I was determined to fight the infection off without using antibiotics. I enlisted the help of my acupuncturist, Vincent Kan. After my first session with Vincent, I felt significantly better, but I still had a pretty rotten cough. I stopped by a local Co-op, Other Avenues, and there I stumbled upon Serious Cough Soother from Wishgarden Herbs. I'm a true believer in the power of herbs. Last year, we were able to find alternative treatment for my daughter's adenoid/tonsil using Kan Herbs formulas. I'm always on the lookout for new herbs to add to my medicine cabinet.
Wishgarden Herbs is a woman-owned, family run business in Boulder, Colorado that makes herbs tinctures, salves, oils, and teas. Their tinctures are made with gluten free alcohol, which is great for me! I wasn't familiar with them until I tried the tincture but I was immediately impressed with them. At the time that I took the Serious Cough Soother, I had become completely hoarse and I had a horrible dry cough that was extremely painful. I started taking two droppers full every couple of hours Sunday afternoon and by Monday morning my voice was back and my cough was significantly better.
Serious Cough Soother is a mix of the following herbs:
Licorice root: anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, steroidal action. It clears heat (which causes burning in the throat) and moistens the lungs
Mullein flower: Expectorant, anti-inflammatory, soothes throat inflammation and expectorant for dry chronic coughs
Wild Cherry bark: antibacterial, anticonstrictive for the bronchial tubes, helps to stop coughing and relax the bronchial tubes
photo credit: Bulk Herb Store
Coltsfoot leaf: cough dispeller
Goldenseal root: anti-microbal
Pleurisy root: anti-inflammatory, expectorant, helps to mitigate pain and difficulty breathing
Marshmallow root: expectorant, eases inflammation of mucous membranes
I was so impressed with the herbs that I called Wishgarden and asked if they would be willing to send me some others to try and review. They were kind enough to oblige. The following are all the herbs I tried, their ingredients and my results:
Emotional Ally: Helps to center, ground and deal with stress. I took this after spending half a day stressing out because my mother, who left to Europe hadn't called when she landed. About 30 minutes after I took the herbs, I was much calmer and able to think straight. I didn't hear from my mother until about 3 hours after I took the herbs, but those three hours were much more manageable.
Digestive Ease: This is the best alternative to Pepto-Bismol! It's supposed to help with heartburn, indigestion, bloating, gas, motion sickness, and queasiness. I took it after a large meal and about 30 minutes after I took the herbs, I began to feel that my digestion was improving. I've been keeping this one in my purse just in case I need it, but since I've gone grain-free I don't have many gastrointestinal symptoms.
Genius Juice: Study & Creative Process aid that supports optimal neural messaging. I've been taking this one at night if I have a hard time concentrating on my blog posts. I've definitely felt a difference in my ability to concentrate when I take it vs. when I don't
Sleepy Nights: Sleep aid without Valerian or Kava root. We've been giving the kids' version of this to our daughter at bedtime and she's been sleeping significantly better. The first night we gave it to her, she slept through the night and she hasn't slept through the night in months. I'm not even kidding!
Wishgarden Herbs has an extensive collection of herbs and teas for pregnancy and for nursing that I wish I knew about when I needed them. Their website is also easy to navigate that allows you to find the herb you need for your particular ailment. Go check them out and grab some herbs for the winter season, based on my experience, I know you won't be disappointed.
