Some friends have told me I need to share the stuff that I've learned, so I wanted to take some time and write out some of the cool things I've learned about different vitamins, minerals, herbs and foods. These are a HUGE help in staying healthy and living healthy. I love things that support the immune system in its own effort to heal and fight disease instead of having medicines that do it in place of your immune system. That doesn't help long-term. It's incredible what our bodies are actually capable of doing if we only give it a chance. God was a definitely a genius in His creativity and formation of our bodies!
If this kind of stuff interests you, be sure to buy the book Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing. It will become your best friend for referencing pretty much every health ailment! It's become my go-to since I don't have health insurance...and I can honestly say, I've only been to the Doc twice in the last 3 years because this book, along with some other resources has helped me build my immune system and take care of any ailments (obviously none were emergency related). I'll keep it in our book collection for years to come because it will be super handy when we have kids!
Something you should note is, if you decide to buy any of the supplements I recommend, you want to be sure to get a good quality brand. A generic, convenient-store brand unfortunately is loaded with fillers and has very little of the actual vitamins or minerals in it. All the brands below are great quality brands that you can find in most health food stores. Of course, you can research and find more brands too. I tried to find everything on Amazon.com so you can see prices.
These are all just from my cupboard so obviously there are so many more supplements, but these have been some of the main things that have helped Philip and I.
Must-haves
1. First things first, if you don't have some Silver Water in your house, you should be sure to get some. You can get it online, or at a Health Food Store. What is it good for? The simple answer is: Silver water kills the bad stuff inside your body and boosts your immune system. You can use it to brush your teeth, just swish around in your mouth and swallow, and it can be used for kids, pets and plants! Some great info can be found here. (I drank this stuff like crazy to fight strep!)
2. Next, keep some Vitamin C on hand. You cannot over dose on vitamin c (because it is water-soluble and you just pee it out), so if you feel a tickle in your throat, or just a funky-inside-feeling, get some good vitamin c. Vitamin c boosts your immune system and keeps your body working. More info can be found here.
If you don't want to buy anything else, I'd totally recommend at least getting these 2 things to have as household regulars.
Some good-to-haves
1. Vitamin B Complex is great as a daily vitamin, but particularly great during times of stress. When my Dad died, my friend (who's been studying holistic medicine and lifestyle for 20+ years) suggested I start taking a vitamin b complex and fish oil. Vitamin B Complex helps your adrenal glands function efficiently when under stress. Vitamin B Complex is also water soluble so you can't over do it because you'll just pee it out. More information can be found here.
2. Fish Oil is great for not just your heart, but for your brain too! It is a natural anti-inflammatory as well. You can take a therapeutic amount of up to 3,000 mg/daily for 2 weeks and then drop down to 1 capsule daily. Again, this is great for stressful times because it helps brain function. I recommend Carlson Labs for anything fish oil related because most theirs do not have metals such as mercury, in their products. Most fish oils have high levels of mercury which is bad for our bodies. Carlson Labs has a bunch of different types to chose from. I do the tablets because, lets be honest, the liquid scares me, haha. I have a friend who prefers the lemon liquid though, so it's really personal preference.
3. Vitamin D3 should be your best friend during winter months and in flu season! It is 800% more effective than the flu shot and it's not toxic to your body! D3 is what our bodies get from the sun, so when there is less sunlight your body craves it. Take this stuff all winter to help your brain keep from getting too sluggish because it also helps with seasonal depression.
4. Garlic is a great natural antibacterial, so if you are feeling like a cold is coming on, either eat lots and lots of garlic or you can get capsules. If you want to eat it, cook it in stir fry is always a great idea. Or you can do what a friend of mine does and mince it raw and spread on some toast...ick! But definitely does the trick, haha! Onions are also a great food to eat if you're feeling sick with a cold. It will help your immune system get a boost! If you want tablets, I recommend Kyolic brand because all they do is garlic. Any kind of garlic is great for cold/flu symptoms so don't get overwhelmed by all the choices...because I did. Alot of their products have some extra goodness in them so that's why they're marketed as "cardiovascular" or "circulation". In the end, any kind of garlic you get will be helpful.
5. Zinc is great in lozenger form when you have a sore throat, but also works well in capsule form. I can't take zinc unless I've eaten alot because it makes me feel nasuase. However, Phil takes it daily and is completely fine. It's also good for dandruff and your immune system. Most brands have a zinc but the one I linked is kind of an "elite" brand to set a standard. They specialize in raw food supplements. Price is always something I'm mindful of, so take some tips from Garden of Life but do look around for prices that suit your budget.
6. Vitamin A for 8 weeks helps fight warts! I had warts on my feet that would not go away. I tried everything! Freezing, bandaid-ing, duct-taping, cutting and nothing was doing the trick. A friend of mine told me about vitamin a for 8 weeks and so I tried it and my warts died and never came back!!! It's good for skin in general, but works wonders on a wart problem.
Other helpful things
Sleep aids
Melatonin is good for helping you sleep. My family discovered this great alternative because we traveled alot. It helps with jet-lag because it helps your body naturally get into a sleep cycle. Some nights if I'm having a hard time getting to sleep, I'll take one capsule because it helps me sleep through the night. I do have a friend however that cannot take melatonin because it has the OPPOSITE effect on her. So maybe do a test with it before you're in dire need because the last thing you'll want is to be wide awake when you're trying to be sound asleep.
Pain relievers
1. Aspirin has received a bad name in the last forever years! I am learning, however, that it is better to use than ibuprofen and definitely better than Tylenol. Do your utmost to stay away from Tylenol because it is awful on your liver!!! My friend, the holistic friend, works alot with babies and new mom's in her profession and she'll only recommend an aspirin pain killer because it's safer than any of the other pain relievers...even for babies! It's also usually the cheapest at any store. Just because the health system has said it could be connect to Reyes Disease, there is no evidence to support that!
2. Arnica is a pain reliever. This comes in a few different forms. There are tables you can take orally if you have a headache. My sister-in-law actually used this natural pain reliever during labor! You can get Arnica Oil for soothing muscle pain. There's even a gel and cream too! It can be used for any sort or inflammation, busing, and pain. Since it's an oil, I actually use it for a bunch of things....dandruff, spider veins, extra hand moisturizer. The list continues. You can use it on kids too.
3. Mullein/Garlic ear drops are great alternative for ear infections, ear aches, anything ear related. You don't need to rush off and get an antibiotic from the Doc. Help your body do the work! These drops are great ear releief! And they're great for kiddos too. If you don't want to get any ear drops, you can always use olive oil to bring sweet relief to the inside of your ears. Garlic and Mullein are the main helpers in ear relief from infection or itchy ears.
Essential Oils
1. Mandarin oil is great for stress relief! Can you tell I've been under alot of stress in my life?! Ha. You can sniff it from the jar, or put it in an essential oil diffuser to help it get into the air of your living room, or bedroom, or even bathroom. You can mix this with some bergamot oil to create a lovely stress relieving aroma :-)
2. Bergamot oil is another stress reliever. It can be used the same as the mandarin oil or any other essential oil but can be mixed with the mandarin oil. Aura Cacia specialize in aromatherapy and natural personal care.
3. Eucalyptus oil is used for stuffy noses! It smells like vicks vapor rub! :-) You can put some drops on a washcloth and place the washcloth on a pillow for while you're sleep, or you can use it how I recommended for the mandarin oil.
Tonics
Rescue Remedy is again, another stress reliever, however this one is taken orally with a little dropper. The instructions say you can put 4 drops on your tongue when you're getting overwhelmed, or you can mix some drops in a glass of water. Something I do is put drops into my water bottle and drink it throughout the day if I'm going to a meeting or doing something that would give me anxiety. Bach Flower remedies.
If this kind of stuff interests you, I would also suggest you read Food Remedies; Facts About Food And Their Medicinal Uses. It's FREE for Kindle download. It was written at the beginning of the 1900s and it is so so good!
Thanks for reading! :-)
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