I'm a firm believer in food as medicine. A healthy diet of whole foods prevents a whole lot of ailments. So when it comes to getting sick, which rarely used to happen but happens more now that I have a social toddler, I turn to food first before any other chemical medicine. The three remedies we've got hanging around our house are:
- elderberry syrup- immune system booster
- onion honey thyme- decongestant
- sage peppermint thyme tea- decongestant and sore throats
*Next is the decongestant. It doesn't look so yummy and it's kind of weird to eat but it works like a charm. Simply mince up half a medium size onion add 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves and 1/4 cup of honey. Place all three ingredients into a small pot and heat until onions are softened. Then serve a tablespoon of the mixture over toast or just gulp it down. This is not Sofia's favorite but it works. So I put it on toast and put some blueberry jam over it. Within 20 minutes her coughing and hacking is gone. The chemical in onions that makes you cry also breaks up mucus!
I know that you might think this a lot of sugar, but it's taken in small amounts. The antibacterial properties of raw honey outweigh the sugar for me in this case. Whenever we get sick I try to pull out most of the sugar from our diet so that it doesn't suppress the immune system too much.
The tea is really easy too. Just brew up a cup of peppermint tea add in two dried sage leaves and a pinch of thyme. Let steep for 5 minutes. Then filter out the leaves and drink. It really opens up the nasal passages.
While writing this there are two other things I thought of that we use, one is echinacea in our tea or water to boost the immune system and eucalyptus essential oil as a rub for congestion. For the eucalyptus simply take a carrier oil like olive oil or almond oil place a tablespoon into a small bowl add in like 5 drops of eucalyptus oil and mix well. Then massage it over your sinus areas along the nose and over the eyebrows. It will open you up right away, plus it smells nice!
I get all my essential oils and elderberries from Rose Mountian Herbs.
What do you use during cold and flu season?
Great ideas KC!!! We do raw garlic daily for prevention, and take our probiotics and vit D and C. If we get sick, it is wet socks, more garlic, more probiotics and more vit D and C.
ReplyDeleteI always have castor oil at the ready for a chest rub, but have never had to use it :)
Here's to staying healthy!
I definitely think raw garlic has a huge effect. We eat a lot of garlic. But for about two weeks I used dried garlic instead and in that time we got a cold that won't go away, just lingering on and on.
DeleteThanks for the recipes, KC! I need to make some of the elderberry syrup. These days, I feel like I am constantly on the verge of getting sick from all the germs my two boys brings home. Most of the time, enough sleep, eating whole foods, and trying to keep my stress levels down usually works to not get full-blown sick. But additional measures to boost my immune system are always welcome. Have you ever used apple cider vinegar to help nip colds in the bud? I've been drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water lately and it seems to be helping.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! There seems to be something going around Tucson because every mama I know has at least one kid with a cold. I've never heard of using apple cider vinegar. I'll have to try that.
DeleteGood tips! I'm also a huge fan of the warming socks treatment that Kim mentions--it nearly always works for me! I'm also a huge believer in a spoonful of cod liver oil everyday (even when not sick) and probiotics. And local raw honey for allergy season and coughs. I'll have to try the elderberry syrup sometime--I'm sure my kids would love it.
ReplyDeleteWe do cod liver oil too! Kim has convinced me on the probiotics but I'm overwhelmed by the choices. What do you take?
Deletemy kind of lady! Can't wait to try out these. I lovelovelove Mountain Rose Herbs. When there is something I need that I can't make on my own, I go to them. They are stationed about two hours from my house, and the last time I visited in person I was amazed! They really do take good care of their stuff, and are picky too. I like that. :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to go there in person. It must smell amazing!
DeleteThey are a great company. I get beeswax from them as well. Oh and I got several of their children's tea blends for Sofia which are really good. You should check out Gentle Healing for Babies and Children by David Andrusia. That's my go to book for natural remedies.
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