First off I am not a doctor, and what I’m going to share is for you to use at your own judgement. Sometimes it is just better to bite the bullet and take the antibiotics. However, in many cases I believe that antibiotics are unnecessary and you can heal yourself without too much trouble.

The problem with antibiotics…

Have you ever heard the quote, “First do no harm.” It comes from an ancient Greek physician named Hippocrates. He is also the same man who said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Both phrases have greatly influenced my beliefs about modern medicine and the potential of alternative treatments. 

Antibiotics unfortunately don’t follow Hippocrates’ rule of “first do no harm”. Although antibiotics do an incredible job of killing bacteria they aren’t selective. They kill it all, good and bad alike. 

The problem with that is we need bacteria… The good kind that is. Those bacteria help our bodies digest food and help keep the bad guys out. If your balance gets off then you are bound to get an infection, or have other health problems like leaky gut. Because of these problems I do what I can to avoid antibiotics.

The blessing of antibiotics…

We use to be a nation plagued by diseases like tuberculous, smallpox, typhoid, dysentery, influenza, cholera, and syphilis. Due to modern hygiene practices, antibiotics, and vaccines these diseases are mostly unheard of.  I am personally very thankful that I should never have to worry about a repeat of the Bubonic Plague. I’m also thankful for those times when home remedies weren’t strong enough to do the job. 

What to take for every kind of infection:

One of the big keys to overcoming any infection is to boost good bacteria. I start with building a good colonization in the gut. To do that I do the following:

• Take a high quality probiotic, like this. I would take 2 in the morning and 2 more in the evening. If your stools become too loose then take less.
• Eat raw garlic or take a garlic supplement, like this. I would eat 1 clove in the morning and 1 in the evening, or take 2 capsules morning and night.
• Eat fermented foods.  (For ideas of what fermented foods you could eat look at our Pinterest page.) I can’t really give you an amount here, but eat your heart out and keep these kinds of foods on hand at all times to help maintain a healthy gut flora.
• Eat yogurt. This could have been listed under fermented foods, but I feel like it deserves its own category. Here is my yogurt recipe. It is made in the crock pot and is super easy.
• Take between 2 tsp. and 2 Tbs. of diatomaceous earth daily, just make sure it is food grade quality.
• Eat 3 Tbs. of coconut oil per day.
• Drink apple cider vinegar. You can take it in shots or thin it out in a good ol’ glass of OJ and sip on it throughout the day. Or do both.

Along with caring for my gut I focus on other nutrients that can help with the healing process, by adding the following to my routine:

• Vitamin C (Did you know you can make your own?! I will tell you all about it in an upcoming Weird Thing Wednesday) Take a double or triple dose.
• Vitamins A, D, and K, or more specifically fermented cod liver oil, take a double dose.
• Water. Make sure you are getting plenty of liquid to help flush out the problem.
• Bone broth. Nothing is more soothing than a good bowl of chicken soup on a sick day. Just make sure the broth is traditionally prepared and actually comes from the bones.

Now for specific ailments…

Vaginal Infections

For yeast infections or other vaginal infections like Group B strep. Check out this post. Use the remedy in the post along with the previous mentioned lists. Additionally, you could use yogurt vaginally, or insert 1 probiotic capsule per day. It is also smart to take preventative action against getting a UTI to go with your vaginal infection. If you wish you can add the routine for that to this one.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

I’ve found UTI’s relatively easy to remedy. If the gut is well cared for it takes little more. The main key is to make sure you are constantly flushing liquids through your system. I also add plentiful amounts of unsweetened cranberry juice, or cranberry supplements. And all the lemon water you can drink.

Ear Infection

I have used this remedy in this post several times and it has worked without fail every time. The kids generally don’t love it, but it is a small wonder. Additionally, I would check for other causes of an ear infection. Sometimes ear infections happen in conjunction with a sore throat or other sickness.

Sore Throat/Strep Throat

My go to healing and soothing cure for sore throats is this fabulous Lemon Honey Tea. Drink it all day long. I also eat spoonfuls of raw honey to help soothe and heal the throat. Thankfully I’ve never had a kid complain about eating straight honey.

Skin Infection

For athletes foot, or rashes my cure of choice is coconut oil. Rub it on liberally multiple times per day. You can also soak the infected area with apple cider vinegar.  

Toenail Fungus

This really could have been placed in the same category as the skin infection. The cures are the same. But I do make sure to clip and file the surface of the toe to help the coconut oil penetrate through the nail. I’ve only had to use this remedy once and it worked after the first application! Apple cider vinegar soaks are also known to cure toe nail fungus.

Everything Else

There may be some kinds of infections that you were hoping to see that aren’t listed here. In that case look to the following options:

• Coconut oil
• Diatomaceous earth
• Apple cider vinegar
• Lemon
• Raw honey
• Cayenne
• Cinnamon
• Probiotics
• Plain yogurt
• Fermented foods
• Garlic
• Vitamin C
• Fermented cod liver oil
• Cranberry
• Water
• Bone broth

Also keep in mind that sometimes the problem is bigger than these solutions. I probably wouldn’t try to heal a kidney infection on my own. I would get myself some antibiotics, but I would also add these things to my diet and lifestyle to help myself heal and replenish a healthy gut flora once the antibiotics had done there job. 

I would love to hear what items from your kitchen you use to heal yourself or your family.