My most requested blog post of the year has to be the herbal remedies that I recommend going into cold (& flu) season. I HAVE to start this off by saying I am not a doctor and am only giving my personal opinions of what has worked for me and my family, this is NOT medical advice. I’m not making a commission off of any items, just linking some of the products that I have and that I like.
Okay now that we got that out of the way… a little back story:
GUT HEALTH
Earlier this year I got a chronic sinus infection, it was so bad that I went on three different antibiotics before finally having to take antibiotics and steroids together to get the inflammation and infection out of my sinuses. These back to back infections sent me down the rabbit holes of researching natural remedies to make sure I didn’t have to go on multiple antibiotics like that ever again. However, if you are going to take antibiotics I HIGHLY recommend taking SEED every day, a symbiotic that includes prebiotics and probiotics. I never had any GI issues while taking the antibiotics, they didn’t ruin my gut or make me feel terrible which they definitely have in the past. This time though, I was taking SEED every morning which saved my gut microbiome during those back to back antibiotics. I still take SEED daily for gut support and am so grateful it comes in a subscription so I never run out. Number one recommendation for going into the flu season as well. Protect your gut health!
NATURES ANTIBIOTIC
While being terrified of another sinus infection after having an ongoing infection for three months, I learned quickly that natures’ antibiotic is Oil of Oregano which I buy in capsule form, from my local co-op (similar but not exactly to what I linked) and Black Seed Oil which I bought from HB Naturals (exactly what I linked). This combo when started early on in the feeling of getting a sinus infection can really combat your cold. I followed the recommended dose for each and took it once a day before dinner time. I took it with a juice drink to get the varnish taste of the black seed oil out of my mouth. Taste aside, this combo worked for me and naturally kicking a sinus infection that wanted to come back a few months after my traumatic three month infection. It also works when you feel like you are going to get an ear infection, again, if you can catch it earlier the better. It takes about 4-6 days to see a difference but recently my dad became a believer himself after flighting the start of a sinus infection which was also causing pressure in his ears. He noticed symptoms gone in about 5 days.
COLD COCKTAIL
Whenever I feel cold symptoms coming on, whether that be a runny noise, scratchy or sore throat…I bust out my go-to “cold cocktail” my sister-in-law taught me about years ago. Again, all capsules are from my local co-op store, I will link them on Amazon but I recommend you go to a co-op to buy them. I don’t love buying “pills or supplements” off of Amazon. My vitamin cocktail includes Echinacea with Goldenseal, Garlic supplements, and Vitamin C supplements and take the recommended doses of those per day and I usually drink it down with some electrolyte water to stay hydrated. The best medicine for a cold is also getting proper sleep, take some magnesium before bed or drink some Sleepytime Tea to get you relaxed. This vitamin cocktail when taken daily is really helpful to help your body fight off the cold and I tend to start taking these days before I travel anywhere or know I am going to be exposed to more germs than normal.
TINCTURES
I am new to the world of tinctures but I am liking what I am learning and how helpful various tinctures can be when needed. I follow Noble Task Homestead and am a big fan of their tinctures, balms, and loose leaf teas. But for the sake of this post, I am going to focus on the tinctures I have of theirs. I’m still in the thick of researching these tinctures and how often and when to use them. Lobelia and Mullein are suppose to be good for respiratory health. There are so many great tinctures but I may have to write another blog post on them once I have tried them out a little longer. For now, those are the two I recommend and I suggest you look into the benefits of other herbal tinctures too.
There you go, my top recommendations during cold and flu season! Stay safe and HEALTHY!
xo, Shari
The Salty Exchange 