I recently emerged from a short retreat and that evening caught a fever and flu. Since I know others have had similar situations, thought I would share what I did if it’s useful.
General Tips for Wellness:
~Take a hiatus from sugar and dairy. Sugar reduces our immunity and dairy increases mucous in the body.
~Eat nourishing warm meals such as cooked vegetables, legumes and soups.
~Drink water, and hydrate all day long, in addition to tea.
~Stretch because our body can so stiff during these times.
~Bundle up well, and receive fresh air throughout the day
~Rest as much as you can. Use this time to support an easeful state of being.
What I did in addition to the above:
1.Garlic.
Take one glove of raw garlic, chopped finely, let it sit out for 10 minutes then put it in yogurt, or on toast with avocado or peanut butter and eat. Any kind of raw carrier 🙂 Garlic is one of the best antibiotics we have. It is an excellent anti-viral.
Do this three – four times a day (so 3-4 cloves a day) around meal time is fine, or as your meal.
You want to continue with this until you smell like garlic. Apologize in advance to those you keep company with haha. Once you smell like garlic, you know it has reached your lungs and is really cleaning out your system. This time around I did this for two days. According to those around me, I smelled like garlic day one, but I felt very weak and tired and wanted more fortitude so continued!
Honestly I stand by this as my go-to. Sometimes I delay doing this and every time I wonder why I waited so long as it does the trick, from very intense sinus infections to terrible flus.Â
2. Tea.
Brew up a strong tea of ginger root, elderberries, hawthorne berries and turmeric root. Put these into a pot of water and simmer on the stove for a few hours until the water reduces in half, then let it sit overnight in the fridge. Next day start drink a cup full once or twice a day if simply wanting to give your system a boost. If you are actively sick, then you can drink throughout the day.
- 3 quarts water
- 2 handfuls elderberry
- 2 handfuls ginger root
- 1 handful turmeric root (optional)
- hawthorne berry (totally optional, i put it in because I harvested some that day on a walk)
- Simmer until water reduces in half.
- Put in fridge or if cold where you are outside for the night
- Next day refrigerate and heat up cups when you want to drink it.
- Add honey if you want to for sweetness and soothing
- If include turmeric, add nut milk because turmeric needs to bind with a fat to be soluble in the body.
That’s All!
 ~~~
In case you want more simple remedies …Â
Fever
- Honesuckle Tea: helpful in lowering fevers for all ages and especially if the fever is heightened by a secondary infection. Also calming to support rest and recovery.
- A blend of yarrow, elder flower/boneset and catnip tea
- Fresh lemon, ginger, and honey tea, can optionally add cayenne to increase the heat in your body to break the fever.
Cough
Thyme, wild cherry bark syrup.
- Handful of thyme and handful of wild cherry bark. Simmer in a quart of water, until water reduced in half.
- Then remove from heat and add a cup of honey, mix in.
- If you want it to last a very long time you can add a 1/4 cup of liquor like whiskey or brandy so it is preserved, otherwise keep in fridge
Take 1 teaspoon every couple hours or whenever your need it.
Below are additional herbs you can add into the blend above.
- American ginseng
- California Poppy
- Licorice root if have no issues with blood pressure
- Blue Vervain
- Horehound
- Slippery Elm or Marshmallow root for soothing the throat
- Elecampane
- Coltsfoot
Inhalations
For respiratory challenges such as colds, coughs, sinus congestion and lung support, inhalations bring moisture, help loosen up congestion, drain the system, and can also activate the immune system.
To make a respiratory inhalation, using a blend of herbs or using a single herb:
Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat and add herbs. Make a strong tea, 2 teaspoons of an herb to a cup of water. Cover pot and let steep for 5 minutes. Bring pot off the stove and place a towel over your head and the pot to contain steam. Inhale the steam for 5 to 10 minutes as needed. With children or elders sit with them under the towel. You can use a sheet instead of a towel and attach it to the wall behind the bed if that is helpful.
Note: Boiling water can burn easily, so always hold the pot or bowl of boiling water for children & elder wisdom beings.Â
- Bronchial dilator to widen the bronchial tract: use one or more of Thyme, Osha, Peppermint, Ephedra sinica, Bu Gu Zi.
- Chronic Cough or sinus congestion: use one or more of eucalyptus, chamomile, sage, lavender or mint
May your healing or those around you experiencing sickness return to health swiftly!Â