Get Well Tea

This cold-fighting green tea is the perfect way to help boost your immune system this cold and flu season. Packed full of superfoods, this hot tea with help you kick colds and offer your body some much-needed immune support!

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”Would you like an adventure now, or shall we have tea first?” – Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie 1929

It goes without saying that January thru March is considered peak cold and flu season, I don’t know about you, but my family has a hard time getting over a cold before catching another. The lack of sunlight, and exercise, mixed with the increase in sugar and lack of sleep during the holiday season, is patiently a recipe for illness. Add jobs, school, and shopping on top of that, and it’s a wonder we manage to ever get healthy again.

I’m very thankful that we don’t get the flu every often around my house, usually once every couple of years. And well I am more than grateful for that(ten people having the flu is never fun. ) I can say we more than make up for it during the cold season. Some years I really feel like I just have a cold for three months straight.

And for me and I’m sure any of you (especially those with young children) winter seems like an endless cycle of sore throats, scratchy throats, stuffy noses, runny noses, coughs, body aches, stomach aches, headaches, etc. It seems all we do sometimes just to try and keep the symptoms at bay at try to at least halfway recover from something before catching something else.

This cold-fighting tea come about for a few different reasons, namely because I was looking for a way to hopefully prevent future colds, and give my immune system a daily boost of goodness. Because I was sick of trying to make a bunch of different things, and so decided to turn them all into one thing. And because trying to get little kids to make any form of medicine is always hard, and they will always fight.

This tea managed to check off all the boxes I could think of, it was fast and easy to make. Allowed me to take several different things at once without having to drink a gallon of water. And gave me a nearly foolproof way to get little kids to take some medicine without fighting me over it.

Not to mention this amazing cold-fighting tea is also great for soothing sore throats, claiming coughs, getting rid of a scratchy throat, and relaxing your body! It’s definitely a recipe you’ll want to keep on hand and put to good use any time you start to see those cold symptoms(or flu symptoms!) showing up around your house.

disclaimer

Posts on this blog are for informational or educational purposes only. I am not a doctor and cannot offer medical advice. Please consult your doctor and medical professional in regard to any illness or disease. And always do your own research if you are pregnant, nursing, or dealing with young children.

what is in cold-fighting tea and why?

While there are many different cold-fighting tea recipes out there, and many different things that had been added to this recipe. I’m only going to cover the main ingredients here. These are the reasons I use these ingredients and why they are helpful when it comes to fighting and preventing colds and the flu.

Organic Green Tea

Green tea is a well-known superfood and is loved by many for the many different health benefits it provides. Namely the fact that Green tea contains natural antioxidants that help protect your cells against free radicals. I use Green tea for this recipe(not just because I love it) because it has so many great health and is thought to help improve overall health and wellness. To me, it seemed the perfect tea to drink when trying to help protect and heal the body from illness. -Note green tea does contain caffeine. If you are at all sensitive to caffeine, I would recommend switching it out for a different tea. See the section below for some of my favorite alternatives.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant and is thought to be one of the best and most important vitamins, and it is often recommended that vitamin C be taken daily. It is also no secret that vitamin C is thought to be very helpful to the body when it is battling illness. Taking at least 1-2 grams daily may help to reduce the duration of a cold or even the flu. Taking vitamin C is also a great way to boost the immune system, and possibly prevent future illness. For more information regarding vitamin C, its safety, and its health benefits I would recommend discussing it with your doctor. Or another health care professional.

Fresh Lemon Juice

Lemon juice has been considered a super food and a staple of healthy eating since before I was even born. And tea with honey and lemon has long been used as a cure for common colds in households around north America practically forever. But I didn’t just use lemon juice for those reasons. I also added lemon juice to this recipe because it is a perfect combination of the ingredients mentioned above. Lemons are also packed with vitamin C, in fact, drinking lemon juice easily accounts for half the recommended daily of vitamin C. As I mentioned above vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects your cells against free radicals, helps your body make collagen, and absorbs iron. Lemon juice also helps relieve sore throats and aids digestion.

Raw Honey

Hot tea and honey is a pretty standard go when it comes to colds. Honey is great for soothing coughs and relieving a sore throat. Raw honey is also full of antioxidants and has antifungal and antibacterial properties. It has phytochemicals and can also help with digestive issues.

Not only is it super healthy but it also helps take the edge off the tang of the lemon juice and vitamin C. Personally I use raw honey and would recommend doing the same. But free feel to do your own research and choose the option that is best fitted to your needs.

What if I can’t drink green tea?

Since green tea is high in caffeine, containing 28 mg per cup. It might not the best option for anyone sensitive to caffeine or if you are making this tea for children. If you are looking for other healthy but caffeine-free tea options I would recommend choosing one of these:

• Ginger tea
• Lemon Tea
• Lemon-Ginger tea
• Chamomile tea
• Echinacea tea
• Lemongrass teas
• Licorice root tea

If you don’t like the flavor of green tea, you can use any of the options above or look for an infused green tea such as my favorite -blueberry green tea- or other herbal tea blends. You can find most of these teas at your local grocery stores or online.

Peppermint tea and other mint teas are also great for sick days as it helps to settle an upset stomach and clear nasal congestion a. However mint isn’t a good tea for this recipe as it doesn’t blend with the lemon or vitamin C.

How To Make Get-Well Tea (cold-fighting tea)

ingredients.

• Green tea
• Vitamin C powder
• Lemon juice
• Raw honey

Directions.

Place the bag of green tea in a coffee mug.

Pour hot water into the mug, cover, and let steep for 3-4 min.

Remove the tea bag, add the remaining ingredient, and stir until the honey and vitamin C are dissolved.

Top with a lemon slice if desired and enjoy!

Notes

If the tea is too sour, add more honey to taste.

If you can’t don’t have fresh lemons feel free to use bottled lemon juice.

Though I recommend raw honey for this recipe, as it had the most health benefits, any kind of honey will work perfectly.

To make the best cup of tea be sure to use hot, not boiling water

Addition cold/flu-busting ingredients

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Cinnamon Stick
• Tumeric powder
• Vitamin D drops
• Fresh Ginger
• Lemon slices
• Cayenne pepper
• star anise