The "Secret" is Out on Achieving Overall Good Health: Consistency

I subscribe to Daily Goods newsletter for inspiring and uplifting articles and stories to counterbalance the fear mongering in most of the mass media and today's article "The Benefits of Consistency" inspired me to write about how consistency trumps almost everything else when it comes to creating and sustaining healthy lifestyle choices.

Ironically, my conversation with my BFF within 2 hours of reading this article revolved around her recent conversation with a vibrant and healthy 70+ year old who shared with her that it is consistency in all she does that keeps her in the high-quality-of-health category.  I think I am meant to share this "secret".

It is actually not even a secret and it is the answer I regularly give anyone who asks me at the gym, at a party, at book club, as to how I live my life the way I do.  Consistency.  Put another way- regularity, constancy, steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, etc.

What struck me most about Daily Good's article, which addressed the power of consistency in all areas of your life, was 1) understanding that regularity when done right cultivates something that is repeatable not repetitive (because we know how mundane repetition can be). It is consistency's nature to build in constraints or a system that helps you finish what you set out to do.  and 2) it trumps goal setting.  Now that is something you do not hear everyday, but it's true!  

Take, for example, exercise.  Most of us know the incredible benefits of regularly moving our bodies; weight loss, good sleep, strong bones, good mood, less disease, etc., but have a tough time bridging the gap between seeing it as a chore to making it part of your lifestyle.  If you can suspend the goal setting part of it (lose weight for example) and just go out and do it (something you like, of course) on a consistent, regular basis, you'll achieve your goal without even thinking about it because you've created a system that supports it!  And then when you need a change, the consistency (it's become repeatable) allows you to easily choose another form of exercise, whereas, if you had set a goal your mindset was probably motivation (which can be tough to maintain) rather than the process it would take to make exercise a lifelong habit ( Click this link for some good tips to fitting a workout into your daily routine).

You can apply this thought process to your food choices too.  If you consistently eat well- whole foods most of the time- instead of setting a goal of cutting and counting calories you've shifted your focus from a tedious task that takes the fun out of the real joy in eating; i.e.; using new (or tried and true), healthy ingredients that engage all your senses and nourish your body the way it needs to be.  Consistently put that philosophy in place and the rest takes care of itself!

If you need a jump start to making consistency your new mindset when it comes to health and wellness, take a look at a past post, Want a Healthier and Fitter You?  Make It a Habit. Yes, habits create consistency and have the power to completely achieve your goals and make them stick.

So I'll leave you with these very wise words from Tony Robbins, motivational guru, and whether you like him or not, his quote rings true: "It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, it's what we do consistently".

And this resonates with ALL areas of our lives so try and remember that in how you speak to and treat other people....but we'll save that topic for another post.

Going Organic: the Why's and How's

Most of you grew up in an era of simpler times; we walked to school, played outside with friends until dark, sat in the front seat of our parents' car, and ate more local farm fresh produce and meats.

Fast forward a few decades to a new era which epouses consuming bigger and more goods. Although only 2% of the U.S. population are farmers, technology has allowed each farmer to feed 125 people, well above what is needed to sustain our country, as well as export any excesses. But this economies of scale has come at a significant cost. The majority of these farmers are huge corporate conglomerates, which have stripped the land of much of its nutrients and polluted the land and animals with toxic, persistent pesticides, antibiotics, and sprays. Mass conventional farming also uses a significant amount of a nonrenewable resource, oil (more than we use in filling our gas tanks!). Much of this comes back to the consumer via our waterways and drinking water, the air we breathe, and the produce and animal products we eat.

Organic farmers, on the other hand, avoid the use of toxic pesticides and antibiotics, which creates healthier soil, groundwater, and air for our planet, while providing products that are better for our bodies.

When producers- both large and small- choose to go organic, more acreage is farmed by methods that are good for the land, their workers, and the communities in which they are located. Buying organic supports this system of agriculture, regardless of the size of the farming operation.

Beyond going organic for environmental or altruistic reasons, you also have to consider that the average American consumes 5 to 10 pounds of dubious flavorings, preservatives and dyes each year, along with antibiotics and hormones in our food supply via animal products and packaging. Toxins are everywhere! We're using 33 times more pesticides on foods than we did 50 years ago. While a single dose may not effect you, a lifetime of exposure could contribute to health issues such as asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Toxins may also be wrecking havoc on our body shape. Hazardous chemicals in our foods and environment-even at low levels- have the ability to alter weight. It may not just be the calories that cause weight gain! They effect the hormones in our bodies. And young girls are not only susceptible to altering their body shaping hormones, but are also altering hormones that regulate puberty.

This table pulled from PAN North America's report, A Generation in Jeopardy: How pesticides are undermining our children’s health & intelligence, highlights the impact of these hazardous chemicals:

What to do? Its actually quite simple- start adding organic produce and meat to your shopping list. No persistent toxic chemicals are used in organic food production. Don't forget dairy products, as pesticide residuals tend to be higher in fatty foods.

You may cry that organic is expensive and it is cost prohibitive. If your pocketbook is your biggest concern, be discernible in choosing what to buy organic. Start with what you consume the most in meats, dairy, and produce. If you missed TWM's post on Environmental Working Group's annual guide on pesticides in produce, click here to get up to speed on produce that contain the most toxins, hence, should be avoided especially if consumed alot.

As more and more consumers are demanding more organic options, prices are coming down, and will continue to do so, as we all start to feel the detrimental impact of nutrient stripped foods. If you do a price comparison of most in-season produce, you'll see that the price difference is not so significant.

Most of your large grocery chains have whole sections devoted to organic produce, as well as organic and/or hormone-free meats and dairy. Most also carry their own lines of organic products; i.e.; here in Florida, Publix has the Greenwise line. These lines are usually priced competitively with conventional products.

Your local health markets are always a good source for organic and high quality foods. They also tend to offer local produce and products. Don't forget your farmer's markets and produce stands! Because local produce is not shipped far, less or no pesticides are used in farming. Many abide by organic standards, but can not afford the costly federal registration to be officially labeled organic, therefore, most local produce is as good as organic.


As a consumer, never underestimate your power. We live in a capitalist society that is driven by demand. You can make a difference by supporting organic farming methods, with the end result being more choices, lower prices, higher quality, and sustainable land to leave for future generations.

It's Spring! A Great Season for Detoxing

The first day of spring starts the new year in a lot of cultures, and many festivals are celebrated around the world this time of year.  Spring is a time of rebirth and revival; the transition between winter and spring.  Here in the U.S., we look forward to shedding winter coats and boots, stepping outside for the warmth of the sun, opening windows for fresh air, and embracing a general sense of "spring cleaning".

For me I use this season as a time to "spring clean" my digestive system.  By March, I am ready to purge winter eating; goodbye to Super Bowl sausage cheese dips, glasses of red wine, Valentine chocolates, and every other comfort food that kept me going for a couple months. 

Spring is the best time to do a cleanse. Your body is primed and ready for a rebirth, a reboot so you can carry it through all summer and into the fall. Cleansing the liver,  the master of metabolism, filters blood to remove toxins that come from air, food and water and even through the skin. If overloaded, all the processes get stuck. The toxins accumulate in the blood causing illness. If you notice break outs, generally feel fatigued, sluggish, or bloated then your liver needs some cleaning up.

Last year I followed a 28-day detox that was basically a macrobiotic diet- heavy on the greens, juicing, minimal animal, lots of beans, minimal fruit, no alcohol or processed foods.  I felt great, slept well, lost my winter weight, and the detox served me well in transitioning to warmer days and lighter foods.  I vowed I would continue this ritual every spring.

This year I am changing it up a bit.  While the rigidity of the above-mentioned detox was great for a first time detoxer that didn't want to go hardcore (have you heard of the lemon juice/maple syrup/water detox?), I was looking to go easy on my digestive system but keep within my busy life.  So this year, I did an  "eliminate all processed food, no refined sugars, no alcohol, high quality whole foods" detox.  Basically how I eat 85% of the time, but for 28 days, I am eating this way 100% of the time.

If you'd like to try the detox I did last year, I followed the book "Cellular Cleansing Made Easy" by Scott Ohlgren.  Besides being a great detox program, it was a wealth of knowledge for learning about food choices and how they affect our bodies and the importance of eating minimally processed foods in preventing disease.  He also has a website How Health Works.  I lurked on the member forum alot while I was doing the detox.  It was interesting to read other people's experience and helpful tips.

Not willing to (or afraid to) do a fast,  cellular cleaning, or eating whole foods 100% of the time?  Try to incorporate into your daily life these basic tenaments for a just-as-effective (and hopefully life changing) "detox".  It's more about minimizing all the toxins found in our food and environments.  It's painless, I promise!

1. Eat whole foods and choose organic fruits and vegetables.
2. Eat lean, organic meats and dairy and preferably grass-fed beef or lamb.
3. Eat seafood known to be low in contaminants such as PCBs and mercury.
4. Avoid vinyl and PVC.
5. Avoid processed foods and chemical additives.
6. Limit canned foods or choose those from makers who don't use bisphenol-A, such as Eden Foods.
7. Use glass or ceramic for food storage.
8. Filter your home drinking water.
9. Use less-toxic cosmetic and personal products.
10. Avoid furniture and electronics treated with flame retardants.
11. Buy less-toxic household cleaners or make your own.
12. Vacuum at least once a week.

Check out this chart for the best whole foods for detoxing:

Everyone is Irish on March 17th!

I popped into Trader Joe's to buy my corned beef for St. Patrick's Day even though I have not one ounce of Irish green in my blood.  The cashier, however, reminded me that on March 17th "Everyone is Irish!".

With that so-true sentiment, I thought I would write a little of what exactly IS St. Patrick's Day?  Why green beer, rivers of green, and entire cities shutting down to celebrate.

St. Patrick, or the "Apostle of Ireland," actually started out in the pagan religion. While not much is known about his early life, as many of his life's details were lost to folklore, letters from St. Patrick reveal that he was captured in Wales, Scotland, or another close area outside of Ireland and taken to Ireland as a slave. Years later, he escaped and returned to his family, who were Romans living in Britain (he is not even Irish!), going back to Ireland for mission work after finding a place as a cleric and then Bishop within the Christian faith. He was born around 460, and by the 600s, he was already known as the Patron Saint of Ireland.

His religious feast day is celebrated on March 17th, the day he died in the 5th century.  The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. St. Patrick's Day falls during the Christian season of Lent, when Irish families would attend mass in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Abstinence from drinking during Lent was required of many Catholics, but they were allowed to break the fast during St. Patrick's Day; hence, one cause for the day's association with drinking heavily. Breaking Lent's fast on meat and dancing, likewise, resulted in feasting on Irish bacon and meats and cabbage and festivities revolved around dancing.


When was St. Patrick's Day First Celebrated in the U.S.?

St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in America in 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston, including a feast and religious service. This first celebration of the holiday in the colonies was largely to honor and celebrate the Irish culture that so many colonists had been separated from.

Why are the Irish Associated with the Color Green?

The holiday was originally associated with the color blue. It's thought that the shift to green happened because of Ireland's nickname "The Emerald Isle," the green in the Irish flag and the shamrock, or clover.  Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn as early as the 17th century. During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, an uprising against British rule in Ireland, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on March 17 to make a political statement.

There is also a political association here in the U.S.  Most first Irish immigrants to the U.S. were largely Protestant but as the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, close to 1 million poor and uneducated Irish Catholics began pouring into America to escape starvation. The Protestant Irish initially shunned them but when they realized the Irish, both Protestant and Catholic, represented a large voting block, they organized themmselves and were commonly referred to as the "green machine", an important swing vote for political hopefuls.

Why are Rivers in Many Cities Dyed Green?

The practice started in 1962, when city pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river–enough to keep it green for a week! Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only 40 pounds of dye are used, and the river turns green for only several hours.

Why is the Shamrock Associated with the Irish?

The symbol of the shamrock, which is the symbol of Ireland, is used for St. Patrick's Day as it comes from the story of St. Patrick using the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity. The three-leafed plant coincided with the Pagan religion's sanctity of the number three and also contribute to the root of the green color theme.

Other Fun St. Patrick's Day Facts:

• There are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry. This number is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself.

• Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. In 2009, roughly 26.1 billion pounds of beef and 2.3 billion pounds of cabbage were produced in the United States.

• The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.

• Sixteen U.S. places share the name of Ireland’s capital, Dublin. With 44,541 residents, Dublin, CA, is the largest of the nice, followed by Dublin, OH, with 39,310.

• Irish soda bread gets its name and distinctive character from the use of baking soda rather than yeast as a leavening agent.

No St. Patrick's Day is complete without traditional Irish foods.  The History Channel's vast collection of articles and videos on St. Patrick's Day also included a link to classic Irish recipes.  The Whole Meal also has a slow cooker version of Corned Beef and Cabbage (why I was in Trader Joe's as this is what I make!), as well as a recipe for Irish Stew and Colcannon, Ireland's most popular potato recipe.

So now that you know all about this popular holiday celebrated all over the world, don your best green, cook up some great Irish food, maybe drink a green beer and attend your local St. Pat's Day festivities. 

Surprising Foods That Cause Inflammation and Others That Prevent It

My BFF texted me an article from Well+Good that she thought would be a good blog post and she is right!  Six Inflammation Foods No One Talks About addresses the recent attention in the general medical community about inflammation in the body.

The article points out that temporary inflammation when your body's white blood cells and chemicals fight off injury or infection is a good thing but chronic inflammation is a different situation.  Chronic inflammation happens when the body can not resolve acute inflammation and damages the body.    It is the source of many, if not all, diseases including cancer, obesity, Alzheimers,  heart disease and even acne.  Stress, lack of exercise, smoking all can trigger inflammation but dietary choices play a big role.  Take carbohydrates for example-the chemical reaction between sugars and proteins produce pro-inflammatory compounds called AGEs (advanced glycation end products).

While the main culprit is sugar (I'll address that pandora's box another time) Well+Good's article pointed out lesser known offenders including, surprisingly, some popular vegan choices and sugar alternatives.  Click on the link above to get the full scoop.

On a more positive note, here are the top ANTI- inflammatory foods that have the uncanny ability to squelch inflammation:


Dark Leafy Greens: Collards, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, to name a few, contain powerful antioxidants, flavanoids, Vitamin C and carotenoids that protect against cellular damage.  Cook them, eat them raw and juice them (here is my favorite green juicing drink).

Tea:  While all teas, black, green, white, count, Matcha green tea really packs a punch with over 17xs the antioxidants of wild blueberries and 7xs more than dark chocolate.

Blueberries: They rate pretty high of all fruits and vegetables in antioxidants and are lower in sugar than most fruits.

Spices:  Liberally season your food away with the likes of cloves, ginger, rosemary and tumeric which are the top anit-inflammatory spices.  Other spices that make the grade include allspice, cinnamon, oregano, pumpkin pie and apple pie spice blends, sage, thyme, marjoram,

Animal-based Omega-3 Fats: These are mostly found in fatty fish like wild Alaskan salmon and other fishes.  Omega-3 fats can also be found in walnuts, flax and hemp.

Fermented Vegetables: Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, pickles all help your gut flora which is important for a well-functioning immune system (and that well functioning immune system staves off chronic inflammation).  Fermented foods also rid the body of toxins like heavy metals and pesticides, both contributors to inflammation.

Asian Mushrooms: Shiitake and other Asian varieties of mushrooms are rich in compounds that inhibit oxidative stress.  They are easy to add to soups or stir fries.

Garlic:  The Mediterranean cultures and other older cultures have known the power of this vegetable.  Well know for its anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, garlic has been shown to have its therapeutic properties in sulfur, specifically allicin.  The acid produced by allicin reacts faster with dangerous free radicals than any other known compound.


The best way to address and/or prevent  inflammation is to focus on eating a whole foods diet that regularly includes the above-mentioned foods.  Eating mainly whole foods also has the benefit of crowding out the foods that do cause chronic inflammation, i.e.;  highly processed carbohydrates such as white bread, chips, crackers, cookies, fast foods many of which also contain inflammation-promoting refined sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetables oils and shortenings.

To help keep you focused, check out Dr Weil's  interactive Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid that is a great reference tool in choosing the right anti-inflammatory foods.

Now that you are armed with lots of information on the bad guy, chronic inflammation, go kick all those dreaded and debilitating diseases to the curb!

What Are Whole Foods and Why Are They Important?

The first buds of spring are just around the corner and the earth’s new warmth will produce an abundance of fresh vegetables after a dormant winter. It's a time to savor crisp snap peas; peppery radishes; sweet strawberries; and antioxidant-rich spinach.  Nature knowingly and easily provides us with “whole foods” this time of year.  It is the ideal time to provide your body and soul with what it truly craves and needs; i.e., foods from nature not a factory.

What are whole foods and why are they so important?  Any food that is as close to its natural state as possible and has little or no processing can be included in the whole foods category.  We can easily include all fruits and vegetables, although highly sweetened, canned fruit or high sodium, canned vegetables do not make the grade!  Likewise, unprocessed grains such as brown rice, whole barley, wheat berries, and quinoa are excellent sources of whole foods, but refined white flour, white rice, and “instant” oatmeal are worthless imposters. 

Beans and legumes (lentils, red beans, chickpeas, etc.), nuts and seeds, and natural sweeteners (honey, agave, etc.) are also great whole foods.  Animal and dairy protein can fall into this category, but should be the highest quality you can find and afford, i.e.; organic, grass-fed, or at least minimally processed with no antibiotics or hormones. 

Consuming whole foods on a daily basis are vital to our physical well being.  Foods in their whole state contain necessary water, vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, fiber, and carbohydrates that fuel our bodies and help prevent disease.  The body spends 80% of its time digesting food, so it is very beneficial to supply the body with foods that aid in that process.  Our bodies evolved to use nutrients in the amounts and combinations provided by the food that grows naturally on this planet.  Foods are made up of hundreds of different health-giving substances that work together to provide optimal health.  You can’t replace the life giving benefits of whole foods with supplements (remember there is a reason they are called “supplements”).  We should be eating 70-80% of our daily foods from whole foods.

Whole foods are not a new concept, but luckily it is making a comeback!  Hippocrates’ stated over 2,500 years ago, “Leave your drugs in the chemist’s pot if you can heal the patient with food.”  It has only been within the later part of the 20th century with the industrialization of processed foods that we abandoned real whole foods.

Our parting from a traditional whole foods diet has resulted in near epidemic incidents of diseases, such as chronic heart disease, adult-set, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, to name a few.  Many of these diseases are also showing up in children, something almost never heard of in the earlier part of the 20^th century.  Embracing mass produced, highly processed, nutrient-deprived foods is robbing us of our good health, and ultimately our quality of life.

What can you do? Educate yourself (This blog and the recipes on THE WHOLE MEAL are a good place to start!).  Shop the outer aisles of the grocery store (produce, fresh meats, dairy, bulk grains) avoiding the processed foods. Choose the best quality whole foods you can afford.  Get to know your friendly farmer’s markets, local produce stands, and food co-ops.  These will be the best sources for fresh, seasonal, local produce.  Purchase and eat seasonal produce which will save you money, as these are found in abundance for the time of year.  Aim to add more raw fruits and vegetables to your daily diet, to maximize live enzymes and nutrients.  Challenge yourself to eat vegetarian for most of the day.

Always remember that you are the one who controls what goes into your body.  Eating whole foods, however, is not about being obsessive or perfect, rather it is understanding that our bodies thrive on whole foods and help us resist disease.  I like to tell my kids that no food is bad food, just some foods are better to consume most of the time if they want to feel good, not get sick, and live a high quality life.  It’s all about the 80/20 rule, which is eat whole foods 80% of the time, and you can still live in the modern, all about convenience, gotta-have-it fast mentality 20%  of the time.

Cures From Your Kitchen for Those Pesty Colds and Flu

I don't know why but this cold and flu seasons seems to be particularly vicious this year.  It seems not many of us have gone unscathed in some way.  If you or a loved one have been battling viruses on and off this winter you may want to check your pantry and crisper for some natural, inexpensive solutions that just might keep you out of the doctor's office.

When it was my turn (in the form of a scratchy cough that threw me under the bus for a couple days with fatigue, headache, low grade fever and some aches) I chose just that route.  Coupled with rest and a few drugstore options, I found "kitchen" remedies to be a soothing way to battle and relieve typical cold symptoms.  While I don't suggest we throw out our modern medicine solutions, I think you'll find one or two of these food-based healers to be the perfect complement.

Lemons- The tart citrus fruit should always be in your kitchen as its vitamin C immune boosting power is an easy defense when you feel a tickle in your nose or a scratch in your throat.  Squirt the juice of at least 1/2 lemon  first thing in the morning into warm water and sip away (it's also a detox as it helps the liver to make enzymes to flush out toxins).

Note: other vitamin C rich citrus such as oranges and limes, as well as vitamin C found in bell peppers, berries, kiwi, papaya are just as healing; munch away!

Honey- A known immunity booster, honey has been shown to be more effective in relieving coughs and improving sleep than dextromethorphan (DM), a common over-the-counter cough suppressant used in many medicines (which could have problematic side effects for young children).  Honey also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.  Try the following dosage of honey mixed in warm water to help soothe (try 30 minutes prior to bedtime if coughing is already present):

1-5 yrs old: 1/2 teaspoon
6-11 yrs old: 1 teaspoon
12 years old and older: 2 teaspoons

*Do not give honey to a child younger than 1 yr old as it can increase risk for botulism.

Garlic- The cloves of this pungent vegetable contain the immune-boosting compound allicin, another antimicrobial powerhouse effective at warding off more than vampires. While garlic can kills germs outright it can also stimulate natural killer cells, which are part of our overall immune defense.  

Increase the garlic in your cooking (let it sit after chopping for 5 minutes to release the allicin compounds) or drink it as a tea.  I crush a few cloves and steep them in a couple cups of  hot water for 5-10 minutes.  I strain the garlic out and add in fresh lemon juice and some honey. It's a powerful and soothing tea for a sore throat and kicking out a virus.  I'll sip a cup and sip the other cup later in the day.

Chicken Soup and Bone Broths-  Not only tasty and warming, chicken soup has been found to mitigate infections.  It also stops certain white blood cells (neutrophils) from gathering together and causing inflammation so large amounts of mucus do not form.  The most therapeutic are homemade, preferably from organic bone broth.

Bone broths, whether from chicken, beef, pork or lamb, are ideal for sipping on their own especially when you do not not have much of an appetite. It's easily digestible, helps heal the lining of your gut and contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and trace minerals.

If you'd like to make your own bone broths here is the slow cooker recipe I use.  For chicken broth, I save my roasted bones when I make baked chicken and chicken soup and use the slow cooker method but if you'd like the traditional stock pot method, Wellness Mama largely follows Sally Fallon's method from her amazing book, Nourishing Traditions. 

Thyme- The fragrant herb proves to be a powerful cough suppressant (as well as healer for bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, and whooping cough) largely due to the flavanoids found in the leaves which relax tracheal and ileal muscles (which are involved in coughing) and also reduce inflammation.  Add 2 teaspoons of crushed fresh leaves in 1 cup of boiling water, cover, and step for 10 minutes.  Strain out the leaves and sip away for almost instant relief.

Black Pepper- This kitchen spice staple is a natural cough remedy rooted in both New England folk medicine and Chinese Traditional Medicine.  Black pepper stimulates circulation and mucus flow making it easier to expel.  Either add a liberal amount to your homemade chicken soup or make a tea by adding 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and 1 tablespoon of honey to 1 cup of boiled water. Cover and steep for 15 minutes then strain and sip as needed.  This is a remedy that works for a wet, or mucous producing, cough rather than a dry cough.

Yogurt- Considering that 80% of our immunity is in the gut it makes sense to use high-quality foods naturally high in probiotics, the beneficial bacteria that help protect the body against harmful bacteria.  The tastiest and easiest to find fermented foods would be yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi and kombucha.

Salt Water- Most of us have grown up being told to gargle with warm salt water and for good reason. Salt water soothes sore throats and keeps respiratory passages moist and free of invading pathogens. Gargle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a warm glass of water 4xs per day for sore throat relief and try a nasal saline spray for any nasal congestion.

Coconut oil- The oil that has been in the lime light a lot lately (read TWM's blog post on oil pulling for one of its many uses) helps with colds and flu.  It's an immune system strengthener due to various acids and lipids that carry antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.  Daily use is ideal, or at minimum, at the first sign of an illness to boost your body's defenses. The easiest way is to cook with it by substituting butter in your baking or other vegetable oils in your pan sauteing.  You can also add in a tablespoon of melted extra virgin, unrefined or raw coconut oil into your coffee or tea or go hardcore and eat it straight up.

As you can see some of our best cold and flu defenses when used properly can be home remedies found in our kitchens.  They are definitely the least expensive and if used regularly are a gentler and safer solution to eliminating viruses and may be effective enough to keep you out of the doctor's office and back to your regular life in no time.