Don't catch that Cold or Flu!
If you feel an illness "coming on" you don't have to let it arrive and get a hold in your body. There are things you can do to avoid illness or decrease the severity of an illness if you do "catch" it.
At the First Sign of a Cold
or Flu:
At the first sign of a cold or
flu, or if you are exposed to
someone who is ill, try these
healthy recipes to boost your
immune system and ward off
illness:
Ginger Garlic Tonic
Boosts Immunity
Try a spoonful of this tonic
at the first sign or a cold or
flu or take daily as a preventative.
2 cups Honey
1/2 cup garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup grated fresh ginger root
Warm honey over very low heat. Do not boil. Place the garlic and ginger in a side mouthed jar with rubber seal and pour warm honey over them. Mix well and cap tightly.
Store this mixture in a warm sunny window sill and stir daily for three days, then refrigerate.
Use within 6 weeks
You can also make a fine tea with a spoonful of this tonic in warm water or add to a cup of green tea, also full of healthy antioxidants.
Tzadziki (Greek yogurt dip)
- 32 ounces plain regular yogurt, not low fat – purchase yogurt without additives
- 1 large English cucumber, peeled and shredded
- 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions for Tzadziki
1. Place a cheese cloth or double layer of paper towels over a colander. Place yogurt on paper towels with a bowl underneath and strain the yogurt 6 hours in the refrigerator, or over night. This will take out all the excess water and leave a thick, creamy yogurt for your Tzadziki.
2. Dice up garlic and cucumber and drain as much excess liquid from them as possible.
3. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until a thick mixture has formed.
Serve with crackers, French bread or veggies as a dip. Also use in Greek recipes calling for Tzadziki.
Garlic wine
Boost your immune system with this garlic recipe. Steeping garlic in wine allows the antibiotic, anti-viral properties of the garlic to leach out into the wine. The alcohol acts to preserve the nutritional properties.
Peel 5 cloves of fresh garlic and crush with garlic press. Add to a .5 liter bottle of red wine. Let this sit for 48 hours. Strain the garlic out and return the wine to its bottle. Add 20 to 30 drops to an 8 ounce glass of water and drink at first sign of cold. Repeat twice a day as needed.
Warm lemonade knocks out colds and flu:
1 cup boiling water
Squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons
Honey to taste
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
Drink several times a day until your cold is gone or you have averted it.
Ginger tea can also be used to clear sinuses and treat any respiratory complaint.
Recipe for Immune Booster Ginger Tea:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Peel a two inch piece of ginger and slice into thin strips. Once water is boiling add ginger. Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Strain ginger from the liquid and drink. Add honey and lemon to taste if desired.
Herbal Tonic to prevent colds and flu
(These ingredients can be purchased by the ounce at your local health food store)
Simmer these herbs together in a quart of water for about 30 minutes:
3 TBS dandelion root
2 TBS fresh, grated ginger root
1 TBS cinnamon
1 TBS Licorice root
15 drops Astragalus Extract
Turn off the heat and let the mixture set for another 30 minutes. Strain and then drink one to two cups per day. If you are unable to find the dried version of these herbs, purchase extracts and mix 15 drops of each into a cup of hot water to make a tea. Add honey to taste.
Green tea with honey and lemon boosts immune system
Green tea offers many health benefits. Lace it with honey and lemon for vitamin C, anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities.
Thyme-Infused Honey for Coughs and Sore Throat
If you do get a cold with cough, keep this natural remedy on hand:
Gently wash and dry 1/2 cup of fresh thyme for each cup of honey used. Warm honey in a saucepan but don't boil. Add thyme and allow to steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and strain out the thyme.
Pour honey into glass, wide-mouthed jar with a rubber-sealed lid..Store in a cool, dark place. Use one teaspoon three times daily for coughs and sore throat.
Add these ingredients to any food you eat for an immune boosting effect:
- Cayenne pepper-according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, colds and respiratory problems can be cured by warming the system.
- garlic-antibiotic, anti-viral
- ginger-anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic
- honey-anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal
Visualization is also an important aspect of Mind/Body medicine. In order to avoid illness, focus on health. Tell yourself you are a healthy person and see yourself as healthy. When others around you are becoming ill, assure yourself that you are healthy and never catch colds or any other illness.
You'll be surprised at how well this works!
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