We Have Lost the War on Germs

Actually, it turns out we have shot ourselves in the foot by fighting microbes so hard. The majority of microbes are actually helpful, yet we kill the good guys when we try to kill the bad guys.

In the 1800’s, when the Germ Theory was proposed by Louis Pasteur, there was a competing theory; the Health Theory. 

The Germ Theory says that we get sick because we are unlucky enough to “catch” a bad guy germ. That germ then makes us sick. Though Pasteur backed off from this view before his death, it monopolizes our health care and homeMaking today.

The Health Theory says that we are exposed to billions of germs, good and bad, all day every day. We become sick because our body becomes weakened in some way, making it vulnerable to the bad guys. If we keep our bodies healthy, we won’t be susceptible to the bad guys.There is more research supporting this view every day.

So here’s the right way to fight disease and increase health:

1.       Throw away all you antibacterial products (including hand sanitizer). They kill the good guys and the mild bad guys, but NOT the super bad guys (antibiotic resistant bacteria). The Supers then have no competition, so they grow much faster. Plain, ole’, soap and water is the best thing to wash with, and for the house? How about this?
1 Tablespoon borax
1 Tablespoon washing soda
1 teaspoon dish soap
1 quart water
Mix them all together and either pour into a spray bottle or wet your cleaning clothe with it. Works better than any other general cleaner I've ever tried. AND no perfumes, no artificial colors. If you want, you can add your favorite essential oil.

2.       Seek to increase your good guys. When the good guys are strong, they will kill the bad guys (plain and super) with no problems. You will never even know the bad guys were there. You increase the good guys by eating “probiotic rich foods” as well as natural foods. This means lots of:

a.       Yogurt

b.      Kefir

c.      Sourdough bread products

d.      Cultured sauerkraut (as opposed to what is sold in the stores today. That’s pickled, not cultured)

e.      Fresh veggies

f.      Organic, grass-fed, REAL meat (not lunch meat, canned meats, etc. but hunks of muscle cut off an animal.)

g.     Pro-biotic supplements, if necessary.
(Note: my family isn't here yet. This is the goal, not our current state. We are still working on it.)

3.       Exercise. It makes every part of the body, inside and out, stronger.

4.       Get enough rest. Since the invention of the light bulb, most of us don’t. 

5.       Drink plenty of water. Again, we don't.

6.       Don’t take antibiotics! They will kill the good guys, leaving you susceptible to a worse bad guy. They also cause the bad guys to mutate into supers, which then spread to people who haven’t even taken the antibiotics. If at all possible, just don't take them. (Note: there have been times of pneumonia or life threatening infection when we have taken antibiotics, but it has to be extreme illness.) 

7.       Reduce stress. Trusting in God is the best way to do this.

 

 I once read a homesteading book where the author said your primary goal in homesteading is always to improve your soil. Need more fertility? Buy a cow. She will give you lots of good, rich manure. Oh, milk, butter, cheese and a beef calf every year too. But most importantly manure. Need more plant matter in your soil? Grow a garden. Oh you get the produce, but the important thing is the decaying plants you can add to the soil later.

In the same way, we need to do what is right for our friendly bacteria. Yes, we will end up nourished as a result, but mostly because our bacteria is healthy.