Cough cough hack hack. Such has been life lately, especially at night. Tis the season!
I posted about this on Instagram, but wanted to be sure to put the info on the website for all to have access to. This round of sickness is pretty much over for now for us (thankful), but I’m sure the future will eventually hold more illness and the lessons learned here were definite keepers!
Anyway, in the midst of the worst of the coughing, I’d considered NyQuil, but the ingredients list included 20 carbs in the form of high fructose corn syrup! ? Ouch on the blood sugar. Since I control my diabetes with my diet, that idea was out.
So as I was hacking my life away, I was desperate for some relief that would let me sleep. I put my thinking cap on (i.e., Google search engine ?) and came up with an herbal tea formula using herbs I had on hand. Licorice Root and Thyme (the plain jane kitchen herb) are both good for coughing. Then I added Rosehips for immune support, and Orange Peel for taste.
I then bundled all of it into a homemade-coffee-filter-tea-bag-with-a-twist-tie and infused it for half an hour in a quart jar. I drank it throughout the day. I sweetened it with Stevia so as not to not spike my sugar levels, but if I weren’t diabetic, raw honey is always a useful sweetener when sick.
I was unsure at first about the combo and how it would taste, but the tea ended up being nummy (a plus when you’re sick), and it really helped the coughing noticeably diminish during the day.
Some of you may not have licorice root or rosehips, but pretty much everyone has access to Thyme herb (aka, the jar in your kitchen pantry). Very simple to tie it in a coffee filter and steep in hot water for half an hour, then sweeten it, and drink on it through the day. Thyme is very mild tasting. This would be a great tea for children who can’t stop coughing.
Here’s some great links on using Thyme for coughs and illness.
http://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/thyme-oil.aspx#!
http://www.rjwhelan.co.nz/herbs%20A-Z/thyme.html
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/thyme-herb.html
Another discovery during our sicky-ness was Thyme essential oil. I’ve use Thyme EO in a diffuser for a couple years now to clean the air of germs when we’re sick. I love it. But I was beyond excited to try it for my cough. (Which sounds weird, but then, I’m weird. Lol). I wasn’t disappointed. ? I put some coconut oil on my upper chest near the bronchial tubes, and then a drop of Thyme EO, and rubbed it in. Wow. I could feel a difference in literally minutes. The tightness started to loosen up. The hacking subsided.
I kept it by my bedside and it got me through the night without having to use any sugar-laden cough syrup. If I coughed, I would reapply the Thyme oil, and go right back to sleep. It was heavenly.
After about three days of staying on the tea and using the oil at regular intervals, my cough improved enough that I could back off the tea and EO. And another couple days and I was off them altogether.
Being sick is never fun. But! Finding new herbal and non-chemical ways that actually work to deal with sickness is always fun (if you’re me) And not getting as sick as you could get (like you usually do) equals happiness every time.
Be well, friends,?
mary
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The purpose of Jordan’s Crossing Herbal Connections is to promote the sharing of information about healthy, natural products and dietary supplements. JCHC’s views and opinions are INFORMATIONAL ONLY and are not intended to constitute medical advice. If you are sick, injured or pregnant, please consult a licensed health care professional.
P. S. One of the things that my stroke took was my voice. All the emotion was drained out of it. I was quiet before, but now I’m way more quiet. So for practice, I’ve been making audio recordings and posting them on Soundcloud. I made a recording of this blog post. Leave me some comments on what you think. Be honest, but nice please.