As a Vocal Empowerment Coach and performer, I’ve felt and seen it all!
As it gets cold outside the heat goes up, the air gets dry, and commercials for cold medicine hog the airwaves. ‘tis the season for sore throats to emerge… but note: we have more health power than we often remember!
If your throat tickles, you may be one to freak out, thinking: “Am I sick!?”
If so, I understand.
But in that moment, take a deep breath.
Here are vocal coach tested natural tips for strong throats and immune systems, remedies for sore throats, and an extra secret tip that only ENT’s care to mention about throat lozenges.
5 Tips for Strong Throats + Immune Systems:
- As the season turns darker and colder, even if we live in the tropics, our bodies need more rest. We can still experience great productivity and full days, but when the body calls for rest, listen to him/her.
- Caffeine dries out the throat. If you’re a caffeine drinker, also drink lots of water to stay hydrated. See what kind of ‘high’ you can get from fruit, teas, and lemon water instead of coffee, which shocks the system, spiking cortisol levels and fatiguing the adrenal glands.
- Keep hydrated. Growing bodies need abundant amounts of filtered water – ideally drink 8-12 glasses/day. We are blessed to have it, so let’s DRINK it!
- Exercise! Run, walk, swim, dance (my favorite), and stretch. An exercised body – one that moves and sweats regularly – has a healthier immune system because the lymph (the fluid in which our cells live and die) is moving/circulating.
- You’re gonna love me for this (not), but I know you’ve heard it before: Avoid cane sugar. Cane sugar increases inflammation, feeds infection, builds mucus, and really doesn’t do much good. So sure, have that piece of chocolate cake now and then, but if you’re going to indulge in a whole bag of something (happens to the best of us!), consider a healthier option. And do your best to get off processed foods.
6 Soothing Remedies for a sore throat:
- A sore throat doesn’t automatically mean you have a cold. Energetically, sometimes our throats get ‘locked up’ and feel sore or tense. This can happen when we’re not fully expressed, or when we’re nervous/anxious. Is there something you haven’t said to someone that you need to say? Are you being honest with yourself? Check in, get honest, and express yourself. This may soothe your throat.
- 3 Soothing teas for a sore throat:
-Ginger Tea –chopped up ginger in hot water or Yogi Ginger Tea
-Licorice Tea – Licorice root in hot water or Yogi Licorice Tea
-Throat Coat – Slippery elm tea by Traditional Medicinals - Salt Water: Gargle with 8 oz. warm water, with 1 teaspoon of salt, a 3-5x/day.
- My favorite –spicy– Health Remedy Drink: To fight off irritants: 1 warm cup of water, 1 tbsp. of raw apple cider vinegar, squeeze of lemon, tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp. raw honey (or a drop of stevia if you’re avoiding sugars). Sip small amounts throughout day. Do not drink a large amount on an empty stomach.
- Don’t get paranoid. Like everything else, this too shall pass. Avoid sugar and dairy when under the weather. Drink plenty of H2O, vegetable broths, vegetable juices, herbal teas, get rest, and get joy. Watch movies that make you laugh. Smile, even amidst illness. Your body is amazing and will heal quickly as you (and your worry) get out of the way!
- Suck on a raw clove of garlic. I know, not pleasant, but effective for fighting infection and stimulating the healing of the throat. Do not swallow raw garlic on an empty stomach.
Extra Tip if you are hoarse:
Lozenges are great for soothing pain. But if you are hoarse already, DO NOT pop a lozenge and then exert your voice by singing or speaking loudly. This can do more damage than good, as you cannot feel the pain if it’s numb, and pain is there to tell you to ‘slow down’ and for some time, be quiet as the vocal chords rest and heal.These are just some tips; many more exist. As each body is different, go with what feels the best to you.Tell me below, what are your favorite soothing remedies…
you may help someone out by sharing!FEEL GOOD, LOVES!
Outstanding post!!! One I will definitely be back to reflect on from time to time. My favorite line here was to take time to watch a movie that makes me laugh. Hmmm… never thought of that before. I tend to be serious in nature but am working on bringing more humor into my life.
I also like how you mentioned once we get our own self and worry out of the way, we can heal faster. THANK YOU for such a great post!
I agree, Elda! Wowie Ariella.
Thank you Susan!! 🙂
Thank you so much for your feedback, Elda, and I’m glad you’re inspired. I feel you! I can get in ‘serious mode’ but laughter, and joy, even and especially the little things, aid the bigger healing!
Fabulous tips … I will be writing some of these down to but in my winter health boosting drawer for when needed. Also sharing. Thank you 🙂
Awesome – I love the idea of a winter health boosting drawer, Kama! And thank you for sharing.
Ariella, you are beautiful! I’m thrilled to find you (go Inspired Blogging!) And to read your tips to build immunity. I have lymphoma and I strive to strengthen my immunity and keep my system alkaline. Do you recommend high ph water? And have you ever used those drops that treat regular water?
Dear Susan, Thank you so very much for your words. I am so happy to connect with you too. I went through a few years of drinking only high ph water. I found a few things. 1) It got pricey. 2) At first, it felt better, but then that seemed to plateau, and then I read how it’s not always good to drink high ph water.
My thoughts are these, some high ph water does a body good. But our bodies are the most alkaline when we’re the least tense (negative stress). So as long as your water is filtered and/or reverse osmosis, raise your body’s ph by finding joy in life, in the small and large things. Those are my 3 cents.
I support you feeling GREAT!! Love, Ariella
I also went through a few years of drinking high pH water, but I started to question it, especially when its so-called magical benefits didn’t manifest for me. We strive to get our water close to neutral now, which takes some alkalyzing, but we don’t go for the high pH anymore.
I’ll strive for neutral, Harmony. That sounds balanced. <3
Thank you. This makes life easier for me, Ariella.
This is so great! I’ll definitely be bookmarking this post with the upcoming cold season at hand. Thanks so much!
I’ve definitely experienced the dehydration with caffeine, even my beloved green tea. Love the thought of ginger tea. Going to have to try that one. What a great post. Thank you!
Awesome Linda!! Yes, and ginger gives quite a fun ‘kick’ too 🙂
What a great and helpful post. I’m bookmarking those remedy suggestions. I’ve used slippery elm before, but licorice root and ginger will be making the go-to list now as well. I love that you’ve got the emotional, energetic, and physical bases covered in your discussion, and I really do feel more prepared to handle any sore throat that may show up. Thank you!
Yay!!
These are great tips, especially #1 — I find that that is absolutely true for me. My favorite trick for a tickly throat is manuka honey. I buy the MGO 100+ stuff from New Zealand (square blue bottle from New Zealand) and take a little everyday. If I have a scratchy throat, it will sting, but then the scratch will go away. It’s amazing!
I’m bookmarking, too. My son has just had his 5th tonsillitis in a row and it usually starts with just a sore throat. Hopefully one of your remedies will help next time!
The extra spicy recipes will stimulate the healing of his tonsils (like ginger tea or Health Remedy Drink). Dilute if it’s too strong. It should burn/tingle a bit – that means it’s working… but it’s about easing into it, not hitting it all at once, and hard. Hopefully this’ll help!
Wow – I’d forgotton I am a huge fan of drinking hot water steeped with cut up ginger. Thank you for the reminder – just made a batch this minute.
There is a nasty throat infection making the rounds. My 2 college kids and I are prone to strep throat so when they both texted a few weeks ago that their throats were sore I fired back “go in and get a swab.” Both were denied swabs by the docs as both appeared to be viral. Happily the docs were right and after 4 days the throats were fine. I am so glad to read your advice here as it’ll arm me with more help for them other than “go in and get a swab.”
Wonderful information!! Thank you.
The local coffee shop has a house specialty called “Ginger Dragon” that really helps if it’s both sore throat and clogging.