Monday 9 October 2017

Busybody about my body: Dealing with Flu Naturally

I do not know of anyone who has never gotten a flu and it is a common disease that I think people look at it less seriously.  However, not taken care of, it can lead to other complications such as pneumonia, sepsis, inflammation of the heart (myocarditis) as well as aggravating some other conditions like asthma.  So whilst it is common, I do not take it lightly.  The symptoms include :

  1. sore throat
  2. runny or stuffed nose
  3. fever
  4. muscle aches and pains
  5. headache
  6. fatigue.
It is cause by a virus and nowadays there are so many variants.  Often, when you visit a doctor, you can expect to get three types of medication: one for fever, one for sore throat and congestion and of course antibiotics.  Most literature strenuously point out that it is important to complete the entire course of the antibiotics for it to be effective.

Last week I caught the flu.  I knew I was going to get it because my son came down with it in a bad way and there is no way I can avoid contact with him.  He was literally stuck to my side and with his high fever, I was monitoring him very closely.  Being only 4 years old, he has a higher risk of complications.  When his fever rose to close to 40 degrees Celsius, we headed to the hospital.  I wasn't taking any risks.  We managed to bring his fever down about 2 hours later but he was still feverish.  As for me, the minute I saw he caught the flu, I began my regime of 1 tablespoon of EVCO every 4 hours and 1 tablespoon of honey twice a day.  At the same time, I also gave my son EVCO every 2 hours along with his fever medication every 4 hours until his fever was all gone, which was a day later.  He also was on antibiotics for 3 days which caused diarrhoea so now he is also taking probiotics daily to re-balance his digestive system.  My son is still on daily 1 teaspoon of EVCO and 1 teaspoon honey, twice a day until he fully recovers.  He is not taking any other medication.  Then it was my turn.

I was flat on the bed for about 16 hours and during this period, I continued with hourly tablespoon of EVCO and every fours 1 tablespoon of honey. Then it was the morning on the next day and my fever was gone but I felt the muscle aches.  It was time to start taking my Bentong ginger and turmeric concentrate - 2 tablespoon diluted with warm water with 1 teaspoon of honey every 4 hours.  By evening, I was left with a slight cough and slight congestion.  So, I continue with my three times a day of 1 tablespoon of EVCO and 1 teaspoon of honey.  I have also added drinking Roselle juice twice a day to boost my immune system and to prevent any more fever.

There is pharmacological and studies backing the treatment that I chose for myself.

  1. Flu is cause by virus (and there are many strains) and can be complicated with bacteria.  To address this, the EVCO has strong anti-viral and anti-bacteria properties.  Honey too has strong anti-bacteria and anti-viral properties.  This composition gives me a wider range of defence.  It also helps in strengthening my immune system.  This also became a source of food for me.
  2. Muscle aches and pains makes movement painful so the Bentong ginger and turmeric helps to ease these aches and pains as well as reduce any internal inflammations.  It has strong anti-inflammatory properties as well as digestive system protection properties.  At the same time, since my appetite was non-existent, I barely ate so this combination help reduce any stomach problems.
  3. Roselle has good immune boosting capabilities so is a good option to take during the recovery period.
I prefer going the natural route as I do not like drugs and antibiotics because of all the side effects including destroying the good bacteria necessary for a healthy digestive system (one of the reasons why people also tend to get diarrhoea when they get flu).  With no appetite, I didn't have to try and stuff something in me before I took the EVCO, honey, Benton ginger & turmeric or Roselle as they are all food.  They were also my food.  It is also hard to overdose on these because as we age, all types of body parts need maintenance and repair as well as some rebuild.  Throughout this whole flu experience, my brain remain active, alert and lucid even when I had my eyes closed.  Being down for only a day was good as the next day, my son was ready to play.

As always, we have choices.  What is important is that we are aware of what we are doing, monitor our condition and be sure that what we are taking is pure, natural items which are organic and processed in a way to ensure maximum properties and nutrients are preserved.  Be knowledgeable in taking care of your health.