Medicine in the kitchen: Mum-of-two, 34, reveals the old family recipes she uses to cure her children’s common colds

Winter may almost be at it's end, but those common colds, flus, and coughs are still rearing their ugly head.

But now one Perth mum-of-two is sharing the old family recipes she uses to help keep her children healthy - with ingredients straight out of the pantry.

Carol Heaton, 34, first made one of these natural remedies when she was visiting family in Canada with her eight-month-old son Zavier in April.

He was sick with an ear infection, was very congested, and constantly coughing. But Carol's options for treatment were limited because of his age.

'As he was only six months old at the time, there wasn't much I was able to give him to alleviate his symptoms,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 

She put a baby balm on his chest and used a saline spray on his nose, but nothing was doing the trick.

Then her family insisted she try a natural cough syrup that they had been using for many years, and it only required two ingredients.

To create the Onion Sugar Syrup, Carol cut a peeled brown onion into large slices and simply sprinkled sugar over the slices.

She let the onions sit in small plate or bowl for a few hours, until the juice from the onion started to collect at the bottom.

Carol then fed a spoonful of the juice to Zavier every hour, storing it in the fridge.

Onion Sugar Syrup for Coughs

Ingredients:

-One large peeled brown onion

-Three heaped tablespoons of white granulated sugar

Method:

Cut the onion into large slices, sprinkle the sugar over the onions.

Let this sit on a small plate or a small bowl for a few hours until you see the juice from the onion start to collect at the bottom of the plate.

Give a spoonful to the child every hour, it has a nice sweet taste which babies love. It is best to make this syrup fresh every day and store in the fridge.

*Suitable for babies six months and up

Source: Walk In Pantry

'Honestly it started working very quickly,' she said. 'Within a few hours of taking it he was bringing up the phlegm.'

'The cough started to ease as soon as he started coughing up the phlegm, and then had stopped completely within three to five days.'

Although the combination may sound odd to some, Carol said her son loved the syrup because it tasted sweet.

And the onion, which Carol described as a 'humble ingredient but so powerful', is integral to the recipe.

'It's a natural expectorant so it helps thin out the mucus, making it easier for children to cough it up. And it aids in boosting immunity as well,' she said.

Carol loves using natural remedies and has a slew of family recipes, which her mother once used on her, that she has shared on her site Walk In Pantry. 

There is her Haldi Milk recipe, which combines turmeric powder, grated ginger, honey, and a cup of milk, to help soothe sore throats and help cold symptoms.

Carol said she often uses her Cayenne and Raw Honey Elixir to help her and her husband (pictured) when they have a cold    +5
Carol said she often uses her Cayenne and Raw Honey Elixir to help her and her husband (pictured) when they have a cold

HALDI MILK FOR COMMON COLD

Turmeric has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties which helps soothe a sore throat    +5
Turmeric has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties which helps soothe a sore throat

Ingredients

· ½ Tsp of Turmeric powder

· ½ Tsp of grated ginger

· Honey or sugar to sweeten

· 1 cup of milk (your choice)

Method:

In a saucepan combine the turmeric, honey or sugar, ginger, and milk.

Simmer over a low heat until all ingredients have been combined and the milk has been warmed through.

Strain any bits of ginger and drink immediately.

Source: Walk In Pantry

'I remember drinking the Haldi milk as a child, although I never appreciated its effect back then,' she said.

'I will always be grateful to my mum for giving this to us when we were young. And I plan to continue to use this for my children when they are sick.'  

Also included is the Cayenne and Raw Honey Elixir, meant for adults, which combines raw honey, cayenne pepper, garlic and turmeric to help cure coughs.

Carol said she often uses the honey elixir to help her and her husband when they have a cold, but her favourite is easily the onion syrup.

'As a mum you just want your kids to be healthy and happy, and this actually works which is a relief to them and me!' she said. 'And more sleep for us all.'

And Carol loves that she knows exactly what goes into each remedy, and that she can control the ingredients.

Carol hopes to inspire parents to look in their own pantries to find alternatives to over-the-counter medication, but recommends that they consult with their doctor before using any natural remedy on their children.

'Don't be scared to try something new,' she said. 'Do you research, as there are so many easy yet powerful natural remedies you can use for common illnesses.' 


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