While influenza viruses circulate year-round, most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, but activity can last as late as May.
But to be honest our bodies can catch cold any time of the year when our immune system weakens and needs a boost, and recovery.
I’ve listed a few my favourite home remedies for cold and flu down below, for you to try them out, next time you feel you are under the weather.
It’s not a bad thing to have a cold. Our bodies just trying to communicate with us that way, saying “stop”, get rest, slow down and eat healthy😉.
So, now is the time to arm your internal army of defence with all the essential nutrients they need to build that wall and keep those viruses at bay.
1. LEMON WATER
Every morning and any time during a day drink a lots of water with lemon. Lemons are fantastic source of vitamin C, calcium, potassium and fiber. Drinking warm or hot lemon water when you wake up may help get your digestive system moving.
PREPARATION :
1. Boil water in a kettle and pour 1 litre into a jar.
2. Squeeze half of the lemon juice in the water.
3. Optional: Add a large tablespoon of honey and a few pieces of fresh ginger. Mix well and drink. Repeat a few times a day.
Honey is an old sore throat remedy and also works as a cough suppressant .
Ginger helps with digestion, helps fight cold and influenza. It has anti-inflammatory properties.
2. GINGER TEA
Ginger is another plant with medicinal properties. The main bio-active compound responsible for its medicinal properties is gingerol, one of the natural oils contained in this root. The main property of the gingerol is anti-inflammatory , which can be effective in managing and lessening arthritic pain and reducing pain medication usage.
When I have a cold I try to add fresh piece of ginger almost to everything I drink and eat during a day. But one of my favourite ways to incorporate ginger is a ginger tea.
PREPARATION :
1. Add 1 litre of water into a pan.
2. Chop or grate approximately 4cm long fresh ginger and add to a water.
3. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for another 5-8 minutes.
4. Strain the tea to a cup and optionally you can add 1 teaspoon honey and slice of lemon.
3. MARJORAM TEA
Another tea to try and as strange as it’s sound it’s really delicious 😋
Apart from being used in cooking, marjoram is also used to make concentrated supplements or a popular medicinal essential oil. The essential oils is well- known for its ability to calm the nerves, improve circulation and protect the heart. It is also used as a natural remedy for coughs, digestion, depression, migraines, headaches and nerve pain.
PREPARATION :
1. Add 1 litre of water into a pan.
2. Add 3 tablespoons fresh or dried marjoram into water .
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-8 minutes.
4. Strain, transfer to a cup and add some sweetener of you choice, for example: 1 teaspoon of honey.
4. GARLIC
This plant doesn’t just add the most delicious flavour to your meals, but also has great medicinal properties. Most of the positive health effects are caused by one of the sulfur compounds formed when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed or chewed. This compound is known as allicin, the same one responsible for the pungent smell.
Garlic supplementation is known to boost the immune system’s function and daily garlic extract supplementation can reduce the number and length of colds and re-occurence of flu.
If you can eat a clove of garlic a day on its own – that’s great, I can’t do that unfortunately. So this is the way I eat my raw garlic:
Garlic toasties :
1. Toast a few slice of bread of your choice.
2. Rub each toast using a clove of garlic or mash a garlic clove in a garlic masher and then spread on the toast.
3. Additionally you can add some herbs and vegetables on the toast if you can’t get through it😉.
5. CARROT/GINGER JUICE
We all know how drinking juices can benefits our health. If you fight with the flu, your juice should be rich in vitamins C and of course ginger. This juice is like a vitamin’s injection. That’s why I’ve chosen those ingredients :
INGREDIENTS :
5 carrots
2 apples
3-4 oranges
1 thumb of ginger
PREPARATION :
1. Simply juice all ingredients in your juicer, strain if needed and sip slowly straight away after making.
6. STEAM
What else you can do apart from drinks and food? There are few option too and one of them is a steam.
The best way to reduce this inflammation is to keep the nasal passages clear. Steam is wonderful at achieving this.
Put a towel over your head and inhale steam from a bowl of boiling water, ideally using drops of a plant oil such as eucalyptus or olbas oil for added relief. You can prepare camomile tea for that purpose as well.
Another thing to try to combat your cold is a sauna or steam room. The super-hot steam in a sauna is a good way to combat the cold virus, which can’t survive in high temperatures. You are increasing your body temperature, just like in a hot tub, to induce a fever that fights the cold virus.
7. ESSENTIAL OILS
Essential oils are a great natural remedy for colds and flus. Many oils can be applied to the bottom of your feet, or added to body wash, lotions or moisturizers. The most convenient way for me is to diffuse them in a diffuser.
Simply put a few drops of chosen essential oil in a diffuser and inhale throughout the day.
These are most common essential oils for cold and flu:
These are my few ways of dealing with cold and flu in a natural not harmful for my body way.
I hope you enjoy reading this post and you’ll hopefully find something for yourself too.
Enjoy!
Sources:
– Helloglo.co
-Vegan food and living magazine, P.28-29