It’s cold and flu season again! So, I thought I’d share my top 10 go-to natural remedies for colds and flu with you. They are in random order, although #1 is always my first go-to.
The great thing about many of these natural remedies is they WON’T break the bank. And some of them contain items you may already have around your house – score!
You might also like, Simple Ways to Take Care of Your Health.
*Disclaimer: These natural remedies for colds and flu are my favorites that work the best for my family. We are all a study of one, meaning some things may work for you and others may not. I am not a doctor or a nurse, but I do know how to research things and listen to doctors that I trust to make decisions that are best for my family. I am not advising you against heeding a trusted doctor’s advice over mine. You are responsible for your health. You must make the best decisions for yourself and your children.
**I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Natural Remedies for Colds & Flu
1. Gargle and/or do nose rinses.
The remedy I’m probably best known for by my friends is gargling with 10% povidone iodine and salt. At the very first tickle in my throat, I start with this protocol. It isn’t as effective if I wait too long.
It can also be used as a preventative. So, if my husband or one of my kids starts to feel bad, and I don’t yet, I will gargle once a day {usually right before bed} to try and keep sickness at bay.
- 1/2 tsp salt – I don’t measure; I just shake some in a cup. I prefer Redmond Real Salt or Pink Himalayan Sea Salt over table salt.
- 5-6 drops of 10% povidone iodine – DO NOT SWALLOW! If you’re nervous about swallowing, I’d recommend J. Crow’s Lugol’s Solution 5% instead.
- 1 cup/glass of hot water – We use our filtered well water. If we lived in the city, I’d probably boil my water first.
Gargle for 10-15 seconds each time for a total of at least one minute. DO NOT eat or drink anything for at least 30 minutes afterwards to give the iodine time to work. I like to gargle right before bed to give the iodine time to do its thing. Repeat 2-3 times a day until the tickle goes away.
This protocol comes from America out Loud, Dr. McCullough. He recommends doing a nasal rinse with this mixture. I prefer gargling, as the nasal rinse really irritated my nose.
2. Sleep with a humidifier.
Keep your nasal passages moist by using a humidifier when you sleep.
Speaking of sleep, be sure you’re getting enough of it. Sleep is when our body repairs itself, so sleep is an important, yet often overlooked, part of our immune system.
3. Take epsom salt baths.
The magnesium found in epsom salt is SO good for your immune system. I really like the Dr. Teal’s foaming bath with epsom salts because it creates a bubble bath. I also combine the foaming bath with the granual epsom salt {I prefer fragrance free}.
When my daughter had a high fever, soaking just her feet in an epsom salt bath helped her fever come down. So, if you don’t have a bathtub you can soak in, at least try to soak your feet.
4. Avoid dairy and processed sugar as much as possible.
Processed sugar wreaks havoc on our immune system. It’s good to avoid it altogether, but especially when you’re sick. Dairy products tend to thicken mucus, which is the opposite affect you want during a cold.
5. Drink warm liquids.
My favorite for a sore throat is Organic Throat Coat. Traditional Medicinals is my favorite brand of organic teas.
If you don’t have tea bags, I highly recommend taking hot water and adding a sprinkle of cinnamon, a squeeze of lemon, and a spoonful of local honey.
Another go-to is apple cider vinegar shots, although it tastes absolutely awful, or you can make your own fire cider. {Recipe HERE.}
6. Garlic, garlic, garlic.
Garlic has wonderful antiviral and antibiotic properties. Honey infused garlic is good to take at the first sign of a sickness. To make it, cut garlic cloves in smaller pieces and submerge in honey. It is ready in 4-6 weeks’ time.
If you don’t have any honey infused garlic on-hand, just cut up a garlic clove into smaller pieces and swallow them like a pill with water. I also like Dr. Mercola’s Black Garlic, which doesn’t give you garlic breath. 🙂
7. Take your vitamins.
The key with vitamins is to go as natural as possible. I use Juice Plus+ because it comes from fruits and veggies and can get to the cellular level. If you don’t have Juice Plus+, I’d recommend using Liposomal Vitamin C.
Of course, Vitamin D is vital to a good immune system. Because of indirect sunlight and less time outside, our Vitamin D levels usually go down in the winter. Some foods that are an excellent source of Vitamin D3 include:
- cod liver oil
- certain kinds of mushrooms
- egg yolks from free range chickens
Although not “natural,” we often use Vitamin D drops and Vitamin K drops from Mary Ruth.
Other kinds of natural vitamins include:
- tomatoes {Vitamin C}
- oranges or grapefruit {Vitamin C}
- homemade Instant Pot elderberry syrup {Recipe HERE.}
- homemade bone broth {Steps to make it HERE.}
- homemade broth using onions and garlic {a great source of quercetin}
8. Take supplements.
Yes, I know. Most supplements don’t fit into the “natural” category, but these are some of my go-tos when it’s cold season:
- Curcumin – helps with pain, especially headaches, which often accompany colds
- Magnesium Complex
- Quercetin {helps your body absorb zinc}
- Zinc
- NAC with Milk Thistle
- Oscillococcinum by Boiron is another one I keep stocked for cold and flu season. It’s non-drowsy and helps reduce the symptoms of a the flu or bad cold.
- Arnica 30C is another supplement I keep on stash all year as it’s great for headaches or general aches and pains. {We use this instead of the typical over-the-counter pain meds now.}
9. Breathe it in.
Steam can be your best friend if your nose is clogged or you feel it’s moving into your chest. Here are a few of my favorite tools:
- Vicks steamer. {HERE is a newer model.}
- Take a hot shower WITHOUT your exhaust fan for 15-20 minutes, and breathe in the steam. Optional: Add a shower steamer.
- Bring water to a boil and hold your head over the steam, breathing it in. {An open container of steaming hot water can scald or burn you, so use caution!}
When I feel things could be moving into the chest, I add a little extra to fight back. I use my nebeulizer to nebeulize colloidal silver, 5% iodine, and/or food-grade hydrogen peroxide. You can find more about this option HERE.
10. Intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting can help your immune system clean out sickness at the cellular level. My favorite thing about intermitten fasting is it’s FREE!
You can, however, buy books about it to help you learn more. Pictured above are the five I currently own; an (*) is beside my two favorites:
- Clean(ish) by Gin Stephens
- Fast. Feast. Repeat.*– The first book I read on fasting.
- Delay, Don’t Deny by Stephens
- Life in the Fasting Lane – Very scientific if you’re into all the science behind fasting
- Fast Like a Girl* by Dr. Mindy – Dr. Mindy also has some FANTASTIC and free YouTube videos, which I’ve found to be super helpful.
- A dear friend of mine is currently reading {and sharing} a lot from The Essential Guide to Intermittent Fasting by Megan Ramos, but I don’t own it…yet. 🙂
I’m sure I’m missing things that could be helpful natural remedies for colds or flu. I love learning more, so be sure to share your go-to natural remedies for colds and flu in the comments below!
Stay healthy!
~Becky
Jennifer says
Thank you for posting these! I love how easy and accessible they are.
becky says
You’re welcome! It was good to write it all down so I don’t forget if sicknesses hit us. 🙂