The long summer is going to come to an end soon and the rains will descend. Along with the rainy season there will be the common cold and flu. The change in climate affects many leaving them in a sneezing or coughing fit. Cold and cough makes a person miserable as they leave a person irritated and restless. Here are a few handy remedies you could use.
Honey – The World Health Organization has cited honey as a potential remedy for colds because it coats the throat and relieves irritation. It also has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which help fight infections from viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Lemon – Add 2 teaspoons of organic lemon rind, 1 teaspoon of sage, and ½ teaspoon of thyme to boiling water and steep for 15 minutes. Then add the juice of half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of honey. Remember to use organic lemon rind because the pesticides used on citrus fruits are extremely hard to wash off.
Ginger Tea – Ginger acts as a potent natural anti-inflammatory herbal agent. Most people use ginger tea as a way to soothe their painful throats, although fresh ginger from the produce section of your local supermarket is also good.
Black Pepper and Honey – Place 1 teaspoon of black pepper in a teacup, fill with boiling water, cover with a saucer, and let steep for 15 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of honey, and drink the peppery tea. The black pepper stimulates circulation and doubles as a decongestant. The mildly antibiotic honey soothes the throat and relieves coughing.
Honey, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice – To make homemade cough syrup, mix 1 cup of Honey, ½ cup of Olive Oil, and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice in a saucepan and warm over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir vigorously for several minutes until the mixture attains the consistency of syrup. To relieve a cough, take 1 teaspoon of the formula every 2 hours. Store in an airtight container.
Chicken Soup – Eating chicken soup helps you stay hydrated, improves your immunity, and provides antioxidants that your body needs to help fight the virus, helps clear mucus from your system, and reduces inflammation. Chicken soup reduces the movement of the neutrophils in blood, which lowers activity that causes inflammation and cold symptoms in the respiratory tract.
Granny’s Kaadha – Every Indian household would know this age old nuska. Boil a sliced onion with tulsi leaves, methi, ginger, dried black grapes and jaggery. Boil for around 10 minutes. Drink hot kaadha for immediate effect, it helps to soothe the throat and also dissolves the cough.
Enjoy the rains and go home and use these remedies to avoid cold and cough.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Anjani M NautiyalÂ
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