Winter is a time to strengthen your immune system to help it counteract the colds, and flu prevalent in the season. There are a number of traditional recipes, using herbs and other foods, that you can try if you begin to feel unwell.
Herbal Solutions
The successful use of vitamin C for colds has been demonstrated scientifically, showing its ability to lessen the severity of the illness. Many berries and fruits contain high dosages of Vitamin C. Try rosehip tea, using a handful of carefully washed fresh rosehips with a cup of boiling hot water. You may wish to sweeten the drink with a teaspoon of honey.
Echinacea, known as a cleanser of blood, is also useful for alleviating the symptoms of a cold.
Garlic is excellent for preventing colds or nursing you through a Winter chill. there are now very effective odorless garlic capsules available or, if you want something natural for your cough, try a tablespoon of your own homemade mixture of four or five garlic cloves with half a cup of honey. You can store your mixture in the pantry cupboard in a sterilized jar. Look out for organic garlic cloves, which are stronger in flavour than the commercially grown variety.
Medicinal Foods
Medicinal vegetables, such as cabbage, can be useful curatives for the Winter chills. Cabbage is reputed to have he ability to remove toxins from the body, if used as a compress. The leaves can be placed between two sheets of pure cotton cloth and can be scrunched with a rolling pin so that the leaves release their juice. If your cold moves to your chest, making your lungs feel congested and sore, use the cabbage compress on your chest, either front or back, or on the back of the neck. Wrap an old clean towel around your chest and the compress so that your clothers do not get stained by the mixture. Mustard compresses are also used to warm the chest and help with chest colds.
White cabbage, which is plentiful during the Winter, is invaluable for easing the feeling of stiffness in the joints. Use it as a base for your Winter soups, frying it in a tablespoon of oil with onion, garlic and carrots. And, of course, don’t forget a bowl of hot chicken soup, which has actually been scientifically proven to help combat congested mucus.
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