5 Herbal Remedies to Make Before Cold Season

It may still be summer in your part of the world, but back to school and cold season will be here before you know it. Now is the time to start making your herbal remedies  – before cold season sets in.

Herbal remedies have been used for hundreds of years and they are effective and safe. Our grandparents often turned to herbs and spices to ward off common ailments, and these time-tested remedies have proven safe and effective. (If you have a health condition or are already using medication or other treatments, consult your doctor before use.)

5 Herbal Remedies for Colds

Start these easy herbal remedies now, before your family needs them. Some take minutes to make, some take days, and all these herbal remedies are great to have on hand when you start to feel cold or flu symptoms coming on.

1.  Honey Onion Syrup for Coughs – Syrup is a traditional way to make herbal preparations more tasty for children (adults too!) and the sweet flavor of a syrup helps to make the medicine go down, so to speak. This is a simple herbal remedy for a sore, scratchy throat using the ingredients of honey and onion. It might sound like a strange combination, but we promise, it’s tasty! Find the directions here. You can make this remedy in a matter of hours.

2. Fire Cider Vinegar – This pungent – but oh so good – remedy has been around for many years. It’s made with five simple ingredients that can be found at any grocery store. Use it at the first sign of a cold or flu. Fire Cider will knock it right out of you! This recipe was my first line of defense last winter. Use organic ingredients if possible and look at this post for mixing directions. Fire Cider Vinegar takes 30 days to “cook” so get started now!
INGREDIENTS: 1 medium onion, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 3-4 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger, 3-4 tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish, organic apple cider vinegar, honey and cayenne powder.

3. Cold Fighting Tea – Make your own herbal tea to store as a dried blend for winter. Mix together equal amounts of Elderflower (Sambucus nigra), Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Store in a covered container. TO USE: put 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of mixed herbs in a cup, steeping for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and add 1 tsp honey and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Use at the first sign of a cold to relieve the intensity and discomfort. This tea will promote perspiration to reduce temperature and is useful for reducing nasal inflammation.

4. Grated Ginger & Lemon Drops – This one is simple. Go to the store before you need this soothing tea and pick up a ginger root and a few fresh lemons. Nothing beats ginger lemon tea when you’re sick and nothing is worse than knowing you’re sick and not having your ginger and lemon! Grate about a teaspoon of the fresh ginger into ice cube trays. Cut and squeeze fresh lemon into each cube. Add a bit of lemon zest and fill the cube the rest of the way with water. Once it is completely frozen, transfer the cubes to a large plastic bag and return it to the freezer. When you need it, pull out a cube, place it in a cup, heat your water and pour it over your ginger lemon drops. Add honey for extra soothing, antibacterial, benefits. 

5. Gather the ingredients for a Detox Bath –  This recipe will help clear your system of impurities. Plus it helps with achy joints and muscles and who doesn’t like a bath… In a large non-aluminum bowl mix together 1 cup sea salt, 1 cup epsom salt, 1 cup baking soda and 7.5 tablespoons of ground ginger.  Keep this mixture, covered, in a glass container until you are ready to take a bath. TO USE: Shake the container to mix the ingredients and measure out one cup of dry materials into a hot bath. ADD 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Soak for 40 minutes (or longer if you can get away with it!) Makes 3 baths.

Other herbal remedies for colds around the web:

Homemade eucalyptus vapor disks

Honey Ginger Throat Drops 

Cold & Flu Brew