Elderberry Syrup

by Michelle Gill

2/3 cup dried elderberries
3 1/2 cups of water
2 Tbsp. organic ginger root (shaved or grated)
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground 
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 cup raw honey
Bring the elderberries and water to a boil and add ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.  Simmer for an hour.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Pour through a strainer.  Add the honey and stir until dissolved.  This recipe yields about 2 pint jars of elderberry syrup.

It is great for immunity.  I give my daughter 1 teaspoonful before school each day.  If we catch a cold or something, we take it every 3 to 4 hours.  It keeps for several months in the fridge.  

(I order my elderberries from www.iherb.com.  Use the coupon code WES681 to save $5-$10.  I am sure you could also get them at your local health food store.)

My Measures of Prevention for Good Health

by Lois Breneman

Rather than getting a flu shot, I do the following to build up the immune system and keep from getting colds or the flu:

1. Barley Juice - Drinking a glass of one tablespoon powdered barley juice in pure water first thing each morning.  I used to get two terrible sinus infections every year on a regular basis before starting to drink barley juice twenty-three years ago.  It made a huge difference! 
You can find it here:
www.theaimcompanies.com
http://www.hacres.com

 
2. Little or No Sugar - Sugar is known to break down the immune system, and comes in many different forms - white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, glucose, and the list goes on.

3. Probiotics - Taking a good probiotic each day helps the immune system.  probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics.html‎

4. Green Pasture Blue Ice Royal Butter Oil/Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend - Cinnamon flavor is my favorite.  I only take about half of a teaspoon each day.  http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/CodLiverOil/

5. Vitamin D-3

This does not mean I am guaranteed not to ever get a cold, sinus infection, or the flu, but it seldom happens.  After starting barley juice, I went from getting two severe sinus infections a year (lasting six week each), to going more than seven years without even a cold.  That was proof enough for me. 

Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry Syrup is a natural remedy used to help colds and flu, reduce swelling in mucous membranes, such as the sinuses, and help relieve nasal congestion. Elder may have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer properties.

Source: Elderberry | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/elderberry#ixzz2nsTNrgs6

Elderberry Syrup can be found at health food stores.  A recipe is also on this blog.

Immunity Pops for Good Health

Rama Pfeiffer, Founder of Freshly Grown

Used by permission

http://freshly-grown.com/immunity-pops/

It’s December right now, but I’ve officially decided popsicles are great all year round. Who doesn’t love popsicles, right? These particular popsicles are great for boosting immunity or for when you or your kiddos are already under the weather. They are packed full of hydrating and immunity boosting ingredients, plus they taste awesome. Win!

Immunity Pops

Ingredients

10 oz. coconut water

2 large oranges, juiced (should make about 5 oz.)

1 1/2 c. tart cherries (mine were frozen)

1/4th c. raw cranberries (optional, I happened to get these in my weekly box)

2 Tbs. crystalized ginger, chopped or 1 tsp. raw ginger, minced

2 Tbs. Elderberry syrup

2 Tbs. probiotics, powder form

1-1 1/2 Tbs. manuka honey or raw honey

Juice your oranges, they should make about 5 oz., then combine your orange juice with the 10 oz. of coconut water so the total liquid equals 15 oz. Add your liquid to a pitcher so it’s easy to pour. In a blender or food processor add the rest of the ingredients, pour some juice in so it has something to mix with and pulse or blend. Once ingredients are fully blended, you can add everything back into the pitcher. Pour your yummy immunity mixture into your Tovolo popsicle molds leaving a bit of room at the top. Freeze and enjoy. If you have any liquid left, it tastes like a nutrient-packed punch, so don’t hesitate to drink up! Cheers to immunity!

Coconut water = Hydration + Electrolytes
Raw Orange Juice = Vit. C
Tart Cherries + Cranberries = Antioxidants
Ginger = Antiviral, antibacterial, soothes stomach, combats inflammation
Elderberry Syrup = Antiviral, antibacterial, fights colds and flu
Probiotics = Beneficial gut bacteria that boosts our immune system and fights infection

Manuka Honey = Antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal (in different medicinal class than raw honey if you want to really kick an illness and boost immunity, BUT raw honey will work if you don't have manuka on hand.  I highly recommend investing in manuka honey for your holistic medicine cabinet.  Treats a multitude of ailments.  Read more here

For the popsicle molds, I use these. They’re great. To see molds, please go to http://freshly-grown.com/immunity-pops/

Cold and Flu Buster Tonic

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - 2012
Revised 2016

This stuff really does work!
Put equal amounts of the following immune-supporting ingredients into a blender and give it a whirl:

onion
garlic
horseradish
ginger
jalapeno peppers

Blend with plenty of apple cider or apple cider vinegar.  The apple juice will give it a better flavor.  Blend well and pour into a glass jar.  Fill the jar with apple cider.  Let set on the counter for 2 to 4 weeks, shaking every day.  Open the lid every day as well, because pressure builds up inside.  Next bottle it, and refrigerate.  It keeps for a very long time.  No mold dares enter that concoction!  I froze some as well for later.

But what we did-----was to use it right away, and that worked great.  Some say to strain it, but I just put it all in the blender to use as is.

If you feel the cold or flu coming on, take a teaspoon or tablespoon of the tonic in a small glass of orange juice, apple cider, or water.  You can take it as often as every hour.  It works, especially if you begin when the symptoms appear!

When I first made this tonic, we didn't have time to let it set for two weeks.  My husband felt like he was getting a cold, so he took it several times a day for two days and his cold disappeared like magic, saving him lots of misery!  I haven't needed to take it yet, but will if the need arises.

Someone I know also eats ground horseradish at the first sign of a cold of flu, and that works as well!  Whatever works!

Additional notes:
More recently (2015) I made a tonic of only equal parts of raw onion, garlic, ginger root, and Bragg organic apple cider vinegar in the blender.  I used 1 tablespoon of this tonic in a glass of orange juice or apple cider (not vinegar).  This was done 3-4 times a day to knock out a scratchy throat that was just beginning.  It was completely gone the next day!  

I know that eating too much sugar the week before resulted in the scratchy throat!  I rarely eat sugar, but gave in to my sweet tooth.  

Sugar definitely breaks down the immune system!  I've been off sugar now for almost a year again and haven't been sick, even while being around others who had been.

Stay well, everyone!