Got the sniffles? Herbal Tea to the rescue!

Mom has always brought us up on home remedies for most common illnesses like colds, coughs, tummy problems etc... Whenever I feel something coming on I always turn to homemade remedies first. And only if, if, it gets really bad and unmanageable will I resort to pills and doctors. They have always worked beautifully (maybe a tad slowly compared to pills but safely and thoroughly nonetheless) and while people around me pump themselves with system screwing antibiotics, I sip on herbal teas and chew on homemade concoctions.

I had an inkling of a doubt last night before bed when after sitting under the fan for a couple of hours my nose started to feel a wee bit stuffy. But I just brushed the thought aside rationalizing that since I had a cold and fever just last month, I was done with my quota of colds for at least 5-6 more months. Now to make a home remedy work at its optimum, it's best to gulp it down at the very onset of any nasties. This morning, as soon as I woke up, I could feel a cold coming on for sure. Alas had I brewed a nice cup of the herbal spiced tea before bed it wouldn't even have come to this. Well anyways the sooner the tea is put into the system the better so first thing this morning I brewed myself a delicious cup of herbal spice tea and sipped on it while it was piping hot. I still do have my hankey next to me but I'm not using it as much as I would have if I'd further delayed the consumption of the spiced concoction.

So here's the magic recipe. Drink it in the morning on an empty stomach. And at night just before bed. A couple of days of this and the cold is evaporated right out of your system! :)


Herbal Tea - Home Remedy for Colds

1 inch Cinnamon Stick
1/2 inch Dry Ginger
1 Cardamom Pod
2 Cloves
4 Black Pepper Corns
1/2 t Coriander Seeds
1/2 t Fennel Seeds
1/4 t Tea
1/2 t Sugar (preferably rock sugar if you know what that is)
Pinch Sea Salt

Put 1 1/2 C of water for heating. Dump all the above ingredients in whole. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on a medium-low flame for 15-20 minutes till the quantity of the water has reduced to about half (3/4 C). Strain. Drink hot!

Notes:
* It is preferable to use whole spices but if you can't find the whole ones you can use the powdered versions.
*All the above items will be easily available at an Indian Store.
*Buy a small pack of each and store them in a cool, dry place (not in cabinets above the stove). You could put them in airtight containers and pop them in the fridge if you like.