Having a cold sucks; but not as much with this immune booster!! get informed

So this post is an informational one... I'm sick and tired of going into a local pharmacy and not being able to find this product. Echinacea and Goldenseal. Or Goldenseal by itself. AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IT IS. So here i am telling EVERYONE what this is and what you should use it for. You feel a cold coming on, buy this and take it as directed. I take two a day usually. I work with people who are always getting sick and therefore i run the risk of getting sick. If i already have a cold i double the dose and take it twice a day. So right now i take 2 pills in the morning and two at night. Though after reading this article i might be taking more. It's so frustrating to not have anyone know what i'm looking for. Not even a pharmacist. I mean seriously! I finally found it at Rite aid. And they only had one brand and only two bottles. I of course took the two bottles. So here are the facts listed below.  I have my mom to seriously thank for showing the beneficial effects of taking these supplements. I only wish i hadn't run out and didn't have any when the first sign of my cold came on. Now i'm in the middle of a cold fighting it off and the cold is seriously kicking butt... If you can't find it at a local pharmacy look for it a a health food store, but they are seriously more expensive there.

Herbal medicine has a long tradition of use in the  treatment and prevention of immune-related disorders.  And Echinacea is one of the most commonly prescribed  botanicals for the immune system. Echinacea (E.  angustifolia and purpurea) is considered a "blood purifier,"  primarily due to its anti-inflammatory and immune  stimulating properties. German researchers have  found the extract of Echinacea to have anti-viral activity  against the influenza pathogen. It increases the number of  phagocytes, which are the type of white blood cells that  "engulf" microbial invaders such as the flu virus.Echinacea  may be taken for acute colds, flus, fevers, and  infections. Of most importance is the dosage and frequency. It is most effective when taken every two hours until some symptoms are relieved. The dose is then reduced to three  times daily for a week to ensure complete recovery and optimal immune function. A dose is two tablets or capsules (usually around 500-1000 mg of the ground herb), 40 drops of the extract, or 4 to 8 ounces of a strong tea made from the ground root. Often you will feel relief within hours. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is also effective for infections. It soothes the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract  during the congestion and inflammation of colds and flus. Its active component, berberine, has a broad spectrum of antibiotic and immune stimulating  activity. Combined with Echinacea, it has a potent immune enhancing and congestion reducing action. Goldenseal may also be taken every two hours for  If taken with Echinacea, use two parts Echinacea to one  part Goldenseal acute cold symptoms.  in tablet, capsule, extract, or tea form. After 72 hours, three times daily for two weeks will often clear up the case. For prevention and to maintain optimal health, a combination  of Echinacea and Goldenseal may be taken two to  three times  daily for one to two weeks per month. I find this lower dosage  benefits and support good health during the cold,  hayfever and  allergy seasons when the body is often under stress.  In addition,  after you have been sick I recommend an "adaptogenic" herb for at least two weeks to assist in full recovery. Adaptogenic herbs have strong "tonic" properties, and they include American Ginseng, Siberian Ginseng, and Chinese Astragalus. These herbs are best taken as a liquid extract, 40 drops two to three times  daily. This may help reduce the occurrence of future colds and flus as well as to enhance energy and resistance.

                                                           Collin on his bday...

   Well we made it back from the other side... Lol. We traveled to San Salvador in El Salvador to visit with my dad. We both had a great time. Collin was in all his glory and has fallen in love with the country all over again. I of course had a great time as well. We rushed from the airport at 8pm to the beach and enjoyed ourselves at the beach till sunday evening. We both got our taste of close-to-the-equator sunburns. They weren't terribly bad and went away by midweek. Monday was my dad's girlfriend's bday and we celebrated in high fashion at my dad's house. I enjoyed my first taste of papaya. Tuesday was a holiday down there and we went to my dad's host family's lake house. They have a lake house on a crater lake created by an ancient volcano that erupted and caved into the earth and then filled into water. Collin and I enjoyed just lounging and catching up with family. We also spent some time on the Jet ski's! The last time i was there I was around 12 yrs old and i remember it a little bit differently. The water level though keeps dropping and there are many different theory's on the reasoning.
     Wednesday we went shopping and bought lots of coffee! among other items. It was also Collin's birthday. We went to an Argentina restaurant and tried grilled rabbit. I was very proud of myself for being so open and willing to try new things this trip. I also weathered this trip better than the last time.  It was delicious. Later, we had a cake with trick candles for collin.
                  It was also Ashby's bday and he now is a legal driver. WATCH OUT! lol. No, I'm very proud of ashby and all his accomplishments. Though i think he needs to apply himself more often; he is a very bright kid and is already ahead of myself in many aspects. He will do alright in life.
           Thursday we went to the Mayan ruins and had a blast with just my dad as we learned and saw more of the country he loves so much.  More about all that later as i have yet to edit the photo's from my real camera. Friday we relaxed and then went to see AVENGERS. Awesome movie. Saturday back to the beach for more fun before flying back to reality.
       I really want to thank my dad for being a great father. You are always there for me and i greatly appreciate that. While everyone makes mistakes here and there; and we have not always seen eye to eye on all things, you have so much to offer the world and the people in your life and do so with open arms. It was a very nice vacation and we both appreciate the time you spent with us, as well as, opening us up to the wide variety of beauty El Salvador has to offer. It was especially nice to see how well you and my boyfriend, my hopefully soon to be husband, get along so well. It is rather refreshing.  Thank you again for such a wonderful break from life and reality. It was much needed!

                                             
                                      my dad's host family... aka FAMILY n me and my dad!

                                              Margarita and her family plus me and my dad!

                               views of El Salvador, the top is just out on the road, the second is the first
                                                             place we stayed at, at the beach

Hershey, my dad's dog... 

Crater lake 

dad and collin catching some waves!

Ma familia.. Collin, myself, Margapritta (Margaritta) n her son Karl

The view from the lake house... 

San salvador

This is what life is about... Spending time with family. Creating new memories and remembering old ones. Experiencing new ones. Experiencing life in general. So many times i feel like when ur living ur normal life ; going to work, running errands, making dinner, etc. you get in the rut of living life in such a routine it becomes boring and meaningless. You forget to really live life and its hard to step out of all that to take a look around and appreciate life. To appreciate what u have and to recognize what you want out of life.

Its so nice to have this opportunity to travel, to be out of the states, to experience culture and be thankful for all that is taken for granted. Thank you dad for giving me and collin this time with you and this change to once again engulf ourselves in something new.