I like to re-post my FAVORITE Home Remedies every year…this year is no different, except that I am linking them instead:
Natural Remedies from A Naturally Minded Mom
and
Sniffles & Coughs & Pukes, Oh My!
Please read and pin those articles, I’d love to get the word out, that there are more options than an Over the Counter Drug-filled medicine cabinet!
However, I have a NEW amazing home remedy to add to the list.
I was coming down with a double ear infection and strep throat. I could feel it. I used to get Strep once a year when I was a teenager and I know the signs. Ultimately it ends up with me making myself swallow my own saliva, because it hurt SOOO badly. I was rapidly approaching this point when I ran out of my favorite Sore Throat Remedy, a liquid herb called Ultimate Echinacea. It soothes and numbs the throat and boost the immune. It was Saturday night and I knew the herbal store I got it at was long closed and wouldn’t open up again until Monday. That was WAY too long to wait!
So, I did what all grown ups do in this situation….
I whined on facebook.
Sweet 4 little Ferguson facebook friend, Missy, pipes up that she has an amazing cough syrup that is great for sore throats too. It had worked for her recently and she was kind enough to share the recipe. Dale and I headed to the kitchen and whipped up a batch.
Oh my amazingness.
Right away the honey coated and soothed my throat, next the prickles when I swallowed went away, and the pain lessened by a ton. Within 20 minutes, I started to feel better. By the next day I was operating at 80% and by the end of that same day, I was better! No more sore throat or full ears.
When researching the simple ingredient list, I can see why it helped:
The Ingredients as listed at Nourishing Joy
Cayenne pepper has capsaicin, which acts as a pain reliever. Even though it’s also what makes hot peppers spicy, capsaicin interrupts the pain message between the nerves and the brain, thus alleviating the pain sensation. It is warming and stimulating to the nerves, increasing blood flow and promoting healing.
Ginger is a natural antihistamine, an anti-inflammatory, as well as anti-nausea agent. It likewise is warming and stimulating to the nervous system and is helpful in relieving chest congestion. {Fresh ginger because it is more potent and the juice is especially helpful in this recipe, but ground ginger is certainly a worthy substitute. I get mine at our local bulk food store and it is a high quality spice}
Honey is soothing, tasty, and coats the throat. Beware of which honey you purchase, some of the store varieties are not even real honey, but a mixture of junk ingredients and sugar. Read labels, buy local if you can, and if you buy at the store, make sure your source is a good one!
Raw honey is packed with nutrients and enzymes and is a powerful antiviral and antibacterial substance, due to the propolis, which is what the bees themselves use to seal the hive from bacteria and infection. *As with all products that contain honey, this should not be given to infants under 1 year because of the risk of botulism.
Apple Cider Vinegar {get raw, organic like Bragg’s for best nutrients} has a plethora of beneficial uses and in this case provides antiseptic, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. It also provides a large number of minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and amino acids, which boost the immune system and promote healing in the body.
This recipe is all over the internet, some with added garlic and cinnamon, some not. My original source is called Maggie’s Cough Syrup and it is found at this website called: Good Food Matters.
We are calling it Sweet & Spicy Magic Syrup at our house, cause it really works, like magic!
Don’t worry about the spice in this, it merely adds a nice heat that quiets the pain of your throat. My kids tolerate it, and we have used it this past week to manage some yucky coughs/sore throats coming from the weather change.
And speaking of spice, did you all see that I made a heart out of cayenne pepper for you in the photo?
THAT is love in action folks, you are welcome. 🙂
Sweet & Spicy Magic Syrup
(For Coughs and Sore Throats)
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
1/4 teaspoon Ginger
1 Tablespoon Raw, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoon Warm Water
2-3 Tablespoon Local, Raw Honey
In a small, clean 4 oz. jar, dissolve cayenne and ginger in apple cider vinegar and water. Add honey and shake well.
Take 1-2 Tablespoons, as needed, for cough or sore throat. Shake well each time. Does not need to be refrigerated if using in a few days time.
For children 2 and up, adjust dosaging per weight. My 10-year-old will take 2 teaspoons, one down each side of her throat, but my 3-year-old would do say 1/2 tsp down each side.
Do NOT give to a child under a year because of the honey.
As with anything, you as the mother, have to make decisions for your child based on your knowledge of their weight, health and normal behavior.
As for me, this will be used at our home over and over, for both coughs and sore throats. I have given you lots of other ideas too, in those first posts I linked. It never hurts to mix things up and try different combos until you find what works best for your family!
Get well soon,
Tonya
4 little Fergusons 