Stocking Up the Immune-Boosting Medicine Cabinet
I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but like a squirrel I feel like I should be stocking up on the essentials. I make bulk purchases of grains, beans, and coconut oil. I buy more toilet paper than I normally would and garner funnier looks than usual from the lady behind the cash register. (I wonder what her face would look like if I told her about our “composting” toilet).
And I generally replenish our usual stash of herbal and natural remedies.
I’m really excited to be growing more of our herbal medicines. Truth be told, some of these medicinal herbs were the easiest things to grow in this harsh climate and many of them are perennials, which is always exciting to me.
Along with our homegrown oregano, mullein, and a few others I’ve been meaning to tell you about, I like to keep some immune-boosting stuff on hand. I am definitely more interested in staying healthy and keeping the immune system strong with real food, plants, and good quality supplements than heading to the doctor with sick little ones. Then again, isn’t everybody?
With all of the hype at this time of year surrounding whatever current epidemic is going around the globe, I’m happy to find a common sense approach to generally aiding your immune system against all types of illness in this article. It reiterates some things we’ve done off and on for years that I may have gotten slack on, and is a helpful reminder to me to keep things on hand.
With that in mind, here is our latest stash of immune-boosting foods, herbs, and supplements:
Foods
- Bone broth
- Vegetable Ferments
- Garlic
- Milk Kefir
- Raw milk and Eggs (two of my Five Agrarian Foods to Eat Every Day)
- Cod Liver Oil
Herbs & Plants
- Elderberry (either the powder to mix into smoothies and such or this syrup)
- Oregano (homegrown and concentrated)
- Mullein (homegrown or extract)
- Echinacea (this one for the children)
- Essential Oils. When we can, we usually keep these on hand:
- Lemon
- Lavender
- Tea Tree
- Clove (I was happy to find it 20% off this month!)
- Cinnamon
- Rosemary
- Eucalyptus
(Boy howdy, am I ever not interested in joining in on the big essential oils debate. I’ve used several brands, including both of the big MLM brands, and liked some and not others. We use Mountain Rose Herbs oils most frequently, mostly because I trust and respect their company, their products, and their overall mission to bring all forms of herbal medicine to folks.)
Supplements
- Iodine (this is the one we’ve got)
- Vitamin D3/K2
We generally like to put more emphasis on foods and plants, but we also like to be realistic about times when our diet isn’t ideal. So, this is our general list.
I’m new to herbs and essential oils but this list seems doable. Some others I’ve seen are extensive and would be harder to compile. I’m wondering if you would mind explaining how to use a few of them? I can get them but don’t know how to use them.
Seems like you’ve got the bases covered! 😉 We just started growing nettle to use medicinally, and I like to take olive leaf powder in capsule form whenever I feel something coming on.
Hello! I only just found your site while looking for root cellar information but then got sidetracked into this post because I’ve just finished a batch of elderberry syrup myself (recipe: elderberries, honey, water) and I was wondering what you use your syrup for? I know it’s a general flu preventative and when you’re just feeling like you’re coming down with something you should take it. Is that how you take it? Also, in your home-made batches, do you get sediment forming? Great site by the way, Seb.,
Hi Seb,
We do take it when we start to feel that tingle in the back of the throat. We might also take it if we will be traveling or have travelers visiting, to up the immune system. I’ve also been known to throw it into some kombucha or just dole it out to the children a few days a week during the darkest days of winter.
Yes, sediment is common if the filtering process wasn’t super thorough. It seems fine, though, despite the sediment.
thanks, shannon! do you notice a difference in health after taking it? i suppose the way to know if it works or not is if your children don’t get sick 🙂 and what’s your dosage. i’ve got books and herbals here that recommend 3 spoonfuls a day…?