My arsenal and defense herbs against this cold!

whoops, almost forgot to give elderberry some credit here also

 

on thursday i woke up with a scratchy throat, stuffy/runny nose, some deep cough, and loose stool. not surprising as i have been in intimate contact with at least 4 people with colds/flu/fevers/strep, for the last 2 weeks. i wasn’t too upset though, as i felt comfortable with knowing what helps me during times like this. i am very, sensitive to any doctor/pharmacy meds is another reason i drifted towards herbal medicine a few years back. in the first picture you will see all i have been using and here is why

chamomile is lovely for colds and stuffy nose. i feel bad already, i don’t need something harsh and chamomile is so very gentle yet firm in her actions for me. she also helps with stomachache and sore muscles that accompany colds/flu things. figured with that loose stool,  and mucuous drainage, i would already have her on the job for that aspect also. she calms my restless feeling,

lemon balm she is another lovely helper that smells wonderful, is great for cold and flu and is calming. i don’t know about you, but i get vaguely anxious when my body is invaded. i can be fairly private and these uninvited germs  disturb me mentally also. she is wonderful in case i get a small fever also. she helps with viruses.

peppermint just tastes good! but also will help if i get headachy or get tummy pains.

these three lovelies i use by taking a tablespoon of each in my large teaball, and pour 3 cups of boiling water over them (i had to use a bowl as no cups this big), put a plate over and let steep for 20 minutes. this gave me enough infusion to divide between 2  1/2 qt mason jars. one of which i immediately put in frig. and the other i put in my basket as i had to go tend my sick grandson dylan this day.

i then made another medicine using : 1 tablespoons each of licorice root and slippery elm bark and echinacea. 3 cups boiling water, lidded, but i let this steep 25 minutes before straining.

licorice root is good for mucous congestion,coughs, sore throats, bronchitis. also great for calming spasms if my cough got that bad.

slippery elm bark. also wonderful for coughs and bronchitis but also just a wonderful stomach/intestine helper. calming inflammation and swollen glands too. my glands are a bit tender. slippery elm bark is very nutritous food and is one of the reasons george washington and his men survived at valley forge. i also saved the life of a very, very close to death kitten with slippery elm gruel. but that is a story for another day. i can’t say enough about how i love slippery elm. so soothing, so nourishing.

capped this one off and put in my basket also.

horehound and honey taffy with slippery elm bark powder infused throughout are just so wonderful to help control coughing and to soothe the throat. into the basket they go too.

i made one more hot infusion of elecampane and mullein. this combo is a bit stronger acting on me than the licorice root and slippery elm bark. and i was only going to use this one if i had manange to get things flowing too much and i need to bring in a tiny bit of astringent action.  i love elecampane honey and hops honey so had them both read in case things worsened.

so off i went to watch dylan, really feeling a bit nasty, you know, that kind of all over dirty feeling you get when you start a cold. so i sipped on the chamomile, lemon balm and peppermint infusion at least hourly, but also as thirsty. sipped small sips of the slippery elm bark, licorice root, echinacea infusion hourly , sucked on the taffy as the throat needed or i felt that feeling in my throat you get when you want to cough. massaged comfrey/mullein oil in my glands of my neck.  actually felt pretty good by afternoon. gotta tell you the very first sips of the echinacea,slippery elm, licorice root infusion almost immediately started bringing the phlegm up out of my lungs to be spat out. i mean quick action for me. i soon was also having to blow my nose and started breathing clearer right afterwards.

well, this is saturday and i am still here. i haven’t got any worse, and for the most part feel pretty good. i feel better than when i woke up thursday for sure. have had the occassional deep cough that wants to get a bit spasmatic and save the elecampane and mullein for those times. pretty rare though so i think i will make it. i think for the most part, my milder gentler defense herbs are going to keep the worst of it at bay. i feel calm and assured. i will just keep these treatments up and update if i need to break out the big guns. resting and eating right also:)

btw, these are just what work for me and my system. we are all different and these might not work for you. just thought it would be fun to actually keep a diary of a cold and what works for me:)

now for on to what i have got accomplished while fighting this cold. i managed to make a lovely beeswax and organic coconut oil salve and a salve with comfrey oil, beeswax, calendula and a bit of  lavender buds. also some cool ornaments:)

also started a little closet shelf with a grow light for my aloe and want to put in a parsley, chives, and  whatever else will fit for winter use

and last but not least. my little buddy dylan. brought up this old bouncy horse from the basement for him. he is still a bit small to get on it so put it close to the sofa with his step stool on the other side. was hoping at least this might help him get a bit of exercise rocking back and forth since we can’t play outside. he has had a bug for a week. poor buddy:(

 

 

big herbal and honey hugs to all who visit comfrey cottages:)