ESSENTIAL HERBS for Boosting Immunity and Health Maintenance

Winter can be rough for keeping the illnesses at bay, if one doesn't have the proper information and tools in their "arsenal" to ward off contagions, and maintain health in general. Over years of trial and error; being my own "guinea pig," I've discovered certain essentials that have warded off so-called "colds" and "flu," and if my immune system happened to be compromised by some contagion, I was able to arrest the dis-ease before it could "take hold" in my system.

One can get overwhelmed by the number of herbs and supplements out there that are supposed to provide whatever their proponents profess they can do to help. From my experience, the following practices have aided me immeasurably:

• First and foremost, a diet that is PLANT-BASED has made all the difference for me, in terms of arresting and preventing dis-ease. When I say "plant-based," I'm referring to green plant food. Even if you insist on consuming flesh, make sure first of all that the flesh you are consuming is of the highest quality available (organic, grass-fed and better still, natural animal meats such as bison or wild Alaskan salmon), and that it is consumed in SMALL QUANTITIES. One may consider eating flesh only a few days a week, as opposed to every day, if one must eat it. And the proportion should necessarily be no more than 20% of what is on your plate in relation to green plant food. Meat is DEAD; therefore, if one is going to eat it, one must take into account the necessity of "bolstering" the system with green plant food to move the dead flesh out of the body in the most timely manner. I make no judgement as to what individuals determine they need for their own health and longevity. Though I eat certain fish on occasion, I chose not to make animal flesh a consistent part of my dietary regimen.
• And as for milk and dairy products - compared to eating meat, it behaves even worse in terms of creating "pus"/infectious mucous in the body. Milk products are VERY BAD for immune health. The main component in curing Sickle Cell Anemia includes removing milk, dairy, starches and meat from the diet, cleansing/removing the damaged cell tissue through an intracellular cleansing, and administering MEGA DOSES of ORGANIC IRON.
• Starches (i.e. rice, beans, soybeans and soy products, corn, potatoes, wheat products, barley, millet, carrots, and others) create carbonic acid when it combines with the hydrochloric acid in the digestive system, resulting in excess mucous production in the intestines, and leading to other gastrointestinal disorders. The aforementioned items can be substituted with natural grains and plant foods, which I will identify later. And even the natural alternatives should be used sparingly. Sugar should also be avoided. Even the so-called "unrefined" variety.
• Many people wonder how "vegetarians" end up being overweight or constantly having some sort of malady, when a "vegetarian diet" is supposed to be "healthy." Many making the transition to vegetarianism unfortunately try to compensate for the absence of meat in their diet with starch and milk/dairy products. And in an effort to get "full" and feel satisfied, they tend to overdo it, to the point they injure themselves. I've been there. You can read about my "bout" with soy as a young vegetarian in my book, the CARBON factor: healing from our perspective. Which brings me to another important point: Once one begins to supplement their diet with NATURE-MADE Plant Food (which comes in the form of herbs, but also includes a few items one can find growing naturally, or even in supermarkets, like dandelion greens, nopal cactus, burro bananas, watercress, and seaweeds), one will find they do not need to eat as much, because their bodies are being truly fed from the mineral supplementation of the natural plant food.
• CLEANSING THE SYSTEM. VERY IMPORTANT in maintaining optimal health. I remember "back in the day," hospitals used to give patients a laxative or enema as a matter of procedure. They almost NEVER do such nowadays. Back then, while some may have used an herbal-based laxative, for the most part they probably used some irritant like "Milk of Magnesia" or "Epsom Salts." And although intent of giving enemas was noble, enemas in and of themselves are not the best method of cleansing the system, unless in an extreme situation where there is no other alternative to do so (a person in a coma, with lockjaw, unconscious, or other medical emergency). The valves of the intestinal system are ONE-WAY VALVES. They were not intended to have anything forcing pressure on them from the opposite direction! The best way to cleanse the system would be with a natural vegetable substance. Cascara Sagrada Bark has proven to be a very safe and effective cleanser not only of the intestines, but also of the liver and lymphatic system. BUT - one must be certain that they purchase Cascara Bark that has been PROPERLY AGED, to prevent "griping" of the intestines. CAUTION: ALL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT PRODUCTS ARE NOT AS "WHOLESOME" AS ONE WOULD PREFER. MANY LISTS "GELATIN" AS THE INGREDIENT IN THE CAPSULES, WHICH IS TYPICAL OF AN ANIMAL SUBSTANCE (i.e. SWINE) READ THE LABELS. The recommended dose on the bottles tends to be inadequate. Try doubling the dosage at bedtime with LOTS of water, and if you do not move your bowels at least 3 - 4 times a day, increase the dosage - and stay near a TOILET! It is important to clean out the old, dead waste in the body because the intestines will absorb that old waste back into your system, creating a "gateway" to dis-ease. Also, when the body has not received this level of cleansing maintenance, it behaves like a laboratory "Petrie dish," receiving infectious "hosts" for further "development" in your body!
• And it is also VERY IMPORTANT to STAY HYDRATED. Drink clean, fresh WATER. Try to do a gallon a day, if you can. It's easier to accomplish if you have a quart container, and drink one 4 times a day. Spring water is best, in that it has the minerals in it that are in you, prepared by Nature for you to assimilate it without difficulty or complications.

Now, I'll move on to some of the NATURAL FOODS one can consume on a daily basis for healthy maintenance:

• IRISH MOSS - A remarkable sea vegetation in that it contains a high-quantity of the 140+ minerals the body needs - with the exception of iron. (Iron is only found in trace elements.) In addition, Irish Moss (a.k.a. "sea moss") is a demulcent, rich in ORGANIC CALCIUM and has the ability to remove radiation from the body. In the Austin Area, it is available in powder and granulated form at THE HERB GARDEN. But BE CAREFUL as to WHERE you purchase this herb. Unscrupulous merchants have been "cultivating" Irish Moss by "simulating" the natural wave action of the sea in artificial tanks filled with common salt water. You can tell this "Irish Moss" is ARTIFICIAL by the way it looks: It will have a pale pinkish color, a "rubbery" texture and most notably, unnaturally CAKED with salt. I will provide a recipe for making Irish Moss from the solid/granulated state into a "gel," which can then be used in smoothies, sauces, and soups.
• ORGANIC IRON HERBS (i.e. Mulicle, Elderberry, Yellow Dock, Dandelion, Tila Estrella) - IRON is most important in that it is the mineral that is the "magnet," attracting all other minerals. This is why when one is deficient in IRON, they experience what is known as "anemia" or "weak blood." Yellow Dock (because of it's "bitter" property) is best taken in capsule form (unless you're "hard-core," like me! LOL!!). Dandelion Greens can be found most-anywhere. I have some growing in my yard right now, which is the optimal means of obtaining them. But one can always go to most health food stores and buy them by the bunch. The fresh ones from the yard I have been enjoying in salads, sliced thinly with romaine or other lettuce greens. I tend to mix them because of their slightly "bitter" property. I find the young greens are not as bitter. But dandelion greens can also be enjoyed as a green drink juiced with cucumber, apple, and kale. If you don't have a juicer, you can liquify the ingredients with a little water or juice (apple or orange) in a blender. Not as effective as a juicer, but better than nothin'! Elderberry is well-known for its healing properties in warding off colds and flu. Good quality syrups and tinctures of Elderberry are available at most health food stores, but a glycerine tincture of Elderberry is easy to make (see previous blog). You can also take a heaping teaspoon of the berries and infuse in a cup in water, like you would make hot tea. In Austin, THE HERB BAR  and the NATURAL GROCER have Elderberry. One can also buy Elderberry in capsule form. Occasionally I have found Elderberry tincture in health food stores made by a company called Herb Pharm. One should note that most Herb Pharm tinctures in the health food stores are alcohol-based; this should be considered when administering tinctures to children. The last 2 herbs, Muicle and Tila Estrella are not as readily available, but I was delightfully surprised to see Mulicle at an Austin store - MR. NATURAL. The spelling wasn't the same on the container (it was spelled "Mulitle"), but it was most-definitely the same herb. Mulicle is a tropical herb that is VERY HIGH in ORGANIC IRON. I believe Tila Estrella is also available at Mr. Natural as well. These herbs can be made in the form of a tea. Using boiled distilled water, you can combine the Mulicle, Tila Estrella, and Elderberry for a very potent tea rich in ORGANIC iron.
• You notice my emphasis on ORGANIC iron? Or ORGANIC MINERALS, in general? This is because many health practitioners are erroneously prescribing minerals that are insoluble in water, therefore making it IMPOSSIBLE for the minerals to assimilate into the body. ONLY PLANT-BASED MINERALS CAN READILY ASSIMILATE. And ONLY NATURAL PLANTS can convert solid minerals into water-soluble, digestible, mineral food. THIS is why your common garden-variety plants have little to nothing to offer in terms of nutrition, because being hybrid (as in MAN-MADE), they are incapable of converting the minerals into digestible nutrient food. At best, hybrid plants provide chlorophyll, and not much else. This is a common mistake health practitioners make when prescribing IRON, in particular. They will typically recommend an INORGANIC form of iron (i.e. ferrous oxide, ferrous sulfate), which is tantamount to ingesting a ROCK, and expecting it to dissolve and assimilate into the system. Hence the resulting constipation one experiences from taking "ferrous" iron. Ionthroferosis is the process GOD-MADE PLANTS utilize to process solid minerals into water-soluble, digestible plant food. Hybrid plants are incapable of this, thus are devoid of true nutrition.
• As far as getting an idea of the best things to eat on a daily basis, I suggest going to http://www.drsebiproducts.com/ for a listing of "hybrid" and "recommended" foods; that would be foods to avoid (hybrid) and foods that are least harmful (recommended). But I can give you a "short listing" of some "grains" and nuts that produce less of an "acid flora" in the body. They include quinoa, spelt (although spelt doesn't agree with me, personally), rye, teff, kamut, amaranth, wild rice. Also, if one MUST have potatoes in their life, the ones that are best to consume are the small "red rose" potatoes. They are closer to the original potato that was discovered in Peru and hybridized by the Irish. Recommended "nuts" are Brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamias and hazelnuts. ALL nuts and grains should be used IN MODERATION. Hemp and sesame seeds are also recommended. It's better to use the Nut/Seed Butters from the items recommended.
• I'm outlining the more "bulkier foods" because these are the "foods" that most people are the most concerned with. AND - the ones that cause the most damage to the body. I included them to offer alternatives to those that can be more harmful.

Other than the obvious (washing hands, avoiding sick people, avoiding surface contact), TO WARD OFF A CONTAGION that has invaded your system, I recommend the following:

• INUNDATE YOURSELF with the ORGANIC IRON HERBS I outlined earlier in this blog.
• CLEAN OUT THE SYSTEM with the CASCARA (take 7 capsules at bedtime with PLENTY WATER).
• SWAB THE BACK OF THE THROAT with TEA TREE OIL. Also, SWAB THE NASAL PASSAGES (this may cause INTENSE SNEEZING, but don't worry); do this several times until the itchy-scratchy "raw" feeling in the nose and throat subsides.
• This can be INTENSE, so BE CAREFUL: Put a DROP of CLOVE OIL on the tongue. Do this several times, until the sensation in the nose and throat subsides.
• If you feel you're suffering from FOOD POISONING or other contamination, CLOVE OIL is GREAT for killing the pathogens. I have even used GROUND CLOVE; I arrested a recent food poisoning bout by taking a heaping teaspoon of Ground Clove in hot water to steep for 15 minutes, sipping the entire cup down (sediment and all) while hot. Along with mega doses of ORGANIC IRON, I laid down to rest, sweat some, and woke up BRAND NEW.
• IN CASE OF FEVER - Make an INFUSION of ELDER FLOWER (2 ounces to 2 pints boiling water). Add a little FRESH GINGER, if you have it. Boil water (DISTILLED, if you have it) and pour it over the herb; place in a 300 degree oven COVERED for 30 minutes; strain, sweeten, if you have it (COCONUT SUGAR is best - but NEVER CANE SUGAR), and sip a cup WHILE HOT while covered up in bed. Put a HEATING PAD at your feet if you have one, and stay CLOSELY COVERED, so as to produce sweating, to break the fever. One should also take SEVEN (7) CASCARA SAGRADA CAPSULES before taking the Elder tea and retiring. The combination has been known to break fevers.
• Once you're feeling better, you will probably experience some NASAL and THROAT CONGESTION. In the morning and perhaps twice a day, IRRIGATE THE SINUSES with WARM SEA-SALT WATER, WITH A DROP OF TEA TREE OIL in it. Use a "Neti Pot" or Syringe and irrigate one nostril with the water coming out of the other nostril, then irrigate the opposite nostril. Takes a little practice and "tolerance" to get used to, but it really serves to clear out the excess infectious mucous.
• BREATHING EXERCISE (to clear the lungs) - INHALE, counting slowly to 5; allow the BELLY to "BALLOON". HOLD BREATH for at least 10 seconds, then EVACUATE THE LUNGS FULLY; squeeze the air out of the lungs until there is none left. Then, repeat at least 3 times, or until you begin to cough-up copious mucous from your lungs. This exercise is great for any pulmonary congestion.
• My HomeGirl turned me on to CAMU CAMU BERRY POWDER and REISHI MUSHROOM POWDER.  CAMU CAMU really keeps any "bug" at bay, if taken in MEGA DOSES.  According to an article on the Pure Healing Foods website (http://www.purehealingfoods.com/camuInfo.php), it "has astringent, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, emollient and nutritional properties."  And for those of you who believe in "alphabet nutrition," Pure Healing Foods says it has "Vitamin C - more than any other food."  I can personally attest to the efficacy of Camu Camu. As for REISHI, I haven't worked with it as much but I trust the experience my dear friend is having with it.  Here's a LINK to its properties:  http://www.naturalnews.com/021498_reishi_mushrooms.html

These things should help. ALL THE BEST!