It is considered normal to have anywhere from 3 bowel movements a day to 3 a week.  That seems like a big difference to me.  Many say what is normal is not necessarily healthy and I agree.  After all bowel movements are your body’s mechanism for releasing toxins.

Beware of consistent use of laxatives.  This can weaken the muscles of the bowel so that you actually become “addicted”.  Laxatives can also drain your body of energy giving minerals and protein.  Here is the alternative to laxatives and buying fibre.

Of course you should stimulate the intestines with water.  Practioners of traditional Chinese medicine recommend you either squeeze the juice of a lemon into 8 ounces of water (warm or hot) or put some citrus peels into the hot water and drink that.

We have all heard about the importance of fibre.  When you think about 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, it may seem like alot of food.  However, look up what is considered a serving.  Servings can be as small as 1/4 cup and are usually no more than 1 cup (8 ounces).  Three servings of “whole” grains and one serving of beans is also recommended for your daily intake of fiber.

Also, health oils such as olive and canola (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are known to act as digestive lubricants.  You can sautee your vegetables with it or put 1-2 tablesppons on your salad.

All kinds of viral illnesses increase the need for vitamin C.  You should saturate your body with vitamin C as soon as you realize you are getting a cold.  Since vitamin C is water soluble, you should take doses through out the day.  Every hour would be preferable, but if not take as many doses a day as possible.  You should take between 6,000 and 12,000 milligrams a day for the first week.

However, high doses of vitamin C can have some side effects such as loose bowels and gas.  If this happens to you, you should cut back the dose by 1,000 milligrams a day until the intestinal upset goes away.  Once you are feeling better, cut back the dose to 3,000 milligrams per day to help keep colds from getting started.

 Unfortunately when your immune system is fighting an infection, it generates toxic by-products that make it difficult to heal quickly.  Many of the by-products are in the form of free radicals (molecules that oxidize and damage your cells.  So double your protection with vitamin E.

Vitamin E works in tandem with vitamin C.  Some doctors recommend 400 to 800 IUs a day for the duration of your cold.  Vitamin E along with vitamin C helps shield your cells from oxidative damage.

Vitamin A could also be important as it strengthens the mucosa.  The mucosa is a lining of cells in the respiratory tract.  It helps trap viruses before they have a chance to make you sick.  Because vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, it can accumulate in the liver.  Therefore, it is recommended that you take doses of 50,000 to 100,000 IUs a day for no more than 5 days.

Zinc may help stimulate your immunity.  Some studies show that zinc lozengers work and some studies show that they don’t.  So you should decide if you want to try them.  Unfortunately, zinc also can have the negative effect of causing an imbalance in copper levels so you would need to limit the time and amount of zinc as well.  The total dose recommended is 120 to 140 milligrams per day for no more than 5 days.

For a really natural product, try garlic.  It is full of virus killing molecules.  You can get the benefits without the smell by taking deodorized garlic.  The recommendation is to take 15 to 30 tablets/capsules providing 300 to 500 milligrams for 5 to 7 days.  However, I met a woman at the health food store that swears if you are willing to boil some cloves and then drink the liquid, you will feel better within 24 hours.  Of course, she did get a good night’s rest.

If you have ever had a cold sore, you probably know that it is caused by a herpes virus.  This virus reproduces itself by binding to the site of the cell via the amino acid arginine.  However, if lysine is at that binding site, the virus will have no place to call home.

Some foods that are high in lysine include turkey, ricotta cheese, avocado, eggs and chocolate.  Also avoid foods high in arginine such as nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts and walnuts), seeds (such as sunflower and sesame), pork, milk and most cheeses.  Most people know about acidophilus bacteria which are found in some brands of yogurt.  Two to 3 cups a day of this type of yogurt can serve as iether a preventitive measure or a remedy for assisting in the healing of the cold sore.

Some Naturopaths say that a virus won’t do well in a cold environment and it is recommended that you hold a piece of ice (wrapped up in a cloth) to the area of the outbreak for a total of 15 to 30 minutes.  Take a break when the cold becomes too uncomfortable.

This remedy should only be tried if the cataracts are in the early stages.  Nutritional rememdies work to reverse cataracts because most cataracts are caused by oxidation.  What happens is the protein in the lens of the eye is oxidized by by free radicals.

As you may have heard, antioxidants are very important in combating damage cause to the body by free radicals.  The lens of your eye contains more vitamin C than any other part of the body except the adrenal glands.  If you have a growing cataract, one doctor advises that his patients take 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C daily.  This physician also believes that a good multivitamin/mineral supplement is essential to any cataract treatment program.  The recommendation is that the supplement contains at least 50 mill;igrams of most of the B vitamins, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene, 30 milligrams of zinc and 200 micrograms of selenium.

This physician recommends that you also ingest 50 milligrams of glutahione, 500 milligrams of NAC adn 100 milligrams of ALA daily.  Other advise includes taking a sulfur supplement (in the form of MSM), taking papain (from papaya) if you have problems digesting proteins and some life style changes.

I am sure you have heard the life style changes advise many times if you are over 18.  They are: quit smoking, reduce saturated fats and fried foods, eat more lightly cooked fresh vegetables, especially the leafy green ones and reduce stress by using a relaxation technique such as deep breathing or meditation.

 

It is best to avoid antibiotics especially the broad spectrum type if possible.  Unfortunately the broad spectrum antibiotics kill off many bacteria but can create antibiotic resistant breed.  This can cause recurrent bladder infections that can not be cured with an antibiotic.

There is an alternative remedy.  It includes flushing out the bladder with water, drinking cranberry or blueberry juice (this helps stop the bacteria from stickling to the bladder walls), taking magnesium citrate and taking vitamin C and bioflavonoids.

If drinking cranberry or blueberry juice, use the unsweetened type (sugar can depress the immune system).  Drink about 24 ounces a day in 3 8 ounce servings.  If you don’t like the juice or can’t find an unsweetened brand, you can take dehydrated extracts in capsule or tablet form.

One doctor recommends that you drink 64 ounces of water a day to flush out the bladder.  Magnesium Citrate creates alkaline urine which makes it difficult for the bacteria to survive.  The recommended dose is in the 300 to 400 milligram range each day until the infection clears up.  It is also recommended that you take a daily dose of 1,000 to 4,000 milligrams of vitamin C and 300 to 600 milligrams of bioflavonoids.  It is also recommended that you take 50,000 International units of vitamin A.

Of course, this should be done with the supervision of your doctor or health care provider.  Vitamin A at this level can be toxic over a period of time.  It is advised that you not take the vitamin A for longer than a week.

Have you heard a rumor about your urine and Jelly fish stings.  Perhaps you saw the episode of friends where Joey urinated on Monica because she was stung by a jelly fish.

Well it is actually true that urine’s acidic pH actually immediately dissolves the barbs and venom of jelly fish and sea anemone.  You might be thinking ”gross” I could never do that, but if you are in enough pain you will be more willing to do this.

This remedy is very common for native Hawaiians.  This remedy provides quick pain relief.  Depending on where the sting is, you might have to urinate into a cup and then apply the urine to the affected area. 

Vitamin C which is acidic, helps the body absorb non-heme (plant) iron.  You can get the recommended vitamin C by squeezing half a lemon into a glass of water or by taking a 1,000 to 2,000 milligram

The following are remedies recommended by alternative healers.

Lavendar Essential Oil - Help heal skin

This is thought to regenerate skin cells and can be applied directly to the skin without any dilution.  Just put a few drops of the pure oil on the blister and cover it with a bandage.  You can apply the oil two or three times a day.

Horse Chestnut - Reduces Swelling

Swelling can be reduced because it is caused by a collection of fluids.  All you need to do is add 1 teaspoon of horse chestnut tincture to one cup of cool water and soak a clean cloth in the liquid and then place the cloth on the blister.  Try doing this two to three times a day for approximately 20 minutes.

 Hydrotherapy - Pain relief

Simply put a cool wash cloth on the blister to help relieve pain, itching or general discomfort associates with a blister.  Of course, you can use cool water directly if the blister is on a finger.

Dandelion - speed up healing

The “sap” of a dandelion stem is loaded with vitamin A, which can speed up the healing of a blister.  If it is the time of year when Dandelions are in your yard (and you haven’t sprayed them), pick a few of them and split the stems.  Put the white milky juice on the blister and cover with a bandage.  Reapply once a day.  If you experience any itching or discomfort, wash it off right away.  Some people are sensitive to the juice.