home remedies Archives • New Nostalgia

Fighting Colds With Homemade Honey Lemon Ginger Tea

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fellowes for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’ve just started drinking this amazing tea a couple of months ago, during a cleanse/detox week. It has quickly become one of my favorites.

I recently served it to my daughter who has been fighting a cold. She loved it. It tastes like a special lemonade and was super soothing to her sore throat.

We all know lemon and honey both have health benefits, but did you know ginger is full many many benefits?

Here are 7 of the top benefits of ginger:

1. Ginger improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body.

2. Ginger clears the “microcirculatory channels’ of the body, including the pesky sinuses that tend to flare up from time to time.

3. If you chew on ginger, it will help with nausea and airsickness.

4. Got a tummy ache? Eat some ginger.

5. Joints giving you trouble? Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that can bring relief.

6. If it is cold outside, ginger tea has warming benefits.

7. Rid throat and nose congestion by drinking ginger tea!

My favorite way to make Honey Lemon Ginger Tea:

~Cut some organic ginger root into 1/4′ slices (no need to peel)

~Keep slices in a small mason jar in the freezer

~When you are ready for some tea, squeeze 2 wedges of lemon into the tea cup.

~Add the wedge itself into the cup for the added benefits of the oils from the lemon skin.

~Add 2 slices of ginger.

~Heat water in the tea kettle.

~Pour hot water over ginger and lemon.

~Add 1 tsp or more of honey until desired sweetness.

All of this is to taste. Add more or less ginger. Same with lemon. I steep for a good 5 minutes.

It is that easy!

{Electric Tea Kettle}

My favorite teacup and electric tea kettle make this process very easy! The electric tea kettle heats water up in minutes and keeps it hot for hours. The tea cup has its own saucer, strainer, and a lid to keep it hot or to set the strainer in when steeping is done. I LOVE this cup!

The second way we are fighting colds around here is with my favorite new toy. It is the Fellowes AeraMax™ DX-55 and I am so thankful for it! I have set it up in my daughter’s room to keep her room purified as she fights her cold. I have also moved it into the living area at the end of the day to help keep germs at bay so the rest of us don’t get sick.

When her cold is over, I will move it into her sister, Colsie’s room. We had a couple warmer days last week and it was just enough to trigger her allergies. She wakes up pretty congested. I am hopeful that the Fellowes AeraMax™ DX-55 will help keep the allergens out of the air while she sleeps.

A few reasons why I love the Fellowes AeraMax™ DX-55 air purifier:

~it is ultraquiet

~it automatically monitors the indoor quality of air and adjusts the fan accordingly

~no more stuffy noses and sore throats when waking up

~uses a true HEPA filter, which removes 99.9% of airborne particles, including germs, viruses, allergens, dust, mold, pollen, ragweed, pet dander, and cigarette smoke.

~the LED lights on the machine clearly let you know what the machine is up to…when it is purifying and when it is done, or when the filter needs to be changed.

~it is portable. I can move it from on daughter’s room to another.

~it is sleek-looking. I do not find it obtrusive.

~it is easy to find. You can buy the Fellowes AeraMax technology at BestBuy.com. Prices start at $189.99.

~it not only works for cold and flu season but helps my girls allergy and asthma during allergy season.

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What are your favorite ways to stay well during cold and flu season?

Have you ever considered an air purifier?

Drinks/ RECIPES

Turmeric Chai Tea: For Your At Home Medicine Cabinet

This is a guest post from Andrea at Frugally Sustainable. I am so happy to know Andrea. She is a faithful linker to our Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays, and I know you all love her because she often gets “most clicked on link” of the week.

I love everything about this guest post, but I especially love that it contains TURMERIC! I have read over and over that as one who has had cancer, I need to find ways to get turmeric in my diet. This is a wonderful, simple way to do just that!

Thanks so much, Andrea!

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We all have our go-to-remedies and today I would like to share with you one of mine.

Turmeric is one of the world’s most powerful natural healers. Its’ active ingredient curcumin, has been known for centuries to have extremely potent medicinal properties and is documented as being effective in treating a variety of conditions.

Other than the occasional curry, I struggled to add this beneficial root herb to our diet. That was until I created a Turmeric Chai Tea!

Although my palate rejoices simply at the thought of this drink, I must warn you…this is some pungent stuff! Tasty, but definitely a pretty serious tea.

10 Reasons Why Turmeric Is One of My Favorite Remedies

Turmeric is an anti-microbial. That means it will attack both bacterial infections and viral infections and destroy both. It is particularly effective in treating illnesses of the respiratory system (this makes it a superb remedy for the cold and flu season).
It has shown to prevent and stop the growth of prostate, breast, skin, lung and colon cancer
Known to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes
A natural liver detoxifier.
Research shows it may prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
As a potent natural anti-inflammatory, turmeric may work just as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs. Furthermore, reducing the risks associated with the side effects of those types of medications.
It’s a natural painkiller.
Aids in fat metabolism (i.e. helps with weight management)
Trusted for many, many years in other cultures as a treatment for depression.
Speeds up wound healing and assists in the treatment of acne, eczema, psoriasis, uneven pigmentation, and lackluster skin.

I’ve added it to a list of my most favorite medicinal herbs. In fact, it’s right up there with garlic, ginger, parsley, sage and rosemary.

Turmeric Chai Tea Recipe

Turmeric Chai Tea Powder
(4 servings)

-3 tablespoons ground turmeric
-4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-1/8 teaspoon ground clove
-1 teaspoon ground cardamon
-2 teaspoons ground ginger
-1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions: Mix all ingredients together and store in a glass jar.

Note: Cayenne pepper, although optional in the recipe, will speed the turmeric through the blood stream by relaxing blood vessels down to capillaries allowing more turmeric to get to the infections faster.

Tea Prep
(single serving)

-4 teaspoons of Turmeric Chai Tea Powder
-1 cup water
-sweetener to taste
-1/2-1 cup warm milk (i.e. cow, goat, almond, hemp, coconut, etc.)

Directions: Bring 1 cup of water to boil. Pour water over spices and steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or a cheesecloth. Add sweetener and milk.

Notes and Tips

-WARNING: Turmeric will turn everything it touches yellow.

-Using fresh herbs is always the better option. If using fresh turmeric and ginger increase steep time, during the prep, to 20 minutes.

-Turmeric, along with the other spices required in this recipe, is available in a well-appointed health food store, the spice aisle of most grocery stores, and in bulk online through companies such as Mountain Rose Herbs and The Bulk Herb Store.

-Because it stimulates the uterus, turmeric is not recommended for pregnant women. It is also contraindicated for those with gall bladder disease or gallstones. As a good general rule, please consult your physician prior to the use of any herbal/spice remedy.

Inspirational Resources:
Turmeric Superfood
20 Health Benefits of Turmeric
New Findings Show Disease Fighting Powers of Turmeric

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Andrea is a Registered Nurse turned Frugally Sustainable Homemaker. Her blog, Frugally Sustainable, is “one of the most featured blogs in its niche! It is host to 4-5 informative posts per week that catalogue the why, the how, and the how-to on: frugality, simplicity, health and nutrition, motivation and inspiration, homeschooling, up-cycling, recycling, and designing a life that is interdependent on like-minded others, ecologically responsible and centered around the home.”