Arm Up Your Natural Defenses

Got the Sniffles, Allergies or Sinus Infection?

Some people say that the beginning of cold and flu season starts at the beginning of Winter. Health professionals will tell you that March is is the real flu season. I say it starts the first week of school and lasts until school lets out for the summer break!

With four kids in our home, someone always the sniffles or a cough. I'm here to save you a ton of grief not to mention Kleenex! 

Colds and the flu are caused by a virus. There are many different strains of the influenza virus' making it difficult to prevent by getting a flu shot IMO.  New strains of influenza viruses appear and replace older strains. This process occurs through antigenic drift. When a new strain of human influenza virus emerges, antibody protection that may have developed after infection or vaccination with an older strain may not provide protection against the new strain.  I can obviously not tell you whether or not you should get a flu shot, that's a personal choice based on several factors. I personally don't get one and neither do my children. I prefer first and foremost to use prophylactic (preventative) measures such as healthy eating ( lots and lots of fresh, raw veggies, fruits and plenty of water)  and being very active.









When one of us does get sick it is almost always very mild and very short-lived.  I use these wonderful ALL NATURAL products which have more than proven themselves to me over the years and honestly, I don't know how I ever lived without them! They are easy to find at grocers such as Sprouts and Whole Foods etc. and there are health and naturopathic stores popping up everywhere these days with friendly knowledgeable staff there to help you.




1. Wellness Herbal Resistance Liquid:  with Echinacea, Goldenseal & Yin Chiao complex for a super dose of Immune system support. Put a small droper full directly under tongue or mix in a small amount of water or juice.


2. Elderberry: I LOVE this stuff! It is amazing how quickly this makes us feel better when we have a bad cold! I can't say enough about this wonderful herb, just make sure you click on the link for more info! and then run out and buy some before your next cold!


3. Tei-Fu Essential Oil: This little bottle is gonna be your best friend the next time you have a stuffy nose or sinus problems. It contains pure essential oils from wintergreen, camphor, menthol and has safflower oil for skin conditioning. It smells a little like 'Vapor Rub' but much much better. Put a few drops behind your ear for immediate relief of congestion!


4. Tea Tree Oil:  I use this stuff ALL the time for so many things. It is readily available at Walgreen's, Walmart and many other places.
Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic, antibacterial, fungicide and germicide. Many people use tea tree oil for: athletes foot, cold and flu relief, oral thrush, cancar sores, cold sores, ringworm, candida, head lice, gum problems, mosquito bites, bug repellent, cockroaches, deter flees, mouth ulcers, herpes, cuts, abrasions, after shave, sunburn,anorectal or vaginal yeast infections,  unwanted body odors, acne, toe nail infections, and many other uses. 


5. Last but not least, lets not forget about the Neti Pot!:  You can find these at Walgreen's!
Many people myself included, with sinus symptoms from bacterial infections, allergies, and environmental irritants have turned to the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation devices, claiming that these devices alleviate congestion, facial pain and pressure, and reduce the need for antibiotics and nasal sprays. Research backs up these claims, finding that nasal irrigation can be an effective way to relieve sinus symptoms when used along with standard sinus treatments.








I have suffered from allergies my entire life and also sinus infections. They are horrible and I can tell you, drugs not only don't work but cause so many other harmful problems in your body! Did you know that when you have a " stuffed up" nose and can't get anything out from blowing, it is from irritation and inflammation of the delicate mucous membrane lining of the interior of your nose? Usually, decongestants won't solve this, In comes the neti pot! It washes out and soothes your nasal passage w a gentle saline solution.

What are you doing to prevent getting sick this year?

Do you take any supplements or use any herbs or other 'Natural' 

medicines?

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Sweet Ginger Peach Tea Quinoa with Jalepeno, Peaches and Pecans #RecipeRedux

Is there anything better than a freshly made glass of ice cold tea on a hot day? Not really IMHO. One of my favorite go to teas is Ginger Peach Tea from Republic of Tea. It's subtle peach flavor is perfect for sipping on the patio on a hot summer day. We have paaalenty of those sort of days here in the Valley of the Sun.

Have you ever thought of using tea in your cooking or baking? To tell you the truth I hadn't ever really considered it as an option except for maybe this Green Tea Soup and this Miso Green Tea and Ginger Zucchini Noodle Soup. When the Recipe Redux team challenged us to come up with a recipe starring tea I had to rack my brain, then scour some of my favorite magazines for help.

I came across some surprising recipes using tea many of which I've bookmarked to make later. Some of my favorite's and most interesting are these Tea Smoked Chicken in a Wok by Jeanette's Healthy Living. Cooking Light's Green Tea Honey Cake is screaming summer back yard pool party as is this Vanilla Jasmine Sour Cream Tea Cake! I know I won't make it until Christmas without making these Chai Tea Cutout Cookies from Brianne at Cupcakes and Kale Chips.

I finally settled on making a sweet ginger peach tea bowl of quinoa using warm, ripe, juicy peaches and automatic toasted pecans for warmth. I added some chopped mint from our little herb garden to compliment the ginger peach flavors. I suppose this would be considered a side dish, perfect to bring to your next backyard potluck but I was content in sitting on the porch watching the kids play in the pool and eating  two  a big bowl of this.

recipe adapted from Southern Living Magazine May 2011

TIME    30 MINUTES        SERVES 4-6

2 cups sweetened Ginger Peach Tea {make strong}

1 cup uncooked quinoa (I used multi colored)

1 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2  fresh peaches, peeled and diced {peaches are on the Top 10 must eat Organic least and only pennies more expensive when in season}

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

1. Pre make 2 cups of Ginger Peach tea. Leave in pot {or pour from kettle into medium size stock pot}. Add 1 cup *pre-rinsed quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. 
2. Meanwhile, melt coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; add pecans, and roast, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Add jalapeno, and saute 1 minute. Transfer to quinoa bowl and toss to combine. Add chopped mint and mango and toss. 

Serve warm. 

notes 

Baked chicken would go good with this if you are a meat eater. However, I found this plenty flavorful and filling all on its own. 

Quinoa has a natural 'soapy' film on it and must be pre-rinsed in a fine mesh sieve. Most quinoa these days come pre-rinsed but I always rinse mine anyway. Nothing ruins a bowl of quinoa like a soapy flavor. 


The tea flavor was very, very subtly in this quinoa and while I couldn't pick it out amongst the quinoa's nutty flavor I did find that it added a bit of depth and interest to the dish. The original recipe called for white rice and I'm sure the tea would be more pronounced. 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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