Web Weaving Herbals

Diet was covered very briefly in the earlier post on this same topic, and we will delve deeper into those ideas here – with at least one recipe! Before you read this, go back and look at some of the major points I made in that previous post if you want. Many of them will become relevant again as we think about how and what we eat to keep ourselves healthy.

Michael Pollan’s recent book In Defense of Food is probably one of the most eloquent treasties on how and why to eat well. Let’s just take his main premise:

Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

What does this mean? Eat food? If I can eat it it’s food, right? Not according do Pollan. Food contains 5 or less ingredients printed on the package and you can recognize/pronounce the ingredients. This is a good guideline. You can make it a rule or not. I make it a guideline and cook mostly from scratch anyway. But what I really want to talk about, in light of surviving a flu, is the last part: MOSTLY PLANTS.

Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to maintain optimum health and fight the myriad germs that it will come into contact with over the course of any day. Grains are also a plant, and if you are going to eat them, try to eat as many whole grains as possible – again for the vitamins and minerals. White flour, white rice… these have been washed, bleached, and stripped of darn near all of their nutritional value and do very little beyond giving you an energy boost.

If I were going to tell you to eat one grain, and one grain only, it would be oatmeal. Organic, not-quick, whole oats. Oats are deeply nutritious, support and heal the nervous system. They are tasty. They are a great vehicle for honey, which is anti-microbial, deeply nutritious, and soothing to an over-worker respiratory system. When you make your oatmeal, add some fresh apples. The old adage about an apple a day keeping the doctor away is based in apples nutritional and vitamin-filled goodness.

((This is sounding so good, right? Oatmeal with apples and honey, maybe a little cinnamon – warming to the systems and gently stimulating to the immune system – and a splash of milk if you like. Is this really medicine? You bet your socks it is. I love my work.))

Other simple nutritional fixes include bone-broth (take bones; cow, chicken, pig, whatever, and simmer them down for about 2 hours with a potato and some salt), which is packed full of energy-giving proteins and is a light and easy thing for the body to digest if it is stressed by illness. Eat your dark, leafy greens. Eat lots of fresh fruit. Vary your diet from day-to-day: eat a little meat, a little fish, a lot of veggies, and a diverse group of grains. Try to avoid the pasta-and-sauce-from-a-jar and take-out pitfalls, even if you are busy. A few extra minutes now to prepare good whole food from scratch could save you a day in bed with the bug.

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That said, don’t totally deny yourself all that you love. The flu season coincides with the Holidays and the dietary excesses that our culture seems to thrive on. So use good common sense and reason when going to Thanksgiving, a Party, or other Feasting Event. Sure, you might be off sugar for the moment while your sinuses drain and immune system rebuilds – but you can still enjoy a slice of that Chocolate-Pecan Pie that your auntie makes only for Christmas Dinner. There is tremendous nutritional value in foods that make you Feel Good. The pie might not do much for your immune system, but it does a lot for your heart and soul. Keeping those happy is just as important as keeping your body happy.

We can quote Oscar Wilde here:

“Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

The whole concept here goes back to reducing stress. Let me clarify and elaborate. I’m not talking about binge eating the whole box of cookies your dad just mailed to you. That will not be good for your body and, though you will get a moment of enjoyment, not really make your heart and soul happy. Instead, make the cookies last, eat a couple each day (and appreciate that loving parent while you do it) and don’t beat yourself up about fat, calories, sugars, or whatever. Enjoy what you have. De-stress about your food. Read this great little article from NPR about Indulgence.

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So, back to the original idea of the post. What will help prevent the flu?

Foods:
Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Ginger, Oatmeal, Apples, Honey, Spicy Foods (wasabi, cayenne, etc.), Broth, Dark-Leafy Greens (kale, collards, chard, etc.). Other things will help also, but these are your basics.

What about preventative herbs? There are a bunch out there, and I am going to talk about just a few of my favorites.

Elder – Berry and Flower
A wonderful and tasty plant that combats viruses AND supports/boosts the immune system AND is safe for babies, pregnant mothers, and the elderly. It’s high in vitamins and minerals, and the berries are full of antioxidents. You can make a tea or tincture of berry and/or flower, you can add the dried berries to your oatmeal, or just snack on them throughout the day. I know of no upper limit to this plant. I don’t think you can enjoy it too much. Our favorite thing to do is to prepare a syrup:

Elderberry Syrup
• 1 cup dried elderberries
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups raw honey

Put the elderberries and water in a pot with a good fitting lid. Bring just to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 1-12 hours (if longer than 6 hours, place in the fridge). Strain elderberries, putting the tea in a new pot. Re-warm and add the honey until fully mixed. Bottle and refrigerate. 1-4 tbl./day is a good dose for an adult. Children can have 1-4 tsp. Double your daily dosage at the onset of flu symptoms and through the duration of the illness. We pout this onto oatmeal instead of regular honey. It keeps in the refrigerator for 6 months, so a decent bottle or two can get you and your family through the whole cold & flu season.

Ginger

So tasty and so warming on these cold days. Ginger stimulates healthy digestion – so you get better nutrient absorption from all the good food you are eating – and spicy makes for an inhospitable environment for viruses and bacterias (other spicy foods/herbs will do the same). Ginger can be in a tea or tincture, in a stir-fry, as a honey syrup (as above), eaten candied, or just about any other way. Pregnant women in the first trimester should take only very small does, if any, and be aware if their body tells them that ginger is Not for them.

Going back to my thoughts on indulgence for a moment – so you need a little something sweet? What about ginger-oatmeal cookies? Maybe with some chocolate chips… Indulgence can be medicinal as well!

Thyme
Such a tiny plant, but so full of essential oils – in which hide its virus/bacteria kicking power. Thyme is a good for cold/flu prevention. It is one of the most powerful anti-microbials available to those of us growing our own herbs. While it is tasty as a tea or tincture – and can also be made into syrup – the easiest thing to do with thyme is just to cook with it. Add an extra handful to anything savory you cook in which it will be tasty.

There’s more, and I’m going to stop here. This is already a long post, but I could continue, and continue, and continue. But I think there is enough information in this post both to absorb and to play with. It is my deepest hope and wish that these ideas give more people better health and prevent some of the flus and colds out there from taking hold in unwilling hosts.

Remember to take it easy, eat well, and enjoy your food and herbs.