Your body has ways of protecting bacteria

Your body has ways of protecting you from these bacteria; any foreigner that enters through the mouth and makes it to your stomach usually doesn’t last long. Your stomach produces hydrochloric acid, a powerful acid that actually sanitizes the foods you eat and kills any harmful bacteria. If your stomach acid is low and the bug makes it past this line of defense, the good bacteria in the small intestines will eat up the invader. However, low stomach acid (this becomes naturally lower as you age) along with lowered acidophilus (good bacteria in your intestinal tract that is easily killed off by antibiotics and caffeine) makes you vulnerable to invaders and can cause your body to react violently with diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. These symptoms are the body’s last resort to keep you safe from poisoning.
Your best supplemental protection against foodborne illness is to supplement with food enzymes that contain a small amount of hydrochloric acid before you eat. Adding acidophilus capsules every day—especially when traveling—will also help protect you. Acidophilus is best taken in entericcoated capsules so that it has a chance to reach the intestinal tract before being bombarded with your stomach’s digestive secretions. This protects these critters from being killed before they get a chance to make it to your intestinal tract.

Food poisoning is more common than you might think.

In fact, food poisoning symptoms can be almost identical to flu symptoms. Many 24-hour flus may actually be the result of a bacterial food poisoning.
Food poisoning doesn’t come only from restaurants; many cases come from improper food handling at home. For instance, the number of bacteria able to grow in food that is not properly refrigerated or that is not kept hot enough is staggering and can be strong enough to make you sick. Most of the bacteria that gets into our food (such as E. coli) comes from the earth that it was grown in. When fruits and veggies are not thoroughly washed, the bacteria can infiltrate the foods when we cut them. If the foods are eaten raw, we can become ill.
Now, I don’t want to discourage you from eating raw fruits and vegetables! But I do want to encourage you to wash not only your hands but also the foods.
Some tips to avoid food poisoning:

• Wash hands thoroughly before handling food and eating.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before cutting.
• Use separate cutting boards for meats and plant
• foods.
• In a restaurant, make sure that food is very hot when served; food left to cool can harbor bacteria.
• Take food enzymes with hydrochloric acid and acidophilus supplements 20 minutes before eating (especially when dining out).
• Cook all meats thoroughly.
• Refrigerate foods immediately if not eaten right away.
• Do not keep leftovers more than 24 hours.
• Read the book Poisons in Your Food, by Ruth Winter.

Supplements to Ease Your Fibromyalgia Pain

When suffering with fibromyalgia, you’ll need support in several different areas. This will certainly require more than one herb to help you get relief and help you to fully recover When dealing with fibromyalgia, you should concentrate on herbs and supplements that feed the following body systems:

➤ Structural system (bones, muscles, connective tissues)
➤ Nervous system (nerves, brain)
➤ Digestive system (stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder)
➤ Immune system (thymus, spleen, lymphatics)

Structural system: A supplement I have seen my clients benefit from is extra magnesium and malic acid. Magnesium works as a muscle relaxer in the body, and our muscles are made up of plenty of magnesium. Sometimes a pain indicates that your body trying to steal nutrients from that part of the body. Why not feed it what it might be asking for? And, of course, any bodywork that relaxes the muscles, eases stress and tension, and improves circulation will help you feel better. Reflexology and massage are both good therapies for this. Acupressure is another therapy that has been used to restore proper health to individuals. And who doesn’t need an excuse to go get a massage?

Nervous system: Lobelia may be used in small quantities to help relax nerves. In addition, make sure to add a B-complex vitamin with any conditions that could be brought on by stress. The brain utilizes a lot of the B vitamins for proper functioning, and our body utilizes a greater quantity of these important nutrients when under stress and in pain. Ginkgo biloba can be taken to nourish the brain and help increase blood supply to the head. Since researchers have now found a link between the brain’s blood supply and fibromyalgia, ginkgo might be your answer. Try one to two capsules or tablets two to three times daily. If dizziness occurs, back off slightly on dosage. This could indicate that fresh blood is being carried into the brain, and is a good sign, actually! Go slow and take your ginkgo as tolerated.

Digestive system: Liquid chlorophyll and aloe vera both aid digestion and are natural bowel cleansers. If the aloe causes you too much bowel rumbling, stick to the chlorophyll. Food enzymes help the body break down cooked or enzyme-less foods, and papaya is an excellent herb to support digestion. These can be taken at the same time if digestion is very poor, otherwise, try one or the other, first. Immune system: To boost the immune system effects of your uña de gato, you can add a combination of rose hips, Siberian ginseng, parsley, red clover, wheat grass powder, and horseradish. Beta carotene will also help boost immunity.

Uña de Gato: Clawing Your Way to Health

Uña de gato is Spanish for “cat’s claw.” Uña de gato is an herb that comes from a thorny vine in Peru that has thorns that are curved and resemble a cat’s claw—hence its name.
Uña de gato is used by many for the pain associated with fibromyalgia. Its properties also serve to support the immune system, aid the digestive system, and feed the structural system—all of which seem to be affected by fibromyalgia. Personally, I use uña de gato combined with astragalus and echinacea for any type of inflammation. I am amazed that it works as instantly as an aspirin (within 20 minutes), and it also relieves pain and reduces inflammation. Take two or more capsules three times per day or as needed to ease your symptoms. Some relief should be felt within 20 minutes or so, if not, increase your dose.

Fibromyalgia: What a Pain!

Fibromyalgia is considered a syndrome because it is a collection of symptoms with no apparent relation to each other.
You might be diagnosed with fibromyalgia if you have the following symptoms:

• A history of widespread pain lasting more than three months
• Pain on both sides of the body, above and below the waist
• Eleven or more established tender points that show extreme pain when pressure is applied Other symptoms include all-over aches; insomnia; chronic aches in the hips, neck, or low back; stomach trouble; and intolerance to cold. Fibromyalgia seems to strike after a stressful or traumatic event, such as an accident, marriage, divorce, or death of a loved one. Ninety percent of fibromyalgia sufferers are women.

The true cause of fibromyalgia seems to allude physicians, but herbalists and physicians alike have theories, although much of it has been blamed on psychological disorders. Some believe it to be deep-seated stress or an immune deficiency. Because stress can have the effect of lowering the immune system, these seem to tie together. Others blame the disease on a virus. And still others believe the problem starts with poor digestion, which then leads to poor absorption, which can lead to a mineral or nutritional deficiency. What they all seem to agree on is that fibromyalgia is linked to a lowered immune system brought on by stress. When our immune is lowered we are susceptible to every disease. Here’s a game plan for addressing fibromyalgia. The best plan for dealing with fibromyalgia that I have seen work in my practice includes this set of actions:

• Support digestion. Using herbs such as papaya, chew properly, eat while not under stress, etc.
• Cleanse the colon.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables of an alkaline nature, which include most green vegetables, and fruits such as apples and pears.
• Reduce stress, if possible.
• Have frequent bodywork done, such as massage or reflexology.
• Get gentle exercise to improve circulation.
• Take your herbs.

Now let’s talk about some herbs that have been used to help this annoying syndrome.

Other Unpronounceables

Elderberry is a wonderful remedy, but when suffering from flu symptoms, you are likely to experience more than just what elderberry can handle for you. For stomach flu and vomiting, a mixture of ginger, capsicum, golden seal, and licorice is helpful. Vitamins C and A will help boost your immune system. As always, drink plenty of liquids and eat very lightly; your body can use the extra energy to heal you.
A homeopathic from France known as oscillococcinum (Anas barbariae) is claimed by many to help stop a flu dead in its tracks. Currently, Cochrane Review Group is researching whether oscillococcinum is more effective than a placebo in the prevention and treatment of influenza and its symptoms. Oscillococcinum is available in most health food stores.
Another excellent herb worthy of mention is olive leaf extract. Olive leaf is anti-fungal, and anti-viral and can be used to kill infections, cold viruses and many other ailments.

Elderberry: Influencing Influenza

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is an excellent herb for treating acute conditions of any kind, and this is one of Europe’s most widely used herbs for centuries. Different parts of the plant are used for different medicinal purposes, including the flowers, berries, leaves, and bark. The berries are rich in vitamins A and C and potassium. Elderberry strengthens the immune system and helps it fight off viral infections. Elderberry increases mother’s milk when taken by nursing moms. It can be used as a tea as a gargle and is good for head colds, laryngitis, and flu. It is best given to children in the late afternoon and evening to help break fevers.
It has been reported that research in Israel done by virologist Dr. Madeleine Mumcuouglu has shown elderberry to disarm the flu virus by neutralizing the spikes that viruses use to invade host cells. Elderberry has been used to reduce inflammation, promote perspiration, and to serve as a laxative and decongestant. Add yarrow and mint, which will enhance the effects and make a safe remedy for children and adults alike.

Flu (Influenza): A Flu Good Herbs

Unfortunately, there is no real medical treatment for the flu or colds because they are usually caused by a virus. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. The best way to deal with the flu, therefore, is to help the symptoms fast-forward. Herbs can be a catalyst to your recovery from the flu and can help prevent you from getting complications associated with the flu. And, if taken after exposure to an infected person, these herbs just might help you bypass the flu altogether.
A colon cleansing with the use of an enema or colonic can help rid the body of waste and speed your recovery. For any infection in the body, add garlic to the enema water, and always be sure to use clean water since the bowel absorbs what is put into it.