Are you looking for an easy way to get a jump on a cold winter morning? Here’s a simple to make powerful natural cold remedy that helps boost metabolism, brain activity, and super charge the immune system all in one shot – plus it has plenty of other mighty fine heath benefits.
Simply make a mug of hot lemon water and spice it up with cinnamon and fresh ginger! Kapow – instant superfood celebration and natural cold remedy.
The Secret Superfood Ingredients in an Immune Boosting Cold Remedy
Natural Cold Remedy Ingredient Number one: Lemon
Lemon is widely known for its high Vitamin C content and digestion aiding effects but the surprise here is that lemon’s overall nutrients are alkaline and not acidic as you would imagine.
When your body is more acidic, it is more susceptible to disease because there is an increase in inflammation. Thus, adding lemon to your water helps balance the body’s Ph and keep that pesky inflammation at bay and the sniffly sneezy’s as well. Lemon water all on its own is great at keeping you healthy but the real powerhouse in this natural cold remedy is the combination of all three, lemon, cinnamon and ginger.
Natural Cold Remedy Ingredient Number Two: Cinnamon
In traditional Chinese remedies cinnamon is praised for its warming qualities (sounds pretty good on a cold winter morning) and has been used to provide relief when faced with the onset of a cold or flu, especially when mixed in a tea with some fresh ginger.
Cinnamon’s scent has also been shown to boost brain activity so when you add a touch of cinnamon in your morning tea make sure you give it a big whiff to help get those cobwebs out of the brain and perhaps help you remember where you put your keys.
When consumed with high carb foods cinnamon can help lessen carbohydrates impact on your blood sugar levels because cinnamon reduces blood sugar as well as cholesterol and triglycerides. It also has anti-microbial properties that help stop the growth of bacteria and can be effective in preventing candida overgrowth.
A Cold Remedy Just isn’t Complete Without Ginger
Natural Cold Remedy Ingredient Number Three: Ginger
Ginger completes the digestive three way tag team because it is an intestinal spasmolytic (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract). Ginger is also an excellent carminative (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) so you don’t have to ride the toot toot train all the way to work with this cold remedy.
Ginger was shown to be far superior to Dramamine the motion sickness drug and is well known to be very useful in reducing the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols.
Ginger extracts have been shown to have both antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects on cells and is especially effective in inducing cell death in ovarian cancer cells.
Ginger is not only warming on a cold day with its spicy kick, but helps promote healthy sweating, which is helpful when you have a cold or the flu. So if you are doing a winter detox adding a little ginger in the morning will really help the detoxification process.
A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification as German researchers have found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent called dermicidin. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body’s sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin’s surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, bacteria and infections.
Now after all that appetizing talk of sweating and digestion why not lose yourself in a spicy sweet hot mug of lemon ginger cinnamon tea.
I’m salivating just reading this article! As an advocate of raw food cuisine, I know how important it is to share ideas for “warmth” in foods because the prevailing opinion is that consuming uncooked foods means you only have cold options.
There is so much healing potential in foods like lemon and cinnamon and ginger.
This is a wonderful article and a wonderful blog. Continue the good work.
Thanks so much Joy – I hope you had a chance to warm up with a good brew of lemon cinnamon and ginger. 🙂 When I wrote this post I found I didn’t have any lemon on hand so I tried a bit of an experiment… which I often do. I brewed up some Silver Needle white tea and added fresh local honey and a healthy dose of ginger and cinnamon. Very warming and cold fighting since the rest of the fam tried their best to share their cold with me to no avail. 🙂
This sounds excellent. If despite this you ever do succumb to a cold or any other infection, colloidal silver is an excellent natural antibiotic.
This looks pretty good. My girlfriend recently discovered her love for all things containing ginger, so I’m definitely going to show this to her. Thanks!
This sounds excellent. If despite this you ever do succumb to a cold or any other infection, colloidal silver is an excellent natural antibiotic.
It’s the simplest things that are often most effective.
I’ve been drinking hot lemon water in the morning for years now – but thanks to you I’m going to start adding ginger and cinnamon and see how I like it.
Thanks so much for the tip!
Thanks for stopping by Andy – the ginger and cinnamon sure add a nice little kick. 🙂
Hmmm… those are ingredients that I always have on hand too! Thanks for the tip!
That’s when you know you have a great recipe on your hands… when you actually have everything on hand instead of having to make a special trip to the store. 🙂
If you can’t be bothered to make one, Innocent make a really great smoothie with lemon and ginger which is really nice heated up believe it or not!!
I’ve tried this drink and its amazing, it works wonderfully for bad colds. Even without the cinnamon, ginger and lemon helps open up stuffy nose. Lemon and honey is also normally given to kids during coughs. This drink is very easy to prepare and is very, very effective for curing colds.
I agree, lemon is quite a good drink to make plus it is helpful in some minor problems. I think I’m going to try the cinnamon because I’ve already tried lemon and ginger. It’s quite new to me that cinnamon has health benefits too. Thanks so much!
I think I have tried this already. When I was in China for a business trip, the landlady where we stayed for a couple of days offer us a drink. Weather in China differs largely in USA. Anyway, she explained to us in a subtle way that it was good for curing colds and nausea problems. The ingredients she used were the same. The only ingredient that is not listed here is the snake oil. but I think they’re just the same right?
Hi Kelly I don’t know if you are being facetious or if there is actually a drink that uses snake oil in China. The Snake oil I know of is a derogatory term associated with the Wild West when people would sell fraudulent tinctures that supposedly cured any ailment imaginable. The use of lemon, ginger and other natural ingredients has been used for ages for natural remedies for colds – I still use this recipe any time I feel a cold coming on.
LMAO… I believe in what the old woman said and I don’t intend to mislead any info here, I’m just sharing.
I always prepare lemon and honey to my child every morning as his juice because I believe that this really good for the health and protects him from any diseases.
Great tips. Many times I suffer from cold. But I don’t like to use any drug for this purpose. So now I have a chance to cure it naturally.
I always prepare milk with apple juice and butter to my family every morning as his juice because I believe that this really good for the health and protects him from any diseases.
That’s an interesting combination I’ll have to give it a shot. 🙂
I read a medical book orange is basic remedy for flue. Because Vitamin C fill your weakness and boost your immune system.
Most definitely Jeff, it is a great idea to up your intake of Vitamin C during illness of any kind as it is a great immune booster. I did that the last round of colds that went through the house and I was the only one that didn’t catch it. So if you feel something coming on rush to the powdered vitamin C.
When I was in Asia my friends gave me this Ginger in powder form which I drink every morning and whenever I feel that I’m going down with a flu. I have to say it is very effective and taste great as well.
Sounds delicious Deborah I love a little powdered ginger in a hot drink when those colds start creeping in.
Wow, this is posting late, so I’m not sure if it will be read. However, do you just add slices of fresh ginger or use powdered? What about the cinnamon? Do you use a stick or ground? I haven’t tried the tea, but in other drinks, when I add ground cinnamon, it seems to float up to the top and stay there until it is left clinging to the sides and bottom of the cup. I assume the same would happen with ground ginger. Is using ground as effective as fresh? Thanks for sharing your health tips with those of us who are still learning!
I’ve just used powdered or ground, and you are right the cinnamon tends to float. I don’t think the ginger does – it seems to mix in better. I just stir it before each sip, and try not to forget about it unless I want a cinnamon surprise at the bottom. 🙂 I would think finely chopped ginger would be a good idea – the warming aspect of the spicy ginger would be good for sweating out those toxins too.