Flu season can keep everyone on high alert. I find myself washing down the grocery cart at the store more than usual and keeping my children’s immune system up as much as possible. Eventually we will come across something that we will have to fight off. In my house, when one person gets it, the entire McBride family is probably going to get some form of the virus one way or another. During this season of life, I encourage lots of rest, keeping their diet as healthy as possible, and drink plenty of water.
Echinacca is safe, gentle, and capable of both preventing and fighting viral infections. It can be used in small preventative doses throughout cold and flu season, or in larger doses for fighting sickness.
Echinacca Dosing:
1 drop of extract per 2 lbs. of the child’s body, every 2-4 hours, depending upon the severity of the infection. It can be given diluted in 1/4 cup of water, tea, or diluted juice.
Garlic has been shown to exhibit a broad range of antimicrobial properties, including both viruses and bacterium. It’s highly effective for reducing the duration for colds and flu.
I was given this formula almost 20 years ago from a friend. It has served my family well over the years.
Garlic Tonic:
Finely mince 2 cloves of fresh garlic and place them in a 1 quart glass jar with boiling water and cover for 30 minutes. Strain out the garlic, and add juice of 1 whole lemon to the garlic-water. Sweeten with honey. (Do NOT give babies under the age of 1 year old. IT can cause infant botulism.) Give warm, and offer as much as you can drink.
Ginger Tea:
Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger root. Steep for 20 minutes, strain, sweeten, and drink as warm as possible. Repeat as often as desired. Add lemon for taste if no one in your family desires it.
This is a hard one to swallow for some children, but most of my big kids can understand the results of this syrup far outweigh the taste.
Mama’s Flu Syrup:
1 oz. echinacea tincture
1 oz. elderberry syrup
1/2 oz. thyme tincture
1/2 oz. lemon balm tincture
1/2 oz. licorice tincture
1/2 oz. anise seed tincture
Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a 4 oz. amber bottle. Shake well. Give 1/2 – 1 teaspoon every 2 hours.
I saved the best for last. I really do love this cough syrup. It truly is my go to in the cooler months of the year. Someone typically will have a cough come late fall and they will ask me specifically for this remedy because they know it works!
Mama’s Cherry Cough Syrup:
1/2 oz. dried mullein leaves
1/2 oz. marshmallow root
1/2 oz. licorice root
1/2 oz. thyme
1/2 oz.anise seeds
1/2 oz. wild cherry bark
1/2 oz. slippery elm bark
1 quart boiling water
Preparation: Combine all the herbs. Put 1 oz. of the mixture in a glass jar, add the boiling water, cover, and steep for 2 hours. Strain the liquid into a pot (discard the plant material) and simmer gently until it is reduced to 1 cup. Sweeten with 1/2 cup of honey (NOT for children under age 1). After the syrup cools to room temperature, store it in a jar in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2 months.
Usage: 1 teaspoon as needed for children 1-3 years old, 1 Tablespoon as needed for older children, and 2 Tablespoons as needed for adults.
Natalie