Honey Lemon Tea

Happy Monday!

For the past week, I've been suffering from a dry and sore throat. It's painful! I find myself waking up in the middle of the night looking for water because my throat starts to close on me. (I should see a doctor but......) Instead of relying too much of medicine, I like to look for simple home remedies. Today, I will be sharing with you one of my favorites--Honey Lemon Tea!

Honey Lemon Tea is a great alternative if you dislike cough syrups (like me). It is also inexpensive and easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 cup of hot green tea

The honey helps to soothe the throat and it works as a cough suppressant. As for the lemon, I've heard a couple of things. First, lemons are packed with vitamin C, which helps a great anti-oxidant, and it is consumed by immune cells during infection. I have heard that it dulls pain sensors in the throat, but don't quote me on that!

I prefer using green tea instead of just hot water. Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, an anti-oxidant. Catechin is like a scavenger--it looks for free radicals (dangerous particles) in the body that can damage DNA. (More specifically, free radicals are unstable atoms/molecules that readily react with compounds because they need an electron to gain stability in their atomic/molecular structure; thus, disrupts processes and structures in a living cell.)

Green tea can also help lower low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the body. Usually when doctors talk about high cholesterol, they are referring to high concentrations of LDL in the blood stream. Generally, 200 mg/dL or less is desirable. LDL cholesterol is responsible for blockages in the arteries, which leads to a higher risk in heart disease. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of arteries, results from a build up of white blood cells on the lining and artery wall, which in turn accumulates cholesterol in the blood stream. Eventually, the artery is coated with a thick plaque. The plaque narrows the blood stream, which can reduce and even block blood flow. This can lead to a blood clot, heart attack, or stroke.

With that said...green tea is NOT a miracle leaf that will cure you of high cholesterol over night. You MUST also incorporate a healthy diet and regular exercise to maintain a healthy level of LDL cholesterol. However, it is a great addition to tea for a sore throat because of its added benefits! (Two birds with one stone, yeah!)

Preparation

1. Steep green tea leaves. (I always use the first brew as a rinse because the leaves catch dirt/sand.)
2. Squeeze lemon juice into tea.
3. Add honey and mix.
4. (Optional) Add two thin slices of lemon into tea. 

I have also heard of adding ginger into hot water or tea to help sore throats, but I'm not sure if it helps. Let me know if it helps you! Thank you for reading!

<3 Debbie


Note: None of the images belong to me.

Images from...Google Images
Facts from...WebMD