Unwanted Holiday Guests

Unwanted guests—they can be a real pain and totally ruin your holiday feeling. I’m talking about three specific holiday party crashers: germs, digestive issues, and stress.

The holiday season is all about traveling, hanging out with friends and family, spreading good cheer—and nasty Germs. We’ve heard all about viruses, that tiny piece of nucleic acid that hijacks our body’s cells to replicate itself. Very few conventional treatments can even touch a virus and many doctors will tell you that you need to just let it run its course. Plus, viruses and bacteria mutate over time to become resistant to antibiotics and vaccines. But here’s what’s interesting: neither can resist the strong natural compounds found in plants. For ages, plant-based remedies have been helping people stay healthy and heal, no matter what new viruses pop up.

Recent studies that tap into nature and indigenous knowledge are leading to some amazing breakthroughs in treating all sorts of illnesses. A great example is the discovery that artemisinin, a compound extracted from Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua), which grows easily right here in Minnesota, turns out to be a cure for chloroquine-resistant malaria. This discovery was even awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015 for saving millions of lives. How cool is that!

Elderberry has been used for supporting health for ages, but it really started catching the eye of scientists in the 1990s, especially for its potent antiviral actions against various strains of influenza. As a result, Sambucol was developed in 1991 and hit the market in 1992, named after elderberry’s botanical name, Sambucus. Since then, there’s been an abundance of different elderberry products popping up everywhere, from syrups and lozenges to gummies, immunity juice shots, tinctures, and teas—all claiming to be the go-to flu fighter.

So, is elderberry really the superhero everyone talks about? You betcha! Science is now backing up elderberry's long history for supporting health, with studies showing that it inhibits viral attachment, preventing a virus from latching onto our cells and replicating itself. That means elderberry can help keep colds and influenza at bay or make symptoms less intense should a virus latch on. You can take it regularly through cold-and-flu season, bumping up the dose if you’re feeling under the weather or have been around someone who is sick. Oh, and it’s also great for your eyesight, especially night vision. And it helps with digestion too. And so much more. Elderberry is good to have on hand for many reasons!

Elderberry can be utilized in many forms. I most commonly use elderberry as a tincture or syrup. I prefer to make my remedies with fresh elderberries when they are in season, but dried elderberries can also be used and are available at many coops and online. You’ll find many recipes for homemade elderberry syrup and gummies online as well as on my website. My favorite form of elderberry is the tincture, as it has the constituents extracted by both alcohol and water, and it is so easy to use. If you want an excellent book that covers everything you would ever want to know about elderberry, I suggest Everything Elderberry  by Susannah Shmurak.

Sage, along with other common culinary herbs like rosemary and thyme, is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. So, how can we use sage to boost our health during the holidays? You can infuse some honey with sage to suppress coughs. Simply chop up some fresh sage, place it in a glass jar, and pour honey over to cover. It’s really that easy! You could use dried sage of course, but I prefer the taste of fresh sage. Gargle with a strong sage tea to ease a sore throat. Taken internally, sage has been shown to help with more serious stuff like bronchitis and asthma. If sage isn’t your thing, thyme is a great option since it, too, helps clear out mucus.  In addition to using sage in tea or infusing it in honey, it can also be utilized in tincture form, offering a potent and portable option. Of course, sage enhances the flavor of various holiday dishes, particularly stuffing, one of my favorites.

Ginger, taken at the first sign of illness, can really help ease those pesky symptoms and even shorten how long you’re sick by giving your immune system a boost. Sipping on ginger tea several times a day is a fantastic home remedy for colds. Just toss a heaping teaspoon of fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon of dry) into a cup of boiled water and let it steep covered for 10 minutes. You can jazz it up with cayenne, garlic, honey, or lemon juice. Ginger tea is awesome for nausea too. If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding mint, cinnamon, cardamom, orange peel, or star anise for a twist. Ginger-infused honey is a tasty cough suppressant. You could even whip up a ginger/sage honey combo - yum. Including ginger liberally in your cooking during the cold and flu season is a smart move.

Have you ever nibbled on a Pine needle? They are resinous with a touch of bitter, but the standout taste is tartness, which means they’re loaded with vitamin C. Their zesty flavor makes a delicious tea or you can infuse them into oils and butters for all sorts of tasty treats. Pine needles, resin and bark have been used as medicine for ages.  Pine can clear up mucus in the lungs and sinuses, ease coughing, and even fight off bacterial infections. I enjoy going into my yard, plucking some pine needles, and making pine needle tea for those benefits. Steaming with pine needles is a great way to clear up congestion and add some antimicrobial moisture to the air—perfect for everyone living with you or visiting for the holidays! Consider simply simmering some pine needles/small branches on the stove during holiday get-togethers to reduce the spread of germs and improve everyone’s health.

Calendula has many awesome benefits for health, including amazing support for one’s lymphatic system as it works to move out cellular waste and toxins. Swollen lymph nodes? Calendula shines in breaking up and moving congested or stuck lymph. Trouble bouncing back after illness? Calendula to the rescue again. For lymph support, I most commonly use calendula in tincture form. I also dry calendula flowers, as they bloom so prolifically all summer, and use those for tea or to add to soups or other long-simmered dishes. Once again, something simple that benefits everyone at the table.

The second unwanted holiday guest is Digestive Issues. Over indulging—whether it’s too much food or the wrong kinds—can really mess with digestion, making you feel anything from a little uncomfortable to downright miserable. Luckily, there’s are many herbal solutions to help with digestion.

Bitters, a simple herbal tonic that has been around for ages, dating back to ancient Egypt and China.  Bitter blends stimulate your digestive tract for the foods you’ll be eating, in turn helping your body to better absorb nutrients from your meals. You can take them 15 to 20 minutes before a meal (preferred), with your meal, or even right after—whenever you remember! Many bitters in the U.S. have a low alcohol content, so you can find them at many grocery stores or food co-ops. Or you can make your own. There is great a book titled DIY Bitters, with interesting recipes, if you want to give that a try. They make great holiday gifts, too!

Chamomile offers great support for digestion, making chamomile tea a great choice after a festive meal. A quick tip: to avoid bitterness, avoid steeping your chamomile tea for more than 3 to 5 minutes. I often enhance my chamomile tea with chamomile tincture for an added herbal boost, since the alcohol in the tincture extracts certain compounds not captured by hot water.

Ginger, while great at tackling cold and flu symptoms, is also outstanding for digestive issues. If your stomach’s feeling a bit off, sipping on some ginger tea, having ginger ale (just make sure it contains real ginger), or even sparkling water with ginger can really help. Throwing some ginger into that chamomile tea I just mentioned will amp up its digestion-boosting perks and give it a nice spicy kick! And if you’re traveling this holiday season—whether by car, plane, or boat—and someone struggles with motion sickness, be sure to have some ginger handy. Ginger capsules can be handy for this, but I lean toward candied ginger pieces myself.  I’ve also enjoyed dark chocolate coated crystalized ginger pieces.  Divine.

The third unwanted holiday guest is Stress. On top of all the chances to pick up germs or deal with stomach issues, stress really takes a toll on your immune system and makes you feel lousy. And then there’s the emotional toll stress puts on a person, and in turn, those around them. But don’t worry, there are some herbal remedies that can address these issues as well!  

Tulsi, or Holy Basil, is indigenous to India and is considered a sacred plant in Hinduism. It’s known to help with issues like depression and anxiety, along with supporting one’s immune system. I love the taste of its spicy, bitter leaves and often add dried tulsi to my tea blends or homemade kombucha.  Organic India offers several lovely tea blends and is found at local co-ops or online.  I keep tulsi tincture handy to either take sublingually or add to my tulsi tea or oatmeal or yogurt or... so many things.  I sprinkle tulsi powder on soups, salads, and other foods as it is commonly eaten in Indian cuisine.  I make tulsi-infused honey, one of my favorites for spreading on toast or stirring into yogurt. Yep, I’m a bit partial to tulsi.

If you’re feeling those “winter blahs,” give calendula a try. Along with offering lymphatic support, Calendula is also a nervine —an herb that can nourish and support the central nervous system—and has been known to help with seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.). While calendula tea is nice, I’ve found that using the tincture, whether on its own or stirred into a cup of tea, works even better when used for S.A.D. or for lifting one’s spirits and outlook.

Chamomile is a popular pick for relaxation. It tastes great, helps calm your nerves, and makes it easier to sleep. Plus, it’s awesome for kids too!  Here again I find the tincture most effective and will often mix it into a nighttime tea.

I hope you will find something of benefit in this rather lengthy post. You’ll find more information on my website or online. Feel free to contact me with any questions or to share other tips.  And as always, I do have tinctures available for purchase if you need a great quality tincture made with fresh, local plants. And join me for classes next summer to make your own!

This holiday season, don’t put out the welcome mat for unwanted guests: germs, digestive issues, and stress. Remember: there’s an herb for that!