Your throat feels scratchy and irritated. Next thing you know, your throat feels irritated and scratchy. These are all signs and symptoms of the common flu.
What causes common cold?
There are more than 200 viruses that can cause colds, but rhinoviruses is the most prevalent. Cold viruses are highly contagious. They can be spread through close contact and air travel. If you touch a virus-infected object and then touch your eyes or mouth, you could also be infected. You could catch a cold if you touch someone with a virus or shake hands.
You can find effective home remedies to cold relief in your own kitchen.
Ginger tea
* . Ginger is a traditional remedy for cold-related conditions. There are many ways ginger can be used to treat cold-related ailments. Its anti-inflammatory properties ease sore throat pain. Because it is a pungent, spicy herb, it provides the heat the body needs. It also helps to prevent infections by increasing immunity. These DIY ginger remedies are great for a common cold or a sore throat.
Ginger tea is made from the roots of the ginger plant. This tea has a strong spicy flavor with a mild aroma. There are also hints of lemongrass and earthy flavors in the tea. This tea can soothe sore muscles and aches.
You can use it to treat stomach upsets and flu symptoms. It is a common ingredient in Indian cuisine, traditional medicine, and herbal remedies such as Ayurveda.
1 teaspoon of Thai Ginger Root Tea or 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root
* 8-10 ounces water
Bring water to boil in a kettle or on the stove.
Stir in the ginger and let it steep for five to ten minutes. The stronger the flavor, the longer it is steeped.
Take the tea in a cup and enjoy it immediately.
Honey lemon tea
A traditional remedy to treat a sore or cold is honey and lemon tea. Honey has anti-bacterial properties that can be used to get rid of infections. It can also be used to cover the throat, which can help suppress a bad cough. Vitamin C is found in lemon and it helps to break down mucus. Combine with hot water to soothe inflammation, and hydrate. Relax and get lots of sleep.
Ingredients
* 1 cup water
* 2 teaspoons honey
* 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Directions
Add water to a mug. Heat honey in a microwave for 30 seconds.
Mix honey with lemon juice.
Honey cinnamon tea
Honey and cinnamon are powerful ingredients with many health benefits. This simple cinnamon-honey recipe will boost immunity, combat cold and flu symptoms, and improve overall health. Honey is rich in antioxidants and enzymes, which can help you heal from the inside. It has antibacterial properties, which protect the body from infections and damage. The body can also be repaired and treated with cinnamon.
Honey and cinnamon make a wonderful combination that can fight allergies and heal body wounds. Honey and cinnamon can be combined to treat constipation. It’s a great way to prevent infections and keep your body in good health.
How to make honey cinnamon iced tea
This healthy tea can be made with just a few ingredients.
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 cup water are all you will need.
Bring the water to boil. Add cinnamon powder and stir well. Let the water simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix the mixture and pour it into a cup.
This concoction can be consumed daily to improve your health and immunity
Kadha or spice tea
Kadha is a combination of herbs and spices that has been boiled in water for approximately 7-10 minutes. To make it more palatable, lemon juice and honey/jaggery can be added. This combination of herbs and spices is an excellent and effective remedy for dry and severe coughs. It is usually consumed hot or warm, depending on the person drinking it. Warm kadha is usually given to children.
Spicy Tea Ingredients
Usually, spices for spicy tea can be found in the kitchen. You can easily find the ingredients online or in an Indian shop if you don’t own them. If fresh holy basil is unavailable, you can use dried or add more mint.
*Water
* Fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
* Holy basil/ tulsi leaves
* mint leaves
* Cloves
* Pepper
* Cardamom
* Cinnamon
* fresh ginger or ginger powder
* Ajwain/carom seeds/bishop’s weed/ajmo
* honey/jaggery
* Lemon juice
Health benefits of spicy tea :
With the onset of winter or the rainy season colds, coughs, flu are common. Drinking half or a full cup of spicy tea during winter helps to relieve symptoms of cold and coughs. Also it prevents one from catching the cold. In short, hoping that after you’ve read the benefits of the ingredients, you’ll make spicy tea a ritual in your home especially during the cold season. While all the ingredients have a multitude of health benefits, here I will only emphasis the benefits in regards to colds and coughs.
Vitamin C for cold
Whether you consume it in the form of supplements, juices, cough drops, or tea, vitamin C is quite an effective and natural way of treating cold and flu. Vitamin C keeps our body strong and fights back bacterias, responsible for cold. It keeps your bones, muscle, and blood vessels healthy and fit.Here are some vitamin C rich food items that you can have to stay healthy.
Orange
When it comes to getting enough vitamin C, oranges have reigned supreme as the go-to source. And with 70 mg of vitamin C in one medium-sized navel orange, one serving is about all you need to meet you daily dose.
Lemon
Lemons are a good source of Vitamin C, which promotes immunity, battles infection, heals wounds, and more. One lemon provides about 31 mg of Vitamin C.
Tomato
Tomatoes are low in calories and provide important nutrients like vitamin C and potassium. They’re also rich in antioxidants—one called lycopene, responsible for tomatoes’ characteristic color, is linked to several benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
Amla Indian gooseberry
Indian gooseberry, or amla, is a fruit tree that grows natively in parts of Asia.
It has several culinary and herbal medicine uses, particularly in its native India. The fruit is rich in vitamin C and often purported to have potential antioxidant and heart-health benefits.The Vitamin C content of its expressed juice is 921 mg/100 cc, twenty times more than that of other citrus fruits. 100 grams of fresh fruit contains 470 to 680 mg of vitamin C.
Turmeric milk
Turmeric milk is the most effective remedy for people suffering from cough & cold in winter. Also known as golden milk since the presence of turmeric gives the milk a golden or yellow hue. This healthy Indian drink is also becoming popular in Western cultures now days.
This traditional Indian drink is made up of milk with turmeric & some other spices like cinnamon & ginger. Turmeric is well known for containing antioxidants & has anti-inflammatory properties. Thus Turmeric milk is used for the treatment of many health conditions like respiratory disorders, inflammation, joint pain, liver issues, digestive problems & even diabetes.
Boosts Immunity– Turmeric being an organic herb is one of the best homemade remedies used to improve one’s immunity & works best in case of cough & cold. People who are very much prone to cough & cold throughout the year & specially in winter , drinking a cup of golden milk regularly in the morning or just before bedtime can do wonders by keeping cold & flu away.
Prevents you from cough and cold – As per naturallivingideas.com, turmeric increases mucus production which normally flushes out organisms that stop up your respiratory tract. While the antiviral and antibacterial properties of turmeric can help battle disease, its anti – inflammatory property helps in easing the effects of cough and cold.
Helps in detoxifying your body – During winter our uncontrollable desire to eat more and more becomes a serious concern when it comes to digestion. Often we end up having high calorie foods during the occasions which is very normal in the winter season. Turmeric milk helps you to cope with indigestion while relieving gas & bloating.
How to prepare turmeric milk?
To prepare one cup of golden milk, components needed are:
• Half cup of milk of your choice
• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• ½ tsp of cinnamon powder
• ½ tsp of ginger powder or 1 small piece of finely grated fresh ginger
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of honey or maple syrup ( optional )
Procedure – Simply mix all the ingredients in a saucepan & boil it. Reduce the heat & simmer it for few minutes or until fragrant or flavored. Strain the drink & have it.
I hope these home remedies are really helpful for your cold and cure your flu. you must try spicy tea and turmeric milk that taste delicious and refresh your mind.
Summary
These home remedies may help to relieve symptoms and speed up recovery from a cold.
There are other ways to get rid of symptoms and recover from flu or cold symptoms.
- Resting
- Get enough sleep
- Staying warm
- Drink plenty of water, and other clear fluids
- To reduce aches and pains, you can use over-the-counter pain reliefs such as ibuprofen.
- Use a humidifier
If symptoms don’t improve after 10 days, or if you have unusual or severe symptoms, your doctor should be consulted.