Naturally Momma!

"A merry heart does good like a medicine..."

~Proverbs 17:22~

For those of you who do not want to catch my cold, I recommend you wash your hands and consume plenty of Vitamin C after reading this post. Colds are so contagious! Yup, we here at the Joel Cropsey Household have been pretty ill as of late. The good news is that for us, it is also short-lived. I haven't really had a whole lot motivating me to write lately, but then I thought why not share a whole bunch of advice (that lots of people have probably heard) on getting through a cold? I'll try and sniffle my way through an entire post.

Our buddy is getting big!

When you're pregnant and therefore cannot do much over-the-counter medicine for that nasty cold or flu, you quickly learn other ways of coping. Or, as in my case, you are taught by your awesome midwife what to get and do. Joel and I have since been maintaining (and even growing!) our own remedy cupboard, and have been reaping the benefits of fighting sickness without the help of most modern medicine. Here are the top-10 items on my new go-to list when we feel a cold coming on:

1). Elderberry Syrup is your best friend. I have taken about 1 teaspoon every hour, and it has helped a lot. Talk about decongestant?! Trust me, it helps. Do your own research on it, but in a nutshell, it is widely known for it's flu-fighting abilities.

2). Raw Honey is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic. I have actually directly applied it to a cut on my finger (after rinsing said finger in cold water), and it helps. It's soooo soothing taken in warm lemon water (which is good to add Ginger to, as Ginger also contains lots of cold/flu-fighting properties!), in plain yogurt with fruit & flax meal, etc. It helps!

3). Eating a Vitamin C-rich food every couple hours is helpful. Works better than supplements. Though I wouldn't count Orange Juice as a Vitamin C-rich food, unless you squeeze it yourself (which works well and trust me, the taste is incredible!).

4). Chicken soup. Someday, when I have a deep freezer, I want to freeze a bunch of this to have on-hand, because it's easier to not wait until you're sick to make it. But yes, nothing beats soup made with a whole chicken and lots of veggies. Very healing and yummy. I especially like to add kale to mine! (And if you're on the Crunchy-side, as we are, you'll agree that the grass-fed, cage-free, hormone/antibiotic free is better for you!)

5). Add three cloves of raw garlic to hummus, salsa, or guacamole and munch on it all day long. I know some of you might be worried about the relationships in your lives. Your friends and siblings might vow not to come within ten feet of you, but I want you to know right now that our marriage is still beautifully intact. It will take some getting used to, but if they love you, they will accept you, garlic breath and all, right? Moving on...

6). I learned to get with the Probiotic Program. Really up your amount of probiotics here, particularly from food sources. A favorite of ours is Kevita, a water-kiefer drink that comes in a variety of flavors. It's carbonated, and with little sugar, so it gives the sandpaper throat something more comforting than water but without the yucky chemicals and high sugar content found in soda. Meijer has been selling it recently, in with the smoothie-drinks near the produce section.

7). Though I haven't tried this one myself, you can make Ginger Lemon Honey Syrup by warming equal parts of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, freshly grated ginger, and as much raw honey as it takes to not be too spicy and take one teaspoon every hour.

8). Nettle Tea is helpful, but you'll want to sweeten it! Other herbal teas work wonders, too. I personally like the Traditional Medicinals brand, which can be found at Kroger or any health food store. If you're drinking enough tea to float the navy, you're probably doing okay.

9). Peppermint, peppermint, peppermint. 'Nuff said. If you want to do yourself a huge favor, go buy a bottle of high quality, therapeutic-grade Peppermint Essential Oil. If you're nursing, pregnant, or have little kids though, you'll have to do your research before using, because it could potentially cause problems. Essential Oils aren't anything to mess around with, especially when little children are around! The tea is great also.

10). Long, hot showers are the best. Just do it. And if you feel stuffed-up later, do it again (No judgments here!).

So there you go. These are the top-ten things that have helped Joel and I keep our sanity, what little is left as new parents, through sickness while having to care for a 4-month-old. Of course there are things that could easily be added to this list, but you already know about the importance of rest. Relaxing music is one I didn't add, but it's nice too, and of course quitting refined sugar and most dairy. As always, look these things up for yourself, particularly the essential oils thing, and also just FYI some Elderberry Syrups have honey as an ingredient. I don't claim to be any doctor, blah, blah blah *cough* something about not being FDA approved.... and this is all for adults not necessarily for little kids *cough cough*... all that jazz. Oh, and before I forget, laughter comes highly recommended. Did you know that it boosts immunity? It triggers the release of endorphins. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy a good laugh with whatever else you do! ;)

Here's hoping you don't need this advice anytime soon,
Joel, Heather, and Ransom

P.S. Here's a laugh to help you feel better. Enjoy! ;)