Cold and Flu Cocktails/Remedies – What you Should Have on Hand!

06 Oct 2010 6 Comments

by LCO in Allergies and Asthma, Baby & Child Health, Flu & Cold, God's Green Herbs, Green Living, organic food, Preggo Mama, Stress, tea, vitamin d, Vitamins & Supplements Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Is there a cold or flu virus lurking around the corner?  Did you just go to the store and open up the refrigerated section then a few minutes later rub your eyes?

It’s amazing how easily we are exposed to nasty viruses and bacteria.  All it takes is for Joe Shmoe to sneeze and cough right on the handles of the store refrigerators and then you come strolling along completely unaware that the door handles are covered in yuck.  You open them, get your goods and go on your merry way.  A few minutes later you robotically rub your eyes or nose and whala – the connection is made.  Those nasty germs are on their way into your body.

First let me lovingly say that if you are a Joe Shmoe, please do us all a favor and COVER YOUR MOUTH when you cough or sneeze.  Carry a pack of tissues with you so you can use and discard as needed.  Also be sure to cleanse hands after each explosion of germs.  It’s very irresponsible and inconsiderate to know that you’re sick and sneeze and cough all over the place without covering up and washing your hands afterward.  You are promoting sickness in the community of pregnant moms, babies, young adults, parents, the elderly and even pets.

So what are some things you can do to reduce your chance of getting sick and or help you if you do get sick?  What I am going to say might shock you but it’s often overlooked.

SLEEP.

Yes, if and when your body is under attack you must sleep.  Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of un-interrupted sleep at night although 9 hours is ideal especially when the body is under stress.  Your body can survive for days and days without food but your organs can start to shut down after just 5 days without sleep.  So please get your rest if you can, it’s very important.  Another important factor is water intake.  Your body needs water at least 8 to 10 glasses a day in order to function properly.  Your brain alone is composed of over 75% water.  Not to mention the rest of your body consists of about 60% water.

Just think of a raisin all shriveled up.  That could be your brain or your lungs you know.  It’s actually been studied that people with asthma that drink more water and stay hydrated were found to have less attacks.  So hydration with good old water is very important at all times.

Now to the other stuff.

Before I start giving you what I use let me make it clear that if you want to be healthy you have to act like your trying to get healthy.  Yes, organic herbs and supplements can help a body under attack but you must deal with the problem from the inside out and not simply treat a symptom.  If you eat a diet mainly of cooked foods and do not take additional enzymes, probiotics and minerals you are going to run your body down and in turn have a weakened immune system that will fall prey to any and every viral or bacterial infection floating in the air.   A healthy diet is the key to maintaining a strong immune system.

OK, now that I got that out of the way, lets talk about my health cocktails.  I have all kinds of cocktails: bath cocktails, breakfast cocktails, immunity cocktails, you name it I’ve got it.

- Some of the foods, ingredients & herbs I use in my emergency cold and flu cocktails are:  Organic Olive Leaf , Organic Lemon Balm, Organic Ginger, Organic Garlic, Organic Thyme,  Greens and Grasses in smoothies, Colostrum, Organic Herbal Baths, Organic Powdered Rose hips (Vitamin C), vitamin D3, herbal salts, Organic Cayenne Powder, Organic herbal antiviral antibacterial tinctures & glycerites.

- Want to boost immunity then do a smoothie with Organic Greens.  We drink one every morning for breakfast and add in powdered Colostrum and powdered Rose hips.  La Chica Organica has a fantastic blend of Greens/Grasses available, please email me for product information and pricing.

- Making pasta be sure to crush lots of fresh garlic.  If you have a mortar and pestle make a paste with a pinch of Cayenne and toss it over your cooked pasta with some olive oil.  Garlic is a fantastic antiviral and anti-inflammatory herb.  Cayenne has been used for years as a nasal decongestant and has been used for centuries to treat asthma, fevers, sore throats, respiratory infections, and digestive problems.

- Take a bath in Thyme or Mama’s Cold & Flu Rescue bath that helps when the body is fighting a cold or flu.  Be sure to check out a 2 part audio teaching I did on bathing with Thyme, here.

- Got the stuffy’s and congested?  I enjoy using an awesome Organic balm that I make called Mariana’s Winter Balm.  It’s gentle but effective for rubbing on a congested chest and feet.  I have 3 samples to give away for anyone interested.  Please post a comment below by 8pm Friday October 8th 2010. The first 3 comments will be contacted via email and will be mailed a sample within the next 2 weeks.  I just ask that you cover $3.99 for packaging and shipping costs.  This balm will be available for purchase soon.

- Another fantastic food to keep on hand is Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil.   Coconut Oil does not contain Trans-Fats, is Gluten-Free, Non-Toxic, Hypoallergenic, and contains Antibacterial, Antiviral, Antifungal, and Anti-parasitic healing properties.  Coconut oil is a fantastic way to aid and support your overall Immune System functions.

If you would like a 10 ounce container of La Chica Organica’s Coconut Oil you can order by emailing me at LaChicaOrganica@gmail.com.  Each container is at an affordable price of just $4.  I add a teaspoon to my smoothies 2 times a day.  It’s so yummy.

- I also have found that drinking a tea several times a day with 1 or more of my immunity boosting herbs is a wonderful way to stay healthy and aid the body during sickness.  But if teas are not your thing or you simply don’t have time you might consider making a tincture like the one in the picture below.  A tincture is a liquid extract of an herb. It is made by soaking herbs in a drinkable alcohol.  Tinctures are super concentrated herbal concoctions.  You only need a few drops several times a day.  Tinctures work because they are made in a base of alcohol like Vodka or Brandy which breaks down the herbs and pulls out the medicinal qualities.

You can make these with little to no difficulty and have enough bottles on hand to last you all year for just a fraction of the cost for what you pay for just one 2 ounce bottle at the health food store.

I have created a step by step instructional guide with this kit that comes with 2 bags of organic herbs, 2 glass tincture bottles, labels and two organic cotton muslin bags for straining. The only thing you will have to purchase is your vodka or Brandy. You will also need a jar with a lid for steeping the herbs and a jar with lid to store any extra tincture. I find that re-cycling pasta sauce jars works wonderfully.

Grab this kit while it lasts as it is specially priced for winter and will go quickly.   Click here to order

Choose from:

Immunity Rescue – Intense immunity booster with over 8 organic herbs possessing anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.$25

Help my Tummy – fantastic blend or organic herbs that help with stomach upset, gas and indigestion. $25

Nighty Night – A mixture of organic herbs to help you unwind and relax. $25

AstraE (Astragalus & Echinacea) – Immunity booster and viral infection fighter. $25

Fever Assist – made with herbs that promote perspiration which in turn cools the body down resulting in a lowering of fever. $25

**You can also purchase additional tincture bottles for $3 each or four tincture bottles for $11**   Click here to order

- If you are really miserable with a flu you can take homeopathic meds which are a fabulous alternative to pharmacy drugs.  We love Oscillococcinum. Oscillococcinum (Oscillo®), one of the world’s most popular natural flu medicines, it can reduce the duration and severity of flu-like symptoms when taken at the onset of symptoms. Oscillo works without causing side effects, does not interfere with other medications, and is safe for both children (older than 2 years of age) and adults.  For $2 coupons you can use at your pharmacy or grocery store click here

  • Clinical studies show that Oscillo reduces the severity and duration of flu symptoms
  • Great taste and convenient to take
  • No side effects or interactions with other medications
  • Good for everyone 2 years of age and older

- Weekly consumption of Vitamin D3 is very important during cold a flu season.  You can read about which vitamin D3 to take by clicking here.

- One last thing to remember is that green is good.  The more green you consume the better your overall health will be.

That’s all for now.

Signing Off! La Chica Organica

May the Green be with You™

Health News: Soy is NOT a Health Food – Buyers Beware

18 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment

by LCO in Allergies and Asthma, Baby & Child Health, cancer, genetically modified, Health News, Preggo Mama, Soy, Vitamins & Supplements Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We have all heard these past 10 years that soy is a wonder food.  People have been consuming everything from Edamame to Tofu to Soy Infant Formula. But soy is really not the better choice unless you are consuming fermented soy products like: Natto, Miso and Tempeh.

These products are consumable because after proper fermentation the phytate and “anti-nutrient” levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system.

But whats the deal with non fermented Soy.

Look at these problems highlighted by Dr. Mercola?

Here is a summary of soy’s most glaring problems.

  1. 91 percentof soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GM). The genetic modification is done to impart resistance to the toxic herbicide Roundup. While this is meant to increase farming efficiency and provide you with less expensive soy, the downside is that your soy is loaded with this toxic pesticide. The plants also contain genes from bacteria that produce a protein that has never been part of the human food supply.GM soy has been linked to an increase in allergies. Disturbingly, the only published human feeding study on GM foods ever conducted verified that the gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of our gut bacteria and continues to function. This means that years after you stop eating GM soy, you may still have a potentially allergenic protein continuously being produced in your intestines.Even more frightening is the potential for GM soy to cause infertility in future generations, which has been evidenced by recent Russian research.
  2. Soy contains natural toxins known as “anti-nutrients.” Soy foods contain anti-nutritional factors such as saponins, soyatoxin, phytates, protease inhibitors, oxalates, goitrogens and estrogens. Some of these factors interfere with the enzymes you need to digest protein. While a small amount of anti-nutrients would not likely cause a problem, the amount of soy that many Americans are now eating is extremely high.
  3. Soy contains hemagglutinin. Hemagglutinin is a clot-promoting substance that causes your red blood cells to clump together. These clumped cells are unable to properly absorb and distribute oxygen to your tissues.
  4. Soy contains goitrogensGoitrogens are substances that block the synthesis of thyroid hormones and interfere with iodine metabolism, thereby interfering with your thyroid function.
  5. Soy contains phytates.Phytates (phytic acid) bind to metal ions, preventing the absorption of certain minerals, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc — all of which are co-factors for optimal biochemistry in your body. This is particularly problematic for vegetarians, because eating meat reduces the mineral-blocking effects of these phytates (so it is helpful—if you do eat soy—to also eat meat).
  6. Soy is loaded with the isoflavones genistein and daidzeinIsoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, which is a plant compound resembling human estrogen. These compounds mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen, and have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues. Soy phytoestrogens are known to disrupt endocrine function, may cause infertility, and may promote breast cancer in women.Drinking even two glasses of soymilk daily for one month provides enough of these compounds to alter your menstrual cycle. Although the FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, no warnings exist on soy.
  7. Soy has toxic levels of aluminum and manganeseSoybeans are processed (by acid washing) in aluminum tanks, which can leach high levels of aluminum into the final soy product. Soy formula has up to 80 times higher manganese than is found in human breast milk.
  8. Soy infant formula puts your baby’s health at risk. Nearly 20 percent of U.S. infants are now fed soy formula, but the estrogens in soy can irreversibly harm your baby’s sexual development and reproductive health. Infants fed soy formula take in an estimated five birth control pills’ worth of estrogen every day.Infants fed soy formula have up to 20,000 times the amount of estrogen in circulation as those fed other formulas!

There is also the issue of pesticides and genetic modification.

Soy foods are both heavily sprayed with pesticides and genetically modified (GM). More than 80 percent of the soy grown in the United States is GM. And more than 90 percent of American soy crops are GM.

Since the introduction of GM foods in 1996, we’ve had an upsurge in low birth weight babies, infertility, and other problems in the U.S. population, and animal studies thus far have shown devastating effects from consuming GM soy.

You may want to steer clear of soy products for no other reason than a commitment to avoiding GM foods… unless you wish to be a lab animal for this massive uncontrolled experiment by the biotech industry.

Still wondering about Soy?  Below I have placed some fantastic articles from Dr Mercola’s website.  You might just have to toss out a few things after reading them.  :)

The Danger of Soy for Infants, Children and Pregnant Women

How Soy Infant Formulas Can Devastate Your Child’s Health

Government and Agribusiness Shenanigans

Soy and Your Reproductive System

Soy and Your Thyroid

Soy and Your Brain

Soy and Your Kidneys

Soy and Cancer Risk

Soy and Allergies

Vitamin D your Superhero – No Flu Vaccines Needed

16 Sep 2010 4 Comments

by LCO in Allergies and Asthma, Baby & Child Health, Health News, Vaccinations, vitamin d, Vitamins & Supplements Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

If scientists discovered something that worked better than vaccines at preventing influenza, you’d think they would jump all over it, right? After all, isn’t the point to protect children and adults from influenza?

A clinical trial led by Mitsuyoshi Urashima and conducted by the Division of Molecular Epidemiology in the the Department of Pediatrics at the Jikei University School of Medicine Minato-ku in Tokyo found that vitamin D was extremely effective at halting influenza infections in children. The trial appears in the March, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr (March 10, 2010). doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.29094)

The results are from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 334 children, half of which were given 1200 IUs per day of vitamin D3. In other words, this was a “rigorous” scientific study meeting the gold standard of scientific evidence.

In the study, while 31 of 167 children in the placebo group contracted influenza over the four month duration of the study, only 18 of 168 children in the vitamin D group did. This means vitamin D was responsible for an absolute reduction of nearly 8 percent.

Flu vaccines, according to the latest scientific evidence, achieve a 1 percent reduction in influenza symptoms (http://www.naturalnews.com/029641_v…).

This means vitamin D appears to be 800% more effective than vaccines at preventing influenza infections in children.

To further support this, what really needs to be done is a clinical trial directly comparing vitamin D supplements to influenza vaccines with four total groups:

Group #1 receives a vitamin D placebo
Group #2 receives real vitamin D (2,000 IUs per day)
Group #3 receives an influenza vaccine injection
Group #4 receives an inert injection

Groups 1 and 2 should be randomized and double blind while groups 3 and 4 should also be randomized and double blind. The results would reveal the comparative effectiveness of vitamin D versus influenza vaccines.

Unfortunately, such a trial will never be conducted because vaccine pushers already know this trial would show their vaccines to be all but useless. So they won’t subject vaccines to any real science that compares it to vitamin D.

Vitamin D also significantly reduced asthma in children

Getting back to the study, another fascinating result from the trial is that if you remove those children from the study who were already being given vitamin D by their parents, so that you are only looking at children who started out with no vitamin D supplementation before the trial began, the results look even better as vitamin D reduced relative infection risk by nearly two-thirds.

More than six out of ten children who would have normally been infected with influenza, in other words, were protected by vitamin D supplementation.

Also revealed in the study: vitamin D strongly suppressed symptoms of asthma. In children with a previous asthma diagnosis, 12 of those receiving no vitamin D experienced asthma attacks. But in the vitamin D group, only 2 children did.

While this subset sample size is small, it does offer yet more evidence that vitamin D prevents asthma attacks in children, and this entirely consistent with the previous evidence on vitamin D which shows it to be a powerful nutrient for preventing asthma.

Vaccine pushers aren’t followers of real science

Now, given that vitamin D3 shows such a powerful effect in preventing influenza — with 800% increased efficacy over vaccines — shouldn’t CDC officials, doctors and health authorities be rushing to recommend vitamin D before flu season arrives?

Of course they should. But they won’t. Because for them, it’s not about actually preventing influenza and it never has been. The vaccine pushing camp is primarily interested in using influenza as an excuse to vaccinate more people regardless of whether such vaccines are useful (or safe).

Even if vitamin D offered 100% protection against all influenza infections, they still wouldn’t recommend it.

Why? Because they flatly don’t believe in nutrition! It runs counter to their med school programming which says that nutrients are useless and only drugs, vaccines and surgery count as real medicine.

The vaccine pushers, you see, aren’t followers of real science. You could publish a hundred studies proving how vitamin D is many times more effective than vaccines and they still would never recommend it.

They are promoters of medical dogma rather than real solutions for patients. They promote vaccines because… well… that’s what they’ve always promoted, and that’s what their colleagues promote. And how could so many smart people be wrong, anyway?

But that’s the history of science: A whole bunch of really smart people turn out to be wrong on a regular basis. That’s usually how science advances, by the way: A new idea challenges an old assumption, and after all the defenders of the old (wrong) idea die off, science manages to inch its way forward against the hoots and heckles of a determined dogmatic resistance.

This attitude is blatantly reflected in a quote from Dr John Oxford, a professor of virology at Queen Mary School of Medicine in London, whose reaction to this study was: “This is a timely study. It will be noticed by scientists. It fits in with the seasonal pattern of flu. There is an increasing background of solid science that makes the vitamin D story credible. But this study needs to be replicated. If it is confirmed we might think of giving vitamin D at the same time as we vaccinate.” (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/ne…)

Did you notice his concluding remark? He wasn’t even considering the idea that vitamin D might replace vaccines. Rather, he’s assuming vitamin D only has value if given together with vaccines!

You see this in the cancer industry, too, with anti-cancer herbs and nutrients. Any time an anti-cancer nutrient gains some press (which isn’t very often), the cancer doctor will say things like, “Well, this might be useful to give to a patient after chemotherapy…” but never as a replacement for chemo, you see.

Many mainstream doctors and medical scientists are simply incapable of thinking outside the very limiting boxes into which their brains have been shoved through years of de-education in medical schools. When they see evidence contrary to what they’ve been taught, they foolishly dismiss it.

“The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.” – Bertrand Russell

Medical journals as guardians of ignorance

Medical journals largely function not as beacons of scientific truth but as defenders of pseudoscientific dogma. To have your paper published in most journals, your paper must meet the expectations and beliefs of that journal’s editor. Thus, the advancement of scientific knowledge reflected in each journal is limited to the current beliefs of just one person — the editor of that journal.

Truly pioneering research that challenges the status quo is almost always rejected. Only papers that confirm the presently-held beliefs of the journal’s editorial staff are accepted for publication. This is one reason why medical science, in particular, advances so slowly.

Studies that show vitamin D to be more effective than vaccines will rarely see the light of day in the scientific community. It is to the great credit of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in fact, that it accepted the publication of this paper by Mitsuyoshi Urashima. Most medical journals wouldn’t dare touch it because it questions status quo beliefs about vaccines and influenza.

Medical journals, you see, are largely funded by the pharmaceutical industry. And Big Pharma doesn’t want to see any studies lending credibility to vitamins, regardless of their scientific merit. Even if vitamin D could save America billions of dollars in reduced health care costs (which it can, actually), they don’t want vitamin D to receive any scientific backing whatsoever because drug companies can’t patent vitamin D. It’s readily available to everyone for mere pennies a day.

In time, it will be recognized as superior to vaccines for seasonal flu, but for now, we must all suffer under the foolish propaganda of an industry that has abandoned science and now worships a needle.
Sources for this story include:

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abs…

by Mike Adams, Natural News

Most amazing Green Smoothie Ever

12 Sep 2010 2 Comments

by LCO in God's Green Herbs, Green Living, Nursing Super Mommy, organic food, recipes, Smoothies & Juices, Vitamins & Supplements Tags: , , , , , ,

Yeah I know what your thinking. Green smoothie, come on its gotta be nasty!

Nope not so.  I am actually enjoying a yummy green smoothie as we speak.

A few years ago I found a great company called Amazing Grass.  They have fantastic powdered greens and wheat grass for those days you can’t juice all the veggies or blend them yourself.

This morning I used 2 cups of organic rice milk, 1/2 cup of organic strawberries, 1/2 cup frozen mangoes, 1 scoop of organic wheatgrass powder by Amazing Grass, one banana and 1/2 of a zucchini unpeeled.

Blendy Blendy in my manly Vitamix and done, ready for the green mustache!

My kids even enjoy these smoothies but if your kids  are anti green you might try adding in a spoon of organic raw honey or organic coconut sugar and then giving it to them in a cup that’s not see through, with lid and straw so that they can’t see whats in it.  Be sure to use frozen organic fruits or ice so that it comes out more like a slushy.

Then when they are done you can tell them what they just drank so that next time you can give it to them without all the extras.

Check out the Amazing Grass company where you can order the Organic Wheat Grass I use from time to time.  You can also find it at your local health food store.

But if you are really into greens then I can recommend a fantastic product I keep on hand that is powdered and has several antioxidant rich greens that help boost immunity and promote overall wellness.  Email me at LaChicaOrganica@gmail.com I will send you the information and how to purchase.

Enjoy

May the Green be with you!

Health News: Calcium, Big Pharma & Heart attacks – What You Should Know

04 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment

by LCO in cancer, Health News, Vitamins & Supplements Tags: , , , , ,

I wanted to share an important article written by the Alliance for Natural Health.  Please read this and pass it on to those you know who may be taking calcium supplements.  It’s important that you take the additional supplements with your calcium to avoid serious health issues.  It’s also important that you stay informed on what the facts are regarding calcium supplements.  For a safe calcium complex see here.

Calcium needs additional magnesium, vitamin D, omega–3 fatty acids, and vitamin K (in particular, vitamin K-2, which is especially important). Without these essential co-factors, the calcium may end up in our blood vessels or our heart, where it causes harm, rather than our bones, where it is needed. So long as these co-factors are taken as well, many studies have shown that added calcium plays an important role in building and maintaining bone mass—and also reduces the risk of colon cancer.

Read the entire article here

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About LCO

La Chica Organica is a fun loving mom of 3 beautiful children that enjoys sharing life building truth as a Health and Wellness Educator. Her passion is also seen in the creation of her own line of organic herbal products for her family. Quite often, she is asked to share with moms about the value of using herbs for healing everyday ailments. Part of her mission is to teach people all around the world about optimal health through proper nutrition and help parents make wiser food choices for their children. Her own life testimony of her families’ transition from bad health to better health has helped many families on their way to renewed wellness. To schedule a personal health and wellness at home visit or to invite her to speak at your church or office please email LaChicaOrganica@gmail.com

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All content written by la Chica Organica™ is protected by copywrite law.©

The information provided here at La Chica Organica’s™ blog site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information here for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

These Statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The content in this site is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Any views or opinions written in this blog should not be taken as fact or professional advice. If you choose to use my advice, tips, techniques, and recommendations, and are injured, I will not be held responsible. Absolutely no content is to be taken as legal, medical, nutritional, psychological, or psychiatric advice. If you need professional advice, you should consult a licensed professional as mentioned above.

All content written here is based on years of my own research, experience, and personal opinions and I will not be held responsible for any decision that you make concerning your own health, food choices, exercise choices, or life choices; so please act wisely.