This past week I’ve been miserably fighting the flu. (When I say miserable, I mean REALLY miserable). The older we get, the harder illness feels, ya know! (and YES, I had my flu shot).
I’m going to assume I had H3N2 influenza…the strain that was NOT in this years flu shot. (The flu mutated early in the season which is why the flu shot did not work. I’m a HUGE advocate for the flu shot so please don’t think I’m discouraging the flu shot!)
SYMPTOMS
My symptoms began Sunday night with nausea. Then came a headache.
By Monday at 3am I began to feel worse…as worse and worse as the day went.
It’s been 5 years since I’ve had the flu, so I really did forget what it feels like when it’s coming on. By Monday night I had a fever, chills and horrible, horrible headache.
I put myself to bed at 7pm. I knew then that this was the flu.
On Tuesday I felt horrible, on Wednesday I thought I may be getting a bit better. My fever had seemed to break, that was until Wednesday night when it came back.
Thursday morning I woke up so miserable I cried. Everything hurt. My body from the coughing, my head, my lungs, my throat. You name it….it was miserable.
I’m not a fan of Tamiflu, so I’ve been treating myself at home with herbal teas, Tylenol, and Advil cold and sinus.
But Thursday I had enough! I should NOT be feeling worse. This was day 4…I should feel better. Western medicine is great, but I figured it was time to incorporate some alternative therapies into my life.
So I decided I needed to help my body detoxify. My liver has had a hard job this week, ridding the body of this horrible virus is not an easy task.
I know a little about essential oils and health, so I decided to make myself a natural detox bath with ingredients that I already had at home.
INGREDIENTS
Here’s what I used:
- 1 cup Epsom Salt
- 1/2 cup Baking Powder
- 1 tsp ground Ginger (for the lungs, mucus etc).
- 1 tsp salt
- Drops of your favorite aromatherapy scent. I used Lavender.
HOW TO DETOX
- Start the bath with the hottest you can get… and when it’s 1/4 full pour in all the ingredients.
- Then bring the bath to a comfortable but HOT enough temp that you’re going to feel sweaty and hot when you get in. Think Hot tub hot.
- Stir everything up!
- Turn on some relaxing music and plan to spend 20-40 minutes in the tub. (The first 20 minutes are the detox period, the 2nd 20 minutes are for absorption).
Be sure you drink a TON of water before during and after.
SOAKING
While I soaked I focused on my breathing. Taking in deep slow breaths to open my lungs. Let me preface by saying I’m terrified of the flu and of the complications it can bring. Like pneumonia. Deep breathing in a steamy bathroom with lavender was comforting and felt healing. (Deep slow breaths also help open up your lower lobes to increase oxygen exchange and avoid pneumonia from forming).
I soaked for 35 minutes. When I got out, I felt renewed. My body aches, and sore muscles felt renewed and relieved. I was SO excited about my new found body revival that I made my husband do it (without the ginger). He also felt a difference in how he felt.
I woke up today feeling MUCH much better, for the first time in 5 days. Day 6 I finally left the house and felt human again.
The flu is no joke, and you must take care of yourself when you have it. This detox is a great way to help aid your lymphatic and immune system in healing your body and feeling better!
Disclaimer: Before doing a bath like this, be sure you listen to your body, if you feel faint, nauseated or heart palpation’s get out of the bath right away. Be sure you’re not home alone and have someone near by in case you feel faint.
I am only sharing what I did to help myself feel better. This detox may not be for everyone. Please consult your health care provider if you have questions about it.