Well, cold and flu season is upon us and this year we have the extra stress of dealing with the coronavirus situation. I do think that one of the positive things to come out of this season of uncertainty, is the widespread focus on health and well-being. We all want to stay safe and healthy so here are some of my favorite ways of taking care of my body and ensuring it is free from toxins and infections.
Onion Poultices
Did you know that cut onions attract viruses? Yup! They sure do. So in cold and flu season, I make it a habit to do several warm onion poultices per week on my neck and upper chest. Onion poultices are great for pulling viruses out of your system and helping you to stay healthy.
They are super easy to do and very relaxing too! Basically you chop up an onion and lightly sauté it with a little water until it starts to soften. Then drain off any extra water and put the onions into a clean kitchen towel. Place the towel across your neck and upper chest, and sip some tea and relax while the onions do their work. Another trick that I like to do at the first sign of a cold, is to put raw slices of onion on the bottom of my feet and don socks before heading to bed.
As a reminder to those who may not realize this, if you are cooking with onions and don’t use the entire onion, don’t store the unused onion in the fridge. The cut onion will attract microbes from the inside of your fridge and nobody wants to eat that!
Castor Oil Packs
Castor oil packs are another time tested remedy that I love to use on a regular basis. Castor oil packs have been used for centuries to clear congestion, detox and help to draw out infections.
When I do a castor oil pack, I typically use RC and Raven essential oils from Young Living on my chest first, followed by Premier Research castor oil. Then I add a piece of organic flannel over the castor oil, place a thin layer of plastic or thick material over the flannel, and apply my infrared heat source. Then I sip on some warm herbal tea and relax for half an hour or so.
Castor oil packs can be used across the chest for lung congestion, the abdomen for tummy distress and castor oil also makes a wonderful makeup remover too!
Neti Pots
Don’t forget to clean out your sinuses during the cold and flu season! Neti pots have been used for centuries in the Vedic tradition to clear out the sinuses and help to restore health.
I use a little Premier Research Labs pink salt with some warm filtered and structured water to clean out my sinuses in the morning and evening. Don’t forget the second step of using a Neti pot, though. After you’ve rinsed your sinuses, take a little unrefined sesame, coconut, or castor oil and coat the inside of your nose. This helps to reduce inflammation in your sinus cavities as they try to regenerate the mucosal lining. If you find that your sinuses have become inflamed after doing a Neti pot flush, it may be because you missed the second part of the process.
Infrared Saunas
For those of you that know me, you know how much I LOVE my Solo Sauna from Sunlighten! I have been using my infrared sauna since 2003 and it has been such a valuable tool for my health for all these years! I wake up extra early everyday so I don’t miss my opportunity to start my day with a sweaty detox.
I like the fact that with my Solo Sauna, my head is not enclosed in the sauna, so I’m not heating up my brain. Leaving my head outside of the sauna keeps my brain from overheating and ensures that I’m not breathing in toxins as I sweat them out of my body.
One of the best techniques for detoxing harmful chemicals, metals and other pollutants is through sweating. I love that I can get a great detox sweat from my Solo sauna. When I used liposomal glutathione to challenge test my body for Environmental Pollutants using the Great Plains Environmental Toxin panel, my results came back squeaky clean. I owe those results to a clean and organic lifestyle and also my daily sweats in my infrared sauna!
Epsom Salt Bath
How many of you do Epsom Salt Baths? Did you know that an Epsom salt bath is one of the best and most relaxing detoxes you can give yourself? My all time, go-to, favorite detox bath has 4 ingredients.
- Epsom Salts or Ancient Minerals Magnesium Flakes
- Aluminum free Baking Soda (Bob’s Redmill is good)
- Miracle II soap
- Young Living Essential Oils
As the bathtub fills up, I typically add a couple cups of epsom salts or magnesium flakes, a cup of baking soda and a squirt of Miracle II soap. This will make the most luxurious and non-toxic bubble bath that you’ve ever had. Add a nice candle, some soft music and relax! It sure beats using toxic chemicals like in Mr Bubble!
Pro Tip: I like to add a few drops of lavender essential oil to my salts BEFORE I add them to the water. This way the oils won’t burn off as quickly.
Coffee Enemas
I know it sounds a little crazy, but have you ever considered doing a coffee enema? Coffee enemas are an amazing tool to help detox your liver.
Look at it this way, if you drive a car, you know that maintenance is extremely important. So every 5000 miles you have your oil and oil filter changed and this keeps your car running smoothly.
If you think of your liver as a main filter in your body, how often do you clean it out to keep your body running smoothly? If your liver is clogged and sluggish, then you cannot process your hormones and food effectively and health issues will start to crop up. Hormone issues, weight gain, fatigue and pain are typical symptoms of a sluggish liver.
Coffee enemas are a fantastic way of keeping your liver functioning well. Be sure to use non-moldy coffee such as Premier Research’s. You can reference Dr. Jay’s at home guide for doing this enema here or reach out to me and I can guide you through the process.
Thieves Oil
I have been a huge fan of the Thieves line of essential oil products for many, many years. Not only do they smell great but they work hard to keep your immune system boosted. Check out this great story that goes along with the Thieves formula.
Back in the days of the plague, it is said that the thieves would cover themselves in a combination of clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon and lemon oils to protect them from the plague as they robbed the dead and dying. When the king realized what they were doing and that they weren’t getting sick, he told them that he would spare their lives if they gave him their formula. I’m sure they happily did so in order to preserve their own lives!
Every morning after my shower, I put a couple of drops of Thieves oil on the bottom of my feet. The oils penetrate the skin and are absorbed into the bloodstream which help to boost my immune system. Young Living also makes an entire line of personal care products and household cleaners to help your environment to stay fresh, clean and sanitized.
I remember being on an elevator and a little girl got on to the elevator with her mother. After a moment or two, she looked up at me, smiled and said, “You smell like cookies!” I totally Love that she said that and she sure made my day!
Homeopathics
For years now, I have been recommending the homeopathic Oscillococcinum by Boiron. During cold and flu season, I use this remedy daily as a preventative or if I do end up with a bug, I’ll use it to lessen the symptoms and duration of the flu.
The wonderful thing about homeopathics is that they help to stimulate your immune system and they are completely safe and non-toxic. If you take a remedy and your body doesn’t need it, then nothing happens. If you take a remedy and your body is dealing with that challenge, then it can help to wake up your immune system and help it to fight off the offending bug.
Remember to take homeopathics away from food, coffee, mint, essential oils or any strong flavors in your mouth. There are shape receptors underneath your tongue that absorb the homeopathic remedy and strong foods will block the absorption. If you haven’t tried homeopathy, give it a try. What have you got to lose?
The Copper Zap
One of my new favorite kids on the block is called the Copper Zap. I came across the Copper Zap online and since copper is known for its antimicrobial properties, I thought I would give it a try.
I received my Copper Zap just in time because I felt like I was starting to get a cold. I followed the directions and used the Copper Zap in my nostrils for one minute and lo and behold, NO COLD! The Copper Zap stopped the cold right in its tracks! Scott wasn’t so lucky however. He did NOT use the Copper Zap and of course, he ended up with a cold. Now he has one of his own and if either one of us sneeze, we both shout Copper Zap! I am now the proud owner of not one but two Copper Zaps. I keep one at home and one at my office just in case I start to feel a tingle in my nose.
These are my favorite detox strategies. Let me know your favorites! Remember: Sometimes the best way we can take care of ourselves is to simply relax.