A Simple Cold and Flu Recipe with Ginger, Lemon, and Garlic
Like many families, each winter we struggle through cold and flu season; fortunately, it’s usually just a cold. I have a pretty basic natural protocol I follow at the first sign of illness. Therapies like elderberry tincture or syrup, salt baths, lots of warm soothing liquids, and rest can really help support your body to fight off the illness. This year we added something new to our protocol.
Making a Simple Cold and Flu Recipe
My Kenyan friend shared with me her family’s “concoction” for colds and flu. My friend is a pharmacist and her husband is a nurse and this simple recipe is the first thing they go to when they’re ill. The ingredients in this recipe can be found in most people’s kitchens. So what do you need to help your body beat colds and flu?
Kitchen Medicine Cold and Flu Recipe
1 lemon (organic since we’re going to use the peel, too)
1 head of garlic
4″ of ginger root
raw honey
hot water
- Cut the lemon into quarters.
- Peel the garlic and ginger.
- Blend lemon, garlic, and ginger in a blender until there are no chunks.
- Use immediately or freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray until needed.
To make a cup of the concoction, put a spoonful or a frozen cube of the mixture into a cup and add boiling water. Add just enough raw honey to make it appealing to drink. I do not strain this — if there are chunks I’ll remove those, but other than that we drink it as is.
Lemon, Garlic, and Ginger to the Rescue!
Lemons – While most people know that the juice and flesh of a lemon has health benefits, many don’t realize that the peel is also healthy. The white pith is a bitter and will help with digestion and liver function. Lemons also have quite a bit of vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene, calcium, folate, magnesium, and potassium.
Garlic – Allicin and alliin are compounds in garlic that are responsible for its antibacterial, antiviral, antiprotozoal, and antifungal properties. These compounds appear in other allium plants such as onions and shallots, but garlic contains the highest concentrations. Garlic is also a really easy plant to grow in your own garden!
Ginger – Fresh ginger helps stimulate the immune system to fight bacterial and viral infections, thins mucous and supports expectoration, and warms the body.
Enjoy!
Interested in learning more? Read more about Kitchen Herbs for the Cold Season here and in our Introductory Herbalism Course.
Angi Schneider is a minister’s wife and homeschooling mom. She is passionate about growing food for her family and living a simple, intentional life. She blogs their adventures at SchneiderPeeps.com.
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