flu | Celilo Natural Health Center

herbal steams for respiratory health

Filed under: conditions,garden medicine,Uncategorized — Tags: colds, flu, herbalism, respiratory health, sinus, sinusitis, steam, thyme, winter wellness — Orna @ 7:12 am

If you’ve watched my herbal origin story video, you know that thyme is one of my secret weapons for colds and flus — any kind of stuck or infected issue in the upper or lower respiratory tract. Steaming with thyme is one of my go-tos in the clinic, and one of the key practices described in my Winter Wellness Toolkit (Haven’t downloaded it yet? Check out the link at the bottom of this post to grab your copy.)

I almost invariably recommend that my patients with colds, flus or sinusitis symptom use thyme in an herbal steam. I give them a handout and describe the procedure using hand gestures.

This is the kind of thing that sounds confusing until you see it demonstrated or figure out how to do it yourself. So I made a quick video for you.

(more…)

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‘let food be your medicine’

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: Alzheimer's disease, asthma, berries, cabbage, cancer, collards, depression, flavonoids, flu, grapes, kale, osteoporosis, tomato, tomatoes, type 2 diabetes, whole foods — Orna @ 2:37 am

By Dr. Orna Izakson

beans and oregano.

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BCE) famously said “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

Gardeners know the best way to get your veggies is fresh and organic, ideally straight from the farm or garden. But beyond simple nourishment, scientists are finding some foods specifically help prevent or reverse certain diseases. Published research from the past few months alone has shown fruits and veggies protect your heart, brain and eyes, and help fight asthma, cancer, swine flu, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.

Much of the research looks at isolated constituents in the foods, although of course there’s more to fresh fruits and veggies than the isolated “active ingredients” scientists have identified so far. All the components in the plant work synergistically, and do more than just one thing.

Here’s a short list to get you started. (more…)

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Did seasonal flu vaccines make swine flu worse?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: flu, H1N1, vaccines — Orna @ 9:25 pm

Canadians who got a seasonal flu shot in 2008 were substantially more likely to contract the H1N1 swine flu in 2009, scientists there have found.

In four new studies, researchers compared people who got the regular flu shot the prior year with those who didn’t, and then tracked the frequency of infection with the swine-flu virus. The studies found risk increased as much as 500 percent.

The study’s authors caution that the numbers show some relationship, but can’t definitely prove prior flu vaccinations were directly responsible for the increased incidence of swine flu. But the findings do raise questions about how flu strains interact, and the World Health Organization now recommends including swine flu in new seasonal flu vaccines.

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Thyme for flavor and health

Filed under: food as medicine,garden medicine,herbal medicines,Uncategorized — Tags: anti-viral, aromatic, bacteria, evergreen, flu, lungs, Mediterranean diet, pests, thyme, veggies, virus — Orna @ 6:45 am

photo by orna izakson.

New Year’s day was as one of those perfect Pacific Northwest winter days — 45 degrees, misty and soft. The kind of day that smells and feels like earth.

My garden is pretty much hibernating. A long spell of deep cold knocked back the last of my greens. There’s a fairly even layer of deciduous leaves covering the ground, punctuated by bare limbs and decomposing stalks.

Still, it was a day to survey. And one of the bright points was indefatigable thyme, sprightly in the day’s gloom at the base of a fig tree.

Herbalists often like to play around with favorite herbs lists: If you only had three (or five, or ten) herbs to work with, which would you choose? On my lists, thyme always shows up. It’s incredibly easy to grow, tastes fantastic and makes powerful medicine. (more…)

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Dr. O’s advice for flu season

December 1, 2009

Filed under: blogs,food as medicine,healthy living,herbal medicines — Tags: cigarettes, fiber, flu, garlic, health, mustard plaster, naturopath, probiotics, sun, thyme, veggies, vitamin d, warming socks, water — celiloadmin @ 5:05 pm

Natural advice for staying well this flu season

Originally published in Indian Country Today

By Terri Hansen, Environment, Science & Health Writer

Portland, Ore.—When naturopathic physician Dr. Orna Izakson looks at a plant she sees more than its stem, leaves or vibrant flower – she sees medicine. And naturally, she takes a natural approach to flu prevention and hastening a healthy recovery.

“Our bodies are trying to bring us toward health,” she says. “The responses we experience to outside stressors are our body’s intelligent response to that stressor. A fever is an intelligent response: It makes the body more responsive to invaders… and it makes us feel lousy so we slow down and go to bed so that our bodies can heal.” (more…)

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