Flu Remedies From Our Readers

In the October issue of The Westcoast Reader, we asked readers to write and tell us some of their remedies for a cold or the flu. Here are some remedies from our readers.

Hong Kong
Try this remedy when you catch a cold. Cut up a small piece of fresh ginger. Boil the ginger with Coca Cola and a slice of lemon. Drink it hot.

Peru
Make a cup of tea. Add lemon juice, sugar, and pisco (a kind of alcohol). Drink this hot before you go to bed. It is good for a cold or the flu.

Canada
Here are some things you can do for a cold or the flu. Drink fresh orange juice. Eat homemade chicken soup. Add garlic to your food.

Thailand Eat lots of green onions with all your meals if you have a cold or a cough.

Canada
Gargle with salt water for a sore throat.

Singapore
Slice a small piece of fresh ginger. Put the ginger in a pan with 2 to 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Strain the liquid and drink hot.

Background Information

Parents and grandparents often give advice when you have a cold or the flu. Talk about what home remedies your family uses. Do you know of any others? Talk about those too. What do you think of home remedies? Where did they come from? Do you think they work?

Questions

1. What is a remedy?

2. What is the difference between a cold and the flu?

3. What do you do if you catch a cold in Hong Kong?

4. What temperature do you drink the drink at?

5. Why do you think many countries agree that you should drink some kind of hot drink?

6. Which home remedy do you think would work best? Why?

7. What is pisco?

8. What are the Canadian remedies in the story?

9. What kind of onions would you eat in Thailand?

10. What two countries use ginger in their remedies?