Natural Cold and Flu Remedies

Are you sick and tired of spending money on over the counter medicines that do more harm than good? Is your medicine cabinet stocked full of half used products promising to lessen discomforts like sinus congestion, sneezing, colds, and flu? Welcome to the club! Most of us have been hoodwinked into the OTC medicine drive towards fast relief of pain and suffering for 'dis-eased' conditions by big Pharma and the medical community. When we are sick, we will do and try just about anything to feel better, and the drug manufacturers take advantage of our temporary imbalance and weakness to increase their profits with overpriced pharmaceuticals. Admittedly, there are some medicines on the market which alleviate unpleasant symptoms, but many lose their effectiveness after a couple of doses, and they do nothing to cure the underlying cause of the condition.

One of the best choices you can make in life is to educate yourself on how your body works and take primary responsibility for your own health. It really should be a fundamental requirement for all persons to know the anatomy and physiology of the human body and how the body responds to its natural environment. After all, you get only one body in this life and it has to last you approximately 80 years(according to the overall U.S. life expectancy). Now think if we were issued one house or one car which had to last for 80 years! I'm sure you would learn all you could about the maintenance and repair of this property, and you would invest in high quality parts and labor to ensure the longevity of your effects. Now ask yourself, do you value yourself more or less than you value your material possessions? I'm sure you answered yourself... so next question. How much time, effort, and money are you willing to invest into maintaining and repairing your body? Are you going for long term quality or the cheap quick fix me up?

The good news is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get well. Wellness has been obscured by the guise of a modern health care system, raking in trillions of dollars each year on managing sickness, not preventing or healing it. Your 'primary' health care physician is not enthusiastic about losing you as a patient which is certain to happen if you receive a cure. Many of the treatments and drugs used on patients may provide some effectiveness for the original complaint but almost always comes with side effects. Consequently, you have another issue to be resolved by your doctor which translates into more expense and less money for you.

Herbal home remedies are a convenient, effective, economical approach to healing and wellness. They are easy to use and harmonize with the body's natural rhythms of life. Known to have little to no side effects, plant based treatments for ailments provide superior results in the long run... and we are in it for the long run, right? Herbs are generally slower acting than synthetic drugs and require a bit more patience for optimum recovery(that's why you're called a patient), but the results are worth the wait.

Here are a few remedies to try:

For Colds:

1. Stuffy nose/congestion-Salt Water Rinse/Nose Drops: Mix 1/4 teaspoon Celtic or Himalayan sea salt with 1 cup lukewarm distilled water and pour some into shallow dish. Place nose into solution and sniff to allow salt water to clean nasal passages. Another method is to pour solution into an empty nasal spray container and squeeze into nostrils. You can use a bottle with a dropper also. Fill with the salt water, tilt head back as far as you can then drop solution into nostrils to cleanse. The Neti Pot for regular nasal cleansing is becoming a popular choice for many.

Vaporizer- Make a quick version by boiling 1-2 quarts of water in large pot-then turn off. Place 4 peppermint tea bags in hot water and cover. Leave for 10 minutes. Get a large towel. Place pot on heat resistant countertop/table, remove lid, and place face over pot then drape towel over head to create a tent effect. If too hot allow to cool a couple of minutes but you need the steam to clear the nasal passages

2. Sore Throat-For minor irritation mix 1 teaspoon Celtic(or other high quality) sea salt with 1 cup of hot water. Gargle all of solution. Repeat as necessary.

Mix 1/2 cup pure apple cider vinegar with 1/2 cup distilled water. Gargle as needed.

To soothe throat mix 4 tablespoons slippery elm powder, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 4 tablespoons honey, 4 drops peppermint essential oil, 4 drops eucalyptus essential oil together in a bowl. Mix until stiff then roll pieces into small dime sized balls. Store in wax paper or container in refrigerator and suck on these drops to soothe throat irritation.

A stronger version is made using 1 part slippery elm powder, 1 part goldenseal root powder, 1 part echinacea powder, 1 part licorice root powder, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons honey,1 tablespoon Carob powder, 4 drops peppermint essential oil. Mix until stiff then roll pieces into small dime sized balls. Store in wax paper or container in refrigerator and suck on these drops to soothe throat irritation.

Strep Throat- This requires the use of a product called Dr. Tichenor's Antiseptic which is used as a gargle. Pour 1 capful into an 8 oz glass and dilute with 1 capful of water. This is a STRONG throat rinse and will help kill the strep bacteria located on the throat. Gargle 5-6 times a day. You must also take 1000 mg Ester C every 2 hours. Finely chop 1-2 cloves raw garlic. Place in tablespoon and drizzle honey or agave over garlic. Put in mouth and swallow whole. Immediately follow with a small amount of distilled water. Repeat every 2-3 hours for a few days or until completely healed. You'll smell like garlic but it will kill the infection while boosting your immune system.

For Flu or Virus

Fever- In case of a high fever, immerse entire body in a lukewarm to cool water bath. It's important to take the body temperature down asap to avoid a system shut down. Also make use of cool towel applications if fever isn't to high or a bath is not reasonable. Eucalyptus essential oil is a great fever buster and can be massaged onto the body or a few drops can be placed in a lukewarm bath. Drop 2-3 drops peppermint essential oil on a cool wet towel and wipe over chest, back, arms, and legs to bring temperature down. Avoid all openings to the body! NEVER tub bathe with peppermint essential oil. Due to its strength, delicate areas of the body may become irritated. Make sure bowels are clear. Constipation or sluggish bowel may contribute to reabsorption of toxins which may trigger a fever. You can evacuate the bowels quickly by taking an enema. Most drugstores carry enema kits with directions for use. This is an important item for every household.

Catnip/Slippery Elm Enema- Boil 1 quart of water and turn off. Add 1/2 cup of Catnip dried herb water and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain well. Add 2 tablespoons of Slippery Elm Powder and stir well. Pour lukewarm solution into enema bag and use to reduce fever and nourish intestinal tract.

Red Clover/Goldenseal Enema-Bring to boil then simmer 1 ounce yellow root bark in 1 quart of water for 20 minutes. Turn off stove then add 1/2 cup Red Clover dried herb. Let steep for 20 minutes. Strain and pour into enema bag. Use to kill infection and reduce inflammation & fever.

To recover from general flu/viral symptoms- Take Echinacea capsules or extract 3-4 times a day while sick. Zinc and Vitamin C are helpful too. Use the Red Clover/Goldenseal solution as a tea. Drink several times a day. Goldenseal(Yellow Root) is quite bitter so you may want to use a small amount of honey or stevia to sweeten. Also you can make a lemon ginger tea- Peel and slice1-2 ounces of fresh ginger root. Combine with one whole quartered lemon in one quart water. Boil 15 minutes the let steep 10 minutes. Strain, sweeten with honey and drink. If you need to sleep or experience restlessness, you can add a little Brandy. Rose Hips tea is high in vitamin C and Wild Cherry Bark is good for coughs.

Aches and pains due to flu may be relieved with a very warm Epsom Salt Bath infused with Lavender essential oil. Use 2-4 cups of Epsom salt to 10 drops Lavender. Add 4 drops Eucalyptus for stuffiness or congestion. If suffering with respiratory ailments or chest congestion, combine 5 drops clove oil, 5 drops lavender, 5 drops eucalyptus, and 2 drops peppermint with 5 tablespoons of coconut oil. Massage into chest and back then cover with damp hot towel or heating pad. For headache, drop 3 drops peppermint oil on cotton ball and inhale for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Throughout any healing crisis, make sure to drink plenty of water!! Your body is expending a lot more energy when you are sick, so it requires more hydration to bring you back into balance. Remember, tea, juice, soups, or other liquids do not take the place of water!! Also get plenty of rest. Here's to your health!