Echinacea

There are a few herbs and botanicals I can’t live without - my top three are wheatgrass juice, cold milled flax seed and good old Echinacea, in the form of tea. I have very particular needs for why I use each one. They have literally saved me from every body issue I have, naturally. I use Echinacea, in particular, preventively through the whole year.

So what is Echinacea?
Echinacea is a type of flower that has been used in herbal medicine for a really long time. It basically stimulates and boosts the immune system. There have been several studies done, that found Echinacea can cut the chances of catching a cold by more than half, and if you have already caught a cold, can shorten the length of the cold.

It comes in a bunch of different forms. You can find it blended into herbal teas, cut with awesome cold and flu soothers like peppermint, you can find capsules, extracts - all sorts of options. Luckily for us, Wal-Mart carries Echinacea tea right in the tea isle.

The way I like to use it, is always tea. I have found that over the last 12 years of using, the tea works best for me, and it tastes really, really good. If anyone around me is sick, I’ll drink 3 cups a day for a week. If I feel a twinge of anything coming on any time of the year, I load up on 3-5 cups for a week.

Anyway - I thought I would pop on here and spread the news since I just watched another cold run through our home. This cold and flu season has been pretty overwhelming with the kids in preschool daycare a few days a week, bumping elbows with other germ catchers just like them. I can’t remember a time when I’ve seen so many viruses flying around. Stock up, keep warm and cross fingers for a healthy rest of the cold and flu season!