Lemon Aid

Difflam, Robitussin, Dhasedyl, Fedac, Telfast, Cetirizine, Tussidex Forte Linctus, Singular, Terbutaline, Fluimucil, Sinupret, Chlorpheniramine, Ketotifen, Montelukast, Bisolvon, Bromhexine, Decondine, Dextromethophan…

I have become so well acquainted with all these hard-to-pronounce prescription drugs to treat the common cough and cold!

Laryngitis was my constant companion during my stint on national radio and all throughout my teaching career, before that.

What I found immensely frustrating was, how that common cold almost always degenerates into this cruel cough that never, ever goes away! The pain that starts at the back of the nose will often very quickly make its way down the airway, leaving you with this agonizingly raw and gnawing sore throat.

Some of my ex-colleagues have referred to it as the 100-day cough. For me, one day is one too many! Talk about a hundred times of that!

I’m not counting, that’s for sure! I hated every minute of it!

And that’s why I’m so glad I came across this book by Dr Norman Walker Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices: What’s missing in your body?

He explained how massive amounts of mucous are formed in our bodies from consuming excessive dairy products and/or concentrated starches and carbohydrates. And as a reaction to this build up of toxins in the respiratory system, a cough develops.

It’s just the body’s way of getting rid of surplus phlegm.

What really amused me was his conviction that, “cough medicines are mostly an excellent means to store up future supply of coughs, and are intended for the gullible.”

So, what did he propose as a better alternative?

His solution was simple – gargle the throat with either straight or diluted fresh lemon juice, that’s it!

Can it be any simpler?

Like you, I laughed and scoffed at first. I mean, was this guy for real?

So, I decided to try what seemed like a medically-unorthodox remedy on myself. After all, the proof of a pudding is in its eating.

And after doing this for at least two years, I find that it really works! I’m now a believer!

So here’s what I do when I feel a cough coming:-

Make a lemon aid concoction by:

Filling a glass half full with distilled water

Adding ¼ glass of boiled distilled water to make it slightly warm

Adding the juice of half a lemon

How often and how should I consume this?

I do this every two hourly, or whenever my throat feels itchy and if at first you get into a coughing fit, don’t worry. Fresh lemon juice helps loosen the phlegm so it’s easier for you to expel it.

Rich in Vitamin C and organic citric acid, lemons actually have an unusually alkaline effect on the body that is if you don’t add any sugar to the mix. Fact is, sugar chemically alters the healthful enzymes contained therein causing more harm than good.  

So, if you find drinking it straight or diluted unpalatable, then don’t! Instead, use it to gargle your throat until you feel better!

Honestly, I don’t get coughs as often as I do anymore. But when I do get one, they don’t stay for long!

Now if you ask me, I’d rather have lemon aid than sugary cough syrups and tablets any day!

Love,
Lynette Tan

*Quick tip: to yield more juice from the lemon, roll it on a flat surface before cutting it in half!