The Flu Box

October 18, 2019

It's cold, flu and other sickness season!

 

From my own experiences I have found that these natural ways are excellent in combating the symptoms.

I am sensitive to many medications and so I have learned to find natural ways to heal.

I call this my Cold/Flu box.

 

1).  Thyme tea

       Thyme tea is a great expectorant.  Drink a hot tea a few times throughout the day to help bring up the mucus.  Start by boiling a cup of water.  Add in a tea strainer, 1 teaspoon of dried Thyme.  Let the Thyme sit for about 10 minutes.  Drink the tea slowly.

 

2).  Netti Pot

 

 A Netti pot is a small little ceramic tea pot that is used to place treated water into your nasal passages, irrigating them.  This is an ancient technique that goes back to ancient India.  It is a way to cleanse the nasal passages of irritants that cause problems in the sinus region.  Irritants such as:  pollen, bacteria, virus, and mucus.  Irrigating the sinuses is a great way also to combat allergies caused by pollen.

Netti pots are found on-line or in your local Health stores.  These stores will sell powders that you can add to your water.  But I have always made my own out of "salt."  Salt is a great way to dry up the sinuses and it stops bacteria from growing.

Here is how I use the Netti pot.

     -Rapidly boil 2.25 cups of water from your drinking water tap for 5 minutes along with 1/2 teaspoon of Canning salt.  (Canning salt can be purchased from the grocery store in large boxes.  I use this to have straight sodium-no iodine added or additives.)

Note, please make sure your drinking water has been treated from a water treatment plant.  If not, I would recommend you buy filtered water for this.  This is due to amoebas that can be living in the water.

 I boil my water from the tap to make sure the water is sterilized.

 

Now I will add a little bit of the sterile water in to the Netti pot just to rinse it out of any dust that may be in it from sitting in my cabinet.  (Note, do not place in tap water into the pot to rinse out.)

 

Add enough sterile water to the Netti pot so it is full.  Now lean your head over the sink and place the Netti pot to one nostril.  Breathe through your mouth.  The salted water won't feel uncomfortable like plain water does.  Let the stream of water flow through your sinuses and out the other nostril.  Do this until you've used all the 1 cup of water in the pot.  Now do the other side with the other cup of water.

After you are all finished, take tissues, and blow your nose.

 

If your nose is too stuffed up, you will not be able to use this technique.

 

***Note, this past winter (2020-2021) I’ve never been so grateful to own a Netti pot.  I've had to take it out at least eighteen times to use it.  I have symptoms of an Upper Respiratory illness. And so, I use the Netti pot.  About three days later, the illness is gone.  Makes me "mighty happy."

 

4).  Salt Rinses

 

     Salt is an asset to have in your Flu box.

As you read above, salt is great to kick butt on bacteria in your sinuses.  

Salt also helps when we get canker sores in the mouth.  Salt also works on Thrush of the mouth.

I've been told by a friend who off and on will get Thrush (due to having used an antibiotic after the extraction of molars when young) that when he starts to notice the first signs of Thrush, he will mix 1 cup of warm water with about 1 teaspoon of table salt.  He takes this and swishes it around in his mouth, until he has used the whole cup of water. Then spit out the salt water.  ***Do NOT swallow this water.  The salt water will be toxic to you.  (Remember, don't eat right away after doing this.  Give the saltwater time to work on the Thrush in your mouth.)  He does this a couple of times a day and throughout the week.  Within a day or two, the Thrush starts to leave.  Yahoo!  

 

 

5).  Rose Hip Tea

 

     -Rose Hip tea is full of flavonoids (antioxidants) and Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is an awesome vitamin to helps you:

          -support your immune system.

          -Helps you to heal quicker.

I like to mix mine with Hibiscus tea.

Hibiscus tea also is packed full of antioxidants!  There are many benefits to drinking Hibiscus tea.  But combining these two teas is a great, healthy tea.

With teas, the hot water tends to: comfort you, help thin out mucus, and soothes your nose while drinking.

 

6).  Methanol/Camphor Saltwater baths for Sinuses/Face/Nostrils.

     Many times, we are congested.  A great way to help relieve this is to steam your face.  Boil a large pot of water with 1 t. of salt.  Take off of burner and add a dab of Mentholatum, Vicks, or separate essential oils of Camphor and Menthol into your hot water.

Place a towel over your head and steam your face for 10 minutes.  *Note-be aware that the water is extremely hot. So, try keeping your face a little extra distance from the water when you first start.

 

7).  Laugh

     When my husband and I were sick at the same time with the influenza, we took our comfy blankets, sat in our own living room chairs and watched shows that made us laugh.  We enjoyed watching "The Carbonaro Effect" and "Impractical Jokers".  Laughing tends to stimulate your "good feelings".  Feeling happy helps to relax a person, which helps a person to heal quicker.  So next time you feel like a "truck ran over you", try to watch funny shows to laugh instead of "feeling negative" about the situation.  Negative feelings only heighten the sickness.

 

8).  Water

One of the best ways to heal is to drink, drink, and drink water.  Flush out all the toxins.  Water helps to keep your body flowing.  Stagnation of bodily functions is not helpful.  If you don't like the flavor of plain water, try infusing the water with fruit, herbs, or veggies.  Go to https://www.reikiintheprairiellc.com/2020/01/infused-water.html

 

9).  Peppermint Tea

Organic Peppermint Tea-sold at Reiki in the Prairie LLC

     Headache???  Peppermint tea works well on headaches.  This tea also works great for better food digestion.  If you have a sour stomach or indigestion after eating, try this tea.  Take 1 teaspoon of Organic Peppermint tea and steep in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes.  Drink a cup whenever you need it.

 

10).  Light meals for the flu/stomach flu.

•  If you have a nauseous stomach, try eating really light foods like:  unbuttered toast, soda crackers, clear broth, tea, plain gelatin (Jell-O), and clear fruit juices like Apple juice.
• You also can try making yourself Ginger tea.  Boil 1 cup of water.  Add a tea strainer with finely chopped up fresh Ginger.  Steep it for about 10 minutes.  Drink this tea throughout the day.

 

 

11).  Lemon/ Raw Honey tea.

 

 

Fresh Lemon juice provides you with Vitamin C which the body needs to run its best.  I feel the Lemon juice also helps to cut through the phlegm that gets caught up in your throat.  The raw honey acts by coating the sore throat with an anti-bacterial, skin protectant  healing balm.  It is so soothing.

 

12).  Chocolate (at least 72% Chocolate content)

While chocolate can cause more phlegm in the throat or Heart burn if eaten after a meal, it has its place in my Cold/Flu box.  When we feel like a "truck ran over us" we are looking for something to make us feel better. Chocolate has that effect on us.  Take a little square every day, maybe 1 inch x 1 inch of 72% dark chocolate.  I know whenever I see my family wanting a piece of chocolate, I'll go up to them and say, "You're needing more love in your life."  And then I give them a huge hug.  ***Note, The Godiva 72% chocolate is pretty good!  Let it melt in your mouth.

 

Stated in the article,  "Discovering the Sweet Mysteries of Chocolate",  https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/choco.html

"Eating chocolate causes the brain to produce natural opiates, which dulls pain and increases a feeling of well-being."

I suggest you don't binge on chocolate though.  

 

13).  Drink Kefir with pureed Fruit.
I'm adding this to help the Immune system to stay strong.  Only drink this if you can hold down food fine.  This is a milk product, but it is said most people who are sensitive to milk can drink this due to the bacteria in the Kefir changing the milk's chemistry.  I feel this is a high quality, natural probiotic.  When you puree in fruit, you've added a prebiotic.  (Prebiotic=what feeds the bacteria so it can grow and stay in place in your gut, displacing bacteria that do not belong in your gut.)

 

 

14).  Books, cozy blankets, pillows, DVDs, and a television.

 

When one is down and out, it is nice to have these to provide yourself with that next level of "self-care."  When ill, it's a great time to catch up on reading our favorite books or watch our favorite movies.  Maybe turn on the television and watch your favorite funny show.  Cozy up in your big comfy blanket and place pillows under knees and back to provide that high level of comfort.  

My husband and I were sick with the flu one year, together!  We both took these new, furry, cozy, thick blankets and bundled up sitting in our favorite living room chairs.  We watched some of our favorite laugh out-loud T.V. shows- Carbonaro Effect and the Practical Jokers show.  Each day wasn't torture with the flu watching a funny show and feeling cozy.

 

15).  What to eat while just starting to eat after having a nauseous stomach.

When I worked around elderly, our team would provide the elderly who were nauseous with a clear liquid diet.  That would consist of clear, firm Jell-O, clear juice (apple juice), and clear broth.  When they could keep food down in their stomachs, we would provide them with a light diet for a day or so of  dry toast, saltine crackers, clear juice (apple juice), clear broth.  
If you're nauseous, don't push yourself to eat heavy, hard to digest foods.  I believe protein is the hardest to digest.  If your stomach isn't ready for heavy foods, provide it with a light meal until it is.

 

16).  If you have swollen glands, try using a heating pad or a Flax-seed tube heated up.

Recently I had some sort of Upper Respiratory illness that caused my neck, head, and ear to hurt due to swollen glands and tension.  I took out my handy Flax-seed tube and heated it in the microwave for 3 minutes.  I laid my ear and neck on this for about 30 minutes.  My pain was about 50% gone.

Flax-seed tube is something I made up.  I took a heavy off-white cotton material.  I sewed a tube about 3" wide by about 2 feet.  I left one-side open.  Then I filled it with Brown Flax seeds.  I sewed up the end.

Wah-la!  Instant heating pad/tube.  Just heat in microwave.  This type of heating pad/tube tends to give off moisture also.  Nice.

 

I hope this can help when you're not feeling your best.  Remember, self-care and self-love is what helps one to heal faster.

 Sources

•  Prevention magazine, Prevention's Guide Home Remedies, April 20, 2001, p.29 
• Immunologist in SD, (2)
• Medicinal Herbs, Rosemary Gladstar, (9)
• Cynthia Bergsbaken, (work in dietary)
• 
  

By Cynthia Bergsbaken of

Reiki in the Prairie LLC

October 18, 2019

Disclaimer by Reiki in the Prairie LLC and Cynthia Bergsbaken copyright 2015

I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or medical doctor.  These articles I have written, are from reading and experiencing them.  Many of these articles are my own experiences with my own inventions to heal as well.

If you have a medical condition-physically/mentally/emotionally, please see a qualified medical doctor.  Do not substitute my articles for proper medical care.  You are too important to the world.

I have used all procedures I have written about and have found them to be helpful as tools to help myself become a better person.   I am sharing them with you because used as a tool, they are helpful in Shadow working on ourselves.  (Shadow working is healing our inner shadows that are unconscious or subconscious.  Inner shadows are our belief systems, our thoughts, our behaviors, our life experiences.)

I created this blog for my Reiki clients originally.  Combining these tools with Reiki creates a happy, healthy person.  These tools, when used alone are also beneficial!

 

 

***All original content is copyrighted by Cynthia Bergsbaken, Perceptive Blogger & Reiki in the Prairie LLC.

Reiki in the Prairie LLC is a legal Entity under law, 2015.

April 11, 2020

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