Stocking Your Wellness Chest (aka Medicine Cabinet)

by Amy Thiel | photo by Annie Spratt

You fight back the urge to use the word sick. You even start chanting to yourself, (out loud no doubt) that certain mantra. You know the one, when you start to get that feeling in your throat or a bit of a cough, “I feel fine…” “I feel great…” but each time it’s with a little less confidence.

You decide to go check out what’s in the Wellness Chest, aka medicine cabinet, the treasure trove of tinctures and bottles, lozenges and capsules from last time. You start thinking; what should I have in here? What could really help me push past this and not. be. sick!?

If you’ve ever wondered what natural remedies you should have on hand that can boost your immune system and shorten the duration of illness, especially as we head into “cold and flu season,” check out the list below!

Top Picks for My Personal Wellness Chest:

Top Herbals: All these guys are antimicrobial in a big way. And when I say anti-microbial I mean, anti-bacterial, anti -viral, anti-fungal. They have you covered.

• Oregano Oil: One word, Potent. Packed with many compounds, such as thymol and carvacrol, that crush inflammation and promote healing internally and topically.
• Olive Leaf Extract: The therapeutic benefits exceed help with cold and flu season. They are full of phytonutrients like oleuropein to help with things like ear infections and heart health.
• Garlic: Stops bacteria in its tracks and it doesn’t stop there. I did the experiments in biology lab to prove it.

Top Homeopathics: These work with your body to relieve symptoms of illness. Substances become homeopathic remedies through a very specific process called “potentization,” which involves sequential dilution and succussion. They can be found in tincture or pellet form. There are more than 5,000 homeopathic remedies!

• Oscillococcinum: Used to shorten the duration of a cold or if taken early enough to help prevent the cold from taking root.
• Pulsatilla Nigricans: This one is for mucous membranes. So all that yuck in your nasal passages is no more.
• Eupatorium Perfoliatum: For sneezing, dry-stuffy nose, hoarse cough.

Top Others: Don’t let the word “others” put them on the bottom of your shopping list. These guys pack a punch, all anti-microbials, to ward of the insidious germs of the season!

• Grapefruit Seed Extract: Tablets and liquid for many uses. Can be especially good for parasites and stomach “bugs.”
• Colloidal Silver: Can be used topically and for eyes infection, also can be used on skin rashes.
• Breathing: Try the Wim Hof method to start. Helps oxygenate the blood to push pathogens out.

Top Vitamin and Minerals: Always a good idea to have them on continual repeat. We are often deficient even in the midst of non-cold season.

• Vitamin C: Powerhouse antioxidant, bring any vagrant microbe to it’s doorstep and watch it wither. (Not all vit. C is the same)
• Vitamin D: regulates the functions of over 200 genes and is essential for growth and development,i.e. health and wellness.
• Zinc: Vital for the immune system, your T-cells will fight for you.

Best places to find these natural remedies: Amazon, Whole Foods, People’s Pharmacy and HEB.

Fortunately, you can have an arsenal at home to boost your body’s immune system when the sniffles come calling. Find out which ones work best for you and have them on hand. All them can help shorten the duration of illness and help you feel better faster. When you have run thin on what keeps pathogens at bay it will ease your mind to know you have them on hand. And don’t forget to keep up hydration in the cooler seasons! This one is easy to ignore when we aren’t sweating up a storm.

About Amy Thiel
Amy spent her formative years growing up on a farm in Lubbock, Texas. She graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in Horticulture and then went back to obtain her Masters in Agriculture with an emphasis on food production. After graduating from college Amy worked in the Horticulture industry in various capacities including floral, landscape design and farmed for ten years. Currently she is the “Chief Operations Hacker and Head of Business Development” at CrossFit Central Downtown. In her spare time Amy enjoys being with her family, researching a myriad of topics, seeking out new information, and expanding her knowledge base. She is our resident expert and scholar for all things plant-based, research-based and natural.