Behold The Power of the Onion!
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It’s that time of year again, where everyone gets that lingering cough. I wanted to share some of my favorite natural cold remedies found through one natural source: the onion! Although very little scientific research has been done and most of the evidence (including my own) is largely anecdotal, there has also never been any studies to disprove claims that it works. The onion has been used for centuries in many circumstances. One of the best parts of using this particular natural cold remedy is that it can be used on most anyone and in any age group from the immunocompromised to a newborn, these remedies are natural and great for all ages. A study from 2017 found that onion have antibacterial activity against many strains of bacteria however, onions that were stored for at least 3 months showed the strongest antimicrobial activity
Below I’m going to give step by step instructions on how to make an onion poultice. Or if you’re hoping for a simpler method maybe for an infant or just a helpful remedy while someone sleeps, I give instructions for the onion sock method as well and if you want even simpler than that; I have the onion bowl method as well. All methods will help to break up that hardened chest congestion that just doesn’t seem to go away. I’ll start with the more complicated remedy, and they get easier as we go. Let’s get into it!
Onions are the great drawer of toxins:
- Clear the air
- Remove Toxins – Phenols in onions are natural antioxidants
- Destroy air-born toxins and germs
3 Methods from most complicated (but still pretty simple) to the easiest method:
Method one Onion Poultice: To start with method one we will start with onion slices of any kind that are slightly warmed. I like to use a cast iron skillet for this part but you’re going to want to get them cooked until they are clear. If you want to give a real knockout punch to congestion, you can add some garlic and ginger to the poultice. There was a study done in 2007 which proved onion and garlic to be one of the best combinations to boost your immune system. When warming the onion up you can use some EVOO, or I had a bit of oregano infused EVOO I made myself which I can link the process to that here.
After the onions (and garlic and ginger) have warmed on the stove and are clear, you can remove them to cool a bit while draining any access oil before wrapping them in a breathable cloth. An old tee shirt works perfectly. Once wrapped, place poultice on your patient’s chest for a half hour. Please use common sense before placing on someone else’s skin by testing on your wrist first to be sure the heat is bearable.
As an added bonus, this onion poultice can be used on the ear for earaches as well. Repeat until pain in ear goes away or cough suppresses. This method can also be used to help destroy infections to heal wounds.
Method 2 Onion Sock: Our families favorite method! Slice up raw onion of any type. We are going to be placing the onion at the bottom of the foot, so I did larger slices trying to keep the onion together to cover more of the foot which where the onion is placed. I’ve seen some use Band-Aids to strap the onion to the bottom of the foot or plastic bags of any kind works as well. I use what I call “food bonnets” that we use for leftovers that I will link here. They are like shower caps that go over dishes instead of using Saran Wrap. I used these because they are quiet and soft and don’t contain other chemicals. Whichever you choose you will then wrap the onion and covering with a sock to help secure it to the bottom of the foot (pictured below). The bottom of the foot is where some of the largest pores in our body are located at and many believe that foot reflexology contains the key to unlocking many things in the body.
Onions on the feet are believed to improve circulation in the body allowing the body to recover faster. Leave them on as long as possible, preferably overnight. I set a basket next to my son’s bed to remove the socks himself in the morning, so onions didn’t get everywhere if he was up before I got to him. This method can be used for colds, flu, detox, and infections. My5year old son loves the outcome of the onion socks and will leave us notes requesting them (pictured below)
Method 3 Onion bowl: This is lowest effort of all the methods and can be used alone or in concert with the other methods. As I stated before the onion is a drawer, and it will pull orders from the air as well as other air born toxins. Simply chop up an onion in any style, place it in a bowl and leave it in the room with someone who is suffering from congestion or respiratory issues. Voilà you’re finished. Now you can just kick back and let those onions absorb all the air-born sickness in the room.
I hope you try some of these methods, we usually repeat the method at least 2 times to get our desired result. Leave a comment below if you have tried any of these methods or have any questions. Good luck!
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