My conspicuous absence from all things interwebby has, unfortunately, been spurred by my latest brush with the Martian Death Flu, or something just as horrific with a clinically unpronounceable name.
- Do I feel horrible? Yes.
- Have I been to see a doctor? No, as I am pretty certain I have a good chance of surviving this on my own
- Am I using Medical Science? Yes. OTC phlegm-fighting goodness
- Why are we discussing this? See below. . .
As we have discussed before, I am a firm believer in the fact that science is the only thing that will save us from ourselves. I could go on a rant about homeopathic "cures", people who are "pro-disease" (read: anti-vaxxers), and a host of other "thoughts and prayers" feel-good stories I've heard about this thing or that thing working, but I'm not. I don't give credence to detoxifying and cleansing foods/smoothies/elixirs, because they tend to do nothing of the sort (unless you consider screaming diarrhea "cleansing") I have a liver and kidneys for that, and they work just fine. I just want to make it perfectly clear that my stance on medicine is, usually, bring on the science.
Now, that being said, there is still something to be gained in what I like to call "grandma's kitchen" remedies. You all know the ones--your grandmother or some other learned relative or friend knew how to make this poultice or that salve which just worked wonders for whatever the heck was wrong with you at the time. Before medical science had advanced to the point of realizing microscopic organisms were responsible for disease, people had developed an understanding of using foods and herbs to help ward off diseases. Some foods, such as garlic, cabbage, and honey have antibiotic properties. This doesn't mean you should rely solely on any of these when illnesses occur (let's face it, strep will kill you pretty efficiently), but they can sometimes help add some comfort when you're on the mend.
As an aficionado of hot foods, my grandmother would always have something in her kitchen that would open my head up even when I had the worst cold or attack of allergies. As such, when I get into the situation I'm in now, I will tend towards excessively spicy foods for relief and a better breathing experience. Most of the time, I will snatch a spoonful or three of a homemade barbecue/salsa sauce that probably has enough capsaisin to classify it as a lethal weapon in some parts of the world. Other times, I will mix up a little concoction composed of water, cider vinegar, ginger (because I like the flavor), and copious amounts of cayenne pepper. Wives' tales abound about cayenne's curative properties, but the one fact is that cayenne will get the juices flowing. Ergo, when things get a little stopped up in the head region, I take a shot or two and get back to what I was doing.
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| 6 oz. water, 2 Tbsp. ACV, 2 Tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, and a little ginger. |
The main thing to remember, though, is that everything you eat or drink causes a change in your body. Adding a food allergy to your symptoms would not be a fun ride, nor would eating the enamel off of your teeth because you didn't dilute your Apple Cider Vinegar well enough. How medicines work can be affected by food, drink, or herbal supplements, also. Before you try an herbal this or an old-fashioned that, you should discuss its effect with your doctor. Most family practitioners have heard it all, and they are pretty good at determining whether or not Aunt Saidie's Chicken Soup cure will be comforting or detrimental to your treatment.
So, for those of you that have asked, this is the reason I haven't been around much the last couple of days. The illness is on its way out, and we will get back to our regularly-scheduled programming very soon. For now, I'm going to go grab some tea and watch some sci-fi reruns.
Stay warm and cozy, adventurers!
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