Here, take this… it’ll make you feel better!
So, you’ve got the ‘flu. Apart from the usual sore throat, aching body, weakness and a head that feels like somebody is blowing a vuvuzela next to you… there’s this one other thing. A home remedy guaranteed to ‘cure’ the flu.
We’ve all heard that one before... “Don’t be a big baby, just take this, it’ll make you feel better!” If anything, that statement comes as a warning that whatever is coming next, may not taste as good as you’re hoping it would. And, you’d probably be right. Here’s the top five remedies from around the world that may or may not work for curing ‘flu, but it makes for some interesting reading!
REMEDY 1: Lizard Soup | Hong Kong
Godzilla might be a giant, mutated lizard-dinosaur-monster plaguing Japan, but in Hong Kong, his little cousins are a home remedy to cure the ‘flu. Dried lizards, simmered with yams and some Chinese dates is said to do the trick. You might not find dried lizards at the local supermarket, but if you know a Chinese herbal practitioner, he might be able to hook you up. If lizard soup is not your thing, you might want to try our chicken soup recipe instead.
REMEDY 2: Fat, Dirty Socks | England
If suffering in bed with the ‘flu wasn’t bad enough, how about this one? This so-called remedy calls for greasing your throat with lard or chicken fat and then wrapping stinky, dirty socks around it. The treatment may have caused a bit of sweating, which was believed to speed up recovery by helping the body get rid of germs. Use it at your own peril!
REMEDY 3: Frog Smoothie | Peru
Wheezy chest and a croaky voice? Fear not, try a frog smoothie. But, the frog’s got to be fresh. Simply lop off its head, skin, then pop the frog it into a pot filled with stock, cook, then into a blender with a bit of Peruvian maca root. Sweeten with some honey, of course, before swallowing. Cheers!
REMEDY 4: Snail Syrup | Germany
We can heartily thank our German friends who came up with this little winner. But there might be a teeny weeny problem… you might need to import this from Germany, where you can buy snail syrup over the counter. It’s said to soothe a sore throat and can also be used as a face cream, which might come in handy after going 12 rounds in the ring with the ‘flu, when your complexion needs a bit of a pick-me-up.
REMEDY 5: Sniff an Onion | Japan
If slicing an onion on a chopping board that’s not exactly up-close-and-personal to your face wasn’t enough to make you cry, how about slicing an onion… and then, holding it under your nose and taking a big, deep whiff? If that won’t put some hair on your chest, it’ll make you weep as though you’ve lost your best friend – which, according to the Japanese – will help rid you of the ‘flu germs. This remedy probably stems from the belief that onion is said to be a powerful antibiotic, as well.
If you can’t bring yourself to make these remedies, the next best thing is a visit to your doctor.
Seems the ‘flu is a bad enough condition to make people want to do just about anything to make it go away. We recommend that you go see your doctor, and take the meds that he prescribes.
One more thing before we go…
‘Flu is a serious condition, and it’s best not to play around with your health. Get plenty of rest, and visit your doctor. Then, listen to his advice, and finish your full course of antibiotics. With certain meds leaving you drowsy, it’s easy to forget to take the right meds at the right dose and at the right time. So, simply download the Memo Health Assistant app, get a daily reminder to take your meds when you need to, and get well soon! Get the free app for Android here.
