Where's the Beef? Right here in my Oil of Oregano

So tomorrow will be one week on my crazy candida diet.  I can't tell you if I feel better or not, because I've had this cold for the last five days.  I'm finally getting my voice back, but I have this nagging tickling cough.  My normal cure for that is hot water with apple cider vinegar and honey.  On this diet I can't have the honey, and I can't have cough drops because of the sugar.

Last night before I went to bed I was pretty desperate.  I couldn't stop coughing and I knew I wouldn't sleep.  I googled natural cough remedies.  Of course, 90% of what came up contained honey.  I tried everything else.  Something worked, but I don't know what it was because I used about 4 different things.  I gargled with salt water, drank hot lemon water, drank hot ginger tea, and put Vick's (actually my natural equivalent to Vick's) on my feet and then put socks on.

When I talked to the nutritionist today, she suggested steaming a bunch of rosemary in water and then putting my head over it with a towel.  I just did that, and it felt amazing.  Like a mini facial.  It helped my cough for a while, but now it's coming back again.

I would really like to get rid of the cough, or it will ruin my plans for this evening.  I'm supposed to go to a meditation to discover your Power Animal.  I don't know much about Power Animals.  As I mentioned in a previous post, many shamans believe that everyone has  Power Animals that guide them, similar to a guardian angel.  I've been curious as to what mine is, and I really want to go tonight.  Somehow I don't think everyone else will appreciate me coughing and hacking thru the meditation.

My other dilemma for the day has to do with an herb.  There are many Chinese herbs that the nutritionist would like to give me to help with my cleanse.  The problem is, we don't know if they will be a problem with my random pilot drug testing.  We don't think they will, but I need to make sure just in case.  I certainly don't want a false positive for something I'm not taking!  The last time I tried to get a Chinese herb ok'd by my doctor, they said it caused sensitivity to light and I shouldn't take it.  When I mentioned this to my acupuncturist, she said I would have to take it in enormous quantities to have any sort of problem, which would never happen.  That's the problem.  Medical doctors don't know much about herbs, so they tend to err on the safe side.  I guess that's good in a way, but it prohibits me from taking a lot of helpful things.

So I'm sitting here in front of a bottle of oil of oregano, which I know I can take.  The only problem is I just read the label, which says - Capsules made from 100% beef gelatin.  Now what do I do?  Pretend that beef gelatin is suitable for vegetarians - to help myself with the only herb I know is safe?  Or not take it because of the beef?  Problem is, I watched one of those Discovery Channel shows about how gelatin is made.  I swore I'd never touch the stuff again.

I think I've made my decision, but I'm keeping it between me, the oregano, and the beef.