Summer is officially here, BUT we haven’t had true summer weather yet. We have seen it change up to five times in a day and even only once a week a heavy rain sets the humidity high and with the warm temperatures, this is the paradise for germs. We, the humans, are on the receiving end: hot and sweaty one moment, cooled by the air conditioning or the draft in the tube – the next. What better conditions for lowering our immunity resistance and to let the germs in? It is well known that immunity is usually at its lowest in spring after the long dark winter. And, from spring into summer, the period before our holidays can be the worst for that.

There is always some bug circulating around and sometimes it affects more the head and throat, sometimes it is more active in the digestive system.

Use of some spices, herbs and essential oils for increasing  resistance to bugs and for giving a boost to body’s own cleansing functions is always a good idea, but especially when stress and toxins have build up and make us too vulnerable to the bugs. Their effect has been tried and proved to be working for many years by other people and by myself, too.

Tea tree is the essential oil that I most often use for disinfection of my throat. I let one drop on my tongue. It has very strong taste and effect, so I make sure the dropper of the bottle is not too large and that I receive only one drop at the time. Every time I feel my throat is sore, I do this in the evening. Sometimes I do it prophylactically after I have been in places where  many people gather and there is a lot of coughing and sneezing around me. T-tree essence has effect on viral, bacterial and fungal infections. It is good when we have Candida albicans overgrowth. Candida overgrowth has been known to prevent proper absorption of the nutrients we take with food, so getting rid of it is useful for increasing our levels of energy, especially when we have cold or flu virus or a bug in the digestive system.

One clove of garlic, eaten raw in the evening, has also strong effect on a sore throat. Eaten raw, garlic is the best anti-biotic the nature has given us. I take garlic with my green soups in the evening as garlic also induces better sleep. Many are very cautious of the smell of their breath in the next morning, it is due the debris of the bugs, killed by garlic. According to the Bulgarian tradition, some parsley chewed raw in the morning takes the smell of garlic from your breath. Having in mind that parsley is a detoxing herb, it is a good idea to keep always some parsley in your fridge. Recently I read that according to the Asian tradition, chewing a few seeds of Cardamom will have the same effect, but I personally haven’t tried it yet. Having in mind that seeds are easier to keep and that Cardamom is a good digestive aid and a medicine for wind, Candida albicans overgrowth can produce wind), it is a good idea to always have some in the kitchen.

Ginger is my favourite as I like its taste and flavour in cooking and in a tea. It is a digestive aid, I use it regularly in my stir-fries and vegetable stews. Ever since I chewed one piece of it and liked the taste, I chop it in small pieces and eat it for warming myself in any weather. In London, you can feel cold in the summer after a rain for example. I always have ginger in my fridge as I like the simple tea I prepare from it. I peel about four cm length of ginger, slice it on the bottom of a big mug, pour the boiling water and leave it for a few minutes. When cooled enough for drinking, I add a few drops of lemon juice.  There was time in the past, when I would stir a tea spoon of honey in it. I have learned now to avoid hot treatment to honey, I would have it separately from the hot drink. Ginger is well known remedy for nausea of any origin.

Cayenne pepper ( powder) I discovered in London and I made it my choice for red chillies after I read that it also has anti-cancer properties. Cayenne is very chilly and I use it sparingly on my food: stir-fry, soups, toast, omelettes, etc. It gives some hotness to the food, makes my body feel evenly warm, which is due to Cayenne pepper boosting the blood circulation. This can have a refreshing effect on the brain, too. This is why it is good to have some of Cayenne pepper in your lunch, to prevent the typical afternoon sleepiness. It is also great for immunity, against colds and flu.

Green chillies I also use in my salads or soups. I clear the seeds, as they are the most vicious.

Generally, I use small amounts of chilies, this is what I can take in my mouth. We feel the chill in the mouth only. If it is felt in the stomack, this indicates something is wrong with the stomach, as chillies are perfectly OK in case the stomach lining is intact.

Turmeric I buy in the form of yellow powder. Apart from being a digestive aid and a mild stimulant, turmeric is well known Asian remedy for colds and for easing liver problems. Turmeric is considered very good for inflammation (hence its use for arthritis, too). It is said to be protective against many cancers. Due to its pungent, bitter fragrance, I use turmeric in food sparingly, but I try to put it in my stir-fry regularly. I personally can stir some powder in water and drink it in case of a bad cold, but I doubt many of you would follow me on this. So, just use it in bearable amounts in your cooking, it will have its protective effect.

Cinnamon is largely found in powder, but sticks are also comparatively easy to buy from the normal food shops. It has been my favourite food flavour, as in the Bulgarian tradition it is sprinkled on top of rice pudding and rice pudding is one of the deserts I grew up with. Cinnamon is considered a vitality boosting stimulant, tonic and antiseptic, which helps to overcome exhaustion and tiredness after colds and flu. Added to boiling water, cinnamon makes a good tea, or its evaporations can be used to unblock sinuses and to help with chesty cough. It is also a gentle pain killer.

Thyme tea is very good for colds, as it is anti-septic, warming, calming (and lowering a bit the blood pressure), helping with sore throat and cough.

Chamomile tea is very good for any stomach and abdominal discomfort, brings about good relaxation so some use it regularly for mild anxiety. Good to take it predominantly in the evening. As it is antiseptic, Camomile tea is good for sore throat, colds and flu. As too much or too strong chamomile tea can bring mild constipation, I recommend gargling with strong camomile concoction a few times a day to relieve sore throat. Same strong camomile concoction, mixed with some salt makes good drops to unblock the nose, I have used it on my kids million times. I read very recently that chamomile tea taken with meals, can be good help for keeping the levels of bood sugar in Diabetes II sufferers. Also I found information that Chamomile tea can be helpful with some cancers (breast cancer and leukemia), but this needs more research on my side for it is well known fact that these are some of the most curable cancers known.

Peppermint tea is known to be calming for the digestive system while at the same time very refreshing. It is one of the liver cleansers and it is best to drink first thing in the morning, but it is also good any time of the working day. You need some mild liver cleansing during a cold or flu as this is a time when your liver gets overworked. There are many other liver cleansers, which I can write about some other time.

Care for yourself you need to do during a bug’s infection

Drinking plenty of water, on top of having your herbal teas, you may need some water to top up your organism’s needs for fluids. You need the fluids to replace the ones lost in extra sweating and urinating, which are how your body cleanses cools itself (in case of raised temperature). Note, although you may feel like cold water, drink just room temperature water or if you can, make it hot before drinking. Remember, when taking cold drink in the body, the body needs to heat it up to its own temperature, so, it generates more heat, so drinking cold drink in fact makes you feel hotter and in case of a bug invasion, takes vital energy away from the main purpose – fighting the infection.

Hot soups to be main on the menu – it goes without saying. Remember the common notion that chicken soup is the best for the ill? Well, it is true. Even if you don’t feel like eating, you can drink the water in which chicken and the vegetables have been boiled. I know it is very hard to get yourself cooking when you have cold or flu, but here is the easiest recipe for chicken soup: Place the two washed whole chicken legs in the pan and cover with hot water. While it is starting boiling, you peel one carrot, half an onion and three cloves of garlic, as well as some ginger. If you are going to eat the ginger, chop it before adding to the soup. The others you put in the water whole and leave to simmer for maximum 30 min. Then add salt on your taste, turmeric  Cayenne pepper and dried thyme, a pinch of each. You can drink the water or eat the soup with some of the meat, it is up to your level of appetite. Remember that easy to digest proteins are needed for enhancing the immunity. A few drops of lemon will make this soup more appetising and vitamin C in it will help the proteins to be easier absorbed. My taste is to add some plain yoghurt for thickening this soup (and for some additional easy to digest protein). Yoghurt also takes some of the hot from the Cayenne pepper. I have a few more soups recipes in my pocket, but I will have to write a separate entry with the recipes.