10 Ways to stay Hydrated

The Nutrition Information center at the New York Hospital, Cornall Medical Center offers the following tips for maintaining proper Hydration. 

1. Follow conventional wisdom - drink at least 8, eight ounces of water per day. The more time you spend outside, the more water you need to replenish lost fluids.
2. Do NOT wait until you are thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you have already lost two or more cups of your total body water (this is important as body water protects the integrity of your cells and aids in proper detoxification).
3. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Convenience is a must, so carry a bottle of water with you in all of your activities.
4. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE caffeinated coffees, teas and sodas for water. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, causing you to lose water through increased urination. Alcoholic beverages have a similar effect.
5. Keep a bottle of water on your desk if finding time to drink is a problem. Or, visit the office water cooler and take water breaks instead of coffee breaks.
6. Once you start exercising, DON"T stop drinking. Keep a bottle of water with you and take drinks often.
7. DO NOT underestimate the amounts of fluids lost due to perspiration. You need to drink two cups of water for each pound of lost following a workout.
8. Start and end your day with a serving of water. Your body looses water while you sleep. So drink a serving when you awake and before you go to bed.
9. Do NOT forget that common maladies like colds and the flu can frequently lead to dehydration. Keep a large bottle of water next to your bed so you can sip it throughout the day without having to get up.
10. Remember that when it's warm outside, cold water-not carbonated soft drinks or sports drinks- is the best for staying hydrated. Cool water is absorbed much more quickly than warm fluids and may have a positive effect on cooling off your overheated body.

Plant herbs to keep bugs away: Lavender, peppermint and tansy around the house will keep ants away. Plant them in the ground or in pots around doorways and place small pots of mint in your windowsills.

Natural ant control: dried peppermint, cayenne and borax help deter ants.

1. 1/4 cup (7.5g) dried peppermint leaves
2. 1/4 cup (35g) powdered cayenne
3. 1/4 cup (30g) borax
4. Mix together and sprinkle liberally around the area where ants are entering your home

Repel ants with oils of peppermint, citronella and spearmint essential oils by placing a few drops on cotton ball in the areas where the ants are. Renew oils every two days to keep scent strong.

Pepper spray: (great for ants and other small pests)

1. Boil 2 - 3 cups of water
2. Add about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of chopped hot pepper. Let marinade for a few minutes.
3. Run the mixture through a sieve to remove the peppers.
4. Put the liquid in a squirt bottle and use when necessary.

Be careful not to spray directly on foliage.

Minty Spray Soap: (great for ants)

1. Mix 2 tbsp of Dr. Bonner's mint soap with a gallon of water
2. Spray directly on ants.

Can be used to deter pests on foliage but be careful not to burn certain sensitive plants if too much is applied.

Pure vanilla extract dabbed behind the ears and on wrists and neck....many insects do not like the smell.

BUG OFF mist: Mix witch hazel with a few drops of tea tree oil, lavender oil, or peppermint oil in a squirt bottle.

Lightly mist your body. Use one of these oils to an unscented organic lotion as a bug repellent moisturizer.

Use lavender essential oil or tea tree on bites to ease the itch or burn.

Rub lavender flower behind the ears, wrists and neck, not only will you smell good but mosquitoes will stay away from you.                                                      (courtesy of garden Mandy)

Ear infections, while common, are not "normal". Healthy children should not get them. Historically in healthy societies they were very unusual. 99.9% of ear infections can be corrected by the parents at home. If you cannot get at least a 50% improvement in the child's condition within 6-24 hours see a knowledgeable practitioner (DC, ND, DO, or MD). An ear infection, like any other infection, indicates that something is amiss with either the child's diet, lifestyle, and/or physical body. The cause must be corrected for the cure to be permanent.

What to do:

1. Give garlic oil (see below) orally and in both ears. Older children may chew a fresh garlic clove.
2. Gently but thoroughly pull each ear in all directions 2-3x per day.
3. Gently massage/stroke the lymph nodes in a downward direction. Start in front of the ear just above the jaw joint, then right behind the ear, under the tip of the jaw toward the neck, down the sides, back, and front of neck and into the shoulders. If the lymph nodes are swollen rub a warming liniment into them. Massage 3-4x per day.
4. Have the child sleep with a warm hot water bottle (not an electric heating pad) next to the affected ear.
5. If they are old enough, have the child "yawn" 10x per hour (as you might do if you were trying to "pop" your ears) to open the Eustachian tube. This tube opens inside the mouth just above the tonsils. (guess why tonsils are there?) In infants do a soft palate massage. (See a knowledgeable practitioner.)
6. Have the child checked for the cause(s) of the ear aches.
7. Have a good Chiropractor adjust the child's neck.
8. Eliminate/avoid any allergens.
9. Keep the head warm, especially when outdoors. Avoid drafts. Certain supplements needed, please call for assistance.

Hydrogen Peroxide has been known to assist in early onset ear issues...call practitioner for details.

Sore throats usually caused by a viral infection but can be bacterial as well. Natural remedies treat the infection and the inflammation.

Gargle with cayenne: It will temporarily relieve the pain. Half a cup of warm water, one tablespoon of lemon juice, one teaspoon of salt and a dash of powdered cayenne. Gargle with this several times a day.

Hydrogen peroxide is also a good solution mixed with a little water to gargle with. Hydrogen peroxide will kill any bacteria.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic and is a wonderful ally for the immune system. Eat two cloves of garlic at the start of a sore throat. Can be minced and mixed in hot miso or chicken soup just before serving.

Echinacea is good to support the immune system and Elderberry will stop the virus from replicating. Take 1/2 teaspoon of echinacea extract and 1 teaspoon of elderberry extract in a quarter cup of warm water (60ml) about three times a day.

Ginger and peppermint soothe inflammation and marshmallow soothes irritated tissue:

1. 250ml of water (1cup)
2. 1 teaspoon of marshmallow root
3. 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped ginger root
4. 1 teaspoon of dried peppermint
5. Simmer the ginger and marshmallow in covered pot for 5 min. Remove and add peppermint, cover and allow to steep for 10min.
6. strain and sweeten if needed and drink as often as needed.

Gargle with sage and sea salt: (sage has astringent properties and salt is an antiseptic)

1. 1 cup (250ml) of boiling water
2. 2 teaspoons dried sage and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3. Pour the water over the sage, cover and steep for 10min. Strain and add the sea salt and gargle with this warm solution several times a day.

Tea tree oil gargle is also recommended and will be helpful. Tea tree is a natural antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal.

Colloidal silver (high quality) is also very helpful to gargle with as it also has antiviral, anti fungal and antibacterial properties. It can also be taken internally in moderation to support the Immune system.

Garlic Oil
Preparation:

1. Take a 1 ounce dropper bottle and fill 1/2 way with fresh minced garlic.
2. Fill it the rest of the way with extra virgin olive oil.
3. Shake vigorously ten times.
4. Allow it to set at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

It's ready to use.

Storage:  Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Application:

1. Oral - Infants and children to age three give 3-6 dropper fulls a day. With infants be sure not to get any pieces of garlic in the dropper; it's OK for older children.
2. Oral - Children over age six should chew garlic cloves fresh and swallow with some bread.
3. Ears - Squirt one dropper full into the ears 2-3x per day, and pack the ear with cotton. Make sure the piece of cotton is easy to remove, and don't let the child pull or push on the cotton plug. You may want to do this when they are asleep.

Uses:

1. Oral garlic for any systemic or ear infection.
2. Garlic oil in the ears for ear infections. This includes children with tubes in the ears or perforated eardrums.
3. For fungal skin infections, take orally and rub into the affected area.

Depending on the cause there a many different Natural Remedies to assist. It is necessary to try and establish the antagonist. The MSA or Muscle testing is a good tool to use for this.

The nettie pot with salt solution or Colloidal Silver,  Homeopathic remedies and essential oils all help to clear the nasal passage of Viral infections, bacteria, and is even anti fungal

Coffee used in this manner has a different effect on the body than if it were ingested orally, as it does not go through the normal digestion process. It is beneficial because it help the liver to throw off toxins.

Please use only organic coffee.

Coffee (Organic) enemas are used in cases of degenerative disease to help stimulate the liver to excrete toxins or “poison bile.” This kind of enema is called a retention enema because it is held in or retained for fifteen minutes.

1. Coffee solution: Place two quarts of steam distilled water in a pan (64 ounces)
2. Add six heaping tablespoons of ground coffee (NOT instant or decaf and only organic)
3. Boil for fifteen minutes. Let cool and strain.
4. ONLY use one pint (16 ounces) of coffee at a time - save the rest in a jar.

Coffee enemas are also used whilst fasting to relieve headaches caused by the build-up of toxins during detoxification.

Do not abuse only use once daily, unless under direction or care of a health practitioner.

Do not use petroleum jelly on the tip of the enema-- Instead use a 200IU capsule of Vitamin E to lubricate the end. Stick a pin in the end of the capsule and squeeze the liquid onto the tip. This has a healing effect on the anus and the lining of the inside of the colon should these be inflamed. Try to retain enema for at least 15 minutes. (or Tocophodermis, found at Nutri-Dyn on links page)

Potato skin broth/ Potassium broth (usually a good idea for someone who is in danger of dehydration.)

1.  Peel the skins of 3 -6 potatoes. Cut out any flaws
2.  Put the peels in a pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water.
3.  May add onion and or parsley for taste
4.  Simmer for 30 - 60 minutes (until mushy consistency)
5.  Strain the mixture and keep the liquid.
6.  Salt to taste and sip the liquid. If very ill (bad flu, chemotherapy exhaustion, any exhaustion condition, nausea) take 1/8tsp at a  time, swish in the mouth slowly, swallow slowly, wait a few minutes, repeat. This works well with anyone unable to keep food or water  down because of illness.

May eat the strained part as well if desired.