Flu-Busting at Vegan Haven Farmacy
The winter season is truly upon us and with that comes times of joy and merry festivities but, as we all know, it can also bring dreaded seasonal colds.
But does drinking lemon and honey or eating raw garlic really work to ward off the dreaded lurgy? And should we feed a cold and starve a fever?
Belle sat down with Dr Roger Henderson, a leading GP and ‘Olbas’ expert to find out.
According to the latest research by Olbas, “the living room has become the waiting room of the future, with majority of people (76%) now using home remedies to treat cold symptoms.”
The report also found that most of us turn to our family for advice, suggested cures passed down from generation to generation, in fact “over a quarter of people will actively seek out their family’s advice to treat the common cold….and 64% said they used a home treatment because they heard it from a member of their family.”
We were at an evening hosted by Olbas, at Farmacy restaurant in Notting Hill, to meet with Dr Henderson.
Opened in 2016 by Camilla Fayed, Farmacy has quickly gained a mass following and we can see why. With focus on healthy and wholesome ingredients, the food is plant based and seasonal, without any refined sugars, dairy, chemicals or additives, and sourced either from Farmacy’s own farm in Kent or from local, environmentally friendly suppliers.
We feasted on the ‘Olbas Feed A Cold’ menu that evening, designed to help boost the immune system, while looking – and tasting – delicious!
We started with a ‘syringe’ shot – ‘An Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory, Metabolism Booster’ – a potion made of Ginger, Turmeric, Cayenne and Lemon. Combined it was powerful stuff and intense in its flavour and hopefully therefore, powerful too in its healing potential.
We shared starters of ‘Winter Warming Nachos’ and ‘Feel Better Falafels’, both utterly divine.
There were two main dishes to choose from. We went for the ‘Cold Curing Chef’s Curry’, cooked in nutrient rich coconut, garlic and turmeric broth, served with fresh coriander and lime; scrumptious.
The alternative dish also looked great, the ‘Get Better Garden Green Pesto’, with ancient spelt spaghetti, garlic and macadamia ricotta.
Then to our favourite part of any meal – the dessert. We’re still dreaming about the ‘Comforting Cream Brownie Sundae’, made with Farmacy brownie served with vanilla Nice cream, seasonal fruits, raw cacao and house-made maca caramel. The second dessert was ‘Restorative and Indulgent Raw Chocolate Tart’, served with coconut sorbet.
In between courses Dr Henderson shared information on the common cold and misconceptions surrounding it; as well as putting some of the most common generational health tips straight.
Did you know that cold virus is mainly transmitted by touch and it stays active on surfaces (for example after sneezing – which can reach a distance of 25 feet!) for 15 minutes? Eurgh!
So, does drinking honey and lemon water help? Dr Henderson says there is “no good evidence this works but many people swear it does. Honey may actually act as a very mild cough suppressant in some people (and coughing can make a sore throat feel worse) so this may be where this came from.”
And what does he think about putting unpeeled onions in every room to soak up viruses? “Complete nonsense!”
TOP TEN GENERATIONAL TIPS TO TREAT COLD SYMPTOMS
- Smell menthol to clear a blocked nose
- You should feed a cold and starve a fever
- Put your head over a bowl of steaming water to ease congestion
- Gargle saltwater for a sore throat
- Take vitamin C to cure a cold
- Chicken soup can cure a cold
- Drink a hot toddy before bed to get rid of a cold
- Honey and lemon to soothe a sore throat
- Avoid dairy to minimise congestion
- Placed unpeeled onions in every room to soak up viruses
Our evening at Farmacy was inspirational and informative; the food was delicious, fresh and nourishing. Do head down and try for yourselves – you’ll be following doctors’ orders!
- Farmacy, 74-76 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5SH; nearest tube Notting Hill, Royal Oak or Bayswater. See https://farmacylondon.com/pages/restaurant-london-notting-hill for more information.
- To find out more about Olbas visit www.olbas.co.uk/family-nose-best/
