Listening to the news during this last week, I have heard all about the flu getting worse. This year I got a flu shot as usual. I am a high risk person and need to do this every year. Elderberry tea is great for the flue as well as an elderberry syrup for the throat. On Wednesday I woke with a sore throat and a feeling in my chest of something more to come. I immediately got out my reference book "Prescription for Herbal Healing" by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC. Copyright 2002, AVERY, New York, NY. I have been using it for 5 years now. It has everything I need to reference almost everything. You can look up the herbs, the disease or problem, and Traditional Chinese Medicine or Ayurveda. I love that about this book. She says: "The common cold is a viral infection characterized by familiar symptoms A sore throat, headache, head and nasal congestion, coughing, watery eyes, and nasal discomfort with watery discharge and sneezing. As the cold progresses, the discharge becomes thicker.As it progresses, head-ache, low-grade fever and muscle aches may be present"². With this is mind, I decided to make a tea to help with all the symptoms and ease the whole issue of symptoms. Children have a hard time telling adults how they feel. Sometimes we just have to guess, especially if they are too young to tell us anything. We have a thermometer to help with letting us know what temperature one might have, as for other symptoms like sweating, sneezing, coughing, vomiting diarrhea and etc., they let us know the severity of the problem. Usually we just have to go to bed or the couch and stay there until we get better. We can do some things though to help the symptoms and the severity and longevity of the illness. Herbalists think in one direction when someone is ill. What herbs are needed here? I can get what I need immediately the next day as I live in Eugene/Springfield area and Mountain Rose Herbs is right her in my back yard. Order what you need in the way of ingredients and herbal supplies, teas, containers, essential oils and so much more.
Elderberry Cold and Flu Tea
Ingredients :
Dried elderberries 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup fresh or frozen juice
Fresh ginger root, 3 or 4 slices, thin (small slices)
Echinachea Leaves, palmful
Hyssop, palmful
Green Tea, 1 tablespoon, Steep separately for 4 minutes in 12 ounces of hot water @ 190°.
Put the elderberries in a teapot or jar and cover with 2 cups of boiling water, along with the ginger, echinacea leaves and hyssop.
Let these berries re-hydrate and all the herbs infuse in the hot water for 30 minutes to get all the medicine out of the everything.
Strain the berry mixture and the green tea into your final container and mix well. I am using agave to sweeten.
Fill your container to the 3 quart mark with cold water.
Put in the refrigerator to cool and serve all day as the drink choice of the next few days.
I think it tastes great. This tea has so many great things that help the body get better, and mend faster.
Echinacea herb speeds recovery, reduces risk of catching cold, elderberry promotes sweating and can help break a fever, It has antioxidant flavanoids that protect cell walls against foreign substances, ginger stops head and chest congestion, malaise and chills, hyssop acts as an expectorant and has anti-viral properties and green tea has so much all on its own.
There are also other ingredients you can use for other symptoms slippery elm bark, good for scratchy throat, horehound lozenges break up nasal congestion.There are others, but I have mentioned the ones that most can use safely. Tea tree oil helps with a sore throat if used as a mouth and throat rinse. Place 4-6 drops in 1/2 half cup warm water and use as a mouth wash and gargle as often as liked.
God surely has given us everything we need to mend ourselves from nature. It is as He intended. I truly believe that He gave us doctors for the harder stuff, like bone diseases and parts replacements, to mention just a few.
Remember to do the things that you would normally do when one is ill with a cold. Just add this to your regimen to create a new regimen for yourself. You will truly have less visits to the doctors office. I got better by the next day after doing all of this tea, taking extra Vitamin c and resting more. I also wore a mask when I went to my appointments as to not get others sick.
Please be considerate of everyone and use a mask if you need to go out and are sick.
Wash your hands and your children s
Get Kleenex and keep them handy.
Just washing door knobs and jamb are the thing to do.
We do not need to use a bacterial killer for everything. Just after a sick person.
Here is a great soup recipe that I think would warm any cold afternoon.
For those in need of a warm meal.
Vegetable Soup
1 14 oz can organic chicken or veggie broth
1 11.5 oz can vegetable-tomato juice cocktail (store brand is great)
1 small red potato, diced
1 small red yam, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 can of petite diced tomatoes, small can
1/2 cup green beans, snapped fresh
1/4 cup frozen corn
1 eggplant peeled and cut in chunks
1 small zucchini, diced
1/2 tsp. onion pieces or bits or granules
1 cup organic green tea
1 can red beans
1/2 cup rice egg noodles or macaroni noodles
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
Make sure when you are cutting all the veggies to make them the same size as it helps with everything being cooked just right. Add all the ingredients in a stock pot. Bring to a boil and turn down and let simmer for around 27-32 minutes or when the veggies are tender to a fork.
Tip: Red potatoes stay together when put into soups and stews. they don't fall apart like the white ones do.
*Add some garlic bread made with rye bread, mix butter, garlic and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and broil to brown. (keep an eye on it)
Enjoy, have a marvelous lunch with a spot of wine. Or dinner!
Do not use echinacea if you have an auto immune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Do not use echinacea if you have a chronic disease such as HIV or tuberculosis.
Do not use the tea tree oil if you are allergic to celery or thyme.
Do not ever take TEA TREE OIL internally. Or any other essential oil. Here is praying for an easier and shorter version of the cold and flu. May God Bless You all....♥