LOTS of news sources are talking about staying well this season. Mostly if seems they share a message of doom and gloom and then follow it up with talk of vaccines. Or they promise to share the secrets for staying well and it ends up being obvious things like get enough sleep and wash your hands.
As a natural family we are taking a different approach. There will be no vaccines… EVER. Instead we usually like to tackle the season of sickness with healthy eating, natural germ killers, and herbal tinctures.
Why exactly do so many people get sick this time of year? Well, public schooling makes sharing the germs all to easy. The average person starts eating badly this time of year to. White sugar suppresses the immune system up to 50% for 24-48 hours and starting with Halloween kids eat lots of candy. My own kids got sick after we went to a Halloween party early this month. It is not rocket science to figure out why. I love Halloween but the candy part sucks big time.
White flour is another thing people consume alot of during the winter months and it too is bad news. People bake, they eat lots of bread and pasta, and they get sick. White flour and rice has had all the good stuff removed during processing and it is left with chemicals from the bleaching and enrichment processes. These chemicals suppress our immune system. Add white sugar in baked desserts and you get a double whammy.
Staying healthy this winter will be a whole heckuva alot easier if we stay away from the white stuff. The good news is that there are some wonderful, nutritious and delicious alternatives to white pasta, white (refined) sugar, and rice.
* Quinoa is a protein-rich grain which is native to the Andes. It has a delightful flavor and is easy to prepare. You can use it in place of rice for stir fry and you can use it cold in salad. It tastes great either way. It can also be made into pasta.
* Whole wheat pasta has become a high demand product that you can often find it in your local supermarket right alongside the traditional white pasta. It’s higher in fiber, protein, B vitamins, and minerals than standard white flour varieties. You can also bake with whole wheat flour obviously.
* Buckwheat is another awesome alternative. My husband loves the stuff in pancakes and soba noodles? Soba is made from buckwheat and is high in protein and fiber. It’s delicious with Japanese recipes and flavors and also wonderful in soup.
* Spelt can be used to make gluten-free bread and cereal, and can also be used to make pasta. It has a sweet, nutty flavor.
* Brown rice is just as filling and versatile as white rice but it’s much healthier for you. It is a great source of fiber, has a bit of protein and other nutrients and has a delightful texture.
* Honey can be used in baking instead of sugar. Banana bread with whole wheat flour, honey, and extra bananas tastes every bit as good as banana bread made with the white stuff. Honey is also great for sweetening tea.
* Agave Nectar is what we use for most of our desserts like raw chocolate fudge cookies. There is a raging debate on how similar the extraction method is to that of HFCS but we rarely use more than a few tablespoons a week.
* Dehydrated dates and other fruits are the reason we can get away with using so little agave in our cookies, nut bars, pies, etc. They are amazingly sweet and combined with good old fashioned nuts you have pie crusts and breakfast bars.
Avoiding foods and sweeteners that actually work to encourage sickness will be a great component in the battle to stay well. Killing germs is another but we don’t crazy with that here. We use soap and hot water and Four Thieves Vinegar which is a blend of wine vinegar, herbs, and garlic.
To encourage wellness we drink green juices, green smoothies, and tea with herbal tinctures. Herb Pharm’s Children’s Herbal Compound is a good one for kids that was recommended to me by an herbalist mom.
Staying well or getting well fast after an illness does not require elusive information… just some common sense practices and healthy eating. If we aren’t willing to saddle that pony and ride it then we shouldn’t be surprised when we get sick. It does, however, provide some teachings moments when your kids see a direct correlation between sugar intake and illness. Some things need to be learned the hard way.
