Well, fall is officially here. The days have turned cold and the nights are down right frigid. We’ve already had our first round of sniffles and with a new baby in the house, I am downright determined to breeze through this winter season without any major cold and flu bugs taking up residence!
So, what’s a folk mama to do when the bacteria comes a-knocking? Turn back to some tried and true folk remedies to keep everyone healthy. Today I’m going to share three of these remedies with you so you can keep your family healthy this cold season.
But before we begin, just a quick note. I am not a doctor. Please seek qualified medical advice before trying any new remedy (especially if you found it on the interwebs, people!) Please use common sense when administering any folk or herbal remedy, especially if you have a history of allergies to any of the ingredients.
Lemon & Honey
There is no beating this basic remedy. And there’s real good reason not to knock it.
Lemon gives you vitamin C, something that your body needs to fight infection and stay healthy.
Honey has a time honoured position amongst folk remedies and has long been hailed for its many healing properties. Raw, unpasteurized honey especially, has proven antibacterial properties and is chock full of enzymes and anti-oxidants. It is a sugar, so it will give you a bit of an energy life, but I find that I don’t get that same “crash” as when you’ve had a lot of white sugar. Honey, however, absolutely should not be given to children under a year old.
Now, you can use lemon & honey in almost any combination with tea, but back in my college days, I’d use pálinka, a Hungarian plum brandy, especially when I was having trouble falling asleep due to my cold symptoms. You don’t need to go out and find it in your local liquor store. Any white/clear grain alcohol, like vodka or rum will also do. But for heavens sake! I do not recommend adding booze if you’re making this remedy for children! Use a nice herbal tea, like peppermint or camomile instead.
So, here’s Cold & Flu Buster #1:
- 1 oz pálinka (or vodka or white rum)
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon raw, unpasteurized honey (regular ol’ honey will also do)
- Mix all ingredients together and drink. It’s that easy.
Throat Soother
I first came across this remedy about a year ago while reading Beth’s blog, Red & Honey. She used it to help her strep throat, but it is absolutely awesome when you have just any sore throat. This soother will not only help to ease the scratchy pain, but it will help kill those bugs that caused it in the first place!
Cayenne has been used therapeutically in folk remedies mainly from China and the Americas. Cayenne has a high concentration of capsaicin, an active component that helps to break up mucus and has anti-bacterial and analgesic properties. I know, that last one sounds counter intuitive, but after that initial burn, cayenne will leave you a little numb. Just what you’re sore throat needs!
Apple cider vinegar also has anti-bacterial properties and helps to thin mucus and clear up congestion. I really like using Bragg’s ACV because it’s organic, and they don’t strain out the beneficial organisms used to ferment the vinegar (ie.- turn your apple cider into a vinegar). That means it’s probiotic, too!
Without further ado, I present Cold & Flu Buster #2:
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon
- 1 teaspoon raw, unpasteurized honey, or to taste (regular honey is good, too)
- as much cayenne as you can stand
- hot water
- Add all ingredients to a mug and top up with hot water. Sip and feel soothed.
- If you don’t like spicy foods (like me), start with a little cayenne and work your way up.
- Don’t use water that you’ve just boiled for this recipe. The vitamin C in the lemon and the enzymes and anti-bacterial properties of the raw honey are all heat sensitive and will decrease if you add boiling water. Let your boiling water cool slightly before using.
- As you can imagine, little kids don’t usually like spicy foods, so omit the cayenne for the kiddos.
Fire Cider
This is a new remedy that I’m trying out this season. I heard about it on Mommypotamus and did a little more research into it. It’s more of an overall immune boosting tonic and I plan on using it more as a preventative measure for us adults.
There are a lot of fire cider recipes out there, but they all have some basic common ingredients, garlic, ginger and hot peppers being the usual suspects. Other ingredients you can choose include onion, thyme, peppercorns, rosemary, horseradish, lemon, orange, turmeric, and the list goes on. The base can be either apple cider vinegar or vodka or white rum. Do some research and find a combo that works for you.
I decided to make mine using chili peppers, garlic, onion, horseradish, lemon and ginger in a vodka base to make it shelf stable for longer.
Chili peppers also contain capsaicin, as do most hot peppers. It’s healing properties are similar to cayenne.
Garlic. Ah, garlic. Stinky, smelly, oh so good for you. That stink is caused by allicin, a compound that has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral properties. It’s been traditionally used to treat everything from the common cold to heart disease to jock itch. Yum. Again, if you have any digestive issues, avoid garlic.
Onions are another powerhouse veggie. They have very high amounts of polyphenols, which are a group of compounds recognized for their disease prevention. They’re anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-histaminic (meaning they block the body’s release of histamines during an allergic reaction). More good food for our immune booster tonic!
Horseradish has been used to treat cough, bronchitis, urinary tract infections and a slew of other ailments. It contains mustard oil, so should be used with caution as it can create stomach upset and major irritation if you are sensitive to it. Don’t use for remedies intended for children (especially the under 4 crowd) or if you have any stomach or digestive issues, and should not be taken therapeutically if you are pregnant.
And finally, ginger. It has a long standing tradition, and across many cultures, of being used to battle nausea and other stomach bugs, but it’s also great for fighting bacteria, inflammation, parasites, and other nasties. It’s a great decongestant and it’s heat inducing properties help to soothe sore throats.
I am definitely eager to see how effective this remedy is for our family!
Here’s the recipe for Cold & Flu Buster #3:
- 3 chili peppers
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 medium onion
- 3 inch long piece of fresh horseradish
- juice and zest of three lemons
- 3 inch knob of ginger
- 750 mL vodka
- honey
- Take all the veggies & ginger and process them in a food processor until roughly chopped. You could also grate or finely chop by hand.
- Layer the ingredients in a large glass jar (I used an old pickle jar), with the peppers, garlic and onions on the bottom, and the heavier horseradish and ginger at the top. Add lemon zest and juice.
- Pour vodka over your concoction to cover with a little more on top to allow for the root veggies to expand.
- Place in a cool, dry place for at least 2 weeks, longer would be even better. Stir or gently swirl occasionally.
- If you decide to use apple cider vinegar (a better option for kids) instead of the vodka, store your jar in the fridge.
- Strain out solids and add honey to taste. Store in a clean jar or bottle.
- Adults take 1-2 tablespoons daily during cold season, more often if you’re feeling under the weather. You can take it as a straight up shot, mixed with hot water/tea, in juice, or even mixed in to a salad dressing with bite!
What about you? What do you do to get ready for cold and flu season? Does your family have any remedies, routines or traditions to keep healthy? Let us know in the comments below!
Foundling Folk 