Caution: Honey is not advised for 12 months and younger.
Support immune system of everyone in family, including the sickie, with:
1) Astragalus – Buy roots at health food store, co-op (People’s in O.B.), or online. Decoct 10-20 grams (weight) in medium pan of water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain and drink with raw, local honey once it reaches a reasonable temperature. Daily is good during cold & flu season or for two weeks before travel. (Raw honey has active enzymes that are good for you. Local honey has local pollens, which actually help your body’s immune system long-term.)
2) Buy or make elderberry syrup. Take a teaspoon several times a day during the cold & flu season (as often as every 30 minutes, if you feel something coming on or you have been exposed). I add a small cinnamon stick to the simmering elderberries when I make it. If I have fresh rosehips, I add those, too.
3) Stay well hydrated. Drink water, caffeine-free tea, clear broths, etc. Chamomile tea is particularly good for many ailments and is an excellent “go-to” tea for children, especially in the evening to help with sleep and calming. Adults benefit, too. Homemade bone broth provides oodles of minerals and good nutrition! For easier sleep at night, stop all fluids an hour before bedtime.
4) Take vitamin D3 – 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 for every 25 lbs of body weight is for ordinary daily amounts. I up that considerably (often double) for a max of three consecutive days prior to travel or while ill or feeling the beginnings of something. I prefer sensible sun exposure most of the year, but we do supplement Halloween through the first day of Spring on any day we do not get sun exposure at the right time of day. Easy rule of thumb = Is your shadow shorter than you? If yes, you are making Vit. D as long as your skin is exposed and not slathered in sunscreen! Expose your skin for half the time it takes to turn pink.
5) Drink stinging nettles infusions. Use 1 oz by weight of dried nettles in 1 qt glass Mason jar and fill with boiling water. Cap and let sit on counter 4 hours to overnight. Strain, refrigerate, and drink within 2-3 days. I re-steep the dried nettles and use the liquid to water plants or as a hair rinse. Toss spent herbs in compost pile or directly on the ground to enrich soil. Nettles infusions have loads of minerals and nutrients to build the body’s adrenals, immunity, skin/hair/nails, bones, and more. Nettles infusions are safe for everyone (pregnant, lactating, children, seniors, etc.). If you don’t care for the taste, try different temperatures and try adding a pinch of salt or a teaspoon of honey.
6) Take echinacea tincture (extract in alcohol or glycerine). Use 20 drops in water every 30 minutes until symptoms stop. Only take at onset of symptoms. If something develops, then stop echinacea and switch to something else. Echinacea is overharvested and works best as a preventive (short-term, high quantity) anyway. With all these other options, mix up what you do/take.
7) Avoid sugar. Sugar compromises the immune system and makes it harder for the body to deal with infections and illnesses.
For sore throats and colds:
1) Mix propolis and honey. Eat or stir in warm tea.
2) Eat garlic. In soups or sauces or garlic-lemonade. If tolerated, eat a clove a day of raw garlic in addition to some cooked garlic.
3) Garlic-onion honey. Simmer onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Pour in honey and heat until all mixed well. Store in Mason jar in fridge (I use wide-mouth short jars). Take a spoonful often.
4) Sage-infused honey is particularly nice for sore throats and sinus issues. Place a teaspoon in hot water and drink; or add to caffeine-free warm tea.
5) Take your warm or cool “spent” (still damp) chamomile tea bags and place them on closed eyelids for any irritation, puffiness, redness, etc. Works well for pink eye, too. Be sure to use one tea bag per eye and toss them out immediately after use to avoid spreading the infection.
6) Make a salve for congestion. (I’ve written about this before. See prior blog entry for details.)
7) To aid sleep, which helps the body heal itself, mix up a sleep blend of essential oils and place one drop on a cotton ball. Tuck it into pillow case (between pillow and bed) or in a nearby spot, but not right on children. Use 3 drops cedarwood, 3 drops lavender, and 6 drops sweet orange. Mix in small bottle. Use one drop at a time. Children only need a very small amount for results (1 drop works). One could mix this into a carrier oil (dilute it well; see “Snot so Bad” blog entry for guidance on dilutions), such as sweet almond oil or coconut oil, and give a soothing massage before bed. For myself, I put two drops in the palm of one hand. Rub palms together, cup hands into bowl shape, and inhale deeply. Then, rub each hand on either side of my head on pillow. FLIP PILLOW OVER! Sweet dreams…Zzzz…