Grandmother’s tips for the flu

Eucalyptus is a potent antiseptic, -bacterial, and -inflammatory that might help soothe sinus congestion! We've come a long way from Granny's days, now understanding it's a compound known as 1,8-cineole that helps suppress coughs and clear the airways of pesky mucous.

Ginger tea provides warmth and is considered soothing for the throat with lab studies supporting its antioxidant, -bacterial, -viral, and -inflammatory properties. Though ginger is traditionally used to support digestion and deal with nausea and tummy aches, it may help support your recovery.

Quite indispensable if you have the flu is a hearty, healthy chicken soup. The steam that rises from the soup alleviates nasal congestion while the stock helps answer the body's liquid and salt requirements. We may not realise it, but we do lose a lot of liquid when we have a fever through sweating and the increased thermal demand on cells.

Maybe your throat needs a little soothing? Try gargling with salt and sage: pour boiling water in a glass with 2 teaspoons of dried sage and half a teaspoon of sea salt. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes. Then strain the sage out of the water and gargle a few times during the day. Both act as natural antimicrobials, helping in the fight against the pathogens invading the body.