The main ingredients in this recipe are the powerhouses lemon juice and raw honey, so it is a must-make for the cold winter months and the accompanying colds and flu.
Lemon juice benefits
Not only do lemons add abundant flavor to a variety of dishes, but they also boast a ton of health benefits.
The flavonoids within the lemon juice are said to contain antioxidants, which is why lemons are useful in treating so many ailments and conditions. Some of them are listed below.
- It prevents kidney stones formation.
- It soothes a sore throat: Mixing lemon juice with raw honey can help alleviate the discomfort that comes from a nasty sore throat.
- It supports weight loss.
- It stops an itch.
- It aids in digestion.
- It has anticancer properties.
- It has potassium power: bananas aren’t the only way to get a big amount of potassium in your system. In addition to vitamin C, the lemon offers 80 milligrams of the mineral potassium that helps your body stay strong and nimble.
- It brings down a fever: forget the days of starving a fever! When your temperature goes up, drinking a lemon juice and raw honey mixture can help bring your fever down faster.
- It balances pH: while lemons may seem quite acidic, they are a surprisingly good source of alkaline food that can help balance your body’s pH to normal non-acidic values.
Raw honey benefits
Honey contains many antioxidants including flavonoids (just like the lemon juice) to maintain the body’s health balance. Pinostrobin supports enzyme activity while the antioxidant-rich organic acids maintain an optimal (slightly acidic) pH in the body.
Pinocembrin is an antioxidant flavonoid thought to be unique to honey while the amino acids in honey are the body’s building blocks of protein.
A report in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine backs the benefits of raw honey with their opinion: “The therapeutic potential benefits of pure, raw honey is grossly underutilized. It is widely available in most communities, and although we don’t totally understand why it can heal various health conditions, we know from studies it has many benefits. The time has now come for conventional medicine to lift the blinds off this ‘traditional remedy’ and give it its due recognition.”
Raw honey is a concentrated source of natural goodness. Benefits include:
- A rich taste
- High nutritional benefits
- Promotes the growth of good bacteria in the intestine
- Soothes and heals skin wounds
- Blocks free radicals
- Aids sleep
- Counters pollen allergies
- Reduces homocysteine levels to maintain a healthy heart
Best of all, honey does not need special storage or refrigeration – you can use it by the spoonful straight from the jar!
Hot Toddy Recipe For Colds
- Pour hot steaming boiling water into a cup.
- Add 2 tsps. Of lemon juice.
- Add 2 tsps. honey (any kind will do, although raw honey is best).
- Lightly dip one herbal tea bag in the cup (any flavor will do, but we recommend cold relief teas to be used in a hot toddy recipe for colds). Steep, covered, for 10-15 minutes before drinking.
- Sip at your drink slowly and self-indulgently. Repeat every 2 hours (or as needed) for cold or flu.
Optional: You can add 1 tsp. of rum or brandy to this hot toddy recipe for colds.
The purpose of this hot toddy recipe for colds is threefold:
The hot steam from the boiled water will help loosen the mucus in your nose and throat and enable you to breathe more freely (the lemon dislodges the mucus from your throat and adds the much-needed vitamin C).
The raw honey not only “coats” your throat to prevent redness, but it also soothes the throat irritation from the dislodged mucus, as well as adding nutritional benefits.
If you add the alcohol, it helps you to “sweat” out whatever fever you may have and helps you to sleep better.
Adding the tea to this hot toddy recipe for colds is not absolutely necessary unless you want additional flavoring. However, do not use regular tea as most are caffeinated. Gypsy Cold Care tea by Traditional Medicinals is my personal favorite for this drink, with green tea being a close second.
