Tag Archives: microbes

Good News about the Common Cold

This information can make you feel better in more ways than one.  I am finding it difficult to spread the word, however, because no one believes it can be true.  But I am determined to share the story that has changed my life.

Sorry, Guys--we are wise to your shenanigans and just won’t put up with it anymore!

Sorry, Guys–we are wise to your shenanigans and just won’t put up with it anymore!

Please tell everybody–we don’t need a cure for the common cold, because it can be stopped before it starts. I have been doing this successfully for more than eight years and I believe you can too. How?

1. Stop the triggers–any first symptom that you might be getting a cold.

2. Don’t allow congestion to set in, because it is the host for cold-causing microbes.

The first step is to gargle as soon as you get a sore throat. A mouthwash with about 14% alcohol can stop it quickly. You may agree with this but found, as I did, that the germs usually move into your nose, sinuses, ears or lungs anyway.

At that point we might turn to the usual cough drops, cough syrups, medications or various home remedies. Then when all else fails, we treat the resulting complications with antibiotics. This is all wrong.

Some people are successful at stopping colds and allergies with daily nasal irrigation. That is said to be effective, but I don’t find it to be an acceptable step to add to my daily routine.

“The Nip-it Trick” is a phrase I have coined for an effective cold-prevention technique that can be used when you notice the first symptom of a cold, such as sneezing, coughing, nasal congestion or sinus drip. You can actually make the symptoms disappear before they develop into a cold or a lingering allergy.

For full details on this simple and very inexpensive method for staying well, see How to Stop Colds, Allergies & More by Carole S. Ramke.

A Truth About the Common Cold

How do we know which germs to kill, when they look so much alike?

How do we know which germs to kill, when they look so much alike?

Before you hurry on by, here is the bottom line: The viruses that cause the common cold do not cause any real tissue damage.  They can only lodge and multiply in congestion that is caused by your body’s panicked reaction to their presence. If congestion is prevented or removed, they will be swept away by natural mucus secretions. What we perceive as an illness–known as the common cold–is caused by unnecessary congestion, sometimes to the extent that secondary infections are allowed to set in. Then damage might really begin.

If we can accept this knowledge and learn to block unnecessary histamine reactions, we can stop having colds for as long as we are able to perform routine hygiene tasks when needed. We can stop our obsession with germs. Germs don’t matter.  In fact, we need to be more concerned about protecting and hosting the many beneficial microbes that are critical to our survival.

I have easily stopped every cold that has tried to catch me since November of 2004.  Judging by the number of colds I managed to survive before that date and the number I have fended off since that time, I could actually be one of the world’s leading experts on how to stop the common cold.  I am joking, of course, but this is no joke.  Please go ahead and smile, however, because better times are on the horizon if you have been a slave to unnecessary misery and you are ready to take a new approach.

Bacteria Are Us–Part 2

After discovering the importance of microbes to our health and our very existence, we had to take a fresh look at the subject of fermenting vegetables. Gut flora is responsible for immunity and absorption of nutrients, and up to 90% of our immune defense is in our intestines.

Our ancestors used fermentation for preserving foods, long before canned goods appeared in the supermarket. The first thing I discovered is that canned sauerkraut is not the real thing. Food subjected to extreme heat in the canning process is dead and cannot possibly possess the attributes that are afforded by natural fermentation.

Our first exposure to real sauerkraut was by purchasing a refrigerated glass jar from a health food store. It had a crunchy fresh taste, but was almost as sour as the canned type. The only ingredients were cabbage, water and salt, so I assume the lactic acid created the tartness. It should be used unheated, to protect the beneficial bacteria and vitamin C. The big surprise was the cost—over $5.00 for a 25 oz. jar.

We were advised to start out with very small servings of real sauerkraut each day. The beneficial microbes in large amounts could possibly cause a die-off of pathogenic bacteria, virus and fungi, releasing toxins which could cause temporary tiredness, rashes or headaches. We had no problems with it and quickly got accustomed to the taste.

The role of beneficial microbes:

• Rid the body of toxins, including heavy metals
• Enable the gut to produce more serotonin than the brain, benefiting mood
• Improve bowel function
• Increase immunity to illnesses and environmental allergies
• Decrease plaque formation on teeth
• Improve appearance of hair and skin
• Restore the balance of the body if antibiotics must be used

If you would like to learn more about the importance of gut flora, here is an informative 25-minute video by Health Coach Summer Bock: Creating a Thriving Intestinal Ecology.

Also, here is an informative article by Dr. Joseph Mercola: How to Easily and Inexpensively Ferment your own Vegetables.

Part 3 will be about our first experiment with making sauerkraut.