FitSugar

Sage Tea to Ward Off a Cough

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:00:48 PST

Some of you might remember that my aunt has a thing for conjuring up herbal remedies, like her cold-fighting ginger tea. So when I got hit with a nasty fever last week, I called dear ol' auntie first.

After I described my ailment, she said one word: sage. I was skeptical, mostly because I have never been a huge fan of the pungent, peppery herb. But since sage has been a longstanding healing plant, I whipped up my aunt's recipe. Not only was my cough suppressed, I could actually breathe for a few hours! Give this tea a try the next time you're feeling sickly.

To see the recipe,

Treat a Cold: Make Your Own Ginger Tea

FitSugar — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:40:43 PST

My aunt is from Thailand and when I'm sick she'll use her arsenal of Thai herbs and spices to concoct a cold remedy for me. When I was younger my uncle would look at her cautiously as she mixed her treatments because he was so used to popping a pill when sick. Now that I'm an adult I find it funny that many of my aunt's "crazy cures" have made their way into mainstream culture, like ginger.

Whenever I have a cold I make my aunt's fresh ginger tea (and so does the rest of my family now!). It's a surefire way to clear up congestion or a sore throat. It also works great at soothing an upset tummy.

Ginger Tea
original recipe

For an extra kick of endorphins, add a teaspoon of chili powder to the mix.

Ingredients

2-inch piece of peeled, thinly sliced fresh ginger
2 stalks trimmed, cut lemongrass
6 cups water
3 tablespoons honey

Directions

Bring ginger, lemongrass, and water to a boil in a saucepan.
Remove from heat and add honey, stirring until dissolved.
Let mixture steep partially uncovered for about 15 minutes.
Strain lemongrass and ginger from tea and serve immediately.

Print recipe with images | without images

Soothe Your Cold Symptoms With This Yummy Beverage

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:00:00 PST

There may not be a cure for the common cold, but we've learned the basic steps to overcoming a cold: Plenty of rest and fluids. There's now scientific research that says warm drinks are capable of treating cold and flu symptoms, and this beverage concoction from Slashfood seems perfect for cheering you up when you're down with a miserable cold.

The simple recipe is a fun alternative to try when you've already guzzled eight cups of tea and are craving something different. Give it a go next time you're under the weather; all you need is honey, ginger, and lemon. Follow Slashfood's instructions, and you should be on your way to taming your cold symptoms.

Grate a half-inch chunk of ginger into a large mug.
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon in on top (you can also add the zest if you're feeling daring).
Add a heaping teaspoonful of honey (feel free to adjust the sweetness level to your personal taste).
Fill the cup with boiling water and stir to combine. Drink while still warm and repeat as necessary.

Source

Coming Down With a Cold? Drink Up

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:00:09 PST

Contracting a cold isn't the worst thing in the world, but it sure isn't pleasant. The sniffling, sneezing, and sore throat make life temporarily uncomfortable, and new research says that easing those symptoms could be as simple as hydrating with hot beverages.

It's hard to believe that it's brand new research, considering generations of caretakers have stood by this advice, but Cardiff University's Common Cold Centre claims it's the first scientific study of its kind. Thirty volunteers were given apple and blackcurrant drinks served at room temperature or hot, and the group experienced immediate relief from coughing, sore throat, chilliness, and tiredness. After 15 minutes, they noticed relief from a running nose and sneezing.

The study noted, "In conclusion, the results support the folklore that a hot tasty drink is a beneficial treatment for relief of most symptoms of common cold and flu." Make your beverages hot the next time you're sniffling your way through a cold - maybe you'll go through fewer tissues!

Source

The Skinny On: Echinacea

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 09:00:00 PST

When I was in college, come cold and flu season, all the hippies I knew started taking their echinacea herbal remedies to boost their immune system. It was like clock work. When I tried it my reaction was just icky-nacea since the taste was so bad.

Well, my tune has changed, at least slightly. Several controlled studies have found that the herb can reduce symptoms of the common cold as well as shorten a cold's duration. That was good news for my runny nose. It is important that the echinacea is prepared as an alcohol extract or a pressed juice.

A bummer for my dear hippie friends, no evidence has been found that echinacea prevents colds or bolsters the immune system. So there is no need to take it on a regular basis to enhance your immunity. I will use anything I can to make my colds shorter. How about you?

Carded for Claritin?

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 03:00:00 PST

The other day I was having a really bad allergic reaction to my friend's Springer Spaniel. Nothing a little over-the-counter Claritin wouldn't fix.

But when I went to pick it up at the drugstore, there was a little card on the shelf that stood in place of the box. It said something like, "You must pick up this medicine at the register."

When I got up to the counter, and gave them my card, they asked to see my license. I asked, "Are you carding me?" And the woman said that they're required to write down my name and other info, to make sure that I'm not buying an obscene amount. She said that kids are buying mass quantities of allergy and cold medicine to make it into meth.

Apparently many companies are joining the fight on methamphetamine. Chains such as Target and Wal-Mart are restricting access to drugs containing pseudoephedrine.

Fit's Tip: There may be a restriction where you get your medicine, or a rule about how many boxes you can buy. This can be really annoying if you have a family and need to buy different kinds (like day-time, night-time, kids, non-drowsy, drowsy). Bring someone along if you need to purchase different kinds of cold, cough, or allergy meds.

How to Kick a Nighttime Cough Naturally

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:05:23 PST

Whether it's because of a cold or allergies, coughing at night is not only annoying, it prevents you from getting the sleep you need to stay healthy. Before you down cough medicine (which often just masks the cough), you might want to relieve your nighttime cough with one of these natural remedies.

Steam up: Before hitting the hay, create a steam room in the bathroom. Shut the door, don't turn on the fan, and take a hot shower. Let the water gently run on your face, or if that's too intense, place a warm washcloth on your sinuses, allowing the heat and steam to help relieve sinus congestion. You can even use a neti pot in the shower - just be sure to fill it with warm distilled or sterilized water, not the shower water. Using a neti pot after you've breathed in steam can make it more effective.
Get moist: Since dry air can often cause a dry cough (especially in the Winter months when we crank up the heat), moisten the air you breathe by running a cool-mist humidifier on low throughout the night (I'm a fan of this humidifier from Crane). In the morning, be sure to wipe down your windows and windowsills as condensation tends to form, and you don't want this moisture to encourage mold growth, which can also aggravate a cough. Follow the directions that came with your humidifier when it comes to cleaning it, and disinfect it thoroughly at least once a week to avoid mold growth.

Keep reading for more natural ways to beat your nighttime cough.

6 Unique Ways to Fend Off Illnesses and Avoid Medical Bills

Emily Co — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:57:16 PST

There are very few things that are worse than getting sick. Not only will you have pricey medical bills to pay, but you may also have to skip out on work. Fortunately, you can employ plenty of preventative methods to avoid falling ill. We've heard the usual "eat right and exercise" advice, so here are a couple of tactics that you may not have heard of:

Immune boosters in a pill: Although you've heard of the usual immune boosters like vegetables and fruits, there are a couple of holistic cures you might want to try. There's New Chapter's LifeShield Immunity ($20), which is a supplement made out of a combination of mycelium, fruiting bodies, spores, and extracellular compounds from tonic mushrooms.
Take ginseng with your vaccine: When you get a flu vaccine, try taking some ginseng with it so you'll bounce back from the effects of the vaccine. There was a study done in which only 13 percent of the group of participants who took ginseng with flu vaccinations caught colds vs. 37 percent of the placebo group.
Trick yourself psychologically: Don't discount old wives' remedies! Even if you don't have any scientific proof, perhaps the cures have some sort of psychological effect that results in physical effects. For example, a cure for cough that works for me is rubbing vapor rub over my feet and wearing socks at night. Another scientifically disproved treatment is Airborne, which somehow always fends off a cold when I feel one coming on.

Read on for more tips.

Flying With a Cold? Survival Tips While in the Air

Heather Dale — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:59:20 PST

I started the New Year with a cold that has knocked me right off my feet. I was fine staying home for the midnight countdown, but what I'm not looking forward to is having to board a plane with this bad bug - traveling when you're sick is the worst! If you need to fly and are suffering from a cold, here are some survival tips to help alleviate the annoying symptoms associated with being sick.

Sore throat: Before you get to the airport, gargle with warm salt water using 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water. Once you get to the airport, sip on hot tea or warm water sweetened with honey, which can help soothe an irritated throat. While on the plane, drink plenty of liquids and come prepared with hard candies or throat lozenges, which can be very soothing since they increase saliva production and help keep the throat moist.

Keep reading for more tips.

4 Natural Remedies You Already Have in Your Pantry

Leta Shy — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:06:33 PDT

Some ailments need the power of the medicine cabinet, but other times when you're not feeling that hot all you need to do is look toward the spice rack. Whether you're in a bad mood, can't stop coughing, nursing a hangover, or have post-workout soreness, here are four spices that can help you feel better - no medicine required!

What: Peppers
When to use: When you're feeling down.
Why: The hot feeling you get in your mouth is from the compound capsaicin. It triggers pain receptors in your mouth, which causes your brain to release feel-good endorphins to compensate.
How to eat: Spice up a cold, dreary day with this spicy-sweet chili recipe, or this recipe for a healthy version of spicy eggplant.

What: Ginger
When to use: When you're fighting a cold or feeling nauseous or achy.
Why: Remedy the sniffles, aches, and congestion of the season with ginger; ginger contains a chemical that helps reduce nausea and inflammation symptoms, and ginger tea has been a tried-and-true congestion remedy for years.
How to eat: Whip up this ginger tea recipe the next time you are feeling under the weather, or dress up your dinner with this ginger-garlic broccoli recipe.

Read on for more remedies you can make with what's already in your spice cabinet!