As you can probably imagine, I’m not a huge fan of off the shelf cold remedies you might find in your local Boots or Superdrug. I always prefer a natural remedy whenever possible.
A few weeks ago when I was fighting a little cold, I bought a few turmeric tonic shots from my local Planet Organic. As effective as they are, they can be rather pricey at £3.50+ for a 50ml bottle.
Here’s my recipe for a quick little homemade tonic that will help boost your immune system and help those natural killer cells do their job of getting rid of bad bacteria and pathogens.
I’ve included a good dose of ginger for the lovely zing and the zinc, a mineral that is better at boosting the immune system than vitamin C. The turmeric in the recipe is packed with curcumin, an phytonutrient that has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Oil of oregano is an incredibly powerful antioxidant, with important antiviral, anti fungal and antimicrobial properties through carvacrol and thymol, its active ingredients. I get my oil of oregano from Zane Hellas, a reputable Greek company. If you use oil of oregano, do not give this to children, as they cannot ingest essential oils.
What you need: (makes 2-3 servings)
1-2 lemons, cut in half and juiced
1/2 thumb fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 thumb fresh turmeric, roughly chopped
a dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon coconut oil
3-4 drops of oil of oregano
20 – 30mL water to dilute the mixture, depending on preferred strength and taste (for me, the stronger the better!)
How to make it:
- Juice the lemons into a cup, using a strainer to catch the seeds. I go old school and do it by hand. Remove the seeds and add the pulp back into the mixture.
- Add the ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coconut oil, oil of oregano and water
- Blend for 30 seconds, or until the turmeric and ginger are not longer visible
- Pour half of the mixture into a cup and down the hatch!
- Store the rest in a glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What are your cold remedies? I’d love to hear what your tried and true recipes and tricks are!
Are you the kind of person that gets sick more often than others? Your immune system could likely use some support. Maybe there is an underlying issue, especially if you also have asthma, eczema or allergies. Is this you? I invite you to book in for a free introductory session with me to talk through your health and wellbeing.
I really need a easy homemade tonic that can boost my immune system and feels like this recipe will surely help will try it and let you know the results.
Great! Let me know how you like it!