As I am writing this on the coldest day this winter I thought it was perhaps time to dedicate a page to natural remedies for coughs and colds. Remember though, that your medical practitioner should be your first point of call when ill, rather than a website!

Dandelion Cough Syrup

Ingredients

Half a small jar of Honey or 1kg (2.2lb) bag of brown sugar
50 Dandelion heads. (yellow)

Method/Procedure

Put the dandelion heads into a saucepan and add the honey or sugar. Pour in enough cold water to cover the dandelion heads with about 2cm (1 inch) above them. Bring to the boil and then slow down to a simmer, stirring frequently. When the mixture begins to stiffen (this can take some time) sift and cool. Now place into jars. You should put the mixture into smaller jars as mould can form pretty quickly. However if the jars are firmly sealed,sterilized and refrigerated this should minimize the unwanted mould.

Hot Drinks – To aid relief from colds and Flu

Honey and Lemon

Juice four lemons and heat. Add one and a half tablespoons of honey.

The lemon has high vitamin C content to help repel toxins and the honey will sooth your throat

Emma’s Remedy

Whenever I get a cold Emma always makes me up this concoction and it seems to help.

Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of root ginger
juice of 3 lemons
2 tablespoons of honey
1 cup of hot water

Method/Procedure

Crush the garlic, grate the ginger and mix together with the juice of the lemon and the honey in the cup of hot water. Drink.

Sweat out your flu

If I have a particularly bad cold or bout of the flu then I find that there is nothing like a curry to help shift it and the hotter the better! Here is a recipe for a particularly hot curry.

Butternut Squash in Fresh Green Curry

Ingredients

� 1 small butternut squash
� 2 red onions chopped
� 3 cloves of crushed garlic
� 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
� 3 fresh green jalapeno Chilli peppers
� 3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup water
� a handful of coarsely chopped coriander leaves
� 50g of creamed coconut
� 1 teaspoon sugar
� 1 teaspoon salt

Method/Procedure

Prepare and peel the butternut squash then cut into large chunks about half the size of golf balls. Set aside.

Blend the onions, garlic, ginger, Chile peppers, the 3 tablespoons of water and the coriander together. If you have a blender (food processor) then this will make life easy. Otherwise get out the potato masher and give the ingredients a good beating. What you are aiming for is a smooth paste. Set aside.

Add the paste to the creamed coconut and cook for 2 mins, ensuring that they are well mixed in. You might need to mash it and really work it in. Add the remaining 1/2 cup water, the sugar, salt, and butternut squash. Raise the heat to high and bring the curry to a rolling boil. Stir well, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil, and continue cooking until the squash is tender and the sauce is smooth and evenly coloured – it should be a soothing green. This should take about 15 minutes.

Steam

If you have a really bad cough, then Emma suggests running a bath and filling the bathroom with steam then locking yourself in there for a while. The doctor recommended this when she was young and within a day her cough had gone.

Foot baths

2 teaspoons of fresh ginger in a foot bath draws blood away from the head to the feet and can help reduce the heat and congestion you may feel in the rest of your body when ill.

Adding one teaspoon of dried mustard to a bowl of hot water can also have a warming effect.