Home Remedies for Common Cold or Flu

Last Updated on December 18th, 2020

Change in weather can lower our immunity and that’s when we can easily catch common cold and cough. It can affect our metabolism and cause diarrhea or constipation. Most of us don’t like taking medicines for every small problem. So, here are some home-made remedies which you can easily make and use to stay away from any seasonal health issues.

1. Kadha:

This is basically made of spices and herbs which cannot be directly juiced. They are boiled with water and then you can drink it to get all the goodness of nature. And we have tulsi, ginger and honey which not only improves the taste but also help in boosting the immunity. Here is a recipe for Kadha which I use:

Take one cup of water in a pan and bring to boil.
Grind black pepper and few cloves and add them to boiling water.
Crush some ginger and Tulsi leaves. Add the paste to water.
I add cardamom for fragrance though it has medicinal benefits as well.
Add a little honey to sweeten it up.

Black pepper: is rich in many nutrients like vitamin C, flavonoids and antioxidants. It is anti-bacterial in nature and therefore helps with cough/cold. It helps with digestion and stomach secretes more hydrochloric acid, eventually helping in digesting proteins in food.

Cloves: work as an expectorant, loosening mucus in the throat and esophagus so you can cough it up. It helps in stimulating sluggish circulation and promotes digestion and metabolism.

Cardamom: is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It relieves discomfort, nausea and vomiting.

MUST READ Understanding the Complexities of Hair Loss: Causes, Types, and Treatment Approaches

Soup:
When you are home down with a common cold and fever, this soup will help you fight the headache and continuous sneezing.
1. Take 3- 4 fresh tomatoes. Now there are 2 ways to proceed, you may follow whichever is convenient:
  - Grind these tomatoes and then put it in a pan to boil with half a cup of water. Once it is done, strain the mix and let it cool.
  - Put these in boiling water and let it boil for sometimes till they are soft, and you are able to peel them off. After peeling, crush the tomatoes and once again boil it with half a cup of water.
2. Now, take a separate pan and heat about 1 teaspoon of oil. Add 1/4^th tea spoon of cumin seeds and 1/4^th teaspoon turmeric powder.
3. Put in paste of ginger, add the mix from first step to the pan and stir it well.
4. Add 1/4^th teaspoon black pepper powder and cinnamon powder to it and a pinch of grounded cloves.
5. Add salt and sugar as per taste. I prefer black salt and honey.

And your soup is ready. Drink it and relax. You will feel much better after this.

Ginger Honey mix:
Ginger has anti-inflammatory compounds which can relax membranes in the airways and thereby provides relief from cough and common cold.
1. Heat 1 teaspoon of honey in a bowl.
2. Crush and squeeze some ginger and add 1/4^th teaspoon of this juice to honey.
3. Add a pinch of black salt (it makes it tastier)Having this mix thrice a day will surely give you relief from sore throat. I gave it to my husband once and now he is fan of this recipe!
  ginger
Gargles:
1. Add 1/4^th teaspoon of salt to a glass of water and bring to boil. Cool it off till the point you are able to drink it.
2. Now, sip it up and let the water sit in your throat for few seconds. Gargle and spit it out.
3. Repeat it multiple times a day for 2 days and your throat will be much better.Simple yet one of the most effective remedies that one could use to treat common cold and cough. Dry cough can be a pain sometimes and can cause other issues. So try this and see the positive effects yourself.
  gargles
Steam inhalation:
Wet cough, which is one that produces mucus or phlegm, may improve with steam. It will also make your skin glow. Increase in perspiration dilates your blood vessels and increases circulation. This boost of blood flow nourishes your skin and delivers oxygen. The result is a natural, healthy glow. Steam can damage your skin so be at a safe distance!!!
1. Boil a large bowl of water and Vicks (easily available at any medical store) to it.
2. Place this bowl on a table where you can easily reach its top with your head. Bring your head closer to it carefully such that the steam coming out of this hit your nose directly.
3. Put a towel/any cloth on you head. Be there for 10-15 minutes or till the time you are comfortable.
4. I prefer going to sleep right after this. Try doing this twice a day to get a faster relief from congestion and blocked nose.
  steam inhalation
Turmeric milk – fix for common cold:
Turmeric has a strong antioxidant which helps in treating many health problems such as common cold. A pinch of Turmeric in warm milk is a popular and effective way to fight against common cold and cough. Drinking a glass of warm turmeric milk before sleeping helps in faster recovery from cold and fever. You can have this daily before going to sleep as per your convenience. It also improves memory and brain function.
turmeric milk
Vermicelli:
Falling sick that too when you are living away from home in a different city can be really bad. I use this recipe whenever I have common cold and flu, it works like miracle. Warm milk will give you a relief from congestion.
1. Take one cup of milk and bring it to boil.
2. Add half cup of roasted vermicelli to boiling milk and let it boil further for 5-7 minutes on low flame.
3. Add sugar as per taste.
  vermicelli