Thyme for President. Seriously. I love this unassuming little healer so much. I use it in all ways possible in our home. Like many of the culinary herbs it has a list of properties (antiseptic, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant, nervine) that are useful in healing. I use it for cleaning, mouthwash, sore throats, in bath for flu ache, for upset tums, and of course food.
Apparently thymus means courage and was used by ancient Greeks in baths and temples as a source for courage, so it seems a fitting herb to follow yesterday's post. We use it a lot in our food this time of year, and it's a featured herb in my Coyote Cider, but it's also really good medicine. Thyme is probably my most treasured herb....wait, I might say that about all the plants. Well, anyhoo this powerful little spice holds a world of goodness.
A few days after I got back from my trip, our house erupted in a series of unfortunate illnesses. Resting finally upon me, with a head/respiratory/throat something or other. Busy with doing the mama thing, I sort of forgot about dealing with it in the beginning. Working with a cold just as it's coming is the best way to ensure success with herbs. As much as I know these things, putting them into practice when you are living in utter chaos is sometimes so challenging for me. I didn't really make time for even a cup of tea. Thus, this little bug has marched its way into my body, determined to succeed. I joked on FB, that the universe was just giving me an opportunity to test out my material one more time before HerbCamp started.
It took about three days of a terrible cough complete with a throbbing aching throat and a seriously debilitating earache, before I would take responsibility for myself. I remembered the thyme syrup I made a few weeks ago, that was shoved in the back of the fridge. I treated myself with afternoon of dosing up on this amazing healer, along with cups of warm honeyed canela tea, loads of fresh garlic, and some warm drops of mullein oil in my ears. When I woke up the next day, my throat pain was gone. Thank goodness the herbs don't get mad at you when you forget to use em. My cough is now just a tickle. I'll continue with the thyme syrup, and extra doses of garlic for the next few days until my body finds its way back to well, but I already feel like myself again.
You can grab the recipe for my thyme syrup, in my free eBook "8 Essentials to Building Your Herb'n Home."
Or join us at HerbCamp: Big Medicine where we'll be making syrups, tinctures, and salves. Here's a silly outtake video from Camp of me loving up the thyme in my garden, but not the neighbor's dog...
