My Natural Medicine Story ☕🍵🥣 [Natural Medicine for Cold and Sore Throat]

Hello everyone, 

As you already made yourself an idea, today's article is about Natural Medicine for Cold and Sore Throat ...

& a STORY!! Hmm ....'Story' ..... what it is supposed to mean? Well, it means that I have a story to tell which is somehow 'linked' to the natural medicine I am presenting today!  💛

It's not an extraordinary or fabulous one, but something that is part of me and which brings me sweet precious memories.  I was about 8-9 yrs old. Back then, I lived in a very very small town, country side. I was in school. It was a rainy-snowy dark winter day. I barely got to school and I started to feel sleepy, weak, my head was hurting a bit, I felt throat pain and my nose started to get 'runny'. I had all sympthoms of a cold. In this case, my teacher said its better for everyone to go back home. She sent one class mate to drive me home so I wont be alone in case something happens to me on the road.

I still can remember that moment of us going back home. We were kids, we were happy, laughing and feel positive that we'll have a really snowy winter that year. I even forgot about how sick I felt. Meanwhile, my teacher called my father letting him know that she will send me home. Since he and my mom were at work until 3 or 4 p.m., I had to go to my grandpa and grandma's home. It was ok, I didn't mind.  So, here I am, laying and all covered in their sofa-bed. They were more than happy to spend time with me and take care of me. I felt asleep immediately.

When I woke up, I smelled it! I still can feel it! It's very deep in my memories. It was the smell of MINT TEA. Dense and mentholated!! They gave me mint tea.  💛 💛

I didnt like tea back then... Omg! When I think about it, its very funny. I hated tea. The times I went to the dr for cold problems, this is what I was saying all the time " you can give me all meds you want, but not tea". For some reason, that mint tea it was good. I liked it. I didnt know that they gave me mint tea for its benefits. In cold season, they always have had mint tea. They were drying the mint plant and keeping it in paper bags. 

Their room was big, I still see myself in sofa bed, with the cup of tea. I loved staying there, chilling at warmth temperature meanwhile outside it was soo cold. And for food they made me eggy bread (french toast). Loved it then, still love it now!! 

At 5 p.m. or so my dad came here to take me home. You know how parents are when their babies get ill or are in pain. They would do anything just to see their baby feel good. So my dad asked me: what do you wanna eat? We'll make anything you want. And my answer was "I only want chicken soup". And he smiled at me and said "Mommy its already at home making it for you" 

Now, they already thought of making me chicken soup for two reasons. One, they knew I love it and two, they knew it would make me feel better.  I'm not sure I wanted chicken soup just because I like it or it was because our bodies are smart enough to tell us what we need and when we need it.  

This is how we made Chicken Noodle Soop in Romania (always homemade noodles).

I was about this small when all this happend. I still ask my mom where in Earth is this field of poppy flowers and wild chamomile. Unfortunately, the field is still there, but without poppies and chamomile :( 

And one more thing. I remember staying home for a week. And do you know what I did all week? I made a puzzle. I love making puzzle. I always loved it. Talking about this, I have an 5000 pieces puzzle brand new, waiting for the day to open it. I see that day far away cause I don't have time to put all those pieces together. 

Anyways, I made that puzzle from bed. I had small pieces everywhere. I had many small boxes with pieces, sorted somehow so I can make it. And a small caffe table near the bed where I was assembling it. It was a 1000 pcs Ravensburger puzzle, a castle in center of a snowy landscape. Believe me, it was pretty hard to do it in a week. I felt very proud of myself back then because I made it. The puzle wasnt mine, but my bff. So her mom tried to solve it and didnt succed. So, imagine me, a 9 yrs old solving it. I was very proud of me and also a little full of myself, cute silly me. hihi 

This is a similar photo of the castle. The difference was that mine had 2 biggggg snowy trees, the sky was grey and much darker. Everything was fading, almost no colors. 

I guess everyone has stories to share with their grandparents. We are lucky to have them, right? I always felt closer with my grandpa than with my grandma. Unfortunately, he passed away last year.  It's not a story that has to do with Natural Medicine but I will write a few words about it.

This is a story that actually hurts because I feel I didnt said goodbye, even though I did.  Last year, I left on vacation in Canada. I stayed there almost 2 months. Four days after I got here, my grandpa died. He had prostate cancer. And he was almost 80 yrs old.  In that day when I had my flight, I went to the market (which is 15 min from my place) and so is the hospital were he was that time. They are close by one from another. It wasn't my intention to walk in and make him a visit (I was the day before and I considered I wont have time to go again). But I did. I was passing by the hospital's gate and in one second my steps lead me inside the hospital. I knew I need to go again since I was here. The real reason I was around is because I wanted to eat strawberries before I leave ( I knew that in Canada wont find the same juicy authenthic organic ones so I didnt take a risk not to have some).  FOODY me right?? hihi

So, I ended up in his hospital's room. He didnt know I was about to come but he was really really happy.  I gave him my strawberries and I didnt feel sad about it.  I stayed with him an hour and I felt I need to let it go.We were still waiting for the analysis to come. The dr said it is possible to be cancer but it wasn't confirmed. Still, his condition got worst every day by. I knew this is the last time I would have seen him, but I hoped not to be right. I hoped to find him alive when I get back from Canada. And a part of me didn't say goodbye then. I walked home crying and without strawberries. 

Here is my last photo of him from that day. 💛

I never got the chance to say to him that I was pregnant. He always asked me when would be that time.... Anyways, I trust he is in good place now. P.S. my mom said that he was really really happy for seeing me that day and for bringing him strawberries. He also said that in his heart he knew I was that granddaughter that loved him the most.  And so it was, I believe! 

This is my natural medicine story! Like I said, it's not a Marvel story but its that kind of story that's part of me and always brings me a smile on my face and a good feeling.  💛

When I get sick or I have sore throat, first thing is to drink a cup of mint tea. I have my own favorite natural remedies for this but I still consider drinking a mint tea.  I always want chicken soup when I feel I'm about to get a cold. Thats why, I dont end up having a real cold. Among other natural medicines, chicken soup and mint tea are a good choice in trying to prevent it. 

Here are a few data I found relative to write them down which are related to this article. 

Peppermint is one of the most common ingredients in cough syrups and cough drops. The fresh and invigorating aroma helps to open up congested airways and can improve breathing. Drinking peppermint tea can help to soothe body aches caused by colds and cases of flu and may loosen congestion, making it easier to breathe.  [source here]

Peppermint has antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Because of this, peppermint tea may fight clogged sinuses due to infections, the common cold and allergies.  Additionally, research demonstrates that menthol — one of the active compounds in peppermint — improves the perception of airflow in your nasal cavity. Therefore, steam from peppermint tea may help you feel as though your breathing is easier. Furthermore, warm liquids, such as chicken broth and tea, have been shown to temporarily improve symptoms of sinus congestion, likely due to their vapors. Though peppermint tea has not been studied for its effects on nasal congestion, evidence suggests that it may be helpful.      [Source here  12 Science-Backed Benefits of Peppermint Tea and Extracts]

Chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity including an anti-inflammatory mechanism that could ease the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, according to a new study  [source here]

Chicken soup has long been regarded as a remedy for symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections. As it is likely that the clinical similarity of the diverse infectious processes that can result in "colds" is due to a shared inflammatory response, an effect of chicken soup in mitigating inflammation could account for its attested benefits. To evaluate this, a traditional chicken soup was tested for its ability to inhibit neutrophil migration using the standard Boyden blindwell chemotaxis chamber assay with zymosan-activated serum and fMet-Leu-Phe as chemoattractants. Chicken soup significantly inhibited neutrophil migration and did so in a concentration-dependent manner. The activity was present in a nonparticulate component of the chicken soup. All of the vegetables present in the soup and the chicken individually had inhibitory activity, although only the chicken lacked cytotoxic activity. Interestingly, the complete soup also lacked cytotoxic activity. Commercial soups varied greatly in their inhibitory activity. The present study, therefore, suggests that chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity. A mild anti-inflammatory effect could be one mechanism by which the soup could result in the mitigation of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections.  [source here]

Another study by Mount Sinai researchers in Miami also suggests that chicken soup has more than just a placebo effect. They looked at how chicken soup affected air flow and mucus in the noses of 15 volunteers who drank cold water, hot water or chicken soup. In general, the hot fluids helped increase the movement of nasal mucus, but chicken soup did a better job than the hot water, according to the 1978 report, also published in Chest. Chicken soup also improves the function of protective cilia, the tiny hairlike projections in the nose that prevent contagions from entering the body, according to a 1998 Coping With Allergies and Asthma report. [source here]

And no kidding, the best mint tea I ever had was at a restaurant in Vancouver, called Pourhouse. I also had here Devils on Horseback (dried prunes stuffed with Gruyere, wrapped in bacon and oven rosted, served with BBQ sauce). The price for the tea was 4 CAD and for the appetizer I paid 11 CAD. Anyways, I believe the tea was so good because it contained something else than just tea. The flavor was insane. You could smell it miles away. It was very intense, but refreshing. Idk if they have a secret super method for making tea, or they used a drop of essential oil or some syrup. 

Thank you for reading, 

Hope you had the patience to read this looooong story post 

Stay strong, 

Stay healthy

and Drink MINT TEA and Eat Chicken Soup! 💛

Love,

Miss Deli

P.S. This is my entry to the Natural Medicine Stories Wisdom Challenge by @naturalmedicine! Just a few hours to due date! If you have a story, write it for us using #naturalmedicine tag! 

(These photos are made in Canada. The location of first photo is in Harrison Hot Springs BC and second in Vancouver, BC.)

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! ALL THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN WITH MY SAMSUNG S8. 

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