Last week, I got the flu- or something else nasty. I had a sore throat that developed into a cough, blocked sinuses and felt feverish. And here’s the problem when you’re following a low carb or keto approach and you get sick: Most of the remedies you get in the pharmacy are full of sugar, especially the cough/throat lozenges. Quite often, there’s some “soothing honey” or other sweetener to make those remedies tolerable (because we don’t want to add unsweetened misery to an already miserable patient…). While I give raw honey to my kids when they’re sick (and yes, it works really well), I have to resort to other tricks to fight a flu, cough or sore throat. And this is why I want to share with you my cold and flu tea that you can experiment with to your heart’s content until it reaches your favourite flavour.
Do make sure you add ginger- not only for flavour, but it really helps a lot with both sore throats but also soothing a stomachache. I remember it being one of my favourites when I had the odd bout of morning sickness with my 2nd child. Cinnamon and liquorice root can add some natural sweetness, camomile is really nice before going to bed because of its relaxing effects and during the day, I like using green tea for all its numerous benefits.
But it’s not just about the soothing and healing effects of all the herbs and spices in this “cold and flu tea”. It also makes it a lot easier to stay well hydrated if you’re not well, and that’s often half the battle on your road to recovery!
Ingredients
500ml filtered water
2 tea bags (e.g. camomile, ginger/lemon, green tea or any other you like)
3 cloves
1 thumb ginger, grated
1 tsp lemon zest
You can also add marshmallow extract, fenugreek seeds, liquorice root extract or cinnamon sticks for a soothing effect on your throat. For stomach pains, I particularly like adding fresh camomile and/or fennel seeds.
Instructions
Bring the water to the boil, then add all the other ingredients and let everything simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the herbs and enjoy your cold and flu tea.
