Post by Gaz on Nov 1, 2016 10:54:59 GMT 10
Garlic tea immune enhancer
A well-known immune system strengthener, garlic shines as an antibacterial and antiviral herb for fighting colds, coughs and the flu. One of the best ways to take advantage of garlic's healing properties is by drinking fresh garlic tea. Sweetened with a little raw honey, it's delicious and helps to heal what ails you. Peel 2 to 3 cloves of fresh garlic and lightly crush them with the side of a wide knife blade. Add them to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain the garlic and allow the tea to cool to mouth temperature. Add raw honey, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Drink as much as desired.
Red onion and raw honey cough syrup
A wonderful home remedy for adults or kids suffering from a cough uses brown cane sugar, raw honey or stevia and red onions to make a soothing and tasty cough syrup. Wash, peel and slice the entire onion horizontally. Starting with the base of the onion, layer the slices in a bowl alternating with layers of raw honey or brown sugar. Stevia powder works well for this home remedy too; however, it is extremely sweet. Continue adding layers of onion and sweetener until the entire onion is reconstructed in the bowl. Cover and allow the sweetened onion to remain in the bowl on your counter for about 12-15 hours or overnight. The next day, there will be about a cup or more of sweet syrup in the bowl. The cough syrup contains a range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the onion and the honey to help fight infection and soothe sore throats and quiet a cough. Take a spoonful as needed. Has no onion-y taste.
Raw honey and lemon for sore throats
A mixture of fresh lemon juice and raw honey provides soothing relief for sore throats and helps stop the tickle that stimulates coughing. Raw honey -- with all its components including royal jelly, propolis and bee pollen -- is high in nutrients and enzymes which kill bacteria and viruses. The vitamin C and antioxidants found in fresh lemons boost the immune system, speeding healing. Together these two home remedies are a powerhouse for getting over a cold and sore throat. Mix the juice of 1/2 the lemon with 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey and sip throughout the day as needed.
Chicken soup antiviral
Chicken soup really does act to knock out a cold or the flu and hasten healing. As long ago as the 12th century, the Jewish physician Maimonides recommended consuming chicken soup to fight colds and flu. Take advantage of the high antioxidant properties and nutrients found in organic vegetables and chicken. Although non-organic chicken soup may relieve some cold symptoms, it also supplies the body with pesticides, growth hormones, herbicides and antibiotics that are not recommended for well being. Go organic all the way and get well quickly.
Mullein tea for coughs and congestion
Mullein tea is well-known for relieving chest congestion from coughs, colds and the flu. It acts as an expectorant, loosening trapped mucous and soothing sore throats. Make mullein tea by filling a tea ball or strainer with dried mullein herb and steeping in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Sweeten with raw honey and drink as needed to relieve symptoms.
Eucalyptus and Peppermint for Stuffy Noses
Easiest. Trick. Ever.
Combine equal amounts of eucalyptus essential oil and peppermint essential oil in a small bottle. Shake well. You can either inhale this directly by holding your nose over the bottle, or you can place a few drops in the palms of your hands, rub them together, and cup your hands over your nose and inhale deeply. I prefer the second way. It’s much more potent. Or, if you don’t want to run around smelling like natural medicine, you could drop a few drops on a paper towel and inhale from there.
It clears the sinuses immediately. And you can breathe again.
Licorice for Coughs
It seems people are either wildly in love with black licorice, or avoid it like the plague (funny, considering our topic). I happen to be in love with it. Don’t use this remedy unless you’re at least slightly tempted, occasionally, to buy a box of Good ‘n’ Plenty.
To use, you could either get yourself some licorice root (pictured below) or some licorice tea (also pictured below). Either way, just make a strong tea out of the stuff and drink it two or three times a day.
Licorice soothes throats that are sore and battered by coughing, and it also helps break up phlegm both in the throat and in the lungs.
Make Your Own Sage Honey for a Sore Throat
I snagged this idea from the book Aromatherapy: Soothing Remedies to Restore, Rejuvenate, and Heal by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, R.N. Between it and the elderberry syrup (below), I feel like we’ve got most of our sickness remedies covered. It’s been a lifesaver for moments when a sore throat creeps up.
It’s also really hard to keep around the house, because it’s so delicious that I put it in almost every cup of tea I make. Even when I’m not sick.
How to make it: Place 1-1/2 c. raw honey in a pot and add 1/4 c. fresh sage leaves. Stir slowly and heat on a VERY low temperature until sage leaves start to look “dry.” This means the healing properties of the sage have infused into the honey. Pull out the sage leaves and bottle in a clean, sterilized jar. This will keep in the cupboard for a year.
How to use it: Add one or two teaspoons to a cup of tea whenever your throat is feeling sore.
What it does: The honey is antimicrobial and antibacterial. The sage is soothing, disinfecting, and really effective against sore throats.
Use a Quick Honey/Lemon Gargle for Throat Pain and Congestion
I’m sure we’ve all used a saltwater gargle while suffering from throat pain, but you can take this idea one step further and help get rid of congestion in the throat, as well.
Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 tsp honey to warm water. Mix well and allow to cool until tepid. Gargle with the mixture for 20-30 seconds, just as you would a saltwater gargle.
Elderberry Syrup for Treatment and Prevention
For those of you who are just joining us, there’s a vlog/recipe over here about how to make your own elderberry syrup.
I highly recommend you make some and keep it in your house over the winter. Just do it.
To recap how to make it (and please go to the post for more instructions), boil 1/2 c. dried elderberries (or 1 c. fresh) in 3 c. water for 20 minutes. Strain. Add the liquid back to the heat and reduce to 1 c. of liquid. To that, add 1/2 c. honey and 1/4 c. cherry brandy (optional). Stir well and store in the fridge for up to 6 months.
Take 1-2 tsp daily for prevention, and 3-5 tsp spread out over the day when you’re sick.
Stop That Stuffy Nose
The main symptom of a cold is, of course, a stuffy nose. If breathing through your nose is a chore, follow these tips to clear the nasal passages:
Inhale steam, either from a pot of boiling water, a hot shower or that bowl of Mom's chicken noodle soup.
Another good source of heat, which will open up the nasal passages fairly quickly, is a heat pack. You can make your own heat pack by microwaving a damp washcloth for 30 seconds.
Gargling with salt water is good for the throat, and rinsing with salt water is just as good for the nose. You can make your own salt water rinse, which is an alternative to the store-bough saline nasal spray, by combining a quarter-teaspoon of salt, a quarter-teaspoon of baking soda and eight ounces of water. You can either use a Neti pot or a bulb syringe to inject the water into the nose, one nostril at a time.
Apply a menthol or eucalyptus-based salve, such as Vick's Vapor Rub, on the skin just below the nose. Not only will your nasal passages open up, but the skin below your nose, which can get irritated from endless nose blowing, will be restored and will feel less sore.
Sleep on two pillows instead of one. The angle will provide relief to the sinuses and you'll breathe easier while you sleep. If sleeping on two pillows is too uncomfortable, place the extra pillow or a few rolled up towels underneath the mattress.
Blowing your nose properly is also key in unblocking the nasal passages. According to WebMD, the best way to blow your nose is to hold a finger against one nostril while blowing gently through the other one. Blowing often is important as it gets the mucus and bacteria out of your system; sniffling it back only makes it worse.
Alleviating the Cough
Coughing is a good way to bring mucus up and out of the lungs, but it can also cause a burning sensation in your chest or irritate a sore throat. A lot of the same remedies that alleviate sore throats and stuffy noses will also alleviate coughing. Sucking on cough drops, keeping the throat moist, sleeping on an extra pillow and drinking plenty of fluids can all keep the coughing at bay.
Another good home remedy for coughing is a hot toddy. Combine one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of lemon juice with eight ounces of hot water to make a homemade version. You can also add an herbal tea into the mix, if you so desire.
The most important remedy for a cold is time. A cold has to run its course and, unfortunately, there's just no remedy, homemade or otherwise, that will cure a cold overnight. But by eating and drinking food and beverages that boost the immune system, and by using these home remedies to alleviate your symptoms, your body will be on the path to recovery in no time.
What you can do for colds and flu
• For a sore throat remedy, fill a 250 mL glass with warm water, mix in one teaspoon of salt and gargle away. The salt really does soothe the pain.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice to a glass of warm water for the more traditional sore throat gargle. This creates an acidic environment that’s hostile to bacteria and viruses.
• Chicken soup is a time-honoured remedy that is tried, tested and true. Chicken soup stops certain white blood cells (neutrophils) from congregating and causing inflammation, preventing large amounts of mucus from being produced. The hot soup also thins the mucus. Adding freshly chopped garlic to your soup gives the system a powerful boost. While garlic kills germs outright, it also appears to stimulate the release of natural killer cells, which are part of the immune system’s arsenal of germ-fighters. Spike your soup with red (chili) pepper flakes to increase the broth’s decongestant power.
• Drink as much water as you can—eight or more 250 mL glasses—to keep mucous membranes moist and to help relieve dry eyes and other common flu symptoms. Fluids also help thin mucus so that it’s easier to expel.
• To help keep mucus loose, stay in a moist, warm, well-ventilated room. To keep the air in your bedroom moist, place bowls of water near the air ducts or run a humidifier.
• Cut short your cold with a blow-dryer. As outlandish as it sounds, inhaling heated air may help kill a virus working its way up your nose. Set your hair dryer on warm (not hot), hold it at least 45 cm (18 in) from your face, and breathe in the air through your nose for as long as you can—at least two or three minutes—preferably 20 minutes.
• Wear wet socks to bed. Believe it or not, this soggy strategy can help ease a fever and clear congestion by drawing blood to the feet, which dramatically increases blood circulation. (Blood stagnates in areas of greatest congestion.) Best method: Warm your feet in hot water. Then soak a thin pair of cotton socks in cold water, wring them out and slip them on just before going to bed. Put a pair of dry wool socks over the wet ones. The wet socks should be warm and dry in the morning, and you should feel markedly better.
• Try soaking your feet in a mustard footbath. In a basin, mix 1 tablespoon of mustard powder in 1 L of hot water. The mustard draws blood to your feet, which helps to relieve congestion.
• Another oldie: try a mustard plaster for chest congestion. Grind up three tablespoons of mustard seeds, add water to make a paste, and then slather it on your chest. The pungent aroma helps to unclog stuffy sinuses, while the heat improves blood circulation and eases congestion. Don’t leave the plaster on for more than 15 minutes, however, or your skin may burn. You may want to smear on a bit of petroleum jelly before you apply the plaster to protect the skin.
• Breathe easy with steam. Pour just-boiled water into a large bowl. Drape a towel over the top of your head to trap the steam, and breathe in through your nose for five to 10 minutes. Don’t lower your face too close to the water or you risk scalding your skin or inhaling vapours that are too hot. To make steam inhalations more effective, add five to 10 drops thyme oil or eucalyptus oil to the water. Keep your eyes closed as you breathe in the steam, since both essential oils and steam may irritate your eyes. On the go? Dab a few tissues with eucalyptus oil and hold them under your nose whenever you feel congested.
A natural boost for colds and flu
• At the first hint of a cold, suck on a zinc gluconate lozenge every few hours. Don’t take zinc gluconate longer than a week, though, because excessive zinc can actually weaken immunity. Avoid zinc lozenges that contain citric acid or are sweetened with sorbitol or mannitol; these ingredients seem to weaken the mineral’s effectiveness.
• As soon as you notice cold or flu symptoms, start taking 500 mg of vitamin C four to six times a day. If you develop diarrhea, cut down on the dose.
• Take one 250 mg astragalus capsule, twice daily, until you’re better. This ancient Chinese herb stimulates the immune system and seems to be highly effective at fighting colds and flu. To prevent a relapse, take one capsule twice a day for an additional week after your symptoms are gone.
• Goldenseal stimulates the immune system and has germ-fighting compounds that can kill viruses. As soon as you begin to feel sick, take 125 mg five times a day for five days.
• At the first sign of the flu, take 20 to 30 drops of elderberry tincture three or four times daily for three days. Elderberry has been used in Europe for centuries to fight viruses.
• Oscillococcinum, commonly called Oscillo, is widely recommended by naturopaths and herbalists to reduce the severity of flu symptoms. Be sure to use it within 12 to 48 hours of the first appearance of your symptoms. It comes in packages of three to six vials. Buy the three-vial pack and take one vial every six hours.
• A dose of garlic—a natural antiseptic—will do a job on those viruses. If you’re feeling very brave, hold a small clove or a half-clove of garlic in your mouth and breathe the fumes into your throat and lungs. If it gets too strong as the clove softens, just chew if up quickly into smaller pieces and swallow with water.
• For a serious congestion-busting blast, buy fresh horseradish or gingerroot, grate it and eat a small amount. To guard against upset stomach, wait until after a meal to try this.
• Drink a cup of ginger tea. Ginger helps block the production of substances that cause bronchial congestion and stuffiness, and it contains compounds call gingerols, which are natural cough suppressants.
• During cold and flu season, take 20 to 30 drops of Echinacea tincture in half-cup of water three times daily.
Don't miss out! Sign up for our free weekly newsletters and get nutritious recipes, healthy weight-loss tips, easy ways to stay in shape and all the health news you need, delivered straight to your inbox.
Adapted from 1,801 Home Remedies, Reader's Digest
A well-known immune system strengthener, garlic shines as an antibacterial and antiviral herb for fighting colds, coughs and the flu. One of the best ways to take advantage of garlic's healing properties is by drinking fresh garlic tea. Sweetened with a little raw honey, it's delicious and helps to heal what ails you. Peel 2 to 3 cloves of fresh garlic and lightly crush them with the side of a wide knife blade. Add them to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain the garlic and allow the tea to cool to mouth temperature. Add raw honey, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Drink as much as desired.
Red onion and raw honey cough syrup
A wonderful home remedy for adults or kids suffering from a cough uses brown cane sugar, raw honey or stevia and red onions to make a soothing and tasty cough syrup. Wash, peel and slice the entire onion horizontally. Starting with the base of the onion, layer the slices in a bowl alternating with layers of raw honey or brown sugar. Stevia powder works well for this home remedy too; however, it is extremely sweet. Continue adding layers of onion and sweetener until the entire onion is reconstructed in the bowl. Cover and allow the sweetened onion to remain in the bowl on your counter for about 12-15 hours or overnight. The next day, there will be about a cup or more of sweet syrup in the bowl. The cough syrup contains a range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the onion and the honey to help fight infection and soothe sore throats and quiet a cough. Take a spoonful as needed. Has no onion-y taste.
Raw honey and lemon for sore throats
A mixture of fresh lemon juice and raw honey provides soothing relief for sore throats and helps stop the tickle that stimulates coughing. Raw honey -- with all its components including royal jelly, propolis and bee pollen -- is high in nutrients and enzymes which kill bacteria and viruses. The vitamin C and antioxidants found in fresh lemons boost the immune system, speeding healing. Together these two home remedies are a powerhouse for getting over a cold and sore throat. Mix the juice of 1/2 the lemon with 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey and sip throughout the day as needed.
Chicken soup antiviral
Chicken soup really does act to knock out a cold or the flu and hasten healing. As long ago as the 12th century, the Jewish physician Maimonides recommended consuming chicken soup to fight colds and flu. Take advantage of the high antioxidant properties and nutrients found in organic vegetables and chicken. Although non-organic chicken soup may relieve some cold symptoms, it also supplies the body with pesticides, growth hormones, herbicides and antibiotics that are not recommended for well being. Go organic all the way and get well quickly.
Mullein tea for coughs and congestion
Mullein tea is well-known for relieving chest congestion from coughs, colds and the flu. It acts as an expectorant, loosening trapped mucous and soothing sore throats. Make mullein tea by filling a tea ball or strainer with dried mullein herb and steeping in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Sweeten with raw honey and drink as needed to relieve symptoms.
Eucalyptus and Peppermint for Stuffy Noses
Easiest. Trick. Ever.
Combine equal amounts of eucalyptus essential oil and peppermint essential oil in a small bottle. Shake well. You can either inhale this directly by holding your nose over the bottle, or you can place a few drops in the palms of your hands, rub them together, and cup your hands over your nose and inhale deeply. I prefer the second way. It’s much more potent. Or, if you don’t want to run around smelling like natural medicine, you could drop a few drops on a paper towel and inhale from there.
It clears the sinuses immediately. And you can breathe again.
Licorice for Coughs
It seems people are either wildly in love with black licorice, or avoid it like the plague (funny, considering our topic). I happen to be in love with it. Don’t use this remedy unless you’re at least slightly tempted, occasionally, to buy a box of Good ‘n’ Plenty.
To use, you could either get yourself some licorice root (pictured below) or some licorice tea (also pictured below). Either way, just make a strong tea out of the stuff and drink it two or three times a day.
Licorice soothes throats that are sore and battered by coughing, and it also helps break up phlegm both in the throat and in the lungs.
Make Your Own Sage Honey for a Sore Throat
I snagged this idea from the book Aromatherapy: Soothing Remedies to Restore, Rejuvenate, and Heal by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, R.N. Between it and the elderberry syrup (below), I feel like we’ve got most of our sickness remedies covered. It’s been a lifesaver for moments when a sore throat creeps up.
It’s also really hard to keep around the house, because it’s so delicious that I put it in almost every cup of tea I make. Even when I’m not sick.
How to make it: Place 1-1/2 c. raw honey in a pot and add 1/4 c. fresh sage leaves. Stir slowly and heat on a VERY low temperature until sage leaves start to look “dry.” This means the healing properties of the sage have infused into the honey. Pull out the sage leaves and bottle in a clean, sterilized jar. This will keep in the cupboard for a year.
How to use it: Add one or two teaspoons to a cup of tea whenever your throat is feeling sore.
What it does: The honey is antimicrobial and antibacterial. The sage is soothing, disinfecting, and really effective against sore throats.
Use a Quick Honey/Lemon Gargle for Throat Pain and Congestion
I’m sure we’ve all used a saltwater gargle while suffering from throat pain, but you can take this idea one step further and help get rid of congestion in the throat, as well.
Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 tsp honey to warm water. Mix well and allow to cool until tepid. Gargle with the mixture for 20-30 seconds, just as you would a saltwater gargle.
Elderberry Syrup for Treatment and Prevention
For those of you who are just joining us, there’s a vlog/recipe over here about how to make your own elderberry syrup.
I highly recommend you make some and keep it in your house over the winter. Just do it.
To recap how to make it (and please go to the post for more instructions), boil 1/2 c. dried elderberries (or 1 c. fresh) in 3 c. water for 20 minutes. Strain. Add the liquid back to the heat and reduce to 1 c. of liquid. To that, add 1/2 c. honey and 1/4 c. cherry brandy (optional). Stir well and store in the fridge for up to 6 months.
Take 1-2 tsp daily for prevention, and 3-5 tsp spread out over the day when you’re sick.
Stop That Stuffy Nose
The main symptom of a cold is, of course, a stuffy nose. If breathing through your nose is a chore, follow these tips to clear the nasal passages:
Inhale steam, either from a pot of boiling water, a hot shower or that bowl of Mom's chicken noodle soup.
Another good source of heat, which will open up the nasal passages fairly quickly, is a heat pack. You can make your own heat pack by microwaving a damp washcloth for 30 seconds.
Gargling with salt water is good for the throat, and rinsing with salt water is just as good for the nose. You can make your own salt water rinse, which is an alternative to the store-bough saline nasal spray, by combining a quarter-teaspoon of salt, a quarter-teaspoon of baking soda and eight ounces of water. You can either use a Neti pot or a bulb syringe to inject the water into the nose, one nostril at a time.
Apply a menthol or eucalyptus-based salve, such as Vick's Vapor Rub, on the skin just below the nose. Not only will your nasal passages open up, but the skin below your nose, which can get irritated from endless nose blowing, will be restored and will feel less sore.
Sleep on two pillows instead of one. The angle will provide relief to the sinuses and you'll breathe easier while you sleep. If sleeping on two pillows is too uncomfortable, place the extra pillow or a few rolled up towels underneath the mattress.
Blowing your nose properly is also key in unblocking the nasal passages. According to WebMD, the best way to blow your nose is to hold a finger against one nostril while blowing gently through the other one. Blowing often is important as it gets the mucus and bacteria out of your system; sniffling it back only makes it worse.
Alleviating the Cough
Coughing is a good way to bring mucus up and out of the lungs, but it can also cause a burning sensation in your chest or irritate a sore throat. A lot of the same remedies that alleviate sore throats and stuffy noses will also alleviate coughing. Sucking on cough drops, keeping the throat moist, sleeping on an extra pillow and drinking plenty of fluids can all keep the coughing at bay.
Another good home remedy for coughing is a hot toddy. Combine one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of lemon juice with eight ounces of hot water to make a homemade version. You can also add an herbal tea into the mix, if you so desire.
The most important remedy for a cold is time. A cold has to run its course and, unfortunately, there's just no remedy, homemade or otherwise, that will cure a cold overnight. But by eating and drinking food and beverages that boost the immune system, and by using these home remedies to alleviate your symptoms, your body will be on the path to recovery in no time.
What you can do for colds and flu
• For a sore throat remedy, fill a 250 mL glass with warm water, mix in one teaspoon of salt and gargle away. The salt really does soothe the pain.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice to a glass of warm water for the more traditional sore throat gargle. This creates an acidic environment that’s hostile to bacteria and viruses.
• Chicken soup is a time-honoured remedy that is tried, tested and true. Chicken soup stops certain white blood cells (neutrophils) from congregating and causing inflammation, preventing large amounts of mucus from being produced. The hot soup also thins the mucus. Adding freshly chopped garlic to your soup gives the system a powerful boost. While garlic kills germs outright, it also appears to stimulate the release of natural killer cells, which are part of the immune system’s arsenal of germ-fighters. Spike your soup with red (chili) pepper flakes to increase the broth’s decongestant power.
• Drink as much water as you can—eight or more 250 mL glasses—to keep mucous membranes moist and to help relieve dry eyes and other common flu symptoms. Fluids also help thin mucus so that it’s easier to expel.
• To help keep mucus loose, stay in a moist, warm, well-ventilated room. To keep the air in your bedroom moist, place bowls of water near the air ducts or run a humidifier.
• Cut short your cold with a blow-dryer. As outlandish as it sounds, inhaling heated air may help kill a virus working its way up your nose. Set your hair dryer on warm (not hot), hold it at least 45 cm (18 in) from your face, and breathe in the air through your nose for as long as you can—at least two or three minutes—preferably 20 minutes.
• Wear wet socks to bed. Believe it or not, this soggy strategy can help ease a fever and clear congestion by drawing blood to the feet, which dramatically increases blood circulation. (Blood stagnates in areas of greatest congestion.) Best method: Warm your feet in hot water. Then soak a thin pair of cotton socks in cold water, wring them out and slip them on just before going to bed. Put a pair of dry wool socks over the wet ones. The wet socks should be warm and dry in the morning, and you should feel markedly better.
• Try soaking your feet in a mustard footbath. In a basin, mix 1 tablespoon of mustard powder in 1 L of hot water. The mustard draws blood to your feet, which helps to relieve congestion.
• Another oldie: try a mustard plaster for chest congestion. Grind up three tablespoons of mustard seeds, add water to make a paste, and then slather it on your chest. The pungent aroma helps to unclog stuffy sinuses, while the heat improves blood circulation and eases congestion. Don’t leave the plaster on for more than 15 minutes, however, or your skin may burn. You may want to smear on a bit of petroleum jelly before you apply the plaster to protect the skin.
• Breathe easy with steam. Pour just-boiled water into a large bowl. Drape a towel over the top of your head to trap the steam, and breathe in through your nose for five to 10 minutes. Don’t lower your face too close to the water or you risk scalding your skin or inhaling vapours that are too hot. To make steam inhalations more effective, add five to 10 drops thyme oil or eucalyptus oil to the water. Keep your eyes closed as you breathe in the steam, since both essential oils and steam may irritate your eyes. On the go? Dab a few tissues with eucalyptus oil and hold them under your nose whenever you feel congested.
A natural boost for colds and flu
• At the first hint of a cold, suck on a zinc gluconate lozenge every few hours. Don’t take zinc gluconate longer than a week, though, because excessive zinc can actually weaken immunity. Avoid zinc lozenges that contain citric acid or are sweetened with sorbitol or mannitol; these ingredients seem to weaken the mineral’s effectiveness.
• As soon as you notice cold or flu symptoms, start taking 500 mg of vitamin C four to six times a day. If you develop diarrhea, cut down on the dose.
• Take one 250 mg astragalus capsule, twice daily, until you’re better. This ancient Chinese herb stimulates the immune system and seems to be highly effective at fighting colds and flu. To prevent a relapse, take one capsule twice a day for an additional week after your symptoms are gone.
• Goldenseal stimulates the immune system and has germ-fighting compounds that can kill viruses. As soon as you begin to feel sick, take 125 mg five times a day for five days.
• At the first sign of the flu, take 20 to 30 drops of elderberry tincture three or four times daily for three days. Elderberry has been used in Europe for centuries to fight viruses.
• Oscillococcinum, commonly called Oscillo, is widely recommended by naturopaths and herbalists to reduce the severity of flu symptoms. Be sure to use it within 12 to 48 hours of the first appearance of your symptoms. It comes in packages of three to six vials. Buy the three-vial pack and take one vial every six hours.
• A dose of garlic—a natural antiseptic—will do a job on those viruses. If you’re feeling very brave, hold a small clove or a half-clove of garlic in your mouth and breathe the fumes into your throat and lungs. If it gets too strong as the clove softens, just chew if up quickly into smaller pieces and swallow with water.
• For a serious congestion-busting blast, buy fresh horseradish or gingerroot, grate it and eat a small amount. To guard against upset stomach, wait until after a meal to try this.
• Drink a cup of ginger tea. Ginger helps block the production of substances that cause bronchial congestion and stuffiness, and it contains compounds call gingerols, which are natural cough suppressants.
• During cold and flu season, take 20 to 30 drops of Echinacea tincture in half-cup of water three times daily.
Don't miss out! Sign up for our free weekly newsletters and get nutritious recipes, healthy weight-loss tips, easy ways to stay in shape and all the health news you need, delivered straight to your inbox.
Adapted from 1,801 Home Remedies, Reader's Digest