Diary Of A Frustrated But Determined "Crunchy" Mom

I'm on the edge...of glory? Nope. Of sheer despair. Have had a terrible week with R & Z being sick, sick and sick again and I've reached the end of my tether. We've had coughs, colds, conjunctivitis, crankiness galore around here. Yes, my dear readers, today I am writing to let you know that you are not alone in the overwhelming frustration that is not being able to quickly cure a sick child (or worse -ren). Despite my going on and on about how great natural remedies are and how efficiently they work, there are a handful of times where those awful germs are so damn stubborn, it takes an army and a half to get you all through the ailment. 

I'm going through one of those times right now and boy do I hate it. Here's my list of reasons why this hatred is especially heightened this week:

-- I hate seeing my children sick for so many days. It breaks my heart to see them lethargic and not their usual funny, hyper and crazy selves!

-- I'm in my second week of a new job. A new job = no more work from home = commuting into the city daily = I cannot afford sick children, especially not in the first few weeks!

-- I got zapped by the bug this time around too. Mom sick = whole house upside down.

-- The kids are on winter break, J & I even have a few holidays and we haven't done ONE single fun thing since it started not to mention we've had to miss out on getting together with friends on more than one occasion.

-- I HAVE NOT SLEPT PROPERLY IN DAYS!! (this one, as always, deserves a line of its own)

-- It really upsets me to let the bad guys win. Yes, I'm taking this fight too seriously and yes I'm a geek. Thank you, tell me something I don't know. 

Anyhoo, my long winded way of cutting a long story short is to declare that PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!! Don't let those preventative measures slide and even when it seems like your child is getting better (as was the case with R&Z) keep dosing, applying your oils, whatever rocks your boat, for a few days after. In fact, I would say a week at least.

In an attempt *not* to make this post solely a space to vent my mommy frustrations, I will endeavour to share some more naturallysta tips on getting through the winter season.

• Ask, no make, your kids wash their hands often. I know, I don't like being OCD on such things either but for a few months a year, it is totally warranted and completely needed! If nothing else, keep a healthy sanitizer (I like the EO one) on hand and at least clean before your child eats anything, ESPECIALLY after playing in a public place
• Keep Oil of Oregano on hand and massage a few drops (dilute in olive oil if pure) into your child's back, down the spine and on the soles of their feet. This is a natural antibiotic and keeps those nasty germs away (safe for babies as only external)
• Vitamin C and tons of it. Start at the beginning of the winter and carry on 'til the end. I would recommend at least 2000mg a day and if (unlikely but just in case) you notice loose stools, you can cut down a little to find the optimal level your child's body can absorb. Don't worry about overdosing as Vit C is excreted easily from the body and is not toxic
• Flu with weary body and fever? Administer a dose of Oscillococcinum, a homeopathic remedy, at the first sign of symptoms
• GSE! See my earlier post for more info. The time to give GSE is before your child starts to suffer major symptoms because once they're feverish and lethargic, getting them to drink juice frequently through the day will be hard
• Humidifier with some drops of Eucalyptus & Lavender added to the water. Eucalyptus will help your child breathe and Lavender will relax
• Stay positive and don't panic! Reassure your child, give them lots of hugs and let them sleep in your bed if they need to!!! A loving touch goes a long way to heal
• Don't be in a hurry to medicate fever. Fever is the body's way of getting rid of toxins and if you suppress that mechanism, you're likely to prolong the illness Keep your sick child cool with wet washcloths and make sure they keep sipping water
• An interesting tidbit I picked up recently was the relationship between the lungs and the stomach in TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine. The theory is that the two are related and you will find that if one is not functioning at full capacity, the other will not be either. So use the relationship to help you cure a cough/bronchitis/pneumonia - replenish the gut with good bacteria and make sure your child is not constipated or there will be more of a burden on the chest. See my post on constipation remedies for help with this
• Honey, honey and more honey. Add it to teas, give by the teaspoonful and as I did for R's very recent case of pink eye, dilute it in water and drop it into the eyes for instant infection relief
• Oh and I finally tried the onion pack for incessant coughing - it works!!! Heat some freshly sliced yellow onion packed into a cheesecloth - I used Bounty and microwaved, not terribly crunchy but all I had on hand - tape to your child's chest at night (please use medical tape ;-)) and get some well deserved rest

OK, I think that's enough info for today. Pray I survive the next few days, please!

Frustratingly, yet ever crunchily,

~S~

Honey, Honey

"Honey Honey how you thrill me, aha

Honey Honey

I'd heard about you before

I wanted to know some more.."

Yes, yes I know. I'm corny. I am so corny that I know all the words to this ABBA song (the other lyrics just weren't relevant to this piece; I mean where would I be if I started this with "Honey Honey, really kill me"??) 

In case you haven't got it yet, my post today is about honey and its amazing healing properties. Surprise!

Honey has long been a staple in my diet (even before I became a crunchy mom so to speak) as it is mentioned in the Quran in several verses as being a "healing" drink. I often used it as a sweetener for tea, knowing that it was good for the throat and for coughs but was surprised to learn of its many other healing properties.

For example, did you know that honey lowers blood pressure? My mother in law's remedy is tried and tested: boil a tablespoon of honey in a glass of water and leave (covered) to cool overnight. The next morning, remove the foam on the top and drink first thing, before eating or drinking anything else. Do this consistently and you'll notice a change for the better.

I have blogged recently about how honey helped my cut lip (cringe) but did you know it was good for burns in addition to wounds? Apply honey regularly to a burn or a wound and watch it heal! It may sting slightly but I am testament to the fact that the sting lasts a fraction of a second and the results are instant and so worth it! Recently, Z fell and in the process she bit down hard on the inside of her lip - ouch! She had these big ulcer looking things as a result but a couple of days of applying Manuka honey and she was as right as rain!

Oh yes, at the risk of repeating myself, remember *raw* honey is best and to kick it up that one extra notch,  try to find local honey so you can reap the allergy fighting benefits. Which brings me to my next super duper reason for eating honey - help with allergies! The principle of local honey helping with allergies is rather similar to the "like cures like" premise of homeopathy. If your honey is local, it is created out of the pollination of local plants and flowers - the very culprits in the crime that is constant sneezing and watery, itchy eyes! The small amounts of pollen that are contained in your honey slowly build your immunity against the allergens and over time you'll notice you are less sensitive to them. Pure genius, right?!

Did I mention I love honey:?!

Use it for curing a myriad of infections - I mentioned its benefit in my Tummy Bugs post in relieving gastroenteritis (I much prefer the phrase tummy bug, don't you?!) and also in my Conjunctivitis post but it can really be used for any infection as a general immunity builder + antioxidant. 

Ever had a canker sore? Lose the Orajels & Bonjelas of today and use honey instead! It provides relief immediately and used regularly helps cure them (unlike OTC meds that just numb the pain but don't actually do anything by way of cure).

Since I'm such a stickler for stats, I just had to write that 1oz of honey contains (taken from the Whole Foods website):

Vitamins
nutrient	amount	%DV
riboflavin - B2	0.02 mg	1.18
niacin - B3	0.05 mg	0.25
niacin equiv	0.08 mg
vitamin B6	0.01 mg	0.5
vitamin C	0.21 mg	0.35
folate	0.84 mcg	0.21
pantothenic acid	0.03 mg	0.3
Minerals
nutrient	amount	%DV
calcium	2.52 mg	0.25
copper	0.02 mg	1
iron	0.18 mg	1
magnesium	0.84 mg	0.21
manganese	0.03 mg	1.5
phosphorus	1.68 mg	0.17
potassium	21.84 mg	0.62
selenium	0.34 mcg	0.49
sodium	1.68 mg	0.07
zinc	0.09 mg	0.6

Even though the above shows only trace amounts, isn't it amazing that a small amount of yummy liquid can contain a variety of different vitamins and minerals?! (I'm not a nerd, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not)


I guess what I love most about honey (and the primary reason I'm posting about it) is that it is so easy to give to our munchkins. R & Z rarely ever put up a fight when I give it to them, well except for when I add ginger into it and I can dose freely and often when they're sick. Plus it makes the yuckiest of herbs taste good and I need all the help I can get if I want to stay on my crunchy path! (remember, honey is usually not given to children under the age of 1 due to the risk of botulism).


I will leave you with a quote from another favourite cartoon character of mine, Winnie the Pooh!

"The only reason for being a bee that I know of is to make honey....and the only reason for making honey, is so as I can eat it."

So there!

~S~