If you’re like me, then you know that two things are certain every year – taxes and at least one bad bout of the flu (which is basically your body paying taxes in a way). It usually creeps up when the weather is changing from cold to hot or vice versa. And it always creeps up when you least expect it. I tend to blame my easy susceptibility on my sensitive ‘singer’s throat’ but in truth, the flu is really impartial to talent.
If you’re even more like me, then you have an aversion for consuming chemicals and are willing to try natural cures however bizzare-sounding. If on the other hand, you are addicted to popping pills, then quite simply, PLEASE STOP DOING IT!
Here is an easy recipe that has helped me deal with my flu many-a-time – one particularly memorable time when I was curled up for days in misery, trying to cope with the quirky British weather and none of the pill-popping seemed to work.
1 cup hot milk
3/4 to 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of honey (or sugar)
Mix the above and have it 2-3 times a day in case of a bad flu. I find it helpful to start drinking this every night if I even so much as feel that I might be coming down with a sore throat.
This simple recipe has been used for untold centuries in India where we generally like to cure things the natural way if possible. Turmeric really is a wonder herb and used extensively in Ayurveda (the ancient Indian science of medicine). In Indian cooking, the majority of dishes use at least a pinch of turmeric for the fact that it kills bacteria and germs. In villages, it is still commonly used to treat minor wounds given its natural antiseptic properties. It is even known to kill cancerous cells and reduce incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
Note: if you have any medical conditions or are pregnant, please consult your doctor first (turmeric can be pretty potent and produces heat in the body). Also, please be sure to use ‘pure’ turmeric.