It used to be that I'd turn to Tylenol PM, Sudafed, and Dayquill to alleviate my symptoms of a cold and (i thought) help me heal faster. Last year I went to the pharmacy with what I now know was brochitis-almost-pneumonia and asked the pharmacist what I could take that would make work a feasible option, not to mention the rest of my life! I told him I was breastfeeding and had high blood pressure and he kind of chuckled and said- have you tried saline. Saline? Uh. Yeah. I was not born in a barn. Yesterday. Of course I'd tried saline.
This fall I decided we could arm ourselves a little better with mama-friendly symptom fighters and immunity boosters. And so I present my arsenal:
hot drink- tea/herbal infusion
- hot water with lemon and honey
- all preferably in my favorite teapot that i bought when we lived in california with birthday money from my grandpa. i think of him whenever i use it! it came with sweet little teacups but i broke one (and cried) and now when I'm drinking anywhere other than the dining room table I use a sturdier fiesta ware one. and right now the color is just so springy i cannot resist!
garlic
- i do not, as of yet, go all hardcore with the garlic for colds, though i've heard wondeful things about it. i just do a couple heavy on the garlic and onion meals. guthrie really appreciates it. HA.
Double Immune tincture
- this was my big experiment this fall - making tinctures. it's super fun. we're on our second or third batch of this as i only make enough to store in this bottle. i got the herbs from the Bulk Herb Store and was very happy with their quality. i usually take it with some orange juice, both to improve the iron absorption and because the base i use is Everclear, so it has a bit of a burn to it. the adults get 20 drops 2-3 times a day and the kids get 5-10 drops 2x a day. i've also discovered that mixing it with a bit of honey and warm water in a shot glass makes it a little reminiscent of both my 20s and a hot toddy. best of both worlds.
not included in the picture are my saline and eucalyptus essential oil. i use a few drops in the morning on the floor of the shower to clear out the crap and then before bed in a sink filled with warm water and my head covered with a bath towel. i'm always surprised how uhh effective it is. also missing is the large bottle of advil - about the only over the counter medicine i take. also effective!
and none of this effects my blood pressure and all of it I can do whether pregnant or nursing. yay!
what are your secrets for alleviating symptoms and helping your body heal faster?
1 comment:
Interesting tidbit about the garlic..
For soar throats we gargle with warm salt water before brushing in the morn and after brushing at night.
and warm milk with a pinch of tumeric and a spoon of honey is also good for a cough or scratchy throat. Milk can be substituted with water but the milk tastes better.
Hope everyone is feeling better now.
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