Maria - Decongestant

by Trish
in READER'S CONTRIBUTIONS
5 May 2008 | 0 Comments

NATURAL COLD & FLU REMEDY

Let me share with you a great recipe for a decongestant. This recipe was passed on to me by a very good friend of mine, Maria. She comes from Italian background and it is something she grew up with. My guess is that this recipe has been around for generations and may probably be around for many more as we see collectively the extraordinary benefits of Natural Remedies. Thank you Maria for passing on this fantastic natural cold & flu remedy.

1 small - medium onion very thinly sliced in rounds

(For some, onions cause unpleasant reactions in their stomach and digestive systems, so if this is you, then it is fair to avoid it.)

Good quality Honey

(If honey is a sensitivity or allergy issue for you, then don't use this recipe)

Garlic (optional)

It is important you use a good quality honey to maximize the use of its healing properties. Many commercially produced honeys are highly processed and heat treated which may interfere with the quality. UMF [Active] Manuka Honey is probably the best around for the active healing properties it contains. It is pure and untreated and has many great healing qualities.

Step 1. Place the sliced onion (and garlic if you choose) in a container that can be sealed. Pour a generous amount of good quality honey over it to cover the onion. With the lid on, allow the onion and honey to stand on the bench. Don't refrigerate it or the honey will harden. The honey becomes very syrup-y as the onion infuses with it. When it is very syrup-y, it is ready. A teaspoon or two of this at a time, throughout the day and night, will break up the mucus in your lungs and nose and throat and allow better breathing.

This decongestant will allow you to cough - this is a good thing; you need to cough and cough-up the infected mucus. Yes, I know ... yuck! But it's a fact of life, and a bronchial infection is certainly better OUT than in. Swallowing the mucus keeps the infection within the body and can make you feel quite nauseous. Deposit it into a tissue and dispose of thoughtfully so as not spread your germs around, perhaps flush it down the toilet; or for those who are tougher about these sorts of things, ‘hawking-up' and spitting directly into a basin or toilet. The shower is a great place to expel any mucus; the heat and steam from the shower loosens it up in your chest and it is easier to cough up and get rid of under the running water.

This decongestant recipe combined with a few other ‘home remedies' will help you get through a cold in half the time than you would relying on toxic medications which many doctors and pharmacists now admit have no real effect on the cold itself.

Take it as often as you like. The taste is unusual but not disgusting and when you're used to it and feeling game, want an extra boost - try adding squashed fresh garlic. Honey is such a great healer. In this recipe it will soothe the throat and is antiseptic, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. If you are sick with colds and influenza, you should be at home resting and in bed, away from the general public, so the way you smell should not be an issue!

The Looking for Alternative Product Guide will have other tips on terrific remedies for getting through the common cold and flu. Of course, if you have any doubt as to the severity of your cold or flu, visit your doctor or health care professional. Infection can lead to complications, so always take the time, care and effort you need to aid your body in healing and allowing your body to recover from something as common as the human cold.

HEALTHY TID-BITS

Honey Health

Honey has so many wonderful healing qualities it's hard to know where to start.

Honey's anti-bacterial activity was recognised as early as 1550bc by the ancient Egyptians. Aristotle recommended it for assisting natural healing of infected wounds. Any type of honey may be called Active if it has antibacterial properties. However this anti-bacterial activity can vary widely in potency.

New Zealand UMF Manuka Honey's anti-bacterial activity has an equivalent concentration to Phenol (a common antiseptic). It supports the natural healing of wounds, and can help soothe the digestive tract as well as the throat. It can be taken by eating or by application to the skin surface. Manuka Honey is a superior treatment for wounds and infections. It is gathered in New Zealand from Manuka bush (Leptospermum Scoparium), which grows uncultivated throughout the country. Dr. Peter Molan and his research team at the Honey Research Unit, Waikato University, New Zealand, found in some specific strains of Manuka Honey, a second natural, more powerful and more stable antibacterial property now called UMF- Unique Manuka Factor. In laboratory tests the UMF property has been found to be effective against a wide range of bacteria including: Streptococcus Pyogenes which cause sore throats; Helicobacter Pylori - this bacteria causes most stomach ulcers; Staphylococcus Aureus And Escherichia Coli - the most common cause of infected wounds as well as MRSA - Methicillin (or multiple) Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: an increasingly common dangerous bacterium that is resistant to many antibiotics and is responsible for outbreaks of infection in hospitals.

The Hydrogen Peroxide antibacterial property of other honeys (including ordinary manuka honey) is not effective against Helicobacter Pylori. The UMF is additional to the hydrogen peroxide activity and is very stable. It gives the honey a wider range of uses and effectiveness. It is heat resistant and more resistant to being broken down by the catalase effect of body fluids, than Hydrogen Peroxide activity on its own. Studies are showing UMF [Active] Manuka Honey with high levels of UMF could be very effective not only in digestive care by helping relieve stomach ulcer symptoms and gastritis but also wound care by assisting the natural healing of skin ulcers, diabetic ulcers and MRSA; wounds, burns, boils, cracked skin, pressure sores, eczema, and dermatitis; as well as relieving sore throats. In oral hygiene it may inhibit acid production and help prevent cavities developing in teeth.

A superb product bought to you from Nature's Pantry.

The Noble Onion

The onion has long been known for its healthy contribution to the human condition. The Onion is as powerful an ally as garlic. Whether raw or cooked, onions are anti-bacterial and anti-viral, helping to fight off colds, relieve bronchial congestion, asthma and hay fever. It is also reputed to be good for arthritis, rheumatism and gout. It is a rich source of quercetin, a potent antioxidant that has been linked to the prevention of stomach cancer. It is said that eating ½ a raw onion each day will thin the blood, lower the LDL cholesterol and raise beneficial HDL cholesterol by around 30%. What this means is that cholesterol is transported away from the arteries, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. So why wouldn't you want to eat it every day? "Well, because it makes me fart!" you say. Well, I say ‘time get over it', farting is good for you, it releases the gases that build up in your digestive system whilst digestion takes place as well as releasing swallowed air. Imagine if you couldn't fart! I know of people who suffer this problem and believe me it definitely worse than farting. Perhaps discretion is the key here. Mostly our families can live with it and it seems we all have a giggle at it; after all, it is a primitive bodily function.

GARLIC

Garlic is well known for its cancer-prevention properties, not to mention its anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties when eaten raw. Cooking it does not, by any means, inhibit its anti-cancer, blood thinning and decongestant capabilities. Garlic has also been found to lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure, boost the immune system, lift mood and have a calming effect. So why wouldn't you want to eat it every day? "oh, but it stinks!" I hear you moan. Personally, I think it smells fabulously healthy!

Some of the above information was gathered by doing searches on ‘honey' ‘Manuka honey', ‘onion', ‘garlic' as well as Whole Foods, by Nicola Graimes.

Maria - Decongestant

Leave A Comment