If you're interested in homemade, natural remedies that are also inexpensive and easy to make, I think you'll love this recipe for elderberry syrup.
Elderberries are high in vitamin C, antioxidants, potassium, beta carotene, calcium, and phosphorus. Elderberries have long been used for boosting the immune system.
When a friend told me elderberry syrup helped her children with respiratory support but that she found she could make her own rather than paying $15-$20 per bottle, I decided to experiment. I found two recipes, one from Wellness Mama and one from Rose Mountain Herbs. Being obsessed with essential oils and having many on hand, I decided to alter the recipes and come up with my own using oils rather than fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Ever since I learned that essential oils are 30-70 times more potent than herbs, I have found myself reaching for the essential oils alone or boosting my herbal tinctures and teas with the pure, therapeutic power of oils.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to have on hand:
2/3 cup dried elderberries (I ordered mine from Frontier Wholesale co-op, but I know some local health food stores carry them in the bulk section, or you could order them from the Rose Mountain Herbs link above.)
3.5 cups water
1 cup raw honey (local, if possible; from your favorite bee keeper or the farmers' market)
Essential oils (The first time I made this, I just used On Guard, cinnamon, and clove bud. Even just On Guard would be great. I have a larger collection now and like to use lemon, wild orange, peppermint, cinnamon, clove bud, On Guard, rosemary, frankincense, and ginger. A friend who makes it for her children told me she just uses wild orange and lemon oil for daily consumption and will add the other oils during times when the immune system needs an extra boost. If you don't already have essential oils that are pure enough to be approved for internal use, you can contact me via my Facebook page or visit my Web site.)
Directions
Pour water into a sauce pan, add elderberries, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from heat and let cool for about 15-30 minutes. Pour through a strainer into a glass bowl or jar. (I like to use a large glass measuring cup.)
Let the liquid cool to at least lukewarm. (I put mine in the refrigerator for about an hour before proceeding because I don't want to heat up the honey or essential oils and destroy any of their beneficial properties.) Add honey. I find that my liquid has reduced to about 2.5 cups after simmering, so I add enough honey to take my volume back up to 3.5 cups.
Now that the liquid has cooled and the honey has been added, drop in your essential oils. I know most people want an exact number of drops, but I would say anywhere from 5 to 20 would be a good range. The oils are very potent, so a little goes a long way, but since I mainly use this syrup during times when our immune systems need support, I want to get as much of the therapeutic properties as possible without making it so strong that my children won't drink it.
This time I used 1 drop each of peppermint, cinnamon, and clove bud; 2 drops each of frankincense, On Guard, ginger, and rosemary; and 3 drops each of lemon and wild orange.
Finally, pour the syrup into a glass jar. I use a couple of leftover, washed vinegar bottles.
The recipes I referenced recommended 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp for kids and 1/2 Tbsp to 1 Tbsp for adults daily to boost the immune system.
When I got up this morning, I noticed my 5-year-old had slight respiratory discomfort, and I didn't have any elderberry syrup made up. I started making some right away, but I didn't want to wait two hours to start supporting his body. Here's what I did:
1. I rubbed eucalyptus oil and Deep Blue rub into his feet and covered them with socks. I know a lot of people swear by Vicks for this, but that is mainly because of the camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus. Deep Blue has camphor, and I figure the real, pure essential oil from these plants has to more effective than the synthetic form in a delivery base of petroleum.
2. I applied several other oils. I put frankincense and lemongrass on this throat, melaleuca around his ears and neck, eucalyptus and Breathe on his chest, and DigestZen on his stomach (especially in the belly button). Thyme, myrrh, white fir, DDR Prime, or cedarwood would also be great choices. Since this cough seems to be related to seasonal threats, I put some lavender on the tip of his nose and around his sinuses. If I thought he needed it, I could also apply diluted oregano down his spine and on his feet. You'll notice that I keep a lot of the oils I use frequently on my kids in roller bottles for easy application. They are also already diluted to the rate I have seen my kids may need for their sometimes-sensitive skin.
3. I mixed up a few tablespoons of raw honey with some oils I thought could give him relief and support his immune system until the elderberry syrup was finished, which was going to be 3-4 hours since I was headed to church and he was staying home with Dad. I mixed in 1 drop each of peppermint, frankincense, and On Guard and 2 drops each of wild orange and lemon, and we gave him a teaspoon about every hour.
4. I plan to give him an Aromatouch treatment right before bed tonight. I got certified in this highly effective essential oil treatment five months ago and love giving it to my family members.
5. I am diffusing oils in our main living area, and I will use oils such as eucalyptus, Breathe, lime, melaleuca, and peppermint in the diffuser that I run every night in my boys' bedroom. Diffusing oils is an effective way to open airways and affect the respiratory system (as well as affect mood).
For adults , I also highly recommend the On Guard + supplement.
I would love to hear about your favorite natural remedies, too!