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Fight the Flu or Cold with Raw Garlic

For most of us, the idea of eating raw garlic likely brings to mind images of horrific unpleasantness. After all, it’s one thing to saute it,  quite another to bite into, chew up, then swallow an uncooked garlic clove. But that’s exactly what I do whenever I feel a cold or flu coming on because it really works. Garlic is nature’s antibiotic…. it can stop a cold or flu dead in its tracks.

Garlic Therapy Dates Back to Ancient Times

Using garlic to treat respiratory, digestive and other health problems is a medicinal practice that dates back more than several thousand years to ancient Egyptian, Greek, Indian and Chinese cultures. Today, alternative doctors still rely on garlic to prevent high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and to lower blood sugar. It’s also used treat colds, ear and yeast infections, sore throats, asthma and congestion. There’s even a study at the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. that suggests garlic can slow the growth of cancer cells and cause abnormal ones to self-destruct.

How Garlic Fights Bugs

So how does it work? Unlike blackstrap molasses, whose efficacy comes from being loaded with tons of healing nutrients, garlic’s potency comes from a compound called allicin that’s only produced when the bulb is crushed or chewed up. The compound works by stimulating the body’s immune system to fight off cold or flu bugs, but it can also kill a slew of different viruses and bacteria on contact. The key thing here is that garlic must be raw in order to be potent… it loses most of its healing power when cooked.

Next time you’re sick, and wondering whether to take the plunge and chew on some garlic or default to conventional meds, consider this: according to Paul Bergner in The Healing Power of Garlic, some traditional antibiotics may not be as effective as garlic and may destroy the good intestinal flora.

As for my two cents, I used garlic to fend off a cold before it set in. I came home and suddenly started sneezing and developed an itchy throat and post-nasal drip. So I chewed on a raw garlic clove and swallowed it. I did it again an hour later and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning all my symptoms were gone, and I felt fine. I’ve done this effectively before on several other occasions too.

Garlic Home Remedy

If you’re ready to ditch the meds and try one of nature’s most potent antibiotics, here’s how you do it:

You’ll Need

  • 1 garlic bulb
  • A glass of water

Instructions

Simply use crush up a single clove of garlic into bite sizes, then swallow it like a pill. Chase it with juice or water. You’ll feel the burn as it goes into your system. That’s the allicin compound killing the itchiness or soreness in your throat along with any other viruses or bacteria. Repeat that dose if needed.

Before you try this, be sure to consult with your doctor first. Also, please share your own natural cold and flu or garlic remedies with me, by commenting below.

Here’s to good health!

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Blackstrap Molasses: The Sweet Truth


I doubt too many people have a jar of good old fashioned blackstrap molasses lying around in their kitchen these days. But if you knew what grandma did, you’d probably stock up on it, big time. It’s a healing superfood.

What is Blackstrap Molasses?

Molasses is the byproduct refined sugar cane, which is rich in nutrients. In the process of refining the cane, the juice is pressed from the plant, then boiled to make refined sugar crystals. The crystals contain very few minerals. It’s the dark, syrup from the juice, known as molasses, that contains all the goodness absorbed by the plant. You have to boil the juice three times to unlock most of the sugar cane’s trace minerals and nutrients. This highest grade of molasses is known as “blackstrap”.

I include blackstrap molasses into my daily food regimen because of its high mineral content and it’s so inexpensive! It’s rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, selenium, manganese and lots of other minerals. Blackstrap is sweet, yet low on the glycemic index. It can help regulate blood sugar and blood pressure. It’s even been known to boost energy, color your gray hair over time, alleviate menstrual cramps, shrink enlarged prostates and heal a host of other ailments.

Blackstrap Works!

I told a friend to try taking Blackstrap molasses for his enlarged prostate. week later he called to tell me that after taking a tablespoon in hot water with some cinnamon every day, he noticed his frequent urination urges were greatly reduced.

I told another friend who had high blood pressure to start taking blackstrap molasses as a sweetener substitute in her tea. At the time, her doctor had increased her blood pressure pills to manage her pressure. She started drinking it as a tea. Months later, she told me that her blood pressure is now so low that her doctor has lowered blood pressure medication. She said she knew it was the molasses because that’s the only thing she changed in her diet! Blackstrap seems to work by filling in nutritional gaps that cause ailments as we age.

My Experience With Blackstrap Molasses

I like drinking blackstrap molasses tea as a nutritional supplement, instead of taking vitamin supplements. I’ve noticed that when I take it at night with hot water, coconut oil and a dash of salt, I sleep deeper and better. So now I use it to sweeten my smoothies too. Plus, it’s cheaper than raw honey.

If you decide to try blackstrap molasses, make sure it’s organic or unsulphured. Sulfured molasses are treated with sulfites, so much of its nutritional content is lost.

If you’re taking blackstrap molasses and you’ve noticed health benefits, comment below and share your story. I’d like to help others by sharing easy, affordable and holistic remedies, so please post your stories or share your remedies!

 

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Castor Oil for Cataracts and other Eye Issues

Do you remember growing up and having to swallow a spoonful of thick castor oil to keep colds and flu bugs away? If you’re like me, it felt like cruel and unusual punishment, but it turns out Mom was onto something.

Castor Oil Use Dates Back Thousands of Years

Castor oil comes from the castor plant which has the Latin name Ricinus Communis. It’s been used throughout the ages for eye infections, digestive issues, natural skin care and as an antibacterial agent. In fact, use of castor oil to treat a host of medicinal ailments dates back to ancient Egypt. Today, traditional healers still use castor oil for its potent healing properties.

Castor oil contains powerful antioxidants and has a broad range of nutrients. This combination makes an effective natural treatment for cataracts. It’s believed that cataracts is caused by advanced oxidation of the lens. Holistic healers like the late Edward Cayce used castor oil’s antioxidant properties to reverse cataracts and nourish the eye back to health.

How Castor Oil Works

Castor oil creates blood circulation wherever it’s applied on your body and helps to get rid of toxins. It’s also easily absorbed through your skin which stimulates your lymph nodes – that’s your body’s internal drainage system that helps keep you healthy. It can also have anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing effects. It’s for all of these reasons why castor oil packs are sometimes used as a homeopathic method of relieving menstrual cramps or sore muscles.

My Experiences with Castor Oil

I used castor oil on my aunt’s eye when she developed a stye. She had a painful white pimple inside her eyelid that caused some swelling. I used organic, cold-pressed castor oil and dropped 3 or 4 drops directly into each eye. I helped her do this each night before bed for several days, and the style went away in about 7 days! Her eyelid was no longer swollen and the white pimple had been reduced to almost nothing. The castor oil had effectively treated her eye infection, removing the inflammation and pink color.

A close relative of mine used castor oil to treat inflammation that developed in one eye from cataract surgery. The prescribed eye drops were expensive and didn’t work. After several refills of eye drops with no improvement (and at my urging), she decided to give the oil a try, and that’s when she finally got relief in the inflamed eye. After a week or so she noticed that the bump that appeared in the inflamed eye had finally started to diminish, so she could see more clearly in that eye. The oil did what the eye drops could not do – treat the inflammation.

Preventing Cataracts

For myself, I use castor oil at night for maintenance as often as I can remember to do it. I use a glass eye dropper and drop 2 to 3 drops of organic, cold-pressed and non-GMO castor oil into each eye just before bed, since I wear glasses. Your vision will be blurry for few minutes as the castor oil coats your eyes, so be sure to do this when you’re at home. This practice is said to help prevent the formation of cataracts. I’ve noticed that it helps sharpen my night time vision too. And another perk… I get a deeper, more restorative level of sleep when I do castor oil drops in my eyes.

Do you have a castor oil eye healing story to share? Please comment below and tell us your effective healing regimen so we can spread the word!