Garlic vs. Antibiotics

Yesterday morning, Dan, my fiance, woke up with a horrible cough, sore throat, aches everywhere, and a stuffy nose. Also, he couldn't taste or smell anything whatsoever! He is a bartender/server and has to be around customers stifling a cough the whole shift....not necessarily an easy thing to do! He had to leave the house quick so he didn't take anything for the cough before he left besides a few cough drops. I knew I had to get him something to take when he got home. He is in a band which is playing tonight. He is the main singer and certainly needed his voice for tonight and to not cough into the microphone while they are playing!! Plus it would help, in general not to be sick and feeling miserable.

I hate having to resort to unnatural ways to heal sicknesses. I am a firm believer in natural medicine and healing through nutrition and herbs. I am a certified Herbalist through the School of Natural Healing, still working on my certification to be a Master Herbalist.
Anyways, people often think that once they get sick, the only option you have is to go to a doctor and take the prescribed antibiotics. But isn't there another way? A more effective way?

Of course there is! And often without even leaving the comfort of your home.

Yes, antibiotics will reduce your symptoms and temporarily make you feel better. But are antibiotics healthy for your body and will they truly help you?

The answer is no. Antibiotics wipe out your bacteria in your body. That sounds good right? Not so. Antibiotics are not specific to the harmful bacteria in your body. They kill the bad along with the good. This means that your sickness is wiped out as well as your body's immune system. So even though you may temporarily be relieved of your symptoms, until your body is actually able to build up healthy bacteria again, you are now even MORE susceptible to sickness and disease because your body now has nothing to fight sickness off with.

So what are your other options?

One of the greatest natural antibiotics is raw garlic. Yes, garlic. It has powerful antibiotic, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. And the wonderful thing about it, is that it will not kill off your good bacteria along with the bad! The best way to take it is in it's raw state. When you cook it, garlic loses much of it's medicinal properties.

There are many ways to get garlic down. Everyone will agree that garlic is one potent plant! When I take it, I peel a whole clove, chew it 3-4 times to get the juices and antibiotic properties flowing, and swallow it down with a cup of orange juice like a pill. It's not too hard to take. My little brothers and sisters will take it down with a spoonful of applesauce. You can also take it down with a spoonful of raw honey(make sure it's raw!) and some raw apple cider vinegar for a very effective remedy. Take garlic several times a day when you're trying to fight off infection!

Yesterday, when Dan got off work, he ate a quick snack.. which he couldn't taste, and I had him take garlic down with orange juice before he went to practice his music with the guys. He was so stuffed up that he couldn't taste the garlic at all when he took it! And for garlic being so potent, that's saying something! On his way to his friends house, he got hungry and stopped somewhere for a sandwich. He said the garlic had cleared him out enough for him to taste the sandwich a little already!

When he got home, I had gotten a few other things for him to take. He isn't all that used to taking natural medicine to heal himself as I am. I grew up with it and have studied it alot. He has been used to going to the doctor or using cough syrups and over-the-counter drugs to heal sickness. So of course, he asked me to grab him some Dayquil because that is what he is used to. I bought some for him just so he would have it, but I also got him some other things. ;) One of my favorite antibiotic formulas is from Dr. Christopher's products. X-Ceptic.

This is such a powerful tincture. It definitely isn't the greatest tasting combination, but it produces wonderful results. I had Dan take two dropperfuls of this. There is garlic in this formula which we have already talked about. There is also cayenne which will enhance the properties of all the other herbs in this formula as well as stimulate the system. All the other herbs are highly antiseptic and antibiotic, making this formula very effective.

I also had him take high doses of Vitamin C, through Emergen-C packets. These have 1000 mg of calcium in each serving. It's definitely not my first choice to use because the calcium isn't through herbs or food, but they definitely help.

I gave Dan the combination of these herbs and formulas several times since last night. He is feeling tons better!! He can taste better now! The first time Dan took the X-Ceptic last night he said that it didn't taste that bad... just like a little bit of alcohol. Well, I know for a fact that it tastes horrible! This morning when he took it, he definitely changed his mind. :) He now agrees with me about the taste.

All these things combined with a good nights sleep is bound to help your cold go away sooner. And you'll be better off because your immune system won't be wiped out at the end of it! I am slowly making Dan a firm believer in natural ways of healing the body. I can't wait to go listen to him sing tonight and see that he is better. :)