Natural Home Remedies for the Cold and Flu Season

As soon as school starts back up in the fall my children inevitably get a little sniffle or a slight cough. It's a good thing to be exposed to viruses and bacteria. It makes the immune system stronger. But how your immune system reacts depends on a lot of factors. Certain foods, nutritional supplements, herbs, and other remedies may be very beneficial during times of acute illness because they help your body heal itself naturally. This post offers you tips for building a strong immune system as well as natural home remedies to treat ear infections, coughs, fevers, colds, and flus.

Prevention: Building a Strong Immune System
Nutrient deficiencies and chemical overload cause our immune system to misbehave or not function to its highest potential. We are exposed to colds and flus nearly every day. When your immune system is functioning properly it will immediately activate white cells and destroy the pathogens keeping you healthy. If you are run down, deficient in nutrients, eating foods that you are sensitive to, or chronically stressed then your immune system may become compromised.

Raw Kale Avocado Salad

The Farmer's Market was bursting with luscious dark leafy greens on Saturday. I couldn't help but buy at least one bunch of every variety of kale! I made this raw kale salad tonight and my children devoured it. They are accustomed to eating many different types of greens, but for a child who isn't, below are a few tips.

Tips for adding more variety, vegetables, and greens to your child's diet:

• Make sure your children are hungry and have not been snacking all afternoon or evening; hungry children are more likely to try and eat new foods.
• Serve the new vegetable or salad first. This is especially true for a young child between 2 and 4 years of age.
• Sit down as a family and talk about everything but the meal. Focusing on the food can lead to food battles. 
• Suggest a "try-it-bite" for a child who seems really uncomfortable about trying something new. They may spit it out and that is okay. Sometimes it can take 10 "try-it-bites" over a series of weeks for a child to accept a new food. 
• Start early! As soon as you have introduced citrus to your toddler's diet offer them a plate of this salad. A one year old won't digest much of it but will gain so much in the way of programming his or her taste buds to accept these types of foods. We put salad greens on our twin's plates by the time they were twelve months old and now they beg for salads at three years old! 
• Young children learn how to eat and what to eat by watching the adults and caregivers around them. This starts from infancy on. 

My new cookbook as a large chapter devoted to raising healthy eaters, beginning from conception on. These are just a few of the tips on mealtimes with children. I know many of you keep asking when the new book will be available for pre-order. I expected that it would have been ready by now but it is not. I don't have the long focused hours now like I had with my first cookbook. Being pregnant and having four children makes it a little more challenging. It will be done when it is done, that is all I can say. It is close, the recipes are done, but I am still finishing up the content in the beginning. I am confident that you will love it though!

Harvesting Nettles with Children.....

Nettles you say? You mean those pesky weeds that grow like wildfire and sting me if I get too close? Yep. These little plants are a powerhouse of nutrients! Once cooked, blended, or dehydrated they lose their "sting." Nettle season varies each year but since this winter has been particularly warm and sunny here in the Pacific Northwest, it is already here! If you are following the Elimination Diet then adding in fresh nettles to all phases will help in the healing and detoxification process.



The other day the kids and I were out for a walk on the trails by our house when we came upon our favorite nettle stand! It was full of nettles ready to be picked. You see, nettles are best harvested when they are young and only a few inches high. All of the nutrients are going to the leaves at this time, instead of say, in the summer, when the energy of the plant is going to seed production. Anyway, I called Tom on my cell phone and asked him to drive up and meet me at the trailhead with a few pairs of scissors, paper bags, gardening gloves, and my camera.



Harvesting nettles is not just for adults. Young children can participate too! We've been harvesting nettles for as long as I can remember. Babies and one-year-olds can ride in a sling or backpack. 2 year olds can play and run about while you do your work. 3 year olds can help and play. Once my girls were 4 years old they were both really interested in doing all of the harvesting. On our most recent excursion, the boys (2 years old) ran around, put extra gloves on, then darted down the trail as far and as fast as they could go. They did eventually come back (and slept very well after that)!



What about potential nettle stings?

Well, I think it is all about how you approach it. For us, nettles are viewed as nourishing, wonderful plants that do posses a risk for stinging. I tell them it isn't a big deal and it will go away soon enough. All of my kids seem to get a few stings at every harvest but brush it off and keep on going. The boys even fell into a nettle patch the other day, then looked at me holding their hands up while making little grunting sounds. I said "Oh I see, it looks like you have a few nettle stings, yep that can happen" and off they ran. Still, it is best to educate your children so they tread lightly through the nettle patch. This teaches patience and respect for the environment around them. Wearing gloves and thick pants is best, though as you see from these photos my daughter was wearing a skirt and tights. Since the nettles were still so small it wasn't as much of an issue.



What do you do with your nettles?

Well, we dehydrate them to use for tea throughout the year. I simply place the whole plant in the dehydrator. Once dried, I pack them into the food processor and process until finely ground. I then pour the ground, dried nettles into glass mason jars. You can also use fresh nettles in green smoothies (this is my favorite), in lasagna, soup, stock, or sautéed with garlic and olive oil. Really, the options are endless. Just don't add them to a salad, they only lose their "sting" when blended, cooked, or dehydrated.



What are the health benefits of consuming nettles?

• Nettles are a blood-building herb, being high in iron, calcium, trace minerals, protein, and chlorophyll; they are very beneficial for the anemic person. 
• Being mildly diuretic and rich in minerals, nettles help to stimulate breast milk production after delivery.
• Nettles may be used as a treatment for hay fever.
• Nettles are stimulating and cleansing to the liver, kidneys, and bladder.
• They taste good; sort of like spinach some say.

How do you harvest them? 

The best method, so the plant can keep growing, is to cut the stem just after the second set of basal leaves. This doesn't always happen when young children are involved, but remember it is a learning process for them. If you live in the Midwest or East Coast your nettle season may not come around for another few months. Nettles like nitrogen-rich, moist soil so look for a place with a lot of decaying organic matter.

I'll be posting recipes using nettles soon, like lasagna, bone broth, and soup. In the meantime, get out and enjoy the beautiful sunshine and go on a nettle hunt with your children!

If you are an Herbalist or someone who has a lot of knowledge in herbal medicine, please leave a comment and add anything I might be missing here, thanks! :)



References:

1. Gladstar R. Herbal Healing for Women. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993, 177.
2. Mittman P. Randomized double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica diocia in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta Med 1990;56:44–7. 
3. Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al. (eds). The Complete Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Boston, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, 216–7.

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The Elimination and Detoxification Diet ~ It's about Feeling Good!

What is the Elimination Diet? It is a program of eating designed to calm inflammation and balance the body. Once the body is calm, and the disease symptoms diminish, it becomes noticeable to a person when a “trouble” food is eaten and the symptoms come back.

If you have felt sluggish, had chronic health complaints, or just not felt quite right then an elimination diet is a useful tool that may help bring you to that optimal state of health you desire. Yes the elimination diet usually results in, on average, a 10 to 15 pound weight loss, but more importantly it promotes healing at the cellular level by identifying foods that are causing an immune reaction.

Everything you need to know about elimination diets is now in Print!

Learn how to safely and effective follow an elimination diet with our new book!

Complete with 125 delicious recipes, shopping lists, and meal plans, The Elimination Diet is a complete functional medicine resource for you to improve your health and feel better, naturally.




Go to our website, www.WholeLifeNutrition.net, to download your FREE Elimination Diet Cookbook and Quick Start Guide!   

The main focus of the Elimination Diet is getting the gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast, corn, and soy out of your diet. Doing this, along with eating a diet high in plant foods, calms inflammation and gives your body a break. Additional foods that can be problematic for some people are citrus, nightshade vegetables, certain nuts, among others. These foods are removed in the first two phases and are then slowly added back during phase 3 to note any negative reaction. 

An Elimination Diet is useful in treating the following health conditions:

• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Psoriasis
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Eczema
• IBS
• Chronic Migraines
• GERD
• Anxiety
• Constipation / Diarrhea
• Sinus problems
• Weight loss / Weight gain
• Infertility

Items to stock in your pantry and fridge:

please make sure you always use "organic"

• dark leafy greens (dandelion greens, kale, collards, chard, bok choy, mustard greens...)
• cabbage (all varieties)
• lettuce
• cucumbers
• ginger
• garlic
• onions
• yams
• winter squash
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• carrots
• celery
• avocados
• cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• blueberries
• bananas
• cherries
• raspberries
• plantains
• pears
• apples
• brown rice
• quinoa
• wild rice
• adzuki beans
• mung beans
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• chia seeds
• hemp seeds
• pumpkin seed butter
• sunflower seed butter
• wakame and nori seaweeds
• wild salmon
• organic chicken
• organic ground turkey
• organic lamb
• wild game
• organic virgin coconut oil
• organic extra virgin olive oil

Visit the Elimination Diet page on our website to get started today with a Free Cooking Video Series!

Elimination Diet Recipes: 

Phase 1:
Winter Green Smoothie
Spring Green Smoothie
Super Antioxidant Smoothie

Blueberry-Cucumber Smoothie
Cherry Beet Detox Smoothie
Peach Ginger Mint Smoothie
Homemade Turkey Stock
Homemade Chicken-Nettle Stock

For more smoothie recipes refer to the recipes in our cookbook.

Phase 2 Recipes:
Roasted Beets
Lacto-Fermented Vegetables
Blanched Kale, Pomegranate, and Salmon Salad
Adzuki Bean and Yam Hash
Blueberry Syrup with Rice
Cinnamon-Sunflower Truffles
Grated Beet and Carrot Salad with Radish-Miso Dressing
Green Apple Salad Dressing
Healing Quinoa-Cabbage Soup
Creamy Asparagus Soup (without the cashew cream for phase 2)
Kale with Caramelized Onions
Lettuce "Tacos"

Mango-Coconut Pudding
Mung Beans and Rice with Indian Spices and Caramelized Onions
Nori Rolls with Sticky Brown Rice
Quinoa Salmon Burgers
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Simple Baked Salmon with Spring Vegetables
Summer Vegetable Kitcheree
Honeydew-Cucumber-Mint Popsicles
Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheesecake
Brown Rice Flour Tortillas
Whole Roasted Organic Chicken with Garlic and Herbs
Masala Chicken and Vegetable Stew
Turkey Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf

Phase 3 Recipes:

Raw Super Green Salad
Collard Wraps with Raw Sunflower Pate
Creamy Sunflower Seed Dressing/Dip

Pepper-Mint Dressing & Marinade
Kale and Avocado Salad
Creamy Summer Zucchini Soup
Cucumber Salsa
Flavored Lemonade

Creamy Potato-Leek Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Spicy Thai Mung Bean Burgers

Beet, Pear, and Almond Salad

Sauteed Romano Beans with Hazelnuts

Zucchini Almond Flour Bake
Minty Chicken-Zucchini Kebabs
Healing Chicken-Ginger Soup
Chicken Fajita Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing
Plantain Crepes

Need More Guidance?

Click Here to Learn More!

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Links to Products we Use

I have had dozens of requests over the last few weeks for either a post on the products I use or specific questions on where to find a certain product. So here it is, all organized and in one place. I have added a link on the sidebar of this blog under "Essential Posts" to make finding this post a snap!

Click on the links to view the product brand names and to read more about the product.

Salt & Seasonings

Sea Salt: We use RealSalt which comes from an ancient dried sea bed that has never been exposed to modern day pollution. This salt also contains over 50 trace minerals!

Herbamare: Is a flavorful sea salt and herb blend made by steeping fresh herbs and vegetables in sea salt for several months before being vacuum dehydrated. This salt makes very flavorful soups and stews. I buy it from our local food co-op or health food store. You can also make your own Herbamare at home using my recipe here, for a fraction of the price!

Coconut Aminos: Use this soy-free soy sauce made from fermented coconut nectar in any dish calling for soy sauce or tamari. I prefer to add a little sea salt too as coconut aminos are not as salty as soy sauce or tamari. Learn more about using coconut aminos here.


Oils

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I think this is a personal choice. I like Lucini best, but also like to use Napa Valley Naturals Organic oil because the cost is reasonable and the quality is good. Omega Nutrition also makes an excellent, reasonably priced olive oil.

Virgin Coconut Oil: I use Nutiva oil nearly every day for cooking and baking. I find this brand to have the best flavor. It is also great used as a massage oil!

Avocado Oil: Primal Kitchen Foods makes two wonderful avocado oils. One is for high heat cooking and the other is great for salad dressings. Use avocado oil for higher heat sautéing, roasting, and more!

Grapeseed Oil: I like Napa Valley Naturals best. It is unrefined which you can see with its beautiful green hue. I use this oil for baking and cooking occasionally.

Organic Palm Shortening: I use this for baking occasionally. It is great for biscuits, pie crusts, and scones. I also use it in special occasion cakes! I have found that the Spectrum brand works best.


Vinegars

Balsamic Vinegar: This is one of my favorites. Now you can spend quite a bit of money on high quality aged vinegar but you don't need to for everyday home cooking. I use Lucini brand balsamic vinegar which has been aged in wood casks.

Seasoned Brown Rice Vinegar: Is made from an alcohol fermentation of mashed brown rice. It then undergoes another fermentation to produce vinegar. Organic grape juice concentrate and sea salt are added to create the Seasoned Vinegar. I like to use this for salad dressings or to season a finished vegetable or bean dish. It is delicious over sauteed kale!

Wine Vinegars: Of course this is a personal choice too. For everyday home cooking Spectrum makes very reasonably priced organic vinegars that can easily fit into the family food budget.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: I personally like Braag's raw apple cider vinegar and use it for salad dressings, soups, and stews. A little taken before eating can boost digestion as well!


Natural Sweeteners

Coconut Palm Sugar: Use this low glycemic, nutrient dense granulated sweetener anywhere sugar is called for. It is dark brown and rich-flavored so keep that in mind when baking your favorite recipe! To read more about coconut sugar you can view my Coconut Sugar Apple Crisp Recipe.

Whole Cane Sugar: Whole cane sugar is simply dried cane juice. I rarely ever use this sweetener but if I do I will use Wholesome Sweeteners brand which is gluten-free. Tip: for baking you can pulse this sugar in a coffee grinder or blender to make it finer.

Maple Sugar: Coombs maple sugar is gluten-free and organic. You can also buy small bags of maple sugar from Authentic Foods. I like this sugar best because it is local to the northern latitudes. Reading the Little House on the Prairie series to my daughters brings me back to the simple ingredients used by our ancestors before the commercialization of food. Maple sugar was used for everyday baking back then.

Blackstrap Molasses: Wholesome Sweeteners makes a delicious, organic blackstrap molasses that is great for baking gingerbread cakes, molasses cookies, and other holiday sweets. I also use it in bean dishes.

I also use Grade B maple syrup which I buy in bulk from my local co-op and raw local wildflower honey which I buy locally as well.

Whole Grain Gluten-Free Flours

Sprouted Brown Rice Flour: You can find this flour though a number of different companies including Azure Standard and To Your Health Sprouted Flours.

Sprouted Garbanzo Bean Flour: Use this flour as breading for my gluten-free, egg-free chicken nugget recipe in The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. It is also works wonderfully as a batter for gluten-free vegetable fritters! I also use this flour to make dumplings in my Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumpling Soup.

Teff Flour: The Teff Company produces the best teff flour in my opinion. Teff is an ancient grain that originated in East Africa but is now produced in the Snake River region of Idaho. It is high in protein, iron, and other minerals. View my Teff Recipes for inspiration.

Whole Grain GF Flours: Bob's Red Mill produces great whole grain gluten-free flours for baking if you do not want to use sprouted flours. I have a lot of Baked Treats on this site you can check out. You can use a sprouted GF flour interchangeably with its non-sprouted counterpart in any recipe. 

Superfine Brown Rice Flour: I use this very finely ground gluten-free flour for making pie crusts, biscuits, rolled cookies, and a few other treats. I usually blend it with Superfine Sweet Rice Flour. 

Almond Meal/Flour: Is made from ground blanched almonds. It has a coarse texture and works great in addition to other gluten-free flours in baking to add extra protein and flavor.

Blanched Almond Flour: This flour works for baking grain-free desserts and breads. It is a very fine flour that can not be substituted for Almond Meal.

Pumpkin Seed Flour: Pumpkin seed flour is great to use for grain-free, nut-free baking. I have a few pumpkin seed flour recipes on this blog.

Starches

Tapioca Starch: Also called tapioca flour, is used as part of a flour blend in gluten-free baking. You can also order organic tapioca flour here. 

Arrowroot Powder: Is used as part of the flour blend in gluten-free baking, can also be used to dredge foods for sautéing, and can be used as a thickener in sauces and desserts. 

Organic Gluten-Free Oats

Rolled Oats: For making oatmeal, for baking, or for grinding into flour for baking.

Other Baking Products

Raw Cacao Powder: Nativas Naturals is my favorite brand for raw cacao powder. Their chocolate products are all gluten-free. Use this high-antioxidant chocolate anywhere cocoa or cacao powder are called for in a recipe. 

Extracts and Flavorings: Frontier produces good quality organic extracts and flavorings that are gluten-free. I use their almond, orange, and lemon flavorings for baking. I make my own vanilla with organic potato vodka and vanilla beans.

Chocolate Chips: I buy organic dark, soy-free chocolate chips in bulk from my local food co-op. The brand they carry is Equal Exchange. 

Shredded Coconut: I use the finely shredded, unsweetened coconut for baking or breading.

Spices

I like to use Simply Organic's spices most often for cooking and baking. Simply Organic's spices are gluten-free and can be found at your local health food store or food co-op.

I think that's it for specific products. If I missed anything please leave a comment below. Hope you find this helpful! :)

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