Western Oregon Journal

Issue date: 11/9/05 Section: Headlines

With flu and cold season just around the corner for some, and already a harsh reality for others, there are many ways of dealing with, and preventing, the dreadful symptoms.

First, and most importantly, it is easier to prevent a cold than it is to get rid of one. The best way to go about preventing illness is to eat healthy, which will help keep your immune system at its best and fend off germs that it comes in contact with.

There are three things you can incorporate into your daily diet to fend off a cold: garlic, Echinacea and elderberries.

Garlic is considered to be the most effective natural preventative. Garlic serves as an antioxidant, which helps promote healthy cell production, thus keeping you in better health. Other foods that are good antioxidants are blueberries, oranges and carrots.

Simply adding garlic powder or garlic salt to a meal is an easy way to add garlic to your daily diet. If you don't like the taste of garlic, there are many types and brands of garlic pills available, ranging in price anywhere from $5 to $20 (depending on quality and quantity).

The controversy with Echinacea surrounds its true ability to help prevent a cold. Some studies have proven that people who take some form of Echinacea in their daily diet proved to have a better resistance to the cold virus due to the fact that it boosts the immune system. Other studies show that it has no effect.

Here is what we do know: Echinacea has been used for a long time for all kinds of healing. If you are interested in testing it yourself, Echinacea can be found in many types of teas or juices. Like garlic, it can also be found in a variety of different kinds of pills.

Another herbal remedy, and probably the tastiest of all, is the elderberry. There are all sorts of yummy things you can make from them including pies, syrups, cobblers, pastries, jams and lots more. Elderberries have some of the same effects as Echinacea as it boosts the immune system. Elderberries are great in teas, which will also sooth a sore throat. They are also very high in Vitamin C.

Incorporating these three herbs into your daily diet can help prevent or promote the healing process of a cold. Remember that eating healthy, and staying healthy overall, is the best way to keep the cold at the door.

 

Stay in good health with this scrumptious Elderberry Pie!

 

Elderberry Pie

 

Ingredients:

Plain Pastry or frozen pie crust

2 1/2 (600 mL) cups stemmed fresh elderberries OR reconstituted dry berries

1/2 cup (100 mL) cup sugar

1/8 tsp. (large pinch) salt

2 Tbsp. flour

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Line a pie pan with pastry. Fill with elderberries. Mix sugar, salt and flour together and sprinkle over berries. Add lemon juice. Cover with top crust.

 

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and bake 30 minutes longer.

 

This recipe is from the 1950 Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook.

 

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