Cold Cure?

[Clara]

Moose over at the RC forum just posted this, sounds the ticket, I think I'll make some for the store cupboard.....

Cold and flu syrup
20g thyme
10g sage
Contents of four pure chamomile teabags
1 tsp fennel seeds
20 cloves
1tsp powdered ginger (or grated fresh, 1/2 inch 'finger')
6 cloves garlic
Pinch cayenne pepper
Juice of half a lemon
450g sugar
900 ml water

Put everything apart from the sugar into the water in a large pan. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently for 20 minutes. Allow to cool a little, then strain, pressing the herbs gently to extract all of the liquid.

Return the liquid to the pan, discard the herbs. Reduce the liquid to approximately 200ml by slowly simmering.

Add the sugar, dissolving slowly. Stir constantly! Simmer for a few moments but don't let the mixture bubble for too long or you will have a cold and flu toffee instead of a cold and flu syrup!

[invisiblepiper]

Thankyou so much - I am still up writing on here cos I am at the can't sleep stage! Yuch!
Will try this recipe - and sorry I got no puff for the penny whistle.

[happy place]

my granddad always swore by onion and sugar (demera out of choice) method skin 1 large onion cut in half place in bowl/plate cut side up cover with sugar take 2 teaspoons morning and night this works and tastes surprisingly nice (you can get the juice to flow quicker by gently warming

[The Riff-Raff Element]

The second one is even more sure fire but probably even less practicable for most: I havent had a cold in eight years. Not a one. How so? Just move to France (or probably any other country). Unless you come into contact with English people who have a cold, you wont catch one. I dont know why this is and it sounds like a joke. But it's true. After having 3 or 4 colds a winter, for all the time I was in France I didnt have a single cold. The French would come down coughing and sneezing and it just didnt pass on to me. Of course now I've moved to Sweden, it remains to be seen whether their germs are more of a match for a chap brought up on tough old British bugs...

I think that this can only work for about four years, then after that the natural immunity conveyed by the UK strains evaporates.

Actually the way I deal with colds is fantastically effective: I'm self employed. This means that I cannot spend time sick in bed (though I can malinger a tad on the sofa if I've got enough writing to do) because if I don't work I don't get paid. So I don't have time to dwell on how rotten I might feel and I am absolutely convinced that this helps them clear up more quickly. Confrontational attiude you see.

Of course, the drugs help, but I reckon that just generally being nice to one's body (plenty of fresh fruit & veg, pulses - which I believe can be beneficial in helping counter pretty much any condition up to an including rabies, good bread, unpasturised dairy and red wine) is very helpful in avoiding colds in the first place.

There is a certain viral load that is necessary to cause a full blown infection. The threshold for this - to an extent - is dictated by the health of the immune system, so anything you can find that gives you a personal boost may be a partial preventative. Keeping as far as is possible in dry, fresh air is good as the virus that causes colds is not awfully hardy away from the damp. Same for 'flu, as it happens.

[snigger]

MEAD

My son was coughing his way through the 3rd day of his cold. I gave him 5 ml of mead to coat the throat and reduce the tickly cough he'd developed. He hated it that much that he supressed his coughing from practice, reducing the recurring damage to the throat.

Also works on adults. Drink as much as you can, sleepwalk through the entire cold.

Snigger

[ina]

my granddad always swore by onion and sugar (demera out of choice) method skin 1 large onion cut in half place in bowl/plate cut side up cover with sugar take 2 teaspoons morning and night this works and tastes surprisingly nice (you can get the juice to flow quicker by gently warming

It's even better with honey, I think. Added bee-goodness... And it smells a lot worse than it tastes!

At the moment I feel like I'm coming down with a cold. I hate nothing more than this stage - I wish it would hurry up and get going. Then I could treat the symptoms and get it over with!

[StripyPixieSocks]

I replace Beechams (chemical abomination) with 1 x 800mg Vitamin C tablet and 1 Asprin when I have a cold followed by lots of fresh Orange Juice

Or I take the Vit C tablet morning and night and load up on things like Chilli Pasta (basically a tomato sauce with lots of red Bell Peppers and Chilli) which has both Vitamin C and Iron and the Iron in the Tomatoes helps the Vitamin C absorb easier.

It won't cure a cold but it will certainly curtail its length, works for me anyway :)

Hope your cold is much better now though hopefully!

[eccentric_emma]

Every time I get a cold, I use curry to alleviate the symptoms. Prefer to make it myself with a tin of tomatoes, lentils or chickpeas, whatever veg is around, Pataks curry paste and if im feeling adventurous, coconut chips. The secret is to chop up a clove of garlic a few minutes before it is ready so the garlic is virtually raw. But don't use too much curry paste, just enough for you to break into a very slight sweat.

Always makes me feel loads better.

[hedgewitch]

I'm a hot toddy girl every time.

Fresh Lemon Juice
Hot Water
Whiskey
Cloves
Fresh Ginger
Honey (though I will now sub this with Maple Syrup)

I'm gonna try the scarf thing - it makes sense really when you think about it. I will put it to the test.
Prevention is better than cure and in the Winter we do tend to eat more stodgey foods, less greens, less fresh air, less exercise and drink less water - so these are all things to be aware of.

[ina]

One fact I find a bit strange: every time I have a cold (or have one coming on), I crave butter. Does that make sense? No! My brain tells me I should be eating lots of fruit and veg, and all I want it bread and butter... I don't normally eat a lot of butter (or marge), most of the time I don't even have any in the house.

[jim]

Lots of sloe gin in hot water.

Doesn't cure it but after a few you don't care.

Love and Peace
Jim

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I replace Beechams (chemical abomination) with 1 x 800mg Vitamin C tablet and 1 Asprin when I have a cold followed by lots of fresh Orange Juice

I thought Beecham's powers were asprin? Or is that some other powder?

Appearantly some people swear by eating roasted onions to help clear the passages. And since roasted onions are nice anyway, I might just try this next time.

[Thomzo]

MEAD

My son was coughing his way through the 3rd day of his cold. I gave him 5 ml of mead to coat the throat and reduce the tickly cough he'd developed. He hated it that much that he supressed his coughing from practice, reducing the recurring damage to the throat.

Snigger

My ex-FIL had a similar cure for coughs. A tablespoon of cod liver oil with a teaspoon of whisky. I coughed once, he gave me this and, for some reason, I never coughed in front of him again.

Cheers
Zoe

[Rosendula]

...(this was a man-cold you know)...

And Clara, there's no need to be so snide about 'man-colds'. It's an entirely different virus and much, much more debilitating than the one women get.

Today - I'm a bloke! I feel cr@p

[sleepyowl]

Curry, fruit juice, foods with plenty of garlic in i.e spaghetti bolognaise or cottage pie with extra garlic cloves in. Hot toddie

Lavender, tea tree & eucalyptus oil on the pillow