Cold and Flu Remedies from the Pantry

With fall setting in, cold and flu season can’t be far behind. As miserable as a cold or flu might be now, with the pharmacy shelves bursting with over the counter remedies, one day relief might not be that close at hand.

Most of our prep kits have a stash of OTC medications but in a long-term disaster situation it will be important to make those last as long as possible. You might be surprised to discover that your kitchen cupboards may hold the key to curing your stuffy nose, scratchy throat, cough and chills.

Turning toward natural remedies now will give you the knowledge and skills you need to keep your family well during the onset of a disaster or extended disaster. Consider learning ways to make homemade lozenges to soothe sore throats, or possessing basic knowledge on which herbs may be used to treat cold/flu symptoms. Further, knowing how to combine these together to make cold/flu syrups will only better your family’s chances at beating the cold/flu season when OTC medicines aren’t as readily available.

Listed below are some other homeopathic ways to care for yourself and your family when you are ill.

Lemon-Ginger Jelly:  Place lemon slices and ginger shavings into a small jar.  Cover this with honey.  Keep this in the refrigerator.  In a few days you will have a “jelly” – stir one tablespoon into a cup of hot water for a tea that will soothe your throat and stuffy nose.

Honey Cinnamon Cough Remedy: Sprinkle powdered cinnamon onto a tablespoon of honey to calm a cough caused by a scratchy throat.

Peppermint tea: Peppermint tea will aid in relieving congestion and opening up the sinuses, plus sipping the hot beverage will help you combat chills.

Chicken Noodle Soup:  Chicken soup loaded with garlic and onion is full of antioxidants that will boost your immune system while helping keep you hydrated, relieving irritation in your throat and mucous membranes and warming you up if you are suffering from chills.  Chicken noodle soup has also been proven to have some antiviral properties which can help shorten the duration of a cold or flu.

Steam: Simmering a pot of water on a heat source can put humidity into the room, which helps loosen mucous from nasal passages to ease breathing and soothe coughing. Certain herbs, like basil or mint, or aromatics like eucalyptus or tea tree oil, can be beneficial when added to the pot of water.

Water: Keeping well-hydrated is important when you are blowing your nose ten thousand times per day.  Drink water, juice, ginger ale or sports beverages but avoid drinks containing caffeine. Staying hydrated has the added benefit of offsetting fatigue.  If you can, spike your water with lemon juice for a burst of vitamin C.

Salt Water:  Gargling with salt water can calm a scratchy throat and help get rid of mucous.  It has the added benefit of being mildly antibacterial.  Dissolve one tablespoon of salt into one cup of water.

Ginger Tea: Chinese medicine has turned to ginger root for thousands of years to combat viruses and infections, while boosting the body’s natural immunities.

These remedies have stood the test of time – give them a shot and you might be surprised to find out that you don’t actually need the over-the-counter chemicals to relieve your symptoms!

This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition