Benefits of Onions for Cold and Flu Symptoms

Oops!  Been a few weeks since I've been on here.  I finished my 100 Articles in 100 Days Marathon over at EzineArticles.com  !!  Whoo hoo!  I've worked really hard to finish this in time.  I finished about a week ahead of schedule.  Here is one of the articles that has had a lot of views, well over 1,000.  So I thought I would pass it along.


Benefits of Onions for Cold and Flu Symptoms
©2009 Shanna Ohmes

Most of us are aware of the powerful odor of onions. Did you know this is their secret weapon against viruses and bacteria? That pungent odor is caused by the rich sulfur compounds that promote health and well-being. Throughout history onions have been held in high regard for their culinary and medicinal qualities. They have even been used as a currency in Egypt to pay the workers who built the pyramids.

Onions have phytochemicals and quercetin which assist the body by moving and breaking up the mucus in the head and chest. The powerful odor causes the eyes to tear and the nose to run. It is this affect on your body that stimulates the immune system to fight the virus or bacterial infection. This is helping your body shed the virus and reduce the inflammation from congestion.

The onion is a warming, stimulating and penetrating herb. It is used in soups and even cough syrups. But you don’t have to eat it to experience its healing affects. Apply them externally as a poultice and inhale and feel their pungent effects. Onions bring heat to the area and this action brings the fever to that part of the body to control how far the infection spreads.

You can also cut them in slices and put them in a bowl by your bed at night or in any room in the house. It is said they absorb the viruses and bacteria from the air. A doctor during the 1918 Spanish flu discovered a farmer and his family doing this very thing and they did not catch the flu, so the story goes.

Onions are anti-bacterial, ant-viral, and anti-parasitic. They are rich in vitamin C, potassium, chromium, fiber, manganese and vitamin B6. So eat onions every day, learn to make poultices and syrups and continue a 5,000 year old remedy.

Grapefruits, Lemons and Limes

These are great fruits to keep around during the summer to keep you cool and give you plenty of vitamin C.  Eat a grapefruit mid-morning or at lunch.  In the afternoon, cut a lemon or lime in half.  I use 1/2 a lemon or lime, but some may like a whole one during the day.  Squeeze the juice into your water, add a pinch of sea salt to taste.  Sea salt has trace minerals.  It's not like table salt.  Your body utilizes all the minerals in the sea salt.  Don't forget to eat the pulp of the lemon or lime.  Remember, eat the whole food because it is packaged with all the nutrients that work synergistically. 

All 3 of these fruits are loaded with vitamin C.  This is a great way to keep your immune system boosted all summer long!

Rose Hip Tea

Rose hip tea is an excellent source of Vitamin C.  When I had gum problems I drank lots of rose hip infusions.  This is a natural way to get your Vitamin C without taking a lot of pills.  You can even mix it with other teas or infusions.

Roses were used by American Indians for a number of ailments such as mouth sores, fever sores, blisters, diarrhea, and for the male and female reproductive systems.  The parts of the rose that can be used are the petals, hips (buds), leaves, leaf buds and bark.  Use rose hips for colds and flu and to boost the immune system.  Rose hip nutrients are:  Vitamin C, B complex, carotenes, Vitamin E, selenium, chromium, niacin, phosphorus and many more.

Here's how I make my Rose Hip Tea
1 quart jar
1/4 - 1/2 cup dried rose buds (or 1-2 handfuls)
boiling water

Pour the rose buds into the jar, pour in boiling water and steep up to 4 hours.  You can drink part of it and refrigerate the rest for the next day.  Or just drink it throughout the day.

A great place to get rose hips is Mountain Rose Herbs

I'm Back! Website is UP!!

Wow! Who knew learning how to build your own website could be so involved? Thanks to Chris Farrell and his book "Create Your Own Website by 3:45 This Afternoon" for helping me develop the skills necessary to learn how to do it myself! (I will be offering this free ebook to members of my newsletter subscription soon!)

My site is up! I'm still working a few bugs out, but the main thing I'm offering on my site is a free eReport "7 Tips to Boost Your Immune System Naturally" to those who subscribe to my Free weekly newsletter --The Natural Living Site Newsletter. For those who subscribe I will offer my eBook "Natural Cold and Flu Remedies" that I have spent several months researching and writing.

Sneak a peak and check it out at: http://thenaturallivingsite.com and if the link for the subscription is not up yet, I'm still working on it, so keep checking back!!! It should be up within a day or 2.