Disclaimer: I am not a health practitioner. I am not giving you medical advice. I am merely sharing remedies I’ve tried for my family and myself that have worked well for us. My medical knowledge begins and ends at watching Scrubs, Nip/Tuck and the doctor lady on Sons of Anarchy. Please be advised: I am not a doctor. Nor do I play one on TV.

‘Tis the season to be sicky-poo. I’m not big on the pharmaceuticals unless absolutely necessary, so I’m always looking for stuff I can whip up in the kitchen that will whip a cold or flu into shape. The first thing I do is make a batch of honey cough syrup (of course, we know not to give honey to infants, right?). I know it sounds insane but it works. According to a Penn State study, a spoonful of honey soothes a cough and sore throat much better than a spoonful of that chemical elixir called cough syrup.

Then, I found a recipe for a sort of natural alternative to a popular over-the-counter flu remedy. It’s pretty gross, but it tastes TONS better, and it works (for me, anyway).

So first thing’s first, you must assemble your ingredients. Yes, it includes organics and fresh ingredients, but if you compare the cost of good-for-you ingredients to the price of over-the-counter drug cocktails and visits to the doctor, you come out way ahead making a trip to the farmers market or Whole Foods. So, quit whining and write this down:

• Raw honey (the darker and more local, the better)
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh garlic
• Fresh ginger
• Medium onion (I like to use red onions)
• Lemons

I adapted my cough syrup recipe from one I found on Mamapedia.com:

1. In a small saucepan, combine:
   • 1 cup of honey
   • 1 medium onion, chopped
   • 3 Tbsp thyme leaves
   • 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2. Simmer on low until the onion is softened.
3. Eat as is spooned over chicken or a baked sweet potato, or strain out all of the chunky stuff into a jelly jar and seal it tight.

Take a swig whenever you need to for coughs or sore throats, or to just boost your immune system. Works wonders!

Now on to the hot herbal cold + flu drinky drink. I use a recipe I found on LearningHerbs.com. It’s not for the faint of heart, so beware. This is usually reserved for the grown-up sicky-poos of the family. I usually use the Traditional Medicinals Just for Kids teas and the Herbs for Kids drops instead. Tastes better and they’re formulated for their little bodies.

So here’s what you do:

1. Grate an inch of fresh ginger and simmer in small saucepan of water for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. If you’re feeling adventurous, add a bulb of minced garlic to simmer with the ginger.
3. After the simmering, remove from heat and add about 4 TBsp of lemon juice and about 3 TBsp of honey.
4. Adjust to taste, let it cool a little. You want to drink it hot, but you don’t want to cook your insides.
5. Take it to the head. There’s no sipping this stuff.

There you have it. My two favorite remedies of the season. You will be your ecodopalicious self in no time.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 5:10 pm and is filed under Oh So Green. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.