We are in the heart of cold and flu season. If you haven’t caught a bug yet this season, consider yourself lucky. But, sooner or later we are all bound to come down with something. Whether it’s as minor as a scratchy, sore throat or as big as the full-on flu, most of us are going to have to use some sick days.
It is times like these that all you want to do is stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids and ride out the sickness. The last thing you want to do is run out to the pharmacy to pick up medicine and other conventional remedies.
Thankfully, there are plenty of cold and flu remedies that you can access or make right at home. Each of these remedies are simple, time-tested and proven remedies to common cold and flu symptoms like upset stomach, stuffy nose and sore throat.
Take a hot shower
Nothing is worse than being stuffed up. It makes it hard for you to think, drains your energy and can give you a serious headache.
Hot showers are great for helping relieve congestion in your throat and nose. The moisture and humidity generated by the hot water enters your mouth and nose as you breath, loosening up those pesky mucus blockages. Better yet, you don’t even actually need to get in the shower. Just turn on the hot water, keep the shower curtain open, close the bathroom door and you have made your very own sauna.
A lot of people rely on nasal spray to treat their stuffed up noses, but those offer little in the way of prolonged relief. An extended hot shower or sauna session provides a deeper penetrating relief that will last longer than the spray. Also, sprays only help for your nose, this method also helps with chest and head congestion.
Gargle salt water
A sore throat makes talking, eating, drinking and even swallowing painful and difficult when you are sick. One remedy for relieving pain from a sore throat is so simple that everyone is guaranteed to have the ingredients on hand at home.
Dissolve some salt into warm water and use it to gargle and swish around in your mouth. Just be sure to spit it out and not drink it down. Saltwater helps loosen and reduce the mucus coating in your throat that contains the bacteria and allergens that are the culprit behind your pain. Feel free to do this several times a day to help speed up your recovery.
Drink ginger water
Salt isn’t the only thing you can put in water to help with cold and flu. Did you know a lot of symptoms can be helped with ginger?
Boiling a few slices of ginger into water and drinking it – sort of like tea – can do wonders for the body when trying to fight off illness. The curative powers of ginger can help relieve congestion and sore throat and also can aid with settling an upset stomach and nausea.
Eat plenty of soup
We think most would agree that one of the best foods for battling the flu is soup. It’s hot and brothy which makes it easy to go down. Soups are also usually packed full of vitamins and nutrients that help boost your immune system to help get you back on your feet faster.
Next time you are feeling under the weather, settle your stomach with a pot of soup. Just don’t forget the Randall Beans. Beans are full of protein and will help you get back to full health. We’ve also got plenty of healthy, brothy soup recipes you can use too!
Check out these cold and flu fighter soup recipes.
