HOME REMEDIES FOR COLDS AND FLU RELIEF
WHEN THE NEXT cold and flu season arrives, stop running to the pharmacy at the first sign of symptoms. There are many natural remedies that can help you beat the symptoms of a cold, flu, or sinus infection after you have already become ill. Natural foods and home remedies work as effectively as over-the-counter and prescription medications but without any adverse side effects.
Recipe for Flu and Cold Medicine
While influenza and colds are common, avoid running to the pharmacy if they appear. Raw natural foods act as a potent source of healing without any side effects. Drink the following blend on an empty stomach three times a day, replacing meals for a few days. Or try it while fasting for at least twenty-four hours and see how quickly you heal.
• Four oranges: Peel oranges but keep the white pith. Oranges and papayas are an excellent antioxidant.
• One papaya: Skin the fruit and remove all seeds. Both oranges and papayas will cleanse toxicity, which is what leads to a weakened immune system. They also help cleanse your intestinal tract. They are full of calcium and rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin C.
• Six figs: Take off the stem and make sure they are soft. These are one of the best mucus dissolvers.
• Optional: one hot pepper, jalapeño, or orange habanero pepper to cleanse the sinus cavities and fight bacteria. Hot peppers contain phytoantibiotics, which wipe out bacteria-causing sickness.
• Optional: one avocado for added thickness to offset the hot peppers.
For example, raw foods represent medicine for the body and provide incredible levels of energy, health, and vitality. When coming down with a sore throat that may signal a cold or flu, stop eating solid food and ingest only healthy foods. The following can be liquefied in a blender or juicer to provide an assortment of rapid immune system boosts:
• One ripe orange habanero pepper (or a ripe jalapeno): You will feel this cleanse you as fire-like sensations course through your body, killing bacteria and viruses. It also will start to clear out nasal passages of mucus almost immediately.
• Two cloves of garlic and one slice of ginger: Garlic and ginger are natural antibiotics that boost a weakened immune system. Ginger also helps reduce swelling in the throat. These are “power twins” for fighting infections.
• Six figs: Figs are amazing at dissolving mucus and cleansing the gastrointestinal tract helping to detox your body.
• A handful of parsley or kale: Both of these are rich in iron, which builds strong red-blood corpuscles.
• Two organic apples (or four organic pears): Apples and pears contain pectin that helps to remove toxins. They help with bowel movements, which drains the lymphatic system and alleviates swelling in a sore throat and tonsils.
• One ounce organic, cold-pressed, extra- virgin olive oil: Olive oil helps to build strong white blood corpuscles.
NATURAL BEVERAGES
Drinking tea may sound like a hocus-pocus method for fighting infectious diseases, but that isn’t the case. For example, goldenseal can be used to make a tea that will address respiratory problems and sinusitis, two ailments that may accompany colds and flu. Goldenseal may fight certain bacterial and parasitic infections, but it should not be taken for long periods of time (two weeks at a time maximum). A proper dosage is a cup of tea (2–4 grams) three times daily, or if using a tincture, taking 1½–3 teaspoons three times daily.
Ever hear of elderberry? Native Americans used tea made from elderberry flowers to treat respiratory infections. Elderberry extract contains a high percentage of three flavonoids that have been shown to have antiviral properties. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 1995 examined the flu-fighting capabilities of Sambucol, which is an elderberry extract preparation. The study found that elderberry interfered with the growth of multiple strains of influenza A and B viruses in cell cultures.1
During a flu outbreak in an Israeli kibbutz, twenty-seven subjects were given either elderberry or a placebo for three days. The results were amazing: 90 percent of those taking elderberry were completely cured within three days, while most of those who took the placebo needed six days to recover.2 You can brew a tea with this amazing plant or take 2–4 tablespoons a day of a standardized extract (or as directed by your physician).
Here is a recipe for another healing tea that is good for fighting a sore throat, cold, flu, and infections. The following makes one serving:
Recipe: Healing Tea
2-inch piece fresh ginger root, juiced
Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
2 cups purified water
1 tablespoon loose licorice tea, or 1 licorice herbal tea bag (optional)
4-5 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon, broken
Dash cardamom
Dash nutmeg
Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and drink while warm.
Another cold-busting beverage includes grapefruit, which is loaded with vitamin C and bioflavonoids, especially in the white pithy part. These nutrients support the immune cells. You can also use carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, another immune cell superfood. Fresh ginger root is loaded with zinc, which is vital for the immune system; in Chinese medicine, it is used for treating colds. Cayenne pepper acts as a decongestant and expectorant. Drink your cold away with this recipe (one serving):
Recipe: Cold Buster
1 grapefruit, peeled
1 carrot, green top removed, ends trimmed, scrubbed, and juiced
2-3 kale leaves
1-inch chunk ginger root, juiced
Dash of cayenne pepper
Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube. Juice ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible.
For cold or flu sufferers who are also dealing with clogged sinuses, radish juice is a traditional remedy to open up the sinuses and support mucous membranes. This simple recipe also makes one serving:
Recipe: Sinus Solution
2 vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 cucumber, peeled if not organic
6 radishes with green leaves
1/2 lime, peeled if not organic
Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube. Juice ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible.
THE NATURAL WAY
Herbs and various natural methods are another effective treatment in treatment of colds and flu. One in particular that has become popular in recent years in the United States is echinacea. Historically, Native Americans commonly used echinacea as a medicinal herb. Although American doctors picked up on it, its use faded in the late 1800s. In the 1930s German doctors rediscovered it, and it has remained popular overseas since that time.
There are three different species of the plant: E. angustifolia, E. purpurea, and E. pallida. Germany’s Commission E, the government agency charged with investigating herbs, recommends treating colds with E. purpurea. Although it boosts the immune system’s response to colds, flu, and other infections, echinacea is most commonly used in the treatment of the common cold. Start taking it as soon as you notice any cold symptoms. Take echinacea in 200 milligram (mg) doses three times a day for three weeks, followed by one week off for best results. Generally speaking, you should take echinacea the same way as you would take an antibiotic.
However, don’t take echinacea if you are allergic to ragweed or if you have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or any other autoimmune disease. Also, do not take echinacea if you are pregnant.
Here are some home remedies that are useful for the effects of colds and flu.
Recipe: Flu Fighter
1 handful watercress or parsley
1 dark green lettuce leaf
1 turnip, scrubbed, ends trimmed, you can include leaves
3 carrots, scrubbed well, tops removed, ends trimmed
1-2 garlic cloves (garlic is nature’s natural antibiotic)
1/2 lemon, peeled if not organic
1/2 green apple such as Granny Smith or pippin
Bunch up watercress or parsley and wrap in lettuce leaf. Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube. Push lettuce wrap through slowly, and follow with the remaining ingredients. Stir the juice, pour into a glass, and drink as soon as possible.
THREE RECIPES FOR HEALING A SORE THROAT
Recipe #1:
6-8 ounces of warm water (preferably fresh spring water)
The juice of a 1/2 lemon
A few cut-up pieces of fresh raw ginger or 1 tablespoon of ginger powder
1 teaspoon or tablespoon of raw honey
Recipe #2:
Create a ginger tea by simmering three to four slices of fresh ginger in a cup of water for six to eight minutes.
Recipe #3:
4 lemons
Several slices ginger root
Stevia to taste
Juice lemons, then scrub well and peel. Slice thinly, and add to the juice. Add ginger root. Cover all with plenty of boiling water; cover and steep until cool. Strain off the liquid, and add stevia and additional water to taste. Drink hot.3
If dealing with a cold at the same time, apply a ginger and cayenne compress to the chest to help loosen mucus.
NATURAL COUGH SYRUP
You can make your own cough syrup from six onions, ½ cup honey, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook in a saucepan on low heat for about two hours. Strain the mixture to remove the onions. Take 1 tablespoon every two to three hours as needed.