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Cold and Flu Fighters for Yogis

On February 17, 2013 in General by jessi

Here are my top 5 Cold and Flu Fighters for Yogis:

Here are my top 5 cold and flu fighters for health conscious yogis:

1. Lemon Ginger tea with Cinnamon and Raw Honey/Agave:
One year, I had a nasty cold when my sister was visiting. I decided to take a look in my Ayurveda home remedy book to see if there was any type of concoction I could make to treat my cold. Luckily, I found this delicious one. Steep hot water, fresh lemon juice, and grated ginger with raw honey/agave and cinnamon. The lemon and ginger help to detoxify and stimulate digestion (to clear the toxins). The cinnamon helps to clear the sinuses and the honey/agave sweetens it just a touch.

2. Kombucha/Probiotics: Kombucha is fermented tea that is full of probiotics. Probiotics also help digestion and balance out the good/bad bacteria ratio in the gut. The better your digestion, the better you feel.

3. Fresh Juice: There are two types of juice that I like when I am feeling under the weather. Green juice is great because it is full of so many vitamins and nutrients, as well as detoxifying for the body. I also love to add beets, carrots, turmeric root, ginger root, burdock root, and lime to a basic green juice. This combo helps to really cleanse the liver, which filters out the toxins in the body.

4. Elderberry Extract: This knocks out a cold. I love it. Once I took this when I had a terrible cold, then I took a nap, and when I woke up it was gone. Elderberry not only tastes pretty good, but it has historically been used to treat colds.

5. Warm Soup and Grounding Foods: When you feel sick, there is nothing better than warm soup to help you feel better. When you are sick, in Ayurveda, your vata (or airiness) is unbalanced. This can cause your digestion (aka elimination of toxins) to slow down, and you can start to feel cold, dried out, and frazzled. Warm foods can help warm you from the inside out. Grounding foods, such as root vegetables, can also help to reduce some of the frazzled feeling of being ill.

Give these a try next time you feel a cold coming on. At the least, they will help to pump up the immune system and give you a head start in shortening the duration of your cold. So far this year I have had no sickness, even when my husband caught a cold while traveling. But then again, the year has only just begun!

Peace, love, and wellness to you all!

By Jessi Andricks

Jessi Andricks is a Charleston, SC area yoga and fitness teacher. She specializes in a mind-body approach to fitness, to help people regain their energy and learn to fuel their lives through exercise, whole foods, and holisitic habits. Read more about Jessie at thehouseofhealthy.com.