Natural Kid-Friendly Remedy For a Sore Throat
Here is a natural, easy, and kid-friendly remedy for a sore throat.
My 6 YO woke up crying and complaining that her throat was hurting. Immediately, my Mama Ayurveda skills kicked in.
Here’s what we did.
First, gargle with warm water with rock salt. I realize that this may not be possible with toddlers so feel free to skip this step. But if your child is old enough to gargle, have them do this critical step after brushing and scraping their tongue. Rock salt has antibacterial properties so it kills the bad bacteria that is causing the pain. It’s like having a clean slate before ingesting the tonic that I’m about to share with you.
Second, I had her drink my homemade tonic easy tonic that is composed of water, fresh ginger, fresh lemon juice, raw honey, and turmeric powder. Ginger is one of those spices that has a ton of benefits for all doshas all year long. For this purpose, we’re utilizing its anti-inflammatory properties that will ease the soreness of the throat, as well as its antiviral and antibacterial properties that will fight infections. Lemon juice boosts immunity, which is what we need to do so that the body can further fight the infection. As for honey, yes, it does need to be raw. Filtered honey has been processed and heated so it looses its natural enzymes, vitamins and pollen. Honey that is heated also becomes toxic to the body. That’s why it’s critical to allow the tonic to cool before adding the honey. The raw honey eases the pain by coating the throat with its natural protective film and by its antibacterial properties. It’s also super effective in relieving coughs. Turmeric provides relief from itching, pain, and swelling. It’s also effective in drying out phlegm and mucous (in its dry form - this is because mucus and phlegm are heavy and wet. Powdered turmeric, which is dry and astringent, dries them out).
Here’s the step-by-step instructions on how to make my natural kid-friendly tonic for a sore throat:
Boil 3 cups of water with 3 slivers of ginger. Once it comes to a boil, let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add about 1/4 to 1/2 a lemon.
Add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder.
Let cool to room temp.
Stir in 1-2 tsp of raw honey.
Pour the contents, including the ginger, into a bottle or thermos. Serve your little one a small cup every 2-3 hours or whenever they need it.
And of course, this tonic can work for the whole family, including you, mama!
Thank you to my daughter, Rumi, for giving me the idea and the encouragement to write and share this post.
