By Kate McClanaghan, www.voiceoverinfo.com

Here are a couple of home remedies to handle whatever ails you the next time you need a little sump’em-sump’em.  After all, we all find ourselves playing through a handicap from time to time and we need all the help we can get.

Herbal remedies are wonderful: they work great and rarely, if ever, have side effects, much like their chemical counterparts.

To relieve colds or allergies:

Yogi Tea… Take cloves, black peppercorns, 3-4 cinnamon sticks, crushed (green) cardamom seeds and slices of fresh ginger root. Boil the mixture in about two quarts of water for 30 minutes or simmer for up to 3 hours (tops). Lastly, add a strong black tea (either loose leaf or in tea bags). Freeze it or store in the fridge.

For stomach irritation and nausea (even for kids and pregnant women):

Ginger Syrup…Peel and slice fresh ginger and layer them in a wide-mouth jar adding sugar between each layer. Continue to layer: ginger-sugar-ginger-sugar. Then add water to slightly ‘float’ the mixture and cover. After 12-18 hours, drain and the mixture is ready to be given by teaspoonful. Store in your cupboard.  Make homemade ginger ale by mixing mineral water (such as Pellegrino) in a one-to-one ratio.

For diarrhea:

Bilberry Honey… Grind up dried bilberry or blueberry in a coffee grinder. Added half a cup of honey and mix. A tablespoonful might just do the trick.
Store on the shelf in your cupboard.

FYI: Herbs typically last for a minimum of two years. If you simply taste them and taste an herb taste, then they are still potent.

Of course, my favorite standard, off-the-shelf, homeopathic quick-fix for a cold or flu is one (preferably orange) Airborne and one (I suggest raspberry) Emergen-C in the same glass.

Ever see me sick? Exactly! I keep these on hand for just such occasions because it’s best if you catch it within the first 24-48 hours. Take this tasty concoction three - four times a day, every 4-5 hours, for 3-4 days. Then once in the morning, once at night for three – four days, then simply once a day for three to four days and that should hold you.  Works like a charm!

And it’s good to know ZICAM homeopathic cough spray works super fast and remarkably well, too—especially if you have a gig and you woke up with a looming problem just to add to your drama.

If your eyes and/or nose is runny try 50 - 60 mgs of zinc will allow you to get through the session without incident!  Nothing shy of miraculous here.  No wonder its so common to smear zinc (in cream form) on a baby’s fannie to keep it dry.  You’ll see a small bottle of zinc in all our studios at SOUND ADVICE very near the booth.

Of course, if your ailment persists or worsens be sure to seek professional medical attention.  Don’t mess around.  Take care of yourself!

After all, you’re depending on you!  May as well make the best of it!

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 11:45 am and is filed under Sound Advice Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.