Natural Cold Remedies
by
Susan Kihleng
It happens to the best of us! We eat healthy, we wash our hands often, we avoid being around sick people, but the inevitable hits regardless – we get sick! Sometimes there’s just no getting around it, no matter how many preventative measures we have taken. The good news though, is there are ways for combatting colds naturally! Here’s some of the natural cold remedies tried and tested in our own home.
- At the first sign of getting sick, even if it’s just a little sneeze or slightly scratchy throat, the first line of defense in our home is Echinacea. We immediately start taking it every 4 hours round the clock. I almost always notice a difference when starting this early enough in the onset of a cold. It can dramatically shorten the duration of an illness and in some cases, prevent the cold from ever really getting started! Look for good quality to get the best effect. I usually get mine from Vitamin Shoppe. Echinacea is good for short term treatments and shouldn’t be continued after 2 weeks.
- Vitamin C – you can also start taking vitamin C supplements along with the echinacea at the first signs of a cold, but remember again, not all supplements are created equal. Increase your vitamin C intake through vitamin C rich foods. Of course everyone automatically thinks “Oranges!”, but actually there are some other foods even higher in vitamin C such as pineapple, bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, papaya, and brussels sprouts. Cantaloupe and kale are also high in vitamin C.
- Apple Cider Vinegar and raw honey – This is one of our most commonly used natural cures in our household. Simply take a mug of hot drinking water and add in 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of raw honey. This can clear up a sore throat get rid of mucus like no other cure! This natural cure is a tremendous cleansing agent for the body and actually acts as a natural antibiotic.
- Lemon – I add lemon to everything when a cold is coming on. It’s also great with hot water and raw honey. I add it to my glass of water and squeeze over my food. It’s a great immune booster and germ fighter.
- Chicken Soup! I definitely can’t leave this off the list! We have chicken soup quite often anyways, but whenever the sniffles show up in our house, it’s unquestionably on the menu. There’s nothing more soothing than mamma’s chicken soup. Here’s the recipe I use – Homemade Chicken Soup
- Other natural cold remedies I have found to be effective include goldenseal, zinc, and essential oils to name a few, but as these can occasionally have interactions with other medications or in those who are pregnant or nursing, I recommend you consult your health care provider before using these remedies.
I know there’s myriads of other natural cold remedies out there, but I’m only sharing here the ones that we have used and had great results with in our home and that has worked on both me and my children. Hopefully you will find some relief from your colds as well from some of these remedies. I’d love to hear about what has worked for you as well, even if it’s not on this list!