“Herbal and Dietary Remedies for the Flu (and radiation) Season” by Bea Garth

By beagarth on December 29, 2016 • ( 0 )

I have been hearing a lot of folks have been getting quite ill during the holidays. Its my belief it isn’t just the rich food, I believe its also the recent radiation from Fukishima given the new Tsunami off the coast of Japan in November, 2016 and the continuing unstable conditions of the damaged reactors and radioactive storage tanks. Please see this link for more information on it from Energy News: http://enenews.com/urgent-emergency-at-fukushima-after-rocked-by-m7-4-quake-tsunami-wave-hits-destroyed-nuclear-plants-cooling-systems-at-reactor-failed-prime-minister-we-must-grasp-extent-of-damage-ex

From what I have read and observed, getting intransigent colds/flu/bronchitis/pneumonia is common when the radiation in the atmosphere gets bad. Caustic Xenon Gas released by a nuclear disaster or even smaller releases such as what was likely released again last month from Fukishima can all by itself cause a rise in fairly intransigent respiratory illness. Here’s an article about Xenon and other deleterious effects of radiation from A Green Run Journal: http://www.agreenroadjournal.com/2012/10/radioactive-xenon-gas-dangerous-and.html

In this article I will be suggesting some remedies (please see below) that may help you get well faster and keep yourself well. I am no expert, however, they certainly work for me. Of course the simple solution of drinking lots of pure water and sleep as much as you can when you are under the weather should not be forgotten!!

We don’t often think about the effects of radiation since you can’t see it or hear it. It also does not help that the government appears to have decided to raise the levels of what is considered safe even though its provable by others that they are not (safe that is) and little if any statistics are being kept on radiation levels any more by the US. News about radiation has been kept at a low murmur in general except for Energy News or A Green Run Journal. This lack of news in our major media also lessens our collective concern. The fact that the Japanese government and Tepco lied about the immense severity of the disaster at Fukishima has underscored the drama. http://enenews.com/ap-officials-admit-deadly-fukushima-meltdown-coverup-unprecedented-nuclear-disaster-about-bad-tepco-president-lied-about-meltdowns-cover-grave-issue-unpardonable-breach-trust-video

Various members of the news media in Japan who covered the Fukishima disaster for instance were fired after they won awards for their great work back in 2011!! Further head in the sand response about all this is that Japan is planning to have the next Olympics there. Plus there is a plan to make the former residents of Fukishima move back home or lose their health benefits, despite the fact that Fukishima is still highly toxic. More here from Energy News which shows that children playing and eating school lunches near Fukishima prefecture are becoming shockingly contaminated, as well as downtown Tokyo: http://enenews.com/tv-astronomical-amounts-radiation-found-downtown-tokyo-horrific-readings-detected-children-playing-fukushima-extreme-contamination-found-food-grown-school-lunches-nuclear-expert-shocked-upsettin

Like my friend Christine Payne Towler has often said, we have all become mutants at some level –and I will add: with an incredible tendency to live in denial. This is at least in part why I think cancer has been on the rise as well as a whole host of immune disorders, including various respiratory illnesses, the increase in food sensitivities, increased infant deaths and mutations, and the rise of the autism spectrum. Here’s an article about mutations showing up in babies: http://enenews.com/79334?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ENENews+%28Energy+News%29

Given all that great news (sorry about that, but I think its important to face facts), I think there are things we can do to help ourselves to get healthier as well as keep the good health we have. I believe for instance eating a lot more vegetables is best for most everyone, truth be told, in part since, from what I have read and experienced, the nutrients in cruciferous vegetables alone have been found to help us fight the effects of radiation. See this link for more information: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cruciferous-vegetables-fact-sheet

It is believed by many that eating organic helps against radiation. I personally believe it too, but have not seen the studies if there are any. Of course its important to do what you can with what you have, since organic food is not always so very available or affordable for everyone. But when you can, I highly suggest eating organic since it is believed by many to contain more phyto-nutrients from the soil and will not have any pesticides in it.

I got ill too unfortunately with congestion these last 2 days, but it hasn’t been that bad although I have had a couple of bouts of hacking and some real congestion off and on with a sore throat that seems to be lessening already. Of course I have also slept an awful lot, so I am not completely unscathed. However I think my experience is less than it is for many in part due to the various remedies I have learned in order to take care of myself.

“Oregano Oil with Olive Oil and veggie caps plus herbal anti-histamine detox/anti-flu/anti-congestion tea” photo by Bea Garth, 2016

I have had a life time of being all too much the canary that gets ill first and still has it last in part I think due to having received way too much radiation as an infant from Hanford’s various Green Run radiation experiments in eastern Washington (between 7000 and 12,000 curies of radioactive iodine released on Dec. 2nd and 3rd, 1949 from Hanford not to speak of other experimental radiation releases from Hanford).

No doubt my recent habit of taking the oregano oil capsules during my meals that I make for myself in order to fight an h. pylori infection, has been helping me a lot. Oregano oil is one of the top natural anti-biotics, anti-virals and anti-fungals as well as being an anti tumor herb.

Remedies like oregano oil are important since radiation tends to undermine our immune system and often makes us subject to respiratory and other similar infections like h. pylori, fungal infections etc. I buy organic oregano oil in a 4 ounce bottle since that way it is a lot cheaper. I use vegetarian capsules since I have histamine sensitivity, though you might not need to. Oregano oil should never be put in the mouth directly due to its caustic nature. I fill the bottom half of the capsule with oregano oil and the top half with olive oil–and then replace the top of the capsule and quickly put the oregano and olive oil filled capsule in my mouth–with plenty of water and some food both before and after so I don’t burn my mouth (or stomach) from all that intense oregano oil. Please don’t use if you aren’t a stickler for being careful given how intensely burning oregano oil can be. Many suggest it just be used topically, however you can buy oregano oil capsules in your local natural food store or online. I have to not use the gelatin capsules as explained above–which really is almost the only kind of oregano oil capsules available on the market.

I also make some strong anti-histamine, anti-viral, anti-bacerial tea to help my immune system during the cold and flu season or whenever I am feeling really down or notice I have an infection. I use 1 rounded tablespoon of each herb, then after the tea is finished (boiling and steeping) and is ready, I dilute half and half with water in my mug before drinking.

Here’s the directions for a strong anti histamine, anti bacterial/anti-viral tea: lightly boil 1 1/2 quarts water in a covered pot with the following herbs for 20 minutes: cats claw (not good if you have an auto immune disease), dandelion root, licorice root (only use up to 10 days if you have high blood pressure), ginger root. Be sure to watch the pot initially so it does not overflow. Its better to boil it more slowly and perhaps longer.

If the pot becomes too hot with too high a boil, the herbs can froth out. Then take the covered pot off the heat, take the lid off and add 1 scant tsp. neem leaf, 1 tbsp. olive leaf to steep 15 minutes more with the cover back on. I use a small strainer and fill my mug half way with the tea, and add more hot water to the top half.

OK, its true, I threw in all the big guns since neem leaf and olive leaf are amazing anti virals and anti bacterials etc. in their own right. The neem in particular is extremely bitter by the way. Cat’s claw is too. Don’t add if you can’t handle it or them. Its perfectly good and perhaps smart to simply rotate these herbs rather than take them all at once. I personally have no patience any more for these viral infections etc. so I tend to go all out when first hit by a bug!! Plus I seem to handle having strong herbs more than many given the fact I have been using herbs to heal myself since the early 1970’s.

I am also just now taking a much larger dose of chlorella/spirulina (2 to 3 tsp a day!!). I think the chlorella/spirulina is especially important for many of us given the extra radiation released last month from Fukishima from the new earthquake/tsnunami and the ongoing disaster there with the reactors since March 2011. Here’s a great link to an article about how spirulina reversed many of the effects of radiation damage from Chernobyl by Dr. Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/09/spirulina-reversed-radiation-damage-in-chernobyl-children-in-just-20-days.aspx

And here is another article about chlorella and how its often used in Japan for its anti radiation effects–as well as its anti aging effects for all of us: http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/chlorella-facts.html

Whereas the government and news media diminish the importance of its effects, its my belief that radiation is undermining the health of many, especially along the north coast of America, not to speak of Japan. Here’s some news from last summer about mussels with a new alarming type of cancer that seems to be spreading like a virus between species off the coast of Canada: http://enenews.com/like-plot-summer-horror-flick-all-along-western-canadian-coast-mussels-dying-bodies-swollen-tumors-unprecedented-mutations-allowing-cancer-spread-one-species-another-like-virus-scientists-beyond If its doing that to mussels, what all is the ongoing radiation doing to those of us further along on the food chain so to speak??

Taking chlorella/spirulina is all good assuming you can handle them of course. An over-methylator might have more trouble with it. My friend G does well with the spirulina for instance but not the chlorella–though he still can’t take as much as me. He also has trouble with most herbs since many tend to be anti-histamine and stimulating of methylation. Go slow with the chlorella and/or spirulina at first is my best suggestion; just start with tiny amounts. The chlorella is best for detoxing for heavy metals and radiation, and the spirulina is specifically healing for radiation as well as for healing the nerves and most everything else it seems.

Spirulina is (as was noted in the article by Doctor Mercola cited above) what was given the children at Chernobyl. It was discovered to be extremely effective at counteracting the negative side effects of radiation. I thus am adding a much larger dose of chlorella/spirulina (2 to 3 tsp. a day!) to either a couple of large glasses of water or one of my large lettuce based green smoothies — usually also with some celery, zucchini, cucumber, parsley, apple, arugula. I really am noticing the positive difference by taking more of this fantastic healing combination of chlorella and spirulina as well as the fresh green anti-histamine vegetables. I can take a lot since I already have been detoxing etc. for years, whereas the common person likely has not. So again, go slow at it especially at first!!

The above intense fresh green antihistamine green smoothie is helping me resist this cold/flu/congestion that has been going around I believe given the fact I tend to have histamine sensitivity and am an under-methylator. (Note: I realize this should be in another article, but suffice it to say for now: Methylation refers to how tight or loose one’s DNA is packed, and can affect what you eat — so an under-methylator has their DNA packed loosely and tends to produce high histamine, whereas an over-methylator has their DNA packed tightly — and tends to be low in histamine and needs to add histamine/amines to the diet. Please see Dr. Amy Yasko’s site for more information on the methylation cycle: http://www.dramyyasko.com/our-unique-approach/methylation-cycle/ as well as this site that explains both under and over-methylation and how it can affect your health both physically and mentally: http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/03/21/undermethylation-vs-overmethylation-causes-symptoms-treatments/). With work and time, even folks like myself can eventually heal and tread a more middle path in regards to methylation and where one might fall with histamine (i.e., either under or over).

In the past I always relied on chicken veggie soup when I got sick, but these fresh green smoothies and the teas seem to help me more. Last year I actually got sicker by eating too much chicken vegetable soup, something I thought not possible! So I am more circumspect about the healing power of chicken soup for me given my histamine sensitivity. Its good when its good, but its easy for the likes of me to have too much. So tomorrow or the next day, I’ll have some chicken soup again too–I just don’t have chicken every day due to the relatively high histamine and amines in the meat and stock.

In order to make soup or make other chicken dishes, I boil fresh organic skinned chicken and then freeze it, and freeze the stock and put in tubs to freeze too so it makes a quick and easy soup (or other dish) with less histamine/amines than it otherwise would have. I often use celery, sweet potatoes (purple is best) or yam, zucchini, kale, broccoli, chard and add in some parsley, garlic and green onions for the vegetables. Anti-histamine herbs like black cumin (nigella sativa), ginger root, turmeric, oregano and/or basil and/or rosemary and/or thyme are all good to add to the soup (these anti-histamine herbs also make good less over-the top anti-cold, anti-histamine tea–either used as single herbs or in combination). Its also helpful for overcoming the flu/congestion etc. for someone with histamine sensitivity to take a hyper-allergenic vitamin C (i.e., no citrus etc.), up to 750 mg. a day to help improve one’s health according to the Low Histamine Chef and her mentor Dr. Theorides.

For someone who is more of an over-methylator and cannot handle having these anti-histamine herbs or foods, and instead does well with fermented and high histamine foods, slowly cooked chicken soup made with the skin on, is really a fantastic remedy. If you have the time, its best cooked first with just the chicken in water until the bones are finally at the point where they are starting to soften or even dissolve. A crock pot here makes it easy. You can put the chicken in the pot and cover with water on low and let slow cook 10 to 24 hours depending on how cooked you want it. You can turn it on medium if you need to cook it faster. After the chicken has cooked sufficiently, its then good to put in high-histamine vegetables like potatoes, celery, kale, beets and carrots and slow cook some more, maybe two or three hours or so. Then add in the veggies that cook the quickest towards the end such as spinach, tomato, beet greens, parsley, and peas. Some high histamine dried seaweed (not from Japan however!) won’t hurt either.

The main point for an over-methylator, low-histamine person is to use whatever high-histamine vegetables you can handle with a few low-histamine ones too just to broaden your diet. If you tolerate onions and/or leeks those are excellent too. Some high-histamine cayenne pepper (assuming its tolerated) added to the soup plus taking plenty of vitamin C (up to 3000 mg a day–the more bio-flavanoids with citrus the better), can also do wonders for helping you feel better and get rid of congestion faster. Organic Red Miso added in at the end can also can really help. And maybe some tasty organic, fresh (i.e., not pasteurized) sauerkraut which you add to your bowl when you serve yourself.

So although we are all a bit different, I believe there are ways we can help improve out health, with the path determined by observing what either agrees or disagrees with us. It is my hope some of the above information as well as the herbal remedies and recipes can be of interest to you this winter. It is my wish despite the health challenges such as increased radiation and other toxins in the environment that many of us face, that together we can learn how to heal ourselves in more effective and more natural ways.

Bio: Bea Garth is an artist and poet as well as editor/originator of Eos: The Creative Context. She is also a self taught herbalist and intuitive nutritional healer. However she is not a doctor. The above material is meant to inform you of her process. Please consult your doctor first if you have any questions about your health or nutrition. Bea was exposed to a large dose of radioactive iodine and other contaminants from Hanford, WA as an infant. She turned to herbs and diet to resurrect her health in her early twenties while not really knowing why her health was so poor initially. The radiation releases of Hanford were top secret, and currently the effects of radiation from it are still poo poohed by the authorities. Her art reflects a lifelong interest in the healing power of shamanic art, reflected by her exaggerated figures and focus on nature, eros, expression and inter-communication of what otherwise might be hidden. See http://bgarthart.com for more.