Its 5 a.m.
As I lie in bed battling laziness, debating whether to wake up for yoga or enjoy bit more sleep, I hear my little one coughing from the room next door. I walk to the other room and find him sitting on the bed. He looks up at me and says, Mumma, I have ‘ouchie’ in my throat and nose.
There! My sleep and laziness are all gone and I am wide awake. My son has cough and cold!
A few years ago, I would have rummaged through my medicine cabinet to treat every health concern, but now I first prefer to go through my kitchen cabinets for natural cures.
Growing up, we have all probably seen, or heard of, these desi nuskhe from parents/grandparents/ neighbours, passed on over for generations. But when it comes to our kids, we sometimes forget what to do amidst all the worrying. I have printed out the below remedies and popped a sheet on the fridge. It is really quite handy.
I am not a doctor or a nutritionist—just a mum who has had her fair share of kids’ common colds and ailments. These remedies are not a substitute for doctor’s advice in case of serious or prolonged illness. Please use your discretion.
Before scrolling down for natural remedies, please remember these important factors for treating and preventing illness:
- Old-fashioned rest: Rest as much as possible (sickness is often your body telling you to slow down);
- Lots of fluids; and
- Simple and bland diet: Eat very simple foods. Your digestion is at an all-time low during sickness and overtaxing it with heavy foods will only lead to increased work for your body and slowed recovery.
- Easily digestible and healthy options include vegetable soups (rasam works wonders!), khichdi (moong dal, rice and veggies), etc.
- Avoid dairy (yogurt is fine), processed and fried foods, cold foods and sugar in general. Viruses and bacteria thrive on sugar. A small amount of honey maybe consumed as it is beneficial for colds; too much could be harmful.
- Dose of Vitamin C and Zinc
Natural cures for common cold, cough and flu
All the herbs/spices listed below (such as black pepper, garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, tulsi leaves, lemons), have numerous health benefits. It’s a good idea to have them stocked in your kitchen and use them regularly in your cooking to boost your and family’s immunity.
You are not required to follow all the remedies listed below.
Feel free to choose that suit you best as per convenience, your family’s requirements and effectiveness over time.
The humble clove, ‘nature’s cough drop’: Take 3 whole clove buds (1-2 for kids) and pop them into your mouth during a coughing bout. Suck (not chew) these cloves until they begin to fall apart and have no flavour left. Repeat 3-4 times a day.
Kadha: is an ayurvedic wonder to fight common cold, flu and sore throat. There are few different ways to prepare kadha. Choose the one that suits you best and drink it three times a day or as required:
- Boil two glasses of water and take it off heat. Add 10 peppercorns, a pinch of turmeric, 1 tsp grated ginger, and few peppermint leaves. Cover with the lid and let the spices/herbs steep in for 10 mins. Uncover and stir in 1 tsp honey; or
- Grind few tulsi leaves and black pepper corns and then boil them in water. You may add some honey to taste; or
- Stir in a piece of cinnamon, a clove and 1 tsp honey in hot water; or
- Boil one glass of water and add 1 tsp grated ginger and 1 tsp jeera.
Herbal tea: this potent tea blend can be used to fight pretty much any symptom associated with common cold—sore throat, cold, nausea, fever or flu. It also helps boost immunity, enhance digestion, detoxify and is anti-inflammatory. You can make a strong batch in the morning and drink it 4-5 times throughout the day.
Boil 4 cups of water. Once boiling, remove from heat. Add: 1 tbsp. loose leaf tulsi tea, 3 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder, 2 cloves, 2 cardamoms, 1 tsp fennel seeds and 2 black pepper corns. Cover and let these herbs steep for 6-8 minutes. Strain into a mug. Once the temperature has cooled a bit, add the honey to taste and sip it while warm.
A warm concoction of lemon juice, honey and lukewarm water may be drunk regularly to counter the effects of sore throat. It helps significantly in providing a soothing sensation. Lemon juice with its high Vitamin C content helps to counter the conditions of cold and flu.
Steaming and Gargles:
Salt and lukewarm water gargles or clove water gargles alleviate coughing accompanying sore throat. Boil 2-3 cloves in water; strain and gargle thrice a day.
Inhaling steam with boiling water enriched with seven to eight drops of essential eucalyptus oil may clear painful effects of blocked nose and sinus congestion.
Ginger-honey juice is a strong concoction that fights infection, nausea and soothes sore throat. Peel and grate a thumb-sized piece ginger. Squeeze the grated ginger to get roughly 2 tsp juice. Stir in 1 tsp honey. Lick this potion with your finger (as it feels quite strong on the throat) or have it slowly with a teaspoon.
For Sinus congestion, mix 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar with a pinch of cayenne pepper powder in less than half a cup of hot water. Have it when it is still warm, at least twice a day; or
Boil two to three garlic cloves in a cup of water. Mix 1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder and drink it daily until congestion clears.
It’s important to reiterate that along with the above mentioned cures, most vital factors for treating and preventing illness are: lots of rest, plenty of fluids and a very simple and bland diet.
Without these three factors, herbs or even medications can only do so much, and it is likely that the sickness will drag on for much longer than needed.
It would be great to hear your go-to natural cures for common colds. We can all benefit by sharing age-old remedies followed in your family passed on from one generation to the next.