Monday, January 30, 2012

Natural Cold Medicine

Or the Healthy Alternative to Energy Drinks.

I heard somewhere that a very long time ago they would make this mixture (well, a version of it at least) and take it out to the harvest crews. Mother drank it with chlorophyll and we called it “Power Water”. We drank it growing up whenever we had the cold or flu. You know when you have a sore throat, and you should be drinking water, but it is uncomfortable to swallow? Well, this goes down easier but keeps you hydrated. That being said, nothing replaces pure water and you of course should make sure you drink plenty once your throat is feeling better. If you’re allergic to honey, see one of the variations.

Going into what is I think I the third week of a wretched cold, I’m going to get with the program and start drinking this! Especially since at the moment I have one of those difficult dry coughs and this seems to help.

MotherAde
¼ cup natural honey
¼ cup Apple Cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt (I would recommend a good quality natural salt)
Enough warm water to make one quart
Mix all ingredients together. Drink. This amount should probably last about half a day.

You can make this hot or cold depending on your preference, but usually somewhere in the middle seems best when you’re not feeling well. If you do want it cold, dissolve the honey in a little bit of warm water first. You can vary the proportions to suite you taste!

I know that the honey and vinegar have specific health properties, but I don’t know that the technical information is for what they do when you have a cold.

These probably don’t have the same health properties, but for variation you can:

Replace honey with maple syrup
Replace vinegar with lemon juice
Replace honey and vinegar with lemon juice and maple syrup
You can also skip the honey altogether, but goodness it’s not the same!
I wonder how adding some ginger would taste? Would it be good for you?

Have any of you ever heard about this before? Have you tried it? What did you think? Any variations you would recommend or other natural remedies?

To good health!

T.W.

(Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and I have no medical credentials. I do not like the sight of blood and I don’t have a strong stomach. I am in no way giving this recipe in any official capacity. You should seek the opinion of your doctor for official medical advice. This is simply one friend to another. Over and out.)

6 comments:

Hannah Moss said...

Huh. Shall have to try this one for sure next time I'll ill!

Fogwood214 said...

Honey has anti-microbial properties, and it also acts as a cough suppressant. Vinegar thins mucus, and water helps expel all the gunk. I didn't know any of that until I talked with my aunt about Kate's everlasting cold and the possibility of over the counter medication of some kind. When she heard I'd been giving Kate vinegar water with honey she explained how it essentially works the same way as anything I could get in a drugstore. Fascinating stuff!

TW said...

Thank you so much Fogwood214! I'm so glad someone can explain this technical stuff. The whys behind the wherefores are very interesting.

Hannah said...

Ah, yes. A very good recipe for when you're sick. Jay makes me a tea for when I have a sore throat that is just lemon juice, honey and ground ginger (to taste) and it makes my throat feel much better.

Hannah said...

Oh, and boiling water of course. Hah!

TW said...

Thanks for sharing Hannah! That sounds like it would be good just on general principle! :)