Antibiotics: How I've Avoided Them for Years & Why

I can't really remember the last time I was sick. For years I've avoided the flu and various colds, not from avoiding sick people either - I work and train full-time in a gym. That's a lot of people coming in who are currently sick, don't know they're sick yet, or have sick loved ones and children at home. It's safe to say I've been exposed to A LOT of germs.

So how do I do it?

I have a few simple home recipes that keep illness away or effectively cure it without visiting a doctor or taking medications. In fact, I've refused to take antibiotics in several situations over the past few years in order to heal myself holistically. 

I'm talking full blown strep throat even. If you're thinking, "That's silly, just go to a doctor and get an antibiotic to knock it out in a few days," you're right - I could do that. But the harm that antibiotics cause isn't worth it for me. 

Antibiotics (more specifically penicillin) was discovered by Alexander Flemming in 1928. it became mass produced in the 1940's for use fighting bacterial infections in World War II. The antibiotics kill the bacteria, leaving you healthy and bacteria-free. However, over time you can become antibiotic resistant. This means that as your body received the antibiotics, it gets used to it and thus needs more in order to have the same reaction. Have strep throat as a kid? No problem, here's an antibiotic. Get it again a few years later? Here's some more, but this time it might not work as well - or eventually you will need something stronger because you've built up a resistance to the first dosage. 

This makes logical sense, but you will always need more and more, thus leading to further resistance. So what's the big deal? 

Antibiotics kill bacteria. But we NEED bacteria to live healthy lives. Our gut is filled with billions of bacteria that allow us to digest food properly, as well as perform thousands of other functions. While there are many other factors to the use of antibiotics, such as damaging our mitochondrial cells, harming our gut bacteria is among the most harmful. As our gut bacteria and microbiome deteriorate, we are at higher risk for developing a variety of autoimmune diseases - inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto's disease, Crohn's disease, etc. 

So how do we avoid this? First, don't take antibiotics at every opportunity. Doctors want to help and they want to cure you, so there first line of defense is always an antibiotics for bacterial infections like colds, and medications such as Tamiflu for viral influenza. Sometimes these aren't really necessary and with a little persistence, can be cured at home.

Here's what I've done to stay healthy but also cure any illness:

1. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. This seems obvious, I know. But these foods contain the most bang for your buck to ensure that your body has all the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly and stay healthy.

2. Always have garlic on hand. I've touched on this before, but garlic contain allicin which is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and so good for you. Add it to your food, eat it raw, just eat it!

3. Make homemade bone broth (or buy some quality stuff) to drink regularly or when you're feeling sick. It contains collagen to help keep you gut healthy. My recipe for homemake bone broth is here for you.

4. Supplement if necessary. Zinc will help prevent illness from spreading, echinacea is an immune booster, and magnesium will ensure you get a good night's rest.

5. Avoid sugar. This is the most important one. When you're feeling ill, I know you don't want to eat chicken and broccoli, but avoiding sugar is the most important thing you can do to get better faster. Sugar suppresses our immune system, so devouring sweet treats will only make your cold/flu last longer as your body struggles to fight off the illness.

No fancy medications. Just food and natural vitamins and minerals to heal you, plus lots of rest and staying hydrated will do the trick. If you're concerned about damage to your gut from antibiotics, I'll be providing some more helpful info on healing your gut in the coming weeks!