dried elderberries to make elderberry syrup (or buy the syrup) – an immunity booster
You can find a recipe to make the syrup in Herbal Nurturing, along with a treasure trove of other natural healing ways to save money by doing it yourself
Elderberry syrup should not be used by people with certain conditions – be sure to look it up!
probiotics – the adults in our family take probiotic powder regularly; the children take the liquid version daily as well, and we all have more when we get sick or someone else in the family is sick.
homemade chicken stock – always a good food to include in your meal plan at least once a week, especially in the fall/winter.
fresh garlic – one of the top foods with natural antibiotic properties, another good habit is definitely to include garlic as often as possible
Natural antibiotics are still quite potent and can also unbalance your natural flora, but not as recklessly as drug antibiotics, and without many of the iffy side effects. Worth buying for your medicine cabinet:
Oregano Essential Oil – infuse into air, rub onto feet WITH a carrier oil, but don’t take my word for it. Read this from a reader…
Update: My 2014 post on the potential dangers of essential oils. They can be great if used correctly, but you need to know enough to know what you don’t yet know…
UPDATE: We now successfully use KidSafe Germ Destroyer
probiotics – take during and after
For pain relief from an ear infection, gently warm olive oil on the stovetop and carefully pour into the affected ear, then tip out. You can infuse it with crushed garlic, too, but take care not to get any garlic actually inside the ear (more details here).
I haven’t stocked them yet, but folks recommend goldenseal and Echinacea; see the comments at this post for lots of advice. Like I said, social media is the best way to pass on age-old information these days