It's wintertime!
The season brings not only the joy of the holiday festivities but also the unwelcome respiratory bugs. During these cold months, we spend a lot more time inside, where the air tends to be quite dry, this combination seems to play a role in decreasing our immune system, leaving us more prone to getting sick. One of the most common symptoms is a cough. The cough can be dry and hacking, productive or non-productive, or even painful. There is quite a variety of options for herbal home remedies, but often you will want to first evaluate the type of cough before selecting the remedy.
Steaming
Before we fully delve into the herbal remedies, let's take a quick moment to talk about adding moisture back into the air. As we breathe dry air, our nasal passages and bronchial tubes also become dry and irritated. the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that indoor air be kept around 30-50% humidity for maximal respiratory comfort and health. Luckily enough, this is quite easy to address. You can simply put a pot of water on the stovetop and let it gently simmer, and as the water evaporates it increases the humidity of the air, but of course, be sure to keep an eye on the water level to avoid cooking a dry pot. You can also add herbs to the pot to release antimicrobial constituents into the air, as well as add a pleasant scent. Herbs to consider for beneficial stovetop potpourris include pine needles, sage, thyme, rosemary, peppermint, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel seeds, citrus peels, chamomile, lavender, bee balm, common yard daisies, and mallow.
Another option for moisturizing and cleansing the air is to use essential oils. Whether added to stovetop steam or used in an aromatherapy diffuser, essential oils provide a convenient and aromatic way to support respiratory health during the winter months. When opting for the stovetop method, a few drops of essential oils can transform a pot of simmering water into a therapeutic experience. However, a word of caution: for personal steam, limit the essential oil drops to one or two to avoid overpowering the nasal passageway. The key lies in selecting oils with constituents known for their airborne antimicrobial properties, notable constituents in this category include linalool, alpha-terpineol, carvacrol, and 1,8-cineole. Additionally, alpha and beta-pinene, gamma-terpinene, beta-caryophyllene, linalool, and menthol are constituents with antispasmodic properties that are ideal for calming a spastic cough. Essential oils that are good options for helping with respiratory complaints such as coughing, and that have airborne antimicrobial and/or antispasmodic constituents include thyme, basil, eucalyptus radiata and globulus, ravintsara, cardamom, rosemary, spike lavender, frankincense, myrrh, tea tree, black spruce, cedarwood, cypress, and Siberian fir. For added convenience, consider crafting a 5 ml respiratory support stock blend. Combine 35 drops of black spruce, 30 drops of Siberian fir, 20 drops of rosemary, and 15 drops of cardamom, or 30 drops of spike lavender, 30 drops of frankincense, and 30 drops of cypress. This way, a few drops of your pre-blended respiratory blend are readily available whenever the need arises.
Bone Broth
Good nutrition is paramount to good health, and when we are sick, it becomes extra important to ensure that our bodies are getting the nutrition that is needed to be able to fight off the infection. Bone broth is a great option for our nutritional needs while we are convalescing. You can kick it up a notch by adding vegetables such as onions, celery, green beans, or mushrooms, if you desire. Simply simmer the sliced vegetables in your bone broth for about 20 minutes over low heat. You can leave the vegetables in to have it as a soup, or strain them off and drink it as tea.
Make Ahead Remedies
At this time of the year, it is a good idea to have some basic remedies on hand, such as fire cider, tea blends, and infused honey; who wants to be formulating amid sickness? Fire cider is an immune-boosting folk remedy that can be used for prevention as well as speeding your recovery time from winter respiratory ailments. You can read more about fire cider here.
Teas are a great option for coughs and sore throats as they can calm the cough, soothe the throat, and bring much-needed rest. There are plenty of great herbs to use in making a respiratory-soothing tea. Here are just a few:
Chamomile - warming and relaxing, can soothe tight muscles and inflammation, and a strong tea can help calm a spasmodic cough.
Fennel seed - warming and moistening, can calm a spasmodic cough and thin mucus so that it is easier to expel.
Linden - cooling and relaxing, soothing to the nerves. Indicated for congested coughs with stuck mucus and a sore throat.
Licorice - warming and relaxing, moistening to dry lungs. An ideal choice for dry, unproductive coughs.
Marshmallow root - soothing and healing to the mucous membranes lining the respiratory tract, ideal for a dry cough. Common mallow, hollyhock, and hibiscus have similar properties.
Mullein - cooling and relaxing to the respiratory system, indicated for dry, hacking coughs. Be sure to strain through a coffee filter to remove the irritating hairs on the leaves.
Pine - warming and drying, excellent for soothing a phlegmy cough, due to their expectorant actions.
Sage - warming and drying, can help with sore throats, reduce cough, and has antimicrobial properties.
Thyme - warming and drying, respiratory antimicrobial that can calm a spastic cough as well as working as an expectorant
Usnea - cooling and drying, nicknamed "lungs of the forest", offers antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and immune modulation.
Demulcent teas for a dry cough (linden, marshmallow, mullein, common mallow, hollyhock, hibiscus)
are best made by infusing for 4-8 hours in cool water, add a bit of honey and lemon if desired.
Pungent herbs for a wet cough (ginger, garlic, horseradish, cayenne, black pepper, thyme, oregano, sage, pine) can be used to make tea or used in substantial quantities in a culinary fashion. You can use sage and thyme to make a personal steam, and then strain off the herbs and use the water as a tea, as long as you don't sweat into it while steaming. If you are on blood thinners, remember to use caution when consuming large quantities of garlic, ginger, cayenne, and black pepper. Fire cider, as mentioned above, is a great option to get in pungent herbs for a wet cough.
Respiratory Tea
for congested, wet coughs with sore throat
1 part thyme
1 part sage
1 part spearmint
1/2 part linden
Steep 1 tablespoon of tea blend in 8-12 oz of just-boiled water. Let stand, covered, for 5-15 minutes. Strain off the leaves. Drink with lemon and honey for a more soothing effect for a sore throat. Breathe in the steam for some extra help with congestion.
Cough Tea
for dry, irritated coughs
2 parts mullein leaves
1 part marshmallow or common mallow leaves
1 part holy basil (tulsi)
This can be made as a hot tea, but it will have more soothing, moistening effects when you allow it to infuse as a cold tea for 4-8 hours. Be sure to strain through a coffee filter for the hairs on the mullein leaves.
Sage Breath Tea
for irritating, wet coughs with body aches
1 part sage
1 part linden
1 part wood betony
Steep 1 tablespoon of tea blend in 8-12 cups of just-boiled water. Let stand, covered, for 5-15 minutes. Strain off the leaves, and enjoy as a hot toe.
Infused Honey
Herb-infused honey is a delightful blend of flavors and medicinal properties, created by combining medicinal herbs with your favorite local raw honey. Honey is a powerful medicine of its own, shown to be one of the most effective over-the-counter cough remedies. A quick honey remedy for coughs is onion honey. Cut up a pungent onion, preferably a red onion, into small pieces and place in a jar. Add sage and/or cinnamon if you wish. Cover with raw honey. Put a lid on and set aside for 12-24 hours. After allowing it to sit, you will see a syrupy liquid layer on top of the honey that can be used as a cough syrup. Use by the teaspoonful as needed. The honey is delicious on toast, salads, and as a burger topping.
Other herbs to infuse into honey include chamomile, sage, rosemary, thyme, citrus peels, rose hips, and elderflowers. To learn more about making infused honey, read here.
Syrup
An herbal syrup is a useful remedy to keep in your refrigerator, both for culinary enjoyment and for easing respiratory complaints. An herbal syrup is prepared by creating a concentrated herbal decoction with honey. The honey helps to thicken, improve the taste, and preserve the syrup. Benefits can include soothing sore throats, coughs, and dry irritated tissues. Elderberry syrup is probably the most well-known herbal syrup that can help prevent and ease respiratory complaints. Other herbs that can be used to make a delicious syrup include elderflowers, pine needles, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, star anise, licorice root, fennel seeds, rose hips, citrus peels, sage, rosemary
To make an herbal syrup, use about 1 cup of herbs in 1 quart of water. Bring the water to a simmer. Allow to gently simmer until the water is reduced by about half, about 20 minutes, strain off the liquid into a large measuring cup. You may want to strain through a cheesecloth of muslin if you used elderberries, in which case you will need to squeeze really wall to get all of the liquid out. Add raw honey to the liquid to equal at least 50% of the liquid, up to a 1:1 ratio with the liquid. Stir until the honey is fully dissolved. Bottle the syrup and store it in the refrigerator for up to three months. You can take 1-3 teaspoonfuls every few hours as needed to soothe a cough. It is not recommended to give honey to babies.
Garlic Oil
This remedy is a bit different, but can still be effective for fighting a respiratory infection. Peel and mince or crush 3 garlic cloves. Allow the garlic to sit for about 10 minutes, this is a crucial step as it facilitates the enzymatic reaction that produces allicin. Allicin is a potent compound with antimicrobial properties. When garlic is damaged, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin. Allowing this reaction to occur ensures the maximum formation of allicin, enhancing the therapeutic benefits of garlic in respiratory remedies. After allowing the garlic to sit for 10 minutes, place it in a small jar and barely cover it with olive oil. Let this combination sit for at least 30 minutes. Strain out the garlic. Just before bedtime, rub the oil onto the feet, and immediately cover the feet with an old pair of socks, and then another pair of socks to prevent getting oil on the bed sheets. The allicin is expelled through the lungs, this route allows it to enact its antimicrobial effect on the respiratory system, fighting respiratory infections.
In wintertime, our indoor havens become a battleground for wellness. The dry air challenges our immune systems, leaving us vulnerable. Armed with these remedies, may your winter be a season of robust health. Wishing you a resilient and healthy winter ahead.
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