When you get sick with a bacterial infection, you will usually need antibiotics.
Before antibiotics were discovered, many infections were healed by herbs or allowing food be medicine. Once antibiotics hit the medical scene, they became the wonder of medicine. In the 1950’s, when penicillin first made it’s appearance, doctors thought they could “close the book” on infectious disease. They had the “cure all” for anything that would ail you.
They were wrong, obviously. But what happened? A couple things, actually. An issue of concern with antibiotics is that they are often over prescribed.
First, bacteria. These microorganisms change and adapt to their different environments, including the human body. While antibiotics were meant to destroy and kill off the bad bacteria, that is not always the case. For maximum effectiveness, antibiotics need to be taken for the full course, even if the person is feeling better. Some families were”saving” antibiotics for another person in case they were to get sick as well. The bacteria wasn’t killed off completely, and it was allowed to adapt and grow.
Second, doctors began to prescribe antibiotics for anything and everything. Got a cough? Here’s a script. Little Johnny has a tummy ache? Penicillin! I heard directly from one doctor that 1/2 of the children she diagnosed with ear infections did not NEED antibiotics, but the parents demanded one anyway. The sad truth is that these parents gave their children medicines that weren’t necessary.
Third, we began feeding antibiotics to animals in feedlots as a preventative. What your food eats, is what you eat. As a result, we were dosed with antibiotics through the animals we consumed.
Now, we are dealing with staph bacteria like MRSA that may not respond to antibiotics. That is a scary thing.
Can anything be done at this point? Can we turn the tide back against antibiotic resistant infections? Maybe. But, we have to be willing to make a change. We need to go back to letting our food be our medicine and medicine be our food.
What does it mean let food be your medicine and medicine be your food? It means that we use the natural benefits from food to fight infection and disease. We can build up our body’s immunity naturally and fight off infection before it even strikes. Adding these foods to your daily meals can help keep your immune system strong all year long.
Garlic
Garlic is great at fighting against fungal infections. Eating a few cloves of raw garlic at the first sign of symptoms may significantly reduce the length of a cold. Garlic is said to be a great tool for lowering blood pressure. Minced garlic on a cracker will help to get this medicine down. Or, you can take fresh garlic in a pill form.
Ginger
Ginger helps fights off mucus. Add a slice of fresh ginger to a cup of tea, or mix powdered ginger into your favorite recipe. You can also make your own ginger tea. Simply boil fresh, sliced ginger in hot water. Allow to steep for 8-10 minutes, then strain and enjoy. Add raw honey and apple cider vinegar for extra immune supporting power.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is one of the best natural foods you can find. It contains high levels of acetic and malic acid, as well as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Just one tablespoon a day is all you need to absorb its “healing powers”. You can easily drink apple cider vinegar by adding it to a glass of water or a cup of tea. Sweeten with a bit of honey or maple syrup to enjoy!
Raw Honey
Raw honey is naturally antibacterial and antifungal. A soothing tea can be made by adding together in a cup of hot water:
- one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- one teaspoon of raw honey
- a fresh-squeezed lemon wedge
- a sprinkle of cinnamon
Drink this at the first sign of cold symptoms to help ward them off.
Onion
Onions enjoy a reputation of being antibacterial. They also taste great! Raw or cooked, they provide the same benefits. Enjoy them with all of your favorite meals.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory. It is perfect for adding to smoothies, soups, or teas. Adding turmeric may help to reduce inflammation in joints, reducing aches and pains.
These are just some of the ways our food can be our medicine.
Combine these foods that have natural antibiotics with plenty of rest, liquids, sunshine. Reduce stress as much as possible. You are on your way to a healthier YOU!
What are your favorite ways to ward off sickness naturally? Do you let your food be medicine? Be sure to pin this for later!
the post first appeared on thehomesteadinghippy.com See it here
