Herbs for Cold and Flu

My cold fighting arsenal

I broke my rule. I hung out with some friends even though I knew they were sick. I know. I know… but it was totally worth it. Lol!!!! Besides I couldn't have done this post if I hadn’t caught the cold. Lol!! Full disclosure I also didn’t take my herbs before hanging out. I know!!!!! What?!!!! Silly me. So since I am now treating myself properly I thought I’d share my healing routine with you. So what do I do when I first feel sickness coming on??

Rest. Reeeessssttt… Res-

Doesn’t this look like a nice place to relax???

I cant even type that with a straight face. (If you know me this is not my strong suit lol!) Rest is the best thing though. And I am trying to get better….

But seriously. I hit it hard!!! I give it everything I've got. (Yes I've also learned that lesson the hard way.... notice a pattern?) You must use herbs consistently and with full force... best thing I ever learned from herb school was be as or more aggressive as what you are fighting or it will win. Let's face it I’m a homesteader, a homeschooling mama I don’t have time to be sick. And neither do you. So let’s kill this thing.

My personal arsenal that truely works every time I use it correctly is: NO sugar. That’s right you heard me. Ditch the sugar at least until you are fully recovered. Then I take 1TBS elderberry syrup 3-5 times a day and I give it to my kids too cuz no mama wants sick kids... I also make a delicious (note the slight sarcasm) drink and I drink it all day long... 10-15 drops cayenne tincture, couple drops lemon essential oil (or a squirt of lemon juice, or a half a lemon juiced…whatever I have on hand), a dropper full of echinacea tincture and a generous pour of apple cider vinegar (about 2TBS) lastly I fill the cup the rest of the way with water. I make this drink every time I start to feel the cold winning again.

Now you might be asking what the heck some of these crazy things are... tincture? What? Essential oil?? Huh? Elderberry syrup? Um??? Okay so here's the scoop... most of this stuff is just food. Each item does have some pretty amazing benefits though so lets take a look at just a few:

Tincture is just a fancy way of saying extract… as in you place the herb of choice into a jar with some kind of high proof alcohol such as 80 proof vodka and then let it sit for 6 weeks or so and voila… all those delicious medicinal benefits are now into your alcohol and easier to store and use.e. You can make them yourself or buy them at any supplement/ health food store.

Essential oils I think most people are pretty familiar with them these days - but just in case lets get you up to speed. Large quantities of plant matter is extracted through a distilling process and the final result is a highly concentrated liquid called essential oil. This can be used in many ways but can be harder to find than bulk herbs and very expensive. I personally save these for when I need something extra powerful and that I know will work quickly.

Now lets go over a few of our ingredients:

Cayenne Pepper

Rich in carotenes and vitamin C & A making them an important part of our immune boosting tool belt. Cayenne helps with food absorption which means you get more out of what you eat including herbs! It helps to improve circulation - so if you let it sit in your throat it can even promote healing there!

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) (with the mother in)

High in probiotics which boost gut health. High in antioxidants. Natural laxative - which helps boost digestion.

Lemon

Rich in dietary fiber which helps to relieve constipation (the root of all sickness), hight in vitamin C which helps boost your immune system

Elderberry Syrup

High in immune boosting properties like Vitamin C and dietary fiber it is also chalk full of antioxidants.

I make the syrup our family uses myself with berries I wildcrafted from an area near my cabin and local raw honey ... but you can totally buy it from most health food stores.

The cayenne & echenacea tinctures (I also make myself) can be replaced with common kitchen cayenne powder. To replace the lemon essential oil just juice half a lemon or even use a squirt of juice from a bottle.... this year I also started making my own vinegar but you can totally buy good ol' bragg's or another brand... I've personally made all these substitutions at one time or another. Another one of my favorite sayings:

Use what you have and pray!

Good stuff right there.

I hope this helps you! There’s no guarantee - but this has become my families absolute go to routine. So don’t do like me... stay away from illness... if you can’t at least protect yourself (You can even use this routine as an aid to help you before you get sick!) and well if you still get sick here ya go. Lol!!!! I bless you all with good health!

*disclaimer: this is not meant to replace medical care. Please see your doctor if you feel you need medical advice or are suffering any sicknesses. These things have worked very well for me and my family but they might not work for you and your family. Use your best judgment.