5 Ways to Care for Your Throat this Winter

Have you had a sore throat recently? People joke that there are no seasons in Southern California, but I beg to differ—we have been getting walloped with wind, tons of rain, and some chilly (30-ish degrees) temps for over a month now, and every time I hop on social media I see that another friend has just gotten back from urgent care. I got hit with viral laryngitis this past week, not the most convenient ailment when you TALK for a living.  I just had to wait out for about five days, but I did learn a few things about taking care of ourselves and our throats in the process that I wanted to pass along.

1. REST
   Guess what? The first thing that usually goes when we have kids and life gets busy is one of the most important things we can give ourselves every day, whether we are sick or healthy. Letting the laundry go, putting the to-do list aside, closing Instagram and just letting ourselves go to bed when the kids do or nap while they are at school is on of the most healing things available to us. And bonus: it’s free! I love to diffuse lavender essential oil to help set a calming mood in the house, and I swear there is something in it that helps calm my busy brain down enough so that rest is possible.
2. NO TALKING
   Like, none. And did you know that whispering is as bad as shouting? Just like when we force our voices loud to shout, we are once again FORCING our voices DOWN to whisper, which causes strain. Don’t try to talk through the hoarseness, just (I say this with love) shut up. Use a notepad to write things down, text, tweet, pantomime….just give your swollen cords a chance to recover. While I was being silent and practicing cultivating an air of mystery, my kids were having fun putting each other and each other’s toys in time out “because mommy can’t talk right now.”
3. HYDRATE
   How is your water intake? Make sure you are drinking consistently throughout the day, and if you have coffee or tea with caffeine (both of which are dehydrating)….drink a little more water. I stuck to one cup of coffee in the morning, and then herbal tea with raw honey (raw honey has beneficial enzymes) throughout the day, which felt very soothing. You can also mix warm water with raw honey and raw apple cider vinegar for a throat tonic. I have also been making sure to consume TONS of fresh green juice; if you don’t have a juicer, lots of juice places now deliver.
4. MOISTURE
   My urgent care doctor recommended using a humidifier (just be sure to clean and dry well between uses) to help in this dry air, sitting in steam room, and also taking hot showers. I have a cool mist diffuser for my essential oils, and I put Oregano (known for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties) in the diffuser, closed my eyes, and breathed in the mist.
5. RAW ONION AND RAW GARLIC
   Onion has anti-inflammatory properties, and garlic has antiviral properties, so these two foods pack a powerful punch. I eat them raw for maximum potency. Another trick is to eat a little lighter when you aren’t feeling well, so that more of your body’s energy can go toward healing and not be used up digesting heavy meals.

I hope you feel better soon! Rest up, stop talking, stay hydrated, get some moisture into the air, and get STINKY with some raw onions and garlic. To your health and throat!!!

Lara Scott is a radio host, podcaster, and lifestyle blogger. You can hear her on @kearth101 weekdays from 10am—3pm. She has two podcasts: West of Broadway and Classic Movie Recall and she also loves to write and cover fun things for SoCal families to do, eat, and wear on her blog and also for Local Anchor. Follow her adventures on Instagram at @LaraScottMedia