What’s in my medicine cabinet?

It’s cold and flu season. Grrrr…. In today’s article, we’re going to dive into what’s in my medicine cabinet and what I keep on hand in case illness strikes. So, go ahead and copy me if you’d like! But whatever you do, stop reaching for those over-the-counter medications for every sniffle. You’re not doing your body any good. You are probably harming your immune system. 

Let me tell you a little story….

Up until about 5 years ago, like clockwork, I would get a horrible case of sinusitis every 6 weeks. Year-round it would be the exact same thing. First, I would get a little thing in my throat. The next day, I would be super stuffed up. Then I would lose my voice and have a full-blown head cold. The symptoms were the same and popped up at the same point on the timeline every time. It wasn’t just close, it was the same thing. I would be miserable. It would take about 5 days to start feeling any sort of relief. I still felt like crap, but I no longer felt like someone was standing on my face. 

So, I thought I was outsmarting this cold. I stocked up on every OTC sinus and cold medicine from the drug store. I had them all on hand at all times. I even tried allergy pills in between these outbreaks to see if it would lessen the duration or maybe prevent it in the first place. Nope. 

I told myself that it was just the way things would be. And learned to live with it. My work clients just had to deal with the snot, and constant coughing and my body had to adjust to permanent cough drops in my mouth at all times. It got to be so crazy that I could even plan out when I would get sick. Kinda like tracking my period, I tracked my colds. And I was within 2-3 days about 99% of the time. Not something to be too proud of, but at that point, I took it as a win. BTW, NONE of these medicines did anything. I even tried combinations of them to see if I could make my own cocktail for some relief. Nope, and I certainly would NOT suggest doing that. Some of them made things worse…

Then one day, I was listening to a random podcast about herbs. For the life of me, I cannot find that podcast. I’m always on the lookout for it and any other resources that support what I found. In the interview, the person speaking, an herbalist, suggested that we stop taking OTC meds for colds since they were not really helping the body, just managing the symptoms.

Well, since I tried every cold medicine (even some natural ones) with no success, why not stop the OTC meds and see what happens? Guess what? I broke the cycle!!!

No more 6-week pattern of these horrible colds! I liken this to my “Band-Aid theory”: if you don’t have Band-Aids readily available, you won’t need them. I have found that if I don’t keep cold medicines in my house, I don’t need them. Weird, huh? Scientifically it does make sense. When the body is challenged by an invader, it is strengthened and develops means for fighting it off next time. This is known as your adaptive immune system. 

Note, this is just my experience, so do with it what you want and don’t take it as medical advice. I’m not a doctor, just a girl who is willing to try alternative approaches to find the least invasive way to handle an issue. 

What do I do instead? I have learned to work with my body, taking every chance I get to strengthen my immune system. But I also have things on hand to help with the symptoms should I get sick. The things I use are both natural and strengthening to the body. They work by giving support to the areas that need it. 

Symptoms are your body’s way of telling you your immune system is working. When you get a fever, that’s your body trying to kill off an invader. Inflammation in your throat? That’s your white blood cells doing their job to protect and heal damaged tissues. Runny nose or other stuff coming out of you? Your body is trying to get out whatever isn’t supposed to be in there. Instead of STOPPING these symptoms, you want to support them. Obviously, with something like a fever, keeping your body comfortable is a must. So sometimes you are doing acute care and treating the symptom so it’s manageable. But the worst thing you can do is stop it, within reason of course. Super-high fevers and such require medical attention. 

Here are 6 of my go-to items for preventing and treating colds and the flu. Please remember, it’s important to know your body and consult with a healthcare provider when you need to. The beauty of the things listed below is that you can try them as the first line of defense. If they don’t work, then you can go to something different or stronger. OTCs, in my opinion, should never be the first line of defense.

Exposure Protection Pak

This is an awesome supplement pack from Optimal Health Systems! It was developed to nutritionally support the immune system for the current pandemic. This pack will help to support the body from virus attacks and boost the immune system. It contains a blend of vitamin D, probiotics, zinc, nitrates, natural antimicrobials, and more. I keep this on hand and use it when I feel something coming on or when I think I’ve been exposed to something. Like when the guy at the store sneezed on me. Yuck! 

Where do you buy it? Click the link here and be sure to use coupon code OHSLITTLE at checkout for 10% off your first order! 

Fermented Foods

Ok, so this one isn’t actually in my medicine cabinet, it’s in my fridge! Fermented foods, such as Wellness Found’s Beet Veggie Sauerkraut, which is one of my favorite local probiotic products. Fermented foods contain natural probiotics which are needed for good gut health. Any time we talk about the immune system, we are really talking about the gut since a lot of your immune system lives in your gut. What’s good for your gut is good for your immune system, and vice versa. 

How much? I eat a spoonful at least once a day as a prophylactic. If I’m currently fighting off a bug, I would eat a spoonful with every meal. Fermented foods are typically safe for most people, including kiddos. However, if you are a person with substantial digestive issues, fermented foods may cause excess gas and bloating. If that’s the case when you eat these foods, stop eating them and give me a call. We need to work on healing your gut!

Where do you buy it? Fermented foods are now at most grocery stores but make sure to read the labels. Some contain artificial ingredients. I buy mine from Plantonic Cafe in Hartford. 

NeilMed Sinus Rinse

Yep, the good old Neti Pot!! This has become a staple during cold and flu season for me. It helps to irrigate the sinuses and get out tiny particles of gunk, including bacteria, mold, and viruses. Plus, it’s also soothing and moisturizing to the sinus tissues. If you’ve never used a Neti Pot before, it can be a bit intimidating, but I promise, it won’t hurt you! Just make sure to use slightly warmed water or it will sting. I do this once a day prophylactically but may increase it to twice a day if needed. If your sinuses are plugged up, this probably won’t work. But as soon as you can, start it up. 

If you’re looking to really up your Neti Pot game, a drop of plantain tincture or other moisturizing, antimicrobial herbs (as teas). Please speak with a qualified practitioner before doing this!

Where do you buy it? Most drug stores will carry a version of the Neti Pot. Or look on the Internet. You don’t need anything fancy. You can even make your own solution with little effort.

Raw, Local Honey

I could go on and on about all the amazing health benefits of raw honey, but I’ll keep it short. Honey is antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial. I’m talking about the real stuff, not the stuff that is really just high fructose corn syrup in a bear bottle. Read the label. Better yet, make friends with a local beekeeper. Local honey is ideal because the bees consume pollen from local flowers which can help with allergies. 

Raw honey can help soothe a sore throat, sweeten homemade herbal concoctions, and helping to reduce swollen tissues. (Next time you have a cut, put some honey on it! It’s truly a miracle food!) You can eat it directly from the jar or add it to things, such as homemade elderberry syrup. Honey can even help you sleep. Take a tablespoon or two a day and never give raw honey to children under two years old. 

Where do you buy it? Befriend a beekeeper, the farmers market, or some grocery stores. Look for raw, unpasteurized, local honey. 

Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis)

Now, this is not the white, fluffy marshmallows you are probably thinking of! This is the root of the marshmallow plant, which has many medicinal properties. I think this is one of the coolest herbs because of what it does when soaked in water. Marshmallow is a demulcent herb which means it is soothing to mucus membranes. It is primarily used by decocting or cold infusing the root as a tea. Soak the root in cold water overnight and in the morning you will have a gooey tea to drink that is surprisingly pleasant tasting with a hint of sweetness.

In fact, marshmallow root is used in some herbal blends as a natural sweetener. You can drink the tea throughout the day, strain it first! Add a little raw honey if you would like. Make sure to drink lots of water with it. Marshmallow is also great for healing the gut because of its soothing properties.

Where do you buy it? My favorite source of organic, sustainably harvested herbs is Mountain Rose Herbs, click right here. If you have a local herb shop, check there. Just make sure it’s organic and doesn’t contain fillers. 

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra & S. ebulus)

Elderberries have become very popular in the last few years. But they have been used in traditional and folklore practices for a very long time. They have quite a history! Elderberry is one of the top herbs used for immune support by helping you stay healthy and supporting the body’s natural defenses. I like to keep this herb on hand in bulk (meaning in dried berry form, not a prepared syrup or product) so I can make my own elderberry syrup when needed. 

Elderberry syrup can be taken prophylactically. The typical dose is one tablespoon once a day. Or when illness strikes at a more frequent dose. The syrup is super simple to make and can be customized according to taste preferences and needs. I like to add warming herbs and spices to mine to help increase the healing power even more!

Where do you buy it? I’m lucky enough to have an elderberry bush growing in my yard. But if you’re not so lucky, I would recommend purchasing elderberries from Mountain Rose Herbs, click right here.

If you’re interested in learning more about any of these items, please reach out! I have tons of great resources and, like I said, tons of personal experience with them. The bottom line, please consider looking for ways to support your body’s natural defenses. One of the greatest things we can do for ourselves and our families is to learn how to tend to as many of life’s “uh-ohs” as possible! It’s time we start questioning conventional “care” and products. Looking to ancient civilizations instead of modern medicine may seem odd at first, but I would much rather take my chances with herbs that have successfully been used for thousands of years rather than a chemical that has limited safety testing and that doesn’t actually treat the cause of illness.

Let’s take on this cold and flu season together! 

Peace, love & kale!

Lindsay