Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Covid 19 and herbal medicine

Here we are in the midst of Lockdown 2020 because of a virus that is causing havoc in the world. I'm writing this to express my amazement that no sensible guidelines have been issued on how to improve your general health and your immunity. It's almost like the scientific community doesn't believe that a healthy person can shrug off covid 19. I'm sure that most people don't believe it either. Many people do get it and recover very nicely, but the association is not loudly made - that these people's immune systems were strong, that's why they were not severely impacted.

There is so much one can do to improve one's health and immunity. During the panic buying that took place before lockdown, I observed shopping trollies full of chips and fizzy drinks! I can just imagine people lounging about in front of the TV or computer eating snacks all day. No warnings have been issued that this might be very bad for you if you were to get the virus, and make the illness more difficult to treat. You are what you eat. A diet full of sugar, fat, salt and flour, is going to increase the chances of getting the virus, and increases the chances of getting complications. It is already known that the typical western diet causes diabetes, heart disease, obesity, hypertension and that people who suffer from these diseases are more at risk of dying from covid 19.

Anyway, these days if the phrase"scientific evidence" does not appear in front of a statement, no matter how sensible, it is likely to be dismissed. I'm just going to suggest some broad guidelines that could improve your chances of having a very mild case of this viral infection, if you are to get it at all.

Avoid or reduce mucus forming foods: dairy; sugar; baked goods; deep fried foods.
Eat more salads and fresh greens, raw vegetables, garlic, onions and horseradish. These prevent mucus and keep mucus thin. (one of the deadly problems of covid 19, is how the lungs fill up with mucus).
Exercise to keep good blood flow. (They say sitting is the new smoking.)
Get plenty of fresh air and relaxation.
Include some herbs in your cooking like rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano. Have some garlic every day.
Take cod liver oil.

I am a great believer in empowerment and spend a lot of time helping people understand their bodies and how to help themselves:


I just found out about this cool, woman-owned startup that I think you'll like - especially if you've been wanting to learn more about herbal healing. They're called Apothecary At Home. It's a box-subscription that introduces you to the world of herbalism, one hand-curated package at a time. Each month they send you 1-3 new herbs to get familiar with, medicine-making projects to do at home, and handy study resources to help you learn the concepts we herbalists use every day.


The world needs more healers - especially in these crazy times. I love that they're making this knowledge accessible to folks who might face obstacles trying to attend traditional herbal schools.

Apothecary At Home is launching soon, and to celebrate, they're giving away a lifetime subscription. Learn more and enter the giveaway here: https://apothecary-at-home.cratejoy.com/


Take care and stay safe!