Jan

Winter, the season of colds and flu, will arrive soon. Stores have started to ramp up their cold and flu remedies. Our elders used old-time remedies that had been passed down from one generation to the next. We have long forgotten them for the sake of convenience, but with convenience comes side effects. The following natural spice remedies will help your winter ailments without side effects.

Do your joints scream when you wake up on a cold winter morning? Try this combination of turmeric and black pepper. The curcumin in turmeric relieves joint pain, but our bodies cannot absorb it effectively without the aid of black pepper. Adding a pinch of black pepper increases curcumin absorption by 2,000%. That is not a typo error.

Before turning in for the night, make yourself a cup of golden milk. Recipe below.

Golden Milk

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup milk of your choice
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup to taste (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Warm up the milk, add the cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and turmeric to a small saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Heat gently, whisking the mixture to a gentle simmer, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not boil.
  3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a cup. Stir in your preferred sweetener (if using honey, allow the milk to cool slightly).
  4. Serve warm

The next combination of spices is one I use if I feel like I’m getting a cold. Echinacea and Elderberry shortened cold and flu symptoms in a 2019 clinical trial.

Echinacea and Elderberry Tea

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 grams Elderberries (dried)
  • 4 grams Echinacea Flower (dried)
  • 2 grams Yarrow Leaf and Flower (dried)
  • 2 grams Tulsi (dried)
  • 4 grams peppermint dried
  • Raw honey (optional)
  • 2 quarts filtered water

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring the water to a boil.
  2. In a large jar or 2-quart jars, combine the dried herbs.
  3. Pour the water over the herbs and cover with a lid to prevent oils from escaping.
  4. Steep tea for 10 minutes and strain the herbs.
  5. Sweeten with honey if desired.

Note: Drink tea hot for best results. Refrigerate leftover tea and drink it within 1-2 days. Also, if you don’t want to make it, visit a Natural Health store for high-quality Elderberry/ Echinacea tea.

For coughs and chest colds, garlic and thyme to the rescue! Garlic prevents infections, and thyme calms coughs and helps expel mucus.

Garlic and Thyme Tea

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 garlic clove crushed
  • water (2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root
  • one lemon (sliced)
  • honey to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Crush a garlic clove and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Peel and grate the ginger and rinse the thyme leaves.
  3. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the garlic, thyme, and ginger.
  4. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  5. Strain the tea into a mug or teapot.
  6. Add honey and fresh lemon to taste after the tea has cooled slightly.

Store leftover tea, covered, in the fridge and drink within 2-3 days. Smokers, this will help with phlegm in your throat.

A great combination to soothe a sore throat is cinnamon and clove. Cinnamon is an antimicrobial and increases blood flow, which helps your immune system reach the infection. Clove contains the numbing compound eugenol.

CINNAMON and CLOVE THROAT SOOTHER

INGREDIENTS

  • I cinnamon stick
  • 4-5 whole cloves
  • honey to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Simmer the cinnamon stick and cloves for 10 minutes. A
  2. Add honey and sip slowly to coat your throat.

Tummy upset? Eat too much over the holidays? Or stomach upset from one of the winter bugs? The combination of ginger and peppermint will soothe what ails you. Ginger relieves nausea while peppermint coats and soothes your stomach.

Ginger and Peppermint Tea

INGREDIENTS

  • 1-inch fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves (or 1 peppermint tea bag)
  • 2 cups water
  • Honey, lemon, or agave (optional for sweetening

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Wash and peel the fresh ginger root and slice it into thin sections.
  2. In a small pot with 2 cups of water, boil the ginger root over high heat and let it boil for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove the pot from the heat and add the mint leaves (or tea bag) and cover the pot. Let it steep for another 5-10 minutes.
  4. Strain the liquid into a mug or teapot to remove the ginger slices and mint leaves.
  5. Add sweeteners, honey or agave, and add lemon.
  6. Serve hot or let it cool and chill in the refrigerator for an hour and serve over ice.

I suggest drinking these teas hot for the best results. As well, you can find these tea combinations at a Natural Health store or order them online from a reputable source. Taking medications regularly? Please consult your pharmacist for possible interactions. Arm yourself with these recommendations to stay healthy and strong this winter season.

Until the next time,

Peace, Love, and Blessings ❤️