my favorite hot drinks for cold weather + fighting viruses naturally

Cold weather and “cold” weather call for hot drinks, don’t they?

So far, we’ve managed to avoid the worst of the flu bug that’s going around and I’m praying it stays that way – or at least doesn’t happen around the time I’m supposed to head to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip with two of my children.

Today I’m sharing three of my favorite hot drinks that are frequently in rotation plus at the end of the post, two of my favorite ways of fighting cold and flu viruses naturally.

Hot Lemon Ginger Cleansing Tea

For upset stomach or to help with detox, this lemon ginger cleansing tea is refreshing and soothing. I shared the recipe here in this post. Lemon boosts immunity, reduces indigestion and heartburn and soothes nerves. Ginger is inflammatory, encourages circulation and relaxes the intestinal tract which is why it helps with nausea.

Irish or English Breakfast Tea with Cinnamon

I’m a huge tea drinker, thanks to my English roots, and love flavored as well as black teas. But it wasn’t until I visited one of our local bakery and coffee shops that I was reminded that cinnamon with black tea is a rockstar combination. Cinnamon is inflammatory and contains antioxidants and also helps fight diseases and viruses.

There are two ways to make this: If you have loose leaf black tea, add a stick of cinnamon bark with the tea leaves while it is steeping. Or, if you’re using a tea bag, add a few dashes of cinnamon to your mug after removing the tea and stir thoroughly.

Green Matcha Tea

If you’ve never had matcha, it tastes like green tea (which it is!). But I like drinking it for its antioxidant, calming properties, yet it also improve energy and concentration. Occasionally, I’ll add in a splash of lime or lemon juice, but usually drink it straight up.

You can find matcha at Whole Foods or natural foods stores or you can get it here.

Besides these hot drinks, my favorite go to products for boosting my immunity and fighting virus are:

• apple cider vinegar (ACV) Though I’ll occasionally sip a drink of diluted apple cider vinegar, I typically use it for sore throats by gargling with it. It’s most effective when used at the first sign of infection. If you’ve never tried apple cider vinegar before, it’s best to buy organic, raw ACV (Bragg’s is one of the brands I recommend). Cheaper, processed versions don’t have the same healing properties (and I think taste even worse LOL).

• elderberry capsules Similar to ACV, elderberry capsules are best taken at the first sign of illness and are a natural way of boosting the immune system. I get mine through vitacost.com. If you want to see my other favorite products I buy at vitacost, click here to have it sent to your inbox.

• essential oils My number one favorite is Thieves oil by Young Living which I get through a friend and my second favorite is Purification. I use both of these in our diffuser or apply to our skin. Another favorite for congestion is Olbas oil which usually can be found in natural foods stores. It contains a blend of oils including eucalyptus and I put it on our feet to suppress coughing, especially at night.