Sick

Salam 3alaikum ya banaat,

I got sick :-( As soon as we got back from travelling I came down with something flu-like.

You know how it goes... stuffy head, sore throat, caughing, trouble breathing, achy tiredness...

Anyway, my husband made soup for me mashaAllah and I made some tea. This is my feel better tea and I thought I would give you the recipe.

FEEL BETTER TEA

1 teaspoon anise seeds
1 teaspoon black seeds
1 thick slice of lemon (you want to get a piece with some rind on it because there are a lot of good oils in there)
1 chunk of cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon honey
steaming water

put everything in a cup, stir, drink

Anise seeds are a great natural expectorant.
Black seeds are an immune booster (and also part of the sunnah!)
Lemon has a lot of vitamin C and other oils which are anti-microbial.
Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory so it is good for your swollen sinuses and throat.
Honey is also anti-microbial (and part of the sunnah!) and soothes a sore throat.

The best part is everything tastes really yummy too. Don't feel shy to eat the seeds if they are floating around. They are actually really good for you. When I am feeling particularly yucky I will just get a big spoon of lemon, top with anise seed, black seed, and cinnamon powder, then squeeze a lemon on top. Take it like medicine and chew all the seeds really well. Anise seed will taste kind of like licorice and the black seed... well it tastes like black seed. I can't describe it but it tastes good :-P