Coughs and sneezes - no more.
Fighting the flu when temperatures take a nose dive in Malta need not require lots of doctor visits, doses of antibiotics and prescribed nasties to enter your immune system - first, give it a go the natural way!
The first thing you’ll need to do, before the flu symptoms kick in, is vary your diet and make sure you’re eating the right types of food for your body. Pack in those veggies and load up on fruit - the colder seasons in Malta can cause a few unwelcome sniffles.
Beat the cough with carob syrup
One of Malta’s natural flu fighters has to be syrup from the fruit of the carob tree, known as il-harruba in Maltese. The plant derived syrup helps in soothing your nasty cough. Replace your regular cough syrup with some pure carob essence to fight that tickle.
... or onion syrup?
Harrub might not be readily available in your house when the tingly sensation hits the back of your throat, but onions usually are. This may sound slightly off-putting, but it truly works! Dice a small onion and place it in a glass with a tablespoon of sugar (try coconut sugar) and let osmosis do its job overnight in a dry environment. The next morning you’ll find syrup in the glass - drain the onion bits, hold your nose and down the onion juice. Don’t plan any first dates after trying this!
Fight those sniffles with essential oils
A blocked nose can be your worst enemy in the autumn - if it’s not the cold that’s got you, it will be the hay fever. Local fields are ploughed during the autumn, resulting in hay and lose grain travelling up into the sky, only to come back down as allergens. Apart from keeping a hankie close by when the hay settles, you can also turn to nature for some help.
Peppermint oil is a good choice to keep the sinuses clear, together with eucalyptus and tea tree oil. You should never use neat oils on your skin, so why not create a water bath infused with these top decongesting oils? Boil some water, pour it into a clean tub, add a few drops of your oils and hover your head above the water. Cover your head with a clean towel and take a few deep breaths.
Lemon water, honey, ginger and chilli are also great cures to help alleviate the effects of the flu. Remember to listen to your body, take it easy and drink lots of natural warm fluids, also don’t forget to eat something - starve a fever, feed a cold.