If you don’t want to take bitter anti-inflammatory medications, try these dietary remedies!Cough Relief SectionPumpkin PureeSuitable for cough due to wind-cold
Common colds and coughs are often caused by the invasion of wind-cold, internal stagnation of lung qi, and loss of lung defense. Dietary therapy can help alleviate these symptoms. Pumpkin is warm in nature, sweet in taste, and non-toxic. It moistens the lungs, benefits qi, transforms phlegm, expels pus, drives out parasites, detoxifies, treats cough and wheezing, and alleviates lung abscess and constipation. There are also folk remedies that use steamed pumpkin mixed with honey to treat asthma.
Ingredients: 250g pumpkin, 15g honey
Method: Steam the pumpkin until cooked, mash it, let it cool, and mix with honey. Consume 50g on an empty stomach before breakfast and dinner.
Honey Ginger Radish DrinkSuitable for cough due to wind-cold
Ginger induces sweating and releases the exterior, warms the lungs, and stops cough. It not only helps to expel excess heat but also eliminates pathogens and cold from the body. White radish contains protein, fat, and rich calcium, which has strong anti-inflammatory and cough-relieving effects. It is also suitable for cough due to lung heat, which causes dry throat and hoarseness.
Ingredients: 500g fresh white radish, 30g ginger, 30g honey
Method: Peel and chop the radish and ginger, blend them in a juicer, and add honey before drinking.
Luohan Guo and Pear DrinkSuitable for cough due to wind-heatand cough caused by acute or chronic pharyngitis
Luohan Guo (Monk Fruit) is sweet and cool in nature, effective in stopping cough and wheezing, and cooling down. When combined with snow pear, which clears heat, nourishes the stomach, and moistens the lungs, the effect of nourishing yin and clearing heat to stop cough is enhanced.
Ingredients: 1 Luohan Guo, 2 snow pears
Method: Place the cleaned Luohan Guo and snow pears in a clay pot, add clean water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, strain, and drink.
White Fungus and Lily DrinkSuitable for dry cough without phlegm
White fungus nourishes the stomach and generates fluids, while lily stops cough and expels phlegm. The combination of the two enhances the cough-relieving effect.
Ingredients: 10g white fungus, 20g rock sugar, 10g lily, a little honey
Method: Soak 10g of white fungus in water for 12 hours, place in a bowl, add rock sugar and lily, steam in a steamer for 1 hour, mix in honey, and consume on an empty stomach every morning.
Black Bean Ginger SoupSuitable for cough with phlegm and bronchitis
Ingredients: 150g black beans, 2 slices of old ginger, 10g brown sugar
Method: Wash the black beans and ginger, add 1000cc of water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Strain the residue, mix in brown sugar, and drink hot.
Note: Drink for three days and rest for one day. Those with cancer or diabetes should not add sugar. Patients with abnormal urine protein, abnormal urea nitrogen, abnormal creatinine, uremia, dialysis, renal insufficiency, renal cancer, high blood sugar, gout, and hyperuricemia should avoid this.
Throat Soothing SectionLuohan Guo Flower Tea
It is well known that using Luohan Guo to brew tea can soothe throat pain. Luohan Guo flowers also have throat-soothing properties and a rich fragrance. When steeped in hot water, it releases a delightful aroma. Drinking Luohan Guo flower tea can clear the lungs and moisten dryness, effectively improving throat pain, cough, hoarseness, and even constipation caused by heat.
Note: Luohan Guo flowers have a slightly cold nature, so do not consume continuously after symptoms improve.
Honeysuckle Tea
Honeysuckle tea is a commonly used flower tea for clearing heat and detoxifying. It is effective for those with heat symptoms, providing relief for dry throat, dry mouth, and external wind-heat conditions.
Note: Its cold nature is not suitable for those with weak or cold constitutions, and it should not be consumed long-term.
Jade Butterfly Tea
Jade Butterfly, also known as Bai Yu Zhi, is mainly produced in Yunnan and Guizhou. It can clear lung heat and benefit the throat, providing excellent treatment for acute or chronic bronchitis, cough, sore throat, and tonsillitis. Jade Butterfly tea is made by steeping its seeds; one teaspoon of Jade Butterfly with boiling water, steep for 10 minutes before drinking.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea can relieve throat swelling and pain, as well as alleviate headaches or fever caused by colds, enhancing blood circulation in the body.
Note: Peppermint is not suitable for postpartum women and infants.
Violet Tea
Drinking violet tea is very beneficial for the respiratory tract. It not only moistens the throat but also alleviates cough and throat pain caused by colds. It also provides auxiliary treatment for respiratory diseases, protecting the upper respiratory tract and regulating bronchitis.
Jasmine Tea
Jasmine flowers, when brewed as tea, can inhibit bacteria, providing pain relief, anti-inflammatory, and heat-clearing effects for the throat. It is especially suitable for patients with chronic bronchitis.
Dietary Restrictions During Coughing
1. In the early stages of coughing, do not rush to take cough medicine; instead, consume yin-nourishing and lung-moistening fruits and vegetables, such as white fungus, black fungus, honey, loofah, lotus root, radish, water pear, apple, loquat, and apricot.
2. Avoid any spicy or irritating foods, such as mustard, satay sauce, chili, curry, and pepper.
3. Avoid cold foods, such as frozen foods, drinks, ice cream, and soft serve.
4. Do not eat spicy foods like chili, pepper, and ginger, as they can irritate the respiratory tract and worsen coughing.
5. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
6. Avoid fried, roasted, smoked, or baked foods, such as fried pork chops, fried dough sticks, potato chips, salt and pepper chicken, stinky tofu, French fries, roast duck, baked cakes, cream cakes, donuts, and pastries.
7. Avoid sweets to prevent phlegm production.
Source: People’s Daily, Health China