If you have nasty bugs causing sore throats and congestion in your house like we have this week, here are some natural suggestions for soothing pain and helping everyone heal quickly.

Warming Ginger Tea

Brew lose Oolong or black tea (or seriously, any tea bag you have laying around) with an inch or so of chopped, fresh, ginger root.  Bash the chopped ginger a bit with a mallet or rolling pin to release the juice.  Ginger warms the body, increases circulation, helps with nausea, and is a natural anti-viral. Add a a small, fresh, cayenne (or other small, medium heat) pepper for people who like spicy food. This helps activate the immune system, increases circulation, and causes an endorphin release that will help you feel better right away.

Slippery Elm Capsules

Slippery Elm capsules will soothe the pain of a sore throat.  It’s an easy remedy to use for little ones because it has very little of its own flavor; although Audree still says it tastes bad.  I love it, but I’m crazy like that.

Slippery Elm Tea

Open one slippery elm capsule (make sure the bottle says “inner bark”) into a cup of any brewed tea and stir.  Drink this while it’s steamy and warm for the maximum effect.

Ginger Ale

If you don’t have any of these remedies available or you are sick too, and not feeling like nature mother, plain ginger ale is a super soothing.  The ginger will calm tummies and the carbonation feels really good on a sore throat.  Try to find a brand that is sweetened with cane juice instead of high fructose corn syrup.  There are several supermarket brands that have natural ingredients so you should find it easily.

Whole fat Greek yogurt with blackberry preserve swirl

Greek yogurt is good for everything.  This morning we used it to put out the fire of our sore throats.  The yogurt also introduces beneficial bacteria the body needs to get back into balance quickly.  When you buy high quality, natural yogurt, you can control the sugar content and flavor, knowing there is no junk making it taste delicious!