I (Emily) touch on this quite often. More often than not, because of having 3 young kids at home, and because I sleep less than I should, I get sick very easily. I need to take better care of myself – that is on the docket for 2020. But since I am healthier now… I thought it would be best to share some of my favorite tips for boosting your immune system and staying healthy.
Before I start this post – let me say – I am not a doctor. If you are sick, please seek medical attention. These are just things that I do at the onset of feeling crappy that help to boost my immunity and (in my experience) help to ward off illness.
Shop 5 Holistic Remedies For Cold And Flu Season:
1.)Grandma’s Tonic:
My first concoction in this 5 holistic remedies for cold and flu season is my grandma’s tonic. She’s been making this for years. I added the turmeric – and it only makes it more potent and effective!
My Grandma is the queen of all kinds of interesting remedies. Whatever ails you… she has a fix for it. She also looks about 20 years younger than she should, so when she tells me to do something… I listen. This is one of her favorite ways to ward off illness during cold and flu season. It is a little bit tedious because you have to use fresh ingredients and the prep does take 10-15 min. But it will knock whatever you have out of the park… and quick. I don’t really use any measurements. I apologize. I just kind of add what I want to depending on how I am feeling. I also try to use only the freshest ingredients to make sure I’m not doing any additional harm to my body.
- I usually start with a medium sized pot of water.
- I bring it to a gentle boil and then I turn it off.
- I add in the juice of 4 lemons.
- Then I add in 2 tablespoons of local honey.
- Then I grate in about 2 inches of fresh, organic, ginger. The easiest way to grate ginger is to peel the ginger with the back of a spoon and then to use a microplane or ginger dish to finely grate it.
- Then I add in 2 TBS of turmeric powder.
- I also add in 2 dashes of cayenne pepper. You can add in black pepper if you like the taste of that better.
Be warned that the turmeric in this tonic will stain your clothes, counters and mugs if you spill it. I always drink this out of our CB2 mugs so that I don’t stain our white ones. And I also always drink it after our kids have gone to bed so I’m not yelling at them for a huge unnecessary mess. Just a little life hack for you.
Shop Emily’s Grandma’s Tonic:
Everything in this tonic has a purpose:
- Lemon: Vitamin C. Along with limes, oranges, grapefruits, leafy greens, and other fruits and vegetables, lemons are a good source of vitamin C. Adding fresh lemon juice to hot tea with honey may reduce phlegm when you’re sick.
- Honey: Honey has potent antibacterial effects, likely because of its high content of antimicrobial compounds. Some evidence suggests that honey can also stimulate the immune system.
- Ginger: The anti-inflammatory gingerols and shaogals in ginger root will help to relieve a sore throat quickly, and they also kill rhinoviruses, which cause colds in the first place.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant powerhouse.
- Cayenne: Authors of a 2016 study found that capsaicin (found in cayenne pepper) may relieve symptoms such as sneezing, a stuffy nose, postnasal drip, and congestion.
2.) Oregano Oil:
This is another one of my Grandma’s favorite remedies. I never really took it seriously because I just couldn’t stomach the thought of it. But last fall when I was sick, my girlfriend Brooke actually sent me this particular oregano oil and told me I had to try it. She uses it to kick illness at the onset. I was intrigued. So I bought the oil off of Amazon and FYI it is DISGUSTING. BUT… it works. You put two drops under your tongue morning and night as soon as you feel the onset of sickness. ***LET THE DROPS DISSOLVE UNDER YOUR TOUNGE*** I tried to rush my first dose and just swallow it straight… it was a nightmare. Learn from my mistakes!
One word of advice… a couple of our followers messaged us that you may want to stay away from oregano oil if you are pregnant or trying to conceive! FYI! It is potent, it is gross, but it works, and that is why it made the list for our 5 holistic remedies for cold and flu season.
3.) Elderberry Gummies:
We LOVE Zarbees vitamins. We use these Elderberry gummies for Joe and I, and then we use these ones for the kids!
4.) Lypospheric Vitamins:
These vitamins are incredible. They are not cheap, but since I started taking them, I have felt SO much better. They are kind of weird — they look like apricot jelly and you take them in a shot of water in the morning. They supposedly deliver the vitamins to your body better this way!
5.) Cool Mist Humidifier:
We started using these all over our homes as soon as we had William. The cool mist helps soothe not only babies’ nasal passages, but adults as well. The idea is that when your sinuses are too dry, which can easily happen in the winter, your resistance to bacteria and viruses is lower. The humidifier helps to keep your nasal passages and sinuses hydrated, so to speak, and thus you are less prone to illness. Also if you are currently sick – humidifiers aid in faster healing times. Be sure to clean your humidifier at least once a week with a vinegar bath and rinse!
6.) WASH YOUR HANDS:
This should go without saying, but ALWAYS wash your hands. I am militant about this year round, and this amazing Aesop soap (it has been one of our bestsellers this year) makes the task so much more indulgent. It smells like you are at a very expensive spa and the pumice particles in it are just THE best!
FYI – a ton of people have messaged us that they are selling Aesop soap at Costco – the only thing is – it’s not this specific soap with the pumice pieces.
What are your favorite holistic remedies for cold and flu season???
