For prevention and treatment of Colds
I like to squeeze 1/4 - 1/2 a fresh lemon (depends on size of lemon) into a large tea cup, add the leftover lemon peel and pulp to the cup (just drop it all in), then add hot water and a tiny bit of honey. I mush up the lemon pulp and peel a bit with the back of a spoon while mixing the honey in. This is a great way to get your vitamin C and other antioxidants. It keeps both colds and flus away and is helpful if you have a sore throat and/or cough. Both lemon and lime help decrease colds and flus as well as reduce mucus.
Congestion of tissues
Congestion of tissues decreases the ability of your cells to take care of business in the area of congestion. Nipping congestion in the bud at the first signs of it can turn around the situation. So, do everything you can to keep from getting congested or attempt to keep it down to a low roar. You can do this with salt water gargles in the throat, nasal washes in the nose (use either a neti pot or snort the salt water from your hand), or saline nasal sprays. Use 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one cup of water, 4 times per day. To reach congestion in the sinuses and lungs you really need to use an herbal inhalation. You will find directions for an herbal inhalation here
https://youarethehealer.org/herbal-medicine/making-herbal-products/herbal-steam-inhalation/. If you are using a neti pot for the first time, see directions below for how to use a neti pot. Get as much sleep as possible. This is necessary for your body to stay healthy. It also needs to be quality sleep to allow your body to rest and recuperate.
When you need to get rid of nasal congestion short term, using Yarrow tea or tincture can do just the trick. A few drops of tincture under the tongue will start to clear up your nose and decrease the congestion in your tissues quickly. Yarrow can be used safely short term, but should not be used continuously over a long period of time. People use it orally and in the nasal passages. The tincture will irritate the nasal passages, so a tea is best for snorting it or spraying it in the nose.
How Neti pots are Used
Fill the neti pot with sterilized isotonic water. Lean over the sink and turn your head 45 degrees, so one nostril is above the other. Gently insert the tip of the pot into the upper nostril. Breathe through your mouth and raise the handle so the water enters the upper nostril and then drains from the lower nostril.
When the neti pot is empty, exhale through both nostrils to remove excess solution and mucus. Gently blow your nose.
Repeat with your other nostril.
Chicken Soup
Yes, chicken soup really is healthy, especially when cooked low and slow for a long time to get all the collagen out of the bones. I add a lot of cilantro, and parsley at the end to give me beta carotene and vitamin C. I also add Garlic at the very end as partially cooking the garlic, keeps it's antimicrobial activity more intact and helps ward off bacteria that can attempt to take advantage of your respiratory tract when you have a viral cold or flu in process. (Pressing a Garlic clove and throwing it into your bowl right before consuming the soup is the best way to gain it's antimicrobial action.) You can also add Ginger or Astraglaus earlier on, making sure it simmers for some time. Be sure to keep the lid on the pot to keep all the great ginger essential oils in the soup. Otherwise they will evaporate into the air. You can get really creative with adding herbs that support the immune system and/or help with cold and flu symptoms. Just make sure the soup still tastes good. Luckily Astragalus does not change the flavor much and Ginger adds to the flavor. Astragalus is used to prevent colds and flu, and in research with chickens, Astragalus has been shown to decrease the replication of the H9N2 virus. (Had to add that since we are discussing chicken soup.) There is also something to be said for comfort food which makes you feel you are being cared for. Comfort food carries a placebo effect, that is VERY powerful.
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