Feel a cold coming on? Try this natural remedy - Echinacea, turmeric and manuka Bazooka!
By Dr Jemma Regan
I recently had the flu which lasted for a good month. This trio of natural ingredients - honey, echinacea and turmeric combined in hot water to form a warming tea, finally fought off the virus. I recommend taking this at the start of any winter niggle, such as a cold, sore throat or flu onset. I neglected to take care of myself at the start of the illness and so did not get better for ages. After a month of feeling poorly, I decided to take charge and stormed off to my health food shop to get the best quality natural ingredients I could afford. Give it a try!
Take the following 2-3 times a day. You can also try the turmeric with hot water on its own 4 times a day for two days, for a mini detox. It may be a bit bitter to drink, but being a lover of spices, I quite enjoyed it!
Here’s how:
Boiling water
1x teaspoon of Manuka honey – the highest MG rating you can afford: 10 or above ideally
3x teaspoons Turmeric powder – shop bought is fine or pure root if you can afford or source it
15-20 drops Echinacea – tincture (liquid in alcohol solution) is better than tablet form for digestion and absorption.
Manuka Honey
You can use any honey, but Manuka honey has natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The active ingredient is methylglyoxal (MG). MG is a compound found in most types of honey, but usually only in small quantities. The higher the concentration of MG, the stronger the antibiotic effect.
Turmeric
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. Like Manuka honey, it is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. It sounds horrible, but I also made a paste from the manuka honey and turmeric and applied this topically to a (very attractive!) boil on my chin during this time. I covered it with a plaster and four hours later it had drained naturally. Because of turmeric’s potency, it can easily stain, so watch out for your kitchen worktops when making the drink and your skin and lips when drinking or applying topically!
Echinacea
Several species of the echinacea plant are used to make medicine from its leaves, flower, and root; all of which have been found to boost the immune system. Be mindful that the benefits of taking Echinacea may decrease, if taken for longer periods than a ten day course.
