Using teas as remedies, by Olga Cahill

We are smack bang in the thick of the winter season here at Cadence Health head office. Save for a one way ticket on the next plane to Hawaii, we are here to tough it out with you!

It is safe to say that the half way mark has been mild and very forgiving, still, the odd sniffle and sore throat has been inescapable. Before reaching for the commercial pills and potions why not come on a little holistic healing journey with us? [As I write this it has just been announced that we are experiencing our wettest month in the last 6 years……]

No so long ago at CH I participated in a Webinar presented for The Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS) by Dr Sandi Rogers ED.D.,N.D. The seminar was on Herbal teas and remedies to restore Wellbeing.

The emphasis was twofold. Firstly share your knowledge with your clients and you will be rewarded following the 3T’s; Talk-Tell-Touch and secondly the ability to encourage the sensible use of household and home-grown items for general wellness; this is bound by the concept of going back to basics with some treatments that provide outstanding results. All great and inspiring stuff right?

The practice of sharing your knowledge unconditionally with your clients can prove beneficial to building your business in the long run. Not all areas of business need be delivered with payment in mind. Free tools that encourage client growth will always be appreciated and foster trust and relationship building. These qualities allow for strong partnerships that ensure your business stands head and shoulders above the rest. It then facilitates the valuable word-of-mouth step where your client “tells” another about the results and strengths of your relationship. Surely a solid marketing tool if there ever was one.

Valuable scientific medical research has helped us grow in many ways; however the sharing of remedies that go back-to-basics will assist in adding value to any business. There is a strong appreciation for this holistic approach and it should not be underestimated as a value-add.

Many common ailments can be effectively treated at home if the symptoms are mild and caught early enough. Naturally there is no suggestion that we all go out and self-medicate without caution however some common sense is required here.  Consider headaches, poor circulation, and the common cold, tiredness, sore feet, sore throat, indigestion, Hay-fever, urinary tract infections, mild skin conditions and more… Dr Sandi with some 20 years of clinic experience looked at each of these conditions during the Webinar and was able to share in how simple, inexpensive, even home grown ingredients can be used in their effective treatment.

Let’s take a brief look at the golden list of ingredients that makes up Dr Sandi Rogers’ home-grown pharmacy:

  ·       Lemon balm
  ·       Peppermint or common mint
  ·       Lemons
  ·       Yarrow
  ·       Calendula
  ·       Cranberries
  ·       Parsley
  ·       Cornsilk
  ·       Milk (full cream)
  ·       Honey

  ·       Sea salt
  ·       Apple Cider Vinegar
  ·       Oranges
  ·       Eucalyptus
  ·       Apples
  ·       Ginger
  ·       Epsom salts/Bi-carb soda
  ·       Lectric Soda
  ·       Avocado
  ·       Egg Mayonnaise

The idea of growing your own ingredients is enticing to me. Most of these are on hand, easily accessible if not ‘growable’ wouldn’t you agree?

Bringing it all together we can start by looking at something as common as a sore throat. The products we need here are Cinnamon, Clove, and Star anise, Lemon, Honey, Ginger and Orange although for a quick treatment that Dr Sandi swears by this gargle.

• Using a Cinnamon quill (stick) and small quantity maybe 6-8 whole cloves, add water just boiled and cool to a warm temp that is manageable to gargle with. The process is simply to make a batch and use it as a gargle repeatedly to combat the early signs of a sore throat. 
  

For a more heavy duty mix use

Immune tea
 500mls black tea (strong mix)
  add
 ½ orange finely sliced, ½ lemon finely sliced, 2 tablespoons of grated ginger, 1 tablespoon honey (consider adding some cloves, cinnamon quill and star anise if the throat is bad)

1. Contain it in a thermos is possible and drink the tea steadily.
2. With this I leave you to consider what else may be on offer in the way of DIY home remedies and I look forward to sharing others with you soon.

Remember to eat well, your nutrition will put you in good stead for winter, with lots of variety of foods and coloured foods, and fresh produce (the vitamin C will reduce colds and their severity).
Cheery-oh
Olga Cahill (admin@cadencehealth.com.au)