Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Tea infsuion for a sore throat and cough

This worked incredibly well for me,
lessening the painful symptoms of a sore and swollen throat
by three-quarters within two hours of drinking it.

Using my intuition (or perhaps Divine guidance),
I gathered up fresh herbs from the garden
combined with what I had in my pantry to create a herbal tea infusion.
It was only after it worked to soothe my throat and ease my cough
that I researched the individual properties of each ingredient
and discovered why it had, indeed, worked so well.

I consider this to be a small miracle!



Directions:
  • Add a jasmine green and peppermint tea bag to a tea pot.
  • Infuse the tea with a large slice of ginger, 2 green cardamom pods (crushed slightly), a sprig of lavender, a few fresh basil/rosemary/oregano leaves and cinnamon (I didn't have sticks, so I used ground cinnamon).
  • When at drinking temperature, add a teaspoon of manuka honey.
Other tips:
  • Chew and swallow fresh ginger for an added throat soother (beware the burn).
  • Take turmeric root capsules and l-glutamine to support your immune system. Solgar's is both gluten and corn-free.
  • Two drops of lavender essential oil diluted in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil is useful for soothing itchy, sore ears.

Why does this work?
  • Green tea: said to be a good antioxidant, as well as a stimulant (due to it's caffeine content).
  • Peppermint tea: menthol content is useful in warding off the common cold, while the minty taste soothes a burning throat.
  • Fresh ginger: considered an effective cure for coughing, congestion and colds. Also helpful for nausea.
  • Green cardamom: used to treat and prevent throat troubles.
  • Lavender: when used topically or taken internally, it has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Fresh basil: antiviral, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Useful in the treatment of asthma.
  • Fresh rosemary: antioxidant. Contains camphor which acts as a cough suppressant.
  • Fresh oregano: antiseptic and antimicrobial, said to be palliative for sore throats.
  • Manuka honey: antibacterial.
  • Turmeric root powder: antiseptic and antibacterial. Used as a blood cleanser (I take this daily in order to keep painful underarm hidradenitis suppurativa in remission).
  • L-glutamine: aids recovery from illness and keeps the white blood cells functioning happily.