With Winter right about the corner, it is time to begin to focus upon building up an arsenal of remedies to get us through the cold and flu season. Not surprisingly, these are not traditional over the counter meds but rather a variety of herbal remedies that you can concoct yourself from inexpensive ingredients not the least of which are herbs that may be growing in your yard or in the surrounding locale.
For preppers, the importance of learning to use herbal remedies is that if the time ever came when traditional medicines were not available, sickness would spread and we would be left on our own to treat even the most common viral and bacterial infections.
What are these herbs and how do you use them?
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In today’s article I call upon the expertise of Sally Thomas who has compiled a list of her favorite herbal remedies along with how to make them as well as special applications for children. In this exclusive article for Backdoor Survival. Sally will list 7 herbal remedies – all of which will stop a cold or flu in its tracks before it takes hold.
Stop A Cold (or Flu) in its Tracks Before It Takes Hold
Want to know how to annihilate your cold or flu before it sends you into a deep pit for a week or more? You will be happy to know that there are several herbal remedies that can totally wipe out your viral or bacterial infection before it grabs hold of you. The key here is – BEFORE IT GRABS HOLD OF YOU!
But even if you aren’t able to stop the sickness in time, using these remedies can help shorten your cold or flu and make the symptoms more bearable (which is good too).
First of all, you need to begin listening to your body’s signals in order to catch your cold or flu virus BEFORE it gets a running start. For this, you need to be very aware of your symptoms and what they mean.
Symptoms That Sickness is Coming On:
• Are you extra tired, especially for no known reason?• Is your throat scratchy or sore?• Do you feel extra phlegm when you swallow?• Are you sneezing or coughing?
Many of us don’t take these early symptoms seriously enough, but this is the key to fighting off a bug before it has you out of commission for a week or more.
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Secondly, you need to give your body extra assistance in fighting the symptoms. You see, the symptoms you’re experiencing indicate that your body is beginning to fight off the germs that have invaded. If you work with your body’s own immune system by supplementing with certain herbal remedies, you can potentially ward off the sickness altogether.
Along with lots of fluids like water, herbal teas, and fresh juices as well as plenty of rest and daily sunshine, these remedies will either prevent a full-blown cold or flu attack or they will greatly shorten and reduce the misery. Either way, you need to learn how to prepare them and keep the ingredients on hand now so that they become familiar to you during.
7 Herbal Remedies You Should Have In Your Arsenal
1. Oregano
The first and most powerful herb I can wholeheartedly recommend is oregano.
Oregano is a powerful antibiotic and antibacterial – perfect for fighting tough viruses and bacteria. I have taken 5 drops of oregano oil at first sign of symptoms and woken up completely well in the morning.
This herb is only recommended for adults and children who can comfortably take capsules, as oregano is a very spicy, strong-tasting herb. My 6-year-old son is able to take it without problem, as he is able to take a few drops in capsule form without trouble. If your child is about 5 or older and able to swallow capsules without a problem, this herb will be a very beneficial herb in your arsenal.
Taking 2-5 drops in a capsule (depending on the severity of the symptoms) can knock out a cold or flu virus overnight. Make sure to take with food, as it can irritate an empty stomach.
HOW TO USE: Add 2-5 drops to an empty capsule. Take with food. You can also grow and cook with fresh oregano. It won’t likely pack the same powerful punch when symptoms start, but it will surely keep you more consistently healthy. When first taking, add only 1-2 drops until you know how your body reacts to the oil.
HOW TO STORE: Purchase therapeutic quality oregano oil, which should stay fresh for years. Store in a cool, dark place for best results.
PRECAUTIONS: Oregano is a “hot” oil and should be handled with caution. Can burn skin at full strength. Use with a carrier oil if using externally. Not to be used during pregnancy or for very young children who cannot take capsules. Check with your health care provider if you have adverse reactions that concern you.
Note: It has just recently come to my attention that oregano essential oil and oil of oregano are different. The essential oil is much more concentrated (and is the form I have been using). If you are using the oil of oregano, please be aware that it is not as potent when using as I have advised above, but may be more suitable for external applications. Check your label if unsure to see if any other ingredients are added (such as another oil).
Gaye’s Note: For more information on Oregano Oil, read 25 Ways to Use Oregano Essential Oil for Health and Wellness.
2. Garlic
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A close second in my cold and flu arsenal is garlic. Garlic is a wonderful antiviral/antibacterial herb that I happen to love in my cooking. My first tip is to use fresh garlic as much as possible in your cooking, especially during the winter months. If you like to make soups or sauces, and garlic is a pleasing flavor to you, all the better!
If you feel extra tired or your throat feels scratchy or sore, you can chew on a garlic bulb and wash it down with your favorite beverage (I usually just simply use water). Garlic is very spicy and hot, but even if you don’t particularly like the flavor it’s worth it to know that it’s “medicine” as well.
An extra by-product when consuming a lot of garlic is that it will make you smell like pizza to strangers that you pass (especially, I suppose, if you’re also taking oregano).
I make a special syrup mixture each year that was passed on to me from an elderly friend of mine. She called it “garlic potion,” so I do as well. I concoct this remedy mainly for my children as well as for my husband and me. It’s especially good for coughs that get into the lungs, as it helps break up the cough to make it more productive. It’s also great for prevention when you experience the first signs of sickness coming on and is a good companion to either elderberry or oregano.
It is very potent and strong, so beware. However, my children don’t seem to taste the strong garlic flavor – all they seem to notice is the honey (strange!) Make sure that your children are at least one year of age before giving them this remedy, as honey is said to be unsafe for those under one year.
Here’s the simple recipe for the garlic potion syrup. All ingredients offer antiviral/antibacterial properties to help your immune system.
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GARLIC POTION SYRUP
What You Need:
• Fresh garlic bulbs• Raw apple cider vinegar with the “mother” (I use Bragg’s brand)• Raw local honey• Two clean quart jars• small tea strainer• knife for peeling garlic cloves
First, peel the individual garlic cloves and place them in the empty jar. You are removing all the skin on each clove, therefore allowing the garlic properties to be released into the vinegar solution.
Next, you will add the vinegar. Add just enough to cover the garlic. I highly recommend raw, unfiltered, organic vinegar and consider Bragg’s to be the best. Let the garlic and vinegar mixture sit in a cool, dark place for 5 days, shaking gently each day.
After 5 days, the garlic will have some bluish tint to it, which is normal. You will now filter the garlic cloves with a tea strainer (make note of the level where the vinegar liquid came to). This will leave you with liquid in the jar that is a little less than half of the quantity you started with. You can discard the garlic cloves or use them in vegetable broth, compost them, or feed them to your chickens (mine loved them). If used in vegetable broth, be aware that it does leave a fairly strong vinegar flavor in the finished broth.
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Next, you will add raw, unfiltered, local honey to the liquid. Add to the level where the vinegar reached. Shake briskly for 5-10 minutes, or until fully combined. Let sit on a counter top overnight or 12 hours and then refrigerate. Will keep indefinitely, but it’s best to use up within one year. At the first sign of a cold or infection, take 1-2 tablespoons throughout the day, depending on how forcefully you feel the virus coming on. The more vigorously you dose yourself early on, the more likely you will overcome the illness before you are affected in a significant way.
HOW TO USE: As above.
HOW TO STORE: Can be stored for a year or more in the refrigerator. I simply make enough for one season, and it’s usually gone by the end of the winter months. I’m not sure if it can be canned or frozen, as I haven’t tried these methods.
