The colors of Autumn might be lovely, but a few things about the season actually bring me down. I am talking about cold and flu season. If you're unlucky enough to have come down with some bug, you might be able to soothe some of your ailments with ingredients you have in your pantry. Prevention has listed some home remedies for common cold symptoms, and here are the highlights.
Soothe that sore throat: Mix six pressed garlic cloves with hot water, and gargle with this garlic tea twice a day, for three days. The warm liquid soothes inflamed tissues, while the garlic has antimicrobial properties that fight pain-causing bacteria.
Bring down a fever: Try drinking linden flower tea. It controls your body temperature by stimulating the hypothalamus, and also dilates your blood vessels and induces sweating. Pick up the dried herb at a health food store or herb shop. Steep one tablespoon of dried linden flower in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Stash makes a linden flower tea, too. Drink this tea three to four times a day. If your fever is over 102° F, take a tepid bath to cool off the body.
To see how you can dull your hacking cough with a few sweet things, just read more.
Suppress a cough: Eating a bit of dark chocolate can help your cough. Theobromine, a compound found in chocolate, has been found to be even more effective than codeine for suppressing coughs, and it won't make you drowsy or constipated. You can also tame your cough with honey. Before bed take two teaspoons of honey and take 500 mg of Ester C 30 minutes prior to lying down to quiet your cough and give your immune system a little lift.
If you have any home remedies for cold symptoms, please share them in the comment section below.
Warehouse
Great tips, thanks!
1My mum also made me drink rosemary tea (lots) when I had sore throats as a kid - it's antibacterial and tastes better than garlic!
huh - i did NOT know that about dark chocolate - but it really sounds like an easy fix. i like the thought that there are even more benefits to dark chocolate
i don't know if i could ever go the garlic tea route but it's an interesting concept, and the linden tea for a fever - that's a good one as well. thanks for these tips - i'm definitely going to print this out and paste it on my fridge so i remember when i'm feeling sick this winter.
2I gargle with hot salt water - it helps my throat.
3hot water and salt gargle for sore throat. mint tea is good for the sinuses.
i've been downing loads of honey and lemon with my tea for my belligerent cough. good thing i love honey
dunno if i'd try the garlic tea though. . .
4If your temperature is over 102, get out of the bath and go to the doctor.
5Garlic and onions are both naturally antibiotic and they have great healing properties. If you don't want to do the garlic tea to soothe a sore throat, you can make yourself some onion soup and slowly drink it. The steam helps decongest your sinuses and the onions will help kill any bacteria in there.
6I think the garlic tea would make me vomit.
7I never realized that garlic was antibacterial.
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