I was definitely that weird kid that always picked out the black licorice jelly beans. Not to toss them out, but to eat them. They were, and still are, my favorite! I love black licorice. I’m not a huge sweet tooth, but if you have some licorice ropes hanging around, I will decimate them before you even know what happened.
Granted, the candy version of black licorice may not be the best stuff you can put in your body…but there are quite a few natural brands that actually contain licorice root…and that, my friends, is actually very good for you! How do I know this? Well, not because of the happiest circumstances….but it’s all lessons and learning, right?
So, about three weeks ago I came down with a nasty upper respiratory infection. Because I honestly rarely get sick, I thought I was just having a weird seasonal allergic reaction to whatever was in the air. I had woken up with a bloody nose a couple of nights prior and that was always a sign of my immunoglobulins wanting to hang ten with me as a child. Weird for it to happen after so long, but hey. Weird happens.
So I ignored my symptoms even though both of my kids had a slight cold. I pumped them up with my witch’s brew of essential oils, minerals, vitamins, and other herbal brujeria and within 48 hours they had recovered. I thought we were all in the clear. Until I ended up feeling like someone had dumped a liter of mucosa into my lungs and my nose was stopped up with concrete. I started giving myself all the supplements I use to keep my kids healthy although I knew I was a week too late for it to make a huge difference….so I ended up with the cough.
To me, the cough, might as well be the name of a slasher B-movie full of blood and gore. Horror. Nightmares. Yeah. I was diagnosed with bronchial asthma as a kid after being hospitalized right after spending a week with my grandfather and his wife who were both chain smokers. My 2 year old lungs couldn’t handle it, I guess. From that point on, any time I got sick, it went straight to my lungs. I would miss weeks of school and no one in my house slept. These coughing episodes would last up to 6 weeks. I was put on steroid pills and inhalers. It sucked.
So…..I take building the immune system VERY, VERY seriously. At the first hint of a throat tickle, post nasal drip, or body ache I am in action….and so far so good. But I am human, and I do put myself last in my maternal glory so there I was…..and have been….coughing up my lungs. Pretty sure my neighbors thing I’ve taken up taking massive bong hits followed by sucking on a humidor’s worth of Cohibas every hour on the hour.
I started drinking every tea I had in the house just to soothe my bronchials. Breathe Easy tea, Ginger and Turmeric Tea, Green Tea, Chamomile Tea….it was comforting and nice but didn’t do much. So I jumped on my research horse and found out that licorice root tea works wonders for your lungs (and other things). I already loved licorice, so this was an easy sell! I got a box of it, and after my first two cups, I woke up to a productive cough and feeling like I was finally moving in the right direction. It really was that quick.
I won’t bore you with the details and any herbalist jargon….suffice it to say that licorice root tea has been used, tested, and proven to treat respiratory illness, sore throats, stomach pain, relieve stress, protect tissue, skin, and teeth, and has even been found to aide in cancer treatment. Licorice root is a natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory full of flavonoids and coumarins….so yes, it is good for you. Tastes nice too! For those of you who can’t stand black licorice, the tea is actually quite tame and naturally sweet. Not crazy licorice-y at all. Add some raw honey for even more health benefits and sweetness and you are good to go!
So, I now have a new addition to my health arsenal. I always get a little excited about these things and have to write about them!!
Before I go, it’s important to note that licorice root tea is best taken as soon as you start to feel like you are heading for Sick As A Dog Town to combat pathogens and build up those lungs….same as with all of the other immune boosters that I’ve written about on this blog and love. Prevention is key, nipping viruses and bacteria in the bud is also essential….but if you let things go like I did and end up diving deep down under the proverbial weather…using natural remedies will still give you an edge and help your body recover a lot quicker.
As for the brand I am using and really like…here it is:
header photo by: freestocks
