7. Honey and cinnamon
Mix equal amount of ground cinnamon in honey and make a paste. Eat 1 teaspoon of it every few hours. Honey provides relief from the respiratory symptoms of flu and cinnamon has antiviral activity. Together, they create a formidable home remedy against flu.
8. Garlic
This potent antibiotic is quite helpful in Influenza. Take a clove of garlic every few hours a day, preferably with meals. Also, tie a clove of garlic with a small thread to the collar of upper garment ( shirt, top, vest etc). The smell of garlic keeps entering the nose and this helps in Influenza. Replace the garlic clove after a day.
Garlic is a strong natural antibiotic. It exerts its pathogen killing effects on bacteria, fungi and viruses.
If the taste of fresh garlic seems too pungent, one can eat sauteed garlic.
9. Echinacea Tea
Drinking echinacea tea 2 - 3 times a day, when you have flu helps in getting rid of the influenza virus faster. Echinacea is a well renowned herb for its immune boosting abilities. It can improve the functioning of immune system to a level that the virus gets cleared out faster. Recovery time is dramatically improved.
This is especially helpful for the elderly, as their immune system capabilities have declined with time.
10. Hot Shower
Taking a hot shower is ultra relaxing. This is the simplest remedy but provides great relief from the symptoms of flu.
It helps to open up a clogged nose, relieve headache and induce sleep. Warm water soothes the muscles, joints and skin. It can reduce the chills, which are very uncomfortable.
11. Saline Nasal Rinse
It helps to open up a clogged nose and relieve respiratory discomfort.
- Ingredients
Sterilized neti pot
Water ( boiled and pure )
Salt
- Directions / How to use
Add 1 tablespoon salt to about 150 ml warm water. Fill this water in your neti pot and perform a nasal irrigation using this. It provides considerable relief from blocked nose. When breathing difficulty is overcome, person is able to get some sleep, which is very relaxing.
- Why it works ?
Saline nasal rinse is a very effective way to unclog the nostrils. Just be absolutely sure that the water you use is perfectly clean. Using contaminated water can lead to severe infections of the sinus and in rare cases, even the brain.
12. Horseradish
The herb horseradish is excellent in flu. It is a potent antiviral which really helps the body in killing the influenza virus. There are numerous ways in which to take horseradish. You can find one that is convenient.
- Horseradish soup - Take any regular soup mix and add 1/4 cup grated horseradish during the preparation. This allows horseradish ingredients to seep into the soup.
- Horseradish with honey - Add 1/4 tablespoon grated horseradish to 1 tablespoon raw, organic honey. Mix it thoroughly. Take this 4 times a day.
- Horseradish as vegetable - You can prepare a recipe like Tewkesbury mustard. Horseradish is commonly used as vegetable in many culinary traditions. Horseradish is also used in condiments like wasabi and sauces too.
- Horseradish tea, made from powdered herb is also available. You can make this tea by putting 1 tablespoon herb in 300 ml water. Drink this 2 times daily.
13. Apple Cider Vinegar
Drink ACV for getting rid of the sore throat and runny nose. Add 1 tablespoon ACV to 1/2 glass water. Drink this warm. You can add a bit honey to make it sweet. This helps to clear the throat off mucus.
14. Take Lots Of Rest
Flu is a time for laying down and shutting down many activities. The extreme tiredness, lethargy and body aches are all trying to convey a message. And that is about doing less activity during these days. One should avoid going to the office and manage daily chores with the least effort. Try to get in about 9 - 10 hours sleep. This is remarkably helpful in flu, as body does much of the repair process when we are sleeping.
Do not try to fight the flu by carrying on your regular work. It is harmful to do workouts, or follow hectic schedules at this time. Flu is a serious health condition, and most people understand.
15. Eat foods really rich in Vitamin C
Well, research has indicated that high doses, or megadoses of Vitamin C are really helpful in recovering from flu very fast. If you can take foods richest in Vitamin C at a convenient amount, it should get rid of the flu in about a day.
The whole idea is to find a fruit richest in Vitamin C in your area and then eat it all the time.
Foods richest in Vitamin C
Camu camu
Acerola
Rose hips
Indian Gooseberry
Pink Guavas
Kiwi
Papayas
And oranges, of course
Try to eat foods that are mentioned higher up in this list. The aim should be to get at least 1000 mg of Vitamin C per day, which is about 10 times more than the RDI.
16. Olive Leaf tea
Olives are very healthy for us. They are the mainstay of Mediterranean diet. The leaf of olives has even more potent health benefits. It contains a compound called oleuropein , which assists the body in killing viruses.
Drink olive leaf tea 2 times a day. It also boosts the immune system performance. You can easily get olive leaf tea bags, as it is popular among people who need to boost their immune system naturally.
17. Green Tea
The health benefits of green tea are unparalled. However, most of them take months or even years to show up. However, one benefit of green tea is fast acting. It contains catechins, which denature the influenza virus by binding to its glycoprotein, called haemagglutinin.
In a way, it acts as a natural anti-viral medication, working specifically against the influenza virus.
How many cups of green tea for this effect ?
You should drink at least 5 - 8 cups of green tea. It will have a mild diuretic effect, which can be countered by drinking more water.
Some important Questions And Answers about flu
How long does flu last ?
In health adults, flu generally lasts from a day to 2 days. Body's immunity responds fast and gets rid of it.In children, the immunity is not fully developed. It may take them longer to eliminate the influenza virus. Elderly people are however at the greatest risk of developing complications from a flu event, like bacterial pneumonia. A viral infection prompts the body to make more number of virus fighters. This leaves the body susceptible to bacterial infections for some period of time.
If flu symptoms do not go away in a week, or if you see worsening in coughing, very high fever and any other alarming symptoms like vomiting, the patient should be immediately taken for medical care.
Some herbal remedies for flu :
