Growing up it seemed that no matter what was wrong with my brother and I, my mom always had something with a nasty taste or smell that would heal any cut or scrape. I swear if I came home with the plague she would have made some kind of bubbling potion that would cure it.
Vitamin C
The first thing someone will tell you to do when you have a cold is drink plenty of hot tea with lemon. This is because lemon contains vitamin C. When consumed it can help keep your immune system strong so the body can fight off the germs that cause cold symptoms. However, once you have a cold it also helps shorten the duration of the cold.
Garlic
Back in the day my mom would give my brother and I garlic soup. The soup has antiseptic properties, and the oil in the soup helps open the repertory system to reduce fever in the body. By adding some onion juice to the soup you can help flush unwanted toxins from the body, by sweating them out.
Ginger Tea
If you have a cold and a fever the answer is tea with ginger. This does not mean make a cup of ginger tea. The tea bag alone does not have enough ginger in it to make a difference. What you need to do is cut up several pieces of ginger, approximately a quarter of an ounce, and put it in a pot. Put a cup of water in the pot and bring it to a boil. After the water boils, strain the chunks of ginger out of the water and pour the remains into a glass add sugar for taste, and drink it.
Okra
Okra is a green vegetable, that kind of looks like a cross between a pepper and a zucchini. The vegetable is filled with mucilage, which is great for soothing sore throats. Cut about 10 grams of Okra and boil them in about 1 liter of water. After the water boils you can inhale the steam and drink the water. The water will look oily. This oil is what sooths your sore throat.
Tamarind and Pepper
A great way to relieve a stuffed up nose is Tamarind and Pepper soup.
The soup is made by adding 50 mg of Tamarind into a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil then add one teaspoon of hot ghee and half a teaspoon of black pepper. You should have 1 cup of this soup 3 times a day. After drinking you will feel your nose start to run and your eyes will water, but within minutes your sinuses will be cleared out.
Go for the Source
All of the remedies so far have been ways to relieve the effects of cold symptoms, but this remedy is aimed at curing the entire cold. The Bitter Gourd Root is made into a past and mixed with honey. For every 1 teaspoon of Bitter Gourd Root add 1 teaspoon of honey. Take a tablespoon of the mixture every night for 30 days to rid yourself of the cold germs and to help rebuild your immune system.
Turmeric Root
This cure will cure everything that ails you. It will rid you of all the suffering from sore throats congestion and runny nose. For this cure you want to buy the turmeric root in a powder form. Pour half a teaspoon of the turmeric root powder into a pot with 1 cup of milk and bring t a boil. When the mixture begins to boil, deeply inhale the steam. Then allow the milk to cool slightly and drink this twice a day. In just a few days you will feel better.
These were just some of my mom's old home remedies, and with winter approaching I hope that they will help you get through the winter feeling happy and healthy.
Ella Philipini
