How to beat your cold this winter.

While knowing exactly what is going into your body.

1. Try Steaming

Effectiveness: Very Effective

Time Required: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Directions: Repeat regularly while sick (everyday) until illness fades and biweekly while healthy for general well-being.

Steam is a powerful agent of cleansing, detoxification, and health if used safely and correctly. Eastern medicine has used steaming for centuries, for example in Ayurveda’s swedana therapy, and other cultures have created spaces devoted to steaming in hamams (Turkish baths) and sweat lodges for relaxation and detoxification. Even today, health and fitness clubs have steam rooms to help relax and cleanse the body after a rigorous workout.

Beyond the health benefits, many eastern medicines focused on beauty promote steam as it helps to balance complexions, clear away clogged pores, and lubricate skin tissue, helping to treat acne, dehydration, and blackheads & whiteheads.

We recommend steaming regularly (everyday until your cold is gone) while sick and biweekly for general health & wellness.

Prepare

Use

1. Set the pot of boiling water down (be careful not to harm your floor) and add one to three drops of eucalyptus oil depending on how potent you want the mixture.
2. Then sit near the boiling water (careful not to burn yourself) and drape the blanket over your head and body to further concentrate the steam. Keep the box of tissues near you and inhale the steam coming off the water. Blow your nose as necessary.

Note: If you begin to sweat — this is a good thing. Do not be frightened.

The oil from the Eucalyptus tree is so potent that you can even pick out the scent at a distance

2. Drink Ginger Tea

Effectiveness: Mostly Effective

Time Required: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Very Easy

Directions: Drink often while sick (2–3 times everyday) until illness fades.

Why Ginger Tea?

Well, because ginger according to Dr.Axe & HomeRemedies is an ingredient that has powerful abilities to prevent illness and promote well-being. And, tea because it is a great medium for consuming ginger when feeling ill.

• Ginger is a natural antiviral which helps to fight against illness and bacteria that causes cold.
• Ginger also has natural anti-bacterial properties which help fight infections and promote immune resistance.
• It helps to stimulate perspiration that cleanses the system and brings down body temperature.
• It contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which help to boost up the immune system.
• It acts as an antihistamine and decongestant that helps to ease colds symptoms.
• It is a natural pain and fever reducer and also a mild sedative.
• Can reduce blood-clotting thereby reducing the probability of stroke and heart disease.

Prepare

Use

1. Place the ginger in a 1 quart glass.
2. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and then carefully pour it into the glass to cover the ginger. Steep for 30–40 minutes, and be sure to cover your glass.
3. Strain the ginger root — holding the glass with a towel as the glass may still be quite warm.
4. Enjoy! Feel free to reheat and enjoy throughout the day as well.

3. Sore Throat Gargle

Effectiveness: Effective

Time Required: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Very Easy

Directions: Gargle 2–3 times everyday until sore throat subsides.

Prepare

Use

1. Mix the salt into the water and stir using the spoon until the mixture looks consistent.
2. Gargle.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar Tea

Effectiveness: Effective

Time Required: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Very Easy

Directions: Drink 3-4 times a day.

Prepare

2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1–2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 small cup of hot water

Use

1. Mix the Apple Cider Vinegar, honey, and lemon juice into the water and stir using the spoon until the mixture looks consistent.
2. Drink or sip.

The more potent you make your mixture the faster it will work.

5. Mullein

Effectiveness: Effective

Time Required: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Directions: Drink 2–3 times daily to help clear up congestion.

Prepare

1–2 tablespoons of dried mullein OR 4–6 tablespoons fresh (flowers or flowers/leaves)

2 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme OR 5 teaspoons fresh

1–1 ½ cups of fresh water

Honey/lemon for taste

Use

1. Prepare one pot of boiling water and then put the mullein and thyme in a large cup.
2. Pour the boiling water over the mullein and thyme and cover, steeping for 15–20 minutes.
3. Strain and stir in honey or lemon.

6. Nasal Refresher

Effectiveness: Effective

Time Required: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Directions: Spray 2–3 times daily to help clear up nasal congestion.

A simple pot to mix the nasal mixer and water before transferring to a nasal spray canister.

Prepare

3 teaspoons of iodide-free salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 airtight container

1 cup of lukewarm boiled or distilled water

Note: Do not use regular tap water as the bacteria and minerals could be detrimental to your nose!

Use

1. Mix 3 teaspoons of iodide-free salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

2. Place in an airtight container.

3. Add 1 teaspoon of this mixture to 8 ounces of lukewarm boiled or distilled water.

7. Natural Oil & Salt Bath

Effectiveness: Effective

Time Required: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Directions: Use when feeling congested or stuffy as needed.

Prepare

1 cup of Epsom salt

3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil

3 drop of peppermint essential oil

3 drops of lavender essential oil

A small plate for blending

A glass airtight container

1 spoon

Use

1. Put the salt into the airtight container.
2. Then blend the essential oils in a separate plate.
3. Mix the oil with the salt in the airtight container and stir with a spoon.
4. Fill the tub halfway and then add 2–3 tablespoons of the salt mixture and fill the tub up the remaining way.

8. Spice it up!

Effectiveness: Mildly Effective

Time Required: 4 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Directions: Eat the pepper to help fight congestion and stuffiness. Eat two radishes everyday to fight your cold.

Prepare

Prepare spicy foods:

1 hot pepper

2 radishes

Use

1. Eat the pepper.
2. Eat the radishes.

Other Remedies (Ingredients, prevention, and ideal behaviors to defeat colds quickly and keep them away)

1. Vitamin C
2. Echinacea
3. Elderberry
4. Oregano Oil
5. Zinc
6. Garlic
7. Onion
8. Goldenseal
9. Ginseng
10. Drink Water
11. Try Bone broth
12. Consume Ginger
13. Humidify or Vaporize the Air
14. Rest (9–10 hours a night)
15. Massage

Conclusion

Eastern is a company built on a passion for helping individuals find healthy ways to heal. If you have remedies or treatments you have tried that work, we’d love to hear from you and add them to our weekly remedy posts. Oh, and don’t forget to come back often because our remedies are constantly growing and getting better using feedback on how well they work for normal people like you and me!

Credits

Dr.Axe

Everydayroots.com

HomeRemedies

Mayo Clinic

WebMD

Beautylish