With cold and flu season lasting pretty much from September right on through April or May, it’s good to have a remedy that you can put together when you feel that first sniffle, that wisp in your chest, or that first bit of body stiffness indicating that your body is in the midst of trying to fight off an incoming illness.
I first heard of ginger juice with lemon and honey from Chris Kresser. Since I love each ingredient on its own, I knew I’d love the concoction together. Kresser, who drinks the ginger juice straight with a bit of lemon and honey, said “This is pretty powerful stuff” and he’s not kidding. If you don’t make it into a “tea” like I do, and sip it straight-up, it’ll put hair on your chest!
That being said, far be it from me to leave a recipe/idea as it is. I’ve added a couple of ingredients, and turned it into a tea, that really packs a powerful punch!
Ginger
Ginger is considered a “warming herb” and boosts the immune system by inducing sweating. It also has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and is commonly used to calm stomach aches and pains, reduce inflammation, and ward off the common cold. Taste-wise, ginger is very hot and spicy on it’s own, so a little goes a long way. Very popular in Chinese medicine, this robust root is well worth adding to the medicine chest (although you won’t want to store it there. Cook’s Illustrated found it was best stored in the fridge on its own- not in a bag.)
Vitamin C Powder
Water soluble, Vitamin C, is naturally found in high concentrations in the immune cells. It is rapidly depleted when an attack is mounted against the immune system, and therefore makes it imperative to replenish stores frequently.
Of course, you can opt to leave out the vitamin C powder, however, it is an easy way to significantly boost ones intake of vitamin C without having to gnosh on bitter rose hips! Here’s the brand I use and recommend.
Lemon
Lemon is not only a great natural source of vitamin C, it also contains antiseptic properties, along with calcium, magnesium, and bioflavonoids.
Honey
Honey is the wonder “drug” of the natural world, containing antibacterial, anti-viral, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties (to name a few!). It soothes a sore throat, calms a cough, and is tastes good going down!
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is especially good for sore throats and coughs. The main ingredient found in cayenne pepper, capsaicin, has been shown to contain pain relieving properties. Other compounds found in cayenne pepper contain antioxidants, carotenoids, as well as Vitamin C and A.
Take these potent home remedy power-houses, add some hot water, sip this tea continuously throughout the day, and give that cold or flu bug a big ‘ol knock-out punch!
Recipe Card
Spicy Lemon Ginger, stop-a-cold-in-its-tracks, Tea
A potent tea that will keep colds and flu at bay.
Ingredients
ginger, about 1 lb, juiced (*divided after being juiced)
1 lemon, juiced
1-2 tsp. honey
1000 mg vitamin C powder
dash of cayenne pepper
hot water
Instructions
Add 1-2 Tbsp of ginger juice to a mug.
Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and add to the same mug.
Stir in a teaspoon or two of honey.
Add about 1000 mg vitamin C powder, and enough hot water to fill your mug.
Add a dash of cayenne pepper.
Mix well and sip frequently.
Notes
The recipe is not exact, so just add as much of each ingredient as it takes to make it palatable for you. *I juice about 1 lb of fresh ginger at a time so that I don't have to drag out the juicer and clean it every time I want a couple of tablespoons of ginger juice. It stores well in the fridge for a day or two.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 1582 Fat: 20g Saturated fat: 12g Unsaturated fat: 6g Carbohydrates: 342g Sugar: 26g Sodium: 135mg Fiber: 67g Protein: 42g
3.4.3177 What are your favorite home remedies to keep colds and flu at bay? Please share in the comments below so that we can all benefit!