Battling colds and the flu, vegan-style
Although I don’t get sick often, this past fall had me battling two bad colds and, strangely, at an utter loss about what to do to about it. Because traditional over the counter cold and flu remedies aren’t an option (pretty much all of then are not vegan), here are some of the remedies I have relied upon in the past to do battle with the beasties that make us all feel like calling up mum to make it all better. At the bottom of this post are some of the vegan store bought remedies I have found that never fail to fix up both me and my family.
Note: This information is in no way meant to replace the care and advice of a certified medical professional. If you need to get yourself to a doctor, then stop reading this and get yourself to the nearest clinic or your family doctor! Also, if you are pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant, extra caution should be taken when self-medicating with herbs, spices, and foods. Please consult your doctor or midwife for more information about what to avoid during pregnancy.
Garlic
Facts – Here is a fantastic summary about the history of garlic and botanical, culinary, and medicinal facts about one of the most useful root veggies out there: Garlic – Stinking Rose or Revered Medicine?
Remedy – One raw clove, crushed, taken once a day (more than this may cause stomach irritation). I take raw garlic at night to spare others from its pungent perfume the next day. I’ve been told this is a remedy still used in many parts of Europe to improve immunity and help speed recovery from colds and influenza.
Ginger
Facts – Long revered in Ayurvedic medicine for its heating properties and used in Chinese traditional medicine for more than 2,500 years, ginger it a true powerhouse when it comes to the medical claims associated with it. In Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World’s Food Plants, ginger is said to “…[have] been found to successfully treat motion sickness, postoperative nausea, bacterial dysentery, malaria, coughs, and migraines….Gingerols, the chemicals responsible for ginger’s heat, are helpful in treating pain and fever, and its volatile oils may have a positive effect on cold and flu viruses.”
Remedy – Along with raw garlic, I also suggest taking one tablespoon of raw minced ginger per day. Chasing it all down with orange juice helps remove the strong flavours from your mouth and get it all down faster. For those of you who prefer a less in your face approach to taking ginger, a few slices of raw ginger steeped in hot water with lemon and agave nectar should do the trick. Taken a few times a day, a fresh ginger tea will also help warm your body (in the case of a cold, that is) and keep you hydrated.
Green Tea
Facts – Recent research has uncovered evidence to show that caffeine, whether it be from coffee, black tea, green tea, sodas, or decaffeinated beverages, may be unsafe during pregnancy, so for those of you who are pregnant, green tea might not be for you. For everyone else, the benefits of green tea have long been touted by many Asian and Middle Eastern cultures and have received much hype in recent years for proven (and unproven) health benefits. As green tea is known for being rich in polyphenols and phytonutrients, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to down a few cups when you’re under the weather and under the covers.
Remedy – If you can afford it, buy a premium quality organic (fair-trade) Japanese or Chinese green tea to drink. As your body is already waging a battle against a virus, pesticides and other sneaky chemicals don’t need to be added to the mix. This doesn’t mean buying the most expensive tea you can find. But a $2 box of twigs and powder from the corner store trying to pass for tea might not be the best kind to go with. Here is a list of the different types of Chinese and Japanese green teas. Two cups of tea a day should do the trick.
Leafy Greens
Facts – There’s no doubt here – everyone know that eating your greens is important, and when it comes to being sick you can do no better for yourself than to eat as much leafy greens as you can get.
Because they say it better than me, visit these links to read all about the really interesting facts about these greens:
Broccoli: the Crown Jewel of Nutrition
Collards: the Sweetheart of Soulfood
Remedy – Just eat ‘em! And as much as you can. There just isn’t any such thing these days about getting too much greens. The links above offer suggestions on how to prepare them, but here’s my favourite way to eat kale that can also be used for collards, Swiss chard, broccoli, and any other greens you can think of. You can also take a bunch of different greens, some potatoes, vegetable stock and throw them into a pot to create a green meanies kind of soup. This Garlic and Greens Soup recipe from Colleen Patrick Goudreau of Compassionate Cooks is the best.
Storebought Remedies
There are times when I need a little more of a helping hand when it comes to defeating a virus. Here are the best remedies I have found that have never failed to kick the little suckers in the butt. All of them are available to order online, are 100% vegan, and several of them may be available in your local health food store:
Umcka ColdCare (available in liquid, chewables, and in various flavours)
Sambucol (super tasty flu remedy made from elderberries)
Gaia Garden Herbals ImmunoForce (have used this for 10 years; it tastes way worse than Buckleys, but it always works)
Relief! White Willow Bark Natural Aspirin Alternative by NutriBiotic
As with all remedies, do not combine any of these medicines in the same dose, and always leave a window of two to three hours between taking different remedies. Always check with your doctor before taking these medicines if you are taking prescription medications.
thanks for the helpful info. now just cross your fingers that i don’t have to deal with a cold this season.
thanks for the tips. i’ll definitely try the ginger route next time i get sick (knock on wood!).
by the way, this was the first year i heard of people using oil of oregano to ward off illness. maybe it’s more of a preventative method like echinacea is meant to be?
I debated on whether to include things like wheatgrass juice and oil of oregnano in my post. I have tried oil of oregano, and though I know that a lot of people swear by it I didn’t find it did much of anything for any respiratory infection I’ve had. I’ve used it for more than 2 years now, and I have to say the other remedies I mentioned do a much better job. That could be because I just don’t respond to oil of oregano as well as other people; every person ’s body and immune system reacts to remedies in a different way than someone else’s.
As for the wheatgrass, I otherwise can’t stand the smell of fresh-cut grass, and that’s exactly what wheatgrass tastes like to me (not the fresh pea taste I’ve been told about). There’s a lot of disagreement about the benefits of wheatgrass, and, like the oil of oregano, I think that this is one supplement that works differently for different people. I’ve had it work for me far better than oil of oregano.
The items I did include in my post, like the ginger and garlic, as well as the links to the store bought remedies, have been tried and used by members of my family with much success. And with their long histories of medicinal use and proven benefits, I don’t think anyone can go wrong by taking ginger and garlic when sick or healthy.
There are many other foods that can be used medicinally for colds or the flu. I’ve read that in 2005 there was a shortage of star anise worldwide because there was a component of the spice that was the primary ingredient of Tamiflu. Perhaps we should all make masala chai at home when sick, as I think the ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, and clove in the tea could pack a serious punch, besides being super tasty and comforting.
This is great and super helpful! Thanks! Great post. ^_^
a great flu Fighting meal for all those colds caught stood outside shops selling fur in the winter:
soften onions, garlic, ginger, some chili in a pan (all fresh of course and as much of each as you can handle!)
crumble in a block of tofu with a knob of butter, some cumin and a handful of cashew nuts cook for 1 min and add the juice of half a lemon, throwing in the part you just squeezed for good measure. them add a splash of soya milk and some nutritional yeast flakes if you can get them. simmer for a few mins and add a handful of spinach.
put some nice wholegrain bread on a plate, spread with houmus, and spoon on on your tofu mix.
serve with more fresh spinach, some red pepper, spring onion, a good chug of nut/seed oil such a flax or pumpkin. eat with orange juice!