No doubt about it, the holiday season is upon us! While the holidays are the ideal time to be reunited with family and friends, they also happen to coincide with one less joyous time of year – the cold and flu season. More than warm wishes are shared during Christmas parties and New Year’s celebrations, the flu virus is highly contagious and can accidentally be shared by loved ones. Thankfully, you won’t have to fear your great-aunt’s embrace after you read this article. After all, some of the best virus fighting ingredients can be found in nature.
The following homemade remedies will help you prevent colds and flus so you can enjoy every precious minute of your well-deserved Winter Break.
Oil of Oregano
As an herb, oregano adds a Mediterranean flare to many dishes. When concentrated in oil form, it becomes an extremely potent antifungal and antibacterial. A few drops a day is said to prevent and treat sinus infections, sore throats, colds and flus.
Peppermint Tea
When steeped, mint leaves create a very tasty drink. After pouring boiling water over the leaves, inhaling the vapours from the hot beverage will help decongest a stuffy nose. The tea is also excellent for easing an upset stomach. Mint tea is readily available in the form of tea bags but you can easily make it using dry or fresh mint leaves.
Honey and Lemon Tonic
Mixing honey and lemon in a glass of warm water makes for a delicious, yet powerful, virus fighting cocktail. Honey is known for soothing sore throats and lemon is a source of vitamin C and a great decongestant. For an even more powerful remedy, thekitchn.com recommends adding ginger into the mix.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is a staple of cold and flu season. There is something comforting in the savory and delectably flavorful broth that makes being afflicted by a cold a little more “agreeable”. Sure, the soup doesn’t have magic healing powers but it does however have real benefits. For instance, it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cold-remedies/ID00036
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