Well, friends, it would appear that the cold season is upon us! Especially seeing that our family alone has experienced two bouts of last month. Yikes! In light of this not-so-fun fact, Jess and I are going to share some of our family's top cold remedies and preventatives. Let's go!
#1 – Honey & Cinnamon: A while back, a friend informed us of a natural method for soothing sore throats and strained voices: honey and cinnamon! Any time that we girls find ourselves dealing with swollen glands or scratchy throats, we always reach for this quick, easy, and natural treatment. I should note that in order for this remedy to work, you will need to use honey (preferably sourced locally) that actually says on it's packaging that it is raw & naturally sourced.
Fun Fact: In Season 4, Episode 7 of Downton Abbey, in which the Dowager Countess came down with bronchitis, the doctor prescribed that this treatment be given to her! How cool is that?
#2 – Tea, Raw Honey & Lemon Juice: When in the midst of a cold, the only remedy besides straight honey and cinnamon would have to be this. Choosing herbal teas, even red and green teas is most beneficial in speeding up the longevity of any cold due to the fact that there are lots of natural antioxidants, immune boosters, and even a hefty dose of vitamins, particularly found in the red rooibos tea. Lemon juice as we all know is full of vitamin C, while the raw honey is riddled with active enzymes. All in all, this is the recipe for getting back your good health!
For The Really Bad Colds: Over the years of research on natural remedies we found this awesome book called "The Green Pharmacy" (by James A. Duke, Ph.D.), which has suggestions of what herbs to use for any illness. The best herbs that are noted for curing cold viruses are: Echinacea (increases immune system), Garlic (fantastic in just keeping colds away!), and Ginger (for its antiviral compounds).
#3 – Sprout's Cold Remedy: We were sent this remedy by Sprouts, and have actually found it to be very effective. My first cold that I had this year, I took this treatment at every meal in my glass of water, and it sped up my cold like nobody's business. I didn't feel half as yucky (you know what I mean ;) as I usually do when I come down with a cold, and all the symptoms were not acutely terrible like my typical experience. Definitely recommend this product!
For You Vocalists: We reviewed Sprout's voice remedy here, too!
#4 – Fire Cider: What? This remedy goes way back before even our grandmothers were born. Fire Cider is a concoction made with just about every natural virus fighting ingredient you can think of: from horseradish root, to onions and garlic, even down to a spoonful of bright yellow turmeric powder, finished off by a zing of apple cider vinegar. I guarantee this is the key to staying cold-free! If taken when you feel the onset of a cold, you will be sure to find it will never settle in. Here is the link to the recipe. Have fun!
Disclaimer: We grin and bear it as 2 Tbs of the yellowy liquid goes down, but if you are okay with the salad-dressing-like taste, and a day of garlic breath, you should be good to go. Oh, and whatever you do, just don't take it before you go to Church! Odds are you will loose some good friends. ;P
#5 – Humidity: Keeping your surroundings well humidified will also keep you healthy. How? Well it would be a long post if I even tried, so let me just satisfy your queries with this great article, and hopefully the mysteries of beneficial humid air will be answered.
Fun Fact: We have gone through about five humidifiers within the past ten years just because we use them so much in the wintertime that they break down on us!
Well, that about wraps it up for our cold remedies & preventatives! We hope you all benefitted from this post, and will take away some helpful knowledge for battling against that yearly menace: the common cold.
What are some of your favorite natural cold remedies/preventatives?
xo,
-Charlotte & Jessica
CREDITS // Author: Charlotte & Jessica Boyer; Photography: Charlotte Boyer; Photos edited with VSCO Presets
Wonderful post, ladies! I have used some of these in the past (my mom used to always give me the honey and lemon juice as a child), and some of them I know I will in the future. Especially that fire cider - looks right up my alley! One thing I've also found to be effective, and even more so if there's a fever involved, is yarrow tea. It grows wild around here, although I'm not sure if y'all have it where you are, and although it is the most foul tasting stuff on earth, it has been fixing my family's sore throats, cold, and fevers for years now. Even my picky little brother now drinks it without a fuss because he knows it makes him feel better! It works by basically packaging up the toxins and stuff so that it's easier for your body to get rid of. Anyway, thank you again for this great post! I'll be coming back to it.
ReplyDeleteHaha, the Downton Abbey reference made me smile. :-) I *love* the Dowager Countess - definitely my favourite character - and I was hoping with all my heart she wouldn't die! If she ever does, I'll quit watching DA, that's for certain. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love all of these remedies! My mom also told me of a natural antibiotic: mix garlic, vitamin C, and cayenne pepper (only a LITTLE of cayenne! haha) in water, and drink it! Note: It doesn't taste very good at all, and because of the acid you'll want to use a straw.
ReplyDeleteI've tried the honey + cinnamon remedy once, and thought it felt soothing to my throat, but it didn't seem to help get rid of my cold. That could just be me though :)
dance a real
Hi girls! Thank you for all these wonderful tips!
ReplyDeleteI have a quick question. I noticed that you made a reference to Downtown Abbey, I have heard some really good things about it, but I have also heard that it contains some homosexuality. I really wanted to watch it, but that turned me away. So I wanted to know if you recommend it, and also if what I stated above is true? Maybe some episodes are good? I would appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you!!! :)
Hi there! Yes, we were challenged by the homosexual content at first, but discovered that the parts with that were few and far between, and when there were scenes containing that content, we typically skipped it or close our eyes. Oh, and we always watch shows like that as a family, so our parents can filter for us as we watch it.
DeleteIt's a fabulous show, leaving out the disturbing content (both sexual and homosexual)
Thanks for commenting!
-Charlotte
the blog designer + photographer
Thank you, Charlotte!
DeleteLove this! Thanks for sharing, Charlotte and Jessica! We drink tea, raw honey & lemon juice when having a cold, it helps a lot. Some of us are fighting colds so might try out the cinnamon and raw honey. =) Have you ever used Slippery Elm? My sister recommended putting about a tsp. of it in some applesauce for my sore throat. It was very soothing. Again, LOVE this post, pinning it! =)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post! I am currently in the throes of the world's nastiest chest cold that has left me coughing my head off and feeling sorry for myself. I don't know if this virus got to Ohio, but I hope not! This cold left my throat painfully sore...I actually went in to the doctor for a strep throat test, but it was negative, just a chest cold. Not being able to sing is getting on my nerves :) I can attest to the fact that humidified air does work wonders. We heat with wood, which leaves everything dry, though warm. Having steam works so well.
ReplyDeleteI have another cold remedy to add to your nice list. Heat a pot of water with some sage (or other nice-smelling herbs...I bet lavender would be nice!) and bring to to a boil. Then stick your head over the pot, while it keeps boiling, with a towel over your head to make a tent so the steam stays around your face. This is especially helpful if it's a congested head cold.
Very informative, I swear by echinacea tea with raw honey. :) Also, I believe it's celestial seasonings but I'm not sure, but if you ever have a stuffed up nose, their stuffy nose herbal tea is a life saver! That stuff really helps clear the nasal passages. :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic. Thank you. A lot of this is new to me (some of it might be cultural, so it's great to exchange info!).
ReplyDeleteTea, lemon and honey are old staples. Various herbal teas, too, for various uses...
There definitely must be something to humidity - and fresh air, too (assuming you can get some in a city...). Air-conditioned commuter trains, my sister says, are practically incubators for illnesses. She has some immunity problems and tends to catch everything that goes by, so she's developed a keen sense for this sort of thing.
What we've found out is that when you feel a running nose oncoming, using lemon juice as nose drops helps A LOT. It stings a lot, too. But it seriously, really, truly, stops it if you start using it soon enough, and still helps a lot if it's too late for that.
We also like ginger - not so much a cure, I guess, but prevention? My sister learned this recipe from an Estonian lady: grate ginger, add some sugar (just a little for the juice to go out more easily) and lemon juice to cover it, let sit in the fridge for a day or two, then mix it into orange juice and drink that (maybe it has to sit in the orange juice for a while, too, now I'm not sure). I think it helps with sore throat a little, too.
And an old recipe I'm familiar with is finely cubed onion mixed with honey (again, let sit for a while to let the juices seep out), which both gives you vitamins and eases a sore throat some.
Thank you for sharing, ladies! I've actually had to bring in of my family's humidifiers to help my cat with asthma; I find it amazing how much better she breathes when it's running! What a relief and blessing for such a 'simple' remedy. - Lauren ( :
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing, ladies! I've actually had to bring in of my family's humidifiers to help my cat which has asthma that really acts up in the cold weather; I find it amazing how much better she breathes when it's running! What a relief and a blessing for such a 'simple' remedy. - Lauren ( :
ReplyDelete... other old favourites I forgot to mention: rosehips for tea, plantago syrup as cough medicine (which I should learn how to make at home, but can be easily obtained in pharmacies around here).
ReplyDeleteI will definitely be using some of these remedies next time I have a cold! I love peppermint essential oil for unblocking sinuses and also for stomach aches. One of my new favorite all natural cold remedies is elderberry syrup. The other day I felt like I was coming down with something and the symptoms cleared up quickly after taking a few teaspoons of the syrup! I used a store-bought syrup because it was what we had, but I'm planning on making some using this recipe: http://wwwmommypotamus.com/elderberry-syrup-recipe/ My mom and I also want to make fire-cider. :) I enjoyed that fun fact about Downton Abbey. Just about to finish the 4th season!
ReplyDeleteGod Bless,
Nuala
Thanks for sharing, ladies! I'm not sure how many cups of Bulk Herb Store's tea I've consumed recently.:) My favorites are pumpkin pie & dr. cinnamon...with swirls of raw honey, it's delicious! I also really like warming up honey with some lemon juice during colds/a hurting voice. Blessings!
ReplyDelete