Cold and Flu Natural Home Remedies

So you didn't follow our cold and flu prevention advice and came down with some crazy virus... it happens. But now what?

If you happened to land onto this page out of sheer luck and don't currently have a cold or flu virus, then the best thing you can do is prepare in advance. You should always have these supplies in your home care kit:

This short list is assuming you take a good multi-vitamin supplement daily, and that you always have some sort of fresh fruit on hand, like oranges, bananas, apples, pineapple, pears, etc. Also, while it's best to have a home distiller for making your own pure water, if you don't have a system, I would say second best is the water you can get from your local dispenser (usually the grocery store has reverse osmosis water you can refill your jugs with). Always have a gallon on hand. Also, prepare some home made soup and freeze in small portions for such occasions. There is nothing like being sick and having nothing nutritious to prepare quickly and easily!

If you do have a cold or flu virus and don't have the supplies above, a lot of this advice won't be helpful. I am considering you might be a single person, but if you have a good friend or spouse that can help you, then they can get many of these items from the store. (Vitamin D 50,000 IU can currently only be bought at some doctors' offices and online. Get the highest IU you can find in a pinch!)

As Soon as You Start Feeling Sick...

Start taking a teaspoon of Vitamin C every two hours. (Here's an explanation on how to find your bowel tolerance, which you should do. Skip down to about the middle of the article.)
Take oil of oregano as instructed on the label
Take a 50,000 IU Vitamin D
Prepare some "jello" with unflavored gelatin. I like using real fresh squeezed lemon juice for flavoring. You can use any kind of juice you want, but lemon is healthy and has lots of flavor for a small amount. The cold gelatin is nice if you do get sick, and if not, it is healthy to eat either way.
Sip bone broth, or eat soup made from it
Take an Epsom salt bath with 2 cups Epsom salt, and water as hot as you can stand it
Roll this essential oil blend or similar on the bottom of your feet
Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water with Bragg's apple cider vinegar (just a dash per glass)

If You Get Sick Anyway...

Keep doing the above. And SLEEP. Monitor your fever with a thermometer to make sure you aren't dealing with something else, or additional infection. A really high fever usually signifies a bacterial infection rather than virus. And it goes without saying, if you have a rash, severe headache (worse than you've ever experienced), or other symptoms that concern you, please call your doctor!

When you are hungry, eat/drink as much of the bone broth as you can. (Assuming you made the broth and didn't get around to making soup out of it). Chances are, if you started off with the Vitamin C therapy, this should be a short-lived virus. You should continue to use the Vitamin C. It is much easier to take the amount you need if you don't have to rely on taking it in powder form. You can also prepare some Vitamin C capsules ahead of time by filling your own gelatin caps, and take it that way. (See my Vitamin C concoction below).

Try to bathe in Epsom salts throughout the virus. If you can't, soak your feet in hot Epsom salt water. Change your clothes/pajamas each day, as well as your pillow case.

For Specific Symptoms...

Sore throat: Gargle with warm salt water regularly. I have had the best relief from using a neti pot. Sometimes the gunk is between your throat and nose, and gargling won't reach it no matter how hard you try.
Headache: It is best not to take a pain reliever/fever reducer, as fever is the body's mechanism for fighting viruses. Try using essential oils for headache. I found a great one at a local health foods store called "Grey Matter Batter" from Aura Cacia. If you are like me and have to drive your kids somewhere, or have to do something and MUST get rid of your headache, don't feel guilty about taking a pain reliever! It's not ideal, but it's sometimes necessary. Otherwise, stay home and let others take on your responsibilities for a while. Running around town sick is what gets others sick and will keep you from getting well!
Fever: Ride it out. Don't treat a fever. Stay in bed and as comfortable as possible.
Cough: Most coughs are due to post nasal drip, and the neti pot will take care of that. Productive coughs should not be suppressed, as that's how you get the gunks up and out. If you do have a wet cough, sleep with your head and torso elevated. Take hot showers. There are essential oils for coughs as well, but if you have been taking the Vitamin C, it should be taking care of a cough (and possibly preventing it).

What About the Doctor?

Only go to the doctor if something seems abnormal: high fever, severe pain, rash, numbness, ____________ fill in the blank. With a normal cold or flu, nobody needs a doctor. (Unless you don't eat right, don't take vitamins, and don't do any of the things above...) Riding it out with nothing to aid your immune system will allow the virus to multiply, and yes, you might feel like you are going to die. And you might! People who don't know or don't do the things outlined on this page are the people who are most at risk of complications from the flu or any other virus.

I am not a doctor. I am an adult who was a very sick child who has figured out through experimentation on myself and my kids, and through research what works for people who are sick. Reality is that most people don't think they have time to rest when they are sick, and certainly don't have the time (or money) to take care of themselves appropriately. Reality is, it takes longer to fight a virus without the proper tools, and more productivity is lost when you don't rest when you need to!

Take care of yourself everyday, and you are already ahead of the battle if a virus enters your body. May you experience a speedy recovery!

Vitamin C Concoction

When you are well, get a bag of organic lemons, and juice them. You can get a cheap hand juicer at most grocery stores. I used this juice for flavoring gelatin, and then froze juice cubes for later use. Just freeze them in an ice cube tray, then dump the cubes into a plastic container with a lid and store in the freezer. Whenever I want lemon water, I just put a cube into my water and it's great. When you are sick, add a cube to your water, and then add your Vitamin C. Shake before you drink each time. I can't even taste the Vitamin C. It tastes just like lemon water. Yummy. And super healthy. I'm considering drinking this all the time.

Another suggestion... use glass water bottles as much as possible. We got ours by buying Voss water, and then re-using the bottles with our own home distilled water. Some Voss water comes in plastic, but you can find glass bottles at health food stores. They are a couple of dollars, but MUCH cheaper than glass bottles you purchase by themselves.