Natural Anti-biotic for flu with congestion

This anti-biotic is a little different than the "Russian Penicillin" that I've promoted for so long.  This is blended in the blender, with a bit of cayenne pepper to clear congestion and sinus pressure.  This recipe is from Amazing Discoveries.org --> Amazing Health.  I hope it works for you!

Ingredients:
1 Grapefruit (peeled very thinly)
1 Orange (peeled very thinly)
2 Lemons (washed thoroughly, peel on)
3 Garlic cloves
1/2 large onion
3 drops peppermint oil
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (if heavily congested)

Directions:

Cut fruit and onion into pieces. Blend well. Add a little bit of water if necessary. Can be used effectively for colds, flu, sore throat, infections, respiratory problems, and a general immune system strengthener.

Dosage:
Adults: one cup a day.

Children: take 1/2 cup a day.

This amount is to be taken periodically throughout the day, one spoonful at a time. Refrigerate any leftovers in a glass jar. Warm slightly in a saucepan before serving.

This remedy contains the following natural ingredients, full of vitamins and healing effects:  Grapefruit is high in vitamin C, which is an immune system strengthener. Grapefruit also aids the body in eliminating poisons. The rind of the grapefruit is a natural source of quinine.
Orange is high in vitamins A and C. It also contains high amounts of potassium and a good amount of calcium and phosphorus. Known to decrease excess mucus from the head and nose. Useful in cases of respiratory ailments, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, high blood pressure, and rheumatism.
 Lemon contains vitamins B and C, calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus. A natural antiseptic, lemon is helpful in destroying harmful bacteria in areas of infection. Because of its vitamin C content, it again acts as an immune system builder and is very beneficial to the liver. Lemon also forms alkaline in the body.
Garlic contains vitamins B and C, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. Garlic is one of the most beneficial foods for the digestive system and has a positive effect on the lymph, helping elimminate toxic waste from the body. It also cleans the blood. It is a natural antibody and therefore very valuable in strengthening the immune system.
Onion contains vitamin A, thiamine, iron, niacin, and calcium. Onion has antiseptic qualities: it helps drain mucus from the sinus cavities and loosen phlegm. It also destroys worms and other parasites in the body, and helps heal asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, and colds.
Peppermint Oil brings oxygen into the bloodstream. It cleanses and strengthens the entire body.

Natural Remedy for Menstrual Cramps and Heavy Flow

This is AMAZING!  As a person who has suffered in the past with endometriosis, I thought it hopeless to find a natural way to decrease the pain that comes with the menstrual cycle and never even thought that decreasing the amount of flow was possible.  I started experimenting with different remedies, and started putting a few things together in my own mind about why your "period" is painful.  I just cannot believe what I've stumbled on to.  Even more, I cannot believe how simple and cheap it is.  Did you know that pain medications hurt your liver? Obviously you do, because you're here!  Medications are bad for your body, especially your liver.  Synthetic ingredients and chemicals have no place in the human body.  This I know.  But I was willing, for years, to make the trade off.  The medication that allowed me to get through 7 to 9 days of pain and suffering, was worth a little liver damage.  Sounds terrible, but that was my thought process!  But THANK YOU JESUS there is a better way.  The verdict is still out on how well it works for ALL others, but I know that this works for me, better than anything I've ever taken, including birth control;  which I took to decrease flow, shorten the time span, and reduce the pain.  If you are miserable during your menstrual cycle or if you know someone that is, you MUST tell them about this.

Ingredients:

Black Cherry Or Tart Cherry Juice (with NO additives), I always use R.W. Knudsen's brand "Just Black Cherry", which can be purchased in Healthfood stores, most upper-scale grocery stores like Publix and Kroger, or online at Amazon.com.  I have NEVER tried regular cherry juice with added sugar, I'm not sure that it would work.

Red Raspberry Capsules (crushed raspberry leaves with a kosher vegetarian capsule) I always use "Natures Sunshine" brand.

Directions:

Drink a 1/2 Cup of Cherry juice right before the onset of your period (Like the night before, if yours comes regularly), or right when you start, drink 1 to 2 cups.  Drink at least 1/2 cup 3 times per day while your period continues, or drink more for more pain.  There's no side-effects, so you can drink as much as you feel you need throughout your cycle!  The Cherry juice is specifically for pain.

Begin taking the Red Raspberry capsules at the onset of your period, according to the labeled directions.  You don't have to take more than the label suggests, because this stuff is amazing.  You just want to take it regularly, so that it stays in your system.  My Red Raspberry capsule directions say to take 1 to 2 capsules 3 times per day with meals.  I take the maximum amount during the first day of my cycle, and then taper off as the days pass.

The Science:

Cherries have a natural component called anthocyanin that stops inflammation.  So much so that the FDA allegedly asked cherry growers to stop publicizing scientific studies that show that cherries work as well or better than Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen. I suppose it was hurting sales of those medications in those specific areas.  Cherries can be used for arthritis, gout, muscle inflammation, and more.  It is said in some studies that Tart Cherries are superior to that of black cherries, but having tried both, the Black Cherries have worked better for my menstrual pain.  I would suggest trying both, unless the first one knocks out your pain totally.  

Red Raspberry leaves have been used for centuries to ease inflammation, especially inflammation associated with the female organs. It contains fragrine, an alkaloid that nourishes the ligaments and tissues of the female organs.  It's most useful in toning the muscles of the pelvic region, specifically the uterus. It's also used frequently to avoid miscarriage, to help milk production, to tone the uterus in preparation for labor, and to ease labor pains, etc.  I am extremely cautious when carrying a baby, and while I did take ONE red raspberry capsule per week in late pregnancy (to tone and prepare), I was too afraid to risk taking anything regularly, besides food.  This is to be decided by you, according to your research and your convictions during pregnancy.  After tons of research, I see nothing that contraindicates taking it while not carrying a child.  As a matter of fact, even websites that try to play down or debunk the amazing effects of natural substances have a difficult time with this one.  Simply put, it works.

My Story; it's personal... but I'm gonna put it out there for the benefit of humanity:  Gentlemen, you may now excuse yourselves.

Normally I have a 7 to 9 day period, with doubled over pain for the first two days and some pain for the remaining time, besides the last day (usually).  I also experience an extremely heavy flow for about 5 days.  I have to wear a tampon and a pad for at least the first 3 days to protect my clothing.  Day 6-9 is what most people would consider normal flow.  So I'm not talking about a remedy for a couple of cramps and a little short period.  I'm talking about a fix for an absolute nightmare that lasts 7 to 9 days.

An old home remedy passed down from generation to generation was to grow cherries and jar/can them so that all of the women in the family would have plenty to get them through the year.  It's been said that eating a 16 oz bag of cherries will alleviate menstrual cramps.  And while I do love fresh cherries, I just don't have the time to sit around eating them all day.  The juice contains the potent stuff, it's not the pulp or the fiber that we're after.  So I sought after real cherry juice.  I know that sugar is debilitating to the body, and thought that that may counteract the good effects of the fragrine, so I wanted a juice with NO additives.  I really wanted a juice that had not been pasteurized, because I know how wonderful fruit juice is in its raw potent state... but no such luck.  The FDA has people so scared of a little bacteria, that they're willing to kill the enzymes that we need.  I lost hope a little about that, but continued on to find something that works.  BOOM! I found a Cherry juice with no additives at my local Publix.  The brand is listed above in the ingredients section.  So I bought a jar, with that old family secret a girl mentioned at a Natural Remedies Seminar in Wildwood, GA in the back of my mind.  I dug into the "medicine" cabinet (which is filled with ONLY herbs and spices) for that bottle of Red Raspberry I had left over from my last pregnancy.  I went ahead and took 2 capsules, just for good measure.  It had been quite sometime, and I figured the ole' uterus could use some toning!  Well, time had come two days later for my period... but no period came.  Mine comes like clock work.  What in the world was going on?  So I went on about my business and that night felt a slight pain, resembling a menstrual cramp.  I knew Aunt flow was due to arrive shortly, so I took 2 more red raspberry capsules before bed, and drank about a half a cup of cherry juice.  The next morning I woke up and started my routine, and it wasn't until I went to the restroom to find that I had started.  It blew my mind!  Usually I'm hit with excruciating cramps about 2 hours before the flow starts.  What was even more strange is that I didn't even mess up my clothes.  It was a scant amount, not what one would consider a normal flow.  I started to wonder if I could be pregnant or if something was wrong... not really considering that the cherry juice and red raspberry could actually be responsible for such an incredible difference.  To make this long story shorter....  By day 3 my period was gone.  I had not experienced ANY cramps, except for that initial signal cramp the night before I started, my flow was barely noticeable, and my period was shortened by 6 days.  I was and still am astonished every time my period rolls around.  My life has changed.  Dramatic, I know, but true non-the-less.  I hope that you'll try this and tell everyone you know.  I can imagine there will be some individuals that might not benefit like I have from this remedy, but for God sakes it's worth a shot.  And don't forget, try the tart cherry juice from the same brand, if you don't get the results you want from the black cherry juice.  I tried the tart, because one time my publix was out of the black cherry.  It still helped me tremendously, but my period was literally un-noticeable with the black cherry juice, even though the tart is more potent according to clinical trials.  Please research the benefits of cherry juice and red raspberry for a more robust understanding of why these two together are like a little miracle!  You will not regret it!

Natural Anti-biotic "Russian Penicillin"

I've been studying natural remedies for several years now, and this one seems to take the cake for multi-purpose treatment.  I've seen it prepared so many ways, I could write a book on just that.  This way is the fastest, which suits my busy life perfectly.  Some use blenders, some boil the concoction, etc... and while it's rumored that that can unlock some of the potency, I'm a firm believer in the benefits of full blown enzymatic action, which is lost when heating foods higher than 118°F.  There are books written about the medicinal power of garlic, and some cultures have sworn by it for centuries.  Grapefruit juice has compounds called furanocoumarins that inhibit digestive enzymes from breaking down medications, leaving more to be fully absorbed into the body.  That's why a good nurse will tell you not to eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice with various drugs, like statins and pain meds.  In short Grapefruit juice potentiates or makes medications stronger!  Garlic is a strong anti-biotic, and that has been scientifically proven.  When you take grapefruit juice with garlic, it potentiates its effects, therefore, making it a more powerful anti-biotic.  I have yet to hear of anyone over dosing on garlic, so I think that this anti-biotic is a much safer choice to keep in the house with children.  There are no side effects, except maybe a little garlic breath and gas (if you take a ton of it).  Hey, at least the vampires will stay back if nothing else :)
This is the only anti-biotic I've ever used on my children to date, and along with Goldenseal, the only one I have personally used in over 5 years.  I am amazed at how well it works for my family, and I hope that it works for yours too.

Ingredients: 

1 Ripe grapefruit

1 clove of garlic (one section of a garlic head)

Directions:

Cut your grapefruit in half and squeeze juice into a glass (both halves)

Peel the skin from your garlic clove and discard

Chop garlic into tiny pieces (that you can swallow whole, like a pill)

Put the garlic pieces into your mouth, and swallow down with the grapefruit juice

DON'T CHEW IT UP! It'll burn your tongue.

Do this 3 times a day for 10 days

You can increase your dosage amount to 2 grapefruits juice, and 2 cloves if you really want to get a powerful dose in.

**I suggest buying a large bag of grapefruits and 2 heads of garlic, so you'll have plenty on hand.  ONLY USE FRESH PRODUCE.  The stuff in cans and jars have lost a lot of the properties that heal.

Sore Throat Remedy

Sore Throats are the pits!  But this cool little remedy is a goodie to keep on hand through the winter months.  So soothing, so lovely!  

Ingredients:

1 lemon, sliced into thin slices

a few thin slices of ginger (I use 2, you can use more if you're a big fan)

Organic honey

Directions:

Combine in a jar, and refrigerate.  It will become a jelly-like substance.  When needed, take one teaspoon out, put into a cup, and cover with boiling water.  Mix, let cool a little,  and drink! Stores 1-3 months.

Heart burn/Acid Reflux Remedy

In a perfect world all people would be the same, and each bodily malfunction would be treated the same.... but this is not a perfect world, and unfortunately each person is different.  So while this remedy works for most, if you have an odd issue causing your acid reflux, this may not work.
Did you know that medications like Nexium and Prilosec are the most prescribed medications on the planet? ! The idea behind most of these medications, including Tums and the like, is too inhibit, or stop acid production in the stomach, but come to find out, less acid is not what we need!  Actually a high percentage of Acid Reflux, or GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) is caused by a lack of acid production in the gut.  So if you're taking these medications, you could be exaggerating the problem.  There's a tender balance of acids and alkalines in the gut, and disturbing that can cause a burn like the fires of Gahanna!  Try replacing the acid with a citric acid.

Ingredients: 1 Lemon

Directions:
Cut lemon into 4 pieces
Squeeze once piece into your mouth and swallow juice, and then eat the "meat" of that piece
Discard the peel
Feel the burn! (current erosion in the esophagus will make itself known by burning while swallowing the lemon juice
Wait 5 to 10 minutes
If your problem is lack of acid production, your heart burn or acid reflux will be gone within minutes

To reduce Heartburn and acid reflux stay away from vinegar... that includes condiments like ketchup, mustard, and salad dressing!  Coffee and carbonated beverages exacerbate the pain also.

Eye Stye Remedy

Oh the joys of having a giant inflamed stye on your eye.  I mean nothing screams I'm confident and ready to face the world like a giant pulsating interference on your face!  Okay, so how to move on with your life?  The natural remedies encyclopedia and many other credible sources say that a potato has an incredible quality about it that pulls the stye to the surface and speeds healing.  Early treatment is best.

Ingredients:
1 raw potato
1 gauss cloth or folded napkin
Your joyful face

Directions:
On a cutting board, cut a small piece of your potato off, about the size of the tip of your thumb (from the knuckle to the tip)
Put the rest in a ziplock and refrigerate for later
With a very sharp knife, cut the small piece into the tiniest pieces imaginable, you want to make this into a puree... so chop away, until it just a bunch of juicy mush
Put the mush on your cloth and put directly on the stye or area that feels like it's becoming a stye
Hold it there while you relax and pout
This needs to be replaced with a new "poultice" every two hours
Keep this in place as much as you can throughout the day

I haven't personally tried this, but there are many that swear by it.  If you get styes often, you need to be washing your face every night (removing eye makeup) and consider buying new mascara more often.  Clogged pores are usually the culprit.

Diaper Rash Remedy

Diaper rash is usually caused by exposure to urine and feces, and lack of oxygen. It can also be caused by yeast (candida), or chemical burn.  I recently found out about all of the harsh and dangerous chemicals in baby wipes, so if you have done all you can, and your baby still has a sore and red bottom, consider using a wet napkin, or cloth instead of store bought wipes.  There are also all natural recipes for wipes you can find on the internet, like my favorite by wellnessmama.  But, if your baby has just the everyday diaper rash, clean them up really well, and just let that hiney get some air!  Lay them on a pee pad or towel for their nap, or overnight with no diaper on.  You may have a small mess to clean up, but the redness will miraculously disappear with just of few hours of air exposure.  After you've aired out those cheeks, opt for a simple, edible grade product to keep the buns dry.  Try using cornstarch from the baking aisle instead of perfumed baby powder.  All of those chemicals are not necessary, and they do more harm than good.  Traditional store bought diaper rash ointment is filled with harmful ingredients also, and has been proven to cause nerve damage.  Zinc oxide is the ingredient that is helpful to healing.  It can be purchased online without additives, if you feel your baby needs a strong ointment.  I have used a product called "Dream Creme" from Kabana skin care, which is made with edible grade oils and Zinc oxide.  It's terrible that companies will put out hurtful products to make a buck, but we as parents must be the diligent ones, protecting our babies from all that we can.