A Little Pukey-Pants

Illness: the opportunity to watch the healing powers at work.  

When involved with the work of healing, children are a blessing.   Amazing healers and teachers themselves, it takes fortitude and courage on the part of the parent/herbalist to step back and let the process unfold.  If we can hold back and not rush to STOP! the illness, but support the body's own healing response only, true transformation can occur.  If not artificially ended, childhood illness, especially when fever is present, can render a child stronger, more robust, and ready to take on the next task of growing, physically and emotionally.

We are experiencing a little fever and a some vomiting around here today, otherwise known as pukey-pants.  What is needed to deal with this situation?   Of course rest and some gentle loving are essential to healing in any situation, but we need to address hydration, calming the child, and calming the stomach.

First of all, keeping the child hydrated is the best way to support their healing.  We make a home made electrolyte drink:

1 cup of water (hibiscus or lemonbalm tea work well here, too.  Be creative)

1/8 tsp sea salt or other real salt (himalayan, mineral, etc.)

1/4 tsp baking soda

2-3 Tbs raw honey  

We make our own, although good ones are available at health food stores.  Gatorade is not an electrolyte drink, it is artificial colors and high fructose corn syrup.  These things never helped anyone heal.

So, now you know how to use those infused honeys.  I like to use a combination of ginger infused honey, and a lemonbalm one.  Lemonbalm covers a lot of bases, helping calm the child as well as the spasmodic stomach while providing antiviral protection, and ginger can quell the nausea and kill the bug that might be causing the illness, bacterial or viral. 

The electrolyte drink with infused honey is my first supportive measure, but an old favorite combination is also helpful here, chamomile and peppermint.  I offer small sips of the infusion to help calm the stomach.  Other options might include catnip, red raspberry or blackberry leaf.  

Infused honey:

Making an infused honey really couldn't be simpler, but do it now so you have them on hand, whether for illness or pleasure!  Ginger, turmeric, elder flower, honeysuckle, lemonbalm, mint, rose, and ground ivy are just a few delicious and medicinal options.  Ginger infused honey will be found in our refrigerator year round (that's where you want to keep them).  Just fill a jar of your choice loosely with the herb/flower, then fill it up with good quality raw honey and put a lid on it.  Put it in an obvious place so you remember to turn or shake the jar a few times a day.  After 3-5 days, strain and enjoy :)  Straining is easier than it sounds b/c the honey is much thinner because it has pulled the liquid from the herb.  Don't forget to finger-lick the strainer!