Olive Leaf is a naturally superb addition to add to your herb shelf

The transition from fall to winter is a beautiful one with vibrant changes of color in trees, crisp air, and earlier nightfall. It’s during this scenic time that many Americans could face health challenges while they are enjoying the change in seasons. It is anticipated that about 1 billion people will suffer from a cold this year, so if you find yourself as one in those billion, we’ve got cold and cough remedies that can get you back on track!

While it’s natural to want to curl up with a hot cup of tea or soup as the temperatures drop outside, doing so if you’re suffering from a cold can benefit your health and ease the symptoms of illness. Ensuring your throat is properly coated with liquids can ease an itchy throat or dry cough while also hydrating your body to keep your immune system working properly. Try drinking herbal teas such as Hanna’s CGH with organic honey and try to follow Hanna’s recommendation of making chicken soup from scratch when a cold sets in to bring necessary hydration using organic vegetables that will release important vitamins and minerals. Read this helpful blog about Remedies for Cold and Flu.

Remedy a hacking cough and discomfort of a sore throat with Hanna’s Cough Tea

If you’re having trouble sleeping at night because of a cough, try sleeping at an incline. When we lay down at night, gravity works against us and forces mucus swallowed during the day back up into the throat causing irritation and coughing. Prop yourself up with pillows and be sure to keep a glass of water beside your bed to lubricate your throat as needed.

Made from wood and glass, no heat or water is used to vaporize oils with an aromatherapy diffuser.

Having a humidifier in the room when you are suffering from a cold or dry cough can help tremendously. Because dry air tends to intensify the symptoms of a cough or cold, having moisture in the air will cut back on fits of coughing and help you to breathe more easily. Don’t have a humidifier? Try to purchase one that will allow you to add drops of essential oils to the water for added relief.  A recommended product is Thieves from Young Living which is a powerful oil that defends against airborne bacteria and can keep everyone in the household guarded. Add Thieves to your humidifier, or to an essential oil diffuser. Also a neat trick is to add 30 drops to a spray bottle filled with water and spritz around your home.

For some immediate relief of a stuffy nose and to break up mucus in your lungs, try adding several drops of organic eucalyptus oil to a bowl of very hot water and breathe in the steam (be careful to avoid burning the delicate skin of your nose). You can also use a warm compress with drops of the oil on it and apply it to your face to get the same effect.

Additionally if a sore throat is one of your top complaints from your cough or cold, try gargling with warm salt water several times a day or try Hanna’s sore throat remedy, lovingly called “Napalm Bomb” by our staff and includes:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• dashes of red pepper flakes

Take the garlic and crush it with a fork dropping it in a tea cup, then add the lemon and hot pepper. Next, add the honey and hot water to the mix, stir and sip it while it’s still hot.

A runny nose is a common complaint associated with a cough or cold and wiping your nose continually can lead to raw or chapped skin. To have some relief from this try applying a mild oil to the area like Aura Cacia’s Grapeseed Oil with Vitamin E – the Vitamin E will help to heal the area while the Grapeseed oil will lubricate without irritating.

Keep in mind that there are a number of natural supplements to keep your body healthy and to help you overcome a cough or cold without using over-or-behind-the-counter treatments. Take a look at Kroeger Herb’s Olive Leaf to keep your immune system in balance before you contract a cough or cold. Check our cold and flu section of the shop for cough syrups, lozenges, and other great products that can ease the symptoms without harmful side effects.