Oink Oink Oink

I guess we’re all freaking out over the scare tactics that our government is using over this swine flu. I’ve known at least a handful of people who just recently had some kind of flu. Whether it was the swine flu or not, who’s to know. Honey just got over a horrible flu….like I said, who knows if it was from a pig or a chicken or a cow! He was a pretty sick puppy though. (our 21 yr old son has never seen his dad this sick, ever)  And several other moms that I was in Germany with also got  sicker than a dog. I fought it off with my homemade Echinacea tincture, Vit C and brine juice. Yes, you read that correctly…brine juice. I finished up a jar of my brine pickles but kept the juice and the garlic and I made sure that I drank some and ate the garlic.  It’s full of Vit C and is antibacterial.

When the scare came out over the Avain flu or was it SARS?, it was later disclosed that drinking the juice from Sauerkraut would ward off this evil. But it’s not just any Sauerkraut, it’s brined Sauerkraut. If you don’t have any brined ferments sitting around, Bubbies from your local health food store is always a good substitute.

Why Sauerkraut or other Lactic Fermented foods?

In 1881, Dr Blanc a Parisian physician said, “Cabbage is the physician of the poor.” Cabbage has been used as poultices, to fight intestinal diseases, are used to lower fever and rheumatic pains, reduce tumors, treat asthma, chronic constipation, and sciatica, just to name a few. When cabbage is brined with salt, it becomes Sauerkraut. It’s recommended eating 1/2 Cup per day for optimal health benefits.  For more information on lactic fermentations, see Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, Making Sauerkraut by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Schoneck, Truly Cultured by Nancy Lee Bentley and Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz.

While Honey was raging with fever of 102.8*F, I was reading “Health is Your Birthright” by Ellen Tart-Jensen. And I was running down different herbs…I came across Mullein…”The Mullein oil in mullein tea is a valuable destroyer of germs and viruses and has even been known to help get rid of warts. It is also high in mucilage. Because of these nutrients and it’s slippery consistency, mullein is a great decongestant and is very helpful in ridding mucus from the lungs and sinuses. It soothes the membranes in the throat and entire intestinal tract and may act as a mild laxative. It has been used for coughs, asthma, influenza, and urinary tract infection.” He asked me to make him some tea. So I ran outside and picked some fresh Mullein, chopped it up and poured boiling water over it, letting it steep for 5-10 minutes. Once he drank the tea, he began to sweat profusely and within 20 minutes his fever broke. He believes that Mullein was his life saver.

Make sure that when planting your garden this year you include cabbage, cucumbers and plenty of herbs for medicine.  You’ll never know when you will need them.