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Feeling sick is the pits; I hate it! There are hundreds of
over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that you can buy during the cold and flu season,
but some of the best are ones that nature already created or are simple to make
using ingredients in your pantry. But, to make the remedies more effective, you
have to pair them with good, old-fashioned TLC. When you lovingly take care of
someone when they’re sick, the act fills the heart (rather, brain) with
feel-good chemicals that help promote healing and strengthen the immune system.
The next time that you or a loved one feels under the
weather, try some of these natural remedies:
Natural Cold and Flu Remedies
Nasal rinse
Don’t
fear the Neti
Pot. Using one when you’re congested can help prevent sinus infections as
well as congestion, stuffiness, sore throats and coughs. Plus, according to the
Mayo Clinic,
unlike OTC medicines, you don’t experience a rebound effect that makes your
symptoms worse. I prefer my Neti Pot over OTC medicated nasal sprays because the
medicated stuff makes me lose my sense of smell for a good part of the day and it
also makes my teeth feel like they’re going to fall out (see the FDA
warning about this stuff).
Ginseng
Known
for boosting your energy and immunity, take ginseng
too help reduce the amount of time a cold or flu lasts and their symptoms.
Humidifier
The
cold and flu viruses love dry conditions, so beat them with a humidifier.
Humidifiers can also help sooth scratchy throats and dried sinuses.
Vitamin C
Drink
a lot of orange juice, lemon tea or grapefruit juice. Or, take a Vitamin
C supplement to help reduce the duration of a cold or flu and the severity
of your symptoms.
Hot Soups and Tea
Hot soups and teas help when you have the cold or flu because they can act as
an anti-inflammatory and speed up the movement of mucus, which will help
relieve congestion and shorten the duration of a virus. Here are some recipes to try:
- Negi-miso-yu:
This is a hot, green onion drink that the Japanese use as a natural cold and
flu remedy. To make it, add 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion and 2 teaspoons
of miso into a mug of boiling-hot water. Let the ingredients steep until they’re
cool enough to drink.
- Hot ginger drink:
In China, people make a spicy citrus drink by adding a thumb-sized chunk of
ginger that’s mashed to at least 1 cup of water. Bring the water and ginger to
a boil and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the rind from one organic
orange to the water and let the mix simmer for 10 more minutes. Strain the
drink and add honey to sweeten it.
- Sweet and spicy drink:
In India, the people help balance out their “kapha” energy by grinding 1
teaspoon of the following ingredients with 4 teaspoons of sugar: black pepper,
cinnamon, ginger powder and cardamom. Add a ½ teaspoon of the mixture to a
glass of water and drink the concoction twice daily after a meal. (These
ingredients would make a wonderful spicy tea: steep in boiling water, then add
milk and honey!)
- Gogol-Mogol: This drink comes from Russia and is a simple eggnog that’s great for coughs. Melt 1 tablespoon (unsalted) butter with a ½ cup milk and let the milk mix get hot. In a separate bowl, beat 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of honey until the mix is frothy. S-l-o-w-l-y pour the milk mixture into the egg mixture while beating the eggs at the same time. (If you do this too fast, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs in milk.) Strain the nog and sip it slowly. (I’d probably use more honey and add cinnamon and nutmeg.)
Pelargonium sidoides
Coming
from the South African geranium, Pelargonium
sidoides helps relieve and shorten the duration of sinus and throat
irritations, as well as coughs.
Kleenex Tissues
A staple for every home, Kleenex tissues are
a must when you’re sick. Check out the new Share
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What natural and practical remedies do you use during cold and flu season?
This is a paid post
that’s brought to you in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Kleenex.
All opinions are 100 percent mine.
