I may or may not have found myself sick on my birthday a few weeks ago (#woof), but I was absolutely determined to heal as quickly as humanly possible.
That meant, for me, using all of the possible all natural flu remedies I could find, combined with a lot of sleep (as in, all day).
My cold’s duration and misery-level were DEFINITELY lower because of what I used, so I wanted to share some of these all natural remedies with you, just in case you need some ideas that also compliment and support your skin:)
I find that with the help of natural herbs and home-made recipes, you can seriously mitigate your “flu experience”, and bolster your immune system at the same time.
In #worstcasescenariotimez, if you still get sick somehow, I’ve got you covered.
Here are 5 all natural flu remedies – that are also good for your skin:
Ginger:
Ginger is a great ingredient for stimulating nerve endings, which is great because this increases mucus production. The anti-inflammatory properties in ginger can also help to relieve the ache and discomfort caused by the flu. It also induces sweating which can help to flush out toxins and keep infections in check.
Here are a few ways you can use ginger to treat the flu, naturally:
- Chew a fresh piece of ginger twice a day. (No, really! Just buy a big hunk, peel the skin, and chow down;)
- By preparing ginger-honey juice, a mixture of ½ tsp honey with 1 tsp ginger juice. Drink 2X daily until you feel better!
- Ginger steam with eucalyptus oil can be used to get instant relief from some of the symptoms, like a sore throat and runny nose.
Turmeric:
Best known for its antiseptic qualities, turmeric is rich in the ‘curcumin’ compound that promotes therapeutic action in us lovely humans. It unblocks chest congestion and curbs any chances of further infection due to its anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
Here are some ways you can use turmeric to get rid of the flu:
- By drinking 2 tsp of turmeric powder mixed with good ol’ H2O.
- By adding 1 tsp of turmeric to a glass of milk, adding a pinch of honey for sweetness, bringing the mixture to boil and drinking it as soon as you feel the onset of a cough.
- By drinking turmeric tea; mix a little honey and lemon with tulsi to increase the effectiveness of turmeric’s anti-bacterial properties.
Probiotics:
To put it simply, probiotics are the good bacteria that help in the healthy maintenance of our belly and immune system. I go on and on about probiotics here and here, so make sure you check those posts out if you don’t know what they are:)
In the olden dayz, people used to get probiotics directly from their diets but now, unfortunately, the way we process a lot of our food means that these healthy microbes get heated OUT of our food.
So, we actually have to make sure that we actively ADD IN probiotic-rich foods to our daily diet, to get the goods.
- As you can tell by the picture above, I LOVE Kombucha (post coming soon on this) and it’s a great way to add probiotics in without taking a pill – and it’s yummy:)
- Yogurt is an easy way to add probiotics into your diet as its composed of strains of good bacteria. For the highest quality yoghurt/probiotic power, buy an organic brand of yogurt that comes from the milk of grass-fed animals, preferably a goat’s or a sheep’s. Look for low sugar too:)
- Kefir is a dairy product that is a lot like yogurt but contains almost 30-40 probiotic strains, much higher than typical yoghurt. Read more on Kefir vs. probiotics here!
Cayenne Pepper:
Interestingly, it’s been shown that that sprinkling cayenne pepper on your food can help to fit against the flu. It helps to warm the body from the inside out, and it’s naturally high content of Vitamin C is really great for fighting those flu bugZ. The antioxidants in cayenne pepper also assist in building strong mucus membrane tissues, which prevent bacteria and viruses from entering your body.
The best way to use cayenne pepper as an all natural flu remedy is:
- By mixing ½ tsp of Cayenne Pepper powder with a tsp of honey and pouring it in a cup pf boiling water with a tea bag in it. Sip slowly and repeat at least twice a day for great results. Read more on my acne clearing morning routine here!
- This can also be combined with ginger and turmeric and added to a boiling cup of water. Be super careful, but if you put a towel over your head and inhale the vapors while you sip on this drink, you’ll get nasal clearing AND a yummy drink:)
Oregano Oil:
This essential oil has been used for centuries, actually, to combat infections and bolster our immune system from various respiratory diseases (those brilliant ones, our ancestors). Thymol and carvacrol, the volatile oils present in oregano, possess anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
Use oregano oil in the following ways for maximum all-natural-flu-remedy-help:
- By inhaling or steaming. Steaming instructions: cover your head with a towel, close your eyes and put your face at a safe distance from a boiling pot of water, containing 2-3 drops of oregano oil.**
- By mixing it with olive oil and using as a salve. When this delicious mixture is rubbed on your chest, it helps to clear the bronchial passages.
What do you think? Will you use these all natural flu remedies for some natural healing this cold and flu season? Leave me a comment below to let me know if you have any other good ones:)
*** I am NOT a doctor, so please use all of the advise on the webpages as pure information to be used at your own risk.
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