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Nature's Pharmacy
Revealing the Secrets of Holistic Health By Andrea Candee, MH, MSC
(Simon & Schuster), for dosing instructions for adults and children. For sore throat, a diluted solution of the liquid extract can be gargled.
Use Only When Needed
You will build an immunity to Echinacea if you use it every day. Use it for a maximum of 10 days then stop using for a few days (during flu season, for example). A Tool for Prevention
If a family member is going through stressful times, they may find themselves picking up everything that's going around. This would be a good time to put them on an alternating cycle of Echinacea (several days on, a few days off) to get them through the challenging situation. Or taken two weeks out of every month, three times a day, Echinacea will provide valuable protection. If taken every day without a rest, the efficacy seems to wane. Do be aware that stress (emotional, mental, physical, environmental) is a known immuno-depressant. In addition, children in daycare often succumb to repeated colds. Keeping a child on an alternating cycle of Echinacea may help to guard against this.
Clearing a Cold With Eucalyptus
Often, when a child returns to school after a bout with a cold or flu, the discomfort of a stuffy nose continues. Eucalyptus makes a wonderful sinus opener. Add a few drops of the essential oil of Eucalyptus to cotton in a small plastic vial, and you've created a safe, head-clearing inhaler your child can take to school. Every time they're feeling clogged, they can open their inhaler and take a whiff.
Herbal Cough Syrup
When a cold goes to the chest, check out the local health food store for herbal cough syrups containing elderberry, licorice root, mullein and marshmallow root. They won't contain the unpronouncable chemicals, preservatives and dyes that you'll find in the pharmaceutical brands. When your child's immune system is already challenged, why give their bodies an additional load to process? Don't Leave Home Without It!
Fall and winter is a great time to carry herbal protection with you. A small, 1-ounce dropper bottle of Echinacea fits nicely in the purse or pocket and is a potent ally for getting through the winter healthfully. Pages: 1 2