Got cold, i got your back.......our Nontoxic remedy.

It's yet another cold season, no matter where you live, you may have some cold sores, started feeling cold-chills, sneezing, cloudy discharge from eye, irritation in your eye and nasal organ. And probably you are bombarded by conventional clinics and healthcare providers who are recommending allergy pills and flu shots. But before you swallow the over-counter prescription allergy medication and decongestants; you should know that cold and flu are two different kind of viral infection.  cold is caused by lower humidity drying out the protective mucous membrane, and as a result the cilia in the respiratory organ is less able to trap viruses.

"Colds and flu are highly contagious respiratory infections that are caused by many kinds of viruses, while flu is specifically caused by one or three influenza viruses. More than 200 cold viruses (rginoviruses) have been identified; unfortunately, developing immunity to one does not protect you from the others. There are fewer flu viruses, but they undergo frequent mutations---that is, they change their protein structure just a little---each year as they sweep around the globe. This is why new flu vaccines are produced yearly that protect against the prevailing strains of the virus. Doctors recommend annual flu shots for everyone over the age of 65, people of any age who have a circulatory, respiratory, kidney, metabolic, or immune disorder."-------from a book called Foods that harm and food that heals by reader's digest.

Flu infection is usually the result of an infected person coughing, sneezing into the air or by an uninfected person touching infected object or person, and unknowingly transferring the virus to their own body by touching their eyes, nose or mouth. At first contact, Flu infections requires aggressive treatment because they are worse than colds. Respiratory infections can last a few days while allergy symptoms last weeks. When you feel cold chills, sneezing, sore eye, runny nose, headache and pain swallowing because of sore throat, it can be difficult to tell the difference between an allergy, a cold and flu but how can you determine for sure, if it is a mild cold symptom or a serious flu? well, there is no thickness between the two; colds will cause difficulty breathing, more runny nose or stuffy congestion that may be itchy; whereas if you have symptoms like painful dry cough, fatigue, fever, muscle aches, feeling pain when you cough, it is mostly likely a flu.  British researchers have shown that flu virus is activated at temperatures slightly below 98.6f(37 degree Celsius), which is the normal body temperature for humans.

Our body is built with an immune defense mechanism but when it is weak, we are left vulnerable to a ton of infectious bacteria and virus. We have to teach ourselves how to protect our body to avoid drowsiness, nasal passage dry out, thickened mucus membrane and possibly other side effects from long-term usage of over counter medication or too much flu shots.  "prevention is better than cure".
what if you knew a better way to keep colds, allergies and flu virus away for much longer without medication's side effects. Herbs and anti-inflammatory food can help you do just that and more. 
Herbal remedies can significantly reduce cold or allergy symptoms without side effects by tackling the problem at the root of the immune. The way it works is, the immune system encounters allergen or cold virus; it triggers the release of histamine, a chemical that cause inflammation. This will then lead to coughing, sneezing, wheezing, itchy eyes, runny nose and congestion.

You're more vulnerable to colds and flu when your immune system is depressed. Preventive steps include avoiding caffeine and alcohol because caffeine can be dehydrating and alcohol dilates small blood vessels and makes sinuses feel stuffed up; alcohol may reduce the body's ability to fight infection and may possibly reacts with prescription.

Food and herbs like seafood soup made with celery and garlic, Ginger, onions, shitake mushrooms. Aloe vera, flax-seed and flax-seed oil, avocado. Herb astragalus, enchinacea, licorice, Mints, green tea, Tinospora, stinging nettle, Ginkgo, cinnamon, cocoa & honey with warm water, Turmeric used in cooking stuff like beans or soups, turmeric is also known as curry. cayenne pepper, red Clover, can help get rid of some infections like cold. Hot peppers, garlic, turmeric or chilies, contain capsaicin, a substance that can help break up nasal and sinus congestion.

A good herb to help keep off cold and allergies is enchinacea, rosemary herb, pepper mint or mint oil. Peppermint leaf or tea when used in small amounts, is well known for treating mild cold, nausea, headaches, pain, stomach upset caused as a result of indigestion.

Enchinacea, traditionally has been used to boost the immune system to help prevents colds, flu and various infections that may plague us especially during

this cold holiday season. Enchinacea can also be used to heal boils, insect bites or stings, acne and wounds. Enchinacea serves as an antimicrobial by inhibiting reproduction of invading bacteria at the point of invasion.  You really could mix enchinacea into your bottled water by boiling a handful of enchinacea in water like you would boil tea over warm boiling water, then once it cools, you can add it to your bottle water 50%water and 50% enchinacea water, and carry this with you to sip on as you go through your day activities.
Enchinacea is a herb that is safe for humans, cats, and dogs.........at home i and my dog use it like tea at least twice a week to boost our immune, especially during the rainy winter season. But some people's body differ, and may experience a different side of enchinacea; so if you notice without a doubt that you're having a reaction to the herb please discontinue herb and consult your naturopathic doctor

Licorice is another herb used by the natives to treat sore throats, bronchitis, and it can be used as a dietary supplement. It is used to treat infections caused by viruses. You can find licorice in the powered form, capsule, tablets, extracts or as a whole root. I usually prefer using licorice root in the dried powdered form. I put it in small pouch herbal bags and lick it.----it's a little sweet.
If you use licorice, avoid taking large amount because taking too much licorice can cause high blood pressure, low potassium level, water retention. If you've heart problems and high blood pressure, you should really exercise caution with licorice roots using licorice root when pregnant or while on a diuretic medication. Even herbs must be used safely in order to maintain effective results. But Licorice is really good as a natural remedy for cold and for maintaining immune health.

Some people have tried isolation as a way to incubate the infection and to protect others from catching it.
But keeping yourself isolated from people because of an allergy isn't practical expecially during the holiday seasons. The best practical way to prevent or reduce allergies is to avoid what's causing your symptoms (allergy culprits like toxic food ingredient, toxic home cleaning products, toxic personal hygiene ingredients, dust mites, pollen, mold, perfumes, pesticides--chemical, car fumes from car exhaust, cigarette smoke or smog, the smell of new furniture, clothing materials and foods you are allergic to). Stress, unsanitary environment, Poor dietary habits, like eating too much refined carbs or sugar, greasy food like french fries that can cause inflammation and liver congestion, also Lack of sleep can make the immune weak and cause illness.


Although most colds and flu will go away naturally if you get plenty fluids, healthy food--protein, fruits, vegetables and herbs but if you think its severe you should see your Naturopathic doctors. Especially, if your cough is producing green, yellow, or bloody phlegm. A severe fever or headache or pain in the face, jaw or ear for more than 48 hours.
 Also, Practice Proper and regular hand washing; keeping your hands away from our face (eye, nose and mouth) can dramatically reduce the spread of infections.

More info:

Lemon and pineapple

Fight colds, allergies and flu 

 Posted by: Onyinye A, a freelance writer who specializes in nontoxic self improvement, green-friendly living, whole health remedies, holistic pet care, nontoxic lifestyle (preventing cancer, illness and toxicity) and everything related to detox, Natural health and organic living. 
                                                                                 "Nontoxic Lifestyle"

Why we need to be careful when using antibiotic and what to do to protect yourself from foreigner invaders.

There is a unique smell to hospitals, composed of equals parts illness, rubbing alcohol, fear of dying with what you came with or leaving with what you picked up from been there and hope for surviving. Those of you that have fish tank and much interest in biology (cells, plants, animals, aquatic life, soil), who are avid readers of biology like Darwin; can relate to a time in your education when antibiotics were taught and are been told to us that it is winner of the war against bacterial and viral diseases. Well to keep an open mind, some do win the war but at the expense of good bacteria that are unfortunately killed in the process of trying to exterminate the causal one's and of-course not leaving out the strongest one's that build immunity thereby becoming resistant. It is a comfortable belief. Unfortunately, what we don't know we assume couldn't hurt us but what we know couldn't be more wrong.

"Bacteria and virus are a life-form. Although a virus isn't alive but like all life they have the ability to survive and reproduce. And like all life they adapt to threats to their survival. Not only are they naturally immune to antibiotics, but most respond quickly to changes in their environment. They are pure biochemical factories that respond to antibiotics along with metabolic changes in an attempt to counter them.
In other words, bacteria use a kind of trial and error process to create chemical responses to antibiotics. These chemical allow them to survive antibiotics or even to disable the antibiotics itself. According to Jeffery Fisher "Bacteria don't do this instantly, but rather through evolutionary trial and error. Once the right biochemical combination to resist the antibiotics in question develops, the new mutated strain will flourish---a pure example of Darwinian survival of the fittest. Trial and error, of-course, can take time, generally bacterial generations. Here again, however, the bacteria prove to have the perfect machinery. Unlike humans, who produce a new generation every twenty years or so, bacteria produce new generation every twenty minutes, multiplying 500,000 times faster than we do." And not only do the bacteria, those naturally immune and those mutating, survive the antibiotics, many also seem to get stronger so that the diseases they cause are more severe and generate greater mortality than those they produced before. We have been, in fact, creating what The new York times is now calling bacterial Superbugs. But as incredible as this capacity for literally engineering responses to antibiotics and passing it on to their offspring is, bacteria do something else that makes them even more amazing and dangerous. Bacteria that have the ability to resist antibiotics are now known to emit unique pheromones to attract bacteria to themselves in order to exchange resistant information. Bacteria like corn, also possess "jumping genes," or transposons, that are able to jump from bacterium to bacterium independently of plasmid exchange. These transposons also have the ability to teach antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, bacteria also have bacteria: bacterial viruses (called bacteriophages). These viruses, as they infect other bacteria, pass on the information for resistance. Finally, bacteria release free-roaming pieces of their DNA, which carry resistance information. Once some other bacteria encounter it and ingest it, they begin learning how to survive antibiotics".

Unfortunately, the worst offenders of antibiotics overuse have been hospitals, and it is here that the majority of bacteria have learned resistance and entered the general population. In hospitals and large cities or in places where large numbers of people are confined for long periods of time, such as prisons and homeless shelters, and in large cities the surge of bacteria and virus cases appear to be more rampant in occurrence. "An example is Haemophilus and streptococcus that cause serious ear infections (usually in day care care centers), sometimes leading to meningitis. Pseudomonas and Klebsiella that can cause serious urinary tract infections (usually in hospital patients and female nurses, who then spread them to the general population as they go about their own agendas). Tuberculosis, long thought conquered, is increasingly resistant and is occurring more and more frequently in places where large numbers of people are confined for long periods of time, such as prisons and home shelters, and in large cities. Gonorrhea has emerged as a potent resistant disease throughout the world, learning resistance in brothels in Vietnam among prostitutes who were regularly given antibiotics. Malaria spread by mosquitoes and usually considered a disease of the tropics, learned resistance in crowded Asia and is making inroads in the United States in such unlikely places as Minnesota and New york. Resistant bacteria and virus have entered human from a different and non human sources like food produced from agribusiness factory farms and from the pollutants left in our soil by agribusiness and biochemical industries". And this isn't the end, the Superbugs are smart and they are boosting immunity against our overused antibiotics especially in the places we go to for help to get rid of them---hospitals and clinics.  I am now concerned, because i don't think that the present Ebola case is any different, i think it is worse because Ebola is a virus that can invades your body, cannot be prevented with antibacterial cleanser or wipes and Ebola can change your DNA therefore we ought to be very careful in how we are handling this virus and we need to inform the public on how to protect themselves from these outbreaks beyond just our comfort symptom treatment approach of using flu shots every season. It's time we re-evaluate areas of orthodox medicine, with special focus on alternative medicine for insight and usual guide into bacterial and viral ecosystem.

Ebola got me very curious because i come in contact with many people from all around the world in my customer service job and i have been bit paranoid at work. But that's besides my reason for writing this article; i am writing to help you understand why antibiotic is a relief tool that clearly proves how the pharmaceutical industry benefits from the disease-symptom control method of treatment, and why it should not be looked upon as an all and only treatment for pandemic virus case. Lately, I have been reading Herbal Antibiotic by Stephen Harrod Buhner, a copy i bought from Amazon because i am eager to discover ways to boost the immune system and to understand why herbal approach is been very effective for many people including myself since the day my mother looked to a herb in her garden to bath me in; after the doctor said to her, it was over for me as a child in her arm with severe measles because he couldn't treat what was wrong with me. Now back to my very point, why did i say antibiotic shouldn't be looked at as the only treatment for this pandemic situation ? it is because bacteria and viruses are intelligent micro-scopic organism that build ecosystem and have communication ability that helps them increase resistance toward antibiotic once its been applied.

Yes, bacteria and virus do have uncanny ability to build immunity--- resistance reaction towards antibiotics. And bacteria and viruses spread pretty quickly.

And at this point, the solution isn't to close the boarders because it is still a problem that needs attention regardless where it is coming from but it should be contained like the swine flu case and for good sake quicker incubation and bio-defense approach should be applied in order reduce the spread.

You're right to be concerned about travelers bringing  home air borne pathogens but i like to find out how do we protect ourselves from these kinds of disease.


Try beginning with these very simple steps:

1. Practice proper hand washing every time you use the bathroom or come in contact with a contaminated surface and always before you use your hands to eat. If you think you've got it, reduce spread by alerting others and check in with your physician. Isolate yourself from the contaminated person while providing care by wearing bio-hazard gears
2. Avoid sharing spoons, cigarettes, smoke pipes, cups, plates with anyone whose sick.
3. Use an Ultra-violent light because it can help kill or reduce virus
4. Take antibiotics only if you really need them.
5. Take them only according to prescribed and for the duration you were instructed to. (don't stop before or over use it afterwards).
6. Boost your immune with high nutrient found in herbs and food, like Shitake mushrooms, astragalus, vitamin C from lemons, garlic, aloe Vera,Acacia, cryptolepsis, Echinacea, Eucalyptus, Garlic, Ginger, Goldenseal, Marigold, Honey, Sage, Wormwood, Usnea, Licorice, Juniper, grape-seed fruit extract
7. Maintain a healthy immune throughout the day by eating food that are naturally produced ethically in a contamination regulated environment, without GMO, artificial flavor, artificial colors, without antibiotics and without hormone boost.
8. Use herbs as antibiotics alternatives whenever possible; they do not cause an increase in resistance as rapidly as the synthetic antibiotics do and will help you maintain healthy immune for much longer.

READ: Herbal Antibiotic and Herbal-Antivirals-Remedies-Resistant-Infections by Stephen Harrod Buhner, a copy of his book from Amazon

Posted by----
Onyinye A is a freelance writer who specializes in nontoxic self improvement, green-friendly living, whole health remedies, holistic pet care, nontoxic lifestyle (preventing cancer, illness and toxicity) and everything related to detox, Natural health and organic living. 
                                                        "Nontoxic Lifestyle"