega-3 fats in walnuts,

flaxseeds, hempseed oil, etc.; B12 in fortified soy milk, rice milk

and other B12-enriched foods.) If you are not consuming enough of

these nutrients in your diet, consider taking them in the appropriate

supplement form.

5.Walk every day - " Rev up the engine " through gentle

exercise. (Even walking back and forth in your living room, taking

some deep breaths, helps.) Gentle exercise increases the heart rate

which forces more blood through the liver and kidneys, resulting in

more rapid removal from the blood of bacterially-derived proteins and

other waste products of infection that keep you feeling ill.

6.Consider herbal immune support. Preparations made from plants like

echinacea are reported to strengthen the immune system in general, and

herbs like lemon balm are reported to have anti-viral properties.

Consuming tea or juice from the elderberry plant has been shown to

shorten the duration of influenza attacks. Consider using these herbal

preparations, alone or in combination, at the earliest signs of

infection. Of course, the old standby of Vitamin C, 250-1000 mg. 2 to

4 times per day, is still probably a good idea.

7.Finally, don't worry - be happy! It is well known that when we are

under stress (it could be anger, worry, jealousy, depression, etc.)

our entire body reflects the dysfunction. Stress makes us more prone

to infections, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and other health

problems. Fix what you can fix and release the rest with blessings and

a smile.

If you are a drummer in a rock band like the writer of our question,

late nights, sleep deprivation, fast foods, smoke-filled rooms, and

other immune-depressing factors common to your lifestyle are probably

part of the assault on your immune system. You need to compensate for

them with afternoon naps, a produce-rich diet (with increased fresh

fruits and vegetables on the nights you play,) frequent walks outside

(between musical sets) for fresh air, and probably taking extra

antioxidant vitamins - C and E. (For all you non-rock-drummer-readers,

if your lifestyle inflicts upon you any of the similar stresses that

our drummer-writer describes, the same strategies described for him

could benefit you...)

Louis Pasteur finally realized the truth in Dr. Bernard's assertion.

Pasteur's last words are reported to have been: " The terrain is

all... " His lesson to us is that if we keep our mind, spirit, and

body's tissues healthy, the bacteria will be far less likely to gain a

toehold (or tentacle-hold, or flagellum-hold, or whatever microbes

hold on with). Take care of your precious terrain. Salud!

********************

February 23, 2010

We have Ricola here in the US.Patricia--- On Mon, 2/22/10, Peter Kebbell <metalscarab wrote:Peter Kebbell <metalscarabRe: Vegan sore throat remedies? Date: Monday, February 22, 2010, 12:47 AM

I find elderflower and lemon "tea" works very well... there's also some sore-throat sweets called Ricola which I've used in the past - but I don't know if oyu have them in the US...BBPeter

On 22 February 2010 08:46, <bluerose156 wrote:

Need them like whoa. Hit me with them please!

Thanks

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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