Spices to Help Fight Cold and Flu Season

When I have the cold or flu, I try my best to maintain a healthy diet without any preservatives or added ingredients that my body doesn’t need. However, there are some ingredients that are great to use, especially in soups and other soothing foods to eat when you are sick. These include many spices that provide healing benefits, as well as great flavor.

Ginger

Among the different types of spices that can help with the cold and flu, ginger is probably at the top of the list. This powerful spice is not only great with many types of cuisine, but also has some health properties. Particularly, it contains a natural anti-inflammatory property that can help to clear your sinuses when you have a cold or flu, and can also ease your headaches and nausea that often come from these types of viruses. There are many ways to use more ginger when you are sick, from adding it to your chicken noodle soup, adding it to marinades, to making a hot tea with ginger and lemon.

Cinnamon

The great thing about using cinnamon is that it is delicious, easy to use daily, and something most people love. Cinnamon is a spice that can be used for both sweet and savory dishes, so no matter what your palate or preferences, it shouldn’t be hard to increase its usage each day. Cinnamon is a wonderful spice for your immune system and can help treat side effects from having the cold or flu. It has natural antioxidant properties and can increase blood flow in your digestive system. Try adding it to oatmeal, cereal, coffee or tea, or savory dishes.

Cloves

Another spice that will help you if you get the common cold or come down with the flu is cloves. This goes great along with cinnamon, especially with your seasonal recipes. It is great that these spices help with a cold, since fall is the season when most people become illness. Cloves work similar to other herbs in that they naturally have properties to help relieve your body of viruses and infections. As an added bonus, clove is wonderful for any type of toothache you might have.

Garlic

This very popular spice has been used for centuries in food and in-home made remedies. It has been thought to have added benefit in mental health, heart disease and immune health. Garlic can be added to all types of food, The active ingredients in garlic that helps with immune function can be decreased in high heat. Crushing your garlic and letting it sit for about 10 minutes before cooking will help the loss of some of the health benefits. Also, don't be afraid of the amount of garlic that you use.

Turmeric

The last spice to add to your spice cabinet is turmeric. This has been popular for a few years now, and isn’t going anywhere. It naturally has anti-inflammatory properties, along with being an antioxidant and antiviral spice. Turmeric has a bright orange color and is great with savory dishes, along with tea and tonic. If you are making a pot of coffee, you can even add some turmeric and cinnamon to your coffee for a little spice and to help treat the cold or flu at the same time.

Over the next month I will be sharing several recipes that include the spices above. This will help you increase the amount of these beneficial spices in your diet. Be on the lookout for the sign up.