I'll start with the ending to save the suspense. 😃 We were successful in combating this cold without over the counter medicines!
My wonderful younger sister came to visit us and the first few days were wonderful and pleasant. With the hi's and low's of the weather, a bit too much halloween candy, and staying up WAY past my bedtime it was no surprise that by Wednesday I knew I was coming down with something. There was a tickle in my throat, I could feel the beginnings of a sinus pressure headache and my appetite was gone. Thursday morning I woke feeling terrible and with fever.
Michael took great care of us. We took our birch polypore tincture, shots of fire cider, and drank lots of Cold & Flu Brew Tea. I was still experiencing lots of pain in my hips, knees and back, plus the sinus pressure. Michael decocted white willow bark into my tea. Its easy to want to give in and take a motrin while waiting the 25-30 minutes for the white willow bark to decoct but its very much worth it.
I drank a half cup of the white willow bark & Cold & Flu Brew mix every half hour or so and even after my first cup the pain in my hips and knees eased SIGNIFICANTLY. I won't lie and say I wasn't...vocal in my woes, I was....and this tea helped improve my mood 100 fold. Unfortunately, the white willow bark did not touch my sinus headache.
For the sinus pressure, Michael went to our garden and grabbed rosemary, thyme, sage and a few calendula flowers. He boiled water and poured it over the herbs in a bowl and I sat under a towel breathing it in. Within a few deep breathes things were clearly loosening up and I was productively coughing.
For dinner that night, we made chicken noodle soup. It included fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage. LOTS of ginger, garlic, turmeric, onion, celery, carrots and, of course, chicken and noodles. It really is soothing for the soul, especially while under the weather.
While my headache did not completely go away, I woke up the next morning (Friday) feeling like a human being again.
My pain was gone, my headache was gone and my stuffy nose was clear. I did feel a bit weak and continued our remedies (minus the white willow bark because my hips/back/knees were fine) and rested another day. Saturday morning I felt 100 percent better and happy to have avoided over the counter medicines.
To sum it all up, here's how I got through this cold in 3 days:
> A shot of Fire Cider each day - to boost my immune system (our article on Fire Cider is here.)
> A few drops of Birch polypore tincture each day - also to boost my immune system (more on BPP below)
> Cold & Flu Brew Tea - to help clear the gunk and sooth my throat and cough
> White willow bark - for the pain in my joints and back
> Chicken Noodle Soup! - this felt like heaven sipping the steamy broth and gave me some energy, lots of herbal goodies went into this broth (I'll probably turn this into a full blown recipe soon, so keep a look out!)
> Herbal steams with rosemary, sage, calendula, & thyme - to help loosen the congestion and get things flowing in my sinuses
> As much rest as I could manage with all the kiddos.😅
> Also, gentle back rubs are underrated, while my skin was tender having it rubbed was soothing and relaxing.
I am really thankful to my husband for taking the best care of me and for the plants for just being available.🌿🌿
Birch polypore is a mushroom that grows on dead birch trees. We see it quite frequently up here and have harvested a good bit and turned it into a tincture. BPP is a powerhouse for the immune system and isn't meant to be taken daily as you don't want to constantly stimulate your immune system if you don't need to. It has antibacterial and anti-viral properties and is also a styptic (stops bleeding), just like yarrow. There is much more to be said for birch polypore, so keep an eye out for its day of fame in a future newsletter!
It is truly a wonderful feeling to trust our plant allies to care for us now as they have for thousands of years. 🌎
Please, write us if you have questions, comments, or things to add! We are always looking to engage with you and learn from our community members! Thank you for reading!
In herbal harmony and well-being,
Herbs & Sundry