Get Natural Relief From a Cold or the Flu

‘Tis the season to sniff and cough, and when the inevitable cold or flu comes calling, you are going to be looking for fast relief. Before you run to the pharmacy, check your kitchen cupboard for useful and inexpensive remedies.

Decongestant

Inhale the steam from a strong cup of camomile tea to open nasal passages, and add lemon to beverages to take advantage of its antibacterial properties.

Fresh ginger shredded in boiling water and allowed to steep for ten minutes will help you fight your cold and clear your sinuses.

Sooth a Sore Throat With Herbs

A little honey in hot apple juice that's been seasoned with cinnamon and cloves makes a soothing throat balm, and sage makes a great gargle for a sore throat.

Natural Herbal Cough Remedy

If you have a cough that just won't go away, make a cough syrup mixture of thyme mixed with honey or brown sugar. Boil a half a cup of water mixed with four tablespoons of honey or brown sugar, and a tablespoon of thyme. Let the mixture cool and strain. Use as needed.

Flu

If you are suffering from the aches and pains of the flu, take a hot bath in which you have dropped a sachet of four teaspoons of rosemary tied in three layers of cheesecloth. The piney scent will help clear your sinuses while the rosemary relieves your aches and pains. This concoction will help you get to sleep, too.

Don’t Forget Garlic for Your Cold

Garlic can help prevent colds and reduce their severity. Containing allicin, garlic has strong antibiotic properties that make it a favorite herbal treatment. Try drinking a glass of hot milk to which you have added three minced garlic cloves. I know this sounds terrible, but if you can stand it, it'll really help make you feel better.

Preventive Maintenance

If you want to do a little preventive maintenance, remember the benefits of taking garlic and echinacea supplements to build up your immune system before you get sick.

When you use natural herbal treatments for colds and the flu, you know what you are putting in your body. Try one or two of them the next time you or someone in your family feels a cold coming on.