Home Remedies for Surviving Cold and Flu Season

 

The following 2 recipes are my favourite home remedies for surviving the Cold & Flu Season.  I find that homemade remedies that require an investment of time & energy can be “extra” therapeutic because it requires the personal tender loving care. 

Change of Season Soup

Change of season soup is an herbal formula traditionally used in traditional Asian medicine to help enhance the immune system during the changing of the seasons. This formula is thought to improve resistance to colds and flu and help cope with stress.

The soup is to be taken 2 weeks leading up to the change in season and may be taken throughout the winter season.

Ingredients:

You will need equal parts (roughly 60 grams or 2oz each) of the following herbs:

1. Codonopsis root (Dang shen)
2. Astragalus root (Huang qi)*
3. Dioscorea (Chinese yam) root (shan yao)
4. Chinese Lycii berries (Gou qi zi)

*        If you are pregnant, you may replace Astragalus root with Polygonum (Fo-Ti) root, as it has additional benefits for supporting your body during pregnancy

*        For extra flavour, add a stick of cinnamon

All of these herbs are readily available in Chinese herbal shops in Chinatown.  However, because these herbs have different names in Chinese, it may be difficult to identify them.  Larger Chinese supermarkets (e.g. T & T) often have English labelled packages available.  Some shops even sell the herbs pre-packaged for convenience.

Instructions

1. Fill a large stock pot with water. Add the above herbs to the pot and place the lid on. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 to 6 hours. If the water level boils down, add water to refill if necessary.

1. Using a slotted spoon, remove the herbs from the pot and allow the soup to cool. This recipe makes about 4 liters of soup.

You may drink this as a tea and sip it throughout the day or use it as a base for soups.  It makes an excellent chicken soup.

 

 Throat Cold Tea 

Ingredients:

• quarter-size slices of fresh ginger root
• cloves of fresh garlic, chopped.
• lemon wedges
• a pinch of ground cayenne pepper

In a jar, combine the above ingredients. Close jar and put it in the fridge, it will form into a “jelly”.

To serve at the onset of a cold: Spoon jelly into mug and pour boiling water over it. May store in fridge for 2-3 months.