From cough- and cold-soothing syrups to anti-itch body creams, nutritional health coach Lizzie King shares a collection of her tried-and-tested natural remedies to help combat the rigors of modern living.
Our world is glittering with natural ingredients. Botanicals have been used for millennia as remedies without damaging side effects for us or our planet, but in recent times they have been overlooked in favor of commercial, convenient and synthetic products, and so the health of our ecosystem and its biodiversity have been impacted.
Originally created for me and my family to thrive in optimal health, these are the ways I’ve found that we can enlist the natural world to help—a holistic approach from the inside out and the outside in. From tonics that aid sleep to balms for anxiety, from syrups for avoiding seasonal lurgies or coping with a sick bug to fizzing bath bombs, from edible face masks to lickable kitchen sprays, they have proven their efficacy time and time again through my lovely community on my blog Lizzie Loves Healthy. They benefit our whole selves with health for now and future-proofing for us all.
This is a compendium of my findings. I hope you fall in love with making them, eating them, healing from them and giving them to others.
Elderberries were my first-ever foray into plucking ingredients from the hedgerows to bubble up for my family’s health. The elderberry has always been prized for its antiviral and antimicrobial properties—so much so that there was a global shortage recently.
I had been pouring the sticky elderberry derivative into my children for years when I realized I could make a better version at home with more fresh antioxidants. The dark color of the Sambucus nigra, providing precious anthocyanins, is where all the antiviral properties lie.
This eventually led to my Be Well remedy, but this purple goodness is where it all started. Spoon it out in winter and notice how the cough and cold season just doesn’t hit you in the same way.
Makes about 1 L
Ingredients
Method
Storage: Store in the jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Dose: 2 teaspoons per child per day for children aged one to two; 1 tablespoon per child per day for children over two; 1 tablespoon three or four times a day for adults.
Note: Honey is not suitable for children under one year.
Used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years because of its powerful ability to draw toxins and chemicals out of the body, charcoal has been used to treat accidental poisoning in the West for a long time, too.
When I first mixed this up, I was hoping for a miracle, and I got one: a bout of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea stopped in its tracks. It is now part of my Be Settled range of remedies; we often get asked to send it out by Uber for emergencies.
Makes about 300 mL (10½ fl oz or 1¼ cups)
Ingredients
Method
Storage: Make fresh as required.
Dose: Use no more than once a day.
Note: It can bind to regular medication, like the contraceptive pill, and other nutrients, so daily use is not advised.
As a child I spent many hours in the ENT department at the hospital and rode through many an antibiotic cycle as a result. My son took on my ear infection propensity, but I attempted to steer us away from endless antibiotics when I could. I found these ear drops, used at the very first signs, were often effective at quelling the onset.
Makes 2 fl oz
Ingredients
Method
Storage: Make fresh as required.
Dose: Use a couple of times a day as needed.
This tonic can be kept in the freezer in ice-cube trays so that when you need it, you can just add one to hot water and go, with none of the prep.
Turmeric is an intense, orange-colored root that Ayurveda has prized for its powerful healing properties for centuries. Recent studies have confirmed its cancer-protective and antiviral properties. Along with ginger, vitamin C–rich citrus and throat-soothing honey, this is a fiercely combative combination that helps me through coughs, colds and flu.
Makes 6–13 doses
Ingredients
Method
Storage: Freeze for up to 12 months.
Dose: Repeat two to four times a day as needed.
Note: Honey is not suitable for children under one year.
The natural antihistamine of bromelain and quercetin in pineapple work so well together here with the citrus vitamin C and the extra power from the reishi mushroom, which reduces antibody response and works to ease the sniffling, eye watering and itching of allergy season.
Makes about 540 g (20 fl oz)
Ingredients
Method
Storage: Freeze for up to 3 months.
Dose: Use as needed.
Tension headaches and migraines are one of the most common reasons for a visit to the doctor, and I see the debilitation they can cause.
While the simplest respite can be found in a large glass of water, there are longer-term lifestyle tweaks that might help individuals—for example, reducing stress levels and caffeine intake.
Magnesium has been shown to alleviate the tension and constriction that can cause headaches, and this magnesium-rich drink was designed to bring relief.
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
Method
Storage: Make fresh as required.
Dose: Use daily as needed.
Tip: Migraine relief can be found by creating a stronger magnesium tonic. Gently mix 2 tablespoons of magnesium citrate with warm water, being careful that the mixture does not fizz out of the glass. Drink immediately and rest.
A sock full of rice is one of the simplest ideas I came across while researching ways to relieve tummy pains. It creates a damp heat rather than a dry one and so is also really effective for muscular aches, with a useful shape for necks, lower backs and knees.
Makes 1 reusable sock
Ingredients
Method
Storage: Keep in a dry place for up to 3 months.
Dose: Use as required.
Tip: This doubles as an ice pack; simply place it in the freezer.
Rough, red hands caused by harsh soaps or raw eczema patches can be hard to combat without resorting to brutal, skin-thinning hydrocortisone treatments. Oats are an emollient and also soothe any itching. For the porridge lovers, it’s an extra joy that breakfast can be one of the healing ingredients.
Makes about 400 g (14 oz)
Ingredients
200 g (7 oz or a scant 1⅔ cups) oatmeal
Method
Storage: Stays fresh for 3–6 months.
Dose: Use as required.
Adapted from Restore: Ancient Remedies from the Modern Kitchen by Lizzie King (Welbeck Publishing, 2023)