This time of year always seems to bring about the sniffles. Or an abundance of snot. Or that scratchy feeling in your throat... We know we are not the only mommas who finds their children with a shirt full of sticky snot that appears out of nowhere. Or you wake up in the middle of the night to hear a coughing fit. At times like these, we sometimes find ourselves struggling to remember what things we can do to help support ourselves or our children. It's easy to forget when you are blowing your own nose 800 times an hour while holding your toddler who is cranky from a poor night's sleep from coughing fits and also wondering what to make for dinner (personally, we like soup, one with loads of garlic; or if you're not a garlic fan, try one of these soups).
Rest assured, our team here at Natural Christian Mommas has come up with a handy list of ways to support your respiratory ailments or other immunity needs.
Feel free to print this out and hang it on your fridge for reference, or save the image here to your phone.
Home Remedies
Onion poultice (Adding ginger or garlic to the poultice as well is a great option for older children or adults. Note this will increase the feelings of heat and shouldn't be added to poultices going on sensitive skin or young or nonverbal individuals.)
Garlic, yes raw garlic! (take about 1-2 cloves chopped up small enough to swallow every 4 hours. Depending on child's age you could do garlic lemonade.)
Honey fermented garlic
Manuka honey
Turmeric and Curcumin
Olive Leaf Extract
Warm lemon water (can help soothe a sore throat)
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar in warm water with honey and cinnamon
Fire Cider (easy to make!)
Pineapple Juice (best if raw, homemade or cold pressed)- + anti inflammatory properties - not recommended for productive coughs.
Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate or liposol)- can help support and boost immune systems. Do not use mega dosing if pregnant.
Magnesium baths (Epsom salt baths daily can be helpful for adults and children)
The cold air (it can reduce inflammation)
Lymphatic Massage
Chiropractic adjustment
More general items to consider for use:
Black seed oil
Coconut, olive, or avocado oil
Colloidal Silver
Vitamin D, K
Iodine/Selenium
Omega 3’s
Cod liver oil
Raw Honey
Mushrooms:
Reishi
Shitake
Chaga
Herbal Remedies
Elderberry (syrup, tea, or tincture)
Not for daily preventative use. Use once daily if known or likely exposure. When symptomatic, best practice is to take every 3 hours. Elderberry itself is considered safe for over 6 months. Be aware honey is not advised for under 1 year of age and is often a main ingredient in syrups. Use dried herbs to make an unsweetened elderberry tea, or make your own syrup with maple syrup. If purchasing a premade syrup make sure any other ingredients are safe for your child's age)
Stinging Nettle Infusion or Tincture (for daily support)
Thyme tea (simply take a few tablespoons of the dried spice and brew just like any other tea. Very supportive to the respiratory system.) Marshmallow Root (soothes an irritated throat. Make a cold infusion, let sit for 2-3 hours and strain. and add to your elderberry syrup or tea at the same time you'd add your honey.) Echinacea Tea
Mullein Tea We also want to suggest looking into herbal tea blends through Traditional Medicinal's for easier access. They have teas that are one herb, like chamomile, and they have blends like Throat Coat (which contains several herbs wonderful for any sort of respiratory issue.) Do not use regularly for over a weeks time if pregnant or nursing. Acute, temporary usage is of no concern.
More herbs you may find helpful:
Lemon balm
Catnip
Chamomile
Sage
Raw Garlic
Ginger
Star anise
Cinnamon
Licorice
Wild cherry bark
Nettle
Yarrow
Turmeric
Lindon
Lavender
Peppermint
Comfrey
Essential Oils:
Immunity/purifying blends
Frankincense
Cedar wood
Oregano
Fir
Copaiba
Orange
Lemon
Tea tree
While this may seem like a lot or overwhelming, please be aware that not every item on this list is a must have or even necessary. Some items are more readily available to some families while others may not be as accessible. We recommend to use what you have on hand first. We have come up with a top 12 list of items we find most helpful to have on hand.
Emergency short list top 12 items:
Vitamin C
Echinacea
Thyme
Elderberry
Lemon balm
Ginger root
Frankincense EO
Immunity/Purifying EO
Copaiba
Fire Cider
Raw Honey
Probiotics
Also consider finding some literature on identifying plants in your local area. God gives us the very plants we need, and sometimes that is right in our own backyards.
Book Recommendations:
Local field guide
Botany in a Day
Other things we can do to help support our immune systems is by laughing and making a joyful noise.
Proverbs 17:22 "A joyful noise is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (English Standard Version)
Worship and sing praises to our heavenly Father who is GOOD to us.
"By reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. " Ephesians 5: 19-20 (God's Word Version)
Psalms 100:1-5 (New International Version)
We hope this post encourages you. We realize that in our culture today, it is very easy to become fearful and worry about what tomorrow may bring. Take heart and remember God is still on the throne. God still holds the world in His hands. And God gives us the tools we need, including knowledge and the tiny plants that may be in our backyards.
“Be alert. Be firm in the Christian faith. Be courageous and strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 (God's Word Version).
This list is not exhaustive by any means. If you have something that has worked well for your family, please feel free to share your favorite home remedy below.
DISCLAIMER
Please be aware that the opinions and recommendations expressed by Natural Christian Mommas are solely those of its users and do not represent any advice or opinion of a qualified medical professional. Any recommendations or opinions should be used at your own risk.
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