Chances are you have suffered travelers diarrhea or food poisoning at some point in your life, but have you ever wondered why some people die from it while others recover after a few intimate days with the toilet?

Of course, the outcome depends on the type of pathogen in combination with the immune system and defense resilience of the host/person. Pathogens are part of our eco-system and potentially a strong healthy host can co-exist in a mutualistic relationship with certain types of pathogens.

However, some pathogens can present a real treat if the host/person is in a diseased state, with a compromised or poor immune function, is stressed, weak, elderly and/or sick

Pathogens are micro-organisms that are usually bacterial, viral, parasitic (worms ) or Protazoan. They can be transmitted a few different ways depending on the type, this can include; transfer of bodily fluids, skin contact, ingestion, airborne particles, touching a surface touched by an infected person or direct contact with infected feces.

Commonly transmission can occur from undercooked meats, raw fish, unwashed vegetables, contaminated water, animals and pets, public bathrooms, nail biting, kissing, shaking hands, insect bites, public transport, ATM machines, sneezing, swimming in lakes and rivers, handling money and animal fertilizers to name a few.

What happens when you get diagnosed with parasites, a bacterial infection, fungal overgrowth or viral infection?

Firstly your body will respond accordingly depending on the type and severity of the pathogen. This reaction is the bodies attempt at purging and healing and can include; fever, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sweating, and inflammation.

Allopathically, a medical practitioner may prescribe relief care to ease the symptoms, antibiotics to treat an infection, anti-fungals to treat a fungal infection, anti-virals to treat a viral infection or anti-parasitic medicine for the treatment of parasites.

Sometimes a pharmaceutical drug might be necessary to target specific pathogens, the problem is that it can be very risky to suppress the bodies natural healing mechanisms and the drug ALONE doesn’t treat the host(person), doesn’t help to heal the gut, doesn’t repair the damage from the pathogen, doesn’t reduce inflammation, doesn’t address the internal environment, strengthen the immune system, penetrate the biofilm and the medicine itself can have negative effects on the microbiome and especially the balance of friendly flora.

Lets look at this using an analogy; imagine someone has dumped garbage into your garden and left it to decompose. After a while the new toxic environment will become a potential breeding ground for flies, bacteria, maggots, cockroaches, rats and other rodents.

If you sprayed insect repellant and put down rat poison on the garbage bags, would it fix the problem?

Short term yes, long term no; if the garbage bags were not removed and more were dumped there the pathogens would return and unfortunately your garden can’t return to a state where it can flourish because the toxic environment is still supportive and appealing to the pathogens

This is the same with our bodies, we can eradicate a pathogen with a pill and feel better short term but it can have long-term consequences if the internal environment of the person or host is not treated holistically

Pathogens often result in Inflammation and once inflammation is active, it is highly self-perpetuating, resulting in inflammatory cytokines travelling throughout the body causing oxidative stress to the tissues and brain and mal-digestion and mal-absorption in the gut leading to nutritional deficiencies, a weakened immune system and a cascade of symptoms that include anxiety and depression.

Protozoan pathogens often cause acute and severe symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. These can be very dangerous left untreated and they often need very specific treatments.

Helminths are very common pathogens: they include pinworms, whipworms, roundworms, flatworms, hookworms etc. Often people don’t know they have them but they can lead to chronic health complaints and a broad range of symptoms that includes digestive issues like diarrhea, bloating, gas, IBS, skin issues, mood disorders, fatigue, headaches, anal itching, abdominal cramps, and insomnia

Most parasites are nocturnal and become most active during the night; this can lead to an internal stress response and elevations in the hormone cortisol which in turn can lead to waking frequently and disturbed sleep patterns

So what are our greatest defenses against pathogens?

A holistic approach is crucial to building a GOOD STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM, resilient defense and strong host as this is the greatest defense against pathogenic infections

Stress has been shown to weaken the immune system rapidly so it’s important to incorporate stress management techniques, to eat well, stay hydrated, laugh often, relax, move daily and sleep well but here are some additional simple tips for a healthier, stronger more resilient you:

1: Use Pickled Ginger daily for 30 days to naturally strengthen the Hydrochloric acid (HCL) in the stomach as this is your first line of defense against pathogens.

Pickled Ginger Recipe:

• 8 Ounces Peeled and Sliced Ginger
• 1 Cup Rice Vinegar
• 3/4 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1-1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Salt

(Pack the ginger strips into a container with a tight lid. Pour the vinegar, sugar, water and salt into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately pour the liquid over the ginger strips. Place the lid on the container and place in the refrigerator)

* Consume ½ -1 teaspoon before meals daily for 2-4 weeks

2: Garlic has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes, you can consume fresh garlic daily by creating a large batch of garlic soup and freezing it into small portions (see recipe) or by making your own garlic oil (see recipe)

Garlic Soup Recipe for parasites, detox, immune support and vampires:

• 50 Cloves Garlic (30 Roast, 10 Simmer, 10 Raw)
• 1 Bunch of Chopped Kale
• 2Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 2 Tbsp Grass Fed Butter
• 2tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Sliced Ginger
• 10 Small Red Onions
• 2 Tsp Thyme
• Dash Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Cups Water

Roast garlic with some coconut oil for 40 minutes then cool and squeeze out to create a paste, Add garlic paste and butter, coconut oil, cayenne, ginger, onions, Thyme, lemon juice and water to a saucepan, boil then simmer 15 minutes, add 10 more raw garlic cloves and simmer 5 more minutes. Transfer to a glass blender, add 10 more raw garlic cloves and pulse into a smooth soup, transfer back to the saucepan and over a low heat stir in coconut milk and season with salt and pepper

Garlic Oil Recipe:

In a small sauce pan over low heat, warm 2 Tbsp olive oil and add one large finely chopped garlic clove, remove it from the heat as soon as the garlic becomes fragrant (don’t cook), Cool, Strain the mixture and Store in a dark colored glass bottle.

3: Pumpkin seeds have been known to paralyze n purge parasites from the body. Simply chew one to two handfuls of raw pumpkin seeds everyday for 3 consecutive days for a light and natural parasite cleanse.

4: Papaya Parasite Cleanse: Papaya seeds are naturally anti-parasitic. In one study, researchers found that a mixture of honey and papaya seeds cleared stools of certain parasites in 23 out of 30 subjects within just 7 days.

Simply dry the papaya seeds and bash them into a powder and add to smoothies, mix with honey or sprinkle into food dishes.

5: Use a natural home-made hand santitizer made from tea tree, lavender and witch hazel. Avoid chemical anti-bacterial hand gels as they can have a detrimental effect on the microbiome and contribute to the creation of antibiotic resistant ‘super bugs’ (These bacteria have evolved this way because they’ve been exposed so frequently to antibiotics and antibacterial substances, that they developed genes to protect themselves from these compounds)

Natural Home-Made Hand Santitizer Recipe:

• 5-10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 30 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Witch Hazel Extract
• 8 Ounces 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel

6: Incorporate more anti-parasitic botanical herbs into your diet, such as Worm wood, black walnut, berberine, oregano, triphala and grapefruit seed extract

7: Create simple homemade anti parasitic and anti-fungal pills using a blend of honey and cayenne pepper together. The honey is thought to draw in the pathogens and the cayenne pepper kills them.

You can also freeze pure cod liver oil tablets and take them on an empty stomach. Freezing the capsules slows down the dissolving time allowing it to enter the small intestines when it releases the cod liver oil. This enables the oil to coat the parasites and worms like a blanket and suffocates them.

8: Try this simple Activated Charcoal lemonade:

Activated Charcoal Lemonade Recipe:

• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1-2 Capsules of Activated Charcoal
• Stevia or Raw Honey to Sweeten
• Water
• Ice

Mix manually or use a blender if preferred.

The manufacture of activated charcoal makes it extremely adsorbent, allowing it to bind to molecules, ions, or atoms. It’s efficiency at adsorbing toxins makes it a popular choice against pathogenic infections, poisonings or overdose.

9: Try homemade papaya leaf juice: Papaya leaves contain phenolic compounds, papain and alkaloids and these nutrients act as powerful antioxidants which, in turn, are thought to enhance the body’s immunity, provide anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties and provide the potential to raise low platelet count

10: If you don’t have kidney problems, you could try a vitamin C flush (also known as an ascorbate cleanse);, basically, you consume as much vitamin C as your gut can tolerate before diarrhea sets in.

Vitamin C flush Directions:

Take 1000mg of vitamin C (use a buffered vitamin C powder such as; calcium ascorbate or potassium ascorbate – this increases the pH making it less acidic) mixing into half a glass of water and drink/sip it over the course of a few minutes. Repeat this every hour, on the hour, recording each time you take a dose, and continue until you need to use the bathroom.

Disclaimer: Always consult with a licensed medical practitioner prior to consuming any supplements or natural herbs. The information above has not been verified by the FDA and is only intended for educational purposes only, it is not intended for diagnosis or treatment of any disease or condition.