With winter comes the cold[s]

While winter means soups, stews, curries, rain, wind (snow in some places), cozy fires and knitting it also means that we are more likely to catch the colds that hover around and pick on us when our defenses are down. 3 of my children and I are recovering from the first cold of the season.

I used to get so upset when we would get sick. No mother likes to see her children sick, but I felt that we were doing all the right things: juicing, raw food, supplementing etc so why were we getting sick? I then noticed that even though we were being affected by the viruses, we were actually getting better quite quickly. So now I realise that even though we will never be in perfect health, we will have bodies equipped to handle the attack much better.

I like to stick with home remedies, natural medicines and old wives suggestions for sickness and will only visit a doctor when and if things move to the point on infection which they very rarely do. I thought I would share with you what is in my homemakers tool kit.

When we first feel the tickle in our throats or itchy ears or a runny nose starting we start dosing ourselves with 100mg Vit C twice a day. We alternate 20 drops of Echinacea and 20 drops Olive Leaf Tincture in a mouthful of water every hour. I brew large quantities of ginger, lemon and honey "tea" which we sip throughout the day.

This generally halts the cold in it's tracks but my one child who has an impaired immune system due to a series of 5 operations and health struggles as a toddler always seems to move onto the next phase where his sinusses and tonsils flare up.

We continue with the remedy above but we use a sinus wash to keep them clear from collecting mucus which is a breeding ground for infection. For tight chests we use Friar's Balsam in a basin of boiling water which you sit over with a towel tent. You can also use Eucalyptus for this, but we find that its too strong.

Never underestimate what rest can do for your body when you are sick. I always encourage my children to stay in bed, even if they do their school work in their bed. A nap when you are feeling ill is one of the best ways to give your body a breather so that it can carry on fighting the good fight.

Food is another area where you can get good nourishment for an ailing body. Juicing carrot, oranges, beetroot and nasturtium leave is a great booster.

Jewish Penicillin a.k.a. chicken broth is another staple for sick ones in bed. This week we made soups with our broth a couple of times. This one below is from Jane's Deliciou Kitchen and has the added benefit of Chillies and fresh Asian Greens.

And for comfort...because motherly love is important when you are sick...warm Chai made simply by boiling a litre of water on the stove for 10 minutes which has 3 Star Anise, 5 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 2 sticks of cinnamon, a 2cm slice of ginger and 1 bay leaf. Add 3 Rooibos teabags to the last 2 minutes. Serve with honey or if you are not ill some Rapadura Sugar and warm milk.