The BEST Ways to Kick a Cold Drug-Free
Try as we may, even the healthiest person will probably get taken down by a nasty cold bug once or twice this year. If you have little kids in school, it’s practically unavoidable. So what can you do?
You could suffer through it for a week…you could ingest some strange chemical cocktail from the drugstore…OR you could use some of the tips I’m about to share with you to kick your cold fast AND feel better while your body is healing!
I am fighting a cold as I write this post, which means I’m actively using these techniques myself. Many of the options below are safe for kids and pregnant or nursing women. In fact, it was during my first pregnancy that I really started to learn about and utilize natural cold relief methods. As any mama or mama to be knows, you pretty much can’t take ANYTHING when you’re pregnant! Not even ibuprofen. I had to find other methods. Fortunately, there are tons of easy, natural, safe ways to feel better fast.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV is my old standard for getting over a cold fast and knocking out congestion, too. All I do is mix 1-2 tablespoons of ACV with some warm water and honey, and throw it back! If the taste is too much, try adding more water, or even mixing in a little juice to mask it. Typically, I try to do this every 4 hours or so. Try this and see how fast your nasal congestion improves! Have tissues close- sometimes when I use this remedy my nose starts running like a faucet (nice image, I know).
For my kids, I use less vinegar, more apple juice. I was unable to find any clear info on how old a child needs to be before using this method, so if you have a baby or young toddler, you may want to consult with their doctor first. I’d be comfortable with giving it to a child 2 or older, but that’s just my opinion.
**IMPORTANT: Make sure that you get apple cider vinegar that says “with the mother” on the label. I’m usually fine with generic versions, but for ACV I only buy
Elderberry Syrup
Oh, let me sing a song of praise for this MAGICAL plant! Not only does it aid in recovery from colds and flu, it helps prevent them too! In my house, we take our elderberry syrup every morning. We always have a jar or two in the fridge. I don’t let us run out, because if I do? That’s when both kids get sick and I won’t have my magic bullet to help them feel better.
I recommend either buying local, or making your own. The biggest reason for this is that then you can reap the benefits of local honey as well! Don’t know where to find it in your area? Check out your local buy/sell Facebook pages, or area parenting groups.
Here is a recipe for the DIY folks (Link), and here’s the Amazon option if you’re short on time.
We use elderberry syrup that’s made locally. I have made it myself before, but hers tastes better! My method is not at all precise- I take a big spoonful and I give the kids ( 3 and 5) a little spoonful each morning. If someone is sick, we all ramp it up and take that dose multiple times a day.
Note- elderberry syrup is safe for babies, but check your ingredients! Honey is a common ingredient, and babes under 1 year aren’t supposed to have it at all. If you’re making your own, just sub another sweetener (like maple syrup). Buying local? Ask the person making it if they can do a different blend for you. My elderberry source is more than happy to alter her recipe to make the syrup safe for babies.
Zinc
This is another method that will blow your mind with its effectiveness! Zinc is a mineral that our bodies need in order for the immune system to function properly. It also prevents rhinovirus (a cold) from reproducing and spreading in your body.
Zinc lozenges or chewable tablets are available at any drugstore or grocery store, and you can grab them here (link) too. I’ve knocked out so many colds with these babies, love them! I’m avoiding them this time because I’m concerned about the zinc/ copper interaction as I detox from 3 years of copper IUD nonsense, but otherwise I’d be all over it.
These work best when you start taking them at the *very first* sign of a cold (for me, it’s that tickle in my throat). Take note- zinc cold therapy isn’t recommended for kids under 12. I was comfortable using it while pregnant and breastfeeding, but never did get a solid “okay” from my OB’s office or a pharmacist. Always ask your doc if you’re concerned.
Garlic
I have only been desperate enough to try this once, but people swear by it! Garlic has all kinds of good stuff going on for it- antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, provides congestion relief… It also contains a compound called Allicin, which has been known to boost the disease-fighting response of white blood cells. However-allicin is only present shortly after garlic is crushed/chopped and before it is heated, so cooking with garlic doesn’t really do the trick in this case.
A few ways you can try to get it down:
*If you’re a tough guy, just chew on that sucker for a few minutes! I can’t even imagine
*Chop it up into several small pieces and swallow them like pills.
*Put the raw, chopped garlic on top of toast or crackers.
*Mix it with honey and/or olive oil
Elderberry, ACV, and zinc tablets are absolutely my favorite ways to kick a cold FAST. Everyone in my house knows that when they start to get a sore throat or a stuffy nose, mama’s gonna be there with the goods. There have been times that I swear, colds were gone before they even really got started! It’s crazy how well these methods work. Aaaand no crazy side effects (like that time I was practically hallucinating from a standard dose of cold medicine). Just to give you the quick and dirty DL on what you can find in something like Day-Quil:
That’s just the extraneous inactive ingredients. Why mess around with all that when Mama Nature’s got all you need?
Have you tried these cold-busters? What else do you do for natural relief this time of year? Let me know in the comments!