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8 Herbs & Spices To Fight The Flu & Common Cold Naturally
Brought to you by our friends at Abes Market.
We are deep into cold and flu season and sometimes it’s impossible to avoid getting sick. If you work, you may take public transportation. If you have kids, they go to school surrounded by hundreds of other kids. If you are an active person in society, you go to the grocery store, the mall, the library … everywhere other people go. So while it may be impossible to completely protect yourself (other than living in a bubble, but who wants to live like that?), there are ways to boost your immune system naturally. The easiest things to do include washing your hands (especially if you take public transportation), drinking a lot of water and tea (avoid sugary sodas) and getting plenty of rest. But there are a number of spices you probably have sitting your cabinet that, when added to your diet, can help. You may already be using some and helping yourself get healthy. See how easy that is?
Garlic
Using garlic while you cook is great to add robust aromas and flavors to your food. But to get the real health benefits from garlic, you want to keep it raw. Garlic is packed with allion and allicin, which contain natural anti-viral and antioxidant properties, which may help reduce your chances of getting the flu. It may sound gross to eat a clove of raw garlic, but it’s been said to help boost your immune system and also may help reduce the time you’re sick if you get the flu. If you can’t stand the taste of garlic, there are a number of garlic supplements you can get, too. We also read that you could poke holes into a clove and leave it on the side of your bed to get the benefits while you sleep. You may end up sleeping alone for a bit though.
Turmeric & Cinnamon
These two spices are often found in your spice cabinet so they’re easy to get and easier to use. And they both offer strong anti-inflammatory properties. You can sprinkle some turmeric into soups, stews, sauces and more to not only only add wonderful flavor, but also benefit from its powerful agents. An article by Dr. Andrew Weil says that turmeric and its active component, curcumin, have numerous health benefits, including having “antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer” properties. Cinnamon also helps as an anti-inflammatory in addition to being a warming spice. It’s great sprinkled on oatmeal, mixed in to yogurt or used as a spice in pasta sauce and more.
Cooking with Turmeric and Cinnamon
Elderberry
We’ve noticed that as soon as the flu started spiking, our supply of elderberry products starting flying off our shelves. People have so much faith in sambucol, a black elderberry extract, that they snatch up products containing it quickly. Elderberry, which grows around the world, has been found to cut the length and severity of the flu if taken at the first signs of feeling ill due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. Keep in mind that elderberry is beneficial in treating the flu, not preventing it.
Cooking with Elderberries
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