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Holistic Treatment of
Colds and Flu
By Terri Crosby, C.H., C.N.
A vegetarian diet, together with good lifestyle habits such as getting adequate rest and exercise and using good stress management techniques, can go a long way in the prevention of colds and flu. Here is a review of some of the foods, dietary supplements and herbs that can be helpful in case you can't escape a cold or flu in spite of your good efforts.
Symptoms of colds and flu vary, but the overall basic treatment is similar.
Drink plenty of fluids in the form of water, teas and vegetable juices. Excessive sweets, even in fruit juices, should be avoided. If you have to use some fruit juice, dilute them 1:1 with water. Eating fresh ginger and cayenne can be helpful. Emphasize easy-to-digest foods, such as vegetable soups and stews or steamed vegetables. Avoid solid foods if you have nausea or diarrhea. Avoid dairy products, as they can increase mucus and depress the immune system.
The immune system needs rest to fight a cold or a flu, and even though these dietary recommendations can help it is essential to rest when you are sick. You will get well much quicker if you do! Taking nutritional supplements to enhance your healthy diet will also help. Increasing Vitamin C, zinc, antioxidants such as beta carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin E are all helpful. Selenium has been shown to have potent antiviral properties against a number of viruses. B vitamins are also used up more quickly when the body is under the stress of flu or colds. Digestion is also often below par, so increasing probiotics such as acidophilus and bifidus can be most helpful.
Many herbs are helpful in the treatment of colds and flu. These include the well-known
echinacea, goldenseal or other berberine-containing herbs, such as
Oregon grape root (especially if dealing with a cold that shows signs of progressing to a sinus infection), yarrow(especially with colds and flu with a fever), elderflower, elderberry and garlic. All of these are good general immune-strengthening herbs. Elder family herbs have more antiviral activity, garlic is an excellent antibacterial and antiviral herb. Herbs such as boneset, white willow and turmeric can help aches and pains. Note that those who are sensitive to aspirin should avoid white willow. For sore throats, consider gargling with salt, ginger, cayenne, sage, thyme, osha or
usnea. You can also use heated
compresses of these herbs and wrap them around the throat.
For coughs, try to determine if the cough is due more to excess phlegm or dryness of tissue. For those due to phlegm, obviously watch any mucus-forming foods so you don't create more phlegm and try more expectorant type herbs such as horehound. For more dry coughs, try a moistening herb such as slippery elm.
We all try to eat healthy and lead healthy lifestyles, but sometimes our best efforts are still not enough. These recommendations can help shorten the duration of a cold or flu so you can be back on your feet more quickly.
Be Your Own Master Composter
Joe Geirlach and Stephanie Slavik
Composting is a great way to return organic matter to the soil in a useable form. Easy to start, all you need to do is take those leaves, lawn cuttings, remains of garden plants and vegetable scraps and start them in a pile outdoors.
My rule is to keep it simple. So I suggest buying nothing. Just put the scraps in an unused garbage can, old laundry basket or wooden box to start. You can be creative and recycle an old bin of some sort that you've been longing to put to good use. Now's your chance! But there are a couple guidelines to follow to maximize decomposition and turn your scraps into compost moe quickly. They are:
1) The smaller the better. Cut your scraps down as small as you can. The more surface area the micro-organisms have to work on, the faster the materials will decompose.
2) Keep adding to your pile. The larger volume piles break down more quickly because of the heat insulating factor. And the heat of microbial activity allows the pile to break down more quickly.
3) Keep it moist and aired. The pile should be as wet as a wrung-out sponge and turned occasionally to ensure aeration. Remember that just like all life needs a certain amount of air and water to survive, those microbes are no different.
4) Last but not least, have fun with it! Send the kids out to the pile with the coffee grinds, carrot tops and bags of leaves. Turn it into a learning session of giving back to the earth.
Composting is a great way to reduce waste sent to the landfills. It is a great way to give back to our earth, enriching the soil, whether you garden or not. Composting is also easier (and more fun!) than bagging your lawn clippings and having them removed. If you're at all concerned about recycling and saving the planet, composting is a great place to start or a great practice to add to your already earth-centered activities.
For more information on Composting, bin suggestions, how to get started, pamphlets, etc., please contact either Joe or Stephanie at 303-258-7467 or the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension at 303-776-4865.
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