Why Our Family Drinks Elderberry Syrup
This post is in partner with Alex’s Elderberries. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Please read my disclaimer page for more information.
My family and I have lived a non toxic lifestyle for almost decade now and I’ve researched and learned a lot through out that time. I am not a doctor so please don’t think of this as medical advice, but I have done more than my fair share of research. Also my husband is a Doctor of Chiropractic so between him and myself, we are very confident in our decisions when it comes to treating our family holistically. During cold and flu season, I am very passionate about treating my family without prescription meds and staying the holistic route AFTER I’ve researched my options. I feel like researching this is something that we can all learn from and use to really take our health back into our own hands.
First and foremost, we believe that the body functions best when the spine is in proper alignment, so chiropractic adjustments play a big part in our health. Most of the benefits associated with chiropractic care are due to patients receiving specific chiropractic adjustments. These chiropractic adjustments work by helping to place your spine in the proper position that then allows the body to heal itself. As a holistic and alternative treatment approach, chiropractic adjustments can reduce stress placed on someone’s immune system, freeing up energy to be used towards disease prevention and maintaining homeostasis. Our family gets full body adjustments twice a week to maintain our care. I have seen chiropractic adjustments lower my children’s fevers, stop excessive crying, help them use the bathroom when backed up, and make an ear ache disappear. If any of us are ever sick, adjustments are the first thing we turn to when starting the healing process. All of my children have been adjusted since birth, I’ve gotten adjusted for 10 years and I’ve seen a dramatic weight difference by doing so. I also continue to get adjusted during my pregnancies because there are many benefits.
My love for holistic remedies runs deep y’all and I am always researching what I can add into the mix to help strengthen our immune systems. Elderberry syrup is something that I started hearing about a few years ago and decided to research in depth before trying it myself. I purchased a big mason jar premade from a local lady in Myrtle Beach and fell in love. It tastes delicious and the health benefits are unreal! The woman that I purchased from is Alexandra Cowell and she owns Alex’s Elderberries & Apiaries. They make natural, premium elderberry syrups, raw honeys, curated wellness boxes and honeybee apparel and goods. Their elderberry syrup contains the absolute best, organic ingredients out there! Including these immune boosting ingredients: ginger, echinacea, cloves, cinnamon, rose hips, and chinese star anise.
Here’s the breakdown of why each of these ingredients have been added to Alex’s elderberry syrups:
1. Organic Elderberries: Used for “the flu” (influenza), H1N1 “swine” flu, HIV/AIDS, and boosting the immune system. It is also used for sinus pain, back and leg pain (sciatica), nerve pain (neuralgia), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
2. Organic Echinacea: Evidence suggests that echinacea may prevent the common cold. It also might help as a treatment. Some studies have found that taking echinacea may reduce the length of a cold and the severity of its symptoms. It’s an especially effective natural pain reliever for the following types: -Pain in the bowels -Pain associated with headaches, herpes, gonorrhea, measles, snake bites, sore throats, stomach ache, tonsillitis, toothache
3. Organic Ceylon Cinnamon: High Source of Antioxidants. Contains Anti-inflammatory Properties. Protects Heart Health. Fights Diabetes. Helps Defend Against Cognitive Decline & Protects Brain Function. May Help Lower Cancer Risk. Fights Infections & Viruses. Protects Dental Health & Freshens Breath Naturally.
4. Organic Cloves: People use the oils, dried flower buds, leaves, and stems to make medicine. Clove is used for upset stomach and as an expectorant. Expectorants make it easier to cough up phlegm.
5. Organic Rose Hips: Fresh rose hips contain a lot of vitamin C, so they share many uses with vitamin C including preventing and treating colds, flu, and vitamin C deficiencies.
6. Organic Chinese Star Anise: The oil produced from star anise contains thymol, terpineol and anethole, which is used for treating cough and flu. Anise also helps improve digestion, alleviate cramps and reduce nausea. Consuming star anise tea after meals helps treat digestive ailments such as bloating, gas, indigestion and constipation
7. Organic Ginger Rhizomes: It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Ayurvedic medicine has praised ginger’s ability to boost the immune system before recorded history. It believes that because ginger is so effective at warming the body, it can help break down the accumulation of toxins in your organs. It’s also known to cleanse the lymphatic system, our body’s sewage system.
8. Raw Honey: Helps prevent cancer and heart disease, reduces ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, increases athletic performance, reduces cough and throat irritation, balances the 5 elements, helps regulate blood sugar, heals wounds and burns and is a probiotic: some varieties of honey possess large amounts of friendly bacteria. This includes up to 6 species of lactobacilli and 4 species of bifidobacteria. This may explain many of the mysterious therapeutic properties of honey.
The statements (appearing on this page) have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Elderberries are packed full of nutrients like iron, potassium, phosphorus, copper, vitamins A, B and C, and proteins. Not only does it help with heart health, respiratory health, diabetic issues, and bone health, it boosts your immune system enough to fight off colds and the flu! There are certain antibacterial and anti-infectious qualities in elderberry syrup (not juice) that make it very potent and helpful when fighting a cold or flu. Everyone in my household takes a spoonful a day and increase that to two spoonfuls when sick.
I strongly urge you to purchase Alex’s Elderberries to keep on hand. If you’re local, you can grab a premade jar or if you’re farther away you can grab a DIY kit to have on hand. I have one kit that I keep in my pantry and it normally makes me around four quarts. When I make that batch, I always add Manuka or local honey after it cools. It’s important to add your honey AFTER you take it off the stove and let it cool. If not, it will deplete the honey of all the medicinal benefits. These are SUPER easy to make and you can even turn them into elderberry gummies if you or your children like that form better. My children love elderberry syrup and just drink it straight from the jar!
In addition to Elderberry, I feel strongly that FOOD is our first defense when it comes to boosting immunity from the inside out. We always amp up the use of garlic, turmeric, ginger and bone broth. These all have HIGH nutritional value and help boost your body’s immune system naturally. Let me know if you decide to try anything from Alex’s Elderberries I am curious to hear your thoughts. Use code: AMANDA to save 20% off of her elderberry products on the site.
