Hi there! Here are a few of the natural remedies we find helpful during these winter months of cold and flu season.
This mini-guide is an excerpt of the “Prevention”, “Colds and Congestion”, and “Flu” section from my new A-Z Natural Remedies Guide! The book is full of solutions I have learned as a holistic cancer survivor and mom of 6 who aims to use natural remedies as a “first do no harm” approach. These are the remedies THAT WORK! 😊 So far, we have made it through 15 years of parenting without antibiotics or other pharmaceutical intervention by sticking with these natural remedies.
Grab the entire guide which consists of herbal, homeopathic, and other natural solutions for over 50 ailments like:
- coughs
- headaches
- anemia
- broken bone care
- hand foot and mouth
- pregnancy
- postpartum issues
- anxiety
- lice
- bronchitis
and over 50 more!
There is also a bonus section on our family’s decision on vaccine choice and “vaccine preventable” diseases that covers risks, benefits, and treatment options both natural and emergent.
GRAB THE GUIDE HERE! (Hard Copy) (Digital Copy)
Preventative Measures:
Oh boy, it’s that time of year! I know in our house we have already had to break out and use some of these natural remedies. Here’s this year’s revised list of what I use to keep my family healthy in the winter months. I arranged the list from what I think is most important to the extra “nice to have” goodies.
1. EAT “Ruffage”. YES- I like this word to describe raw vegetables and fruits. It’s just more….visual. Keeping your colon healthy and flowing in the winter months is very important for boosting your immunity. So much of your immune system exists within your colon. Fruits and veggies are also going to be your primary source for fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Eating healthy does not have to take tons of extra time. I make all of my food for the day in the morning before work. Getting up a little bit early, or making four salads on Sunday night (for the week) or adding a green smoothie isn’t going to take too much extra time, and the benefits could be well worth it! If eating cold food doesn’t sound appealing to you because it’s 20 degrees outside, then supplement your salad with a cup of your favorite soup.
2. Take a Daily Food-Based Multi-Vitamin- You may wonder why this would even be necessary if you’re already eating plenty of raw fruits and veggies? I look at it as insurance…the soil our fruits and vegetables are grown in has definitely been depleted of its natural vitamin and mineral content, so we can’t depend on our diets alone. I like Dr. Williams brand of vitamins, but if they aren’t quite in your price range OR you don’t like taking that many caplets (there are 8 in each Dr. Williams packet), I also like Mary Ruth’s brand.
- For Children: Hiya Vitamins: If you want to give a daily multivitamin to your children, I highly recommend HIYA vitamins. They are a high-quality, food-based vitamin made from organic fruits and vegetables. They also taste REALLY good and my kids still ask me for them which helps with taking them consistently! Click HERE for 50% off your first order.
4. Beta-1, 3D Glucan- I originally started taking this immune modulating supplement when I began my holistic cancer regimen in 2008 and have continued for 16 years now! There are MANY instances when sickness has gotten everyone around me but I either didn’t get sick at all or recovered much faster than everyone else.
For Children:
- Beta Glucan: Immune Ready Kids This is the immune support I prefer for my kids 2-9 years old in the winter months (2 gummies daily.) This is the children’s dose for Beta Glucan and also includes Elderberry, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc. Use promo code ACM for 10% off.
- Beta Glucan 100: With over 200,000 studies proving efficacy since the 1960’s, this one is a no-brainer for us. For kids 10+ in age, I recommend the lower dose (and lower priced) Beta Glucan 100+ blend. It also includes Vitamin C, Selenium, and Vitamin D. Check the dosing for your child’s age bracket. Use promo code ACM for 10% off the Beta Glucan 100.
3. Take Vitamin D3- 2,000-10,000 IU Daily
- Vitamin D3: I take 10,000-15,000iu in spring, fall and winter and 5,000iu in summer. Studies show that overall health is better in people who have optimal Vitamin D levels. Cancer rates are much lower, too! The optimum blood level of Vitamin D, (measured as 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), is generally recommended to be between 40–60 ng/mL to ensure adequate health benefits, including cancer prevention and immune support. Perhaps start with the lower dose of 5,000 and have your Vitamin D levels tested to see if you need a bit more Vitamin D supplement daily.
4. Gut Health Care:
- ACV-Ginger Health Drink: Mix 1-2 Tbsp ACV (apple cider vinegar with “the mother” like Bragg’s), 1/2 tsp ginger powder or 1 tsp fresh ginger juice, 1 quart water, and stevia to sweeten (can also use honey) and add ice. Drinking this along with eating probiotic rich food like plain unsweetened yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, etc. leads to a stronger immune system, as 70% of your immune function (via your gut-associated lymphoid tissue) powers up in your gut!
- Gut Health Routine: An easier (and tastier) way to optimize your immune system is through a gut health regimen. My favorite is the Plexus Triplex system. (Feel free to message me at cortney@anticancermom.com for more information and an invitation to my Anti-Cancer Mom group for Plexus users for cancer prevention.)
- If Amazon is more of your thing (and I totally get that! then my favorite simple probiotic is Jarrow EPS.
Acute Care: When the Cold and Flu Visits
Colds and congestion are common viral infections that primarily affect the upper respiratory system, causing symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, and general discomfort. Congestion occurs when the nasal passages become swollen with excess mucus, making it difficult to breathe through the nose. Colds are usually caused by rhinoviruses and can last for 7 to 10 days.
This is a loaded section, but I am so happy to bring some of these awesome remedies to help you confidently and more easily get through your next pesky cold and flu season!
Remedies for Children:
- Nose Frida Nasal Aspirator: For little ones who can’t blow their nose, keep nasal passages clear from mucus by using the Nose Frida nasal aspirator combined with saline drops as many times as mucus is running out. There is a reason this has 30k+, 5-stars on Amazon. I am convinced it literally saves babies’ lives, as it keeps mucus from getting into the lungs, and babies out of the hospital! Always make sure to add a few drops of saline first.
- Chest Rub: Use a breathing essential oil blend on the chest with mint and eucalyptus to clear sinuses.
- Saline and Colloidal Silver Spray: Big kids use colloidal silver spray or any saline spray before blowing to clear nasal passages. (You can use this spray for your nose and throat. Clean the tip with alcohol after each use.)
- Effective Nose Blowing: Teach bigger kids not to suck their snot in and to take the time to blow their nose. I teach mine not to suck their snot back in.
- Homeopathy: Use KEY homeopathic remedy for ALL respiratory problems and to help with sleep at night. (See all homeopathy for colds below.) 👇
Remedies for Adults:
- Nasal Irrigation: Rinse nasal passages out with a Neti Pot w/ saline rinse 3 times daily using warm, filtered water and a saline or xylitol rinse. Blow nose gently. Nasal irrigation is a common practice in many eastern cultures to remove viruses and bacteria from the nasal cavity before they can replicate and spread.
- Nasal Rinse: Use a saline or colloidal silver spray between Neti Pot sessions and before bedtime.
- Gargling: Gargle warm salt water 3x daily. Gargling is a common procedure in Japan and other Southeast Asian countries to reduce viral load in the throat.
- Nebulizer Machine: Nebulize Colloidal Silver: Continue nebulizing colloidal silver a minimum of three times daily. 1 tsp in the nebulizer each session until it runs out, usually about 10 minutes.
- Chest Rubs: Use a breathing essential oil blend on your chest with mint and eucalyptus to clear sinuses.(Vicks or DoTerra Breathe + coconut oil work the best here!)
Cold Symptoms Homeopathy for Adults and Children:
Use KEY homeopathic remedy for ALL respiratory problems and to help with sleep at night (see highlighted section below.)
Homeopathy can be tricky because you have to match the remedy perfectly to the symptom for it to work.
I came across this remedy combo when my girls were little and sick and I just needed them to be able to stop coughing and sleep! I bought a bottle of homeopathic Hyland’s Cold and Cough, and amazingly it worked! They could breathe, stopped coughing and slept soundly and I did, too!
The only problem is that we would spend hundreds of dollars every winter in Hyland’s bottles since each bottle only included enough doses to last 4-5 days PER CHILD.
One day, I cut the label off on the bottle and went to find the remedies in my homeopathy box, and to my delight I found almost all of them!
I started to make the “blend” with the individually-bought vials of pellets and haven’t bought a $14 bottle of Hyland’s ever since!
For this remedy you will need to buy the 30c potency of the following homeopathic remedies vials (the bottles). You can also try using single remedies for the specified symptoms(see below), but I find that if I use all of the remedies at once, my kids get complete relief.
I purchase my remedies from Washington Homeopathics, which is the most cost effective option, but there are Amazon links below. These remedies can last YEARS, depending on how often you use them. There are 900 pellets in the large vials from Washington Homeopathics and you need 4 pellets per remedy dose. The Boiron remedies on Amazon have about 80 pellets per vial. You will only need 2 – 3 pellets of those when you make the combo remedy.
How to make homemade “Highland Homeopathy Blend” (copycat recipe)
In a small glass jar (I use one clean old baby food jar for each of my kids) or a medicine cup combine 3-4 pellets each of:
- Allium cepa (watery nose and eyes, cold, hacking cough, sore throat)
- Hepar sulph (cold, sneezing)
- Hydrastis (rattling/ tickling cough, sinus congestion, sore throat)
- Natrum mur (dry cough, sore throat)
- Phosphorus (hoarse/ dry cough, nasal congestion, chest congestion)
- Pulsatilla (moist cough, cold, post-nasal drip)
- Sulphur (chest congestion, nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose)
- (At bedtime add Coffea cruda and/ or Chamomilla which will help with sleeping)
Also research and experiment with “water dosing” for homeopathy to stretch your homeopathic remedies even further!
(BUTTON FOR REMEDIES GUIDE)
