Several of you have asked me to post my immune boosting drink.  A few days ago, Ellington was congested (not nursing well) and I started to experience the symptoms of a sinus infection.  With all this crazy weather, it has been hard to feel great…  So many people have come in to the office or called with questions complaining about sore throats, coughs, congestion, runny nose, just to name a few of the nasty symptoms.  After drinking my special drink, I felt better immediately.  I was able to go to bed without a sore throat, and could even breathe through my nose a little bit.  I received several comments about how Ellington would respond to my breastmilk after the drink.  Actually, it helped her too, and her bowels are even moving better (not that my children ever have problems in the diaper department…  We actually laugh about how many diapers we change!).  Even though she hasn’t gone a day without a bowel movement, and wasn’t necessarily having problems, she hadn’t been going as much as usual.  After my drink, she was back to her normal digestion.  Here is the recipe:

2tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg’s)

1-2 cloves of minced garlic

dash of Cayenne pepper

Honey to taste (optional. I use local, raw, organic.)

Combine the above ingredients in a glass of water and drink.

It may not look appetizing to you; however, it really doesn’t taste bad.  Try it, your health is worth it!  In my opinion, it kind of tastes like pickles with a hint of garlic.  However, your breath will definitely remind you of a strong Italian meal- apologize to those around you .  And, you don’t have to feel ill to benefit from this drink, I would even recommend doing it to keep you feeling well.  It works because Apple Cider Vinegar is a great pH balancer, garlic is a very strong antiviral/antibacterial, and cayenne opens the sinuses and raises body temperature.  Drink to your health!

“The terrain is everything; the germ is nothing.” – Claude Bernard

“The symptoms of the flu or pneumonia—fever, chills, cough, and excess mucous production—are actually secondary illnesses; the first ‘illness’ was loss of health in the underlying tissues.  Bernard’s view is that disease is an ‘inside-out job’, meaning that when the body is disrupted by today’s toxicities—vaccines, chemicals, heavy metals, processed food, preservatives, etc. – disease occurs.” -Dr. Sherry Tenpenny

Halloween seems to kick off the holiday season every year.  Up until this point, we simply plan the festivities and get excited about cooler weather and fall traditions.  And, going into our seventh year in practice, we know what this time of the year holds for the next few weeks.  The holidays simply don’t equal health for most patients!  While everyone else is out “trick or treating”, we are resting up, knowing that all this candy and fun will keep us very busy for a while.  While each person’s holiday season may differ a bit, most people’s holidays consists of several things for sure: extra sugar, busier schedules and stress.  And, unfortunately, this is not a solution for increasing health! 

Do many people put two and two together as to why Little Johnny and Sweet Susie “always seem to get sick” around this time of the year?  Maybe it’s that they understand it’s not a mere coincidence, but if they admit what is going on, they may have to take responsibility for their actions or- gasp- they might have to choose to miss out on some of the candy and fun.  Research says that the average American consumes 135 pounds of sugar per year, and 2-3 pounds of sugar in a week!  Imagine what that number increases to over the holiday season…  The normal level of sugar in your bloodstream should be about 1 teaspoon, but most sodas have at least 12 teaspoons of sugar in them.  Why does this matter when it comes to staying well?  Did you know that sugar consumption decreases the immune system’s ability to kill germs by at least 40%?!

At a time when people are really fearful of flu and extremely concerned about staying well, you may want to think twice before reaching into that pumpkin basket to snack on another piece of free candy.  Quit blaming the germs and consider the real culprit: bad choices!  And, if you choose to indulge, make wise choices for your health:  Add in a B-complex vitamin to help your body digest all the extra sugars, increase your intake of vitamins C & D to boost your immunity, wash your hands and keep them away from your face, use colloidal silver to kill off germs and stay well and increase vegetable consumption in your diet.

Hope you have a very happy and healthy start to your holidays! 

Carmen Trease, congratulations, you may contact me to collect your WF giftcard!  I am so excited that my first giveaway went so great…  40 entries, not too shabby for the first freebie .  And, glad I had something to cheer up my day because I had to cancel and reschedule my son’s 1st birthday party today due to fever and throwing up .  It was a sad day in our house!!  Stay tuned, I will have lots more fun giveaways in the near future.  Hope everyone is looking forward to a great week.

Also, I will post home remedies that we used for cold/flu/congestion this season.  I will also share what we used to help naturally boost Harper’s immunity and bring down his fever.