Coming Cold Season

(Note: I am not a doctor and not prescribing anything to anyone. I am sharing what I did. What you do is up to you.)

I got a cold last week and wanted to share some of the remedies I used to deal with it. To be honest it really wasn't that bad and I didn't suffer much. Don't know if this was due to it being a weak version or my immunity being stronger. My son had gotten sick the week before.
So I noticed my throat was getting drier and drier. Usually I get a full on sore throat that feels very painful. But it just felt dry. So I waited longer than usual to address it. I kept thinking "it doesn't hurt so I must just have a dry throat." Actually I kept saying this for several days until I finally admitted yes I was sick. But it was so non-painful that I am still a little incredulous. Anyway I did steam inhalation once a day, drank about 6 cups of herbal tea, took lots of vitamin C and Vit. D3 and did dry brushing with tea tree oil before showering.
Steam Inhalation:
Thyme
Oregano
White Horehound
Peppermint
Mullein
Calendula flowers
Rosemary
Plantain
These are all herbs I have growing around my house. I just picked a handful and put them in a big bowl. Then filled the bowl with near boiling water and put a towel over my head and inhaled for about 10 minutes. You have to gauge how much heat you can stand by opening and closing the towel. And the first two herbs are the strongest of the bunch. Thyme and Oregano are strong anti-microbial herbs that have a strong affinity for the lungs. If you get a very bad lung infection you could use ONE DROP of Oregano Essential oil or Thyme but it is VERY strong even harsh stuff and can BURN so use caution. I would only use E.O. only if I were very boggy and suffering. Calendula is good for its antiseptic quality and a lymph mover. Mullein is a lung tonic, rosemary and peppermint get things moving. White Horehound for coughs. I was starting to cough in the morning and had green/yellow mucus. So that kind of sealed the deal as to whether I was really sick or not. But even though I felt somewhat feverish at times (mildly) I never actually had a fever according to our thermometer. I felt hot then cold. But my temp read 96.9 which is low.
I also drank a lot of tea. My favorite recipe was:
1 TBS Rooibos
1/2 TBS Cinnamon bark
pinch of dried rosemary
Two sprigs thyme
One sprig oregano
Four torn up leaves of malva or hollyhock
some rose petals.
I let this sit for 10 minutes. I researched that Rooibos is actually good for respiratory health as well as tasting great and caffeine free. I sweetened it with local honey. We got blackberry flower this time around and WOW! At night I took Valerian LEAF tincture and Skullcap tinct. to help me sleep. I find Valerian root problematic - sometimes it makes me twitchy.
I have heard a few people commenting on a bad respiratory season starting already. So be prepared and make sure you have some good herbs on hand. I ordered my rooibos tea and cinnamon bark organic from mountain rose herbs. Everything else we should all be growing either in pots on balconies or doorsteps or in small plots. Our health is our responsibility and growing these herbs is super easy. I can't count the times I have used them for myself or my loved ones. And some of them are even considered weeds by people.
The orange flower is the Lion's Tail again. It flowered again, this time at the same time as the Pineapple Sage, so I tried to capture its strange beauty. The hummingbirds love them both of course but even the bees somehow try to get at the nectar from this long tubular flower.