My husband and I were really sick all week this past week and it’s got me thinking about home remedies and what people do when they get sick. I think everyone has their own “sick traditions”. When I was little my mom always gave us lots of liquid especially 7UP mixed with fruit juice, saltine crackers and chicken noodle soup. She would also give us plenty of vitamin C. We stayed in bed and read or laid on the couch and watched TV or movies. In high school and college getting sick always meant a trip to our family chiropractor. That was what being sick looked like for me when I was growing up.
So, what does being sick look like for you? What things do you do when you get sick to help yourself get better or to make yourself more comfortable?
Here are some of the things that Bryan and I do now in our own family when we get sick:
- We drink lots of liquid – usually hot or warm water. If we are worried about dehydration then we will mix a little salt and pure fruit juice into some water to make our own sort of electrolyte drink. We also drink tea or more often hot water infused with ginger. We place a couple pieces of fresh ginger in a cup, pour some hot water over it, cover it with a plate for a little bit and then drink it.
- We often will take silver, zinc, vitamin C, Echinacea, or goldenseal on top of the vitamins we normally take. We take vitamin D on a regular basis, but when we are sick I become extra vigilant about it and even sometimes up our dose a little.
- I always make a big pot of soup using homemade chicken broth. Usually this soup includes lots of onion, carrots, and garlic and a handful of whatever other veggies look good at the store or happen to be in the fridge already.
- We eat raw garlic. Bryan will just eat it plan and raw, but I can’t quite handle that. I usually press some raw garlic into some warm soup or onto a salad, or something instead of eating it plain.
- We take a probiotic supplement and if it sounds good also eat yogurt and/or drink Kefir.
- We rest and sleep as much as possible.
So, those are our traditions for when we get sick these days. What are yours???
I hope that you are all staying well and healthy right now!
Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany
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Beth Stedman. wife. mommy. daughter. friend. homemaker. sinner. believer. writer. cook. dreamer. artist. yogi. photographer. 
I make homemade chicken soup. I have the pseudo-recipe on my site.
Vitamin C and Zinc are a must. Lots of fluids, whatever is comfortable. It’s a toss up as to what I will drink when it’s a stomach bug. I usually have a lot of fruit bars (popsicles, low calorie packed with real fruit and vit c), and apple sauce when it’s a stomach bug.
I used cold eaze for my last cold, and I think it may have helped. Lots of orange juice and extra foods with vitamin c, and the warm comfort foods (like the chicken soup).
Stomach bugs also often get cherry 7up. I actually don’t drink sprite, 7up or sierra mist unless I’m sick. When I drink it, and I’m not sick, it’s weird, but I swear I can taste throw up. It’s purely psychological, I know.
Jennifer, thanks for stopping by my blog – these are some good suggestions. I’ve never tried cold eaze but I have friends who swear by it. Real fruit Popsicles sound like a great idea for stomach bugs – I’ve never thought of that, but might need to try that next time.
I get the Dryer’s fruit bars. I like the antioxidant ones – Pomegranate, and also the Blueberry Acai ones. Those are my favorites.
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