Here Comes the Flu Season - Protect Yourself the Wise Woman Way

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Here Comes the Flu Season - Protect Yourself the WiseWoman Wayhttp://botanical.com/site/column_susun/susun_flu_season.html

2004, Susun S WeedAlong with the beauty of fall days comes the need toget ready forwinter. Time to get out my long underwear and my warmwooly socks. Timeto nourish my immune system so cold days won't be days

of colds - and flu.I don't rely on modern medicine to keep me healthy,but if you usuallyrely on a flu shot to protect you, you may feelfrightened by yourinability to get one this year. You may be wondering

what you can doinstead. Or you may have discovered that flu shotsdon't give protectionfrom all types of flu, just the ones the makers guesswill be activethis winter. And you may wonder if there isn't some

other way to preventthe flu. Or maybe, like me, you prefer not to useshots or drugs unlessabsolutely necessary. You may wonder what herbs andremedies are thebest to have on hand to help your family deal with the

flu.No matter what your situation, now is a good time togive yourself thebenefit of Wise Woman Ways to prevent - and deal with- the flu. Theseflu presenters and flu remedies are simple. They are

quite safe. And youdon't have to be rich to use them. Wise Woman herbalmedicine ispeople's medicine. Mama Medicine. You can buy most ofthe things Idiscuss in this article - and you can find them

growing freely, too. Youcan buy the herbal preparations I mention already made- and you caneasily make you own for pennies, too.These Wise Woman Ways are supported by both traditionand science. Wise

women through the centuries have kept themselves andtheir families safefrom contagious diseases. And science has found goodreasons for theireffectiveness. I hope these tips will help you facewinter's ills with

confidence, and good health.Beat the FluThe best way to prevent the flu is to build a powerfulimmune system.While this can't guarantee that you won't get the flu,neither can theflu shot. Here are my favorite ways to keep my immune

system strong: * Eat more garlic. * Drink nourishing herbal infusions daily. * Make immune-strengthening soups; or addimmune-strengthening herbsto canned soup. * Use anti-viral herbs as needed.

Eat More GarlicOne of the best immune-system helpers is garlic. Dr.James Duke says itcontains at least 17 different factors that nourishand support powerfulimmune system functioning. Herbalists in the middle

ages relied on it toprevent infection from the plague, so it might keep ussafe from theflu. Garlic is anti-bacterial, too. If you don't likefresh raw garlic,powdered garlic is just as good. The dose is 1 or more

cloves of rawgarlic per day, or up to a teaspoon of garlic powder.Here are a few ofmy favorite ways to eat raw garlic: * Top scrambled eggs with minced raw garlic. * Put chopped raw garlic on pasta and cover with

tomato sauce. * Try minced raw garlic on a piece of hot butteredtoast. Delicious! * Add minced raw garlic to your baked potato. * Mix chopped raw garlic and olive oil with hotcooked greens like

kale or spinach. Drink Nourishing Herbal InfusionsNourishing herbal infusions are the basis of greatnourishment for theimmune system and the entire body. They are full ofantioxidantvitamins, minerals, proteins, phytoestrogens, and

hundreds of protectivephytochemicals that work to help you ward off the fluand colds too.Here's how I make a nourishing herbal infusion: * Choose one herb: nettle, oatstraw, red clover,comfrey leaf,

linden flowers, or violet leaf. * Place one full ounce, by weight, of any one herbin a quart jar. Acanning jar is best. * Fill the jar to the top with boiling water. * Screw on a tight lid

* Let it steep for four hours, or overnight. * Strain the liquid out, squeezing the herb. * Refrigerate the infusion, where it will be goodfor 24-36 hours.I drink two to four cups nourishing herbal infusions

daily - over ice,heated up with honey and milk, or mixed with otherbeverages.Make Immune Strengthening SoupsCooking herbs and vegetables together for a long timeextracts minerals,activates immune-strengthening phytochemicals, and

increases the levelsof available antioxidants. Raw foods weaken and stressthe immunesystem. To make an immune strengthening soup: * Chop at least half an onion per person and sautéin olive oil

until translucent. * Add at least two cloves of garlic, sliced orchopped, per personand sauté for a minute. * Add two or more cups of water or vegetable brothper person. * Add one cup per person of chopped seasonal

vegetables such as:carrots, cabbage, celery, corn, burdock, turnips,potatoes, tomatoes,parsnips(If using canned soup, begin here.) * Add one small handful of seaweed per person. * Add one ounce fresh, or one-half ounce dried

mushrooms - any kind- per person. * Add one-quarter ounce dried tonic roots perperson. * Add generous amounts of antioxidant seasoningherbs and some sea salt. * Bring to a boil; simmer for an hour.

* Turn off fire and let your soup mellow in a coolplace overnight. * Serve it the next day, heated up, withfreshly-baked bread andorganic raw milk cheese.Seaweeds build powerful immunity. Kombu and wakame are

excellent insoups. Cut them small; they swell to 5-7 times theirdried size when cooked.All mushrooms strengthen the immune system. Driedshitake are availableand inexpensive at Chinese grocery stores. Reishii,

maitake, and othermedicinal mushrooms are delicious, as are the morecommon buttonmushrooms, portobellos, and dried porcinni.Tonic roots help our livers, lymph, and kidneys workwell, protecting us

from infection. I often put these tough roots into ajelly bag and dropthat into the soup so I can fish it out beforeserving. I use one ormore of these, fresh or dried, depending on what Ihave available:

* Siberian ginseng * Astragalus * Burdock * Dandelion * Chicory * Yellow dock * American ginseng.Seasoning herbs from the mint family - rosemary,thyme, oregano, basil,

marjoram, and sage - are loaded with antioxidants. Idon't just seasonthe soup with them; I add them by the handful for thegreatest impact onmy immune strength.Anti-Viral Herbs

Anti-infective herbs can help us prevent the flu - andassist us if wedo get sick. Colds and the flu are caused by viruses,making them moredifficult to treat than bacterial infections. Virusesare more vital

than bacteria and harder to kill. There are manyanti-bacterial herbs -including yarrow, echinacea, elecampane, and poke -but few that areanti-viral. Of these, my favorite is St. Joan's/John'swort. If any herb

can prevent the flu, St.J's can.Of course, even flu shots don't prevent all types offlu, and they don'tprevent colds, so even if you do get a shot, it's agood idea to havesome anti-viral and anti-bacterial herbs on hand. The

distinctionbetween them is not so important once you are sick.Both types of herbswill alert the immune system to the infection and helpit gather theresources needed to counter it. Did you know that the

achy muscles andheadachy feeling we get with the flu is not caused bythe flu itself butresults from the immune system gobbling up allavailable resources so itcan clobber the flu virus?St. Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)

This beautiful yellow flower yields a blood-redtincture that I take bythe dropperful to prevent viral infections such as theflu. A dropperfulin the morning throughout the cold months is adequate

for prevention. Iincrease that to 2-3 dropperfuls a day if I have beenexposed at home orat work to the flu. If I do get sick, I will use otherherbs to counterthe infection. Capsules of St. J's are ineffective; I

only use the tincture.Echinacea (Echinacea augustifolia)The tincture of echinacea root is a well-knownanti-infective. When Ifeel an infection brewing, I use large doses ofechinacea to build white

blood cells and encourage T-helper cells. The dose ofechinacea roottincture is 1 drop for every 2 pounds of body weight,as frequently asevery hour or two in the acute phase of an infection,2-4 times a day

otherwise. I have seen echinacea relieve terrible fluinfections.Important: I do not use echinacea as a preventative;it doesn't seem towork that way. I do not use any part of this plantexcept the root. I do

not combine it with goldenseal, which I believehinders the immunesystem. I do not take echinacea in capsules.I make a quart of echinacea tincture each fall as mywinter insurance.Here's how I do it: Put 4 ounces of dried Echinacea

augustifolia root ina quart jar. Fill to the top with 100 proof vodka. Captightly andlabel. Shake daily for the first week. Then weekly forat least eight weeks.Poke (Phytolacca americana)

The tincture of this root is so powerful some authorsconsider itpoisonous. You may have a hard time finding it forsale. But poke is animportant helper when flu " bugs " have taken over. Iwould not take poke

as a preventative; it is far too strong. I use pokeroot tincture tokick my immune system into high gear. The dose is onedrop - yes, onlyone drop - once or twice a day for no more than amonth, although in

serious cases I may use up to 8 doses a day. Poke roottincture can harmthe kidneys if it is taken continuously. I never takecapsules of poke root.Elecampane (Inula helenium)The tincture of this root is a favorite for clearing

lung infections andcountering the flu. The usual dose is 10-15 drops 2-3times a day, but Iwould increase the dose to 6 times a day in an acutesituation. I expectto see results within a day or less. I would only take

elecampane if Ihad an active infection; it has little protectivevalue. I never useelecampane capsules.Elder (Sambucus canadensis)Elder flowers are a nice remedy for those with a

feverish cold, but forthose with the flu, I prefer elder berries. The mostcommon way to takethem is in the form of a syrup. The immune enhancingproperties of elderberries are renowned in Europe and slowly gaining

popularity in theUnited States. Elder berry syrup also eases coughs andlung congestion.Winter is ComingHerbs may not seem strong enough to prevent or counterthe flu, but theyare. When we use herbs to maintain and regain health,

we not only take abig step toward health independence but a small steptoward peace on ourplanet. Instead of making war on weeds, I use them.Instead of makingwar on nature, I let Her guide me. Instead of making

war on myself whenI'm sick, I nourish myself toward greater health,greater peace.Green blessings surround us. Herbs not only protect usfrom the flu,they can uplift our hearts and bring us joy in trying

and uncertain times.Tips to Avoid the Flu * 1. Wash your hands; this is the single best wayto avoid the flu. * Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hand.Viral particlesare easily passed from hands to eyes and nose even if

you use a tissue. * If the flu is active in your area, avoid publicplaces.Susun WeedPO Box 64Woodstock, NY 12498Fax: 1-845-246-8081Visit Susun Weed at:

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susunweedVibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed hasgarnered aninternational reputation for her groundbreaking

lectures, teachings, andwritings on health and nutrition. She challengesconventional medicalapproaches with humor, insight, and her vastencyclopedic knowledge ofherbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated

and enthusiasticlectures are engaging and often profoundlyprovocative.-- Diana Gonzalez

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying - the longer a problem is carried, the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously - live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets. -Unknown