Our First Illness While on GAPS

We are having our first real illnesses while on GAPS. L started a cold on Friday, which after a bowl of soup took a three-day hiatus and started again today. N started with congestion on Sunday, after our weekend camping trip. No doubt the mountain air, which was fresh but also filled with dust, campfire smoke and likely some sort of pollen, contributed to it. She is following her typical pattern of congestion, followed by not enough nose-blowing which leads to an asthma attack. She literally can't catch her breath. It's painful to witness and gives me flash backs to my childhood asthma experiences. She also runs a fever.

So last night at midnight I discovered that her inhaler expired in July. But Albuterol for her nebulizer is good until December so she basically had a treatment every two hours through the night - which is too much to not be seen by a doctor.

So we visited our Osteopath today. It's hard to explain how it works, but it helps N a lot to get a treatment from her. She has by far given me the best advice for managing these respiratory/asthma situations of all the doctors we've seen. She advises taking magnesium because it helps relax the whole system, including the lungs, Espom salt baths (more mag), a homeopathic remedy called Pulsatilla, rubbing small circles on the upper back/shoulder blades, lots of liquids. Today she also recommended garlic-mullein oil drops for the ears. N spent almost the entire day on the couch reading, doing a puzzle, being read to and having a few more sessions with the nebulizer.

On the plus side, both children got probiotic foods, broth, fats, and juice into their systems today as well as TWO detox baths(one at 5 am and the other a 6:30 pm) - oh - and so did I! I told L that the cold butternut squash soup I was spooning to her was ice cream and she ate it, though when I served it warm earlier in the day as soup she told me she did not like it. Good thing I worked in sales and marketing for so many years!

I am hopeful that tonight will bring easy rest for all of us and that more healing foods will be consumed tomorrow. This is N's first respiratory illness since March and that is an amazing stretch of time for her.

Garlic-mullein oil is great for ear infections, congestion in the ear/nose/throat and you can make it yourself (or buy it). So since cold season is coming, here's a GAPS friendly health care recipe, which if you make simply from garlic you could also use as a nice garlic flavored oil for eating. Find dried mullein in a bulk herbs section at your local herb supply store or online.

This is from Aviva Jill Romm's book, Naturally Healthy Babies and Children, a wonderful resource for health via herbal remedies and nutrition. It is a great way to learn more about herbs and how to use them in infusions, tinctures and more.

Garlic-Mullein Oil

Makes one pint - so make less if you don't need that much

1 whole bulb finely chopped fresh garlic
1 ounce dried mullein flowers
1 pint olive oil

Today I used about 5 cloves of garlic, a scoop of mullein and a 1/3 cup olive oil.

Slow method: Place all ingredients in a pint-sized jar, stir, cover and place in sunlight for one week. Strain into a clean jar, cover and store in refrigerator for up to two years.

Need it soon: Place all ingredients in a small pot, simmer very gently for 30 minutes being careful not to brown the garlic. Strain and store.

To use: Place 3 to 7 drops in each ear 2-4 times per day and do a gentle massage. I like to have the girls lay down on their sides for this. I also warm the oil by holding a lit match under the spoon or dropper for 1-2 seconds. The warm oil feels really nice. The garlic is antimicrobial and works on both bacterial and viral infections. The mullein is an analgesic, so is a gentle pain reliever. Plus you smell like garlic bread and that is always a treat!