Get Prepared For Cold and Flu Season

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Now on with today's post. Since we are entering the cold and flu season, you might want to get prepared. 

I love to make a few homemade remedies to keep on hand just for this season. 

***DISCLAIMER*** I am not a medical doctor nor do I have a degree in medicine. Please consult with your doctor before taking any herbal supplements or remedies with prescribed medication. I have already cleared my concerns with my doctor and I got a go ahead. 

This natural remedy for cold and flu season is a packed powerhouse of properties. It's antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti inflammatory, and has microbial organisms to help fight radicals that attack the body. It's all natural. You've got to give this a try. Make it now so it will be ready for the yucky season. 

To a quart jar, add lemon 🍋 slices and pack to the neck of the jar, add minced or fresh ginger 🫚, minced or a few fresh bulbs of garlic 🧄, turmeric is optional and you can add it now. Then fill the jar with raw honey until all the contents are covered. Then add just a splash of apple cider vinegar. Screw the lid on, give a good shake, and sit on the counter for up to 7 to 14 days to allow it to ferment, remembering to shake once every day. This will liquify. After the days of fermentation are over, open jar, strain and filter through a mesh strainer into another jar. Save the scraps because you can use them to start another jar and repeat the process at least one time. Store the strained liquid in the refrigerator. This remedy can last for up to a month or two in the refrigerator if you have not used all of it by then. 

You can take this as an immune booster and preventative. All it takes is a tablespoon once or twice a day. You can also use this to relieve the onset of symptoms when you feel them coming on. If you can handle the chunks of ginger and garlic you don't have to strain. You can remove the lemon slices and just take by the spoonfulls. Be careful giving this to children. They may not like the chunks or the taste of the garlic and ginger. You can take a spoonfull and drink this in a warm tea for extra soothing effects. Two food pairing teas would be Echinachea, and Chamomile tea. 

 Also, take precaution when taking ginger if you are on a blood thinner. I have a blood clot and take a blood thinner so I use minimal. 

Here is the video version:

****ANOTHER COLD AND FLU SEASON NATURAL REMEDY*** 

I believe with all my heart that God put everything here on this Earth 🌎 for our substanance and sustainability. Even he said, "It is GOOD!" I believe him. 

I have been researching the medicinal benefits of Elderberry. You can Google it. 

I finally got a source of them and made my own Elderberry Syrup for the Cold and Flu season. Elderberry Syrup is known to hep with coughs and loosen phlem that has reached the lungs. 

I purchased dried elderberries from our local natural health food store and brought them home and whipped this up. You only want to make a little bit at a time. Elderberry syrup only lasts a few weeks and then it starts loosing its potency. Only make a small amount and take when full blown symptoms occur. This is not a preventative. Only when you have symptoms. You can make fresh batches as needed. A small batch will last 12 weeks in the refrigerator but if it is not all consumed in that time, it starts to deplete in potency. 

Here's how:

Tip: Elderberries are tart and need a sweetner. You also need a preservative. You can use honey as your sweetner and apple cider vinegar as your preservative. Now, you can kill two birds with one stone and use honey as both. Honey is a natural preservative as well. Since I am making this for kids also, they may not like the vinegar taste. 

To a sauce pan, add 1/2 dried berries (that's what I bought, I have not used fresh berries yet since I don't have a source) to 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, and let boil for two minutes then reduce heat and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. The more you let this simmer, the more properties and juice it draws out since they were dried. You are reconstituting them in other words. If you start loosing a little water due to evaporation, just add about a 1/2 cup of of water. 10 to 15 minutes into the simmering, take a potato masher and break up the berries and mash them really good to break the berry and extract all the juice. After thirty minutes, remove from heat and strain through a mesh strainer. Make sure to press all the berries to get all the juice out. After juice has cooled to just warm (I will explain in a second), you will add the same amount of honey as you have liquid. If you rendered 1 cup of juice you will add one cup of honey. The reason why you do this when it is WARM, is because it melts better, and you don't add honey into something hot because it can destroy the medicinal properties seeings though this is a medicial syrup. Flavoring a tea is different. Be careful using honey for babies 12 months and under. Pour your elderberry syrup remedy into a jar with a tight sealing lid and store in the refrigerator. 

Some people make their elderberry syrup different ways by adding a few more ingredients. Since I am making this for children also, I will not add these because they may not like the taste. You can add a cinnamon stick, ginger and a few cloves while it is simmering. There are health benefits to cinnamon, ginger and cloves. 

You can take this by the table spoon full as needed. Remember it is not a preventative so don't waste this liquid gold. You could possibly put this into a warm tea too. 

You can see the video version here:

Take in mind that natural remedies take a little longer to work than steroid shots or prescribed medications. Give this time to kick in. 

You are well on your way to having your own medicine cabinet.

I hope this helps you and your family make it through this season. 

Tracy

Keeper of the Home