Last weekend, to my utter displeasure, I woke up with sore throat glands…and immediately, went into swine flu alert. I’m sure that I’m not the only one freaking out about every sniffle, washing my hands like a maniac, and worried about my family. How can I NOT think about the swine flu when it’s in the news, on the radio, and pretty much in your face day and night . So, I began my personal regimen of vitamins, herbs, and anything else that I thought might be helpful. I felt like I was doing a decent job keeping the “bugs” at bay. In talking to my daughters, I quickly realized they were also dealing with flu-like symptoms, and that a couple of my grandchildren were sick. Being a worried mom, and grandma, I reminded my daughters  about the importance of keeping their family’s immune systems healthy and strong, but I have to admit, I felt a little helpless.

On Sunday, I headed to my mom’s house, warning her that I had semi-sore throat (no hugs and kisses allowed), but that I was feeling fine. She said she was also not feeling quite right. Anyway, while I was there, she handed me something she had printed out from the internet, and wanted my opinion, since I have some natural health education.  She suffers from Type 2 diabetes and was reading about the benefits of honey. As I scanned the article, it all came back to me, and started to make sense. When I read the word “honey,” I remembered how beneficial honey could be as an anti-viral,  and anti-bacterial. When I got home, I began to research honey a little more, and discovered that in the Middle East, their honey retail sales have increased by 20% since the swine flu became a threat. What this tells me is that if honey is the next best thing to a vaccination, in a country that doesn’t have access to vaccinations, we should give serious thought to natural prevention. I promptly forwarded this information to my daughters, and headed to my local store for a jar of honey. I am not claiming that honey, or any other natural remedy is a miracle cure, but it’s definitely something I want in my prevention arsenal. I also keep garlic, echinacea, vitamin C with D (caution if you have pre-existing illness or take medications) on hand.

Our society inundates us with the idea that we should fear sickness, aging and hundreds of other “flaws”. That doesn’t sit well with me. Our bodies, naturally, have been created to have the ability to deal with illness, and it builds our immune system with anti-bodies to protect us in the future. It’s ok to be sick, and allow the process of healing.

I believe that I would, instinctively, know when I need to seek professional help. In the meantime, as a family, we have chosen to do all that we can, to prevent that from happening. I am not afraid of the flu, and will keep taking  herbs, vitamins and honey, along with eating healthy, and getting exercise to meet this bug head on. It’s the only thing that makes any sense to me.

Wishing you health and happiness,
Bonnie and Rachel

Note: Please seek the advice of your healthcare professional if you have any pre-existing conditions or are on medications before starting an herbal health plan.