We've heard it a thousand times, 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'. But when it comes to being sick, or worse, having our kids sick, or even worse yet, having all your kids sick at once, this prescription is as good as gold.

Exposure to bacteria and viruses is not the cause of llness. We are exposed to harmful germs daily. Our bodies' response to them is what determines if illness will occur. Some measures we take are about avoiding exposure, and others focus on building our immune response. The two go hand-in-hand.

Starting with those stratagems which are easiest to implement, following are some of the measures we employ in our quest to prevent illness as much as possible:

• Stay well hydrated. Drink plenty of water to keep mucous membranes wet. Wet noses (not necessarily runny), wet eyes, and a moist mouth will repel germs, whereas dry ones allow the germs to stick like glue. If you are waking with a sore throat and dry cracked lips, you are not drinking enough. (The recommended amount to drink is half your body weight in ounces of water daily, which for my Little Napoleon would be about three ounces a day. Grin.)
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• Exercise daily. (Please don't ask me if I really do this.) The lymph system has no pump like the circulatory system, so the only way it can move the good stuff (lymphocytes and antibodies) and the bad stuff (bacteria and viruses) where they need to go is through our muscles contracting and pumping it around. Hence, folks who exercise have higher immune function.
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• Get fresh air daily. (Sounds like a no-brainer, but for homeschool Moms, it is sometimes a challenge.) Get yourself outside, and get fresh air inside as much as possible. Open windows-even in winter for a short time. Stale air is full of toxins, which stress the body's systems. Stale air is typically very dry as well, which goes back to point number one about dry mucous membranes.
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• Wash hands frequently and properly. Use hot water and soap, and keep rubbing for 20 seconds. This is about as long as it takes to sing the first verse of Amazing Grace, or if you're Doodle, the first line three times over. The hot water and soap will help wash off the germs, but you don't want to kill them. Antibacterial soaps are a leading cause of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains of germs. Don't use them if you want to be healthy. What doesn't kill them makes them stronger, and since we don't wash our hands under a microscope, we don't want to take chances.
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• Bathe properly. That means not too much bathing, and not too much soap. In studying, I found that decreased exposure to bacteria may be spurring the rise of modern-day illnesses such as asthma, allergies and auto-immune diseases. Also, our skin has an acidic oily layer that is the biggest chemical barrier to infections, because it is inhospitable to most harmful germs. When this layer is washed off with soap, it does us no good. So wash your hands with soap, but try to avoid it on the rest of the body.
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• If you can stomach it, you can let them eat...well, you can read it yourself here.
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• Get enough rest. Tired bodies have tired immune systems. If you are worn down, you will be more likely to get sick. I try to be proactive about this by not allowing us to be over-extended. Instead of waiting until we are already coming  down with something to rest, I make it a priority all the time. Good, deep sleep allows our bodies to release interferon, a powerful immune-enhancing compound that is especially helpful with fighting viral infections.
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• We avoid antibiotics at all costs. Anti means against, and biotic means living organisms...these things kill living organisms-the good and the bad. (Until I started studying immunity, I had no idea how important 'good bacteria' were. I will explain more about this later.) When something does the work for you, it makes you weaker. Every time we use antibiotics, our bodies lose an opportunity to grow stronger. Studies also show that for a normally healthy person, the use of antibiotics lengthens the duration of illness, and the likelihood of recurrance.
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• We drastically cut our intake of sugar. We don't drink juice, soda, Kool-Aid, etc. Studies have shown that after ingestion of even a teaspoon of sugar, immune function is depleted for up to six hours. This goes for even healthy sugars like raw honey, sucanat, real maple syrup,and even...fruit juice. Whole fruits do not have the same effect on immunity. For us, this looks like not serving pancakes with maple syrup before church or on Town Day, when we will be exposed to a lot of new germs.(Not to mention how it helps Little Napoleon sit still in church better.)
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• Dietary Supplements-  these are things we include in our everyday diet to strengthen our immune systems:
  • Vitamins-We do not use vitamin supplements, only whole foods. Studies have shown isolated nutrients (and especially synthetic ones) do more harm than good.
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  • Cod liver oil- Nourishing Traditions says it confers 'resistance to infectious disease in children'. We buy it lemon-flavored, and there is no special way to take it...just chug a spoonful with dinner. This has been instrumental in curing one of our children of asthma.
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  • Virgin coconut oil- The Coconut Oil Miracle says that the fatty acids found in coconut are powerful natural antibiotics, killing bacteria like streptococcus and staphylococcus. Besides being the only oil outside of butter that we use in cooking, we also put it in smoothies for snacks and hurry-up breakfasts. Another yummy way to supplement with this is to melt a spoonful in a cup of hot tea or hot chocolate.
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  • Raw garlic-this Italian girl is thrilled that garlic is part of a healthy lifestyle! We eat it regulary in salad dressing, pasta sauce, dips, etc. Our favorite way to have it is on pasta tossed with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper with raw garlic put through the garlic press. Even the Littles eat it this way a smidge, and the big kids like it with plenty of garlic, (although no one likes as much as Mom!). Garlic can stimulate the activity of the white blood cells, which attack foreign organisms (viruses, bacteria, and yeast). Also, garlic increases the activity of the T-helper cells (immune cells which are central to the activity of the entire immune system). Dragon breath for a good cause!
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  • Elderberry Extract- we take our homemade Elderberry syrup every day during cold and flu season. Studies about elderberry extract have proven it to offer strong protection against respiratory viral infections. Here are instructions for making it yourself, or you can buy Sambucol. Elderberry has no contraindications, and can be taken continually (unlike Echinacea) without harming immune response.
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• Throughout my studies, and now, my experience, the most important thing I have come across to support and strengthen the immune system is healthy bacteria in our digestive systems! I cannot stress this enough. The good bacteria in our digestive tract kills the harmful germs we come into contact with while they are in our digestive tract, before they enter our bloodstream. The lack of healthy bacteria in our bodies these days is why food poisoning is so rampant. E. Coli is naturally occuring in our bodies-it is just when it gets out of balance that it wreaks havoc. I found that strong immunity depends upon the bacteria in the digestive system being in balance, with the 'good' bacteria outnumbering the 'bad'. Everything under the sun kills the good and causes the bad to proliferate, especially stress, conventional farming methods, and the over-processed, high-sugar content of the standard American diet.

          In organic farming, the healthy bacteria we need in our systems are naturally on the fruits and vegetables we grow. Modern farming practices kill the bacteria, causing us to be way under-supplied with the good bacteria or 'friendly fauna'. Thus, our need to supplement our diets with these bacteria. A healthy whole foods diet will help to keep the bad bacteria in check, but we have to be sure to eat the good. How we do that is by making and consuming traditional lactic-acid fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and old-fashioned lacto-fermented pickles. (This dietary change has also been instrumental in curing one of our children of asthma. Thank you, Lord!)

We eat at least one of these foods daily (it only takes a smidge) to keep those bacteria in balance. A yogurt shake, a tablespoon or two of sauerkraut with our sandwich at lunch, a few pickle slices with dinner...it is very easy to do. If you want to know more about the effect of the digestive system on immunity, read Restoring Your Digestive Health by Jordan Rubin. If you want recipes and instructions for making these lacto-fermented foods, read Nourishing traditions by Sally Fallon. They are truly simple to make-needing nothing more than a knife, a jar, some salt, some water and a vegetable. The kids have been talking about posting a blog tutorial about making lacto-fermented vegetables, so we may do that soon. 

In closing, I just want to state that God is sovereign. He alone controls whether we and our families will experience illness. Knowing that He expects us to be faithful stewards of the health that He has bestowed, these are the measures that we have been led to take.

Well, these and the old stand-by:

'You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose.'

At least not while he's sick.

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The rules have changed. And no child in my family is the least bit dissapointed. Under normal circumstances, the words, "OK kids, we have a new rule..." are met with groans  and downcast faces. This new rule however, has been met with nothing short of elation. In our family, Rule #146 has always been,      "No picking your nose in a public place (such as the family room or kitchen table)"   followed closely by Rule #147 which states,      "If you must pick, you must flick (i.e. no eating nasal products)".   In light of recent scientific discoveries, and our family's conviction that healthy living is a form of good stewardship, our rules have changed. It appears that a scientist in Austria, Dr. Fredrich Bischinger, a lung specialist, has determined that folks who pick their nose and eat the dry remains are strengthening their immune systems. He said, "The nose is a filter in which a great deal of bacteria is collected, and when this mixture arrives in the intestines it works just like a medicine." Based on this evidence, we can add to the list of practices which immunize our children every day. We know that breastfeeding, letting our children roll in the dirt, and now, nasal snacks are all included in the category of healthy living. Out with the old, in with the new. The new Rule #146 reads,      "If you must pick, you must lick (BUT NOT AROUND MOM-under penalty of death)".   The new Rule #147 reads,      "Never pick and lick when cleaning out the chicken coop." Even healthy living has its limits.

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(Note To Self: Do not add items to blog sidebar unless you are open to the accountability of folks asking about it, i.e. you really have to do the things you write about.)    Several ladies have asked recently about what I am using for cleaning products. It is good timing, too, as after much trial and error, I have recently found several "recipes" that I really like. So in the spirit of telling possibly more than you ever wanted to know about the workings of our household, I'll share them. Disclaimer: if you leave this post feeling disheartened about the necessity to clean, I take no responsibility. However, if you leave this post feeling refreshed, encouraged, and with an itch to clean, please share so it will rub off on me.   First, to answer that nagging question in the back of your mind: "Why would anyone want to make their own cleaning products?", a short justification tutorial.   Most household cleaning products are made with toxic chemicals.  The safety labeling only covers acute toxicity, meaning if or how much of a certain chemical will induce sudden death. But chronic toxicity is more about real-world human exposure to those same chemicals, and it is more difficult and expensive to study, hence there is no safety labeling for it. Long-term low level usage (chronic) of items like cleaning products can be toxic in a different manner, causing a build up of toxic chemicals in our bodies (think cigarette smoke). Without having to purchase a book, here is a great article to explain some more about toxic household products. The main book that we have used is Clean & Green.     So, in the name of avoiding potentially (and some actually) harmful chemicals through skin contact and inhalation of fumes ( a real No-No for our kids who have asthma), we make our own. There are plenty of commercial products available that are non-toxic, earth friendly, etc., but they end up being too expensive for the quantities we use, and our being sixty miles from the closest "health food" type store disqualifies their use. (And you thought it was because I had too much free time.)   Here's what we have switched over so far:   Laundry: We use these instead of detergent, and add Baking Soda and Super Washing Soda to every load. For white loads we also add Borax for the disinfectant properties. (Lots of  little boys on a farm, remember?) The Super Washing Soda is great for greasy stuff, and the Baking Soda makes everything smell fresh. We ditched fabric softener completely because it turns out to be one of the most toxic of household products. Instead, we add a little water and a few drops of lavender essential oil to our Downy ball, and it makes the laundry smell heavenly, (but not too perfumy for Mr. Visionary). I have been informed that real men do not smell like flowers. Got it.   To replace Ajax with bleach: We mix equal parts of Baking Soda and Borax for a scrubbing powder, and put it in a cheese shaker jar from the dollar store. We use it for toilets, trash cans, etc.-anything we also want disinfected. The Borax is an awesome natural disinfectant! Anything that doesn't necessarily need to be disinfected, or for pots and glass-topped stoves, we use Bon Ami Cleaning Powder.   All-Purpose Cleaner: for walls, counters... anything, really. 1 teaspoon borax 1/2 teaspoon washing soda  2  Tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil based liquid soap (we actually use Ecover's dish soap for this) 2 cups hot tap water Mix it all together in a spray bottle.   Disinfectant Cleaner: for bathrooms, refrigerators... anything you need disinfected. 2 teaspoons Australian Tea Tree Oil (the pure essential oil) 2 teaspoons vegetable oil based liquid soap (or the dish soap here, too) 2 cups hot tap water optional: 1-2 teaspoons lavender (or other) essential oil to make it smell lovely. (Tea Tree oil has a strong medicinal scent that I like to disguise.) Mix it all together in a spray bottle. The Boys' bathroom never smelled so nice!   Glass Cleaner: for windows, mirrors, chrome...anything you want streak-free and shiny. 1/2 cup vinegar 2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil based liquid soap (if your windows are greasy) This is my favorite idea: My best friend's kids cannot stand the smell of vinegar, so I did some homework to find a way around the smell. This really works great! We save up lemon or orange peels, put them in a jar, and cover with vinegar. After a few days, the vinegar no longer smells like anything but citrus. It is so cool! (See the jar in the picture?)   I hope this helps some folks! We have been learning a lot lately (can you say homeschool science?), and would be happy to answer any questions if we are able.

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I can't even pronounce the word, and I have no idea what it will taste like, but I'm game. I'm always up for trying something new in the kitchen. Especially something that comes with so much "good press" and favorable research about it's healthful properties.

And just like any other kitchen experiment at our house: if it flops, at least the chickens will eat well.

We pulled these out of our Square Foot Garden this morning. Can you say, "Nearly free organic vegetables"? (I love gardening!)

Certain miscellaneous facts about our family life led us to a unique conclusion.  We don't drink soda, Kool-Aid or juice. We had a smidge of free time this morning. The beets were coming up well in our garden. Lastly, my hands had not been colorfully stained in a while. So,  like other normal families we decided to make lacto-fermented beet kvass.

Beet what?

There are several pronunciations going around our house. We have no idea which is correct. The good news is, your family won't either should you drop the term on them.

Back to what it is. It is a drink (I use that term loosely) made from chopped beets, whey, water and salt that ferments because of the naturally occuring lactic acid in the plant. It comes out kinda like a salty beet vinegar.  Anyway, if you want more info, check out this article from the Weston A. Price site. It has a small amount of information, but mostly what I learned came from

Nourishing Traditions.

We marveled at the beauty of God's creation looking at the beets. Don't the stalks look just like peppermint sticks?

This is Stage One. It will sit on the counter a few days while it ferments, then we will use it as a tonic (only drink a smidge) or as vinegar (like for salad dressings).

Many questions come to mind at this point. Did we ferment it enough? What will it taste like? Will we be able to sneak it into salad dressing without Mr. Visionary noticing (or at least minding)? Time and sampling will tell.

And if my kids get a little dopey after testing it, we'll know we let it ferment a wee bit too long.

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I have at least one proof of my success in mothering. It happened tonight at dinner.

First, a little background. I am a crunchy type- you know, really into healthy eating: grain mill, Nourishing Traditions, raw milk and all that. I don't hug trees, I just believe in good stewardship of our health. My kids have never even eaten commercial baby food.

So, when on my last grocery trip I bought some "emergency meals" (read that packaged frozen junk food) to pinch hit on those last-trimester pregnancy nights when I just can't bear the thought of standing in front of the stove very long, my family stared in disbelief. They stuttered and mumbled something about the location of their "real" mother. 

Tonight I broke out the corn dogs. Yes, I know, really, I know how cruddy these things are for you. Pork hotdogs with nitrates, white corn flour, hydrogenated oils heated to ungodly temperatures, etc. I know. But I was desperate.

On to the proof.

When I served a corndog on each child's plate, I received the exact response from each person: "What is this, Mom?" My kids had never seen a corndog. The five year old kept calling it a cattail.

So at least in this one area, I feel like a success.

Or maybe not.

Swordfighting with the corndog sticks makes me think we need to go back to Table Manners 101.

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Medicine is not supposed to taste great. I know this. At least I know that it usually doesn't. Even as a child, I knew that whatever that pink stuff was, it did not taste like any bubblegum I ever had. (Let's not discuss the time little brother and I ate "chocolate bar" Ex-Lax. Little kids don't care much about taste. It looked like chocolate, and finders are keepers, you know.)

We really are spoiled to live in a time when so many pharmaceuticals are available as tablets and capsules. In the old days when folks made their own medicine, or at least got it from a local doctor, everything tasted bad. "A spoonful of sugar" was not just a cute saying, but a very necessary anti-retching maneuver. 

Some of us who have become discontent with the current pharmaceutical-happy culture in which we are immersed have gone back to the "old days". We study and learn to discern and diagnose those conditions that can safely (and likely more safely) be treated at home. We are making our own herbal medicines, and learning how to use them effectively. The good news is, we are healthier. The bad news is, everything tastes yucky again.

Case in point, I am struggling with pregnancy-induced anemia. When expecting, a woman's blood plasma volume increases fifty percent, while the hemoglobin level only increases thirty percent. Hence, even though I faithfully eat my green vegetables (I swear), my iron level has significantly dropped.  

My first measure in any condition is dietary intervention. I envisioned black-strap molasses in cookies, baked beans, and barbecue sauce. I was prepared to live on spinach-and-orange salads with that raspberry dressing I love. I could add more iron-rich foods to my diet, and even vitamin C to make sure it was absorbed properly. I was looking forward to this. Food is always more fun than medicine.

Alas, since the dietary-intervention-route was not quite getting the job done, it became time to bring in the big guns. Herbs. This also looked pretty simple. I made red raspberry, nettles, and alfalfa tea, (throwing in a little peppermint to cover the taste give it a springy flavor), and administered it intravenously drank it by the gallon. I was even getting close to making my daily quota of fluids. Well, sorta.

But even the tea wasn't quite strong enough. Bigger guns were required. That's right-tinctures. And not just any tincture, either. The single-most-effective herb to increase iron levels (Yellow Dock) just so happens to be the single-most-bitter-tasting herb as well. Blech and more blech. Although the most effective as far as potency, a tincture is the single most repugnant form of any herb as far as palatability. Great.

Remembering the spoon-full-of-sugar method is the only way I have gotten through this treatment. (My regards to Mary Poppins.) Admittedly not the "most delightful way", it has worked wonders. My iron is up, and I am feeling much better. "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" Hebrews 12:11.

Sometimes the really good stuff does taste bad.  

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