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Home Remedy For Fighting Colds & The Flu
**Disclaimer: The following blog post contains information to be used as a complement to improve your health if needed. If you are sick we strongly advise that you seek proper medical care.**
Are you suffering with a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, sneezing, slight fever, cough, headache, body aches and mild tiredness? There’s a good chance you have a cold, and if these symptoms are more severe, you could be experiencing the flu. With winter here, cold and flu season has begun. At Above & Beyond Acupuncture we have seen a significant uptick in the number of patients getting sick with colds and the flu. While getting the flu shot will prevent some people from being infected, it really only prevents certain strains; and for some people, getting this shot will cause them to experience a very weak version of the flu. Many times people will go to see a doctor who will prescribe antibiotics. While that can be effective, it is our belief that antibiotics should be used sparingly.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, which includes acupuncture and Chinese herbs, is very effective at treating the symptoms of colds and the flu. In a future post we will go into detail about using acupuncture to help treat and possibly prevent these types of ailments. The purpose of this blog post is to provide a natural remedy to help treat colds and the flu. It can be prepared at home with ingredients that many people already have in their kitchens.
As we noted in the disclaimer, the home remedy we are going to share should be used as a complement to the treatment you will receive from a medical practitioner (whether that be from Eastern or Western medicine). So, if you are sick, using this remedy can be helpful, but it’s always important to seek help from a professional.
Garlic-Honey-Lemon tea is one of the most popular home remedies we prescribe to our patients. This tea is powerful, effective and natural, with no side effects (unlike over-the-counter medications.) It is most effective right at the onset of an illness, so if you feel a cold or the flu coming on, be sure to take this home remedy right away. The combination of these three items helps to strengthen the immune system; it also has antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
WebMD states that garlic has been successfully used to treat allergic rhinitis, cold, flu and many other conditions. It is also used for building/strengthening the immune system and preventing and treating bacterial and fungal infections. [Link] Garlic contains allicin, which is the biologically-active component of garlic. Allicin is the key ingredient responsible for the broad spectrum of anti-bacterial activity. Research has shown that allicin has a variety of beneficial effects on the body, including lowering blood pressure, fighting cancer, and contributing to the body’s anti-microbial efforts. [Link]
Honey and lemon have a significant ability to stop the growth of microbes that can cause infection. The vitamin C in lemon may strengthen the immune system and possibly help treat the symptoms of a cold. Honey may also contain antiviral properties that could inhibit viral activity from colds. [Link]
Here is the recipe for Garlic-Honey-Lemon tea:
- Take 3 cloves of garlic and remove the shell/skin.
- Either dice or crush the cloves (crushing is better.)
- Let the crushed garlic sit out for 10 minutes (this is important!)
- Boil 8-10 ounces of water and make a tea with the garlic.
- Add 1 tablespoon of organic honey.
- Add the juice of 1 lemon.
- Allow contents to sit and steep for a few minutes.
- Drink the tea.
- Eat the garlic.
You can take this tea up to three times a day and should see some reduction in the symptoms of colds and the flu. The best time to use this home remedy is when you’re first feeling sick, but it can also be used when the illness has progressed.
We hope you will avoid getting sick, but if you catch a cold or get the flu, be sure to make use of this amazing home remedy.
