Chest Cold and how I'm fighting it...

My sweet husband shared his chest cold with me.  It hit me full force yesterday and I'm continuing to fight it today.  Here is what I'm doing to fight it off:  

1) First thing I have in the morning (after drinking a whole lot of water) is have a cup of Kefir. This is already a habit of mine but I know it's going to fill my gut with good probiotics to help my digestion and improve my immune system. (I'm going to get some kefir grains and start making my own. More economical and from what I see, it is super easy)


2) I make a quart of green smoothie and drink it all.  Well, Eliza and Sam usually want a sip but I drink the majority of it.  Mine aren't usually green because I put in frozen berries.  I put in Kale for my greens usually because it is richly dense with vitamins and minerals. :) This is also a daily habit I've had for almost a year.
3) For lunch, I've been eating a HUGE salad.  I mean, I chop up an entire head of romaine (sometimes mix it with other spring greens and basil).  Then I chop up a tomato, green onion, sprinkle kelp granules, avocado (if I have any on hand. The salad is so creamy), some nuts and/or beans and feta cheese (because I want to).  Then I splash some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and flaxseed oil.  This meal completely satisfies me for the rest of the day. 

4) Since I've been sick, I've been drinking heated up broth in place of supper.  I'm not really hungry but the broth feels wonderful.

5) I also make myself lemon honey tea and drink lots of it.  Lots of water!!!!

6) I have been taking a tsp of apple cider vinegar straight.  Wowsers, that is strong but it really helps the body ward of illness and restores a healthy pH balance in the body and improves metabolic rate. It can do way more than that. Wonderful stuff.

7. Specifically for my cold, I've been rolling on my sinus and chest, Breath Again Essential oil blend.  I've been sniffing and putting on my chest and feet Eucalyptus EO (this helps break up mucus) and Peppermint (helps magnify other oils and with respiratory problems).  I've also been using the RC blend which stands for "respiratory condition".  It helps with breathing.    



8. Giving myself permission to rest and let my children play around me.  They have been very creative today building forts and enjoying the time together using their imaginations.  They also enjoy snuggling with me.  They've been sick too but it hasn't wiped them out like me. 

9. Because I'm so anxious to get this cold out of my system, I just started today and put some Bentonite clay in capsules and took it internally.  The negative charges of the clay attracts the charges of toxins in the body.  They bind together and exit your body because our body isn't able to absorb clay.  It's an ancient practice that is starting to get more attention again.



I'll let you know how it helps me.  I have my 5K run this Saturday and want to feel "tip top" for it. :)
I was a little surprised that I even got sick.  I've been eating extremely well and taking very good care of my body.  The only thing I can think of is that I had a minor medical procedure done last week and they gave me antibiotics through an IV.  Antibiotics weakens the immune system.  Luckily with all the kefir and good food I've been taking, I feel like my strength will return quickly. 





 ***** I did Day 2 of the 21-day Meditation Challenge.  My children were feeling a need to be near me so it was more difficult to focus today.  I think I may do it again tonight as I go to sleep. If you haven't looked into it yet, it's worth a try.  It is free.  The whole thing lasts 16 minutes which is a nice jumpstart. 

An alternative to Tylenol...

This weekend, Sammy and Michael both had high fevers.  My gut sometimes wants to rush to the cabinet and pull out Tylenol.  Fevers are a way for the body to help fight off whatever is causing havoc in the system.  It shouldn't be stopped unless it gets to high. 

What I decided to do for my boys since they both had colds and coughs was to use a couple Essential Oils to help with all of their symptoms. 

                                         

Among many things, Eucalyptus helps with any respiratory problem and opens up nasal air passages.  It also cools down the system when a fever gets too high.

Peppermint also has a wide range of uses but I chose to use it for the boys because it also helps with the three things I mentioned above with Eucalyptus.  The other reason why I wanted to use Peppermint is because it magnifies all other oils you use.  It takes the power up a notch or two. 

For Michael, I just used a drop per foot and rubbed the oils all around his toes.  In Reflexology, toes are related to the head, sinuses, etc.  I also rubbed in the balls of his feet where the lung reflexes are.  His fever came down fairly quickly afterwards.  He's still fighting this cough that has turned more asthmatic.  For that, I use our nebulizer and have him breath saline solution.  That helps.

I did the same protocol with Samuel and I also put the oil on his chest as well.  (I put Frankincense on Michael's chest because it breaks up mucus and helps with respiratory needs)

I love having natural solutions to help my children heal. 

Blood and Hacking up a lung!

Story Time: On Saturday night, it was just me and the kids (Jared went on a spontaneous road trip with his brother to a Vikings game).  Everyone was settled in for bed.  I went to bed and was ready for some great sleep.  12:30 am: I hear screaming.  My sweet Sammy woke up with a bloody nose (he wiped a small sample on the wall... gross!).  He is prone to nosebleeds but it has never come at night.  That was pretty scary for the little man.  So he slept in bed with me and wanted me to hold him just so.  The girls found their way into my bed as well and were kicking each other and crying.  So I had to carry them back to bed and re-tuck them in.  It was so disruptive that it made getting us all ready for church an emotional adventure.
Michael slept through the night.  Lucky boy!

It just occurred to me that there is probably a way to help nose bleeds with E.O.  Oh well, next time I'll try out what I read.



 

Story Time #2: Yesterday I was running errands with a friend while kids were on a play date.  When I went to pick up the kids, Eliza was coughing nonstop.  I felt bad for her spreading germs with the other children.  Her cough continued to be constant throughout the evening and was extremely uncomfortable.  I got out my E.O. reference book and double checked on which oils I should use for her cough.  I love to play with oils and see what they'll do.  Since her coughing was one after the other, I decided to go full force. 

I put a drop or 2 of each oil in the palm of my left hand and then some (not much) V-6 oil to dilute it just a bit so it wasn't too intense on her skin.  With the tips of my fingers on my right hand, I would mix the oil in a *clockwise circular motion (there is a reason for that).  Then I applied the oil to her chest and neck and feet.  She would calm down almost immediately and this would settle her cough down to almost nothing for 2-3 hours.  We repeated this process throughout the night.  She's still coughing but not nearly as much as yesterday.  We'll continue to do this today. 

It amazes me how much the oils comfort my children as well.

These are the oils I used for various reason to combat all potential reasons for her cough:

 

 

1. Frankincense: Among many things, it is anti-catarrhal, anti-infectious, expectorant, immune-stimulant, and sedative.  It helps with asthma, colds, coughs, inflammation, respiratory problems, tension and strengthens the immune system.

 

2. Eucalyptus radiata: Anti-bacterial, anti-catarrhal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and expectorant. Helps with bronchitis, sinusitis and many other things.

 

3. Melaleuca alternifolia: Analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-parasitic, antiseptic, anti-viral, decongestant, expectorant, and immune stimulant. Helps with the respiratory system, bronchitis, colds, coughs and lots more. 

 

 

 

4. Peppermint: analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, etc... and among other things it helps with asthma, bronchitis, fever, respiratory function, and FATIGUE.

 

5. R.C.: Blend with Eucalyptus (E. globulus), Myrtle, Pine, Marjoram, Eucalyptus radiate, Eucalyptus citirodora, Lavender, Cypress, Tsuga, Peppermint.  Helps with Respiratory System, decongest, allergy-type symptoms, coughs, lung congestion.

 

6. Thieves: Blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus radiate, and Rosemary cineol.  Helps with bronchitis, pneumonia, coughs, infection, viruses, flue, etc... 

 

 

* The reason why you mix the oil in your hand in a clockwise circular motion is because it sets the oil molecules in a clockwise spin.  This is important because the cells in our body also rotate in a clockwise spin.  When applying oils to the body that have been mixed this way, it improves the quality of cell absorption in the body.  Interesting huh?  Science is fascinating.  Of course, you will still receive benefits if you don't do this.

 

 

 

Here's to healthy children and a better nights rest tonight!