Earlier this year, I experienced the worst string of illnesses one after another…
The flu turned into the common cold, which quickly evolved into strep throat.
I’ll admit that I wasn’t taking the best care of myself during the flu-turned-cold period. As soon as I felt some relief, I got ahead of myself and extended my late-night rage sessions when I should’ve let my body fully recover.
The last time I had strep throat, my doctor prescribed me the antibiotic Amoxicillin, which I discovered by the second week that I was allergic to. It also had some weird after-effects on my body, particularly my digestive system and my hives.
So when the strep bug plagued me for a second time, I decided to try the natural remedy route. It took me a month and a half to fully recover but I didn’t have to take antibiotics.
NOTE: By no means am I a medical professional nor do I have any expert knowledge on this subject. But this is what worked for me.
This was my daily routine (and what it looked like):
Natural Remedy Regimen
- Gargle warm salt water 2-3 times a day.
- 3,000 mg of vitamin C (fruits and pills).
Blueberries, Bananas and Tangerines…oh my!
- Gargle apple cider vinegar once a day (the vinegar burned so I’d skip a day or two if it was too painful).
- Lemon and honey tea 1-2 times a day (this helped tremendously! The healing power of honey is incredible).
Lemon Honey Tea
- Lozenges to numb the throat pain.
- Flu medicine to ease the fever and swelling.
In addition, I immersed myself in hot foods that could help me sweat out the illness using ingredients with kick-ass healing properties like garlic and ginger. This was the more enjoyable part of being sick 🙂
My version of the Filipino classic, Tinola!
Ingredients include garlic, ginger and salt.
Gomtang (곰탕) aka Korean Oxtail Soup.
Ingredients include boiled down bone marrow, brisket and salt. Typically eaten with Korean radish cube kimchi aka kkakdugi (깍두기), which is marinated in garlic and spicy pepper flakes.
Kalguksu (칼국수) aka “Knife Noodles”
This version includes jalapenos, kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage), garlic and onions.
Tteokguk (떡국) aka Rice Cake Soup
Ingredients include garlic, onions, scallions and salt.
Eggs Baked in Avocado
For healthy fats and protein!
I had a lingering cough for a few weeks after recovering from strep, which was annoying but nothing a little lemon and honey tea couldn’t cure.
Has anyone else tried natural remedies for treating strep throat? I’d love to know what your experience has been or if any of the aforementioned remedies helped you!
NYAM
Chronicles of a Cartoon 