DAY 11 OF JAR'S 12 DAYS OF ZERO WASTE CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS: Zero Waste Be Healthy Baskets
‘Tis not only the season to be jolly, but also to stay healthy. I first should say that I’m not a doctor. I also don’t play one on TV. I once was accepted to medical school, but that’s another story for another time. Here’s the gist: We legally can’t say that plants are medicine nor can we legally give you medical advice. However, what we CAN do is tell you that Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” You can draw your own conclusions and move along.
The flu season is upon us. So is sinusitis season, bronchitis season and most any respiratory illness season. What I can tell you is my own story and remedy (I’m Amber Powers by the way. Nice to meet you.)
My History With Sinus Infections
Sinus infections (aka sinusitis) hit people differently. I assume a lot of it has to do with each person’s immune system. Mine was known to be complete crap. It wasn’t unusual at all for me to get upwards of 10 sinus infections a year. These weren’t your typical sinus infections. They would knock me all the way down for a week or more with high fevers and all. That meant that some years, I was spending 40-50% of my time healing. That’s no way to live. Only recently have I found some preventative measures that work for me about 80% of the time. Again, not medical advice. I’m simply sharing what works for me and why.
Prevention
Every day, I take 1000 mg of L-Lysine. This amino acid is necessary for human life, but our bodies don’t naturally make it. If we’re not eating foods rich in it, our bodies could be lacking. According to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, “…Lysine has antiviral effects by blocking the activity of arginine.”
The First Sign of Illness
Most of us have been around long enough to know what our bodies feel like when they’re on the brink of cold/flu/sinusitis symptoms. For me, it’s sinus pressure, a tickle in my throat and my body just starts to feel like it’s made of bricks. So, here’s what I do first. See that kit up there? It makes about 20-24 oz of syrup after you follow the instructions. It can be made without honey, but I wouldn’t suggest it. Local honey is known to boost your immune system. I eat primarily vegan, but I love Hani Honey offered at Jar. I take 2 Tbsp mixed with about 4-6 oz of water and drink that.
Next, I take a Zinc Supplement. Most come in 50mg which is way more than we need per day. Most people only need 8-11mg per day, so I don’t take these on a regular basis as excess zinc can cause a number of other icky issues.
I also take a Vitamin C chewable supplement. Most chewable supplements of Vitamin C are 500 mg which is my choice. If you go over 2000 mg of Vitamin C per day (including what’s in your diet naturally), it could cause diarrhea and/or nausea, so don’t overdo it.
Finally, I take Echinacea. Now, I won’t go into dosages because of all of the varieties of the species and methods in which it can be taken. What I will do is direct you to this WebMD article that goes over benefits and education on the herb.
What’s This Got To Do With Christmas?
Well, this year, I made some significant strides toward being more zero waste. I did some “Be Healthy” gift baskets full of soup mixes, local honey, elderberry kits, vitamins, herbs, essential oils (which is sold at Jar now too) and more. I used a reusable tote and tied a bow on top. Bada Bing, Bada Boom - A Christmas gift that will DEFINITELY not go to waste. I hope this helps you get creative and come up with your own zero waste “Stay Healthy” gift basket.