With flu season hovering everywhere we go, there’s nothing like having a good set of home remedies in your kitchen cabinets. 

In my house, healthy brews include an assortment of herbal teas, apple cider, honey, fresh ginger, and plenty of lemons and limes. Citruses are loaded with Vitamin C, a known immune-booster that helps keep colds and flu away, and treat them when they catch you unexpectedly.

Nothing beats a cold and wintery day like a hot mug of your favorite drink. Whether it’s cider (my favorite) or hot chocolate (my children’s  favorite) or simply hot lemon and honey, hot drinks soothe both the tummy and the soul. Not only are hot drinks delicious, but they also create wonderful aromas wafting through the home.

Remember when your grandmother’s home remedy for a cold was a Hot Toddy? Hot apple cider, peppermint teas and fresh ginger taste wonderful, are simple to make, and can be served with or without alcohol at parties. Best yet, they can also be used medicinally as remedies as well.

Aside from the typical childhood illnesses as measles and mumps, neither my sisters nor I were sick very often while growing up. That’s because our mom, who during our early years was a housewife and full-time mother, took excellent care of us and made sure that we stayed healthy.

Her stringent house rules included three square meals daily and very little snacking. Vitamins, exercise and plenty of water were included in her own personal routine. She led by example, played tennis and worked out regularly at the spa. And unlike many women her age, our mom looked good in a two-piece bathing suit well into her 40s. And even today at age 79, she can out-swim me in laps.

Those rare times that any of us did get sick, Mom nursed us round-the-clock. Her routine was to wait on us hand and foot, and she ordered us straight to bed with plenty of fluids. Even today, I can still remember her bedside trayfilled with aspirins, a thermometer,  juice, and hot tea with honey and lemon.

Today, I try to keep my kids healthy with as many home remedies as possible. I stock plenty of herbal teas such as rose hips that is loaded with Vitamin C, peppermint and ginger. Whether or not you use them as home remedies or serve them for the holidays, hot drinks are a great addition straight from your kitchen.

Fatimah’s cold and flu remedy

1 1/2 cups of boiling hot water

2 ginger or 1 peppermint tea bags

2  tbs honey

Juice from ½  lemon

2 slices fresh ginger

1 tsp of 1000 mg crystalized vitamin C

Directions

Stir and drink three X daily to help treat colds and flu.

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