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September 9, 2024
Amber C.
Amber C.
7 Vital Herbs for Fall/Winter Season
Each year we get our own version of nostalgia in our minds during the transition between a Michigan September and October-- dark and crisp early mornings, unthawing your winter wardrobe, and getting snuggled up with your loved ones. One thing we collectively dread, though, is the possibility of getting under the weather with some nasty cold keeping you from your daily strut. We've put together 7 different herbs that will keep you away from the pharmacy and doctor's office but most importantly, keep your immune system strong and nourished. Keep in mind that each of these herbs have multiple uses that go beyond just treating a cold/flu, but that is the focus in this article.
Turmeric One of our favorite traits of turmeric is its versatility. You want to add color to your meal? Perfect. You want to dye your fingertips and clothes deep yellow? The most natural way to do it. That's the beauty of turmeric-- it's also rich in antioxidants (fight off cancer-causing free radicals), is an antibiotic (fight infections), and is anti-inflammatory (sore throat, lungs). The turmeric root is a part of the Zingiberaceae family, where its siblings are ginger, cardamom, and galangal. We recommend using it in its raw form in teas but you are also free to reap the benefits taking them as supplements and powder in food and tea.
Ceylon Cinnamon This delicious herb isn't limited to being sprinkled on your favorite sweet treats. The cinnamon bark has some major healing properties. A member of the Lauraceae family, the herb is antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and can also lower your blood pressure. We recommend seeking out Ceylon cinnamon, as opposed to the more common cassia cinnamon, because Ceylon is a higher quality of cinnamon and also less of a health risk. When heating cassia cinnamon at high temperatures, you are exposed to coumarin, which is toxic to the liver over time. Use your cinnamon sticks or powder in tea or with food.
Garlic Garlic has a wonderful aromatic profile and is very commonly used in cooking, as we all know. Garlic is antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and also anti-parasitic. You may want to consider using garlic/taking it regularly to prevent even getting sick in the first place. A natural antibiotic, garlic helps your body tremendously in fighting off infections. It is best practice to cut/crush garlic 10-15 minutes before heating or cooking it at high temperatures to avoid losing it's medicinal property allicin, which blocks free-radicals and fights off inflammation. Garlic is able to be taken as a supplement, adding it to food as a powder or minced, or simply eating pieces of garlic.
Cascara Sagrada Now, the healing properties of this herb that we will highlight aren't directly related to fighting off colds, but we know that the inability to properly digest food can be a direct symptom of an infection attacking your body. The bark of the cascara sagrada tree serves as a natural laxative and treatment for chronic constipation. When you're sick, it's more difficult for your digestive system to work to break down food efficiently, which is why so many people drink soup when under the weather. The anthraquinone produced in this herb aids in speeding up your digestive process (ahem—very quickly!) You are able to drink cascara sagrada as a tea or add droplets of the extract to tea.
Wild Mediterranean Oregano Widely known for its immune-boosting properties and it’s addition to savory dishes, oregano is also sought after for effectively defending your body against different infections and toxins. The oregano leaf is an antibiotic that can clear infections in your body from toe fungus to sinuses, using it internally and/or topically. It also has anti-bacterial properties, is antiviral, and anti-parasitic. You can find this powerful herb as an extracted oil and also in its raw form (leaf) to use in hot teas.
Capsicum Annum (Red pepper/cayenne) Rich in vitamin C and enough heat to make you hallucinate, you can count on cayenne pepper to do more than add spice to your favorite foods. Clear your chest, increase blood circulation, relieve pain, soothe your cough, get rid of congestion, and boost your immune system all in one herb. Capsicum also assists your digestive system in carrying out toxins and bacteria from your gut. Use the herb as a powder for teas and food, take it in capsules, or snack on the raw pepper!
Ginger Last but not least, this powerful herb, deserving of its notoriety, is the ginger root— rich in vitamin C, calcium, and iron. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and packed with anti-oxidants to prevent free radicals (cancer) from forming. It’s also an expectorant, loosening mucous and it produces oleoresins, which will prevent mucous from forming again. You can chew on raw ginger root pieces, take it as a supplement, or chop it and add it to your hot tea. It even gives you an energy boost!
Turmeric One of our favorite traits of turmeric is its versatility. You want to add color to your meal? Perfect. You want to dye your fingertips and clothes deep yellow? The most natural way to do it. That's the beauty of turmeric-- it's also rich in antioxidants (fight off cancer-causing free radicals), is an antibiotic (fight infections), and is anti-inflammatory (sore throat, lungs). The turmeric root is a part of the Zingiberaceae family, where its siblings are ginger, cardamom, and galangal. We recommend using it in its raw form in teas but you are also free to reap the benefits taking them as supplements and powder in food and tea.
Ceylon Cinnamon This delicious herb isn't limited to being sprinkled on your favorite sweet treats. The cinnamon bark has some major healing properties. A member of the Lauraceae family, the herb is antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and can also lower your blood pressure. We recommend seeking out Ceylon cinnamon, as opposed to the more common cassia cinnamon, because Ceylon is a higher quality of cinnamon and also less of a health risk. When heating cassia cinnamon at high temperatures, you are exposed to coumarin, which is toxic to the liver over time. Use your cinnamon sticks or powder in tea or with food.
Garlic Garlic has a wonderful aromatic profile and is very commonly used in cooking, as we all know. Garlic is antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and also anti-parasitic. You may want to consider using garlic/taking it regularly to prevent even getting sick in the first place. A natural antibiotic, garlic helps your body tremendously in fighting off infections. It is best practice to cut/crush garlic 10-15 minutes before heating or cooking it at high temperatures to avoid losing it's medicinal property allicin, which blocks free-radicals and fights off inflammation. Garlic is able to be taken as a supplement, adding it to food as a powder or minced, or simply eating pieces of garlic.
Cascara Sagrada Now, the healing properties of this herb that we will highlight aren't directly related to fighting off colds, but we know that the inability to properly digest food can be a direct symptom of an infection attacking your body. The bark of the cascara sagrada tree serves as a natural laxative and treatment for chronic constipation. When you're sick, it's more difficult for your digestive system to work to break down food efficiently, which is why so many people drink soup when under the weather. The anthraquinone produced in this herb aids in speeding up your digestive process (ahem—very quickly!) You are able to drink cascara sagrada as a tea or add droplets of the extract to tea.
Wild Mediterranean Oregano Widely known for its immune-boosting properties and it’s addition to savory dishes, oregano is also sought after for effectively defending your body against different infections and toxins. The oregano leaf is an antibiotic that can clear infections in your body from toe fungus to sinuses, using it internally and/or topically. It also has anti-bacterial properties, is antiviral, and anti-parasitic. You can find this powerful herb as an extracted oil and also in its raw form (leaf) to use in hot teas.
Capsicum Annum (Red pepper/cayenne) Rich in vitamin C and enough heat to make you hallucinate, you can count on cayenne pepper to do more than add spice to your favorite foods. Clear your chest, increase blood circulation, relieve pain, soothe your cough, get rid of congestion, and boost your immune system all in one herb. Capsicum also assists your digestive system in carrying out toxins and bacteria from your gut. Use the herb as a powder for teas and food, take it in capsules, or snack on the raw pepper!
Ginger Last but not least, this powerful herb, deserving of its notoriety, is the ginger root— rich in vitamin C, calcium, and iron. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and packed with anti-oxidants to prevent free radicals (cancer) from forming. It’s also an expectorant, loosening mucous and it produces oleoresins, which will prevent mucous from forming again. You can chew on raw ginger root pieces, take it as a supplement, or chop it and add it to your hot tea. It even gives you an energy boost!
