Healthier, At-Home Cold + Flu Remedies

Herbs

Herbs in any form are going to be helpful not just in keeping up your health, but also in helping you heal during illness. Herbs are infused into a variety of products these days, but I tend to gravitate towards decoctions/infusions (various “teas”), and tinctures.

**One of my favorite tincture brands is Earthley. I am not sponsored by them, but I am a fan. 😊 They make a multitude of earth-based health products, but my favorite tinctures of theirs are called Pain Potion (meadowsweet, dandelion root, mullein, peppermint, turmeric), Feel Better Fast (fennel, astragalus, elderflower, ceylon cinnamon, echinacea), and Sinus Saver (nettle, elderberry, dandelion root, black pepper, turmeric). They also make one with clove, and it’s pretty useful in treating illness (though their clove oil isn’t marketed as a cold remedy).

Best Plants for Tea/Tincture While Sick:

• clove (pain relief, immune support; its active component, shikimic acid, is the main ingredient in Tamiflu)
• echinacea (immune support)
• nettle (cleansing and immune support)
• lemon balm (calming and restful)
• oat straw (nutritious and wholesome)

Homeopathy

Homeopathy as a topic needs to be its own blog post, but its basic process involves diluting natural materials down in water to a very large degree. The dilution process is purportedly required in order to make substances that are toxic in large quantities, actually therapeutic in their infinitesimally-sized dose. For example, belladonna is part of the (toxic) nightshade family. An herbalist might be wary to prescribe this plant because it could easily become toxic if accidentally used incorrectly. But after an integration and dilution process, belladonna becomes a great remedy for colds and pain relief that homeopaths will readily prescribe without fear of overdose. ✅

Fun Fact: Homeopathy jives with the whole notion of water retaining memory. One way to explain this is that items placed into water create their own "footprints" in the water, almost how our footprints remain in snow, even after leaving.

One important part of homeopathy is that you typically need to troubleshoot which remedy is the most relevant to your situation. So sometimes, homeopathy requires some testing when it comes to which remedy to use, if you don't actually know the root cause. But there are also many resources online and in print that discuss how to identify different conditions, and which remedies work for each condition.

**There's a brand called Hyland’s that you can find just about anywhere, that sells a homeopathic cold syrup. I love it, and will sometimes use it in conjunction with, or in place of, tinctures.

Fermented garlic

Garlic and honey are two powerhouses on their own, with their raw forms being the most potent. When combined and left to sit for a couple of weeks, they create a great garlic-infused honey (and also some honey-infused garlic cloves) that can help boost the immune system. Both the honey and the cloves can be taken straight out of the jar, or they can be added to whatever dishes you like (ex. I made a butternut squash soup that went really well with it!). 🧄🍯

Leaving them to ferment not only infuses these two powerful antiviral, antibacterial medicines into one concoction - the process also colonizes bacteria that are great for your gut. Because much of our health lies in our gut, fermented garlic honey is a yummy staple when it comes to preventing and healing illness. I eat a clove 1-2 times a day while sick (or more), and a couple times a week just in general.

Hydration

Remaining hydrated is a key way to help your body flush toxins, and also helps the body heal more efficiently. While tea and raw honey helps with this, sometimes it helps to supplement with some electrolytes via ORS. Oral rehydration solutions combine all of the components needed to actually hydrate - glucose (dextrose or honey), salts, and water.

Without all of the components of this equation, your body doesn’t actually rehydrate. This is why there are cases of people downing even just a gallon of water, and then being hospitalized for dehydration! 🙅‍♀️I’ve made a video on my socials, and a whole separate blog, that includes my family’s ORS recipe - so check it out if you’re interested!

Another great addition to ORS, or substitute for ORS, is orange juice! Orange juice is packed with antioxidants like vitamin c, and is actually more hydrating than water. While I don’t advise anyone to chug gallons of orange juice while sick, several glasses will do you good. And if you have access to fresh juice…then I’d recommend having more! (Just don’t binge those vitamin c tabs at the same time!)

Essential oils

Essential oils are great because they can be used in so many different ways: through an infuser, in the shower, incorporated into body lotion…the list goes on. My two favorite ways to utilize essential oils when illness arrives both serve the same purpose, which is to clear the sinuses!

If you have some form of minty essential oil (or even clove), and ANY sort of skin-safe carrier (unscented lotion, beeswax items, shea butter, tallow, anything!), you can make a chest rub that mimics the effects of Vicks. I simply rub the oil and the carrier together using my hands, and then put it where I need it. 😊

And if making a rub isn’t an option, you can add several drops of oil to a lightly steaming bowl of water, and then use a light towel to cover your head and the bowl at the same. This is a great way to open your sinuses and clear mucus through the steam. 🧖‍♀️Just make sure to test the heat of the steam, and the potency of the oil you’re using. Both could be harmful if you aren’t careful. ❤️