Natural Cold and Flu Remedies
Getting a cold or flu are not some of most pleasant experiences to have to deal with. Especially during this time of year, ads are all over the place about how their product can eliminate your running nose, congestion, coughing or sore throat. What these same ads don’t tell you is that these products don’t always work that well and contain tons of ingredients our bodies don’t need to help reduce the symptoms and recover quickly. That’s why I recommend trying some natural cold and flu remedies to help bring you relief the natural way.
Neti Pot
We always associate someone blowing their nose or sniffling as a sign that a person is sick. It’s also extremely annoying to have nasal congestion or a running nose. One of the easiest and most effective way to help clear our your nasal passage ways is to use a neti pot. All it requires is a pour a salt water mixture through each nostril. Not only have I found it effective all year round, but especially when trying to fight a cold or flu. I have noticed a drastic reduction in the amount of colds and time in which a cold remains. The key is that a neti pot keeps your sinuses clear and helps provide better drainage. This can really really help prevent and reduce the severity of a sore throat. I recommend using the neti pot at least once a day on a regular basis to prevent colds and at least twice if you do actually have a cold.
Herbs
There are many popular herbs available that can help prevent, fight off and reduce the symptoms of a cold. Let’s go through some of my favorites.
Echinacea
One of the best herbal remedies I have found to help prevent and fight off colds is echinacea. It works by helping your body produce more white blood cells to better fight off infections. The best time to take echinacea is when you first begin to see the signs. I recommend buying echinacea from your local natural goods store and sticking with organic.
Thyme
I just recently found out that Thyme is an extremely effective herb in helping fight off both chest and nasal congestion.
If you grind up dry thyme and inhale the powder through your nose, it can help relieve your nasal congestion. It feels a little weird to inhale this mixture, but it really does work.
In order to relieve congestion, boil thyme, preferably fresh, for 4-5 minutes. Drinking this mixture can really help reduce coughs and help relieve congestion in your chest.
Ginger
Ginger is not necessarily a herb, but extremely effective at providing relief for colds. One of my favorite things is to drink a ginger tea that my finacee makes. All you do to make it is boil a few pieces of ginger for 10-15 minutes or once you begin to really get a strong ginger smell. For a little sweetness, add a little brown sugar and boil for a few more minutes. Take out the ginger pieces and drink while still hot. This tea provides great relief, especially for congestion.
Box Teas
It’s great to make you own tea as it can be much more inexpensive, but you can always buy a quality natural/organic tea to help fight off a cold. There are great cold teas that have some of the herbs above and more to really help fight off colds.
Water Vapor
Did you ever wonder why when you go into a hot shower while sick that you feel so much better. The water vapor really helps clear up nasal and chest congestion. A shower is not the only way to get this same relief. You can instead try boiling some water and breathe in the vapors to get the same effect.
Keep Warm
One of the most often overlooked ways to easily fight off a cold is to keep warm. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to crank up your heat. Just keep yourself warmly clothed in several thin layers and in bed as long as you can. The easier it will be for your body to fight off that cold the warmer you stay, especially at night.
Stay Rested
With our busy lives, it can be hard to stay in bed and get plenty of rest. Sleep is often one of the most neglected things in our lives. Not getting enough sleep may only extend the length of a cold or flu.
Hopefully by following the above methods not only when you get a cold/flu, but on a regular basis, you can prevent getting sick this winter. Please share any natural remedies you have.
Comments
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November 20th, 2009Trackback from : http://irenekats.com/blog/common-cold-remedies/ | Health Matters
Heh, great article! Don’t forget Elderberry! In our family’s experience, it’s been the best herb for fighting flu virus outbreaks. There’s ample evidence from medical research into the effectiveness of Elderberry on at least type A flu viral infections.
What I really dig is that elderberries are available all over the place (just don’t pick near heavy-traffic areas). It’s abundant, renewable, and in most cases – free!
We pick it locally in our area (central PA) and can it for the fall/winter outbreaks.
I have never used Elderberry, but I will have to check it out. It looks like it’s really effective in fighting off colds and especially the flu and can be made into a tea. Thanks for the great suggestion.
These are some really great tips. I always do love a really steamy shower when I feel ill, and I do find putting your head over some boiling water really feels nice even when you’re not ill.
With regards to the ginger tea, two things:
1) In an effort to keep sugar consumption down especially at times when the body’s immune system is taxed I use dried dates or dried figs to sweeten ginger tea. Or you could use a little agave or xylitol neither of which will spike your blood sugar levels.
2) I’ve heard from a doctor of chinese medicine that ginger is best ingested when a cold is just coming on but after a day or two the heating quality can actually drive the illness deeper into your chest and sinuses.
I have never heard that about thyme. That’s an interesting bit. I’ll try it.
Herbal remedies can be very effective and I always find that hot water with honey and lemon is great for a cold.
I couldn’t agree more with you. Another thing is once you begin to take those meds all the time, your body becomes immune to it so it won’t be as effective the next time you take it. I like the more natural route.
My mother has always given me ginger for a cold and for an upset stomach. It does the trick for my stomach.
The natural medicines are mostly used because some people want to avoid the chemical effects of the medicines given by the doctor. Actually, all of the medicines have advantages and disadvantages.
A simple three step cleaning process can help preventing the spread of flu viruses and kill up to 99.99999% of germs. You have to completely decontaminate the room, and then prevent re-contamination with effective cleaners and sanitizers. Read more here: http://www.cleanphirst.com/cleaning-information-news/2009/11/preventing-flu.html
How about Garlic? My mom always makes us a garlic hot drink for us to drink whenever we have a cold/flu which she believes helps out alot. And in general we believe alot in Garlic =D
Till then,
Jean
I find that if I take Vitamin C when right when I start feeling worn down or have even a hint that I may be getting sick I generally do not progress beyond something mild. I take the 1000 mg chewable tablets several times a day when I feel the onset of anything. Although this may be more than the recommended dose, I have never had any negative affects. That and rest is really the only thing that I ever do when I get a cold or feel down.
Sometimes we just forget how efficient natural methods can be. And when we go to see a doctor he (or she) gives us an advice of using the same methods or just give us similar things (but with all the chemistry in a pill).
Oh. The only remedy that I know when we have a flu is to drink lots of water. Don’t stop until you’re feeling better. Everyone should do this everyday… ^^