Who doesn’t want a stronger immune system? Between us and our kids, a weak immune system leads to: trips to the doctor, days off of work or school, trips to the pharmacy, that run down/scratchy throat/headachy/ miserable feeling, and possibly worst of all, if you take any common drug for your symptoms, side effects.

My last Post was on the Immune System. In this Post, I’m going to give you more proven steps to boost your own bacteria and virus fighting abilities.  Our immune system was designed to be a Fantastic, Super Strong, Fighting Machine.  In a perfect world. (Really, who gets 8 hours of sleep every night and always “manages” their stress???)

We don’t live in a perfect world, so we ABSOLUTELY need to take every step possible to make ourselves stronger.

Here’s 14 ideas (barely scratching the surface) for the next time you either “feel something coming on”, or you’re already sick.  Honestly, judging from the success I’ve had with my own family of 6 naturally boosting our immune systems or ditching a bug, these Traditional Therapies honestly work.  If you want proof, click on the links.  Click even if you don’t need proof – it’s important to LEARN about the compounds in Real Whole Food so you can use food as Medicine.

I’m going to guess many of these you’ve never heard of.

#1 Go To: Garlic.  I could never be a vampire, I do a LOT of this. Chop or crush a clove ( or 2), let it rest for 15 minutes ( oxygen activates it’s medicinal properties) and then swallow it down. It goes down surprisingly well – HONEST.  Oh, DON’T CHEW IT, unless you’re really really sick, and very tough.

#2 Go To: Garlic in a spoonful of Honey.  Manuka Honey has actual anti-bacterial properties, but even regular RAW honey is loaded with healing properties.

#3: Ginger:  Buy a knob at the store, peel and grate the whole thing, and then baggy and freeze it flat.  It’s a time saver.  Crack off a piece and drop it into your tea or hot water, or your food.  Ground ginger is good too, just not as powerful.

#4: Oregano Oil:  This is a powerful antibiotic.  I’m big into essential oils, we’ve been using them for a few years now, and yes, it does matter that you buy yours from a company with a good reputation.  I use DoTerra.  There’s others, Young Life comes to mind, but I don’t know much about them.  Oregano Oil can be applied topically, on the bottoms of the feet, or over glands/lymph nodes.  My oldest daughter and I actually rub a drop or two in our mouths – it tastes beyond horrible, but sometimes it’s worth it.

I also use Oregano Oil in a pill form (it’s called ADP) from a great supplement company called Biotics.  All my girls have a bottle of this whereever they are ( school, traveling, etc), it’s very strong, and while there is a slight oregano odor, there’s no taste.  If they’re home, I have them swallow the pills and I also rub the oil on the bottoms of their feet.

#5: Fermented Foods: We should all be eating something fermented, whether it’s kombucha, keifer, GOOD yogurt, saurkraut, kimchi, Bubbies Pickles, EVERY SINGLE DAY. Talk about loads of beneficial bacteria!  I’ve been getting amazing krauts from my co-op, with all sorts of interesting vegetables in them.  Check out www.localharvest.com to see what you have available in your area.

#6: Rose Hips:  I buy them in bulk from the health food store, grind them, and put a big spoonful in my morning smoothies.  Not only are they an ENORMOUS source of Vitamin C, and the co-factors necessary for absorption, they’re loaded with anti-inflammatory properties.  Buying herbs in bulk from a trusted health food store is CHEAP.

#7: Coconut Oil: It’s not just for preventing Alzheimer’s and Dementia, coconut oil is loaded with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.  This is something that should be incorporated every day, in cooking, baking, foods, and it’s also excellent in your tea or coffee.

#8: Vitamin C and Zinc: Whether you feel it coming, or you’ve already got it, zap a cold/flu with small doses every 3 or 4 hours.

#9: Turmeric: BIG TIME anti-inflammatory. You can use a supplement ( that would be Curcumin), or buy a jar of Organic Turmeric the next time you’re at the store, and start adding it to what you’re cooking.  If the taste is too strong start with a curry instead.  There’s  turmeric in it’s ingredient mix; it’s an easy way to get used to the flavor. Pretty soon you’ll love it, I promise!

#10: Echinacea: I use it in both a Tincture or tea.  Either way, this is a BIG immune booster.  People with auto-immune conditions should NOT use echinacea.  It’s TOO stimulating.

#11: Clove Oil:  Huge go-to for me.  Again, I use DoTerra Clove Oil.  Clove’s medicinal properties are endless.  This oil, just like the oregano oil, is POWERFUL.  When you use essential oils, you only need a drop, 2 at the most.  I use clove oil throughout the year in my smoothies ( a couple times a week ), but if I feel something coming on or need to fight a bug, I use it every day.

#12:  DON’T HAMPER YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH SUGAR, GRAINS, OR CHEMICALS.  Ever.  It doesn’t matter if you have the best Natural/Traditional program in the world if you put crap in your mouth.  Food is Medicine.  Food either builds us up and makes us stronger, or it makes us weaker.  There are NO NEUTRAL FOODS.

#13: Don’t use the hand blowers in public restrooms! Studies have shown a four-fold increase in the number of bacteria on people’s hands after using a blow dryer. GROSS! One study from 2009, found that people who used a blow dryer to dry their hands had two to three times as many bacteria on their hands as they did before washing them. Not only that, many of the bacteria were pathogenic— the kind of bacteria that cause disease.   Apparently, the vents and bottoms of the dryers get contaminated with all sorts of germs, and the warm, moist environment is a perfect place for them to thrive.

WHO KNEW??

#14: Don’t use the soap in public bathrooms, or touch the door handles.  Any soap in a public bathroom is going to be cheap, full of chemicals, and probably Anti-Bacterial.  Read what the science ways about anti-bacterial soaps.   There’s some great NATURAL anti-bacterial hand sprays and wipes you can find almost anywhere now, check the healthy aisle of your grocery store, or make your own.

Remember, drugs for symptoms DON’T MAKE US HEALTHY.  They just suppress the symptoms while our immune system struggles to overcome the Bad Guys.  Drugs also cause damage to the gut, the liver, etc. Help your Immune System by turning to these proven methods.  Read!  Learn!  Your body responds to these Natural Compounds beautifully.

Use a diet of Real Whole Foods, smart Natural supplements, good sleep, stress management, and appropriate exercise, and I promise your trips to the doctor will literally plummet.  It’s NOT normal to be sick all the time.  Take control of your life and your habits ( and teach this to your children), and get the healthy body you’re meant to have.