Medicinal Rosemary Chicken Soup; Be Prepared for Flu Season

Since ancient times to the days chicken soup was dubbed Jewish penicillin, it has long been considered the staple for cold and flu season. Until recently this was all considered a placebo affect by most doctors who readily admitted it did manage to keep patients hydrate when ill. But recent research has shown this ancient remedy to have health benefits.

As a single Mom with a child with two rare disorders illness sick care can be quite serious. So I prepare for cold and flu season beyond just getting the vaccine as sometimes the vaccines do not cover all strains of flu. In that instance my household comes down ill. I have friends who could help out but I would not ask them to come into my home when we are contagious.

So every year before cold and flu season I whip up a batch of Jewish penicillin for our house and freeze it in the event we get ill. This so we have it on hand. It has been used since ancient times and there is new research supporting taking it during a cold or flu so why not? We all have a vegetable drawer flu of vegetables that if we don't use soon will go bad. Why not make them into a Medicinal Rosemary Chicken Soup?

I prefer to make the broth from the bones. I like the marrow to come out and make the soup however when I made this particular chicken I put a lot of oil on it and butter. It was really good however if I eat like that one day I have to cut back the fat in another area like the chicken soup. I would also mention that the skimming of the fat off the soup takes 24 hours and I did not want to wait.

I took a short cut and used chicken broth. It is fat free and simple to use. What little fat that there is in this soup recipe comes directly from the meat pulled from the chicken. I can do this because my blood pressure is well controlled. If you have uncontrolled High Blood Pressure you might want to stick to making your own broth as you can limit your salt intake.

The rule with my soup, and I encourage you to make your own recipe, is that I use a variety of vegetables with a wide palate of colors. The soup has to be like a brilliant palate painted by a great artist. It is also my suggestion that you listen to your nose and gut both literally and figuratively. You know what makes you well. While you are creating your own healing chicken soup meditate on it and you will know exactly what needs to go in your soup.

Finally, my soup is a root soup which means I have root vegetables 2:1 in portion. If you were to actually calculate size of servings the ration would be 8:1. In general roots are considered poisons which I have been a firm believer in eating my entire life. The spices compliment each other in aiding decreasing inflammation and clearing your respiratory track. There is also enough fiber in the soup to clean the pipes of a 115 year old.

Bottom line is the research recommends you ingest chicken soup when you are ill and so does history. Why not have some on hand frozen with your favorite vegetables? It might help you get well quicker or at least provide comfort and sooth you when you are ill.

That is a really good question. I have been making medicinal chicken soup my entire life. And I have always had my family eat the first helping but then I froze the second helping in case everyone became ill. We were a house of six. Sickness frequented our home and then one person would pass it to another. My only defense was to put everyone on chicken soup when the first person became ill.

It was strange because even as a child doing this I could see a correlation between eating well to fend off sickness versus eating junk and getting sick. It was really clear to me at a young age healthy eating was the key to healthy living. Roots became a huge part of that formula as well. I knew the ginger cured my headache although until we had Asians move into the area I did not have access to it readily. Turmeric was an anti-inflammatory but how it work I was not certain. Plants began to having meaning because I could see how they built the immune system. They did not have to be eaten raw in order to be healthy either. This I learned as a child therefore I believe it. Over the past several decades I have been perfecting this soup that makes me qualified to share this information with you.

Not to mention I have the foresight to have medicinal rosemary chicken soup frozen waiting for the day I wake up sick. I am the only person I know who does this. Although according to the article above a can of chicken soup is just as medicinal. I do not know if I believe that. A lot of love goes into my medicinal rosemary chicken soup.

This is an age old question and the answer is different for everyone. I just can make some suggestions for the complex carbs for the soup and ones on the side. You will have to make the ultimate decision.

Inside the Soup

• Noodles (Pasta or egg)
• Matzo Balls
• Potatoes (Regular or Sweet)

Outside the Soup

• 
  Bread (Toast, Rolls or Cornbread)
• Crackers

Since how you make your soup may differ, I want to give you the resources to calculate the calories. I have not for mine because when I am sick I only care about getting well and I personally do not believe anyone gets fat eating vegetables. Be that as it may, I will refer you to the links below.

But please keep in mind that the calorie counter is for the well person and you are preparing this soup for the day you are sick. The entire purpose of this soup is to get you through a cold or flu therefore calorie counting is not appropriate during this time. Limits are below for you to check if you so choose.

Between cleaning out your vegetable drawer, chopping and cooking you are now ready to test your hardest vegetable, which is the parsnip, to make certain it is tender enough to eat yet still crisp. You have tasted your soups a few times and have seasoned accordingly. You have let your soup cool to room temperature and are ready to add the chicken. Do not add chicken while soup is hot as chicken is already cooked. Add chicken when soup is cool. Then put in containers and freeze for the day you feel like you are coming down with a cold or flu. I believe the medicinal rosemary chicken soup fends off the cold/flu if you eat it at the first sign of getting ill..

In summation you should be prepared with food frozen in your freezer in the event you or a loved one becomes ill. It is critical to eat and stay hydrated when you are sick. I mention things like citrus acid cycles and sodium potassium pump to you during the video. You know ingredients are being placed in the soup for specific medicinal purposes even though basil will not stop you from vomiting it does make the stomach less acidic.

But my ingredients may not be right for your body. You have to decide what is best for you and in my non-medical opinion your nose knows. If it smells good to you then it is good for you as far as food goes. It is important that you experiment in the kitchen and make food you love to eat that nourishes you so when you are ill you have it frozen away, ready, and waiting to make you well. Staying well nourished and hydrated through illness will give your body the best possible fighting chance to make a full recovery and prevent the need for hospitalization.

Please notice in the picture below one soup is mainly broth while the others have the vegetables. The broth one is in case my son or myself have stomach issues. Prepared is the only way to go through cold and flu season.