It seems like nearly everyone around me is either sick with or recovering from the flu.  I’m happy to brag that I haven’t been sick for about three years – a fact that I attribute mostly to making better food choices.  Still, this morning my throat felt the teeniest bit tingly and dry.  Determined not to fall victim, I sprang to action with my arsenal of food remedies.

My personal standbys include miso soup, tom kha gai (a Thai coconut soup), umeboshi plums, kombucha tea, constant water drinking, and ginger lemon tea.  This last one is one my favorites because it has proven effective for me many times, plus it’s a cinch to make (even when I feel awful) and it happens to also be really tasty.

I like my tea to be super gingery and not very sweet.  The spicy ginger makes it feel like it’s working immediately.  If you prefer a milder, sweeter tea you can adjust according to your taste.  Note that I call for raw honey, which is thought to have healing properties that are diminished when the honey is pasteurized.

(By the way, I’m feeling fine!)

Recipe:

ginger lemon tea

Yield: one serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (a good use for extra little knobs and scraps)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon raw honey, or to taste

Procedure

1. Press the grated ginger through a tea strainer or cheesecloth to release the juices into the water.
2. Stir in the the lemon juice and honey until honey dissolves.