A Homemade Tonic To Prevent Colds & Flu
By Claire Georgiou, Reboot Naturopath, B.HSc ND
Nature has provided us with many ingredients that have potent anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. You can make your own herbal, cider and spice concoctions that are easy, inexpensive and work toward keeping you out of bed this winter.
Fire Cider is an easy recipe that can help protect you from the winter sniffles and will keep you safe from all the hundreds of rhinovirus’s that are floating around in the cooler weather that cause headaches, body aches and pains, excess mucus, ear pain, sneezing, fatigue and more.
Ginger, garlic, turmeric, oregano, thyme, rosemary, horseradish, lemon, black pepper, onion and cinnamon are all healthy, potent immune boosters that you can use in your very own winter tonic. All of these ingredients have potent anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties that can be used for upper and lower respiratory tract infections, along with stomach upsets and even gastro infections as a preventive.
They also offer the benefit of supporting mucus secretion as a mild expectorant, reducing the severity and duration of an infection and can even offer the benefits of clearing allergy type conditions such as hay fever, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis.
This can be used as a morning booster and taken as a shot in water when you wake up, used as a marinade, as a salad dressing or consumed in a hot tea. It could also be taken more frequently if you happen to feel like you are getting sick or you have become sick.
Ingredients
FIRE CIDER RECIPE
- 2-3 cups raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (enough to completely cover ingredients in a jar)
- ¼ cup peeled and chopped ginger
- ¼ cup peeled and chopped garlic
- ¼ cup peeled and chopped horseradish or 2 tsp of horseradish paste
- 2 Tb peeled and chopped turmeric (or 2 tsp turmeric powder)
- Zest and juice of 1 lemons
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 Tb fresh (chopped) or dried oregano
- 1 Tb fresh (chopped) or dried rosemary
- 1 Tb fresh (chopped) or dried Thyme
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp of black pepper
- raw honey (to taste)
Directions
- Place all ingredients except the apple cider vinegar and the honey into a clean, sterilized large mason jar or any glass jar that you have. Sterilization is super important to retain the healing benefits and to avoid anything undesirable from growing in the jar.
- Pour apple cider vinegar to cover the ingredients. Place cheesecloth or unbleached parchment paper over the top of the jar, and then seal tightly with metal lid. Shake well.
- Let cider sit on counter for 2-4 weeks, shaking a few times per week.
- Strain mixture into a new, clean jar using the cheesecloth or a small metal strainer.
- Serve with raw or manuka honey for both the healing properties and to make it more palatable.
Note: This will store in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.
Substitutions
Any ingredients can be left out if preferred or if you don’t have all the ingredients. Each and every ingredient offers potent healing and immune boosting properties.