Cold & Flu Remedies
This time
of the year we tend to see our old friends called respiratory ailments.
They aren't fun, definitely not welcome, and we'd do anything to avoid them.
Well since there are times when we just can't evade the nasty little viruses and
such, here are some remedies that might make you feel just a bit better until
your unwanted "guests" leave.
Remember
though that natural remedies should not be used without consulting a trained
medical professional. You need to be aware of how anything you take
interacts with any other medications, treatments, vitamins, etc.
=================
Chicken Soup – Grandma was right. Chicken soup can help clear the lungs, and it promotes
perspiration, which can help rid the body of toxins. Eat a hot bowl of this soup, and then wrap yourself under a
heavy quilt for nap. The hot soup
soothes irritated throats and eases you to sleep.
=================
Chicken & Herb Soup.
4 cups chicken stock
5 garlic cloves, minced
1-˝ teaspoons dried dill weed
1-˝ teaspoons dried parsley
1-˝ teaspoons dried thyme
˝ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-cup noodles (optional)
Heat the chicken stock and garlic to boiling.
Add the dill weed, parsley, thyme and cayenne pepper.
Also add 1 cup or more of noodles, if desired.
Cook until the noodles are done.
This makes a healthful sup to enjoy anytime, but all
ingredients, except for the noodles, contribute to boosting the immune system
and getting rid of viruses and other germs.
===================
Thyme Congestion Mist
1 Tablespoon dried thyme or eucalyptus
Boiling water
Put the dried thyme or eucalyptus in a heat resistant bowl.
Pour boiling water over the herb. Tent
a towel over your head and the bowl so that you can breathe in the vapors for 6
to 8 minutes. This mist clears the
head and stuffy noses.
Thyme is a good germ killer. Eucalyptus is great for bronchial congestion and excess
mucus.
=================
Hyssop & Mullein Tincture for Coughs
Dried hyssop
Dried Mullein
Vodka
**If you’re under the legal drinking age then you should
not be using this tincture!**
Combine equal amounts of dried hyssop and mullein in a
Mason jar. Cover completely with
Vodka. Let the herbs steep in a
sunny window for 2 weeks. Strain.
For coughs, put 30 drops of this tincture in ˝ cup of
water and drink.
You can drink up to 3 cups per day.
This tincture is helpful for soothing and relaxing the lungs and
bronchial tubes. It helps ease
persistent coughing fits associated with viral infections.
==================
Chest Cold Vinegar
1 Large onion (sliced)
1/2 Cup Dried Mullein
Flowers
7 Cloves Garlic
(crushed)
2 Tablespoons (Crushed
or grated) Horseradish
2 Tablespoons Fresh
Grated Ginger
2 Tablespoons Honey
Apple Cider Vinegar
Fill jar with layers of
these ingredients until full. Then top with Apple Cider Vinegar
Refrigerate and use after 24 hrs. Take 2-3 teaspoons of the juice
2-3 times daily. Keeps for 6 Weeks
==================
I use this remedy for
stuffy runny noses: Equal drops of eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint
oils. Keep these in a small container and sniff as necessary to clear up the
nose.
=====================
Also a steam tea of
Wintergreen helps. All you do is heat the water and and cover your head with
a towel and breathe in the steam. Peppermint and thyme also work well. 1 T each.
=====================
Here's a good cough
syrup without all of the side effects:
1 lemon
2 T glycerin
2 T honey
Heat the lemon by
boiling it in water for 10 minutes. Cut it in half and squeeze out the juice.
Add the glycerin and honey. Take 1 tsp as needed.
==================
Ginger Tea
1 inch or so fresh
ginger root, sliced thin or grated
1/2 a fresh lemon,
sliced (peel & all)
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 c water
Very generous spoonful
honey
Place water, ginger,
lemon, & garlic in saucepan; bring to boil, then
turn down heat and
simmer gently for 20 min. Strain into mugs and add lots
of honey. The tea *will*
get stronger if you let it sit! Most
invigorating!
The garlic adds a bit of
bitterness, but the honey masks that. This
tea is very soothing to
the throat and warms and opens the chest and nasal
passages. Plus there are
all those vitamins and other good things! I
now make this tea at the
first sign of a cold, which helps me fight it
off. I find it more
effective than the commercial hot lemon remedies, and of
course cheaper!
Contributed by Kim
Goddard, pacific_treefrog@hotmail.com
=====================
Old Fashioned Mustard
Plaster
Helps relieve chest
congestion due to colds.
1 tbsp dry mustard
1/4 cup flour
Lukewarm water
Sift together mustard
and flour in a bowl. Slowly add just enough
water to make a paste.
Spread the plaster on a piece of muslin big enough to
cover chest. Cover with
another piece of muslin.
Make sure the skin is
dry. Place the mustard plaster on the chest.
Check frequently and
discontinue if there is any kind of allergic reaction.
Remove when skin begins
to turn red, usually after 10-20 minutes, and don't
leave on any longer than
30 minutes at a time. Then rub the chest w/
petroleum jelly to keep
the heat in. Treat twice daily until congestion clears
up.
NOTE:
For
children, reduce amount of flour to 6 tbsp.
==================
Simple Cough Syrup
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup honey
1/4 cup warm water
Combine lemon juice and
honey in a bowl. Slowly stir in the water.
Store in a covered jar
in the refrigerator - take 1-2 tbsp as needed for cough.
To soothe a sore throat,
add 1 tbsp of mixture to a cup of comfrey
root, chamomile or
rosemary tea.
==================
Cranberry Soup
1 cup cranberries
2 cups water
Honey to taste
1 tbsp potato starch
Heat cranberries and
water together until cranberry skins open.
Strain and add honey to
taste. Bring mixture close to a boil, then remove from
heat. In a separate
bowl, mix starch with 2 tbsp cold water. Slowly add this
mixture to the cranberry
juice - stir vigorously.
Return mixture to heat
and bring to full boil, stirring until it
thickens and becomes
slightly transparent. Store in refrigerator in a covered
container. Serve w/ warm
cream. Soothes colds, and is a good source of
vitamins C and B.
===================
Hyssop Cough Syrup
Licorice flavored,
soothes sore throats.
2 tbsp dried hyssop
(flower tops) or 1/3 cup fresh hyssop (chopped flowers)
1/4 cup water
1 cup honey
1 tsp aniseed
In a saucepan combine
honey and water. Stir until the mixture is
consistency of pancake
syrup. Bring slowly to a boil (over a medium heat). Skim
off any scum that rises
to the surface.
Use 1-2 tbsp water to
moisten the dried hyssop. Crush the aniseed.
Stir both into the
honey. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove
from heat, uncover, and
allow to cool. While the mixture is still a little
warm, strain into a jar.
When completely cooled, screw on the lid. Should
keep for 1 week.
===================
Glycerin Lemon Cough
Syrup
1 lemon
2 tbsp glycerin
2 tbsp honey
Heat the lemon by
boiling it in water for 10 minutes. Cut in half and
squeeze out the juice.
Add the glycerin and honey. Take 1 tsp as
needed.
===================
Marshmallow Cough
Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice or
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp
chopped dried marshmallow root
In a small saucepan,
bring the marshmallow root and water to a boil.
Rescue heat to low and
simmer for 20 minutes. Strain liquid into another
saucepan (should result
in about 1 cup). Over a low heat, slowly stir in the
sugar until it becomes
thick and granules completely dissolve. (Stir in
more water if the
mixture becomes too thick.) Remove from heat and stir in the
orange juice. Transfer
to a container and allow to cool before covering
tightly.
==================
Wild Cherry Cough
Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
(scant)
1 tsp wild cherry bark
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp
chopped dried marshmallow root
Make a decoction of the
cherry bark and marshmallow root. (Boil in
water for about 4
minutes. Steep the mixture with the cover on the pot for a few
minutes.) Slowly stir in
the sugar and cream of tartar, simmer until
the mixture becomes
thick and sugar granules completely dissolve.
Transfer to a container
and allow to cool before covering tightly.
===================
Lemon Cayenne Throat
Soother
Mix 1 tsp honey with 1
tsp lemon juice and dash of cayenne pepper.
Take like cough syrup.
This does not prevent cough, but does relieve throat
pain in two ways. First,
the honey and lemon coat the throat. Second, the
cayenne pepper brings
blood cells needed to fight off infection to the throat
area.
Contributed by Beth, designsbyfisher@inteliport.com
===================
Herbal
Remedies For Influenza
One herb in particular, Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum),
is specifically recommended for the treatment of flu. You
can combine boneset with elder flower, licorice and
peppermint. Prepare this mixture as a strong tea, and drink
one cup every 2 or 3 hours for relief. Omit the peppermint
if you take homeopathic remedies.
===================
Liniment for Colds
and Chest Tightness
Add 1 cup of finely
chopped garlic to 1 cup of boiling lard. Reduce
heat to simmer and cook
for 2 hours. Remove from heat and strain the
garlic for the oil.
Place in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
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