Homemade Decongestant/Expectorant

​vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free

Adapted from Claire Goodall's recipe on Everyday Roots: everydayroots.com/natural-decongestant.

This spicy concoction works wonders when you have that stopped up feeling from a cold or allergies. I used to depend on commercial expectorants to clear up cough symptoms and nasal decongestants to clear up a stuffy nose, but I think this works just as well (without the side effects and high costs!).

Yield: about 9 doses / Prep time: 5 min

Ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon of powdered ginger
• 3 tablespoons of honey substitute (like bee-free honee)* or other liquid sweetener
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. ​​Stir all ingredients into a pot and bring to a gentle simmer OR simply stir all ingredients into a glass jar and microwave just until boiling.
2. Pour mixture into a glass jar and allow to cool slightly before consuming.**
3. Swallow one tablespoonful whenever you feel congested. It works fast, so have the tissues ready!

*Since honey is not vegan (remember bees produce it!), I use bee-free honee, which is made from apples and is a great substitution for honey. Check out this article to find out more about the honey industry and how it's not helping to protect bees.
**The mixture will keep for about one month in the refrigerator. It works best if you warm the mixture before consuming each dose.