Netti, Goot and other Natural Remedies for Colds

This is a Netti pot.  They are awesome.  I first started using a Netti pot about 9 or 10 years ago.  They were recommended to me by another yoga teacher.  I remember going to buy one, at New Leaf (our local natural foods co-op). It was my first visit to New Leaf, I became a member that day and it got me started on my journey to eating healthy.  It's been a long, slow journey, but the Netti pot played a bit part!  Penelope broke my original one, a few months back, and I replaced it with this pretty teal ceramic one.

A lot of people are scared of using a Netti pot, but it is really simple.  You just fill it up with water, add a little salt and/or powder probiotics, stick it up one nostril, tilt your head the opposite side and let the water go up your nasal canal and out the other side.  It not only gets snot out when you are congested, it gets bad bacteria, yeast and all kinds of other stuff that is up in your nasal canals out.

I have been feeling good for about a week now, but for the previous 3 weeks I was fighting a type of pneumonia called Mycoplasm.  It was NASTY.  I haven't been that sick in years and years.  I did all sorts of natural remedies to feel better, in the end I had to do, not one, but two rounds of antibiotics.  I hate using antibiotics, but sometimes you just gotta do it.  Using antibiotics, is one of those things that I had in my mind that perfect mothers don't use.  A "perfect mother" can beat any illness without antibiotics, yada yada.  Once I realized that I wasn't going to the doctor to get meds because of this preconceived illusion I had about being a perfect mother, I chucked that mental thought, and made an appointment.


So here are list of things I did to try and kick this illness myself (on top of my normal daily supplements):

Gaia, Quick Defense: It has echinacea, elderberry and ginger root. Usually, if I take this right as I am feeling like I am getting sick, it totally kicks it.  It is expensive as hell, but so worth it.
Nature's Way Elderberry: Elderberry, has immune building properties in it and it also a decongestant.  And if you are breastfeeding, you can not take Mucinex, because it will not only dry out your nose, but your milk glands too, so Elderberry is a good replacement.
Netti Pot: I did this at least once a day, but I tried to do it three times a day.
Goot:  Run, don't walk, over to this site and check out how to do this.  The ONLY thing that made me feel even slightly better, once the fever had taken hold ( I ran a fever for 8 days before I went into to get antibiotics) was putting Goot on my feet.  I found out about this the second day Penelope was sick, and I am confident this treatment made her not get sick as bad or as long.  But oh Lord, is it messy and does it stink! I also ate some raw garlic.  I chopped it up and put it on my food.
Homemade Chicken Broth:  I sipped this in a cup.  I make the broth myself, like this.
Traditional Medicinals Cold Care PM and Breath Easy Tea:  Every night.

Here is a list of other recommendations, from the AWESOME mamas on the Mama and Baby Love Facebook (which is where I found out about Goot too!)page:

• Elderberry syrup.

• Garlic, immunity tea, the original zicam, probiotics in various forms, patience. I've heard royal jelly can help but I can't bring myself to try bee milk yet.

• Neti pot, zinc, good old fashioned homemade chicken soup, and honey.

• Neti pot, Sambuccus (elderberry extract proven to fight the flu and many respiratory viruses, I am convinced it works miracles), probiotics, propolis (comes from bees, smells horrible but wonderful for all sorts of things).

• Netti pot, sambuccal, lots of hot broth, water, NO sugar whatsoever, sleep, I even swear a good run helps me once I get over the worst of it.  A salt water gargle...hope you feel better soon!

• Raw Garlic, Unfiltered Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Colloidal Silver, Elderberry, Probiotics, Green Smoothies, NO sugar, BONE broth (must simmer the bones in the broth for HOURS because the bone marrow is what is good for immunity), and Constitutional Hydrotherapy Treatment. 


• *5 drops each Oregano, Melaleuca and OnGuard Blend essential oils in capsules 3x a day for Cold or Flu * 3 drops Lemon mixed in 1 Tbs honey in hot water for sore throats and *Breathe blend on chest and back for congestion     

So normally all these natural remedies help me kick what I am fighting and feel better, but sometimes you just need to be sick. Like I mentioned in my post about Natural Remedies for Roseola, all illness, whether a fever or cancer, is a spiritual crisis, a metamorphosis is happening. And man, after 3 weeks of being sick, I can testify that statement is true. I am absolutely not the same person I was a month ago!  I have shed and healed many things, on many different layers, but I will tell you more about that soon when I do a post on energy healing.

What are your most trusted natural remedies for colds/flu?

Vote for me!

By Best Kids Health Blog