Elderberry Remedy | Recipe

We're starting to get dangerously close to cold and flu season, especially with the temperature fluctuation recently I've noticed cold starting to be passed around. We chose every year to vaccinate the girls with the flu shot, but Aaron and I usually don't get one for ourselves. Our household manages to stay pretty healthy for the most part but I'm one to force, yes force everyone in the house to stay on a strict vitamin regime, drink warm water with honey and lemon regularly, diffuse air purifying oils and last year I added Elderberry Syrup to my wellness arsenal. This past January right before Naomi arrived we all had a month-long cold, I was desperate, 145 (that what it felt like) months pregnant and searching the shelves for whatever I could find to make our clan better before the baby's arrival. I spotted a bottle of elderberry syrup, read the back and bought that pricey little 4-ounce bottle. I liked the changes I saw in my health and the length of that cold, the girls liked the taste and we were all better quickly. I did some research on elderberry and I was impressed and sad that I haven't known about it before! Now, elderberry from the store is SO expensive and there's no one around here selling in ready-made and homemade so when I saw a relative post that she had made her own and I knew that it was something that I needed to try! The recipe is easy enough and you can find all of your ingredients online or in the store. Plus I'm saving $$$ buy making this on my own. Side note: I'm a firm believer in modern medicine but there are times that colds don't call for antibiotics or over the counter options do not help, in those situations, I like to use natural options to help ease symptoms and improve my family's health.

"Elderberry might affect the immune system. Elderberry seems to have activity against cold viruses including the flu, and might reduce inflammation." - WebMD

*And if you want to get scientific: In the most compelling study, a randomized trial of 60 patients aged 18-54 suffering from flu symptoms for 48 hours or less received 15 ml (3 teaspoons) of elderberry syrup or a placebo 4x per day for five days. Researchers observed that “Symptoms were relieved on average 4 days earlier and use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving elderberry extract compared with placebo”.{LINK HERE for the .gov site with the information on that study.}

Also, not only do we take the syrup when there is something brewing in our bodies but we also take it a hand full of times a week as a preventive measure. I'll list the ingredients and instructions below if you want to give it a try. The syrup can last up to six months in the fridge, stored in an airtight container, preferably a glass one. 

I also linked up the places where I found my dried berries & other items:

• Elderberries 
• Organic Elderberries (if you prefer organic products)
• Nature Nate's Raw Honey  
• Strainer with Double Fine Mesh 

{recipe adapted from Wellness Mama}

Stay healthy friends!