What to Drink When You Feel Sick

The rainy season is here. And while it feels good to stay snug under a soft comforter during bed weather, it doesn’t feel good when bed weather means you’re bedridden because of a cold or the flu. Hachu!

I grew up in the province, and every time my siblings and I were sick, my mom would prepare weird concoctions in the kitchen and force us to drink juiced herbs or tea that smelled like the plants I played with in the garden. As a kid, I swore I would never drink this stuff willingly (because it tasted weird and sometimes smelled funny), but now that I’m older and not fond of drinking medicine, I’ve found that these natural drink remedies are the most potent means of counteracting or eliminating colds and flu.

For our first entry in Healing Potions, I’m sharing Pinoy remedies perfect for monsoon weather. The best part about these drinks is that you can make them part of your daily drink regimen to boost immunity even when you’re not feeling sick.

1. Salabat

This ginger concoction is a traditional Filipino tea administered by our moms and lolas to fight against colds, sore throats, and stomach cramps. Salabat is also known as a “singer’s” tea. Vocalists believe that salabat helps them prepare their vocal cords before taking the stage. I know some people order this before they hit the mic at karaoke, but I religiously take this every morning and my voice is still not stage quality so I’m not sure about that. salabat soothes the throat and hydrates your system, which in turn keep your vocal folds in good shape. Hot salabat helps the nasal passage. It’s a good soothing remedy for sore throat and tonsilitis.

Ginger has so many known beneficial properties that it won’t hurt to drink this on a regular basis. Some studies have shown that ginger has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties that may help fight lung, prostate, ovarian, colon, breast, skin, and pancreatic cancers.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of water
• ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon rinds
• 1 medium ginger root (peeled and chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoon of honey (or add more depending on your taste)

Directions:

1. Fill the pot with water. Add in all other ingredients and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
2. Strain into a tea pot and serve. You may add more honey for a sweeter taste. 3. You can also serve it as an iced tea. Let the tea cool and add ice or leave it overnight in the fridge.

2. Hot Ginger, Coke, and Lemon

Yes, you read right—hot Coke! This drink is popular in Hong Kong and available on most restaurant menus. This age old Chinese cold treat is sweet to taste—the soda counteracts the spiciness of the ginger. I suggest drinking this in moderation, as it might contain too much sugar, but it’s a good treat, especially for kids who don’t want to drink salabat. There’s a Chinese restaurant on Taft Avenue in Manila called Asian Bowl that serves this. But if you want to try it at home, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Coca-Cola
• 1 inch ginger (peeled and sliced)
• ½ lemon (sliced into rounds)

Directions:

1. Heat medium sized saucepan and add Coke, ginger slices, and lemon slices.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and adjust the heat lower when it simmers.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Pour into a cup. You may strain the slices of lemon and ginger or keep them in the cup. Cool for a few minutes and serve.

3. Hot Calamansi 

Almost everyone is used to drinking a cooling glass of ice-cold calamansi during the summer, but drinking it hot during the monsoon season may help fight colds and flu, as this citrus fruit is packed with Vitamin C that helps boost the immune system. Some people who take it on a regular basis claim that it helps brighten their skin tone, promotes weight loss, and detoxes the body. But aside from all the good benefits, hot calamansi juice is a great morning power drink to warm up the body, especially during the rainy season.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh squeezed calamansi juice, discard seeds and skin
• 2 cups of hot water
• ¾ cup of honey (lessen or add more depending on your desired sweetness)

Directions:

1. Mix the freshly squeezed calamansi juice with two cups of hot water and add the honey based on your desired sweetness.
2. Serve while still hot.

4. Oregano tea

There are many varieties of Oregano and each plant gives off a unique flavor perfect for using as spices for cooking. The bigger leaf variety local to the Philippines is widely used as a medicinal plant. My Lola used to boil the leaves and make me drink this tea every time I had a dry cough and it would always make me feel better. The leaf is very aromatic and when made into a tea it has a unique bitter, minty taste. Not only do the healing properties of the oregano leaf provide relief for a cough, the perennial herb has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties used for arthritis, asthma, ronchitis, diarrhea, epilepsy, fever, and upset stomach.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh oregano leaves
• 3 cups of water
• 3/4 cup simple syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar)

Directions:

1. Heat 1 cup of water in a saucepan and add the sugar. Boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Heat another saucepan and boil the oregano leaves in water for ten to fifteen minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let it cool. Serve hot in cups and add simple syrup as desired.

5. Garlic Tea

A garlic drink might sound a little off-putting, but really, it doesn’t taste as bad as you may imagine. The tea is very light, and the addition of lemon juice masks the strong garlic taste. I actually made hot cups for my friends and they all loved it. Garlic has antibacterial and antifungal properties due to allicin, a compound that is released when the clove is crushed or cut. Garlic has been used to fight infection, reduce cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. Drinking it in tea is the perfect way to savor its benefits, and who knows, it might save you from vampires and aswangs. Here’s a recipe that might make it easier for you to try the drink:

Ingredients:

• 3 chopped or crushed cloves of garlic (or more depending on your preference)
• 1 cup of water
• ½ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• honey

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat once it sizzles and add the chopped garlic.
2. Add the lemon juice and let it boil. Turn off the heat and let it cool a little before serving.
3. Add honey depending on the desired taste.

Photos by Tatum Ancheta