Last week I woke up at 4 am coughing uncontrollably with tears running down my face. I have been sick for the last 2 days and feeling pretty miserable. In an attempt to allow my family to sleep I moved myself to the living room and tried to sleep on the couch. After 45 min of coughing into a pillow and trying to will myself to stop hacking I gave up (or gave in depending on how you look at it). I got up, went to my kitchen, turned on a dim light and started working some magic.
I mindfully and slowly made one of my favorite cold remedies; Garlic Lemonade. I mashed the garlic, boiled the water, cut lemons and set it to steep. Then I laid back down on the couch and easily fell back to sleep without drinking a sip. Part of the remedy itself is often in the act of simply making it.
'Part of the remedy itself is often
in the act of simply making it.'
I honestly believe our kitchens can be one of the most magical, healing places in the world. Like a temple in very our home. When I am coughing, sneezing, aching, dealing with sinus pain or any of the other crazy symptoms of the cold and/or flu there are a few rituals I add into my life to support my body back into balance.
My Cold & Flu Rituals...
1. Homemade Soup with homemade bone broth. This has been a traditional remedy for the common cold and flu for thousands of years. Now modern day research has backed up these claims by showing bone broth to strengthen and support the immune system. Try my Healing Chicken Bone Broth
2. Teas; Drinking hot liquid has been shown to help move mucus through the sinuses and throat which allows the body to push out the harmful bacteria or viruses that may be having a party in there. Add in some herbal teas with antiviral and antibacterial properties and those bad guys will start running! Check out my FREE Cold & Flu Tea Guide for a few of my favorites.
3. Echinacea is extremely effective and heavily researched herb for ridding the body of both bacterial and viral infections. I love taking this in herbal tincture form like this one from St Francis Herbs. Try 2ml in a little water 3x per day or as directed by your healthcare provider. I get most of my herbs, spices and tinctures from Harmonic Arts.
4. Zero refined sugar: When we are sick we often let our eating go and choose less than optimal food choices for comfort. The truth is, this is when we need to be giving our body as much nourishing goodness as possible. Refined sugar (white sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc) suppresses our immune system and allows pathogens, harmful bacteria and viruses to thrive.
5. Check in: Our illnesses, symptoms and health issues are our body’s way of speaking to us. I find that a good kick me to the curb cold like the one I’m experiencing now can be a way to tell me to slow down, or that perhaps I should reconsider the path that I am currently. Take a moment, sit with yourself and listen to your inner wisdom.
A note about digestion & our immune system...
About 75% of our immune system resides in our gut, so if you find you are someone who frequently gets colds, flus and infections (including yeast or urinary tract) some gut TLC may be just what you need to strengthen your immune system and stop the sicknesses before they start.
