13 Home Remedies for Cold & Flu Season
I do not claim to be able to heal a cold. But I do know that these methods are excellent preventative measures, and I stand behind my own practice of them. They can also speed up how long your bug sticks around if you can practice any or all while you are sick. The sooner you take action, the less severe your cold is likely to be!
Be well!
*if you are interested in learning more about or joining doTERRA, please reach out, and I will connect you to my resource!
Allie’s DIY Immuni-TEA:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Coarsely chop between ½ inch - 1 inch of fresh ginger (you can leave the skin on) and add to boiling water. Throw in 5-6 healthy dashes of ground turmeric (you can use the root, too, i just don’t always have it on hand), 2-3 healthy dashes of cinnamon, 2-4 whole cloves (or 1-2 dashes of ground cloves), and 2-3 dashes of black pepper. Turn down to a simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes. Strain into your favorite mug. Add some honey, a slice of lemon, stir it up, and enjoy! Enjoy morning and night at the first sign of any bug trying to catch hold of you!
2. Hot Steam
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Put a clean towel over your head and bend over the boiling pot of water. Take slow, careful, deep breaths for 2-5 minutes. This helps loosen up anything clinging to the lungs and the sinuses.
3. Neti Pot
To make your own saline mixture, combine 8-16 ounces of lukewarm water (distilled, sterile, or previously boiled) with 1 teaspoon of salt. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to buffer the solution -- that'll make it a little gentler on your nose. Put the mixture into a clean Neti pot. Run through both sides of your nose morning and night to help clear excess mucous. (Optional: Recommended to take a Q-tip with sesame oil or rose hydrosol and rub inside your nostrils afterward so they don’t dry out)
4. Diffuse Essential Oils
Oregano
Eucalyptus
Lemon
Peppermint
Clove
Orange
Cinnamon
Rosemary
5. Dry Brushing
The Ayurvedic term for dry brushing is garshana (pronounced GAR-shun-uh). You can find raw silk gloves or natural bristle brushes at a local health/foods store, Target, or online for this practice. Dry brush for 5-10 minutes before a hot shower to stimulate lymphatic stimulation and cleansing. I’ve included a link for simple instructions on how to guide the brush over the body.
6. Oil Massage
Ayurvedic oil massage is called abhyanga (pronounced ab(h)-ee-AN-ga). Pairing a warm oil massage with dry brushing is a beautiful practice to keep you healthy and vibrant. Warm oil massage continues to promote healthy circulation and lymphatic drainage. It also soothes and regulates the nervous system. There are a few techniques, but for most readers I will recommend an oil massage after dry brushing or after a warm shower. Learn more on how to guide your strokes here. Finding the right oil may depend on your dosha (your body/mind type). But here’s a place to start:
sunflower or almond oil (if you do not have sensitive skin)
sesame oil (if you run cold and dry)
coconut oil (if you run hot and/or have sensitive skin)
7. Infrared Sauna
The use of an infrared sauna strengthens your immune system by increasing white blood cell production, triggering the immune system, releasing impurities, improving blood circulation, regenerating cells, and promoting relaxation. I go to the sauna at my local Chuze Fitness (I teach there, too!)
8. KickAss Immune (by WishGarden)
I love this tonic (one of many!) Mix 4-6 pumps in a glass of water every 1-4 hours for the first couple days, and then reduce use gradually. Lots of baptista root, echinacea, yarrow, elderflower, and goldenseal among other plant medicines combined to promote immune, respiratory, and lymphatic healing.
9. Traditional Medicinals Tea
Throat Coat (lemon echinacea is my favorite variety!) and Gypsy Cold Care are my go to’s, but it’s hard to go wrong. If I’m not drinking my DIY ImmuniTEA, I’m drinking one of these. Throat Coat has lots of slippery elm, marshmallow root, and licorice root. Gypsy Cold Care has a lot of elderflower, yarrow, and peppermint. Add some honey or lemon for extra soothing and drink all day long for warmth and comfort.
10. Emergen-C
Yep. It’s on my list. I’ll take 2 of these a day at the first sign of a cold. Or as a preventative measure. There’s Zinc, Vitamin C, and Magnesium mixed with loads of b-12 and antioxidants for a real boost to the system. Be mindful how close you take this to bedtime as the effects may be stimulating, and be mindful never to overdose on supplements. You can also take the main ingredients as separate supplements, if you like. Zinc, Vitamin C, and D3 are great for immune function.
11. DIY Sore Throat Relief
Mix together honey and ground turmeric and a little bit of black pepper into a paste. Spoon and swallow. It will relieve pain in the throat and help reduce inflammation. I usually cover the bottom of a mug or cup with honey, and then load on the turmeric - like, a lot of it. Add in some black pepper, and mix it up until it’s a soupy paste. You can take a 1-3 spoonfuls, and save any leftovers for a later.
12. Sleep
No matter what else you are doing, if you are not getting enough sleep, you will not get well. Plenty of rest is the glue to all of our remedies! Make the time on the front end of your cold to get rest, and you will nip it in the bud much more quickly.
13. Forward Folds
Forward folding stimulates our ParaSympathetic Nervous System which promotes the “rest and digest” response. Turning on our rest mode helps our cells rejuvenate and restore - which is what they’re trying to do to help us get over our cold! Any kind of gentle forward fold where you are folding the upper body over the lower body is great - and feel free to use pillows and blankets to make it really restful! A few examples would be Seated Forward Fold, Tortoise, or Child’s Pose.