NATUROPATHIC INSPIRATIONS

Winter Home Care Kit

The best place to be when you are sick is at home.

Unless you are seriously ill or not improving, then head to the Emergency Room or your health care provider. This information is for self-care in the early stages of your symptoms of colds, coughs and flus.

A well stocked “Home Care Kit” comes in very handy when you are sick in the middle of the night or on the weekend! Here are some of my favorites. Dosages are reduced for children.

Vitamin C chewable or powder: Vitamin C is good for every body system. It improves your immune system to fight both bacterial and viral infections. If you are not sure what you have yet but you feel congested in the sinuses or chest, have a sore throat and feel a cough coming on, dose it upwards of 3000-6000mg per day in divided dosages or until you get a bit of diarrhea. You can maintain these high dosages until you feel better then gradually decrease it. Maintaining on 1000-2000mg per day during the winter and spring is a great preventive. Look for ACES and Zinc which is a natural immune formula that is easy for the whole family to take. Did you know that vitamin C is great for constipation? If you feel toxic you might want to take extra vitamin C for a week. It is great for cleaning out the gallbladder. Echinacea, astragalus and goldenseal are more of my favorite herbs that give deeper immune support. St. Francis Herb Farm make a wonderful Deep Immune formula for those who tend to get really sick every winter with chest infections, colds or flus. This can be taken regularly all winter long as a preventive, five days on and two days off. If you are getting sicker, then these wonderful liquid tonics can be dosed at 3-6 times per day. A natural antibiotic that I have made up for my family contains vitamin A, vitamin C, echinacea, goldenseal, zinc and garlic. For children, tasty chewable echinacea or zinc tablets taken throughout the day are great at the onset of sore throats, colds and flus.

Drosera Cough Formula: It is always great to have a good cough formula on hand. This formula is for a dry cough. Bronchosan is good for a wet cough. My patients relied on my Upper Respiratory Formula for getting over a nasty bronchitis. Contact your ND for a comprehensive formula like this to have on hand.

Homeopathic Influenzium: these homeopathic pellets are taken weekly as a preventive all winter long, and

taken up to six times per day at the onset of symptoms for both children and adults.

Probiotics: Acidophilous products can be wonderful for treating diarrhea. 10 billion organisms per capsule is a good dosage and can be taken every hour to help with diarrhea. Did you know taking probiotics regularly helps prevent colds and flus?

Epsom salts: one to two cups into a hot bath is great for fever and chills or aches and pains. For children, transdermal magnesium may work better rubbed into the feet or the neck to help with aches and pains. Did you know that Epsom Salts is a detoxifier? If you feel you are having a reaction to something take a hot Epsom salt bath.

Ginger: I recommend having this fresh root frozen in your freezer. This makes a great tonic for the lungs as well as the digestive tract. Two cups of ginger boiled in one gallon of water for one hour makes a strong tea that can be diluted. It can be consumed hot with honey or in the case of children made into popsicles. Ginger breaks up mucous in the lungs and helps with chest infections. It is also great for nausea and digestive upset as well as motion sickness. Did you know ginger is also a treatment for morning sickness?

Peppermint tea is great for spasms of the digestive tract, gas and bloating and heartburn. This can be mixed with chamomile tea for a calming effect on the body. Children will enjoy this sweetened with honey. When I was a child my father made me drink 1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar in hot water with honey at the first sign of a sore throat. It tastes bad but kills the sore throat! Did you know apple cider vinegar is also a natural antacid?

Knorr Chicken Noodle Soup is a favorite in our house when feeling under the weather with no appetite. The salt keeps up the electrolytes and the noodles provide a few carbs. Follow with a hot bath to help you sweat a bit.

Keep these things in your Home Care Kit, as the last thing you want to do when you are sick is head out to look for any of the above. You will be glad you did!

Contact Dr. Ingrid Pincott N.D. (Non-Practicing) at 778-560-4444 Contact an Naturopathic Physician near you at www.bcna.ca

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Make sure you have a bowel movement every day and Saunas, either radiant heat or infrared, are effective at intaking a fiber, such as flaxmeal or psyllium, treats endo- creasing the ability to sweat, eliminating toxins through Vancouver Island’s largest selection of toxicity which are toxins created in the body in the bowel. Pectasol, a form of modified citrus pectin, has been studied to remove heavy metals. Colonics are also available (in the skin: the second kidney. Exercise also falls into this category. People such as hair dressers can smell chemicals exuding from their skin after sauna therapy.

Courtenay) if required and reduces endotoxicity. BOOTS Use air filters in the home to improve air quality. Don’t & BELTS BUCKLES Avoid non organic dirty dozen foods that contain the highest organophosphate neurotoxic pesticide residues according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) ie forget toxins come into the home on the furniture and other household items.

MOCCASINS & MUKLUKS peaches, bell peppers, apples, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, grapes and lettuce. Don’t store food in plastics or microwave in plastics. Eat foods that help eliminate toxins: Cruciferous vegetables, resveratrol and quercitin foods (ie: blueberries, ap-

Greens in the form of cilantro, spirulina and green vegeta- GIFTS & ples, onions, kale), celery, garlic, ginger, green, black, pep-

SOUVENIRSbles rich in chlorophyll can bind with toxins such as PCB’s for easier elimination, so add a “Greens Drink” to your daipermint, rooibos and chamomile teas.

AND MORE!ly routine. See “Clean, Green and Lean” by Dr. Crinnion. Use chemical free make up and skin care products: ie Lei Lani Makeup (Save On Foods) or Jane Iredale.

Variety of colours

availableFor more of Dr. Pincott’s articles visit www.PerceptiveHealth.ca or www.drpincott.com and www.bcna.ca to find an ND near you.

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