DIY Cold + Flu Care
I don't know about you, but we have had a rather uncharacteristically harsh winter this year in North Carolina. We can typically get down into the occasional 30-40 degree temps with a bit of wind and such, but this year... we have had two major storms (NOTE: "major" for us and major for my friends and family in Maine and New York are two very different things) that left us snowed in for nearly a week each time. We all got cabin fever, spread sick germs brought home from the brief time spent at school, and lost most of our sense of logic and self-control. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that bad, but it was bad enough. I think I can safely say that we are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Spring.
Even with all that, we managed to get through this Winter season fairly unscathed. We had one 48-hr round of stomach bug, a few sniffles and my husband actually fought off the flu and croup-- in 5 days. For those of you who are familiar with stomach bugs (norovirus), the flu, chest colds, croup, etc...you know that shaking them in only a few days is pretty legendary. Since I am 7.5 months pregnant, I can't take any chances! And so far, my protocols have worked. I have been the only one (by the grace of God, and the knowledge He has equipped me with!) that hasn't been ill beyond a stuffy nose. If I were to tell you that we used things that were safer, healthier and more effective that standard OTC meds, would you want to know what we did?
Good! I love sharing little things with you that will enrich your life and help you make better, more informed choices.
For the past 2+ years now, I have been switching over from dried herbal and tincture remedies, to essential oils. The main reason is that they are more potent, last longer and are thus more cost efficient. I was introduced to doTerra essential oils after my first miscarriage last year. I was grateful, as my herbal remedies didn't seem to be having their usual effect, and I was exhausted. I had been researching oils for formulation purposes of my product line säf organics, and was thrilled to learn of their medicinal qualities as well. My results were astounding in a short period of time, and I was able to use some of the same oils around our house for cleaning purposes, headaches and more!
I did decide to make my usual homemade elderberry syrup, but this time I used essential oils (4-6 drops each of Lemon and OnGuard) instead of dried herbs to elevate the medicinal quality of the mixture.
So what did we do? We took 1-2 drops of Wild Orange and OnGuard essential oils internally every other day for cold/flu prevention. We took our supplements, and the kids took their chewables and liquid omegas.
When my husband had the flu and croup simultaneously, here is what we did:
We layered Oregano, OnGuard, Lemon, Thyme, Frankincense and Melaleuca on the bottoms of his feet 4-6x daily, we also put 3 drops of each into an empty veggie capsule and he took that internally 3x daily. During the day, we diffused Lemon and OnGuard--and at night, we diffused Breathe, Frankincense and Lime (which we also applied to his chest at bedtime). As I mentioned above, by sticking to this protocol diligently...he was up and functioning normally by dinner on the 5th day!
Since then, we have had no other issues, and have been able to share this info with friends and family, and have been able to help many. I love that! I hope you have found this helpful and feel free to reach out with comments and questions! Enjoy!
Be Healthy. Live Beautifully.
