It has been a daily question in the last couple of weeks “What do you think of the flu shot?” I always feel like someone is handing me a grenade without the pin and asking me to juggle! The flu shot seems to have people very polarized and with very strong opinions.
Consider if you got the flu, is there a potential that it would cause death?
If you are in fragile health, over the age of 65, suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes, anaemia, cancer, immune system suppression, HIV, or kidney disease then the flu shot is a good preventative measure to protect you from the flu and its potential complications.
If you do not fall into that category and are of reasonable health then maybe you might want to consider other options. In the days of liabilities and lawyers I must stress to consult with your doctor and/or primary health care giver.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, Fall is when the body starts to wind down for the winter and draw its energy more inward. It is a time for more rest and recovery after a hard summer of expending energy and emptying peach cider bottles on the deck.
To naturally prevent cold and flu we must focus on the basics of good diet, sleep, exercise, and stress reduction. One big immune system suppressant culprit is sugar! At the first sign of cold or flu you should avoid all processed sugar. Another favourite of patients is to have spicy tea such as chai tea.
Here’s a good cold buster recipe:
2 cups of water
8 cardamom seed pods crushed
3 sticks of cinnamon, crushed
4 cloves
1 inch piece of ginger sliced thinly or grated
3 teaspoons of black tea (such as Darjeeling, or Ceylon)
3 tablespoons of crushed black pepper
Skim milk or skim milk powder
Honey to taste
Place water, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil.
Cover and lower heat to low setting and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add milk and honey and again bring to simmer.
Next, add the tea leaves, remove from heat and cover.
Let steep for 3 minutes and strain. Enjoy!
~Think Vitality!~
3 comments:
sounds delicious! Is the amount of milk that you add a personal preference? Would matching the amount of water be a good starting point?
Using half water, half milk is a good idea Jess! However, the less milk you use the more theraputic it will be because you will have more active ingredients from the spices. Enjoy!!
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