Do As You’re Told! The Flu, Flu Shots, and Homeopathy

There was a time when we did as we were told.  We listened to our parents, teachers, and authority in all its faces and adhered to the rules of the day.  As youngsters it was an appropriate and accepted way of conduct.

Today, much of what we were taught has been turned upside down.  The voice of today’s society rings of topsy-turvy counsel.  Instead of work first and play later, our world entreats us to play first.

Instead of buying a home that we can afford, we’re encouraged to borrow beyond our means.  Instead of firm discipline in the home, we’re directed by faddish psycho-babble to give our kids “space” and privacy.

I say it’s time to turn back the clock…or perhaps swing it forward.  Whatever the direction, it’s time we take back control of our lives and use common horse sense.

For example, does it make sense to get a flu shot that may be made from the wrong strain?

This is a frequent occurrence. Since the epidemiologists do not know which strain is forthcoming each flu season, they make a soup of the latest microorganisms.  Then it’s injected directly into the bloodstream.

Interestingly, many who are vaccinated get the flu anyway—either in spite of or perhaps because of the vaccine itself.

And, what about the connection between the flu shot and muscle pain?  It has been clinically noted that when healthy patients yield to flu shots in autumn, they succumb to fibromyalgia by winter or spring.

Fibromyalgia is one of the symptoms of the flu!

Remember the achy joints and bones that come with the flu?  That’s fibromyalgia. The short-lived achiness that accompanies the flu becomes a full-fledged chronic condition when the immune system is tampered with as it is with a vaccine.

Indeed, I think we’ve lost perspective.

Why not simply take a gentle homeopathic remedy that works better and more delicately and politely on the system?

Consider Oscillococcinum (pronounced: oh-sill-oh-cock-sign-um).  It happens to be the #1 over-the-counter and prescription medication in France—a place where homeopathy is highly regarded by the medical profession as well as by lay people.

But the reason for its popularity is simple–it works.

Oscillococcinum is made from the heart and liver of a waterfowl, and is particularly useful for the onset of colds and flu that come on in the wet season, such as in fall or spring.

If taken at the onset of a cold, it will usually stop it dead in its tracks.

But here is the best part: if taken as a prophylactic, say, once per week for four weeks and then once each month until the flu season is over, it will usually  protect you and your family from the flu.

If indeed the person still gets a cold or flu after taking this remedy, it will often ensure a much milder episode.

This is rational medicine.

No drugs.

No side effects.

No questionable ingredients.

Do you need another reason to take this remedy?

How about a cost of less than $19?

I certainly wouldn’t want to dictate what you ought to do for the upcoming season.

That would put me in the same category as proselytizing drug manufacturers. However, this little lesson may just convince the staunchest advocates of modern medicine of the power of homeopathy.

Consider each and decide for yourself.

Drugs or homeopathy?

For my clients, family and me, the decision is straightforward– homeopathy for gentler, more capable results.

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For more info on how to be prepared to handle the flu with homeopathy and common sense check out the free download Ahh Choo!! The Flu on my website homeopathyworks.net.

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17 Tips for Achieving Genuine Health

(Or, how I found mine after years of illness) 

As a busy homeopath and mother, I understand how precious of a commodity time is for all of us.   After detours, mistakes, and years of searching for the healthiest ways of living, I’ve distilled my research and time-tested tips to a simple seventeen. Here are my top all-time favorites.

1)      Stay calm. The world is not as scary a place as the media and other self-serving entities might lead us to believe. When I am anxious or worried I repeat a passage from Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”  To know that God is protecting all of us, gives me inner peace.  No matter who you believe God to be, pray or meditate daily. If you’re Catholic, say your rosary. If you’re Protestant, read your Bible. If you’re Jewish, study your teachings. Don’t miss out on the importance of faith.

2)     Don’t watch TV or spend unproductive time on the internet. After working in the field of media, I learned that it is not in your best interest to be subjected to most forms of media as a steady diet. Protect your children from the barrage as well.

3)     Eat like your great-grandparents did. Eat whole, real, and unprocessed foods. Make your meals yourself from single, basic ingredients. It takes longer, but the rewards are worth the effort. There is something therapeutic about chopping fresh vegetables and creating soup from homemade bone stock. And you’ll earn a reputation as a good cook!

4)     Learn enough homeopathy to be able to treat yourself and your family for life’s little unknowns. The more you know, the more you’ll want to know. Homeopathy is timeless and enduring. At the very least, find yourself a credentialed, experienced homeopath and use his/her services liberally.

5)     Stay away from conventional medications as much as possible. Most meds are dangerous and at best superfluous. Every dubious drug has a healthy counterpart either in homeopathy, in food,  or in an herb (My CD “Homeopathy First Aid: Perform in the Storm” is available on my website).  Learn the safe alternatives and use them with confidence.  Save the use of modern drugs for life-threatening situations only.

6)     Get fresh air and direct sunshine at least 30 minutes daily. Throw out the sunscreen. Have you read the ingredients? Sun screen inhibits your body’s natural mechanism to make Vitamin D and is loaded with chemicals not meant to be slathered on the skin. Instead, if needed, protect your skin the old-fashioned way: a hat, cover-up, and common sense.

7)     Get some exercise. I realize how trite this statement sounds, but after years of resisting exercise myself because of time constraints, I’ve come to learn that I’m more productive and happier when I work out. Even a short walk is good enough.

8)    If possible, keep a garden and animals. A flower or vegetable garden can be a sight for emotionally sore eyes.  A pet can bring a smile to your face. They keep us closer to what is important in life: simple pleasures.

9)  Protect your family and the integrity of the family in our society. That means your marriage and the marriages of those around you. A unified family is the basis of a healthy, prosperous and creative society.

10)  Keep your exposure to electromagnetic fields to a minimum. Use the speaker function on your cell phone instead of holding it up to your ear.

11)  Expose yourself and family to the intelligent, creative, and lofty influences of our society. By listening to classical music, reading fine literature, viewing fine art, we are inspired to greatness ourselves. Then emulate and study those who have led successful and creative lives: Mother Teresa, Benjamin Franklin, Gandhi, Churchill, and Beethoven.

12) Keep family traditions.  Whether they’re based on your religion or created by you, they are important for carrying family into the next generation.  If you don’t have any or enough, the way to establish them is by repeating a meaningful activity, time and again.

13) Eat and drink raw dairy products from animals that are pasture fed and preferably organic such as raw sheep’s milk cheese from Italy, raw goat and cow’s milk from France, Denmark, Ireland, and sometimes the United States.

14) Eat organic. At least as much as possible, buy or grow your own vegetables and eat meat from pasture fed animals. In other words, support local, organic, family farms.  Your liver will thank you too.

15)  Include some fermented food or drink with every meal. Old fashioned sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, fermented carrots, and so on. They provide live enzymes that help us break down the cooked foods we eat. They are excellent for intestinal disorders and are utilized by the healthiest people on the earth.

16) Try to eat raw food at least 80% of the time.   This is not as difficult as one would imagine: drink raw milk, eat fermented and fresh vegetables, dehydrated nuts and seeds,  and incorporate raw yogurt, cheese and butter into your diet.

17)  Do good work. Prepare your food and nurse your family with pride. Whatever it is you choose to do, do it with aplomb, commitment and joy.

These are the tips that have helped me and my family live lives full of vitality and vigor.  What tips have you discovered to maintain your own good health?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________These are just a few of my tips for vibrant health.  Lots more on my website homeopathyworks.net.  Check out this link to read many more of my articles.  Or call (716) 941-1045 to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation to see how homeopathy could fit with your health strategy.

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Lessons in Parenting, Bird Style

These cheeping babies outside my door have made me aware of their presence lately by their constant squawking.  Not to get too philosophical, but passing by them the other day made me stop and ponder our role as parents.

Like these little birds, our children are completely dependent on us.  If the mama bird doesn’t bring back a nutritious dinner of insects and worms, these babies won’t grow.

It’s that simple; they are helpless without her.

We, too, have a crucial responsibility to provide our children with nourishment and care.  This idea seems facile, but how often do we really consider the enormous weight of our everyday decisions?

I’m thrilled that I knew about the discoveries of Dr. Weston A. Price since the time my kids were small. His invaluable nutritional wisdom and common sense continue to inspire and guide me in making healthy food choices for my family. 

Another thing that struck me about this humble robin’s nest was the confidence of the mother bird.  She instinctively knew how to construct a safe dwelling for her babies.

The incredible ruckus she sets up whenever anyone approaches the nest illustrates how protective of a mother she is.

Why then are we as parents frequently afraid to stand up for the health of our children?

Whether it means questioning a doctor who assures us that the antibiotic prescribed for our child is really very “mild” or convincing Grandma that strawberry Pop Tarts don’t count as a serving of fruit, we need to feel confident enough of our parental authority to take a stand when our gut tells us something isn’t right.

Homeopathy has helped me more than anything else to feel secure in my God-given role as a mother.  Just knowing that I possessed the ability to cure an ear infection, or sore throat, or even halt an allergic reaction imbued me with a feeling close to euphoria.

You’ll no doubt experience it too, the first time you witness the effects of your well-chosen homeopathic remedy.

Over the years, it has become my mission to empower moms and dads to do what this little bird has done and take the health of our children into our own hands.  It can be as simple as owning a homeopathic remedy kit and a comprehensive book and/or taking a good course.

If you’re serious about increasing your knowledge, my year-long course for parents might be a good fit for you.  Classes have started, but we would be glad to get you up to date with the material.

We have no choice. If we bring them into the world, we must do what we know is right.

Committed parenting.

Homeopathy.

Whole nutrition.

Once you know this, you have to do what’s right.

That’s all there is to it!

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Don't wait!  Start taking charge of your family's health now by checking out the many free downloads on my website http://homeopathyworks.net like this handy first-aid chart.

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Pond Perfect

I make no apologies.

I’ve always hated exercise.

It’s tedious.

 

I beg  forgiveness from those of you who are ardent sports enthusiasts, but despite many attempts,  nothing’s quite stuck.

 

Running? Not my style.

Yoga?  Too still for me.

Swimming?  The chlorine negates any benefits the exercise might offer.

Exercise classes?  I hate to be a music snob, but I’ve always found the music to sound like elevator music.

 

For years my husband and I took ball room dancing, and that’s where I found nirvana.  The music, the party atmosphere, the required attention to detail and then oh, the movements…I loved it all.

 

Unfortunately, this particular exercise requires a partner and my husband is not always willing.  So I’ve had to find another way to move after a day on Skype and writing at my keyboard.

 

Two years ago, we built an acre pond that finally allowed me to find exercise bliss.

 

The weather here in New York has been gorgeous lately and I’ve had swimming thoughts upon which I’ve recently been acting.

 

My family completed building a dock last week, hence I don’t need to wade into ankle-deep muck.

 

So I’m swimming daily!

 

And it isn’t even boring.  We have domestic ducks who quack at me from the marshy side of the pond and the frogs croak out the bass as I paddle by their quarters.

 

If I go early in the morning, I get a great jump on my day.

 

I think I’ve found my niche!

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Homeopathy is Purr-fect

Twelve years ago, I received a call from someone who knew we were in the market for a cat and asked if I’d take a sickly kitten.  Foolishly (or perhaps not), we took on this project and named the little waif Carmelina.

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Oh No! It’s Poison Ivy Again

 

That itching.  Those vesicles.  As the mother of three active boys I knew all too well what they meant.  My boys were into the poison ivy again.  Maybe your kids, like mine, have recently made the discovery of a little three-leafed plant that left them covered in blisters that itched and spread wherever they scratched.

 

Conventional medicine treats poison ivy, as it does most rashes, with oral or topical steroids.  This removes the rash (a short-term solution) by blocking the body’s immune response.  Homeopathic principles dictate that whenever symptoms are suppressed they are not resolved, but rather driven deeper into the body to reappear at a different time and perhaps in a more serious form.  Keeping this in mind, I urge moms to treat their family’s  itchy summer rash themselves, without harmful steroids.

 

When treating poison ivy, most people who are familiar with homeopathy automatically think of Rhus tox (the Latin name for poison ivy) because it is the remedy made from the poison ivy plant.  Rhus tox is indeed a powerful treatment for poison ivy, but it must fit the symptoms in order to work.  Actually, the most common remedy for poison ivy is Anacardium.

 

Keep the following list of remedies with their identifying features handy and you’ll be prepared whenever someone in your family accidentally comes in contact with this troublesome plant.

 

Pay special attention to the location of the rash, the type of pustules that form, and the general demeanor and preferences of the person when making your choice.  As always, anything that seems peculiar is especially helpful in pointing to the correct remedy.

 

Remedies:

 

• Anacardium 30: Think Anacardium for swelling and rashes that itch intensely and burn when they are scratched.  While scratching makes the itching worse by causing the eruptions to becoming red and inflamed, rubbing actually brings some relief to the sufferer.  The symptoms are usually worse on the left side and at night-time.  Warm applications and a warm bed increase the agony, but interestingly, the person usually welcomes a warm drink.   This is generally the 1^st remedy to consider, but make certain it fits.

 

• Croton Tiglium 30:  The rash that calls for Crot-t  blisters with inflammation and itching.  Common areas of outbreak for this remedy include the scalp, the face in general, near the eyes, the genitals, buttocks, or lower limbs.  Like the Anacardium patient, scratching aggravates and leads to burning and much pain.  Also like Anacardium, the rash may be worse at night and on the left side of the body.

We can distinguish Crot-t from Anacardium by the presence of yellowish eruptions.  In fact, Crot-t is known as the yellow      remedy.  The pustules can ooze yellowish matter, which then dries to form thick grayish/brownish scabs.

Light pressure ameliorates, but the person feels tight all over his body and mentally inflexible and rigid.  Quite frankly, he cannot bear the rash.

 

• Graphites 30:  Honey-like symptoms point us to the remedy Graphites.  When the rash is scratched, the resulting discharge is sticky and yellowish.  It may also burn.  The torso and limbs are most often affected and they become crusty-looking.  Relief comes from such rough rubbing and scratching that the sufferer actually tears her skin.  Being wrapped up may improve the situation as well because the person is generally chilly and feels thick and dull.

 

• Sulphur 30: When scratching causes the pustules to bleed yet brings relief to the individual, look to Sulphur.  There may be a yellowish or white discharge after scratching, and what remains of the pustule will be crusty and dry. This remedy will be indicated when the person feels better in the warmth of his bed as well as from taking a bath and washing up. Generally, Sulphur symptoms are left-sided and afflict the scalp.  Facial swelling may be present. The person requiring this remedy may be irritable and though the warmth of the bed is comforting, he may be restless at night and have difficulty sleeping.

 

 

• Rhus tox 30: Unlike Anacardium, hot showers actually bring relief to the person needing Rhus tox.  Outbreaks may be on the face, around the eyes, the genitals, and on the palms in particular.  Vesicles may line up along a scratch and the skin itself may actually look angry.  Similarly, the individual is irritable and his mind is restless.  Resting is of no help; movement and dry, warm air ameliorates.  Aggravations include a warm bed, nighttime, and scratching.

 

Administer the chosen remedy in the 30^th potency three to four times a day, reducing the frequency as symptoms improve.  If a lower potency like 12X or 6X is all you have on hand, you can use it, but you may have to administer more frequently.  If you don’t see even the tiniest bit of improvement after the second or third dose, try the remedy that seems to be the next most likely choice.

 

Prophylactic use

If you’re one of those people who always seems to get a rash if you’re anywhere near a poison ivy plant, I’ve seen excellent results with the following protocol.  Use four doses of Rhus tox 30 in one day at the onset of the season to help minimize the intensity of the exposure.  This is done one day a week for a month.

 

So although the suffering from this plant is noteworthy, the solution is always near at hand.

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Whole Grains, Demystified

Is there anything more inviting than the smell of baking bread? Freshly-baked bread spread with rich butter seems like one of the most wholesome things we could feed our families until we read about the problems associated with gluten, refined flours, or unsoaked grains. Perhaps, like I was, you’re confused by all the conflicting messages you’ve heard about whole grains. Let me explain to you what I’ve learned from the nutritional research of the Weston A. Price Foundation and Sally Fallon’s marvelous cookbook Nourishing Traditions.

Let’s first tackle the subject of gluten, a protein found in many grains. Wheat, rye, barley, and oats all contain gluten, wild rice, millet, and buckwheat do not. Gluten can be difficult for some people to digest, leading to annoyances like flatulence, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. More seriously, those with Celiac disease have a severe gluten allergy that causes intestinal tract damage and nutritional deficiencies.

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I often encourage my clients to go gluten-free for at least a period of time to see whether the absence of this protein in their diets leads to physical improvement. Plus I’ve collected so many yummy gluten-free recipes! However, this doesn’t mean that I believe everyone needs to completely avoid wheat or rye products. In fact, those with gluten sensitivities may actually be able to tolerate some gluten-containing grains with proper preparation. One to try is spelt, an ancient member of the wheat family that may be easier to digest than modern varieties. The great thing about spelt is that it can usually be substituted for whole-wheat flour in recipes with similar results.

Maybe you’ve heard about soaking or sprouting grains before cooking, but are confused about why the process is beneficial. All grains contain some amount of phytic acid, an antinutrient that blocks the absorption of minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the intestines. Soaking flour or grains for at least seven hours in acidified water or cultured milk products like buttermilk or yogurt allows the enzyme phytase to begin breaking down phytic acid, neutralizing this potentially harmful compound and actually increasing nutrient availability. You can think of soaking as a type of predigestion. In fact, because gluten is partially broken down during soaking, soaked grains are generally more digestible for those with gluten sensitivity. You’ll find lots of great recipes using soaked grains in Nourishing Traditions.

Allow me to share one more delicious tip for making whole grains more digestible: eat your bread with a spread of raw honey. The pollen in raw honey contributes an enzyme called amylase (also found in saliva) that helps break down starch into sugar. In effect, you’re initiating the digestion process before you even start eating. How’s that for an easy –to-follow health suggestion?

Make it your goal to avoid commercial bread products, even those touted as healthy whole-grain options. They contain flours that have been stripped of their naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals then fortified with synthetic versions. If you love white bread, experiment with recipes using soaked whole wheat flour. The soaking process softens the wheat so much that it yields results very similar to refined white flour. If your schedule is such that bread making isn’t possible, look for artisan sourdough bread made with whole-grain flour. Fermenting also allows for the breakdown of phytic acid before consumption.

Then tear a piece of hearty bread and top it with a big chunk of cold raw butter. ‘Nothing like it!

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