Oh, the turning of Autumn. It really is my favorite time of year. The crisp winds cool down the Indian summer heat and signals to the trees that it’s time for a change. Cozy sweaters and scarves come out of hibernation as we harvest the last bits of summer into mason jars.
But as the season turns, so do our bodies. If you are like me and a lot of other people in my life right now, those seasonal sniffles and coughs are starting to creep in. And just like the squirrels are gathering and preparing for the winter, so must we. Now is the time of nurturing our bodies to hold strong for the winter to come. No matter what your climate is.
Let me offer you some of my favorite go-to’s when I feel a cold coming on. When I hold true to these remedies at the very beginning of my sniffles and coughs, I rarely get a full-on cold.
Stock Up on Herbal Remedies
Whenever I feel the sniffles coming on or I wake up with a tickle in my throat, I know that it's time to nip whatever that is in the bud.
Natural remedies are always the most effective when used preventatively or before a condition becomes too intense. So it's important to have these remedies on-hand so you can use them right away.
I recommend stocking up on elderberry teas and syrups and 'cold and flu' tea blends you find at your local health food store. I like yogi brand cold care tea, but there are many brands that are nice. I get the cold combo packs with different blends for sore throat, coughs, and immune system support.
You can also amp up the healing herbs that you use in your cooking like ginger, turmeric, and garlic.
But tea is one of the easiest, yummiest, and most effective way to get herbs into your system. In fact, drinking warm beverages is very healing.
Some traditions recommend drinking warm water with lemon daily. So instead of or along with your morning beverage of choice, add some tea to your regime.
Soup It Up
Not only is soup in general very comforting this time of year, but soup is a great way to get these nourishing herbs and spices into your system. I’ve been playing around with homemade vegetable soups when I’m sick for years, and I think I’ve found the best blend that works for me.
I’ll give you a quick rundown. Sorry in advance for the lack of structure to this recipe, but I’m a free spirit when it comes to cooking!
Randi’s Super Healing Super Soup Ingredients: 2-3 Carrots 2-3 Celery Stalks Bok Choy or other greens 1 Onion 2-3 tsp of diced garlic 4-6 cups of Vegetable Broth Turmeric Clove Ginger Powder Salt and Pepper Red Pepper Flakes Nutritional Yeast Noodle or grain of choice
Instructions:
-In a large pot, sauté diced carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and stalks of bok choy with olive oil. After about 5 min, when veggies get a bit soft, add in vegetable broth. The amount depends on how brothy you want the soup to be.
-Add in pinches of the spices. Start with a little and add to taste. Add turmeric, clove, ginger powder, and salt and pepper. Only add a tiny amount of red pepper flakes if you want a little kick.
-Then add in 1/4 cup-ish, maybe a little less, of nutritional yeast.
-Bring to a boil and then turn to low for 10-15 min.
-Add in the leaves of the bok choy or other leafy greens and your cooked noodle or grain of choice. This week I did udon noodles. In the past, I’ve done spiral noodles or rice. Cook for another 5 min.
Serve and enjoy!
Rest
Remedies aside, your body most of all needs rest. It is working hard to fight off those bugs, and if we keep moving at a rapid pace, we won’t have the full army needed for battle. Reschedule meetings. Work from home. Say no to social events. Ask friends and family to help with other tasks. The more rest you get in the beginning, the quicker you will be able to get back to business.
Read some books. Take a bath. Watch a documentary. Take naps. Get to bed early. Sleep in a little later if you can. It really will do you a world of good.
What are your favorite home remedies for colds? I’d love to hear them!