My go-to remedies for cold & flu season 🍯
If we’re connected on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me swooning about herbalism recently.
I have been having so much fun learning more about plants and how we can work with them to heal and support our bodies.
Today, now that I have finally emerged from a two-week bout of fall crud, I want to share recipes for two remedies I’ve been drinking on repeat: fire cider and the garlic cold buster.
Even though this cold lingered, I was relieved that it didn’t progress to a full on sinus infection, and I’m convinced these helped play a part.
Fire Cider
Fire cider is a spicy immune-boosting tonic. You can easily adapt it based on your tastes – I’ve been having lots of fun mixing up different versions, and they’re almost ready for me to sample and bottle.
Here’s a classic base recipe, adapted from Herbal Academy. It takes at least three weeks before it’s ready, so whip up a batch this weekend if you can – and let me know if you have any questions!
Ingredients
1 large red onion, chopped
2 lemons, diced (no need to peel!)
3-4 heads garlic, minced
½ cup fresh ginger root, grated
½ cup fresh turmeric root, grated
¼ cup fresh horseradish root, grated
¼ cup fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
2 jalapeños, chopped
Apple cider vinegar
Add everything to a half-gallon ball jar and top with apple cider vinegar.
🚨 Save the jars to re-bottle after you strain!
Cover with a piece of wax paper and seal the jar. (The wax paper prevents the vinegar from reacting with the metal.)
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Put somewhere warm and shake daily. After 3 weeks (or more) strain through a nutmilk bag (or sieve, or cheesecloth), and really ring out the liquid.
Decant back into the original jars.
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When you start to feel sick or have been exposed to illness, drink an ounce or two a few times a day. I like to mix with jalapeño limeade.
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Two time-saving tips:
Whiz the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and horseradish in my mini blender or food processor. Saves so much time!
If you’re making a huge batch, do yourself a favor and buy peeled garlic cloves.
You can watch a video here.
Garlic Cold Buster
This is a great remedy to whip up when you feel you need an immune boost. And, unlike fire cider, it doesn’t take any advanced prep.
A heads up: when you’re eating this much raw garlic, people can tell! You might want to time it for the end of the day when you won’t be sitting in meetings. It also doesn’t taste great, but holy moly is it effective.
Finely mince or grate one clove of garlic and let it sit for at least ten minutes before adding to your favorite mug. (I prep a bunch at once and store it in a jar in a bag in the fridge to save time.)
While the garlic sits, put on the tea kettle.
Add the juice of one lemon to the garlic.
Add a half teaspoon of honey. If you can find local organic honey, even better.
Pour boiling water over the mixture. (I pour it right over the spoon with the honey to get every drop.)
For extra credit, you could add echinacea or turkey tail mushroom tincture if you have them.
When it’s cooled enough to drink, swirl and chug, getting as much of the garlic as you can.
Note: You can absolutely just eat raw garlic, which I find even more effective, but way less palatable.
Why let garlic sit?
Garlic contains an enzyme called alliinase and a compound called alliin. When garlic is crushed or chopped, these substances come into contact, initiating a chemical reaction that forms allicin. Allicin is a bioactive compound with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
Allowing garlic to sit for about 10 minutes after chopping or crushing gives this chemical reaction enough time to occur and for allicin to be formed. This is especially important if you’re going to be exposing the garlic to heat.
Why is your life coach talking about herbalism all of the sudden?
A few reasons!
😍 I’ve fallen in love, and I’m a big believer in following what lights you up – even if you don't see exactly how it fits into your current path. (But oooh am I getting clues, and it’s giving those full body, heck yes tingles.)
🤧 It’s really hard to live the life you want when you feel crummy! I’ll take any advantage I can, and I want you to be equipped to do the same. (That’s also why I created the Learning from Chronic Pain Workshop; the replay is now available for lifetime access.)
🌱 Herbalism is a beautiful way to deepen your connection with nature. Learning more about plants, consciously welcoming them into your body, and expressing gratitude for their support all help forge this relationship.
