Garden goodness during the flu

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I'm down with the flu! I had some warning signs a few days ago (sore throat, tender lymph nodes behind my ears), but alas, I pushed on and my symptoms have worsened and slowed me down. Time to rest and recover. Our bodies have a way of telling us when we need to take it easy.

In addition to plenty of guilt-free bedrest, I'd like to share with you some handy herbal recipes which help relieve my flu-related discomfort.

Chicken soup

• 2-3 onions, 5-6 cloves of garlic
• half a thumb's worth of ginger
• 1 whole chicken, cut and skinned
• 3-5 bay leaves
• whole black pepper and some salt to taste
• 2-3 stalks of lemongrass
• chopped carrot and celery

Sautee the onions, pound the garlic and ginger, then add the bay leaves, black pepper and lemongrass. I like using coconut oil for cooking. Add the chicken, water, salt and black pepper. Add the carrots and celery towards the end if you like them crunchy. This has to be my all-time favourite soup when I'm down with the flu. My version of chicken soup is a very simple, one-pot meal, so feel free to add whatever you wish.

Essential oils

Although these aren't quite from my garden, my Breathe and On Guard blends give me a tremendous amount of relief, especially while trying to sleep at night. Using Breathe, in particular, is so soothing when I'm trying to fall asleep because of the all-natural ingredients such as laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, melaleuca, to name a few. I either diffuse it in my bedroom, or apply it topically.

The On Guard blend is great for boosting immunity when I'm feeling out of sorts. Again, I can either diffuse it in my room or apply it on the soles of my feet.

Ginger tea

A thumb's worth of ginger

• 3-5 cloves
• 3-5 cardamon pods
• 5 black pepper kernels

Pound them all together, brew on low heat, and add some mint leaves at the end. You can add a tea bag in if you prefer. Adding honey makes this ginger drink wonderfully soothing for sore throats.

Indian borage

Pluck a few leaves, brew it on low heat, then add some honey or brown sugar. This lovely herbal tea helps to clear blocked airways during the flu. Even inhaling the vapour is soothing.

Remember to keep drinking lots of fluids while recovering from the flu, and try your best to sleep early – your body has a better chance of healing when you have sufficient sleep. The key with herbal remedies is patience and consistency. Experiment with these recipes to see what works best for you.

Here's to growing your own medicine!

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