Zen Quickie I

Welcome to our first Zen Quickie. We all live hectic lives, but real health depends on taking the time to really care for yourself. I'll be bringing you easy, natural recipes, exercises and home remedies that are Quickie Life Enhancers. Only we are responsible for our own health, So check back often for the newest Zen Quickie in the series.

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I don't know about you, but this foggy San Francisco weather can give me a mean tickle in my throat. One of my favorite Natural Remedies is the Ginger/Garlic Decoction with a hint of honey and lemon.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic, expectorant and is awesome for flu, colds, ear infections and not to mention digestion and the circulatory system. 

My go-to rhizome of choice is Ginger Root. It is an antiemetic which is very effective for motion sickness, a circularory stimulant (which is why i love it in the morning before i brave the cold), and is also a strong antiseptic for any bacteria you might have picked up in festival bathrooms. The active ingredient in ginger is actually it's Volatile Oil, "Gingerol," which is responsible for that spicy taste. Ginger, like garlic, is awesome for soothing coughs, colds, flu, aching muscles, fever and what the Chinese call an internal cold: cold hands, pale complexion and weak pulse.

Lemon helps keep colds away by boosting immunity and improving resistance to infection. It also makes this hot infusion very refreshing.

Honey is a home-run home remedy. It is an antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, and antibacterial. Helpful for allergies, digestion, colds and a laundry list of other skin treatments which I will go more into another day, another blog. 

In the mean time, enjoy your homemade holistic beverage and Feel Beautiful!

-Sarah Valentine