Whooping Cough

My family had the worst experience with whooping cough (pretussis) at the beginning of this year.  We are not sure how the kids got it, and the doctor even told me that those that are immunized still have an 80% chance of contracting it.  Since we had a baby in the house the entire family, Garrett and I included went on antibiotics to be sure we were safe.  WELL...after two rounds of antibiotics and 3 months of terrible coughing, nothing had changed.  If anything they were getting worse!  The antibiotics where obviously not doing anything and the doctors did not seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject. My kids were out of school to stop the spread and I was at my wits end to know what to do.  At this point a line from my patriarchal blessing came to me.  I was told that there would be a time that I would be far from my mother and need to remember the inspired instruction she had given me.  I never would have imagined six months earlier when my mom passed away that this was what I would need to remember. She came from a line of healers who lived by the law that the Lord has provided everything we need to help ourselves. I was wishing so badly that my mom was still alive.  She would have told me exactly how I could have naturally helped my family.  That is when I decided to take matters into my own hand.  I had the thought to call a friend and with her help found this website.

http://www.gwens-nest.com/natural-remedies/whooping-cough-natural-remedies-for-prevention-and-treatment/

I began giving my children extra doses of Vitamin C and this cough remedy. Within a few days I could tell it was helping, and 2 weeks later we were in the clear! This was a testimony to me that the Lord will provide everything we need if we only have the faith and knowledge to help ourselves (or at least a desire to learn). I am so thankful for a righteous mother, who through her mission on earth raising her children, did give me inspired instruction and the knowledge to help myself.  It is now my mission to pass this knowledge to my own children.

Herbal Cough Remedy

Ingredients

• ½ c. Raw Honey or maple syrup for babies under one year
• Half a lemon
• 2 fresh or frozen garlic cloves- don’t use the pre-minced stuff. It’s lost its strong medicinal properties.
• a chunk of fresh or frozen ginger* (optional)
• 2 t. turmeric powder–or 2 chunks of fresh root, sliced, if you’re lucky enough to find it!
• ⅛ t. pepper

Instructions

1. Fill a small jar halfway with raw honey. Raw honey has active enzymes, ‘good’ bacteria, and tons of other beneficial stuff that normal, pasteurized grocery store honey doesn’t have.
2. Squeeze the lemon half into the honey and stir.
3. Crush the garlic cloves. You don’t want to pulverize them, or you’ll end up with little bitty chunks floating around in the honey…just crush them one good time, to start the enzyme reactions in the cloves. I like to whack the cloves of garlic with the side of my meat tenderizer mallet
4. Do the same thing to the ginger.
5. Drop them into the honey and stir.
6. Add powdered or fresh (pounded) turmeric, and pepper to the mix.
7. Blend well.
8. We store this in the fridge, because the cold feels good on hot, scratchy throats.

Notes

How to take it:
Take a spoonful of honey as needed, avoiding the chunks of garlic and ginger unless you just really like the taste of garlic. Keeping it going:
We keep the mix going as long as we have colds in the house by adding more honey and lemon to taste. I also refresh the cloves of garlic and ginger daily, removing the old ones with a fork, and adding new ones. Add a t. of turmeric and a dash of pepper when you do a major refill. This keeps in the fridge for several days, but I toss it as soon as we start feeling better, and make up a fresh batch for the next time we need it. !Tip
I love the taste of fresh ginger, so whenever I buy some for a recipe, I will chunk up the rest of it into one inch pieces and freeze it for using in remedies or for cooking.
I also buy bulk peeled garlic cloves, and keep them in my deep freezer. I keep a smaller container of them frozen in my kitchen freezer for convenience.
If you’re lucky enough to have good, multi-cultural grocery stores in your area, you may be able to find fresh turmeric root, which is really delicious! It’s got a lemony-gingery flavor. It also keeps well in a sealed container in the freezer.

Since my baby could not have honey I immediately made this stew so I could get the vitamins into her. She loved it!

Whooping Cough Stew

Ingredients

• 2 T good quality butter
• ⅔ c. chopped carrots
• 6 cups of good, homemade chicken or beef stock (or 6 cups of water, and beef or chicken bones)
• 1½ cups cooked chicken meat (optional: I leave this out for little ones)
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped fine or minced
• 1 t. salt
• ¼ t. dried basil
• ¼ t. dried oregano (or sub ½ t. Greek Seasoning Mix for dried herbs)
• ½ c. pearled barley
• ½ c. oats (any form from steel cut to quick cooking)
• 1½ cups of fresh, organic spinach greens
• ½ t. yeast

Instructions

Broth Instructions

1. If you’re starting with bones and water, place them in a large pot.
2. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for a couple of hours, skimming the top from time to time.
3. Or you may alternatively place it all in the crock pot overnight on high.
4. Strain broth through a sieve into a large soup pot, and follow instructions below.

Soup Instructions

1. If you have chicken or beef broth/stock ready to go, add it to a large pot or crock pot, along with melt butter, cooked chicken, chopped carrots, garlic, basil and oregano. Heat to boiling, and then reduce heat to a simmer.
2. Add pearled barley and oats, and continue to simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Add in the fresh spinach and a bit of yeast just before serving.