Teas for Coughs and Congestion

This winter many people were hit hard by colds and the flu, suffering through the holiday season and beyond.

I was offered several herb tea recipes/formulas that have worked for various people.

1. Lemon and Honey
The standard is one teaspoon of honey plus the juice of half a lemon in a cup of hot water. The beverage can be used throughout the day, but is especially good taken the first thing in the morning.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey
Dorel Rotar recommends mixing one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with one teaspoon of honey in a cup of hot water. He recommends drinking it warm before breakfast and before dinner on an empty stomach.

3. Green Tea Powder with Lemon and Honey
Dr. Wu suggests adding ½ teaspoonful of green tea powder to the above teas and stirring well. It will further pack the tea with antioxidants. It will help dissolve dried phlegm and ease a bad cough.

Green tea powder is available at PCMC Herb Store in tea bags as well as in 8-oz. packages.

4. Dr. Wu's Simple Herb Formula for Flu
Depending on the presentation of the symptoms, flu can be classified into two types, the heat-type and the cold-type.

Flu Formula #1 is used for the cold-type that brings about a runny nose and chronic cough. These herbs, when prepared as a tea and/or for vapor-treatment [see picture below], can relieve sinus congestion and throat irritation.

Flu Formula #1 consists of bupleurum (cai hu), pinellia tamata (ban xia), sileris (fang feng), and asarum (xi xin).

These ingredients work together to treat the following problems: alternating chills and fever, bitter taste in the mouth, dizziness, chest congestion, chronic cough, excess phlegm, nausea, vomiting, pain and aches in the muscles and joints, and headaches.

Flu Formula #1 is pre-packaged and available at PCMC Herb Store.