Elderberry syrup is a powerful curative
Who has not suffered through a bad cold or cough? Or been laid low with a bout of the flu? Respiratory issues should not be taken lightly, so be sure to treat them at the first sign of a sniffle.
Many herbal remedies for colds, coughs, and sore throats go back thousands of years. This does not mean they are less effective than modern medications—many of them were the source for over-the-counter aids such as horehound cough drops and mentholated rubs.
COLDS AND FLU
Colds and flus are viral infections of the upper respiratory system that affect the nose, sinuses, upper airways, throat, windpipe, and bronchi. Symptoms include sneezing, wheezing, coughing, a runny nose and eyes, and congestion. Bear in mind that because these ailments are viral, they do not respond to antibiotics; the best course is to treat the symptoms.
Supplements: If you fear a cold is looming, it’s wise to take herbal and vitamin supplements to boost your immune system and shorten the cold’s duration. These can include versatile nettle leaf, time-tested herbs such as echinacea and ginseng, decongestant ginger, nutritionally essential zinc, antioxidant vitamin C, immunity boosting vitamins A and D, crushed raw garlic, antibacterial and antiviral oil of oregano, virus-battling circumin, bee-produced propolis, and fever-reducing white willow bark.
Elderberry Elixir: This traditional syrup recipe provides phytonutrient benefits to ease inflammation and clear congestion, especially during the flu.
Recipe: Combine half a cup of black elderberries (other colors are toxic) with 3 cups of water and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain into a container and add a cup of honey to the cooled syrup. Take a tablespoon every 4 hours to treat a cold or flu. A sealed, refrigerated container will keep for 3 months.
Elderberry syrup is a powerful curative
Hot Ginger Tea: Hot drinks are crucial for colds because they furnish fluids and steaming vapors that can break up congestion. This spicy, warming beverage will ease a scratchy throat, reduce swelling of the mucous membranes, and loosen phlegm.
Recipe: Pour 4 cups of boiling water over 6 to 8 tablespoons of grated ginger root in a glass jar. Add a pinch of cinnamon, a squirt of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of honey. Cover the jar and let the mixture steep for 45 minutes, then strain and drink. Keep the remainder in refrigerator for 1 day.
Healing ginger tea
Epsom Salt Bath: A hot soak in salts—perhaps with the addition of mint or eucalyptus oil—will restore any depleted magnesium, which is essential to your immune system, and will help clear your sinuses and relieve your muscle aches.
Quick Tips: Try adding lemon juice to sage tea. Use eucalyptus oil rubs to open swollen passages. Boil cardamom with cinnamon in a few cups of water and gargle to relieve sore throats. Mix cayenne pepper with lemon juice and honey in a cup of hot water and drink daily for a natural decongestant.
COUGHS
Even after colds diminish, coughing and hoarseness caused by post-nasal drip can linger. Gargling with warm water can help, but you can also curb the symptoms with natural soothers and tonics.
Honey Combos: Honey, which bees produce from flower nectar, is a natural antiseptic and can soothe even the sorest throat. Swallow a teaspoonful for a sweet remedy, or try adding 2 teaspoons to herbal teas, heated water and lemon juice, or hot oatmeal, or drizzling it over French toast.
Mullein Tea: When dried, this common wildflower of roadsides and open fields makes an effective expectorant by thinning phlegm so it can be coughed up.
Recipe: Combine 2 tablespoons dried mullein with 2 or 3 teaspoons dried thyme (another natural expectorant) in a large mug and pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over the herbs. Stir, let it steep, then strain and add honey or lemon to taste. Drink twice daily to ease congestion.
Mullein tea