Ugh. It’s THAT time of year again at our house. Every year when the weather changes, we all seem to catch a really unpleasant virus. This year, we’ve been concocting different home remedies, trying to use some kitchen craft to head off this bug before it takes up residence and turns into something that requires antibiotics.
First, my disclaimer. I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. Some components of this home remedy probably have some good science to support them somewhere, but I can only speak to the actual experience that our family has had thus far. If your cold lasts more than a couple of days or you start running a high fever, please see your own doctor.
I started by reaching back into my memory of home remedies that my grandma used to brew. Mostly, she was a hot lemon and honey kinda gal. The ONLY time I can choke that elixir down is when I have a really miserable cold…and oddly enough, it actually tastes good to me then.
This year, we decided to kick things up a notch. When someone in our family starts to feel the crud creeping up, they start drinking this mixture preventively. Here’s what we do in our own kitchen:
Cold Kicker Remedy
Start by crushing 2-3 whole cloves of garlic in the bottom of really big mug.
Add:
- 2 T. lemon juice
- 1 t. honey
- 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
- 1/8 t. cinnamon
- 1/8 t. ground cloves
- 1 chamomile tea bag
- boiling water
- 3 drops of oregano oil (optional) (you can find this in a health food store)
This is a REALLY noxious-smelling brew. Let everything steep for 10-15 minutes. Reheat the tea if it’s cooled down too much. Surprisingly, in spite of how strong this drink smells, it doesn’t taste all that violent. Really. Trust me. Yes, the first time you make it, it’ll smell so strong that you can’t even imagine choking it down. But if you try it, you’ll see that it’s not that bad.
My son, Nate, likes using rose hip and hibiscus tea instead of the chamomile. He, in particular, swears by this stuff. He came sailing through this last cold with minimal discomfort. He DOES eat the garlic after it’s steeped in the tea, but you can strain the mixture if you don’t want to eat the garlic cloves. (I’m sure that this stuff will keep all the vampires a good distance away too!)
Last year, a good friend sent me a recipe that her doctor had given her. That recipe called for apple cider vinegar and fresh ginger in addition to the ingredients that I’ve listed for our home remedy.
The cayenne pepper might make you break a sweat if you’re not accustomed to eating spicy foods, but I hear that even that is actually good for you. I’ve become intrigued with home remedies and how people use food, in addition to medicine, to treat illness.
So….I would love to hear what home remedies you use for the common cold. Please comment!
Barb 
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I use a leftover chicken carcass, simmer it for a really long time so there is good strong broth. Tear up the chicken meat and throw it back in. Throw in lots of onions, LOTS of garlic, lots of veggies, some quinoa maybe, or stick with just veggies. Eat with LOTS of cayenne. Eat often.
Our family swears by the following:
Broth made from simmering chicken bones and meat slowly, to which is added LOTS of garlic, onions, ginger, a couple of hot chilis (jalapeno or serrano), whatever garden greens are available (chard, kale, or mustard) and rice. Eat a big bowl, steaming hot and sweat it out!!
Denise, that actually sounds really tasty!
It also helps to make sure your honey is a locally grown variety. Something about honey made from local flowers helps with allergies and such.
Scott, I’ve heard that too. I’ve heard that local honey is really good for allergies as well. Sort of a lightweight alternative to allergy shots.
When I lived in Beijing, I learned two Chinese methods for treating colds~
1. Put about 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar into a mug of boiling hot water. Try not to make a face as you drink. Repeat every couple of hours. Actually, many of my Chinese co-teachers would drink this every day as a source of iron, and they convinced me for a little while to do the same.
2. Put a couple large tablespoons of Chinese pear juice elixir in a mug of boiling hot water. Add a little honey and drink. Incredibly sweet, but not as bad as the brown sugar drink. I tried this one when I had a bad cold, and it seemed to work well enough. It especially helps with a sore throat.
Wow, it sounds like the theme is SWEET. I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of Chinese pear juice elixir….