Anti-Flu Brew

Two days ago I started feeling "under the weather" out of no where. I was sneezing my head off (I was obnoxiously sneezing every few minutes so I literally thought my head was going to pop off with how hard my body was shaking), I got a terrible headache and my throat was so sore. With this CRAZY Flu outbreak spreading across America I freaked thinking that I was going to get the flu and keel over! To avoid being another victim of this life-taking virus I TOOK ACTION!

I rolled out of bed the next morning and went to the gym despite the claims of some who say that working out can potentially worsen symptoms, to the contrary it helped. 

It really depends on what symptoms you have AND where they are located in your body. Typically, if they are above the throat (like a headache) you are good to go. If you have body aches and chest congestion then it's best to see your doc. 

Anyway, after the gym my son and I went right to the grocery store to pick up fresh Ginger Root, Oranges, and Honey. Green tea was part of the recipe in my head but I maintain a stockpile of that so I didn't need any. 

When we got home I put an 8-cup pot of water on the stove and brought it to a boil. While it was heating up, I peeled and rough-chopped the Ginger Root and peeled 1 Orange. Once the water boiled, I put the Ginger Root, Orange Peel and 8 Green Tea bags in and steeped for 5 minutes. 

I poured some in a cup over ice to drink immediately, put the rest in a pitcher and placed it in the fridge for later use. 

My 2-yr-old saw the "coffee" (he knows mommy's coffee cup by heart) and wanted a taste. Since he doesn't know what coffee actually tastes like I let him sip my tea and he was excited that he was drinking coffee! Next thing I knew the whole damn cup was gone so I had to get my own! I am definitely not going to complain that he drank something so healthy!!! And to top off our healthy drink we snacked on sliced apples and celery! YUMMY!

Later, I used some of the brew in a shake that I made my husband and I for our after-dinner treat. Added:
Strawberries
Frozen Blueberries (my son ate a bunch as his snack)
Spinach
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Ice 
Drizzle of Honey

All this went down yesterday and I am happy to report that I actually woke up feeling a bit better today! In fact, my planned 3-mile run turned into 5 miles, 20 minutes on the Stepper followed by some killer CORE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES!

Try out the brew and add it to your favorite fruit and veggie shakes to give them a healthier kick OR just drink it by itself, hot or cold and with/without a bit of honey to taste!

Best of Health,
Amanda Chubb
www.healthyathomept.com
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