I love healing with food and herbs. It’s thrilling when I can open my kitchen cupboards and find a remedy that comforts and relieves. This is particularly helpful knowledge for soothing the young and elderly. Their constitutions are particular sensitive to the influence of kitchen and herbal remedies, along with medication. I have a deep respect for allopathic medicine and it has its place in our society but if I can soothe an aliment with food or herbs, you can bet I will go there first.
The elderly, in particular, tend to be over medicated in our society. When they experience side affects, they are often given something else instead of eliminating or changing medications. Another issue is that as we age, we tend to have an increasingly difficult time giving accurate descriptions of symptoms or even simply remembering specific details. I find doctors often overlook weight loss or gains when prescribing medication, which can present additional problems. When offering herbal remedies it is important to take into account an individual’s weight. A typical dose for a youngling or elder should be lower than for a healthy adult.
Along with many this winter, my 86 year old Mom has been having a rough time. There seems to be quite a few powerful bugs circulating around looking for hosts. The young and elderly are particularly susceptible. My Mom has a rather unique situation as she only has one lung; yes, that’s right, only one. She had her right lung removed due to lung cancer in 1999. Therefore, any type of cough is always a concern.
At the end of last year, she came down with a cough and couldn’t breathe. She was diagnosis with pneumonia, immediately admitted to the hospital and put on IV antibiotics and albuterol treatments. After 4 days, she was discharge without a cough and there was no need for O2 in the home. Although, she didn’t cough for almost 2 weeks, she has since developed another cough, but her O2 remains good. She is being monitored closely but still has a wet cough.
Many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies can elevate blood pressure, a situation potentially dangerous for the elderly including my Mom. Yet, we are lucky to have a few tools in our cupboards. To help my Mom sleep through the night, I massage Garlic Oil it into her feet. When Garlic Oil is applied to the feet, it enters the system and heads straight for the lungs. To prove the connection – simply take a piece of garlic out of the jar and place it between your toes, sleep, and you will wake up with garlic breathe – crazy but true. Please do not put garlic straight onto a little one’s or elder’s foot as their skin is much more sensitive and the garlic may burn them, garlic oil is okay though. Many people eat garlic for its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, immune boosting, blood pressure and cholesterol lowering properties. Garlic is a great soldier in fighting all bronchial infections. It is also known to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria. It really is fantastic. Moreover, and most of all, it tastes great in most dishes.
Our little jar of garlic oil
Garlic Cough Remedy Recipe
• Chop up several large cloves of garlic
• Add garlic and olive oil to a small clean jar and cover
• Let sit for at least an hour; the longer the better
Massage some garlic oil on the soles of the cougher’s feet (use about the size of a nickel); perhaps focus some attention on the areas just below the toes as it’s connected to the lungs.
• Put on socks to protect the linens
• Sleep soundly (everyone!)
Before bed, I also give Mom a ½ teaspoon of Raw honey (be sure it’s raw as commercial honey growers often supplement the bees with sugar water, which dilutes the medicinal qualities of the honey). Honey is one of my favorite remedies for coughs and is so simple. We are not sure exactly why it works but perhaps when you combine honey’s soothing sweetness, which coats the throat with its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and expectorant qualities, you may find part of the answer.
Although, my Mom is still struggling with her lingering cough, she can now sleep through the nights. And, the most important remedy for illness is sleep.
What do you use from your kitchen cupboards to heal? Please share and I will continue to share.
All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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One of my favorite family traditions is enjoying a cup of hot cocoa after playing outdoors in the winter. Mathew and Mike have embraced this tradition as well. I remember when we made Mathew’s first snow angel and snowman, and then came in to warm up. I suggested some hot cocoa, which intrigued Mathew, as he never had a cup before, and I rarely ever offered him traditional sweets. Instead of using a store bought mix, I found an easy recipe that contained the basic ingredients and nothing more. Simply put, it is delicious. Now, whenever we come in from playing outside in the cold, Mathew suggests that we make some hot cocoa, to which I immediately agree. He is now in charge of making it and has gotten very good as whisking the ingredients to a buttery consistency. So, if you’ve been outdoors in the cold and need to warm up, may I suggest a cup of hot cocoa?