I know many people who brag that they never get a cold. I’m here to tell you that I am down with the Mother of All Colds, as sick as I’ve been in a long time, and it’s a good thing. That’s because our immune systems need challenges from time to time to keep on their metaphorical toes. It’s good to know they respond to the challenges of the ever-evolving pathogen colonies that surround us all. Source of the sickness Yes, we all know that dietary choices, environmental toxins and stress all weaken our immune systems. My hand is up -- guilty of less-than-perfect dietary choices while on my recent trip to California, long hours, not enough sleep and the stress of being at a gigantic natural products show with more than 70,000 people in attendance. Oh, yeah and probably there were quite a few cold viruses swirling around in the plane with its re-circulated air, and the airport with its tens of thousands of people coughing, sniffling and touching every surface, not to speak of that ridiculously over-packed Anaheim Convention Center full of myriad viruses from all over the world. It is almost inevitable. Yes, I do take precautions. We all do. I wash my hands carefully, avoid touching door handles (that’s why I always wear a scarf) and use hand sanitizers. There’s not much anyone can do about the fellow passenger two rows back who is hacking and coughing. The hacking passenger can’t help it either. Would you cancel a plane ticket and lose your fare just because you had a cold? I didn’t think so. Getting a cold isn’t a failure. Think if it as a challenge. I also think of a cold as a message for my body to slow down and take it easy. Sometimes we are given no choice. Favorite cold remedies Everyone has a favorite cold remedy, natural or not. All of them have some benefits, largely to minimize the symptoms while you wait for the virus to run its course. You may like sage and rose hip tea, Echinacea, chew on cloves of garlic, use a neti pot, steam vaporizer with eucalyptus, chicken soup or bone broth. Do whatever you like if it helps you feel better. Just know that your cold will most likely last a week give or take a day or two with lingering coughs that can go much longer, regardless of what you do about it. I do recommend that you let a fever run its course if it isn’t higher than 103 degrees Fahrenheit. (Anything higher can be dangerous.) Fever serves a purpose. By raising the internal temperature, the fever creates an inhospitable environment for the viruses or other pathogens that are causing the illness. I’m taking my vitamins C and D, drinking lots of fluids and spending most of the day in bed. In fact, that’s where I’m headed right now.

A Cold Is Not A Bad Thing

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I know many people who brag that they never get a cold. I’m here to tell you that I am down with the Mother of All Colds, as sick as I’ve been in a long time, and it’s a good thing. That’s because our immune systems need challenges from time to time to keep on … Read more

iodine and your thyroid

Iodine: What Happens If You Don’t Get Enough

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Excerpt from What Doctors Fail to Tell You about Iodine and Your Thyroid by Dr. Robert Thompson. Americans are experiencing a dramatic drop in iodine levels and a corresponding deterioration in our collective health. Between the early 1970s and the early 1990s, we experienced an average drop in iodine levels of 50%. In just 20 years! … Read more

no sugar no wheat

No Sugar, No Wheat For a Skinny Body

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We’ve been having a conversation about the best possible diet on my private Facebook support group—you can join!) I’m sure there are about as many opinions on that subject as there are human beings alive. I’m not here to argue any deeply-held beliefs. In fact, I’ve learned over the years that what we eat, why … Read more

vaccinate

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate isn’t the question

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The current national uproar over the measles outbreak that has affected—gasp—100 kids nationwide is an interesting commentary on our national psyche. I‘ll tell you here from the get-go before too many people get their shorts in a twist assuming they know what I’m about to say: I’m not taking a side in the vaccinate/don’t vaccinate … Read more

natural economical beauty products

Safe, natural economical beauty products

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It’s not just what you put in your body, but what you put on it that can have a profound effect on your health. It sometimes shocks me to see people who wouldn’t dream of eating processed foods slathering on chemical-laden moisturizers or sunscreens. What you put on your body is just as important as … Read more

flu prevention

Flu vaccine: Yes or No?

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I know several people who have had the genuine flu this year. I’m not taking about sniffles and coughing, I mean serious illness, complete with fever, inflamed throat, body aches and deep bronchial congestion. Some complained that they had taken flu shots and still got sick. As you might imagine, I am not a fan … Read more

roundups lethal effects

A Round Up of RoundUp’s™ Lethal Effects

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UPDATED: April 11, 2019 Note from Kathleen: It’s spring and, if your yard is anything like mine, weeds are already starting to pop up. PLEASE don’t use RoundUp! It is so devastating to the planet and to your health. An extremely effective natural weed killer: 1 gallon of regular household vinegar 2 cups of Epsom … Read more

Change 2015 and Beyond!

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Dear Friends, I’m turning my Newsletter and Website into a giant support group! Let’s support each other as we attempt to create positive changes in 2015, no matter what it might be. You can join the discussion by stating your intentions below. If the changes you want to see are little more personal, please feel … Read more

The real story on testosterone replacement

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by Robert Thompson, M.D. (my co-author on The Calcium Lie 2: What Your Doctor Still Doesn’t Know) Testosterone replacement is becoming an increasingly controversial subject, with good reason. Time Magazine in it’s Aug. 18, 2014 edition, published a cover story on the big business aspects of the testosterone replacement industry entitled, “Feeling Deflated? The Low-T … Read more

My Blog

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Kathleen Barnes is a passionate natural health advocate, author, writer and publisher who has devoted nearly 40 years to educating the public about healthy living. She is an unusually versatile writer with experience as a journalist in print, broadcast and online media and as an author, editor and publisher with 20 books to her credit … Read more