I haaaaaate being sick, and I haven’t suffered a cold in yonks. I’ve got all sorts of bits and pieces about the place – one decongestant pill in a blister pack, some throat spray, and loads of arnica due to horseriding — but I hadn’t any cough stuff, which I wanted to take as a preventive measure. If I haaaaaate being sick, the thing I hate even more is coughing in the night.

And then lo, and behold: I found a bottle of Pukka Organic Botanicals Elderberry Syrup in the press in the kitchen! I had interviewed Sebastian Pole here, and when we’d met, had not only been gifted with skincare products, but also some tea, and apparently, this!

Elderberry sounds awfully old-fashioned, and something that would pop up in a Regency romance novel — not that I’d know that for sure — and I was afraid that it would taste awful, too. It certainly doesn’t! I mean, you’re not going to slip a bottle in your handbag just in case you get a grá for a snootful, but it is pleasantly fruity, and the texture of the syrup is thick and soothing. It’s also got Manuka honey, ginger and thyme in it, adding to its pleasantness.

And it helped loads. I didn’t get a cough, even when I felt the ick migrating for me lungs, and even though its a bit pricey at €15, it is totes worth it. I’m almost back to 100% brightness, and I credit this with helping the recovery.

I may hide this back in the press, just so I don’t start nipping at it…

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Order from bodykind.ie, or check in your local health food shop.

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