Thursday, March 14, 2013

Fevers, Aches, and Chills... Oh My.

I'll admit it.... If I've got a fever, I'm a bit of a wuss - I'm in rough shape.  I can handle the sniffles or a stuffy nose.  A sore throat?  No problem - I'm a veteran.  I had strep at least 3 times a year, every year from elementary through my senior year in high school (my mom got lectured every year about my absences... but I was sick that often!) until I finally landed in the hospital on my 18th birthday with a fatal strain of strep and FINALLY had my tonsils removed.  (Yeah, that's a fun story... well, not really.  My poor sister.  She thought it'd be great to fund a trip to Kings Island for her and I as a birthday gift... instead, we spent 3 extra days there in some little podunk-ville hospital near Cincinnati where they didn't even offer her a blanket or a comfy seat... she only got a teeny little stool!)

...but a fever?  Yikes.  And also, that's when it's time to see a doctor.

However, for all those other times with the stuffy nose, sniffles, or sore throats... I like to try natural remedies.  I used to pop ibuprofen like they were breath mints, but now I've realized what damage that can do and changed my ways.  There are so many NATURAL remedies that are not only healthier, but cheaper (and sometimes a lot tastier) too!

So I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.  The first one is a doozy, I'm warning you - it's gross.  Real gross.  But it's the BEST remedy I've found to date. And if you're as desperate as I was the first time I tried it, then you're willing to do just about anything.

When I tried this, I had a wicked cough that I just couldn't kick, no matter what I tried.  After searching the internet, I found a few recipes that called for TURMERIC.  It's an Indian spice that's also a natural antiseptic, so I like to think of it as God's antibiotic. You can find it with the spices in any grocery store.

This is the recipe:

3/4 mug hot water (make sure you're not using a plastic mug - chemicals are leached into your food/drink when you place hot food/liquid in plastic!)
1 Tbsp Turmeric
2 Tbsp lemon juice (organic, fresh-squeezed is best - but do what you can)
Raw honey to taste (...you might need a lot.)

Mix it all up in your mug, and drink it as soon as it's cool enough to tolerate.

Drink this mixture 2-3 times per day, and you should notice your symptoms improving - my cough was almost TOTALLY GONE within 3 days. 


If that doesn't sound like something you can stomach, or if for some reason it just doesn't work for you... Here's another great one to try, courtesy of TheCoconutMama.com:



Then, if you still want another to try - a friend of mine (thanks Amy M!) shared her recipe for homemade cough syrup:

1/4 cup warm water
1 cup honey, 
3 tbsp lemon juice


Hope you're feeling better in no time!

Have a recipe to share that isn't listed here?  Feel free to leave a comment and I will add it! :)

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