Oregano

The image on the right is the oregano plant in our garage’s corner garden. Yes, we managed to have it grown despite the erratic hot and cold weather we have in the kingdom. It’s nice to have some familiar plants around, it makes the place homey.

My children are always having cough and colds lately. The unpredictable sudden change of weather temperature affects our health and because of this, we need to devise preventive actions. The frequent doses of antibiotics are not so convincing. A consultant once said that taking antibiotic over an extended period makes the bacteria immune or unresponsive to antibiotic treatment. Good thing we have at least one herb.

Oregano is a plant that lives a long time (perennial). It can grow as tall as 20-80 cm. It is known for its use in cooking and medication. It can cure stomach and respiratory ailments; it helps loosen mucus and force it out from the body. Old folks even mention that they also heal wounds, insect bites and sting. Mountaineers should take note of this.

And so, knowing my husband who also grew up hiking, he’s been using oregano to treat our kids. Every other night, he takes 2-3 leaves of oregano and washes them thoroughly. He will boil water and later dip the leaves for about a minute. Then, he squeezes them to take the extract; mix a few drops of lemon of honey just to get rid of the bitter taste and voila! There goes the home-made herbal syrup! Based on our experience, the oregano extract works best for dry cough. It helps us slacken off tight chest caused by the phlegm. Makes you want to doze off the whole night.

So, with the many unhealthy things going around us now, I hope this simple classic story of herbal medication would help. You may want to try it. But wait! If you choose to do herbal medication, please make sure you reach reliable and proven sources and remember: no two people are alike.