Adventures in all things food: Kicking our Cough to the Curb with Zarbee's Naturals

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Zarbee’s Naturals. I received product samples and a promotional item as a thank you for participating. #ZarbeesCough #MC

This year it seems like we have been on and off the merry-go-round of shared colds more often than not. I attribute it to my oldest starting school. Despite my best efforts to emphasize hand washing and good hygeine, coughs have been a constant sound in our house.

Nothing could be more frustrating for a Mom.

We haven't been sick enough to need our pediatrician's intervention. In fact, we are letting our bodies handle it. But the coughs get very annoying. Post-nasal drip, and the scratchy throat it causes, has not been my friend. I needed a natural way to kick our family's cough to the curb.

One of my favorite home-remedies and cure-alls is from scratch Chicken Noodle Soup. I like to make my own chicken stock using left over celery, onions and carrots to clean out the vegetable bin. With a little chicken and thick homemade noodles this is my favorite meal during the cold months. It has a way of warming me up from the inside out and making me feel better.

A close second would be honey in warm tea. I often do this for a dry throat or just to relax at the end of my day. Is there anything more soothing?

One more way to beat those coughs is with Zarbee's Naturals. Funny thing is, it is natural like my soup and uses my second favorite home remedy, honey, to soothe dry and scratchy throats.

Zarbee's Naturals was founded in 2008 by pedatrician Dr. Zak Zarbock. A Utah-based pediatrician and father of four small boys, h could relate to his patients' frustrations at not being able to offer natural relief from uncomfortable sore throats and sniffles of the common cold. In 2007, as the FDA ruled that cough syrups were not safe to use for children under the age of 4, Dr. Zak discovered a clinical trial demonstrating the effective use of dark honey in calming coughs and soothing sore throats in children.

The line has grown from there and now Zarbee's Naturals are available nationwide. You can learn more on http://www.zarbees.com.

Zarbee's Naturals is a line I have used with my children in the past. It is hard to find natural relief approved for little ones that actually works. My husband is very particular about label reading before we buy anything, over the counter or otherwise, and these products have made the cut in our house.

Of course, getting a chance to blog about them I discovered the Cough and Throat Relief for adults. I used it last week for my own throat and found the taste pleasant and that it helped keep my throat feeling better all morning.

One product I was really excited about was the baby cough syrup. Since it is drug free it can be used on infants over 2 months old. Cough syrup for our youngest family member can mean the difference between a rough night or pleasant night sleep.

I have this on hand for my 8-month old. Unlike the other products, for baby's safety it doesn't contain honey. Instead it uses agave syrup for the same clinical benefits as found in honey without the safety issues for children under 12 months.

For my older children, ages 6 and 4, there is a whole line of children's cough syrups for different situations. My favorite is the nighttime cough syrup since sick children really need all the sleep they can get. Sometimes a good night sleep is the final ingredient needed for my kids to feel better in the morning.

And the taste? With a natural grape flavor my son doesn't mind taking it. The regular cough syrup is also available in cherry flavor, too if that appeals more to your crew.

Want some more tip for tackling the cold season? Dr. Zak has some product recommendations to keep on hand if germs have gotten beyond regular hand washing measures:

Healing Ointments: protect well-blown noses by rubbing on ointment at night. By morning the redness will be gone.
Saline Wipes: Opt for gentler saline wipes to keep little noses from getting chapped.
Saline Nose Sprays: All -natural saline nasal sprays can ease discomfort and may prevent ear and sinus infections.
Natural Cough Syrup: Zarbee's Naturals Children's Cough Syrup is made from antioxidant-rich dark honeys - which clinical trials have shown to be the safest and most effective treatments for relieving coughs in children 12 months and older - and Zarbee's Baby Cough Syrup, formulated with agave syrup, offers relief to children as young as two months old.
Bath & Shower Gel: Warm, moist air is an effective symptom reliever and nothing soothes like a warm bath. Look for gels with a blend of eucalyptus, fennel and horehound to soothe away symptoms.