If you have a cold and are in need of some relief I recommend homemade herbal teas for colds.
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Who gets a cold on Mother’s Day weekend?
Sadly, that would be me. I had a terrible cold all weekend and even worse I passed it onto my 18-month-old son and three-year-old daughter. Looking back I should have known something was brewing in my two little ones on Friday night. At 4am they both woke up and refused to go back to sleep. Instead they ended up in our bed where all they wanted to do was cuddle, mostly with their dad. Usually that would hurt my feelings but not that night since by that time my head was throbbing and I could hardly breathe through my nose. Soon, the sun rose and the three of us awoke with full-blown colds. My husband was the only lucky one to be spared. Healthy and strong, he rose early on Saturday morning and got himself ready to go to WORK! Yes, unfortunately my husband had to work all weekend. You see, he is a high school teacher and it just happened that Mother’s Day weekend was also the weekend when his school would be hosting a huge national speech tournament (which he was in charge of). That meant he was gone all Saturday and most of Sunday. As a result, that left me on my own to take care of my two little sickies and myself. Not going to lie, there was a lot of TV-watching, couch-lounging, carb-eating, and PJ-wearing that went on this weekend. Not to mention a lot of wiping of runny noses, unexplained crying and tantrums, and chasing after them trying to get them to eat. However, we did get some quiet time to just sit and take it easy, which lent itself really well to some amazing snuggles. Is it wrong that I like when my kids are sick because they just want to be held by mama?Herbal Teas to the Rescue
Thankfully, something that really helped relieve the awfulness of our colds was drinking lots of herbal tea. Drinking tea during a cold is great because you are drinking liquids and the warmth helps soothe a sore throat. Also, herbal teas have many medicinal benefits. In Mexico, herbal teas are very common in treating all different types of ailments. Usually if something is wrong, my parents or grandmother will recommend all sorts of homemade herbal teas for treatment.Teas to drink when you have a cold
Following are a few homemade herbal teas for colds that I highly recommend. (It is always best to consult with your doctor before trying any tea with small children.)
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is great for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The tea has a mild flavor and is safe to give to children, even to babies in small doses. After I brew the tea I let it cool down a bit before giving it to my kids and mix in a teaspoon of honey. Honey is also a natural antibacterial and helps soothe a sore throat. Keep in mind that honey should never be given to children under the age of one because it could contain botulism spores.Mint Tea
Another amazing herb to use for homemade herbal teas for colds is mint. Mint has antibacterial and antiviral properties and is also safe for kids. The taste of mint tea is stronger than that of chamomile so I usually dilute it with a little water when I give it to my kids. Then I mix in a teaspoon of honey.Garlic Tea
Although not actually an herb, garlic is a natural antibiotic and decongestant and is a great tea remedy. Garlic tea is also safe for kids, but from my experience not one of their favorites. To make garlic tea recipe, finely chop one clove of garlic and place at the bottom of a mug and cover with hot water. Let the tea sit for about 3 minutes then add half a lime and honey. You can leave the garlic in the tea and actually drink some of it to get more of the effects of the garlic.Mint and Peach Tea (Medicine Ball Tea)
This is a new addition to my tea repertoire and an idea that comes from Starbucks. Have you heard of the medicine ball tea from Starbucks? Many medicine ball believers claim that this tea is a cure for the common cold. Although that is a pretty big claim, the use of mint tea and lemonade or limeade (lemons and limes are natural antioxidants) are great for soothing a cold. I love this concoction because it’s also just absolutely delicious! The original recipe calls for the use of lemonade, water, a mint tea bag, a peach tea bag and honey. However, this makes for an extremely sugary drink because lemonade has so much sugar. Instead, my husband and I make a revised homemade medicine ball tea. It is still so delicious and I probably drank about 6 homemade medicine ball teas this weekend.
Homemade Medicine Ball Tea Ingredients:
-1 bag of Bigelow Mint Tea -1 bag of Bigelow Peach Tea -Hot water -Half a lime -1 ½ teaspoons of honey Overall, even though my husband had to work and the kids and I were sick, my Mother’s Day weekend was still fantastic. I enjoyed all the lounging and snuggle time I got with my babies and when my husband got home he had all sorts of Mother’s Day gifts, flowers, surprises and treats for me. Do you use any homemade herbal teas for colds? What other natural remedies do you use to fight colds? Share your comments with me below.Check out this other great home remedy:
Recipe
Homemade Medicine Ball Tea
Ingredients
- 1 bag Bigelow Mint Tea
- 1 bag Bigelow Peach Tea
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ lime
- 1 ½ teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Steep the the bags of mint tea and peach tea together in a mug with hot water for 4 minutes.
- Squeeze half a lime in the tea.
- Add honey.
- You can always add more lime juice or honey depending on your preference.
Did you try this recipe?Leave me a comment and star rating below or mention @everydaylatina on Instagram!
Yolanda
I'm a huge tea lover and am always looking for some remedies when I'm sick. This one sounds really good and I love the addition of the lime. I'm saving to make when I need it! Thanks 🙂
everydaylatina
It's great even when you're not sick.
Bailey
I had no idea about making garlic tea! Is it hard to drink?
everydaylatina
My dad always swore by it and I used to think I wouldn't like it. But with the honey and lime it's actually not bad.
Sophie
Is it odd that I would drink these teas without even having a cold!? I absolutely love tea and am always trying new flavors or adding a few pieces of fruit to give it something extra. Thank you for your sharing!
everydaylatina
Not odd at all, I do the same thing!
Seppy
I didn't know that about Chamomile tea!!
My dad makes an amazing concoction of fresh ginger, honey and lemon and it tastes amazing and soothes the throat.
Seppy | http://www.elleisforlove.com
everydaylatina
Yes ginger is also so good.
Monica
I have everything except for the peach tea which I will pick up tomorrow! It sounds really good and I love hot tea especially in the fall/winter season!
everydaylatina
I hope you loved it! I drink it all the time during the winter, especially if I'm not feeling too well.
Niamh
wow i've never heard of garlic tea, my partner is sick right now so ill see if i can get him to drink some to see if it helps!
everydaylatina
I hope so too, it always works for me.
candy
I like to make different combinations of teas. Spring and summer colds are always the worst. Hope you get to feeling better.
everydaylatina
Thank you. For some reason I always get sick when there's a drastic change in the weather.
Kim
I don't know why I don't think to drink tea when I have a cold. I'm definitely going to buy a couple you recommend to have on hand when the next cold strikes. Thanks for the suggestions!
everydaylatina
They really work and it's just always nice to drink something warm and soothing when you feel so lousy.
Jocelyn Kopac
I had to get myself a cup a tea!
everydaylatina
Haha. Yeah I don't even know how many cups of tea I had just typing it.
susie liberatore
Great ideas for all of these. Love TEA!!
everydaylatina
Thank you!
Kairavi
I love ginger, tulsi and cinamon tea. I pluck the tulsi leaves from the one growing in our corridor. Its such a relief for my sore throat.
everydaylatina
I have never used tulsi. I will have to try it.
Krysten
I love mint tea when I'm sick - and I usually add essential oils as well!
everydaylatina
I am yet to use essential oils, other than in a diffuser. I need to try this.
Bethany
I typically just drink chamomile tea or maybe ginger tea when I’m sick. I like the recipe idea with the mint tea! That sounds good.
everydaylatina
You have to try it. I am addicted, it is so good!