16 Cold and Flu Natural Remedies

Cold and flu season is on us again. The pumpkin may be rising, and the leaves are definitely turning in many locations, but the change in seasons always brings cold and flu viruses.

Plus, did you know that many cold and flu remedies can help you either ward off a severe cold virus or eradicate it completely? This remains Grandma’s tried-and-true facts passed down from plenty of moms and grandmas to you!

Natural remedies for cold and flu help you keep your family well instead of filling up on unnecessary medications. When a cold or the flu hits hard in your home, going to the doctor may make you sicker than you were before! And, after the dawn of the now-past COVID pandemic, we need all the help we can get, especially as seniors.

If you travel on the road during this time of year, masking up and keeping that all-necessary hand sanitizer becomes a must.

Yet, having the ingredients on hand to help you make natural remedies in your van or car makes life easier when traveling brings sickness. These easy recipes can be grabbed in a pinch, and if you stock up on some essential items, you will be prepared.

Natural Remedies Instructions

Many people who may not use natural remedies will struggle to understand how stuff like this can help you out. Herbs and essential oils mystify people, but they do work. When we raised our kids, we simply accepted illness as the norm. However, we can do more than we thought before.

You can drink the herbs in a tea (squirt the tinctures in water), or use essential oils in a diffuser, humidifier, vaporizer, or potpourri crockpot. You might even add raw honey and lemon to your hot beverages. Try these ideas out and find a boost in your immune system.

You might even consider making up a small pot of soup on your propane stove or plug in a coffee cup warmer into your cigarette lighter to heat it up.

You can find all of the herbal teas below at Walmart or the grocery stores.

Chamomile

An herb well-known for bringing calm. Chamomile also settles indigestion and nausea, as well as inflammation. This can be used as a tea with a touch of stevia for a nice sweet tea that makes it a delicious home remedy. It also works well with children. You can also purchase chamomile essential oil for a nice roll-on.

Garlic

Garlic is an antibacterial and antiviral that can be added to your bone broth or chicken soup. Garlic will help fight infection before it sets in. Chop it up fresh, or buy a jar of chopped garlic and stick it in the refrigerator.

Chicken Soup

Yep, don’t forget this one. Yes, it is true what Grandma said. Chicken soup really does make a great home remedy. Plus, if you stock up on chicken broth regularly, you can easily defrost it for a quick pot of soup on the stove.

There have been studies done on the effectiveness of chicken soup. So, make it a good old-fashioned bone broth, and you nourish the body and the gut.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) contains many well-known natural benefits. For colds and flu, it is antiviral and can help settle a stomach.

Add some to your teas, honey, or honey-lemon concoctions for an extra boost in fighting a cold to mix up your home remedies.

Elderberry

This amazing antiviral herb is one of those things I can’t believe we never used it before! Elderberry is one of the best home remedies I know.

Pop some elderberry dissolving tablets in your mouth, or elderberry gummies for kids, and watch that virus go away! Stock up for cold and flu season, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Here is a recipe link to make your own. You can purchase dried elderberries on Amazon and then make your own tea or extract. It works quite well.

Echinacea

Most people drink echinacea in the form of a cold and flu tea. You will even find it on the shelves at Walmart, so stock up if you think it will help your family. Echinacea is well-known for boosting your immune system.

Vitamin C

When someone gets sick in our home, I stock up on this. Vitamin C really helps keep kids healthy in high doses and also helps them fight colds and flu. I keep chewables for the kids, and pass out doses in at least 1,000 mg at a time when there is illness in the house.

Vitamin D

Don’t forget that vitamin D in the winter in particular. Vitamin D really does prevent illness. I have seen it myself in my own son. It is perfectly safe to give out in high doses like vitamin C. I look for the dissolvable tablets for kid use.

Yogurt

Yogurt, especially homemade yogurt, makes some great gut-boosting food. While this may not sound very appetizing for a stomach virus, this home remedy works to help you heal during a cold.

When you are sick with a stomach virus, especially, don’t skip the yogurt afterwards. Even if you purchase it premade, you cannot go wrong.

Pedialite

You can purchase the store-bought Pedialyte, but you can also make your own at home. Search Pinterest for a quick and easy recipe with simple ingredients from your kitchen. It will really help when the stomach bug hits.

Citrus Fruits

A common home remedy, it goes without saying that citrus provides an extra boost of vitamin C. Squeezing it into juice or simply eating some of the fruit when sick will help you get over a cold virus faster.

Cinnamon

Did you know that cinnamon actually helps your blood sugar even out? It does that, plus, it contains antiviral properties as well. Drink tea with cinnamon in it, or add it to some hot apple cider.

Raw honey

One of the best-tasting home remedies around is raw honey. However, don’t mistake this for over-the-counter honey, or even the sort that you just pick up at Dollar Tree.

Raw honey provides an antiviral effect and will even heal canker sores. Make sure the label specifically says “Raw Honey”; otherwise, you might as well eat a spoonful of sugar.

Essential oils

Most know that essential oils really do help you with tons of illnesses or general little household issues. So, step up the game and use this home remedy. Add it into your diffuser to assist in getting better from a cold or flu. Sprinkle Thieves oil for antibacterial or viral support, or peppermint to help with congestion.

Try some of these essential oils that work well with cold and flu viruses.

Other Things You Can Do

Mask up

This one may be obvious to some, and I admit that I do not necessarily mask up much anymore, but if you are feeling ill in any way, or coughing. MASK UP!

Not only do you not want to pick up something else on top of what you have, but you do not want to give anything you have to others.

And it goes without saying that if you are medically fragile, definitely mask up to protect yourself.

Hand Sanitize

I have to admit that the one thing COVID taught me was the wisdom of hand sanitizer. Make sure that you buy sanitizer that contains alcohol so that it kills 98% of all viruses.

Even when I walk into a store to purchase anything, I go back to my car and sanitize. If I use a public restroom and even wash my hands, I still sanitize.

The result is that I rarely get ill.

Skip the sugar

Now, I know you might think I’m crazy, but sugar really drops your immunity. Think about it. When you sugar up your kids, how many of them come down with something? Stick to stevia or other natural sweeteners so you avoid any further illness.

In Short, Traveling Means Staying Healthy

That does not mean that you have to come down with a nasty virus, but if you do, you check for COVID and then find a quiet place to nurse back to good health.

Natural remedies work both with antibiotics and without. You choose what works best for your personal health so you can get back on the road enjoying your life!