Tea and Me Blog

When I am on campus, at the gym, or at the grocery store, I feel like I am surrounded by sickness. No one seems to be safe from its terrible grip. I’ve found that while everyone deals with sickness in their own way, one beverage seems to dominate during that time. Tea. Whether it is just plain black with some lemon and honey or calming chamomile. When I get sick, I find tea as an amazing remedy to coat a sore throat or to heat my cold self. Here are some tea recipes I have found and tried that not only taste good but help you overcome sickness.

1) Cinnamon Sore Throat Tea – original recipe here

This recipe uses cinnamon, ginger, and honey to combat the icky feelings sickness brings. With only four ingredients used, it is extremely easy to make up whenever. I decided to use almond milk instead of regular milk because usually when I am sick, I avoid dairy products like the plague. It is a personal preference. The ingredients are:

• 1 Cup Almond Milk (can use any kind)
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp fresh honey

You can either heat up the milk using a pan or just put all the ingredients in a mug and heat for a minute and a half. If using the stove way, bring the milk not quite to a boil and add in the ingredients after the milk is heated. When using the microwave way, put all ingredients in the mug and then stir after. Cinnamon helps with nausea and vomiting as does ginger. Ginger and honey both have properties which soothe sore throats. When I tasted this tea, I had an instant calming come over me and a slight (good) burn in the back of my throat where I could feel the cinnamon and ginger do their thing.

2) Golden Milk Turmeric Tea – original recipe here

Turmeric is used to help colds, coughing, congestion, and headaches. It has anti-inflammatory properties which also make it good for the aches and pains which sometimes come when you are sick. Here are the ingredients:

• 1 cup Almond Milk
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of ground pepper (be very careful!)
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp fresh honey or maple syrup (or half serving of each)

Blend the mixture together in a blender then heat over the stove for 3-5 minutes. Or you can heat the milk up on the stove and then mix in the ingredients (it’s up to you!). Then enjoy! This recipe has a bit of kick to it which is in fact because of the peppers, ginger, and turmeric but the honey really mellows out the entire thing.

3) My Personal Favorite Cold-Buster

This tea is something I usually do when I start to feel the oncoming of sickness. I will warn you though, it is a taste that you will need to brace yourself for. It is not a bad taste, but it is not a particularly good one either. But it really helps me so I chug it down regardless. Here are the ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey

Bring the water near to a boil and then add the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and honey. It will have a strong acidic taste, so if your stomach is sensitive to acidic foods either eat some crackers with this or reduce amounts of the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. I usually make this tea when my throat hurts because I can usually feel the apple cider vinegar uses its antibacterial properties and work with the lemon juice to kill all the nasty bacteria in my throat while the honey soothes it. The honey also can help with coughing!

Honorable Mentions

Many companies make their own immune boosting, flu crushing teas which they sell anytime! Here is a list of a few good ones if you do not have time to make your own!

• Traditional Medicinals : Throat Coat Tea (get here)
• Yogi Organic Tea : Throat Comfort
• Simply Balanced: Comfort + Soothe Organic Tea

Hope this helped you prepare or get through flu season! Remember to get plenty of rest and take care of your self this winter time! If you have any recommendations or cold-busting recipes, share in the comments below! Happy Brewing!

-Danielle