I'm glad you found my info useful...and that article from Harper's sounds 'verrrry interesting'. I've read now on several sites that our bacteria actually morph continually into all different types of things, depending upon how they're needed (or how they're harmed). It's called pleomorphism, and it's a theory of microbiology that was dismissed by allopathic medicine...but it makes a LOT of sense to this gal!

http://www.whale.to/v/pleomorphism.htm

I tell ya, the one thing I know for sure? I still have a LOT to unlearn!! :o)

The more I research herbs and healing, the more I'm leaning toward only using "anti" herbs (anti...bacterial,fungal,etc) as topical treatments - unless of course, an internal bacterial/yeast infection is severe or worsening. If our bodies are alkaline, the flow of blood & energy is good, and our immune system is strong, when the "invaders land", they don't have a chance at living and/or multiplying and causing an illness.

The immune system is kinda like a muscle, the more it's used, the stronger it becomes. The various cells have 'memory' and once they've fought 'something' and beaten it, that 'something' never stands a chance again. (I always remember how snake handlers allow themselves to be bitten and/or injected with the venom of the snakes; sure, it makes them sick, but once their immune system has beaten pff the invaders, they become totally immune forever)...and they don't have carry around zillions of bottles of anti-venom.

I'm thinking that sometimes we all become a bit 'gung ho' over the 'newest & bestest' "find", and we end up with bottles upon bottles of various "anti-venoms" to cure all our various ills...when all we needed to do was bolster & strengthen our immune systems! Not to even mention that we DON'T know what all cells/bacteria all the "anti-herbs" are killing. And even though there's probiotics, we have no idea what percentage and ratio we're killing off when we take an "anti", and we have no idea what percentage/ratio with which to replace them. And that's a great big ARGH to me!

And along that same vein, that's (sadly) where I'm beginning to see/think that the "natural healing world" is become a bit too "allopathic" in nature...and we need to watch out for it. When one considers it, it's almost like the Big Pharmaceutical giants...if they really healed us, they wouldn't make any money, right? And if the "Natural Pharmaceutical giants" taught us about proper alkalizing diets, energy flow and herbs like echinacea...well then, they wouldn't be selling many bottles of all the "anti" herbs, and probiotics, and capsules, and tinctures, and formulas. Are "natural sellers" selling us what's really GOOD for us? or what APPEALS to us?. Since most of us are coming from the allopathic world, we're already programmed to "take a specific pill" for what ails us... I'm sure you get the picture.

Anyway, DO look into echinacea and research it some more. I think you'll find it a 'must have' :) My hubby and I have been married 10 years, and in that time (between us) we've had only 3 colds, and one bout of the flu (and we wouldn't have had those if we would have 'dosed ourselves' early on instead of trying to beat it without 'dosing' with something!). Normally, at the first sign of a scratch/ache/sniffle, we knock it out easily with a few 1000mg of Vitamin C...but occasionally one 'gets by us' and we have a few droppersful of echinacea tincture, too.

Whoa-zowee, was that rant-and-a-half or what? :) Somebody stop me! LOL

If I were you, I'd ease up on most everything else I was 'taking or treating' (except for vital nutrition & such) and hit that virus hard! (I'd start with 3000-5000 mg Vitamin C daily, and several droppersful of echinacea tincture several times a day...and all the fresh juice I could juice & drink :) If your immune system is fighting a major virus, I feel it needs a chance to "focus" on that virus (the ole "a house divided against itself cannot stand" kinda thing). Once you get that knocked out, then pick back up where you were in your healing regime.

Blankets of blessings,

Unyquity

he has been eating fresh fruit and salads so i think he is getting sulfur. i had to make him hydrate. he will never have to be told again. i wish i had learned that at 15.