Nonetheless you try your best not to catch cold & flu, things just happen right? We are sharing this world with 73 billion others. Some are sick. What can we do in alternative ways without OTC or antibiotics?

First, we have to know there is NO MEDICINE TO KILL VIRUSES. So once we catch them, only things we can do is — to bundle yourself with blankets, sleep a lot, and eat well (meaning eat appropriately) until they get out of the system. While we are going through this healing process, we may experience sore throat, endless coughs, chills, stuffy and runny nose, pain behind eyes, phlegms, aches, fever, etc etc... They are all necessary healing process, which shows your body is functioning properly. Your body is fighting to protect you. We don't want to force to stop our natural healing power by overusing drugs, still want to minimize those distresses and rest our body to heal.

Now, what can we do with COMMON KITCHEN HERBS? Those are not only flavorful kitchen herbs, but also great therapeutic herbs.

⚠︎ To maximize their efficacy, consume them in medicinal level preparation (i.e. strong infusion, sit over-night)

◊ ELDER (flower & berry):

Elder has been used as medicinal plants for long time in history (since Hippocrates time!!) There is a reason for that.

Elder (flower) has a known use for Flu and Colds for its anti-viral property

Elder (berries) are used for Flu, also anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-histamin

***Have Elderberry syrup or cordial is a very helpful medicine in your shelf!

◊ GARLIC:

Affinity for lung: indicated for Colds, Coughs, Fever, Flu, Bronchitis, and Bronchial asthma. Anti-microbial and anti-viral action can help the immune system deal with infections.

***Raw garlic has the most benefit! — Make sure to mince, crash, or chop cloves, and leave at least for 5~10 mins to let the medicinal property produced. Then, eat in raw or cook with them.

Bring a lot of garlics and onions into meal during winter time!

◊ GINGER:

Colds, Diaphoretic action is helpful in feverish condition, Warming, stimulating circulations, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant

◊ CAYENNE:

Colds, Warming and stimulating circulatory, Sinus infections and Congestion

◊ CINNAMON:

Colds and Flu at its onset; warming + stimulating and it helps clear congestion throughout the body

Take a dose at first shiver; 1/2 tsp simmered in a cup full of water for 20 mins, then let it sit for another 15 mins or so. (Can be longer)

◊ LEMON BALM:

Colds, Virus & Flu; it is highly anti-bacterial and anti-viral

◊ SAGE:

Sore throat, Laryngitis, Virus & Flu

***Spray or gargle with strong infusion for infections of the mouth

◊ THYME:

Sore throat, Laryngitis, Dry+Wet cough, Sinus infections & Congestion

***Thyme + Honey very effective sore throat remedy

Recipe: Fill up the jar with fresh thyme leaves, then fill the jar with honey (local raw honey). Make sure all the leaves is submerged. Let it sit for 6 weeks.

I was dragging mucus after cold one winter in past. It was annoying. I was carrying Thyme tincture with me, and took frequently. It helped clearing up.

◊ ROSEMARY:

Warms the body from the inside out by promoting blood circulation along with toning up vessels.

Coming up, medicinal herbs for cold & flu!

January 8, 2017

sachiko asano

Food As Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Seasonal Health

Beat Cold & Flu ~ VOL.1: 8 Foods to Build a Strong Immunity for the Winter Season

January 8, 2017

sachiko asano

Food As Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Seasonal Health

When a new year begins, a colder and drier season arrives (especially where I am, NY). People around you start talking about how sick they feel... Yes, this is the season of cold & flu!

Want to avoid the week(s) of being in bed with fever and dealing with endless coughs, a sore throat, and a runny nose? Why don't we prepare ourselves (for the season) to prevent onsets?

Building the immunity is the key here. That helps not only preventing you from cold & flu in the virus-active season, but also vitalizing your physical and mental foundation and coping with external bacterial + virus attacks and stress factors.

WInter is definitely a time to eat warm and condensed foods. Not cold and raw foods! Here are some regimens to toinfy your immunity in winter.

◊ EAT MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS!

Shiitake, Maitake, Turkeytail (Kawaratake), and Reishi are known as medicinal mushrooms. Turkeytail and Reishi are for decoction. Shiitake and Maitake are available in supermarkets! So it's easy to consume them as tasty dishes while building your immunity. (Oyster and Enoki mushrooms are also immune tonic. Available in supermarkets as well)

Dosage: Eat them for 90 days

Tip: Shiitake is a great source of Vitamin D (vital for immunity, brain system, and bone health). To maximize the property, place them under the sun with caps turned back for 30~60 mins before cooking. D increases enormously. When sit under the sun, all the nutritions in shiitake boosts up.

◊ COOK AND EAT SEASONAL & ROOT VEGETABLES

Kale, Collard, Dandelion, Beet greens: Seasonal vegetables have the most ideal nutrition, energetics, actions, and tastes in a year. (see BENEFIT TO EAT FOODS IN SEASON) Do not forget to cook them to take the most benefits.

Daikons, Burdocks, Japanese taros (里芋), Beets, Turnips, Parsnips, Carrots, Potatoes, Lotus roots: Winter root veggies have an action to warm up our body. Lotus roots helps clear phlegm from lungs.

◊ GARLICS & ONIONS

Healing and protective for lung. Destroying infection-causing viruses & bacteria. Alliums (scallion family) is known to have properties: anti-cancer, hypotensive, and reducing the risk of blood clots.

◊ HORSERADISH

Healing for sinus

◊ HONEY

Honey is super medicinal. Has properties, antibacterial, antiseptic and soothing a throat and ease coughs. Pick raw and unrefined ones.

◊ HEALTHY FATS

Avocado oil, Coconut oil, Tallow, Lard, Ghee, Butter, Egg yolk, Fish eggs, Liver, Nut butters, Fat from Animal foods (Blue fishes and Meat) and... Cod liver oil!

Good fats are necessary to maintain optimal health physically and mentally. *Quality matters here. Pick good quality products.

Super Food – Fermented Cod Liver Oil: Very high in Omg-3 EFA, vitamin A, D and E. Vitamin D is very vital for immunity, brain system, and bone health. Especially in a winter season, supplementing CLO is very helpful to speed up a healing process during infections and reduce a winter depression (less sun-light during the winter affects remarkably).

◊ BONE BROTHS

Bone broths have highly nutritive and therapeutic for infinite conditions. Great all year around, still warming soup definitely supports us to get through a cold season.

Bone broths give you...

• minerals in easy to assimilate form

• nutrients that help build healthy cartilage and tendons

• amino acids that help the body dotoxify

• gelatin to help digestion and heal the gut lining

◊ PROBIOTIC FOODS

Fermented and cultured foods + drinks are known probiotic foods, which nurture gut-flora. 80% of our immune system is located in our gastrointestinal track. Meaning enriching gut-flora leads our immunity to be strong.

This is the reason we have to be careful with taking antibiotics.

Bring those foods into your dairy life and beat cold & flu!