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Winter is in full swing, and so is cold and flu season. A nutrient-dense, real food diet, adequate sunshine, plenty of sleep and rest, and proper movement of the body are the most important lifestyle choices that you can make to support your immune system and prevent cold and flu infections. Proper handwashing and a healthy dose of common sense are pretty important as well. During cold and flu season, it’s important to wash your hands frequently and not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. And if you do succumb to a cold or flu virus, please stay home and keep your germs to yourself!
Even though a healthy lifestyle can go a long way in keeping cold and flu viruses at bay, sometimes catching a virus is inevitable. When I am feeling under the weather, ginger lemon tea is one of my favorite, go-to remedies. I also drink this tea a few times a week as a preventative measure and because it has potent anti-inflammatory effects.
Ginger is a flowering plant whose root has been used for over 5000 years for its medicinal properties. Modern science has confirmed that ginger is a potent anti-viral compound that strengthens the ability of the immune system to respond to a viral infection and can directly inhibit viral action. Ginger also has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. A lot of the symptoms caused by a cold or flu virus are due to inflammation, such as chest and sinus congestion, and ginger can help to squelch those uncomfortable symptoms. Ginger is probably best known for its effectiveness in treating nausea and vomiting. Ginger is safe for most people, but if you are taking anticoagulant medications or if you have gallbladder disease, you should avoid ginger.
Lemon is a good source of vitamin C, which is also known to boost the immune system. Similar to ginger, vitamin C has both anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. For an extra boost, raw honey can be added to the ginger lemon tea. It is optional if you are avoiding any added sugars, but honey does have many healing properties, including anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects. As a reminder, honey should never be given to children under one year of age.
Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups Water
1 Tbsp Freshly Grated Ginger (There is no need to peel the ginger.)
1/2 Lemon Squeezed
Honey to Taste (Optional)
Preparation Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes
Preparation
1.) Add the grated ginger to the filtered water and allow the water to come to a boil.
2.) Pour the water into a mug using a tea filter or other straining device.
3.) Squeeze the fresh lemon into the ginger tea. Add honey if desired.
I hope that this natural cold and flu remedy helps you as much as it has me! What are your favorite flu and cold remedies? Leave them in the comments below!
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