Garlic Ginger Cough Syrup

Do ya'll remember me mentioning that I was sick earlier this week? Well, it wasn't just any old cold... it was the whooping cough.

Even though I had been vaccinated as a child against this old-timey disease, it took a swing at me anyway. There's been a recent revival of this epidemic in the U.S. and it's grown to withstand our vaccines. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the symptoms of whooping cough, they include:  a dry and harsh cough, "coughing spells" that can last up to five minutes, and even turning red/blue from the violent, prolonged coughs. Although this infection is more likely to develop in children, adults can get it too. In fact, as the symptoms get worse, your body begins to suffer from exhaustion and you are more likely to force a hernia or even crack a rib.

Honestly, I've  had quite the number of painful and troubling infections in my life, and this ranked number 2! Although whooping cough can easily be remedied with antibiotics, I really didn't want to visit the doctor. I don't particularly like antibiotics--they are over-prescribed and are actually the reason why so many diseases are mutating and making a comeback. In addition, they completely dishevel the balance of your digestive system. Anyway, I decided to treat myself with herbs and natural remedies. If things got too serious after a few days, then I would make a visit to the doctor. 

Firstly, let me tell you just how much I enjoy creating my own remedies. As a wildcrafter, you are your own healer. Preparing the herbs and spices is a ritual in its own right. It's the process and the tender love and care which you prepare your ingredients that makes them so powerful and healing, instilled with your good intent and personal magick. Likewise, if you trust in the gifts of nature, you will certainly have a better chance for a speedy recovery. 

Among the MANY natural remedies against whooping cough, I found two which easily accommodated my spice cabinet. The first was incredibly simple, and something which I actually do quite regularly to fight off other illnesses. Since whooping cough is a bacterial infection, a natural and potent antibiotic that can begin fighting off this illness is none other than garlic! While eating a couple cloves a day was a bit unsettling for my stomach at first, I soon realized how my overall energy improved within a few short hours. On top of that, I found another fast and simple way to ease my coughing: cough syrups from the general drug store seemed to have absolutely no effect on my cough,  so I took it upon myself to make a homemade, natural cough syrup. Here's a brew that I created using several recipes:

Natural Cough Syrup
ingredients:
1 cup of water
1-2 minced cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
1/8 tsp of turmeric
1/8 cup honey

method:
Bring the water to a soft bubble over medium/high heat. Throw in the garlic, ginger,and turmeric and lower to a simmerfor five minutes. Finally, turn off the heat and add honey. Take as often as needed.

The syrup is simply magic. It tastes absolutely heavenly and it completely settled my nagging cough. This syrup doesn't just treat whooping cough, it's soothing enough to apply to any throat problem. The garlic, honey, and turmeric all clear bacterial infection, while the ginger helps with inflammation and irritation.

I do encourage you to keep healthy and seek natural remedies before sick season fully sets in. It's never too early to prepare. And if you care to learn more about whooping cough and natural remedies, I highly suggest you start here. 

Love & Light