In Hawaii at John A Burns’s school of medicine it has been confirmed by Dr. Marjorie Mau that the common cold is the one ailment that eludes doctors in finding a cure.
Thousands of years ago when there was no central heating and modern doctors had barely started prescribing tablets, families were using old fashioned herbal remedies passed down from generation to generation. The stems, flowers, fruit and roots of the herbs were used to heal various ailments.
Dr. Mau has quoted she remembers as a child if she was ill a bowl of home made food was comforting and warm.
(Children were made to slip under a blanket after sipping a bowl of the comforting liquid, hence the referral to babies having a comfort blanket.)
• Chicken Soup: Chicken for the soul, add whiskey to remove the high temperature and ginger root for the warmth.
The whole tradition of cooking home remedies are based on comfort and giving affection when a persons mind and body is in need of healing.
In China herbal remedies are used for various healing treatments and the herb Ginger is taken in the form of a tea to be warming and invite the body to sweat out the toxins. It is advised to use Ginger in the beginning of a cold not when there is a high temparature.
Ginger Tea: Cut a few pieces of fresh ginger root, place in boiling water. Leave for five to ten minutes before straining, add honey or sugar to taste.