Homemade Probiotic Eye Wash Healed My Conjunctivitis

Eye infections. They are my weak link. Whenever I get the flu or some other fun acute virus, said flu or acute virus loves to travel into my right eye and infect it. It happens almost like clockwork. I think our daughter may have inherited this fun tendency as well, as during her teething and acute illnesses over the last 4 years, her eye would always certainly take the brunt of things as well.

Well, this week I have been dealing with just such a situation. We all know the sensation of angry, infected eyes. The mucus. The red irritation. The feeling of sand or grit lodged under our lids. It's miserable. 

Usually doctors are quick to suggest antibiotic eye ointment, which would be awesome and much more convenient I suppose, but I simply cannot tolerate most allopathic medicine, and my immune system is not strong enough to withstand a hit of antibiotics, even with probiotic supplementation.

So, instead, I turn to another tried and true remedy that works for me every single time: homemade probiotic eye wash. That's right PRO-biotic as opposed to ANTI-biotic. This fun remedy works to displace angry baddies hanging out in the ocular cavity, allowing the body to flush them out naturally. If antibiotics kill everything in their path (even your good and happy microbes), then probiotics simply add more good guys to crowd out the bad, while keeping all your good and happy microbes safe and sound. That is a very basic explanation, but that's the gist of it.

Some have said to me, "well, antibiotics in the eye don't travel to your gut, so why worry," but that's just it: everything is connected, and all substances are systemic to some degree or another, particularly when we are talking about antibiotics that do not discriminate.

So, to make a probiotic eyewash, I use two probiotic strains by Natren, which are truly outstanding for eyewashes:

• Megadophilus, dairy free, veggie capsules
• Bifido Factor, dairy free, veggie capsules

To make the eyewash, I fill up a measuring cup with warm spring water (do not recommend tap water), and empty 1/4 cap of Megadophilus and 1/4 cap Bifido Factor into the water and stir.

With an eyedropper (you can purchase them cheaply at any drug store), fill to the top and then express in the infected eye. If only one eye is infected, make sure you do not touch the eye dropper with your infected eye and spread to the other!

Repeat this process 4-5 times a day. Within 24 hours, you should start to see a huge dent in symptoms and pain. Continue this practice at least 2 days after all symptoms are gone.

I have used this remedy on our daughter since she was 6 months old. And I have used it multiple times with great success for myself.

If, for some reason, this does not work for you, please be your own judge and go to the doctor! You know your body best! As always The Accidental Purist is recommending remedies that work from the point-of-the-patient and our personal experience, and any advice on this site is not to be taken as medical advice on your medical condition.

Happy healing, and may you never be plagued by another eye infection. Ever.

Is Vitamin D Supplementation for Everyone?

For the last decade or more, it seems that Vitamin D is the new "it" vitamin that everyone everywhere should be taking. I mean, it makes sense to prescribe Vitamin D with abandon in the midst of the low Vitamin D epidemic that doctors are reporting. And for the chronically ill population, Vitamin D is often the first thing that well-meaning friends and family recommend: "you just need more Vitamin D! Vitamin D is the root of everything! Vitamin D cures all."

But it turns out--and I can personally attest to this--that Vitamin D supplementation may not be appropriate or safe for everyone, even if your Vitamin D blood levels are low. I'm going to say that again:  Vitamin D is not appropriate for everyone, even if your D is in the toilet.

In fact, in certain genetically predisposed individuals, or those with a toxic load that is spiking their inflammation, Vitamin D supplementation can be like pouring gasoline on fire. And in some situations, as it was in mine, it can be one of the environmental triggers, or part of a combination of triggers, that sets off a much more serious pathology. You can read more about this and chronic illness predisposition in our blog post from earlier this week.

So, how does all this work, you're probably asking. How can Vitamin D ever be bad?

Well, in certain individuals, there is a Vitamin D Receptor [VDR] Bsm gene that (if expressing) can convert Vitamin D 25 (Vitamin D supplementation) really rapidly into the active form of Vitamin D called D 1, 25. When doctors check the Vitamin D level of these individuals, they often conclude that these individuals have low Vitamin D 25 levels, but if they were to also check their Vitamin D 1, 25 levels (the active form) they would find that the level is normal or actually way too high.

In this way, the more a person with the Vitamin D Receptor [VDR] Bsm gene keeps supplementing with too much Vitamin D, the worse and worse their inflammation becomes (and sometimes the worse they will actually feel) because this person has too much Vitamin D 1, 25 (the active form).

In other words, your Vitamin D levels may not really be as low as you and your doctors may think, and trying to supplement D may make things much much worse.

So what does all this mean for the everyday person? Biochemistry speak aside, here are some takeaways, and how you can empower yourself:

1. You need to know your genes. Recommend a 23 and me saliva test for $99. Run the results through the Variant Report on the MTHFR Nation for $30. See if your VDR Bsm SNP is flagged. (the report will mark it as yellow or red, depending on risk factor).
2. Determine if the gene is expressing or just skip step #1 to save money and your patience and start here: Ask that your doctor not only draw the standard Vitamin D 25, but also the active form of Vitamin D: 1, 25. If your Vitamin D 1, 25 is low, then small amounts of Vitamin D supplementation can be managed, as long as you closely monitor your Vitamin D 1, 25 levels to ensure you are not spiking your biochemistry or inflammation. If your Vitamin D: 1, 25 is normal or high, then supplementing with Vitamin D not advisable. If your Vitamin D 1, 25 is too high, then you need to start looking at the root cause of your inflammation. Root causes are best sussed out by a preliminary consultation with an epigenetic and body biochemistry specialist. For recommendations, please submit your question via Contact Us on this site, or find us on Facebook to submit a private message or comment.
3. If you are one of these fun VDR Bsm mutants (join the club! I'm part of it too!), the we need to get our D supplementation in the form of sulfated D from the sun between 8am and noon. This sulfated D is needed to fuel GcMAF in our bodies which is the very mechanism that empowers us to ward off stealth microbes, viruses, infections, bacteria, protozoa, and other critters (which can often aggravate a taxed immune system and drive up the 1, 25 form of Vitamin D). However, please note that if you do have a known toxic load, that sun can (in some cases) make you feel worse, so in many individuals lowering this load and clearing out your lymphatic system may be needed before Vitamin D in its sulfated form can be accepted by the body.
4. If you are chronically recovering, use the Vitamin D 1, 25 marker as a marker of inflammation in your body. This marker has become one of my most favorite ways of monitoring the levels of inflammation in my body, and in the bodies of my family.
5. If you decide to ignore all this and take standard Vitamin D supplementation with a VDR Bsm SNP regardless, then it is highly advised that you monitor your Vitamin D 1, 25 very closely to see if it is increasing your inflammation.

The science is always evolving, and so our research is always ongoing. As we and others in the field unearth more, we will post updates on this subject.

DISCLAIMER: We are not doctors, and none of contents of this article can be taken as medical advice. Please proceed with caution.

Is There a Predisposition for Chronic Illness?

Since we published our first blog post in January 2016, the most popular and frequently asked question that we receive is the following: "is there any way to know if I will become chronically ill?" This question has been asked by both the "healthy" population and those in the midst of recovering the quality of their lives.

It is a difficult question, but a hugely important one, particularly when it comes to prevention. However, I am neither a doctor nor a fortune teller, so all I can offer is my experience as a patient in the underground world of chronic recovery. Please note, though, as a disclaimer, that The Accidental Purist is not dispensing medical advice, and that all material in this post is in the spirit of sharing cutting-edge information, much of which is solid and grounded, but has yet to reach wider allopathic medicine.

With that disclaimer in place, there is one concept that continues to stand out when it comes to illness and dis-ease, and it is this: our unique genetic imprint loads the gun, but environmental factors inevitably pull the trigger.

What does that mean, exactly? Well, it means that our genetics lay the foundation for potential illness in our lives, but that it is the way we live our lives, what we are exposed to, what we endure, how we handle external circumstances, and more, that can literally turn those predisposed genes on and off like a light switch, and that can, in turn, alter the very mechanisms of our bodies.

The environmental factors that can turn on these "predisposed genes" are infinite. Even in a "predisposed" individual, not all environmental factors will trigger or affect these sensitive genes; however, clinical and medical observation in the treatment of the chronically ill show that we are essentially playing Russian roulette--that if we have these sensitive genes, we never know which of the factors or combination of factors or length of exposure to these factors will ultimately pull the trigger. We just know they do.

Case in point: my illness arrived in a myriad of factors: (1) exposure to a water-damaged government building where I spent 40-50 hours a week working, (2) drinking tap water in this same building, (3) pregnancy, (4) financial stress, (5) unresolved historical emotional trauma, (6) a dog scratch, (7) ineffective coping mechanisms for stress, (8) high dose Vitamin D supplementation, (9) ongoing and ignorant exposure to food and product sources, and (10) history of birth control use, antibiotics, and vaccinations.

So am I saying that these factors would make anyone chronically ill? No. Am I saying that these factors in and of themselves are harmful? Not necessarily. Am I saying that this unique combination and history of factors for me and for my unique genetic predisposition were enough to unravel my metabolism, microbiome, health, and quality of life literally overnight?  Absolutely.

Many people ask me, was there anyway you could have known? They wonder if there was any way I could have prevented it. If something could have been done. And the answer is YES. Yes, there were red flags (had I or my primary care physician known what to look for) that could have served as a powerful and preventive measure in the course of my health.

So what are these red flags? Well, without going all Gattaca on everyone, I now realize that there are markers in my genetic code that

1. make me a part of this "predisposed" group and
2. suggest a sensitivity to "everyday factors" that do not seem detrimental for the majority of the population, but are for me.

Am I saying that genes are our destiny? Absolutely not! Have I witnessed how we can rise above our genes, turn them off and on, and heal from misfiring genes gone awry? Yes, and it's miraculous. However, the point here is that genes load the gun, and our lifestyle can pull the trigger or keep it in neutral.

So, what are these red flags, and what do I (as a mere patient) recommend for the everyday person, either currently healthy or in a journey towards recovery?

Before I list these factors, and what you can do to empower yourself, you first need to answer this difficult question: Do you even want to know?This is an odd question, but I have received a wide spectrum of answers, including

• "ignorance is bliss,"
• "if my health collapses, I'll deal with it,"
• "hell no,"
• "hell yes!"
• "I want to KNOW; knowledge is power,"
• "I want to make the best choices for myself and my family," or
• "leave me alone; you're just a weird freak of nature. All of these so-called environmental factors are safe, so stop creating conspiracy theories."

And these are all perfectly reasonable responses, but at the end of the day it all comes down to this: do you want the red pill or the blue pill? If you take the blue pill, the story ends; you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. If you take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and you'll see how deep the epigenetic rabbit hole goes.

Okay, so if you're still reading this post, I assume you have swallowed the red pill, and are ready to go down the rabbit hole. So here we go. The information presented below is a summary of my entire 4 years of collective knowledge and study as a patient and student of some of the top minds in the epigenetics world. Everyday, we are learning, and everyday we are edging closer to better preventative care, but for now here is where the current thinking resides. As always, continue to submit your excellent inquiries. Knowledge is power, and conversation is awareness, and as the science continues to emerge, we will continue to post.

Step You Can Take Today:

Know Your Genetics

• Get a 23 and Me genetic test. It's $99. You can order online, spit into the lab container, and mail. You will receive your results in the mail.
• Run your report through the Variant report on MTHFR Nation. It costs $30.
• Make a consultation appointment with an MTHFR Nation specialist to understand your genetic predisposition, and direction in how to tell if they are expressing, and, if they are, what to do about it. Consultations run between $175-$500 depending on the practitioner. For personal recommendations, please contact The Accidental Purist by Facebook messenger or via our Contact Us page.
• I would also HIGHLY urge you to run your HLA genetic panel, as the Variant report above does not fully include all HLA genetic information. These HLA genes are some of the most important, so I would not skip them, particularly because 98% of people who have health concerns, have these genes! And they are expressing. The good news? Insurance covers it. Here is the lab order to bring to your doctor. It's the first row in the Test Requisition Sheet (HLA DR by PCR).

Flag and Follow Up on Predisposed Genes

At this point in time, clinical research--and even a decent collection of PubMed publications--has begun to notice that human beings with chronic illness and/or health concerns (allergies, asthma, other) generally have one or groups of these predisposed genes.

If your Variant Report is marked (in the red, or yellow) for any of the following allele makers, I would urge you to read this fabulous article as to why they are worth looking at it, and what they mean, and then to seek out an MTHFR Nation specialist to determine the degree to which they are expressing in your body or potentially setting you up for a crisis. Here are the genes to pay attention to:

• FVL
• F2 (Prothrombin 20210A)
• FUT2
• MTHFR
• G6PD
• APOE 2 and 4
• VDR
• COMT
• GAD

For your HLA panel, most allopathic doctors do not know how to interpret these tests, even if they know how to order them. So, to determine your HLA alleles, you need to use your lab results and plug in your numbers into this HLA calculator. This will generate your HLA alleles. If you have any of these HLA alleles as shown in the image below, it is strongly encouraged to run additional labs via your local doctor to determine the degree of expression.. These labs are listed on this lab order form that you can take to your local doctor (and that insurance usually covers). These labs include the following:

• MSH (LabCorp)
• C4A (Quest through National Jewish Medical Center only)
• TGF Beta 1 (Quest)
• MMP9 (LabCorp)

If your HLA genes are expressing, then strongly consider consulting an environmentally-aware doctor. You can see an excellent list of doctors here

Know the List of Potential Environmental Triggers

If you have significant gene predisposition via your Variant Report or HLA panel, I strongly encourage you to seek out preventive care from the specialists linked above, to follow-up on lab work to determine degree of expression (if at all), and to consider that the following environmental triggers may be a factor for your health.

Note that not all environmental factors are triggers in the same person. There are infinite possibilities, combinations, duration, and history that must also be taken into account. As I mentioned above, the science currently on what factors ignite what genetics is still in progress, and, hence, we are essentially playing Russian roulette. For that reason, it is advised to examine one's own life, and make changes one day at a time to increase your odds of maintaining your health--which is the ultimate goal and passion of The Accidental Purist. 

Environmental Factors:

• Presence of mold or mycotoxins in your work or home life--even if water damage history is not present, or even if a building or home has been remediated.
• Herbicide, insecticide, or other pollutants on your produce.
• Chemicals and other preservatives (including MSG) in your processed or take-out or restaurant food.
• Flouride in your water.
• Pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, NSAIDs, antidepressants, birth control, or other off the shelf medications. 
• Vaccinations.
• Metals in your amalgams, cookware, or implants.
• Root canals or cavitattions from teeth extractions (including wisdom teeth)
• Food or water poisoning 
• Breast implants.
• GMO food
• Significant life change: divorce, pregnancy, new job, loss of job, loss of home, loss of financial security, breakup, etc.
• High stress, lack of stress management or meditation
• History of emotional trauma, even if it has been addressed in therapy
• Taking high Vitamin D, folic acid, methyl B vitamins, or other vitamin supplementation.
• Low self esteem
• Burning the candle at both ends/Type A personality or controlling behavior
• Tick, mosquito, or spider bites

So, are you still glad you chose the red pill? We at The Accidental Purist feel that the red pill is the smartest, safest way to go, and that eyes wide open is the first step towards awareness, acceptance, prevention, and refinement of this knowledge for (hopefully) standard application in allopathic medical care.

Please keep asking questions. Keep learning. Keep reaching out, and thank you for including us in your journey.

We Love Your Health Inquiries So Much: Stay Tuned for Upcoming Blog Series

The Accidental Purist has been up and running since January 2016, and since that time, we have received hundreds of health-related questions from parents, athletes, folks grappling with physical concerns,folks trying to sustain and maximize health, and those working hard to recover their wellness and quality of life. We have been overwhelmed and honored by such ongoing inquiries, that we are planning to begin a new blog series on health-related topics.

A few things to note:

1. We are not doctors. Please always consult your attending physician in all matters concerning your health. Period. This serves as a medical disclaimer. 
2. What we can offer you is the voice of experience (in pediatric, alternative, and integrative healing circles) and a potential direction to take your inquiry and personal health journey. 

Our health series will be published in the HEALTH section of the site, and the topics will be addressing (anonymously, of course) inquiries we have received in the past and those we are receiving presently.

As always, don't be shy to submit your questions or interests to our CONTACT page, or even a private message on our Facebook page. 

Stay tuned for our blog series! 

In health and happiness xxx

Daily Probiotic Supplementation?

Quick Tip: For fast recommendations without reading all the "science," skip ahead to the BOTTOM LINE RECOMMENDATIONS at the end of this article. However, I'd strongly encourage you to read the article in its entirety for context.

The most popular question we receive at The Accidental Purist is whether you, your children, or your pets should be taking a daily probiotic supplement.This is such a loaded question, and one that science (as recognized by mainstream allopathic circles) is currently and actively pursuing. However, in the holistic or "alternative" health world, probiotics have been drastically reversing autoimmunity, previously labeled "incurable" conditions, softening the blow of chemotherapy, supporting the recoveries of autism, and instrumental in the fight against Lyme, and many other highly controversial diagnoses. Daily supplementation has also been linked to less respiratory, urinary, and ear infections in children, as well as less incidences of depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

However, "where is the SCIENCE in all this?" you may ask. And isn't that always the question. We disbelieved that the world was round; we disbelieved in the existence of atoms because we could not see them. There is a long pattern in humanity of questioning and inquiring until we see the PROOF, even though the answer lay in front of us 50-100 years before Pub Med and mainstream circles say "this exists."

With that said, there are have been incredible breakthrough studies regarding the efficacy of probiotics. Most profoundly, the Human Microbiome Project, funded by the NIH (yes--the NIH!), is showing that autoimmune disease, depression, autism, anxiety, bipolar, cancer, and Lyme are HIGHLY correlated with low diversity of gut bacteria in our microbiome, overgrowth of pathogenic species, and deficiencies in beneficial bacteria species. It is theorized that disease begins (in the mind, in the body) when our bacteria (good and bad) are out of alignment.  

The idea that bacteria could dictate so much of who we are and how we feel is such a contradiction from our previous 20th-century fixation on antibiotics and destroying invaders and pathogens. In the 21st century, we are slowly coming to understand that bacteria--good bacteria--is the greatest offensive player you want on your team! 

This is what scientists know now: your body houses hundreds of trillions of bacteria, many of which reside in your gastrointestinal tract. Of those gut bacteria, 90 percent appear to be system-supporting or “friendly” – those are the probiotics. The root of the word probiotic comes from the Greek word pro, meaning “promoting,” and biotic, meaning “life.” The discovery of probiotics came about in the early 20th century, when Elie Metchnikoff, known as the “father of probiotics,” had observed that rural dwellers in Bulgaria lived to very old ages despite extreme poverty and harsh climate. He theorized that health could be enhanced and senility delayed by manipulating the intestinal microbiome with host-friendly bacteria found in sour milk. Since then, research has continued to support his findings along with suggesting even more benefits.

Plenty of evidence shows that a diverse population of gut bacteria aids digestion and immune health. Two bacteria strains in particular, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, seem to be supportive. One recent U.K. study found Lactobacillus may combat the type of insulin resistance that contributes to obesity and the development of type 2 diabetes. If the tight junctions between the cells in the lining of your gut break down, the gap allows “inflammation-causing agents” to get into your bloodstream and cause trouble. But probiotics appear to seal those junctions and prevent this “leaky gut” situation.

Maintaining the correct balance between these bacteria is necessary for optimal health. Age, genetics, and diet may influence the composition of the bacteria in the body (microbiota). An imbalance is called dysbiosis, and this has possible links to diseases of the intestinal tract, including ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac desease, and Crohn’s disease, as well as more systemic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Google the scientific literature on probiotics, and you’ll see hundreds of similar statements. The power of probiotics is infinite. What everyone is trying to figure out now is how to get the right types of bacteria to perform in your body. This is where current research is heading, but what is known is that taking probiotics does not harm us. Consuming beneficial or "pro-life" bacteria  on a daily basis - yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and taking a probiotic supplement on a daily basis – give your body a chance to decide which bacteria it needs to be repopulated with.

Professor Mark Lyte and associates at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have come up with a radical concept: that you may be able to fine-tune your mental and emotional states by the right combination of probiotics. “There is already evidence to suggest that the connection between gut microbes and the nervous system represents a viable route for influencing neurological function. A recent study in mice, for example, showed that the presence of neurochemicals such a serotonin in the bloodstream was due to direct uptake from the gut.” Professor Mark Lyte continues: “Neurochemicals such as GABA may be viewed as a common shared language enabling interkingdom signaling between prokaryotes (e.g., probiotic bacteria) and eukaryotes (e.g., vertebrates),” Lyte said in a BioEssays paper. For example, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria produce GABA, which is known to reduce stress and anxiety (GABA may also reduce inflammation in colitis and intestinal bowel disease), he said.

So what is the bottom line with all this? What does it mean for us as humans and parents and pet owners? Should we all just start taking probiotics?

In the past, I would say YES--everyone should be taking probiotics. But in the last six months of my own health journey, it has become increasingly clear that the STRAINS and amounts we take of probiotics are unique to each body. For example, if a person has Small Intestinal Overgrowth (which around 70% of Americans have--and don't even know it!) consuming probiotic foods that are strongly fermented or taking probiotic supplements with Pectin or Inulin can really make things much much worse. Or, in a person who has hypermobile joints, strains such as Lactobacillus GG can make a huge difference in collagen regulation, rebuilding, and metabolism. Also, everyone has their own unique genetic wiring that is built to process and manage different strains and nutrients differently. We are as unique as the fingerprints on our thumbs when it comes to our genetic and metabolic makeup, and our microbiome--and its needs--changes every minute of everyday, and with every experience, encounter, and acute illness.

In other words, the type, amount, and stains we need is a hugely complex science, and one that scientists are working hard to decode. 

So where does that leave the everyday person who does not have time to acquire a Ph.D. in biochemistry? Here are a few next steps, I'd highly encourage.

BOTTOM-LINE RECOMMENDATIONS

• If you have the money to spare, I would strongly consider testing to see what, exactly, your microbiome is doing by taking a GI Effects Comprehensive Stool Test (yes, it will involve your poop). Not all doctors know or give these tests, but you can ask your primary doctor if he/she could open an account (no cost) and order one for you. Or, if they look at you with strange eyes, you can go to a functional or intergrative doctor, OR you can order one yourself. If a doctor orders this test, it will cost $99. If you have to order yourself, it will cost you $500. Note that these tests are not 100% accurate. But they do provide an overall picture.
• If you do not have money to spare for testing, then the safest rule of thumb with probiotics is to work with single strain supplements and two basic building blocks that orchestrate all other strains--Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. The basic rule to follow here is that "less is more." Taking less, can benefit you hugely. 
• So where does one find these single-strain "mother of all probiotics"? There are so many brands on the market, but the only brand with scientific case studies and backing (and one that I use for my family and can vouch for) are made by Natren. Check out Megadophilus (dairy-free capsules or powder) and Bifido Factor (dairy-free capsules or powders)
• For babies and toddlers, I would strongly encourage a very gentle probiotic powder made by Natren as well, called Life Start.
• Natren also provides recommendations for pets!
• If you and your children do well with this daily supplementation, then you can explore other probiotic sources, such as kefir, yogurt, and homemade ferment foods (to be detailed in another post).
• If you notice any side effects or dramatic worsening of preexisting conditions while consuming these supplements, then it is STRONGLY advised to seek out the care of a functional or integrative doctor for further testing and observation. Often, strong reactions indicate an underlying immune condition that needs greater supervision, care, other probiotic recommendations, and diagnosis.

For now, it is clear that probiotics play a HUGE role in immunity, and that doing the basic supplementation can go a long way in nurturing your microbiome.

Eye Infection: Meet The Almighty Tea Bag

Last summer, I was hit with the worst flu imaginable. Why was it the WORST? Because it went into my right eye and presented as the single most painful terrible eye infection I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing. 

We've all been there with eye infections: redness, ceaseless watering, sensitivity to air and light and maybe even sound, pus and discharge, and referred pain through the head and the back of the skull, and let us not forget waking in the morning with our eyes sealed shut with nature's most adhesive Elmer's glue.

Eye infections are common, and often complications from viruses. But they can also be bacterial. Babies and toddlers can even experience eye complications of this nature while teething, when their immune systems are on high alert managing the natural inflammation from sprouting a new tooth.

There are many ways to treat these infections, and everyone has a preference, and this is a subject I will discuss at a later time. However, for instant relief while sorting out your treatment path, I have to say that my life-saver for instant relief of pain and watering and misery is a cold, moist black tea bag. 

Yeah, that's right. A tea bag. For 2 weeks while my flu and infection healed, I sported a David-Bowie-esque eye patch I fashioned from the following:

• black tea bag that was moist and kept in the freezer for 10 minutes
• medical gauze patch (I use latex-free)
• medical tape

With these supplies, I was able to place the tea bag under the medical gauze, and then use the medical tape to secure my fancy new eye patch on all four sides. I used a fresh tea bag and repeated these measures 6-8 times a day.

This provided relief, returned functionality, worked wonderfully while I sorted out my treatment plan. 

I highly recommend the almighty black tea bag! Go forth, a relieve your eye.

Cough Elixir

October through March are the breeding grounds of upper respiratory infections and these all too often complicate into coughs. Coughs are not a bad thing; they are a logical attempt on the part of our body to expel virus and bacteria. Still, they do not feel great, and, to the sufferer, it is hard to appreciate the wisdom of our bodies when coughing plagues our days and keeps us from sleeping at night.

CVS or any chain pharmacy have lots of synthetic options for taming a cough--NyQuil and standard cough syrups line the white shelves of any convenient outlet. For some, taking these products seems to quell the symptoms. For others, there is no change. For others the ingestion of these products can perpetuate the condition. Many in the natural health field say that products such as these are the "nighttime sugar-laden, symptom masking, immunity compromising, hallucination inducing, weirdest-sleep-you've-ever-had-with-a-cold medicine," and attempt to break down the harmful ingredients in these products and its potential damage to the body's balance.

Whatever your stance on this debate may be,  I can only speak personally as someone who is dealing with multiple illnesses and, as an immuno-compromised human, remedies such as Nyquil can be like pouring gasoline on a fire. As such, one of my goals on this journey has been to find natural remedies--from the earth, from tradition--to treat myself and my family. 

For my toddler-aged daughter, one of my favorite cough remedies is honey. We use raw Manuka honey, and it is truly magical in a tiny body struggling to expel a virus. Honey has incredible properties as an antimicrobial (a natural antibiotic) and a mucosal-lining agent that can soften raw or irritated tissue. The NIH has a wonderful a wonderful study from 2011 on the medicinal powers of honey.

For now, while you are off becoming an expert on honey, here are a few ways we've used Mankua for our daughter's coughs and viruses: 

• For dry coughs, we mix honey and a few organic grapes. We juice the grapes and then mix with honey in a pot, and simmer until we have a warm tea.
• For a nighttime cough, we've had success mixing honey with warm milk (we use raw milk from the farm--look for an upcoming post on this).
• Also for a nightmare cough, we've had great success mixing honey with warm spring water and slippery elm.
• For a cough that is persistent throughout the day, we have often mixed honey and fresh lemon juice in a glass of warm spring water, and taken this remedy three times a day.

These are great remedies for children, as they taste good and they provide instant relief, are from the earth, and provide inherent healing properties.