Body aches from head to toe. Can't get enough sleep. Runny nose and raspy cough.
I hate being sick!
On days like this I'm so thankful for my momma! I use her tips and tricks to nurse my colds (it doesn't hurt that she is coincidentally also a nurse), which means that honey, epsom salt, an herbal heat compress, and Theraflu are essentials for making me feel better. Being a teenager of the 90's, staying home sick from school meant that I'd be watching tv and sipping on Theraflu. Now I have a toddler to tend to which means I don't get to sleep as much or pamper my cold as much as I'd like! So I grab a moment whenever I can. For instance, while my daughter was at preschool, I pulled the humidifier into the bathroom and ran a hot bath with my homemade bath salts.
Cold Remedy Bath Salt - in a plastic or glassbowl mix 1/4 cup Epsom salt, 2 tbsp pink sea salt and essiental oil mixture (I premix 1 tbsp sweet almond oil and 3 drops of peppermint essental oil). I usually make up a bunch at once, package them in little glass bottles and give them as gifts.
To Theraflu Or Not To Theraflu? I looked at the ingredient list on a packet of Theraflu and here's what I found: 1) Acetaphetamine - the painkiller you find in Tylenol, 2) Dextromethorphan - a cough suppressant, 3) Chlopheniramine - antihistamine used to treat runny nose and sneezing, 4) Dyphenhydramine - treats runny nose, cough and sneezing but also causes drowsiness, 5) Pheniramine - antihistamine used to treat cold symptoms, 6) Guaifenesin - cough expectorant, and 7) Phenylephran - a decongestant. If you feel uncomfortable taking any of these substances, a more natural alternative is ginger tea with lemon juice and honey. But if you want something stronger, you really can't go wrong with the moonshiner's method: whiskey, lemon juice and honey. The Kitchn blog has a good post and recipe, check it out.
An Herbal Heat Pack Can Cure Anything I get a migraine about every other week, especially between seasons when the weather jumps around. I swear I wouldn't be able to survive migraines, colds or a nasty case of the flu without the herbal hot/cold pack my mom made for me! She made it with rice and dried lavendar and chamomile buds. I heat it in the microwave for a minute and forty seconds ... Perfection! So comforting on an achy head, for sinus pressure and for cold chills. Frugal Granola has a really good DIY tutorial, definitely check it out!
PS. While researching for this post, I found a flu map on Theraflu's website, which is great for tracking flu epidemics in your area!
