Immune Boost: Tips to fight back against cold and flu
Self Care Medicine
This spring, boost your immune system and fight back against lingering cold and flu with these tips from Auntie Asdzaan Nez
1. Grind Osha/Bitteroot/Bearoot, put into capsules and take minimum of two everyday. If you feel sickness coming, TAKE more than 2! Can also mix w honey instead of in pill form for children. Teas are good too, but I’m finding the entire organic plant matter of this medicine is kicking ass on cold and flu more so than the tea... Natural antibiotic! Take until sickness is healed.
2. Garlic & Honey: Cut up garlic fine and let oxygenate for minimum of ten minutes, which activates the enzymes in the garlic and turns it into a superfood/medicine. Mix w honey and take immediately or store for ongoing dosages. If you’re already getting sick, go hard and consume as much as you can stand. Whatever you don’t use will ferment and become medicine yumminess for later. Can also make a jar-full and let sit for ongoing amount of time, and use as needed. Will never spoil!
3. Garlic Salve: Warm coconut oil to melt into a liquid. Chop up garlic, combine both is processor and mix until liquid. Pour in jar and store in fridge. Use this salve on feet and chest as preventative or virus fighter: when rubbed on feet, goes more easily into bloodstream; on chest, fights bronchial and respiratory issues. SUPER SAFE FOR INFANTS and adults alike!!!! Put on feet then add socks before bed, if you like. Apply as often as desired.
4. Steams: cedar or sage. Steams are a really good way to get medicinals to the sinus cavities, throat, respiratory, etc. all at once. Sage is a powerful killer of bad bacteria; cedar promotes blood circulation in respiratory, super good for lungs!!!. Brew tea by simmering (not boiling), until strong. Put pot on floor or table and use blanket or towel to cover self hovering over pot. Breath in and stay under as long as possible. Repeat as many times as you like. I do this for my grandma often when I’m home and she’s sick. Safe for elders too!
5. Sore Throat:
Option A. Gargle w sage tea or warm salt water; both will disinfect throat of bad bacteria. Gargle as often as you can until sore throat is gone.
Option B. Eat raw pineapple; the acidity in this fruit specifically fights sore throats. Donna why. My mama taught me this trick... works!
6. Respiratory: steep mullien until a strong tea or overnight, then strain out fine hairs w cheese cloth, fine fabric, old t-shirt, paper towel, etc. Drink often. This medicine is a sedative of the respiratory and also an internal lubercent that calms and coats throat and respiratory. Can also be used as a smudge to help with breathing and disinfectant.
7. Disinfecting Smudge: research has proven that closed rooms smudged by sage and other medicinal smokes were disinfected of over 90% of bacteria in the room, lasting several days to a week.
8. Gut: take a probiotic, eat fermented food, etc. to build up Good gut bacteria (probiotics) which are the foundation of your immune system. Over 90% on americans have Candida, a byproduct of not enough good bacteria being present in gut anymore, hence weakening immune system significantly, often due to synthetic antiobotics. Burdock root (available at many stores) will also naturally build probiotics, and is cheaper than supplements.
9. Tummy: Ginger... Tea’d, or powdered ginger mixed w honey and a spoonful or more consumed. This calms my students stomachs right down. Traditional Blue corn mush/atole is extremely kind and good for the tummy as well, says medicine people back home. Use juniper ash w this corn dish to ensure nutrition and absorbency into body increases by 400%.
10. Nutrition: you need to empower all these medicines in working at their full capacity by making sure our body has the nutritive power it needs to cooperate w the medicines. Healthy eating is important; can also supplement diet w nutritious infused teas (teas that steep in jars/bowls all night, strained next morning), such as nettle, alfalfa or comfrey. Power packed w vitamins and minerals! Make big batch and keep in fridge to drink over time.
“I have fought off the flue 3 times this year already using these approaches.”