Cold+Flu Remedies and Prevention

Warmth: To heal yourself while already sick, cover your bronchial zone and cover up, especially while sleeping. The immune system is very vulnerable to temperature changes in the body. If temperature fluctuates, as it often does while sick, the body has to divert its energy to maintaining temperature rather than fighting the virus. And you want to sweat, sweating is your body’s way of ridding itself of the virus. And avoid washing hair while sick as heat is lost most easily  via the head, rendering the body vulnerable through temperature change.

Vitamin Boosting: This should be used as both sickness prevention and healing. When fighting infections the body needs to be loaded with even more vitamins than normal, these vitamins help the body to better fight foreign invaders and recover from the damage done by the sickness. Make sure to get enough vitamin D, zinc, magnesium and vitamin C. 

Probiotics: probiotics offer targeted prevention from the flu and can boost your immune system while fighting off viruses or infections. 70% of the body's  immune system resides in the gut after all. 

Echinacea: This herb boasts anti-viral properties and boosts the immune system, reducing many of the symptoms of colds, flu and some other illnesses, infections, and conditions. Drink as tea, or take as a sirop at the first sign of illness or as prevention when others around you are sick.

Elderberry: this plant can help deactivate the flu virus and naturally boost immunity. It also helps reduce bronchial inflammation and shorten the severity and length of flue/cold symptoms. 

Dragon’s Blood: Kill the infection with natural antibiotics. This blood red resin extracted from the amazonian croton lecheri tree is filled with magical properties. It is a powerful anti-bacterial that targets bacterial cold and gastrointestinal infections, making it the perfect potion against winter illnesses. Just add 10-20 drops of dragon’s blood into a shot of water and drink 2 to three times daily until symptoms subside. For more magical healing properties of this versatile remedy: 

Dragon Fire Shot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons rosemary, thyme, oregano

Juice of one lemon

20 drops dragon’s blood

1 teaspoon manuka honey

1 teaspoon turmeric

Pinch of black pepper (to fascinate turmeric absorption) 

Water

Recipe

In a small saucepan, cover the ginger and herbs, turmeric and pepper with water and boil gently until it has reduced to one or two tablespoons and darkened in color which should take about 10 minutes. 

Strain the liquid, to which you will add the lemon juice, 20 drops dragon’s blood, and manuka honey. Stir to mix. Take the whole thing or divide into smaller shots to be taken throughout the day to help fight the infection and ease throat pain. 

Herbal Diffusion: Diffuse curative oils such as eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary, cinnamon, frankincense, oregano, and tea tree. If you don't have a diffuser, boil a few drops of oil in a saucepan of water on the stove, or splash a few drops into the shower or bath to relieve symptoms of cold/flu. 

Honey+Lemon Tea: Combine hot water with lemon, honey, and even ginger.

Ginger – antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. In addition to treating cold/flu, ginger is excellent for settling nausea and stomach issues.

Honey – Look for raw, local honey that doesn't use antibiotics. Honey is antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic.

Lemon – high in vitamin C, balances acid levels in the body, levels which rise when the body is sick. And lemon may help decrease the strength of the cold and flu virus and a decongestant.

Healing Herbs: These herbs can be used in teas, elixirs, oils, or cooked directly into food. 

Rosemary- natural anti-biotic properties. Also holds anti-bacterial, anti-infectious, anti-viral and antiseptic uses. 

Sage – carminative, antiseptic, and astringent – the mouth and throat plant. Used for sore throats and cough. Also used for sinus congestion. Sage should not be used when pregnant or breast feeding.

Thyme  – lung strengthener, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, expectorant, and astringent. 

Cayenne – stimulant, anti-microbial, analgesic, carminative, diaphoretic, and expectorant.  Cayenne can help prevent a cold or flu as well as shorten the duration of a cold or flu. It brings heat to the body, which can help dispel coldness.

Peppermint – effective for soothing headaches, chest congestion and reducing fever

Oregano – effective as a natural antibiotic. Antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-parasitic properties.

Oregano/Thyme/Rosemary Infusions

Another powerful herbal antibiotic infusion that also helps to heal raw throats. 

Ingredients

3 rosemary branches

5 thyme sprigs

3 star of anise

1 tablespoon Manuka honey (anti-biotic honey packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals).

Recipe

Boil herbs in water until infused-the color darkens and the water reduces, for about 10 minutes. Strain and add manuka honey, enjoy warm to ease sore throats, fight chest infections, and to boost immunity. 

Electrolyte Boosting: One of the best ways to arm yourself while sick is increasing your fluid intake to help your body flush itself from the virus and properly fight it. One way is to drink water enhanced with electrolytes, chicken broth or bone broth to pump your body with the minerals and nutrients it needs to take on the illness.

Digestive Rest: This doesn't just mean physical rest and more sleep, this means giving your internal organs a rest. Eat easy to digest foods and eat less without forgoing nutritional needs. Digestion takes a huge amount of energy, energy that would otherwise be directed to the immune system. Opt for pureed vegetables, soups, healthy fat sources and easy to digest protein like fish or ground turkey/chicken. Avoid sugar, simple carbs, and starchy foods. 

Preventative exercise: Keep exercising regularly to help stimulate the immune system and keep illness at bay.

Thieves "Plague" Oil: This one is for preventative care. It's a blend of lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon, clove, and rosemary and the recipe dates back to the bubonic plague. Thieves would scavenge the bodies and homes of those who had died of the plague and they somehow managed to survive. When the king heard about the thieves that weren't falling ill, he had them brought into the palace and demanded they reveal their secret or face death. Their secret? A mix of anti-bacterial, anti-infectious, anti-viral and antiseptic herbs that protected them from the plague. 

Palo Santo+Sage: Burn palo santo and dried sage in your home to kill bacteria and viruses in the air.