Top 6 Natural Remedies

You may have been thinking “Hey, it’s been over a week with no posts! Where’s Jody?” Well folks, I’ve been a little under the weather. Ok, a LOT under the weather! I’ve been coughing, sneezing, aching, spinning, and feeling downright miserable for the last 4 days. It’s not all bad though, I’ve reached out to you, the Internet, for some tips and tricks to make myself feel better. Now I’m going to share with you the top 6 ways to survive this cold that’s going around.

6. Hot Lemon Drink

…and I don’t mean Neo Citron! Many friends have recommended this age-old recipe: hot water, a few drops of lemon juice (real lemons are best), and honey. Lemon is rich in Vitamin-C, which increases body resistance and decreases toxicity. The warmth of the drink is also very soothing on your sore throat, and congested chest.

Thanks to: @jmorgandavis on twitter, and Chantelle Nicholls from Squamish.

5. Homemade Vaporub

Those soothing vapors are so nice when you’re sick. It’s even nicer knowing exactly what you’re rubbing on your skin during those trying times. I found this recipe for Homemade VapoRub on “Mom’s Blog”.

Melt a small jar of petromleum jelly (Vaseline) without overheating it. When it turns to liquid, add 2 drops each of Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Pine essential oils. Stir them in, and mix well. Pour the mixture back in to a clean jar, re-label and seal as soon as it reaches room temperature.

Apply to your chest, back, and the bottom of your feet, then wrap yourself up tight in your favorite blanket and breathe deeply.

Thanks to “Mom’s Blog”.

4. Soup

There’s nothing like a good bowl of soup to make you feel better. The more veggies, the better! Lucky for me, Justin’s mom makes great chicken & beef soups. If possible, make soup from scratch using chicken or beef bones to make your stock, and fresh veggies.

Thanks to Mary for making me soup, and @Qrystal from twitter for suggesting it

3. Rest, and Lots of it

If you know me, you know that I don’t take Advil, NyQuil, Neo Citron, Benidryl, Buckleys, or any other form of medication unless it’s absolutly necessary. I firmly believe that the symptoms we experience are telling us something. Feeling tired and run-down? Rest! Don’t take drugs filled with caffine - they won’t make you better. Most of the over the counter drugs on the market deal only with your symptoms, not with the sickness itself. They will often prolong your body’s recovery by pushing your symptoms aside while you run around.

I’ve spent the weekend with my favorite blanket, a great book, a heap of old movies, two warm cats, and one warm dog. Although my clients are very important to me, I’ve put all projects on hold until I’m better. Even though my job isn’t physical, it takes a lot of concentration, and hours staring at a computer screen. I know that the quality of my work won’t suffer if I take the time to rest, and get better.

2. Light Exercise

I know, I just told you to relax and rest. But if you don’t get up and move around every now and then, you’ll just feel sicker. I’m not telling you to go out jogging, or over exert yourself in any way, just move around enough to keep from feeling stagnant.

There are a few little things that I’ve been doing to keep active during the healing process. I’ll bundle myself up to take Pal outside, and instead of running around and wrestling in the snow, I just throw his rope toy for him. The fresh air does wonders, and I don’t tire myself out. I’ve also taken to doing a few light Yoga moves in front of the woodstove.

1. Singer’s Throat Tea

Call me biased if you like, but my mom makes the best tea in the world! Singer’s Throat Tea was originally developed for a friend of my brother’s, who had been singing all day long and had a sore throat. My mom blended up a pot of tea, and an all natural miracle was born.

Not only is it delicious, but it makes me feel almost normal for at least a couple of hours after drinking a a nice hot cup of Singer’s Throat Tea. Even my sinuses are clear! Among the ingredients are: Spearmint, Ginger Root, Wild Cherry Bark, and Rooibos. I won’t let all of the ingredients slip, to find out more you’ll just have to order some for yourself!

Ahhhh, Much Better Now

Now that I’m feeling mostly back to normal, I can get caught up on my laundry (washing all those wool socks that smell like eucalyptus), and more importantly, design work! My clients need to see their designs! I hope you try some of these remedies, and I hope they work well for you.

As always, everyone is invited to leave a comment! Let me know what YOUR favorite remedies are, and whether or not some of these have been effective for you!