Natural Cold and Flu Remedies
A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down! But sometimes, we should be selective of what medicines we use because the side effects might not always be worth it. These go to natural remedies are quite useful. I chose to feature natural remedies that are inexpensive and most of these items are probably somewhere in your house (most being in the kitchen).
Ah yes, as I watch my daughter suffer from a pretty terrible cold, a reader suggested I do a piece on home remedies for sickness. It is going around, and no matter how you wash up, or sanitize — chances are you will become ill at some point.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, always consult the proper professionals before using any remedies, whether they be natural or pharmaceutical.
Soup, More Than Yummy
When you have been sick, how many times have you been offered chicken noodle soup? Have you ever stopped to wonder why?
For one, the gelatin in bone broth helps heal an irritated mucousal lining in the intestines, and then helps to aid digestion of the nutrient rich soup.
Secondly, studies show that eating the soup reduces white blood cells, which cause the viruses flu and cold. (Read the New York Times article here on the study that was done.)
Ginger
This was a spice used frequently in ancient Rome. Fun fact: ginger was almost a lost spice when Rome fell! It was so expensive, for the cost of a pound of ginger, you could purchase an entire sheep! Ginger is known to help with many ailments, but most notable is its ability to help respiratory problems and nausea. (Here Is a resource for many uses of ginger.)
Now that I am coming down with the same ailment my daughter had, I found a recipe for ginger tea. It would probably be less gritty with fresh ginger, but I don’t typically have fresh ginger in my house.
Recipe
1/4 tsp ground ginger
8 oz hot water
1 tbsp lemon juice (NOT FROM CONCENTRATE)
1 Tbsp honey
Citrus
You saw lemons in that recipe. One ounce of the juice has 20% of your daily vitamin C. And lots of vitamin C at the onset of a cold can shorten the longevity of the symptoms. Citrus is high in vitamin C!
Honey
Now, let’s talk about the honey. Yum! Did you know the Mayo Clinic published a study on using honey as a cough suppressant? The verdict is in! It works just as well as dextromethorphan, the common suppressing ingredient in over the counter cough medicines.
Non-edible Natural Remedies
If you have a cold, hang a sprig of Eucalyptus in your shower. It will make your bathroom smell nice, enhance your mood, and most importantly it will promote respiratory health.
Chest Rub Bars
Personally, I am okay with purchasing Vick’s VapoRub, but seeing that we are on an adventure to find natural remedies for sickness, I found these chest rub bars. I would suggest that if you go this route that you need to have these pre-made. You don’t want to be messing with this solution while you are already sick.
In the comments section, or on twitter in my DM (@homemakerstrong) please add YOUR home remedies — edible or not — and I will add them to this article. Many of you are much more knowledgeable on home remedies than I.
