So it seems that it is that time of the year here in NZ when the coughs and colds strike, well in this house at least. With that in mind I thought a wee post about kitchen cures and real foods that can help would be in order.
We have our favourite kitchen cures of course and my list is not everything there is so I’d love to hear other ‘cures’ from other cultures if you’re keen to share.
This week some kitchen Cures for Coughs:
Coughs can be extremely dehydrating to the body so it is really important to maintain fluids even when it seems we don’t need to. Try some of these:
Thyme:
This has to be our favourite, tried and true, remedy. Thyme has been an officially approved German treatment for coughs for a long time and there is a good reason of that – it works! 😉 The flavonoids in the herb relax the tracheal and ileal muscles and they also reduce inflammation. Just brew up a strong ‘tea’ with some dried thyme, add honey to sweeten if needed, and then sip regularly especially around times of coughing.
Hot tea:
As mentioned above coughing dehydrates you and so you need to keep the fluids up. Drinks are important and hot teas even more so as the warmth of the drink will relieve your throat while it hydrates. Green tea which is full of antioxidants, Apple cider, peppermint, lemon and honey along with the aforementioned thyme are all good kitchen cures for that pesky cough.
Try some hot herbal or fruit teas to ease your throat and re-hydrate you.
Garlic:
This is a very traditional kitchen cure for coughs and colds and a good one. Garlic has antibiotic properties which helps healing all-round. The Cherokee also used it as an expectorant for coughs and croup. My preferred method, and I think the most effective, is to finely diced a clove of raw garlic and then add a bit to a teaspoon of honey. The honey also acts as an antiseptic which will soothe the throat so benefits abound!
Onions and honey:
I have tried this one when the kids were little and it was pretty effective – probably because they liked the sweetness of the honey and caramelised onion! Simply chop up an onion and place in a double boiler with ½ cup of honey and some lemon juice. Cook on a low heat till the onion is soft and slightly caramelised. You can either strain out the onion or leave in. Store in a jar and use as needed.
Hope this finds you happy, healthy and if not cough free at least with a few ideas up your sleeve.
Arohanui
Y
Becoming Healthy 