Why I Love Herbs

Cold and flu season is upon us! Either you’ve had the nasty cold that’s going around or you know someone who has. In my case it was a little from column A and a little from column B. Both my husband and I were sick this past week. Luckily I got over it pretty quick – thanks to my immune stimulating herbs! My husband struggled with it a little longer than I. He has mild asthma and some pretty wicked allergies. Whenever he gets sick it always seems to hit his lungs much harder than most people. He was fine while at work, but almost immediately upon his return home ‘the cough‘ set in. I call it ‘the cough‘ because this thing could shake the very foundations of even the most solid of buildings! We knew it was his allergies (our landlords have a dog that he is allergic to) triggering his asthma, but knowing that didn’t make it go away.

Since I’m really just starting out as an herbalist, my tincture selection is rather limited. I usually have about 40 to 50 herbs macerating at a time. Unfortunately this collection is a little light on respiratory herbs. Out of desperation I put together a formula that I prayed would help him.

The Herbs I Chose

  • Yarrow has antiallergenic, anticatarrhal and general antispasmodic properties.

Queen Ann’s Lace seeds (Daucus carota)

  • I chose this herb for its general antispasmodic properties.

English lavender flowers (Lavandula angustifolia)

  • Lavender is yet another general antispasmodic and anticatarrhal. It is also a strong relaxant (which I hoped would relax his body – including his respiratory system).

White pine leaf (Pinus strobus)

  • This the powerhouse herb in the formula. White pine is an anticatarrhal, respiratory antispasmodic, bronchodilator and an expectorant. I figured that if none of the other herbs helped, this one would do something.

Canada goldenrod herb (Solidago canadensis)

  • Goldenrod is a general antispasmodic.

As I was mixing this formulation together I could hear my husband coughing spasmodically in the background. He was coughing so hard he was practically gagging! I gave him five full droppers of the herbal tincture. Not five minutes later the coughing stopped. He said he could feel his lungs opening up. The desire to cough stopped and his breathing became deeper. We actually got to sleep through the night!

With five minutes and herbs that weren’t really specific to the need, I managed to bring relief to a stubborn cough and provide the first full night’s sleep in days! That’s why I love herbs!