Botanica WestHolistic Healing & Therapy from a Master Herbalist

Every year during the cold and flu season some clients come in with the same symptoms from the year before. Such as dry cough, ongoing morning cough, stuffy nose, Heaviness in the chest a light wheezing but not enough to justify going to the doctor for. We blame it on the cold and flu season. And many say,” I’m not worried about it, I get it every year.” When I hear this I repeat this sentence every year to these clients who walk in Botanica west. Especially when they tell me they keep getting the same cold and flu symptoms seasonally. I ask them…..Did you replace your air intake filter from your forced air heater this year and did you spray the new filter with disinfectant. And did you vacuum out your wall heaters thoroughly and spray it with a disinfectant spray or an organic essential oil disinfectant spray. Most likely not. We almost always forget to do that simple thing when we need to use the heaters! I just talked to some one that hasn’t replaced the filters to there forced air heater in the eight and a half years that they lived there. And they wonder why they get the same cold and flu symptoms every year.
All of the bacteria and germs could be laying dormant in your heating system from the year before! Another thing is when your heating goes on, the moister leaves the air and the air you are breathing is dry and your body and its immune system has to adjust to this change. So why not make the adjustment easier and gradual. You can turn on a store bought humidifier or simmer a pot of water on the stove to replace this added moister in the air. There are excellent kitchen edible herbs you can boil into this pot of water that have anti bacterial and antifungal properties. Such as bay leaf, rosemary. Sage, and thyme which known in folk healing to be good for winter allergies.
Now lets say you didn’t change the filter and now you have these symptoms of a dry cough that won’t expel and as long as there is no fever is involved. How do I relieve these symptoms? Well an old home remedy that my great grandmother and many Latin Americans use to clear the lungs is a strong tea made with cilantro. I like to use a can of chicken broth and add a can of water with a whole bundle of cilantro chopped and crushed and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes and cool and drink three cups a day for three to five days. It expels phlegm. On top of this you can make a mustard plaster. Two tablespoons of dry mustard and four tablespoons of flour , mix with enough hot water to make a thin paste and spread it between two sheet of paper toweling. Then place it on the chest or the back. It helps a frozen shoulder too. French onion soup is great for a chest cold, minus the cheesy crouton though. I know, I know that’s the best part!
Now here’s one for the books! and I had this one done to me when I was little by my great Grandmother. You take 2-3 tomatoes slice then and place them in a pan with two tablespoons of salt and 10 crushed cloves of garlic you cook this till the juices come out add a couple of tablespoons of flour to make this spreadable. Now mind you don’t eat this swill you spread it on the bottom of your feet, cover with a plastic bag and leave it on all night! Yes its squishy! But I broke out in a fever that night and the next morning the tomato garlic paste tuned almost black. And I got better. Where do these people dig up this stuff?
Here are a few other remedies from the kitchen………… For instance….Spices

Useful for asthma, bronchitis, circulation, colitis, coughs, gas, high blood pressure, intestinal infections, lungs, parasitic diarrhea, warts, worms, anti-fungal, arthritis, blood purifier, cancer,cold, fever, flu, infections, detox liver, mucus, prostate, toothache, tumors, whooping cough, and yeast infections. You can take three cloves a day at the onset of a cold coming on. OK you may reek a bit but tell people your part Italian! All kidding aside, There are countless medicinal uses for garlic.
Ginger
Good for bronchitis, colds, muscle and menstrual cramps, energy, sore throat, circulation, cough, digestion, flu. For children and adults with bronchial coughs: mix Ginger Root powder with a non-petroleum jelly and rub on their chest to help loosen coughs and expel mucous. Works great! I like to drink ginger tea and take a hot salt bath to induce a good sweat to knock out a virus. Its also a good excuse to take a long bath where no one bothers you.
Coriander Seed
Coriander Seeds are added to hot stimulating foods to impart a balanced coolness. Steeped in tea, it is useful to relieve fevers (a small amount of black pepper may be added to stimulate its action). Use 2 teaspoons of crushed seeds in a cup of boiled water and steep for 20-minutes.
Cinnamon
Very helpful for digestive problems especially when accompanied by gas and cramping, diarrhea, vomiting. Also used to treat colds, flu, arthritis and rheumatism. Medicinally it is used to warm the organs to treat chronic diarrhea, cramps, heart and abdominal pain. Not for the pregnant though it may induce labor.
Traditional uses for cinnomon: backaches, bronchitis, colds, congestion, diarrhea, dysentery, edema, flu, gas, headaches, hiccup, indigestion, liver problems, menorrhagia, menstrual pain, melancholy, muscle tension, nausea, pain of the waist and knees, palpitations, toothache, vomiting. You Name it!
Cloves
Internally good for pain relief, nausea, vomiting, digestive problems, antifungal, antibacterial, hiccups. Cloves will kill intestinal parasites and act as an antimicrobial agent against fungi and bacteria. Eating cloves is said to be an aphrodisiac. Ooooo think of that. Baby it’s cold out side!
To make an infusion, use 1 teaspoon of powdered herb per cup of boiling water, steep 10-20 minutes and drink up to 3 cups a day. And serve it to your honey.
I hope these tips help and get you through the cold and flue season. And if doesn’t , come see us and we’ll take good care of you.

Many Blessings! The kitchen doctors at Botanica West