Diffusive Ginger Syrup for Dry & Cold Coughs
Here is a Ginger Syrup recipe for cases of congestion & sore throat during an acute illness
Specific for dry cold type coughs
Diffusive Ginger Syrup for Dry & Cold Type Coughs
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As you may have noticed in the title of this blog post that this particular syrup is for dry & cold type coughs. What does that even mean?
A dry cough is one that is not producing much phlegm & what it is expelling is thin, white, soft & mucousy in texture. This is the type of cough this syrup is intended for especially if your cough is coupled with coldness in the body.
A wet cough on the other hand is one that produces phlegm but it’s more of a hard green/yellowish substance. This is not the type of cough this syrup is intended for.
Now that we know the difference between a wet & dry cough, what is a cold type cough?
One sure fire way to determine what is going on in the body is to look at the coating on your tongue. Do this before you drink your coffee or morning beverage but after you’ve brushed your teeth for the day. Sometimes beverages like coffee can put a bit of a brown coating on the tongue & that might not give you an accurate reading.
What you’re specifically looking for is to see what color it is.
White, thick film & coating = cold in the system
Scalloped edges (you can see the indent from your teeth) = dampness in the system
Yellow coating = dampness with heat
Red or carmine colored tongue = heat in the system
Dry & cracked = dryness in the system
It’s amazing how the body is in constant communication with us regarding what is going on but with that being said I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not but there are times when we think we know better than the vital force coursing through our system. We can decide things like fever or inflammation need to be shut down rather than listening to what the symptom is trying to show you regarding the state of your system.
I once had a teacher say that the tongue coating was just an indication that the person doesn’t brush their teeth very well. Now I don’t know if that’s true or not for that person but one thing I’ve noticed is that things aren’t always as they seem. Some of the issues I’ve had to address in my body were prolonged because I thought I knew better than that vital response, that the coating on my tongue was just undigested food instead of following those signals. I‘ve shut down inflammation left right & center only to prolong the inevitable.
What if instead you follow the breadcrumbs of truth that your body is giving you rather than telling that vital response to STFU which is exactly what we do when we try to shut off the intelligence of the body? My challenge that I’ve given myself & I invite you to participate in is forming a different type of relationship with the body where you listen & follow those clues. I wonder what might happen then?
What if we asked how we can support our systems rather than attempting to prune away what we think shouldn’t be there? There is an entire concept that I’d like to present to you called the initiatic virtue. Sometimes our illness, disease & sickness is one way our Soul is initiating us into life. I’ve said it once & I’ll say it again we grow through what we go through & this is one way we work through our Soul’s evolution & mastery. Just something to think about. Let me know what your opinion is on this.
Enough about that, let’s talk about the primary actions of concern with the ingredients I’ve chosen for this syrup recipe today. All this means that these are just some of the actions that these plant allies perform in the body but it is not all of them & where in the body they perform these actions.
Ginger
Zingiber officinale
Taste:
Pungent
Action:
Spasmolytic- reducing spasm in the musculature (skeletal & smooth) Smooth muscle is what is surrounding your organs. Helping to support the body when it's feeling a dull, achy, nonspecific type pain that is generally alleviated by the application of heat (bath or hot water bottle)
Expectorant- removing phlegm by increasing localized circulation, thinning the mucus & making it easier to expel.
Diaphoretic - causing sweating, helping in cases of fever. We are not wanting to shut down the fever response of the body.
Circulatory stimulant- bringing blood flow from the core out into the periphery thereby supporting elimination of invading pathogens & metabolic byproducts that can become stagnant in our interstitial fluids, lymph & blood.
Antimicrobial & antibacterial- due to its high volatile oil content.
Affinity:
Respiratory system
Energetics:
Fresh is Warming but is considered to have a stronger therapeutic value & less drying overall.
Dry is Hot & much more pungent that fresh
Drying
Relaxing
Contraindications:
In large doses it does have emmenagogue properties which means it can stimulate menses.
Avoid using it if you have peptic ulcers.
Avoid if you are having a surgery avoid ginger 1 week before as it does have some blood thinning effects & could increase your risk of hemorrhaging.
Ruling planet:
Sun
Ruling element:
Earth
Learn more about the ruling planet & element HERE
Cinnamon
Cinnamomum
Taste:
Sweet
Spicy
Action:
Inflammation modulating going in & not shutting off the inflammatory response but rather fine tuning it .
Antimicrobial- due to its high content of volatile oils
Expectorant- clearing mucus from the lungs encouraging circulation throughout the respiratory system
Diaphoretic- encouraging sweating & thereby decreasing the length of a fever.
Affinity:
Respiratory system
Circulatory system
Energetics:
Warming
Drying
Stimulating
Contraindications:
Avoided if you have a liver condition
Use caution if pregnant
Ruling planet:
Sun
Ruling element:
Fire
One thing to mention here is we have 2 Solar (Sun ruled) plants. Solar plants are said to help build up vitality within the body. Your vitality might not be that strong if you’ve come down with an illness. Just something to think about.
There is also a reason as to why this is a two part recipe. The next two ingredients have some delicate properties to them that we want to tap into to utilize but if you boil them for any amount of time you run the risk of damaging those delicate properties which is why we’re going to be using an infusing method to add to our decoction today.
Now so far as you can see this formula is warming & has the potential to be fairly drying, so next we’re going to add some cooling & moistening plants to help balance out the formula.
Diffusive Ginger Syrup for Dry & Cold Type Coughs
Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
Taste:
Salty- indicating a high amount of minerals
Sweet- containing mucilage which builds up tissues, strengthens the constitution
Mildly astringent
Slightly bitter
Action
Relaxant expectorant as it is spasmolytic in nature relieving tension & spasm by relaxing the smooth muscles around the respiratory system opening up the airways
Demulcent soothing, cooling & moistening dried out mucosal membranes
Inflammation modulating
Relaxant nervine helping to relieve overly irritated cough
Anodyne helping with any nerve pain that might be present
Affinity
Respiratory system
Musculoskeletal system
Lymphatic system
Nervous system
Energetic
Cooling
Moistening
Astringent- Think loose tissue - runny nose
Contraindication
None
Ruling planet
Saturn
Ruling element
Air
Lobelia
Lobelia inflata
Taste
Pungent
Acrid (think the taste of bile in the back of the throat after you’ve vomited)
Action
Relaxant with an affinity for the nervous system & the musculoskeletal system
Diaphoretic assisting the body in producing a sweat & thereby reducing fever
Expectorant relaxing the smooth muscles around the bronchioles opening up the airways during constrictive cases
Nervine relaxant helping to relax the entire nervous system
Spasmolytic treating muscular spasm in the body & is said to be the most reliable spasmolytic we have in our western materia medica
Affinity
Musculoskeletal system
Nervous system through relaxing the muscles
Respiratory system & specifically the lungs & bronchial tree. Even the Latin name is giving us this clue, Lobelia inflata makes me automatically think of the lungs & specifically the act of inhalation which is something that can be difficult in cases of heavy congestion
Cardiovascular system increasing circulation & opening up the pores
Energetic
Heating but cooling over the long term due to increased perspiration.
Relaxant
Moistening & thereby beneficial to dry spasmodic coughs
Contraindication
Considered a low dose herb as there is some controversy around this herb depending on where you live in the world. This means it has the potential to make you sick if you take to high of a dose. Some herbs in the low dose category are considered toxins. However the amount in this formulation is well within the recommended dosage range. If you find yourself in a place where you can’t get lobelia or it’s illegal then you can skip it in this formulation. It’s a nice plant ally to add but isn’t the main star of the show.
It has been shown to interfere with Lithium drugs
Ruling planet
Mercury
Ruling element
Air
RECIPE:
1 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome
1 stick cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) bark
1 tbsp per 1 cup of Mullein
½ tsp per 1 cup of Lobelia
2 cups filtered water
½-1 cup sugar or honey
DIRECTIONS:
Wash ginger well with a fruit & veggie wash.
Slice thinly by hand or using a mandolin
Combine sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, water in a small saucepan & bring it to a boil
Reduce the heat to a simmer until liquid has reduced by half, about 30-45 minutes.
Strain out the ginger
Place the appropriate amount of Lobelia (½ tsp per 1 cup of liquid) in a dedicated herb/spice/coffee grinder (or even a blender) or using a mortar & pestle to break down the cell walls of the plant matter by grinding it. We aren’t looking for a powder, just smaller pieces of plant.
Place the appropriate amount of Mullein (1 tbsp per 1 cup of liquid) in an herb grinder or use a mortar & pestle to break down the cell walls of the plant matter by grinding it. We aren’t looking for a powder, just smaller pieces of plant.
Infuse the liquid with the herbs for 10 minutes
Let the infusion cool slightly & stir in the honey until well combined.
Pour into clean glass jar
DOSAGE:
1-2 tbsp up to 3 times a day during acute illness when dry & cold type coughs are present
STORAGE:
In the refrigerator & use within 1-2 months for optimum freshness.
NOTE:
If you’re unsure how much honey you want to add to this recipe remember you can always add more honey if needed. Once you add too much honey there isn’t much you can do to cut down that sweetness. I like to approach this with an attitude of low & slow adding lower amounts & slowly increasing until I get the desired sweetness.
Comment down below & let me know how you like to support yourself or your loved ones during times of sickness?