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CLEAN LYMPHATICS

Your lymphatic system picks up metabolic wastes and environmental toxins from throughout your body and excretes them through your skin or bowel. When your “glands are up” (your lymph nodes are swollen) this is a sign they have gathered an amount of toxic waste (i.e. they are doing their job). When you get sick your lymph nodes help isolate the infection. As the infection passes they should slowly and safely excrete their wastes. Unfortunately, in modern times we have many toxins in our body that it was never designed to deal with, so the lymphatic system is often permanently congested and sluggish. Exercise helps pump lymph and clean this system through sweating. If you don’t sweat or your sweat smells or you are showing a lymphatic rosary in your iris, your lymphatic system needs cleaning. Specific herbs can achieve this, for home use try Fenugreek Tea, and Bush Iris as a flower essence.

HEALTHY BLOOD

“Dirty blood” is a naturopathic term referring to blood laden with waste products. Iron deficiency can contribute to this. Good iron levels are necessary to oxygenate all the cells in the body and to burn out infection. The long term effects of low iron levels are potentially very serious. Vegetarians, those who don’t eat a lot of red meat, and women who menstruate heavily are most prone.

If blood tests show low iron or haemoglobin levels, natural iron supplements are recommended. Synthetic iron tablets often cause constipation and are not as readily absorbable.Pink Mulla Mulla as a flower essence can be used to support blood quality energetically.

Eat red, maroon and dark brown foods – nature colour codes food and the colours just mentioned indicate high iron content in food.

TRY HERBAL ANTIBIOTICS

Like any part of the body, the immune system gets stronger the more it is used. “Use it lose it” definitely applies here. Over use of antibiotics can lead to a lazy immune system, antibiotic resistance and / or yeast overgrowth. Combine this with a weak immune system and the outlook can be grim if a really serious infection occurs.

There are many very effective herbal medicines for bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Other herbs can be used to stimulate the immune system when necessary. No resistance seems to develop against herbal remedies and they support the healing process rather than suppress it.

Illawarra Flame Tree can also be used a s a flower essence to assist in this process.

REDUCE STRESS

Even in medical circles, stress is now known to lower immunity. Your adrenal glands must be healthy for you to mount an effective response against any challenge – including disease. Stress, worry and anxiety all deplete your adrenal glands.

There are many herbs and flower essences which act as adrenal tonics and assist during times of stress. (see the post ‘Flower essences for Stress’).

Don’t forget to take time out to relax with family, friends and hobbies. Live and work somewhere you like, with people whose company you enjoy. Live joyfully.

EAT ORGANIC

…. as much as you can afford to buy and have time to grow. The much higher life force from plants and animals being nurtured on good quality soil, using traditional farming practises, is well worth the extra expense.

Mass produced food is grown in tired soil, stimulated with chemical fertilisers to grow fast, and sprayed with toxic chemicals to control pests. Some is also genetically modified to look good, travel well and last a long time on the supermarket shelf. The end result has dramatically lowered nutritional value. The cost of organic food is the true cost of (nutritious) food. The true cost of non organic food is chronic sub health and the recent alarming rise in serious diseases in western society.

COOK

Processing food lessens its nutritional value. Use as much whole, organic food as time and budget permit and cook it yourself. It’s the only way to really know what you are eating.

LIMIT ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS

They increase the work your liver, kidneys, skin, lungs and lymphatics have to do.

Take a serious look at every cleaning product and personal care item in your house. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t breathe it or let it touch your skin.

Natural products do just as good a job and using them instead of their chemical equivalents does you, your children, your grandchildren and the environment a huge favour.

HERBS TO BOOST IMMUNITY

There are many herbs that stimulate your body to pump out White Blood cells to kill off invading germs and viruses. Echinacea, Astragalas and Olive Leaf are probably the most well known. Use them in short sharp burst only when you need them and then stop taking them. Prolonged use (when not needed) will actually lower your immunity in the long term (clinical studies have shown this again and again).