Preventative herbal medicine is a brilliant way to ward off the bugs
This is the perfect time of year to give your immune system a little help. You can do this using dried herbs that you probably already have in your kitchen cupboards or you can pick them fresh from the garden.
Thyme, Sage and Rosemary
Thyme is antiviral, antibacterial and antiseptic, and is particularly useful for viruses in the upper part of the respiratory system. It also has expectorant action meaning it can help to loosen and clear mucus from the airways.
Sage is a brilliant herb for soothing a sore throat. The volatile oils in the leaves soothe the mucus membranes and help reduce inflammation in the mouth and throat. A gargle of sage tea can be very helpful in laryngitis.
Rosemary is antiseptic and antioxidant, and can help to clear the mind and lift the spirits if you feel tired and sluggish.
Together, these three herbs are a winning combination, and their benefits may be enhanced when they are combined as a trio. To make rosemary, thyme and sage tea using dried herbs, add a teaspoon (or more if you like) of each herb to a teapot, add hot water from the kettle, cover the teapot and wait for 10-15 minutes to allow the herbs to infuse, then strain and drink the tea. If you use fresh herbs, use a lot more than a teaspoon of each. You can pack your teapot full of fresh herbs and it will taste delicious.
Elder
Another of my favourite combos is to drink a tea of both elderberry and elderflower together. Elderberries are traditionally eaten in the autumn, often as a syrup, to ward off colds and flu, and the flowers are very helpful to induce sweating to help bring down a high temperature. Elderberries need to be picked when completely ripe and cooked for 45 minutes to ensure they are safe to eat, or you can buy dried berries from a good quality herbal supplier. I usually have a stock of dried berries in my dispensary so I can make tea.
To make tea with dried elderberries and elderflowers, brew a couple of tablespoons of dried elderberries for 30 minutes on the stove with water and then remove from the heat. Add a couple of teaspoons of elderflowers and then cover and leave to infuse for another 10 minutes. Strain and drink (add honey if the taste is too tart!).
Echinacea
If you feel you really need to supercharge your immune system you can take echinacea tincture. Whenever I feel I have picked something up and I am doing some or all of the above but still feel a bit ropey, a few doses of echinacea every day for three or four days in a row will usually prevent me from getting really sick. I always have some in the cupboard at home ready for when I really need it, and I always have two or three different varieties and strengths in my clinic dispensary so I can whip up a super strength echinacea tincture if one of my clients is feeling a bit peaky.
Garlic
How about swallowing a whole crushed garlic clove! Maybe not for the fainthearted, but it can really do the trick. I will do this at least once a day if I have been in close proximity to a bug!
I make bespoke medicines for people when they contact me with specific symptoms, for example someone might have a cold with blocked ears, or painful sinusitis. There might be a persistent cough that is affecting sleep. I tailor each remedy to help tackle whatever is happening for each person at the time, and to aid a swift recovery back to full health.
