10 Natural Remedies That Can Heal You When You’re Sick & 10 That Are Myths
Like Mom Used to Make
If you’ve ever caught a cold or had a fever, you’re probably used to your parents making up all sorts of homemade recipes and remedies guaranteed to heal you. Perhaps you’ve decided to keep the tradition alive, or maybe the fixes never quite worked. Either way, here are a few significant natural healing meals to reconsider.
1. Yakhnee
Getting its origin from the Middle East, Yakhnee is essentially chicken broth. What's unique is the use of certain spices and peppers to provide a nourishing and warming effect that’s great for recovering from colds and fevers.
2. Turmeric Milk
Also from South Asia, turmeric milk is essentially warm milk mixed in with turmeric powder and optional honey. This drink is soothing and sweet and is known to settle the sniffles.
3. Congee
In China, many people turn to congee, which is essentially a rice porridge, to nurture them when they’re sick. Many like to add in ginger and garlic, especially due to their anti-inflammatory properties that can help calm the digestive system.
4. Chicken Soup
Of course, you can’t go wrong with classic chicken soup. This heartfelt dish has everything from protein for strength and herbs for vitamins. Additionally, its warmth is known to relax the throat while the amino acids in the chicken strengthen the immune system.
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5. Lemon Ginger Tea
It’s very common to make a super healing tea by mixing in lemon, ginger, and a spoonful of honey. Apparently, the more honey, the better, as this tea is known to regulate nausea and soothe digestive discomfort.
6. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes may not come to mind when you think of being sick, but its simplicity and softness make it a great recovery food for those that can only eat soft foods. Additionally, it’s loaded with carbs that will keep you feeling energetic throughout the day without troubling your stomach.
7. Miso Soup
In Japan, miso soup is a salty broth made from fermented soybeans. It’s best known for its probiotic properties, which are known to bolster the immune system while the steaminess of the liquid soothes troubled throats.
8. Coconut Water
Coconut water is another one of those foods you might not think of, but it’s actually very popular in tropical regions to replenish electrolytes and fluids. It’s also known to help rehydrate when dealing with symptoms from fever or digestive discomfort.
9. Cabbage Soup
In Eastern European countries, it's common to make up a hearty soup full of everything from cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and if possible, protein in the form of chicken. This is full of all the vitamins and fibers needed to strengthen the immune system and help hydrate the sick.
10. Kefir
Speaking of Eastern Europe, kefir is a fermented milk drink that tastes quite like thin yogurt. What makes it so useful is its probiotic properties, which can help boost immunity and balance gut microbiomes after getting sick.
Now that we have talked about sick meals that do the job, here are 10 that might just be myths.
1. Say No to Dairy
There is a myth that drinking products like milk, cheese, and yogurt will only worsen mucus buildup in the body and exacerbate colds. But as already indicated by kefir, there’s no evidence behind this, and certain dairy products actually strengthen the gut microbiome.
2. Chicken Soup
Despite singing the many praises of chicken soup, it’s important to understand what it does and what it doesn’t do. Chicken soup can’t cure your cold; instead, the steam helps fight nasal symptoms while the nutrients make you stronger to resist your cold.
3. Ginger
We also talked about putting ginger in everything from teas to soups, but ginger in itself isn’t a cure-all. In fact, many people think it can treat nausea and vomiting, but it’s only a slight symptom reliever that only works for some.
4. Hot Tea
The idea behind drinking teas is that it will help keep you hydrated when you’re fighting an illness, but the reality is that the temperature actually has no effect on combating viruses in your body. Instead, it only provides comfort by soothing soreness in the throat.
5. Orange Juice
Many people actually prescribe orange juice as it’s full of vitamin C. While vitamin C does help immune function, the dosage in orange juice doesn’t actually do anything against colds specifically.
6. Hot Sauce
It may seem strange to you, but some people believe spicy food can relieve nasal congestion by causing the mucus to just flow out. But at the same time, it irritates the throat and stomach, so the brief respite might not be worth it.
7. Garlic
Garlic has come up in the earlier dishes, but by itself, it’s no cure for serious illnesses. It does, however, have some antimicrobial properties, but can never substitute as a treatment.
8. Coffee
Some people believe coffee can mitigate nasal congestion and help you stay alert and active when bogged down by sickness. But this is all temporary, and worse, the caffeine will actually dehydrate you, which only leads to worse symptoms.
9. Apple Cider Vinegar
While this ingredient is often recommended for weight loss, some believe it can serve as a cure-all too. Unfortunately, this isn’t based in any science, and drinking it doesn’t really do much. In fact, it might actually irritate the stomach lining and throat.
10. Bananas
Many believe the softness of bananas and its nutrients make it ideal for treating upset stomachs. While they are one of the easier foods to digest out there, they can’t really do much against foodborne illnesses.
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