Did you notice that some people never get sick and others are constantly catching every bug that comes their way? There has to be a reason.
I spent this past weekend taking care of a family member who contracted a bad case of the flu. When they get sick its always very dramatic, 105 fever for days etc... It's clear to me that her nutritional status or lack thereof is impacting her body's ability to "fight" these bugs.
In truth the body is probably getting a much needed cleanse every time her fever soars and I start loading her up with healthy food & herbs. But it wouldn't be necessary if she watched over her diet.
This family member consistently disregards my warnings about healthy eating; in fact, she eats all the junk food she can get her hands on. Unsurprisingly, a week ago, after eating at a catered meat buffet, she fell sick with a serious bout of the flu.
Naturally, I did my best and nursed her back to health with teas & herbs (many of them mentioned below), and she recovered quickly this time, but I hope she starts to realize that eating bad food is putting her immune system under tremendous strain.
Colds and flu are preventable. Most chronic illnesses are preventable.
Our nutritional state determines whether our body will be able to prevent or fight viral and bacterial infections adequately.
It's important to remember that the best defense against any virus is good nutrition.
This is true to such an extent that, Research has shown that our nutrition level will directly affect the genetic makeup of a virus.
If our nutritional state is poor, viruses will be able to replicate and change in order to evade the immune system.
Any vitamin or mineral deficiency can decrease the state of the immune system.
It's been shown that carotenoids in particular present in green and yellow vegetables prevent viruses from mutating into more virulent forms.
Lutein, lycopene, folate, bioflavonoids, riboflavin, zinc are all nutrients that impact the immune system.
Numerous studies have shown that ability to contract the AIDS virus is reduced significantly if the hosts nutrient levels are excellent.
Two important points to remember
1) Nutritional Status is critical in preventing or fighting viral or bacterial infection
2) Nutritional deficiencies can cause viruses to mutate into more virulent forms
When people come down with a strong cold or flu, the natural instinct is to turn to cough suppressants, advil, Tylenol, and even antibiotics, but know that this approach comes with risks and actually prevents the body from getting the cleanse it truly needs.
Antibiotics aren't harmless. Most people underestimated the damage even one round of antibiotics cause.
Antibiotics suppress the Immune System leaving us vulnerable to infections, destroy the gut, Cause Candida Yeast Overgrowth, and create Superbugs.
Plus they aren't effective for viruses.
In fact, the vast majority of sore throats sinusitis, bronchitis, and coughs are all viral.
And sometimes, even if it is bacterial, its hard to find the right antibiotic to target the exact bacterial strain you have, leading the doctor to prescribe round after round.
While antibiotic use might be necessary in very extreme or life and death situations, it's not good for the body long term.
One round of antibiotics can wipe out an entire colony of beneficial bacteria in the gut that your body has painstakingly accumulated over years.
Plus virulent antibiotic-resistant strains are on the rise, especially in hospitals, like MRSA, Candida Auris, and antibiotic resistant Pneumonia, making hospitals one of the most dangerous places to step foot in, especially if you're sick or immune compromised.
The Effects of Antibiotics on the Immune System
Antibiotics Trigger Autoimmune Conditions
Antibiotics wipe out bacteria: good and bad. When bacteria is destroyed, the cell wall ruptures and little bits of bacteria circulate throughout the body, sometimes for years. This leading to chronic inflammation and an overactive immune system the leading causes of Autoimmune conditions.
Antibiotics can trigger all sorts of chronic diseases.
Antibiotics can significantly disrupt the ecosystem of microorganisms in the gut by indiscriminately killing both harmful pathogens and beneficial microbes.
Furthermore, the connection between gut health and the immune system is profound. A healthy microbiome supports immune function by helping to train the immune system to distinguish between harmful microbes and harmless substances. When antibiotics disrupt this balance, the immune system may become less effective, leading to an increased susceptibility to infections and autoimmune diseases.
Alternatives to Antibiotics for Common Infections
To improve your nutritional status, and prevent viral infections, consume as many vegetables & fruit as you can. That would mean about 3 fresh fruit and 8 total servings of vegetables (preferably cruciferous vegetables) per day.
Onions (including green onions), garlic, pomegranates, and berries have immune boosting properties. Opt for local (no pesticides) or organic whenever possible.
That's for prevention. When you are sick however, best not to eat too much. Avoid all sugar or artificial sweeteners. Avoid all refined or processed foods. Eat simple meals for ex: plain Einkorn or Kamut bread, drizzled with olive oil and salt, accompanied by a fresh salad. Drink plenty of water, teas, fresh juices etc..
Aside from improving your diet there are many teas and herbal supplements you can take to both prevent & combat the flu and viral infections.
Here are my favorites:
1) Oregano Oil- Oregano Oil is a very powerful anti-viral and anti-bacterial. All you need is Just a few drops per day to do the trick. Between 6-12 drops per day is enough. 4 drops in a small glass of water 3x per day. (start 2 drops just to make sure its not too strong for you).
Note- its pretty spicy and strong so I take it with food.
2) Cistus Tea - Cistus is a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial .
Cistus tea or Cistus incanus tea is one of the most ancient teas, brewed for centuries in the Mediterranean regions. It was prized for its medicinal properties and a pleasant aroma.
Cistus tea was valued due to its ability to heal wounds , lower inflammation, strengthen the immune system, and help restore health. For these reasons, it was considered very beneficial in traditional medicine.
The plant is indeed rich in protective anti-aging antioxidants and can fight against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. So, what you get is a pleasant tasting and fragrant cup of hot tea, full of health benefits.
At Joseph's Organic Bakery, we've sourced the highest quality most potent cistus Tea we could find.
I love Cistus Tea, its a potent immune boosting antiviral tea and I combine it with ginger tea for a strong antiviral drink. I drink 5 cups per day during a cold/flu or 3 cups per day for prevention.
Mix some ginger tea with the cistus tea for an added punch.
Learn more about our Cistus Tea here
3) Olive Leaf Tea- The Antiviral Antibacterial Tea
Olive leaf tea Supports immune function . It helps strengthen the body’s natural defenses.
Why This Tea Is really effective for viral infections:
Olive Leaf Tea has unusually high levels of phenolic coumpounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Oleuropein – a powerful antioxidant linked to immune resilience.
Hydroxytyrosol – known for supporting cardiovascular health
Verbascoside (Acteoside): A phenolic compound found in significant quantities that has been noted for having even higher antibacterial potency than oleuropein in some studies.
Flavonoids: Various flavonoids contribute to the tea's antimicrobial profile, including: Luteolin-7-O-glucoside, Apigenin-7-O-glucoside, Rutin
Natural antimicrobial compounds – traditionally used for wellness and cleansing
Use this tea is the event of cold & flu, any chronic viral conditioning such as shingles or herpes, bacterial overgrowth such as SIBO or h.pylori.
Our unique strain of ancient Olive Trees grow without irrigation, fertilizers, or human intervention. Their deep root systems pull minerals from untouched soil layers.
Just put a teaspoon of the leaves into 2 cups of water bring to a boil and simmer on low for 5 minutes, strain and drink.
Learn more about our Olive Leaf tea here
4) Immune Pro - Our Immune Pro is an herbal supplement which aims to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the blood. The red and white blood cells are key to a strong immune system.
The Red Blood Cells are underestimated in their importance in enhancing natural immunity. Our Immune Pro strengthens and improves the function of the red blood cells. The red blood cells Supply oxygen to damaged cells, helping in their repair, thus preventing the core cause of sickness: an acidic environment in the body.
By strengthening the red blood cells, in essence you are creating an alkaline oxygenated environment in the body, thus preventing the body from developing sickness and disease to begin with. But even once a person becomes sick, Immune Pro helps strengthen the immune system.
Personally I love immune pro I take 2 pills 3 x per day when I'm sick or 2 pills 2x per day for prevention.
Learn more about our Immune Pro here
5) Boost Herbal Supplement
If you're feeling under the weather or experiencing extreme fatigue or low energy following a strong cold or illness, or you experience recurring illness, its likely that your adrenal glands are fatigued. If this is you, or you experience chronic fatigue, it's important to replenish the adrenal glands to avoid complete adrenal burnout.
Our Boost Herbal Supplement aims to naturally boost energy levels by rejuvenating the adrenal glands with special herbs.
I take 4 pills per day for prevention when I'm feeling under the weather but not completely sick yet, and 6 per day in cases of extreme fatigue following flu or cold.
Learn more about our Boost supplement here
6) Colloidal Silver- Colloidal Silver combined with other methods is a good way to strengthen the immune system, silver has antimicrobial properties.
I take 6 dropperfuls 3x per day, depending upon the brand.
7) Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit and or lemon honey tea- In many countries where the population can't afford antibiotics, they use lemon juice for throat infections, freshly squeezed cups of grapefruit and organic orange juices. These contain Vitamin C. Aim to juice at least 4 grapefruits per day if you're sick
Lemon Honey Tea- squeeze 1/4 - 1/2 lemon into a glass of hot water and add in some honey.
Garlic is also consumed. As well as onion poultices for chest and lung infections.
8) Probiotic Foods- Perhaps Probiotic Foods should be at the top of the list, considering they populate the gut with beneficial bacteria. To maintain a strong immune system, we need the good bacteria to mark entering pathogens for elimination and to prevent pathogenic bacterial overgrowth.
The best Probiotic Food out there is Fermented Umeboshi Plums which is a powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal food. Second is Raw Sauerkraut.
If you have nausea or diarrhea umeboshi plums is a really good option.
9) Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin D- I soak up the sun on a daily basis which is easier when you live in Florida. I realize that not everyone can do this and may have to supplement with Vitamin D3.
I am not a fan of overdosing on Vitamin D or C, taking too much can impact the kidneys, however, if you feel you need to supplement try about 250mg of Vitamin C 3 times daily if you're sick (you can choose the non-acidic kind). And 500mg Vitamin D twice daily when you're sick if you would like.
Zinc is just 15 mg daily if you're sick, and 25mg per week (or 5 mg daily) for maintenance.
Our Immune Pro is an herbal supplement which aims to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the blood. The red and white blood cells are key to a strong immune system.
The Red Blood Cells are underestimated in their importance in enhancing natural immunity. Our Immune Pro strengthens and improves the function of the red blood cells. The red blood cells Supply oxygen to damaged cells, helping in their repair, thus preventing the core cause of sickness: an acidic environment in the body.
By strengthening the red blood cells, in essence you are creating an alkaline oxygenated environment in the body, thus preventing the body from developing sickness and disease to begin with.
Learn more about our Immune Pro here
Antibiotics & Autism
Many years ago, when my daughter was just 20 months old, she received the Dtap vaccine, after which she developed 105 fever. Needless to say, she had never been this sick before. The doctor prescribed a strong antibiotic. I still remember her screams of terror every time I gave her a dose of antibiotics, it took 2 people holding her down to force feed her the antibiotics, and the doctor insisted she needed the full dose. After starting the antibiotic my daughter stopped sweating altogether. Immediately afterwards, she developed food allergies. Then she lost most of her speech and her behavior deteriorated. It was devastating to see her developing signs of Autism.
The vaccine flooded her body with viruses, heavy metals, foreign DNA and human albumin, including aborted baby DNA, and preservatives like mercury and aluminum. Her body fought this onslaught with a high fever, but when I gave her the antibiotic, yes it brought down the fever, but it resulted in a complete shutdown of the body's natural immune response. All detoxification channels closed. As if the antibiotics prevented her body from detoxing from the toxins in the vaccines.
After seeing the extreme side effects of both the vaccines and antibiotics, I stopped using Antibiotics and vaccines.