By Setareh Kiumarsi
How can we deal with the giant of coronavirus?!
— These days, one of our main concerns is protecting ourselves from the coronavirus… We’re desperately searching pharmacies for masks and hand sanitizer…
— Using those two items definitely helps. But what can we do to ensure our body doesn’t become a welcoming host for this virus, and that it can defend itself when confronted?
— One of the main places the coronavirus loves to settle in is the respiratory system… Now, if when our body is exposed to this virus, our bronchial tubes are full of undigested phlegm and mucus, the virus will be delighted; it has found a cozy environment full of delicious food where it can feast freely! But if our lungs are clean and free from accumulated phlegm, the coronavirus will simply pack its bags and leave…
Here are a few simple and practical solutions to keep your lungs clean and clear of undigested phlegm:
— Herbal tea: Drink Setareh’s cold and flu tea once or twice a day. The herbs in this tea dry out the phlegm in the lungs.
— If making this tea is too much hassle, you can use ready-made herbal teas from the market that contain thyme.
— If you can’t get access to those teas either, start two hours after each meal and drink a cup of warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey every hour.
— Get cough syrup (preferably with honey and thyme) from the pharmacy and keep them at home. Whenever you feel the symptoms of a cold starting, take them according to the dosage provided in the instructions.
— You can drink echinacea herbal tea once or twice a day.
— Drinking fresh ginger tea (1 cup of boiling water + ½ teaspoon chopped fresh ginger + 1 teaspoon lemon juice + 1 teaspoon honey) is also helpful during this time. Ginger is one of the most important medicinal plants for cleaning the lungs. However, since it’s very strong, daily use can overly dry the digestive tract lining and lead to ulcers or a Pitta (bile) imbalance. So, better to use it no more than once or twice a week.
— Once or twice a week, before bedtime, apply Vicks or eucalyptus oil or ginger oil to your chest and shoulders (front and back of the lungs). Place a cotton cloth on top, wear a tight undershirt, and leave it on overnight. This helps dry up the phlegm in the lungs and cleanse the bronchial tubes.
— One of the most effective ways to purify the respiratory system is aromatherapy. Inhaling the smoke or essential oils of warm and dry herbs helps dry the excess mucus and phlegm in the sinuses and lungs. For this, once or twice a day, apply Vicks, eucalyptus oil, or ginger oil to the tip of your nose. If you have postnasal drip, rub a little black seed oil inside your nostrils. Or burn a combination of (Syrian rue), fennel, and frankincense at home and inhale the smoke.
— Mix ½ teaspoon salt + 2 pinches turmeric + 2 pinches cinnamon into a glass of warm water and gargle several times throughout the day.
— Once or twice a day, chew a clove or a cardamom pod like gum and swallow it at the end.
— Peel two or three onions and place them whole in a pot with a bit of water to steam. Eat one steamed onion with lunch or dinner.
— As a snack each day, eat steamed apples (with cardamom and rose petals) topped with honey, and also some sweet lemons.
— With lunch and dinner, be sure to eat digestive salad
— Add turnips to your diet. You can find two great turnip recipes in the cold and flu articles.
Fatty Foods — Certain foods weaken the immune system and fill the lungs with mucus:
Foods with added sugar (like pastries, cakes, commercial biscuits, desserts, sodas, etc.), white flour-based foods (like white flour baguettes, pasta, noodles, lasagna, pizza, pastries, cakes), full-fat cow dairy (especially cheese, yogurt, cream), heavy animal proteins (beef, veal, pork, seafood), hydrogenated fats and vegetable oils, fried and fast foods.
Limit consumption of these foods as much as possible!
— Very sweet fruits (mostly from summer) are generally high in phlegm (they’re actually designed by God to be moist and phlegm-rich to hydrate us during the extreme dryness of summer and early fall). So reduce consumption of sweet fruits like bananas, figs, dates, melons, watermelons, grapes, etc., in winter.
— Run 15–20 minutes a day! Have you noticed that when you run, a lot of phlegm comes up into your mouth, and you’re forced to spit it out? Running not only cleanses the lungs of mucus but also ignites your digestive fire and warms your body! Other exercises like cycling, brisk walking, or yoga do the same.
— And most importantly: Don’t be afraid! Our body’s cells are intelligent! When we fill ourselves with fear, they also become filled with fear, and their immune defense weakens — making us more vulnerable to coronavirus (or any virus).
So take a deep breath, eat healthy food, exercise, and smile!
If you republish this post, which was written with care and in the hope of well-being for all, please credit the author “Setareh Kiumarsi.”
