Healing Foods: My Go To Sore Throat, Cough and Cold Remedy ~ My Magic Potion

When I feel a cold coming on, my go to is always  cinnamon, honey, fresh ginger root,  citrus zest,and  fresh citrus juice.

My favorite thing is to make a "tea" or hot drink.  My hubby always swore by Theraflu until he tried this healthy and natural remedy.  My cold's go away much faster, many times the next day.  My son just had a cup last week, his sore throat was gone the next day.  It has a pleasant taste too.

Put the tea kettle on the stove with some water, of course.  When it whistles, pour in about 1/4 of the mug with water.  Add cinnamon....and stir well  Fill it the rest of the way with water.
Then with a mircroplane, zest in some fresh ginger root.  Zest in some orange/lemon/lime peel and squeeze in some juice from it also.  Now add the honey.  I use clover.  There is no real measure for this.  I just put in however much I feel I need.  If its a strong cold, I go heavy on the ingredients.   You can also add cardamom to this if you like it..its good for your lungs. 

 Sip this throughout the day, drink it before bed. You can use a tea strainer if you prefer not to have the microplaned bits, but they are healthy, so I just take them as they are.

Here's why it works:
Ginger gives your body a feeling that you have a fever and in turn, your immune system goes into overdrive to fight the infection.  Honey not only soothes but its a  natural antibiotic..so is cinnamon....and the orange juice/zest is a zip of vitamin c..go for the zest if you can.  It has way more than a splash of citrus juice has in it.

It is important that you add the cinnamon to a small amount of water first, if you add it after the cup is full, you can't stir it hard enough to dissolve it.

Another thing, keep fresh ginger root in the freezer.  I double bag it and use it directly from the freezer. I microplane it from frozen, right into my food, drinks, and put it right back in the freezer.  You get full use of it this way, none goes to waste.  I never peel it.  Many times the peel has what we need most, so I use it when I can.

My boys know to get a spoonful of honey and sprinkle cinnamon on it when they have a cough or sore throat, they go right for it on their own..it helps better than any OTC medication we've tried.  My grandma used to give me some when I had a sore throat, she knew it worked.  People are too fast to run for medications that have side effects.

We also love toast with just honey and cinnamon on it. When I feel a cold coming in, I OD on these five ingredients and it usually zaps it in its tracks.
Cinnamon, Honey, Ginger Root, Citrus Zest and Fresh Citrus Juice.



  

Two of my Go To books when I need to find a home remedy....

  

Here is some good reading on Ginger.

Historically, it has been used to reduce menstrual cramps, treat seasickness and food poisoning, and eliminate body odor. It is now one of the most popular herbal remedies for nausea, morning sickness and digestive problems. The extract can help the digestive process by breaking down proteins, and it alleviates nausea and morning sickness by relaxing stomach muscles, and pregnant women can use it safely.

In addition to its popularity as a stomach aid, the extract has also been shown to improve circulation by relaxing muscles around blood vessels. It can also reduce high levels of LDL cholesterol by helping to remove it from the blood, as well as by preventing the body from absorbing it.

It may help lower blood pressure as well. It is known to contain vasodilators, ACE inhibitors and diuretics, all of which are useful agents in reducing blood pressure and keeping the circulatory system healthy. Blood clots may also be prevented with supplements, which contain substances that stop the aggregation of blood platelets that form clots.

Ginger root extract has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well. As an antioxidant, it may help boost immunity and relieve the symptoms of colds and flu. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it useful in treating pain and inflammation caused by arthritis, and it is effective in treating muscle pain as well.

Supplements are available in powders, capsules, tablets and liquids. Also, the whole root can be used medicinally, and it can be made into a tea. For maximum effectiveness, it is best to use supplements that contain standardized extracts of the root. The product should be standardized for substances known as gingerols, the active ingredient. Herbalists and nutritionists usually recommend products that contain 5% gingerols.

To treat digestive problems and inflammation, take 100-200 mg capsules or tablets. If a fresh powdered is used, 1-2 g is a good daily dose. 

Ginger teas and ale are used to help treat stomach upset and nausea. Some health food manufacturers produce a natural ale, which contains about 1 gram of ginger per serving and may be the best choice for people who want their intake to come from liquids.

Very few side effects have been reported. In rare cases, very high doses may cause stomach irritation. To minimize this effect, it can be taken with food. Because it is a  blood thinner, people who are taking anticoagulant medications should not use it without consulting a doctor.

In 2009, it was reported that Ginger also seemed to help stop nausea from chemotherapy treatment - one of the most common side effects of the cancer treatment. This study was the first large scale research done on the plant. People who started taking Ginger capsules several days before a chemo treatment had fewer, and less severe side effects from nausea.

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