By Valli Manley B.C.N.D., CNHP
It was sometime around fall, I had just been through a really tough season of stress. My daughter suggested that I get away, and encouraged me to go stay in the timeshare that she and her husband owned.
I decided that I would go to Rhode Island, it was beautiful around that time of year. I went to an area called Newport, which is a quaint little beautiful town by the water that is rich in history. Some of its history I don’t like, but it’s history nonetheless.
When I made my reservations, it was for a villa that had 2 bedrooms. Although I was indeed trying to get away from the noise of life, I thought it would be selfish of me to allow that extra bedroom to go unoccupied. I came up with the perfect person. My friend Danita has the exact temperament that would allow her to enjoy herself, and she would surely allow me the space to relax.
I called her and she quickly agreed that it was not just a good idea, but God’s idea. She needed to get away from the corporate noise as well. She worked under extremely stressful conditions as a graphic artist and needed to get away as much as I did.
When she arrived, she was feeling a bit under the weather, and not too long after that, she developed a fever. Here I was trying to get away from the noise, and she bought some with her, LOL.
I said to her, my dear-we are not doing sick, so I am going to go into this fridge and see what we have that can encourage healing. Thank God I had bought some fresh garlic and coconut oil. Garlic has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. I had cold-pressed organic coconut oil which also has antifungal properties.
I personally can’t take raw garlic on an empty stomach because it nauseates me. I decided to take it once when I wasn’t feeling well with coconut oil, and that fat medium prevented nausea, so that became my super combo.
When I told Danita what I was going to give her so that she could get better quick, she looked at me like I had four heads; but because I have a history of natural remedies that worked, she complied. I gave her that combo about 4x that day, and by the next day, she was feeling like herself again.
According to the Green Med Info research group, it also lowers blood pressure. Their article indicated that an experimental study done by the Kings College London said that when 28 adults took 2 cloves of garlic daily for a week, their blood pressure went from 133.6 mmHg to 129.3 mmHg.
Their research also indicates that garlic may be beneficially supportive for anyone suffering from cancer, type 2 diabetes as well as gall stones.
This makes sense to me because the fact is that everyone has cancer cells, but a strong immune system will stop its advancement in its tracks. It’s when the body is suffering from “TOXIC” overload that the immune system becomes over-burdened, and can’t fight for you effectively on multiple fronts. Garlic seems to be a healthy formidable natural weapon against foreign invaders, and it does not bother the good bacteria that support your immune system as pharmaceutical antibiotics do.
I’m not against anti-biotics in extreme emergency situations, but some studies indicate that you should not have any more than 2 courses in a lifetime. I remember them being prescribed like candy when I was a kid. When taken too often, it can compromise immunity by killing off good gut bacteria that’s there to protect you from foreign invaders. If you kill them off, who’s going to be there to fight for you?
I think that garlic is a great herb and should be a staple in every home apothecary. It has indeed been a healer amongst my friends, family, and my holistic health coaching clients. If you decide to purchase it, make sure that you get the ones that have what looks like fuzzy brown hair. Don’t get the bald white ones, they are likely to be GMOs.
When I am taking it when I’m under the weather, or as a health-supportive immune-boosting herb, I take it with coconut, I feel like I’m getting double the benefit of the antibacterial, antifungal component of the coconut oil. Remember to cook with it as well. You can’t go wrong with adding it to your health support plan unless you’re allergic to it. It’s a great veggie/herb/spice. One of the best natural antibiotics in the plant kingdom.
If you don’t have time to buy it, cook with it or eat it, supplementing garlic is a great alternative. With all of the environmental toxins in the food and air, having a defender as a part of your dietary or supplemental plan is a plus. Be well, and enjoy your journey to wellness.