Sometimes things that feel good are actually good for you. A cup of hot tea can soothe your throat and tame your cough if you brew it with the right ingredients.
Thyme is an expectorant and also contains substances that relax the respiratory tract. To make thyme tea, place 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (1 tablespoon dried) in a cup of hot water. Allow it to steep, then drain out the herb, add honey if you like, and drink.
Sip a cup of marshmallow tea. When combined with water, marshmallow yields a gooey mucilage that coats the throat and also thins mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough up. To make the tea, steep 2 teaspoons of the dried herb in one cup hot water. Have a total of three cups a day.
Add 45 drops of licorice tincture to a cup of hot water and sip. Licorice loosens phlegm and relaxes bronchial spasms. A caution: Don’t take licorice for more than a few weeks, as it can raise blood pressure.
Steep 2 teaspoons horehound leaves or flowers in 1 cup boiling water, strain, and drink.
Practitioners of Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, recommend a spice tea that you can drink several times a day. To make the tea, add a half-teaspoon powdered ginger and a pinch each of clove and cinnamon powder to a cupful of just-boiled water and drink.
From: 1,801 Home Remedies, Reader's Digest Canada
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