Tis the season....to get sick.
Here are my top five household remedies to help you get through the next few months.....
1.
Garlic: Stock up
on garlic’s
anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-oxidant properties. It is stocked with nutrients (especially vitamin B6,
C, and manganese) and highly beneficial sulfur-containing compounds such as
allicin -
which are also found in onions and other similar-looking plants. In
addition to being an important food that fights those nasty bugs, studies also show it to
enhance immune function. .
2.
Lemons: Not only does this citrus fruit give you a good dose of
Vitamin C, the vitamin of the season, but it also has
antimicrobial
effects to help your body get rid of foreign invaders. As with so many
“healthy” foods, lemons (and it’s green relative, the lime) have
antioxidants
to help protect your cells so that they are stronger and more apt to
defend. Add lemons (and garlic) to dressings, sauces,
tea, and water.
3. Honey: You may have heard that you should be decreasing
your sugar intake when you’re sick. It is true: sugar can impede our
immune response. But honey is different! You need to get RAW or unpasteurized honey as it contains propolis, a natural
antimicrobial (it will attack everything from viruses, bacteria, and fungus)
. And the
soothing properties? Honey is also
anti-inflammatory,
which is why you’ll find it in a lot of natural cough and throat syrups
and lozenges too. Use it with your hot lemon water, add it to herbal
tea, or coat your garlic with it! Remember not to give honey to gives 1 and under and I still stick by an older blog post on my homemade onion and honey cough syrup!
http://forhealthyroots.blogspot.com/2011/01/cough-syrup.html and here is the research on honey's anti-spasmodic properties!
http://forhealthyroots.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-on-honey.html
4.
Ginger: It can be added to smoothies, made into tea, add it to stir-fries, and pile it in soups! From a Western-medical standpoint, it’s properties are
anti-nausea, digestive, and
cardiovascular
benefits.
From a Chinese Medical perspective, fresh ginger root is a
warming
food that stimulates sweating. Ginger can warm you up from the
inside out, and prevent this invasion. You can make your own ginger (simply grate some into a mug) with lemon and honey, and get three powerful foods in one!
5.
Green Tea: Green tea protects
our cells with it’s high
anti-oxidant value, boosts the immune system with it’s
catechin content, and will warm you up when you have the chills. Research shows that it will
reduce the severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms. If you don’t want to drink it, I still have good news. An interesting
study recently
found that gargling with green tea tends to help prevent flus. Note:
green tea does contain caffeine, but in amounts much less than coffee.
