Natural Remedies for the Cold and Flu Season

You awake on a cold Monday morning to find that your head is pounding, you can't breathe through your nose, your throat is sore, you have a fever, your chest is congested and you can't stop coughing. Cold and flu season has hit you where it hurts. What you need is practical advice your mother would be proud of, or in other words, natural remedies for your cold or flu.

First, you need to know how to care for yourself when you have a cold or flu. So get out of bed and get some more clothes on. That's right, bundle up, just like dear mom always said. Pull on your long underwear, flannel pajamas, and socks. Now, snuggle back under the covers with a hot water bottle or heating pad. Why? Because sweating helps rid your body of toxins and the quicker you get rid of them the sooner you will feel better. Plus, you are back in bed where you can rest, rest, rest, so your body can focus its energy on battling the virus that is causing you to feel like death warmed over.

Make sure you have plenty of Kleenex nearby. It is important for you to blow your nose, rather than snuffling what's inside your sinuses back into your head. Blowing your nose removes the bacteria and virus germs from your body, but be sure to blow properly or you risk complicating matters. You should blow gently into the Kleenex to avoid blasting those bacteria and virus germs deep into your sinuses and ear canals.

Studies show that directly inhaling steam for 20 minutes kills nasal viruses and breaks up sinus and lung congestion, reducing the duration of your cold. So, bring a pot of water to a boil and add a handful of chamomile, eucalyptus, peppermint, wintergreen, or sage to the boiling water. Remove the pot from the stove and place on a heat resistant surface. Drape a towel over your head and lean over the pot, keeping your face a comfortable distance from the heat. Slowly and deeply inhale the steam for 20 minutes. Repeat as often as you like.

If your nose is severely congested there are a couple of natural ways you can get relief. One is with a sinus wash. You can purchase a kit for this at most drug stores or you can simply make your own by using the recipe and methods below.

Sinus Wash

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

8oz. luke warm water

1 bubble syringe

Mix the above ingredients together until the salt is dissolved. Suck the saline solution into the syringe until full. Lean over the bathroom sink, bending your head forward and with your mouth open, insert the very tip of the syringe slightly into one of your nostrils and gently squeeze the bulb until the solution drains either from you other nasal passage or from you mouth. Repeat with the other side. When you have used all the solution, gently blow your nose.

If you don't have a bubble syringe you can still use the Sinus Wash by pouring a little of the saline solution into your cupped hand and gently snuffing it into your nasal passages. As with the other method, remember to gently blow your nose when you are finished.

Using the Sinus Wash once or twice each day while you are sick removes virus particles and bacteria from your sinuses and breaks down nasal congestion, allowing you to breathe more freely.

Now that you are breathing easier, let's work on your sore throat. An effective, natural way to relieve your sore throat pain is by gargling with warm salt water. This is a basic age old method and it works. To do this, add 1 tsp of salt to 8oz of warm water and gargle 8 to 10 times per day. You may also add ½ tsp of Goldenseal if desired for added benefits (see section on Goldenseal).

You remember dear mom telling you to drink plenty of hot liquids when you have a cold. Well, once again, she was right. Hot liquids soothe the membranes in the nose and throat and the steam from them acts as a nasal decongestant. Drinking plenty of hot liquids also helps keep you hydrated, which is very important when you are battling a cold or the flu, especially if you have a fever. But just drinking a cup of hot water is not enough, here is a list of hot liquids with symptom relieving and healing qualities.

Chicken Soup. Studies have proven that there really is something behind chicken soup that amounts to more than just a chicken coup story. Chicken soup helps unclog nasal passages and when made with plenty of garlic and onions (some people even add cayenne pepper) it has definite health benefits. Besides being a general comfort food. And who doesn't need a comfort food when they're sick?

Hot Toddy. One of my personal favorites when I'm under the weather is the Hot Toddy. People world wide know of the wisdom of this soothing drink. I suggest sipping it before going to sleep at night, while you're all bundled up and under a pile of blankets with that hot water bottle or heating pad keeping you company. The alcohol in the Hot Toddy is meant to induce sweating, which aids your body in releasing the toxins causing you to be bundled up and in bed in the first place. Here are two slightly different Hot Toddy recipes.

Hot Toddy

1 C hot herbal tea

1 tsp honey

1oz whiskey or bourbon

Stir all ingredients and sip slowly

Scottish Hot Toddy

1 C boiling wate

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp whiskey

Stir all ingredients and sip slowly

Another hot drink that stimulates perspiration and is good to take before bedtime is this vinegar and honey combination

The Sweat it out Drink

1 C hot water

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

Take this every two hours while bundled up and, of course, resting.

Ginger Tea. Ginger tea is perhaps one of the most recommended natural remedies there is. Ginger is known for stimulating circulation, and Ginger tea stimulates perspiration as well as clearing mucus from your sinuses and lungs. Tea made from fresh Ginger root has the strongest benefits and is relatively simple to make.

Fresh Ginger Tea

1 pint water

2" piece of Ginger root

1 Cinnamon stick

½ tsp whole cloves

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp honey

Place first 4 ingredients in sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into mug. Add lemon juice and honey and enjoy.

Now that you have plenty of hot liquids to help you along your road to recovery, let's look at some other natural remedies that are hiding in your kitchen.

Garlic. I'm sure you have read article after article touting the health benefits of garlic and you can rest assured that most of them are true. Garlic is antimicrobial and acts as a cleaning agent for the blood stream. A study conducted in Provo, Utah shows that garlic kills nearly 100% of all Rhinoviruses. Garlic also aids in the relief of sore throats, can clear up bronchial and lung infections, and is a decongestant and expectorant. With all these benefits you can't afford not to take garlic when you're sick. You can purchase garlic gel caps in most drug stores but, as with most things, the fresh form is the most powerful. Here are a couple of ways to get the cleansing power of garlic when you're sick.

Chop 1 clove of fresh garlic very finely and swallow with water at bedtime. Some people prefer to cut the clove in half and swallow each half, while others prefer to slowly chew the garlic into a paste and swallow it without water; this method can be quite painful if you are suffering from a sore throat, beneficial, but painful. I recommend the first method.

The next method uses garlic oil, which as I stated above isn't as potent as fresh garlic but some people prefer to use it none the less. Add a few drops of garlic oil and 1 tsp onion juice to 1 cup of hot water. Drink this several times daily.

If the thought of smelling like garlic makes you wrinkle your nose, you can combat the vampire vanquishing odor by chewing a few sprigs of parsley.

Horseradish. Horseradish is another age old but little known gem. Not only is it rich in vitamin C but it is a natural antibiotic and is effective in fighting bacterial infections. However, it should not be used in place of a visit to your doctor if you have anything stronger than cold or flu symptoms. Grate a piece of horseradish and swallow a teaspoonful with water once or twice daily.

Vinegar. Vinegar is known for its antibacterial properties and is also helpful in easing the pain of a sore throat. Mix ¼ cup apple cider vinegar with ¼ cup honey and take 1 tablespoon 6 times per day until the soreness in your throat is gone.

Onions. Almost as popular in magazine articles as garlic, the onion has healing properties of its own. Onions have long been used to quiet coughs and are even rumored to cure whooping cough. One old method of curing a cough with onion is by grating half an onion, mixing it with honey, and eating it. Not particularly appetizing but it is said to work wonders. Another method is by taking onion cough syrup. Here are two slightly different recipes.

Onion Cough Syrup

Slice 1 to 2 onions into a shallow dish with sides, drizzle with honey and let sit overnight. In the morning, reserve the syrup and throw away the onion. Take 1 tablespoon of syrup as needed for coughs.

Onion Cough Syrup #2

Slice 1 large onion into an ovenproof dish, drizzle with honey, ½ cup lemon juice, and a dash of cinnamon. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours. Pour off the syrup and take 1 tablespoon as needed for coughs.

Vitamin C. Yes, vitamin C can be found in your kitchen and unlike the penicillin growing in the back of the fridge, it is better for you than the drug store variety. I'm talking about the vitamin C found in fresh fruits, of course. Fruits high in vitamin C include oranges, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, fresh ginger, bananas, pink grapefruit, and cantaloupe.

Now, let's move to your medicine cabinet. Push past those boxes of decongestants and expectorants, with their side effects, and get to the good stuff, the natural stuff.

Vitamin C. Vitamin C tablets do have their benefits. If you are short on fresh fruit, take C in a tablet form - at least you're getting it. Also, sniffing powdered vitamin C (available at health food stores or make your own by finely crushing tablets) into your nasal passages thins mucus and aids in getting rid of colds.

Goldenseal. Goldenseal is a natural antibiotic (once again, not to replace a visit to your doctor) and aids in relieving nasal and chest congestion. As mentioned earlier, Goldenseal can be added to your salt water gargle.

Echinacea. Echinacea is another natural antibiotic (see parentheses above). It boosts the immune system and works best when taken from the onset of a cold. The recommended dose is 10 drops of tincture every 1 to 2 hours or 900 milligrams per day if using tablet form. If you have autoimmune disease you should check with your physician before using Echinacea.

Zinc. Zinc relieves sore throat pain and quiets coughs. It is most commonly taken in lozenge form and can be found in most drug and health food stores.

Although there is no cure for the common cold, these natural remedies will help relieve your discomfort so you can get the rest your body needs in order to get well. So before you head to the medicine cabinet for one of those over-the-counter remedies with potentially harmful side effects, consider using the natural remedies already hiding in your home to ease your symptoms and get you back on your feet in record time.