What’s the Tea? Vol. 9: Being Sick Can Be Scary

I hope you’ve all had a great few weeks and Happy Thanksgivings. I missed writing to you last week because I became very sick with what ended up being one of those wicked bad colds going around. You name a symptom, I most likely experienced it. The photo above is one I sent to my Mom on Thanksgiving Day, right after getting home from urgent care.

These days, being sick with anything feels heavy, because it could be Covid or any other number of viruses or bacterial infections out in the world. These days, being sick means you absolutely need to stay home—no more “sticking it out” to go into work or go to a gathering so you don’t miss out.

So, I spent Thanksgiving by myself, resting and drinking so much tea. I’m thankful all the time for my herbal knowledge, but I was especially thankful I could just pop into my workshop and blend some herbs for a healing tea.

Was I lonely? Heck yeah. I missed my family terribly. Today, I want to acknowledge anyone who has felt sick recently. It can be scary and isolating—I see you and hear you and feel you.

Below I’ll share some of the herbs I turned to in order to feel as better as I could.

Herbs to Quell Colds

Thyme: This herb is a true balm for the bronchial system, killing all the nasty germs. I steeped this with oregano (a well-known antiviral herb) and rosemary—I really went all in with the herbaceous tea that day!

Cloves: Besides being such a beautiful spice, clove is antimicrobial. I highly recommend brewing clove with orange peel, or within my root chakra blend—the wild cherry bark in that helps calm the respiratory system.

Ginger: I love Miss Ginger for reducing inflammation. Bring ginger root (either fresh or dried), half a lemon (both juice and peel), and some honey to a boil. Simmer for five minutes. *chef’s kiss*