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Make Your Own Super Healing Cold And Flu Tonics: 3 Fantastic Recipes You Will Love
Photo credit: bigstock.com
The holidays are nearly over. You know what is coming next, right? Cold and flu season.
With holiday parties, get togethers, holiday shopping, celebrations, office parties, school plays, too many late nights, and too many holiday treats, you or someone you love is going to get a nasty cold or the flu.
If you were smart, you have been spending the last two months or so eating foods that will build your immune system. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes snag some ugly bug, and he decides to make our nasal passages his home for the next week or two.
When this happens, there isn’t much you can do except gobble down some turkey soup (because you probably still have leftovers from Thanksgiving, right?), drink lots of herbal tea, and make yourself a batch of homemade cold and flu tonic to help your body heal as quickly as possible.
We have put together three of the best cold and flu tonics that you can make at home. One of them does require some advance preparation, but the great thing about our third recipe is that, once it is ready, you can start consuming it immediately. It will boost your immune system and help keep you from getting the flu or a cold in the first place.
The other recipes can be put together in a matter of minutes, so if you wake up with that stuffy head, scratchy throat, and cough, you can make these recipes while you are calling in sick and get back to bed.
A word of warning here: Two of these recipes are quite spicy or hot and might not be appropriate for children under 10. When using ingredients like horseradish, always err on the side of caution, and use less instead of too much. Also, you might want to wear gloves and wash your hands immediately after making this, as rubbing your eye or nose after touching garlic or horseradish will find you muttering some not-so-nice words pretty quickly.
Are you ready? Keep reading and discover three of the best cold and flu tonics ever!
1. Super Healing Cold and Flu Tonic
Ingredients:
- Half of an organic yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves of organic garlic, chopped
- 2 red chili peppers, chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon of fresh ginger root, chopped
- 1 large organic lemon, juiced (including peel)
- Apple cider vinegar (organic is best, but if all you have is the regular kind, that’s okay)
Instructions:
Using a Mason jar, add the onion, garlic, chili peppers (yes, the seeds too), and ginger. Stir a couple times using a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice and give it another stir. Fill the Mason jar with apple cider vinegar, leaving about half an inch of room from the top. Cover tightly and shake for a minute. You can start consuming this right away if you need to or allow it to sit overnight if you can. Take one teaspoon of this as often as you like. For most people, every three or four hours is good, but if you start feeling that scratchy throat again after two hours, feel free to take another dose. If you use this for more than one day, give the jar another shake or two to keep everything well mixed. This cold and flu tonic does not have to be refrigerated and can last about three weeks left on the kitchen counter. You can also refrigerate it, however, if you find it easier to consume cold.
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Photo credit: .bigstock.com
2. Grandma’s Cold and Flu Tonic
This recipe is so simple that you probably have everything you need right in your kitchen. This is a terrific recipe that is even good for kids.
Ingredients:
- Fresh lemons (thinly sliced, seeds removed)
- Ginger root (sliced into thin pieces)
- Raw, organic honey
Instructions:
Using a Mason jar or similar container, pour a layer of honey in the bottom of the jar. Add a couple of lemon slices and a few ginger slices, and then cover with more honey. Continue to layer in this manner until the jar is about three quarters of the way full, or you run out of ingredients! Finish with a thick layer of honey, and then put on the lid. If your jar has a metal lid, you might want to put a layer of plastic wrap or a piece of wax paper between the lid and your tonic. You can start consuming this right away or allow it to sit overnight. If time allows, let this sit overnight (or longer) for best results. Many people like to make this just before the holidays, and keep it in the fridge for later use. You can add this honey to your herbal teas or simply take a teaspoon at the first sign of a cold or flu.
3. Vinegar Cold and Flu Tonic
This one takes some time to get going as you are going to ferment some of your kombucha. This is definitely a make ahead of time recipe, but it is great for improving the immune system as well as helping kill off cold and flu viruses.
This recipe makes about two and a half cups, and unless you live alone, you will want to make a double batch or start another one as soon as this one is ready. You’ll want to have plenty on hand all winter long.
First, you will need to make kombucha vinegar. This is pretty darn easy. Put two and a half cups of kombucha in a container and seal it. Shake the container once each day for four weeks. That’s it! It’s ready! Once you have your kombucha vinegar ready, you can start making this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups of kombucha vinegar
- 2 ounces of fresh ginger root, grated
- 2 ounces of fresh horseradish, grated (be careful as this is much more powerful than onions!)
- 1 medium white onion sliced
- 3 ounces daikon radish, grated (if you can’t find daikon, regular radishes are okay)
- 4 cloves of organic garlic, diced
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, diced
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder (or 2 ounces of fresh turmeric root, grated)
Instructions:
Take a one quart jar, such as a Mason jar, and put all ingredients inside. Again, if you have a metal top, put a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap between the lid and the contents. This helps to stop the metal from corroding. Put the lid on tightly, and give it a good shake. Put the jar in the refrigerator and give it a good shake once each day. Leave the jar in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. You can leave it there longer if you like. Don’t forget to give the jar a shake once or twice a day. Once you decide to start using your tonic, strain it over cheesecloth and store your tonic in the refrigerator. This is definitely not a recipe for children! Take a shot every morning to prevent the flu from taking hold or take a shot (yes, we mean a full shot glass) each morning and night if you should come down sick. This will really warm you up on those cold winter days!
READ ALSO: Terrific Cold and Flu Fighting Recipes, Including a Unique One for Fire Cider
You can also add other herbs to these tonics to increase their healing power, including goldenseal, Echinacea, or ginseng.
Enjoy the winter weather and the family time that comes with the holidays, but be prepared for an unexpected bout with the flu by keeping one of these tonics on hand.
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