Convalescence

Time to recover from an infection is obligatory and, depending on the illness, this period can be protracted and tiresome. Many types of treatment are effective in lessening the intensity of symptoms and shortening its course.

Dietary advice

• Do away with alcohol
• Choose foods containing vitamin C. mainly found in citrus fruits (lemons, oranges, grapefruit...), green vegetables (celery, sorrel. parsley, horseradish, green cabbage++), fruit (blackcurrants++, kiwis++, strawberries, rasp­berries, redcurrants...)
• Eat foods (garlic, onion) and condiments (thyme, cinnamon, mint, oregano...) known for their anti-infective action
• Add stimulating foods such as ginger, or foods rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals... such as pollen

Two natural foods for convalescence

Royal jelly

- The virtues of this luxurious honey, secreted by young worker bees during their second week of life, have been known since the 17th century. This jelly is called 'royal' because it is intended for the queen bees, which live much longer as a result. It is one of the foods richest in trace elements (calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, and potassium). vitamins (A. B, C,D and E). and essential amino acids;
-It stimulates immunity and thus helps fight infection. It is recommended in extreme fatigue and for convalescence
-If you are lucky enough to live near a beekeeper you may obtain it fresh. Take only a little at a time because it is very concentrated. Otherwise, you can buy sealed vials - airtight because it deteriorates easily. Take one vial at breakfast for a few days, at intervals.

Pollen

- A fine yellow-orange granular powder, composed of thousands of microscopic grains, the male seed of flowers collected by some bees when gathering nectar. Mixed with honey, it is used to feed the larvae, which is why the property of vitality has always been attributed to it in folk medicine. In fact it contains a number of minerals (copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, silicon...). amino acids (glutamic acid, methionine...), vitamins A,B,C, and E, and a substance (superoxide dismutase) which acts against the liberation of free radicals

- You will find pollen in a pharmacy or in health food shops, as capsules or in larger containers. On retiring to bed, pour a teaspoonful of pollen into half a glass of water, cover it, let it stand overnight, and take the mixture in the morning at breakfast

Homeopathy

Silicea, Sulfur iodatum

- Four tablets of each of these remedies at 7c to be sucked like sweets between meals, once a day, for two or three weeks

Silicea

- Mineral origin: silica, once extracted from quartz or flint
- A homeopathic remedy for protracted infections
- For a thin patient, tired, shivering, and deficient in essential minerals

Sulfur iodatum

- Chemical origin: sulphur iodide
- Homeopathic remedy for the effects of eruptive infections
- Characteristic sign: small swellings persist for some time after the infection

• You can use Cruroheel@ (Heel). which contains Acidum silicum D6, Mercurius praecipitatus D8....
  - Available in containers of 50 and 250 tablets
  - In general, one tablet to be dissolved under the tongue three times daily. In acute disorders, initially one tablet every 15 minutes over a period lasting up to two hours

Oligotherapy

Essentially copper.

Trace elements are normally provided by the diet, which should be varied and of good quality. When there is a deficiency, copper can be given as a preparation.

Dietary sources of copper

Copper is present in small quantities nearly everywhere, except in milk, which contains very little.

It is found especially in liver++ (calf, sheep), seafood (lobsters, oysters, scallops, fish roe) and seaweed, almonds and nuts, certain vegetables (avocados, mushrooms), cereals (whole wheat, whole rice, soya), dried fruits, green vegetables, plums, cocoa, tea...

• Copper remedies: found in various forms and brands, e.g. colloidal minerals such as Organic Minerals (Colloidals) which contains 70+ trace minerals:
  - Available in 946ml bottles
  - Take 1-3 caps just before breakfast and/or evening meal
  - Children 1 teaspoon daily for each 20lbs of body weight

Or Maximol (Ionized colloidals):

- Available in 500ml bottles
- Take 1/2 capful once or twice daily on an empty stomach

Herbal treatment

Eleutherococcus and ginseng for their stimulant properties.

Oak for its revitalizing action.

Possible Prescriptions: Ask for a 30ml bottle of mother tincture of one of the first two remedies to be prepared. Take 25 drops in a little water three times a day. You can also ask for a 30m I bottle of oak buds macerated in glycerine at Ix. Take 25 drops in a little water three times a day.

Eleutherococcus

Eleutherococcus or Siberian ginseng is a plant of the ginseng and ivy family, but is native to the plains of Siberia where it grows in abundance. It is widely used by athletes from the countries of the former Soviet Union and Asia because it increases resistance to physical and mental fatigue.

Ginseng

A mythical plant known and venerated for four thousand years and for a long time the exclusive preserve of the Chinese emperor and nobility, ginseng has numerous properties. It is rich in ginsenosides, whose total concentration and relative proportions give it its activity and specificity. It also contains group B vitamins, vitamin C, minerals, and amino acids. It is primarily known as a tonic, a physical stimulant, an activator of the body's natural defence reactions, an aphrodisiac, anti-stress, antidepressant, and revitalizing remedy... Panax, the name of the main variety (from the word panacea) truly indicates its range of activity. The use of ginseng has two main contraindications: young children and arterial hypertension. It is normally perfectly well tolerated, but in high doses (more than 2 grams of powder) may cause agitation, nervousness or insomnia. It may also cause arterial hypertension with vertigo and headaches, or even trigger allergic reactions.

Oak

The oak, a common very tall forest tree, sturdy and much exploited for ship building, relieves tiredness and possesses tonic, revitalizing, and immunostimulant properties. It is very useful during convalescence.

You can also use Red Kooga, a mixture of ginseng and multivitamins and minerals.
- Sold in boxes of 32 tablets
- Adults (over 12 years old) - one tablet to be taken each day

Plant essential oils

Mint, nutmeg, rosemary for their stimulant properties.

- Two drops of one of them to be taken in a little honey twice a day

Mint

Mint's activity is due to menthol, an alcohol extract of its essence, which gives it digestive and analgesic (pain­ relieving) properties. It also stimulates the psyche. . . and sexuality.

Nutmeg

The nutmeg, brought to Europe in the 16th century, is a general stimulant,even of sexuality, but it can rapidly prove toxic. Use with caution.

Rosemary

This shrub is recognizable from afar by the beauty of its slender leaves, the colour of its flowers, and its penetrating smell. It fights fatigue, strengthens the memory, stimulates the circulation, and calms the nerves.

Complementary remedies are not only useful, but also indispensable in the treatment of most infectious illnesses.

They should be tried at the start to prevent the establishment of symptoms and to minimize their effect.

When the disease has become established they are useful in speeding recovery by augmenting defensive reactions.

In convalescence they are irreplaceable for speeding patient recovery.

They sometimes offer an alternative, or an invaluable, effective complement to antibiotic treatment, which is useless if the infection is viral.