Top 3 Natural Remedies for the Upcoming Cold and Flu Season

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It's that time of year again. Summer is almost over and the kids are back in school. This is also the time of year when common aliments such as colds or influenza become more prevalent in our everyday lives. It's no secret that when the kids go back to school their chances of getting sick are greatly increased.

Why not treat these ailments with the already popular medicines available? The use of many over the counter remedies actually don't treat the underlying problems. They only dull the pain or alleviate the symptoms while your body naturally fights off the infection or virus on its own.

Most natural remedies get to the root of the problem by attacking the virus or infection itself. Instead of treating the symptoms we should be treating the ailment. Modern medicine is mostly about treating the symptoms instead of focusing on the real problem. So, to better treat our common ailments perhaps we should be looking to natural remedies instead. Although modern medicines are often derived from plants, they are made by simply synthesizing certain proteins already found in plants to make a marketable product. So to better treat our common ailments, we should be looking to natural remedies and just use some of these plants ourselves.

Top Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu:

Hot Ginger Tea

Hot ginger tea is by far one of the best natural remedies for the cold and flu. Ginger is probably one of the most amazing roots with powerful medicinal properties. Ginger contains a bioactive compound called gingerol which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Ginger also helps promote healthy sweating. It sounds weird, but having a good sweat is great for the body when battling a cold or flu. Sweating aids in detoxing the body. It has also been found that sweat contains a germ fighting agent that helps to eliminate infections.

Ginger tea also alleviates many of the symptoms associated with the cold and flu such as congestion. It helps relieve congestion by reducing inflammation of mucous membranes in the nasal passages and alleviates the build up of pressure and congestion.

What You Will Need...

-2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger root
-1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
-1 teaspoon of honey
-1 cup of boiled water

Directions

Place ginger in an empty cup and add boiling water. Cover the cup and allow the ginger to steep for about 30 minutes. After steeping, strain the tea using cheese cloth or anything that will allow you to remove the grated ginger. Add lemon juice and honey. You can add more or less of the lemon juice and honey to fit your taste. Repeat 2 or 3 times daily as needed.

Garlic Tea

We have all heard about the healing properties of garlic. It's a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant like ginger. For centuries garlic was used mainly for medicinal purposes before it was used throughout the world as an ingredient in food. Garlic's greatest benefit for cold and flu sufferers is that it greatly increases the immune system. By increasing the immune system the body is better able to fight off the virus or infection. Recent studies have shown that by taking garlic during the onset of a cold the symptoms were reduced by 70%, from 5 days to 1.5 days.

What You Will Need...

-1 fresh clove of garlic
-1 lemon
-1 teaspoon of honey
-1 cup of boiling water

Directions

Place 1 crushed clove of garlic in a cup. Add the juice from one freshly squeezed lemon and 1 teaspoon of honey. Add boiling water to the mixture and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Mix everything well with a spoon and drink the whole mixture. Repeat as needed 2 or 3 times a day.

All Natural Cough Syrup

Making your own healthy and all natural cough syrup is a lot easier than you might think. Not only is it good for you but it tastes great. Much better than anything you can get in the store. This syrup is great for overwhelming coughs and intense sore throats. Many of the ingredients in this cough syrup are the same as the ones found in over the counter cough syrups, only in their natural forms.

What You Will Need...

-1 tablespoon grated ginger
-1 tablespoon finely grated cinnamon
-1 tablespoon licorice root
-1 tablespoon marshmallow root
-1 freshly squeezed lemon
-1 cup organic raw honey
-1 quart of water
-1 storage container

Directions

Mix cinnamon, ginger, licorice, and marshmallow root together in a pot with 1 quart of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer until the mixture has reduced by half. Strain the herbs from the mixture and return to a small pot. Incorporate lemon juice and raw honey by slowly stirring it into the mixture on low heat. Allow the ingredients to simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool until it is room temperature and pour into your storage container. Take 1 to 2 tablespoons 3 times a day for cough and sore throat. Refrigerate to keep fresh.