It happened! I got the dreaded summer flu that has been going around.  It started with the chills, hot flashes, fever, and sore throat.  Finally, everything went away except for the sore throat then up popped a runny nose and cough.  The sore throat hung around for about a week, pretty much the whole time I was sick.  So I was constantly looking for ways to soothe my throat and relieve some of the pain. I figured out a bunch of ways to not only soothe my throat, but help me feel better just a little bit faster.  Here are the top 5 ways that helped me the most:

1. Coconut oil – Just straight coconut oil! Grab a spoon and scoop some coconut oil out of the jar.  I prefer mine melted. Swallow a spoonful of the good stuff and it will coat the back of your throat, helping to relieve the pain.  Plus, coconut oil has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that can help get rid of that sore throat, fight off that cold, and support a strong immune system to ward off future illnesses.
   

   Throw in any fruits and veggies then blend!

2. Smoothies – My breakfast of choice is a smoothie, especially when I’m sick.  One of my favorite smoothies, which I drank a lot of this past week, is mixed berries, peaches, banana, orange juice, and coconut oil.  Throw a handful or two of frozen berries and peaches in a blender, half a banana, a tablespoon of coconut oil, then fill the blender up a little past the fruit with orange juice. Blend and enjoy.  Not only will you get all of the great benefits from the coconut oil, but you will also half a nice cold smoothie to soothe your throat and your body will thank you for all of the extra vitamins from the fruit.  You can also throw in a handful of spinach, you won’t even taste it. You might think this smoothie is just a drink, but it is packed full of antioxidants and vitamins A, C, E, and K. Make sure to leave out any dairy when you are sick.
3. Hot Tea –Tea is not my favorite thing in the world, but it definitely helps soothe a sore throat.  Make a nice, hot cup of tea  in the morning or with your lunch and mix in a spoonful of coconut oil.  Coconut oil + hot tea = soothing remedy for your sore throat. You can even add in some honey, which will also help coat your throat.
   

   Chicken and rice soup is perfect for a cold!

4. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – Nothing is better than chicken noodle soup when you are sick, especially when it is homemade.  I pulled myself out of bed the other night and whipped up a quick pot of soup.  It definitely hit the spot and helped my poor throat, I even had enough to take with me for lunch the next day.  Plus, it is so easy! In the afternoon (you are home from work/school sick after all), throw 2 chicken breasts in a crock pot with 2 cups of chicken broth and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or until the chicken just falls apart.  Take the chicken out and shred.  Throw the rest of the ingredients in a pot and cook until the noodles or rice is cooked through.  Follow the recipe here.  Enjoy the soup with crackers. Yum!
   

   Strawberry sorbet

5. Homemade Sorbet – After that soup you are probably craving something sweet for dessert, but ice cream is out of the question when you are sick and popsicles are loaded with processed sugars.  Sorbet is super easy to make at home with only 2 ingredients, plus its healthy for you too!  Grab a powerful blender or food processor and throw in a few handfuls of your favorite frozen fruit.  I used frozen mixed berries in mine. To add a little creaminess without the dairy throw in a banana too.  Add a tablespoon of coconut oil and blend until there are no lumps remaining.  If you don’t have a blender powerful enough you can keep scraping the blended fruit down the sides or add a tablespoon or two of water or orange juice.  Just don’t add too much or you will have a smoothie instead of sorbet.

When you are sick, what is your favorite home remedy to soothe a sore throat?

–          Jen