Li: that time of year again: the flu season, the time when everyone ends up
sick—yuck. Unfortunately, we can't really avoid it. Each of us will end up sick
at some point. It’s inevitable. That’s because everyone is stuffed inside and in
close quarters during the cold parts of the year. There are certain things you can
do though, besides the usual over-the-counter medicines to help your immune
system fight the never-ending cold war. These things are really easy to do, and the
ingredients are easily available in the kitchen.

For instance, garlic is well-known in the kitchen cupboard: it is often used
in our cooking to enhance the flavour of a dish. Did you know that garlic is also
antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial? It is a very good source of vitamin C,
something that helps us fight the common cold. Therefore, eating several cloves on
the onset of the first symptoms of the common cold reduces the time you are sick.

Having garlic in our food is very beneficial, but cooking it removes some of
the aiding allicin compounds. For maximum effect, garlic should be consumed
raw when one is ill. This will mean that all of the beneficial compounds are still
intact. However, if you find eating a clove of raw garlic to be too much, there is
another way to keep the enzymes more intact when cooking. After crushing or
chopping your garlic, let it sit for some time before adding it to your dish. This
will allow the enzymes to work better in your body.

Another very useful substance you can find in your kitchen is honey. It
has over 600 compounds in it, and humans have been using honey for health
benefits for thousands of years. More than five millennia ago, Egyptian medical

 

 

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Kitchen remedies to

By Lauren Paulser

compounds used honey; the ancient Greeks believed that consuming honey made
one live longer; and in pre-ancient Egyptian times, honey was commonly used to
treat wounds. Clearly, honey has a long history in medical practices.

I find honey most useful in tea. A spoonful a day, used as sweetener, is also
most enjoyable. Just like garlic, honey is also antibacterial and antifungal because
of an enzyme that bees add while making it. It is beneficial as a cough suppressor,
particularly buckwheat honey, and it comforts a sore throat. Its anti-inflammatory
properties make it good for stomachaches as well.

When choosing honey for its medicinal value, keep in mind that the darker
it is, the better—darker honey has more antioxidants as compared to the lighter
one. Why are there different tones to honey? It all depends on what the bees have
been harvesting their nectar from. Buckwheat produces a darker honey than sage
does. As Gene E. Robinson, the director of the University of Illinois bee research
faculty, says, “Not all nectars are created equal, thus not all honeys are created
equal.” Hence, choose your honey wisely.

Tea can be extremely useful when treating a virus. Full volumes have been
written about the various benefits of different teas. The catechins in green tea
have been shown to kill bacteria and inhibit viruses, while an infusion of specific
herbs in a tisane (the word for herbal tea) can help treat various symptoms.
Eucalyptus is the most well-known herb to help with the common cold,
alleviating congestion and sore throats. It’s a healthy choice because it’s both
antiviral and antibacterial. Echinacea is used to boost the immune system and