It’s that time of year again. Temperatures have dropped (albeit a bit late) and it seems half the city of Berlin is infected with some ailment or another, including me. I’ve been knocked out with the flu all week. Usually, I get better pretty fast, and barring that I go for a combination of NeoCitran and a lot of sleep. However, I am out of NeoCitran and they do not sell it here. So, I’ve decided to revisit an old herbal remedy I found helped in the past. It wont cure you really, but it will help sooth your symptoms until your immune system does the trick!

Recipe:
1 chunk of ginger about the size of the top of your thumb, peeled
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped in half
1-2 cinnamon sticks
a few whole cloves
a few whole cardamon seeds

Mix ingredients in a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Let simmer for a few minutes. Drink with honey and lemon juice, to taste.

I know the garlic sounds weird, but with the other strong spices you can’t really taste it. The ginger will sooth your stomach (if you’re nauseous) and throat, and help clear your sinuses. Honey will also help out with the throat thing. Garlic and lemon juice are full of nifty vitamins, which help you fight infection. The other stuff helps it taste really good.

I usually make a large pot of it instead and double the recipe, and heat it up and drink it throughout the day. Enjoy!

*Note* I am not a doctor. I am recommending this if you are minorly ill with something like a cold or mild flu. If you’re seriously ill, have bad symptoms or have symptoms that persist for more than a week, please go see a doctor.