Do you feel a little fuzzy in the throat and a little snuffly in the nose? While you might be trying to tell yourself that those feelings probably don’t mean anything, the truth is that you are probably already fighting off a cold or the beginnings of the flu. Rather than swallowing a quick pill or two, why not do a quick inventory of the natural health remedies you have on hand? Using natural health methods to cure an illness is a fantastic alternative to trying to cure your flu with chemicals and drugs. We won’t tell you to ignore your doctor but before you schedule the appointment, why not try a natural remedy for a couple of days and see if it works?

Water Intake

Pure water is the way to go. Water can do more than simply keep you hydrated and keep your thirst quenched. Instead of cracking open the Advil bottle when you have a headache, drink some water instead! Dehydration is often the cause of headaches. Simply drinking some water can cause that headache to fade. In addition to keeping you hydrated you can use water for other things. A natural way to break a fever is to have the person with the fever sit in a hot tub of water for a little while (while keeping a cool compress on his or her head). The heat helps you start sweating (to break your fever) and helps your muscles relax. You want to sweat when you have a fever because it is how your fever will be brought down by your body.

Citrus Fruits

You can get vitamin C from more things than oranges and orange juice! Leafy green vegetables contain quite a bit of vitamin C as well. So, when you’re feeling under the weather load up on salad and greens as well as downing a few glasses of orange juice. There are other fruits, especially citrus fruits that contain copious amounts of Vitamin C!

You can also get a ton of vitamin C from bell peppers so it is a good idea to start adding them to your favorite foods. Fighting off illness is easier when you infuse your food with vitamin C-and your food will taste better as well!

On Sugar Consumption

Eliminate refined sugar. Sugar slows down your immune system which makes it easier for colds and flues to take hold. If you want to feel healthier, eating less sugar is the way to go-just ask someone who used to eat sugar but has stopped doing so. Sugary drinks might taste better when you are sick, it is better to steer clear of them and drink water instead (or tea). If you want to get rid of a cold or the flu, eating sugar is counterproductive and gets in the way of other natural health cures you might be trying.

Strengthening your immune system through natural health practices is one of the best ways to keep from getting sick at all. If you know how to treat your symptoms the right way you can help yourself get better faster and keep yourself from relapse. Use some common sense and, instead of taking a lot of drugs, use natural methods to treat your cold or flu.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get over a cold. It’s likely that you keep plenty of natural health cures in your home already-you just don’t know it yet! It’s easy to run out to the drug store and grab a few boxes of medication when you feel the sniffles set in because it feels like the drugs are a magical cure. You’re better in minutes! Natural health remedies can help you stay well, save you money and save you quite a lot of time that would otherwise be spent trying to decide which over the counter medication would do the most good.

Onions and Honey

Believe it or not, onions are great for your health! One of the most famous cold and flu remedies is a syrupy substance made of onions and honey. Dredge some onion slices in a bowl filled with honey and let them sit. Make sure that the two are mixed well together and let it sit overnight. Eat one spoon full of the syrup once every three hours or so for a few days and your cold or flu should get better! Onions go well with most food, why not add some to each of your meals? Using salve is a great natural remedy. Whether you have sinus issues or chest congestion, salve is a great help. The herbs, spices, and other plants that are used in natural salves can help you fight off your cold or flu, break up your congestion and can even bring down a fever. If you don’t have the time to make a salve from scratch, vaporub is a natural health alternative that is worth looking into. Salves work wonders because they can be put to work on a variety of places on the body and they do a variety of helpful things.

Ginseng

Ginseng is a very important natural health ingredient. Getting your hands on ginseng is not difficult-a lot of the teas you already drink are probably infused with this element and you can also find it in the herbal section of your grocery store. Instead of waiting until you come down with a cold to go out and get some ginseng, start eating ginseng infused foods now so that you can possibly hold off the illness altogether. When you feel a cold starting to hit you, brew some hot ginseng tea. The ginseng will be great for your system and the warmth of the tea can do wonders for a sore throat and clogged sinus passages. Getting well when you have the flu or a cold could be as simple as choosing the right natural health remedy. Don’t take a bunch of chemical based “cures” when there are better options available. While we would never advocate ignoring doctor’s orders, if you aren’t suffering from a major illness why not save yourself some time (and side effects) and treat your cold or flu naturally?