Cold and flu: 7 home remedies

Your kitchen is full of ingredients to relieve a stuffy nose or dry cough. Discover eight home remedies to combat cold and flu symptoms.

The beginning of a cold

Try a cure of thyme, lemon and elderberry. Thyme disinfects, lemon provides vitamin C and elderberry helps eliminate toxins. Prepare a liter of infusion with a handful of thyme, a slice of lemon and a good pinch of elderflower. Sweeten with honey if you like, and drink this herbal tea, hot or cold, throughout the day.

Dry cough

- Leek syrup: Cook 150 g (1/3 lb) leek leaves in a liter of water for half an hour. Add the same amount of honey or sugar to the juice. Bottle. Drink 2 tablespoons at coughing time.

- Black radish syrup: You'll need black radish, caster sugar, a colander and a bottle. Cut the vegetable into thin slices without peeling. Place the slices in a colander with a bowl underneath. Sprinkle with sugar. You'll need the same weight of sugar as radishes. Leave to drain for 2 hours. Collect the juice and place in the bottle. Take 2 tablespoons during coughing fits.

Blocked nose

- Make a scented powder that you can inhale several times a day to clear your nose. Crush or blend dried basil and betony leaves (available from herbalists).

- To clear the nose and disinfect the airways, inhale eucalyptus and thyme. Put a pinch of thyme and a pinch of fresh eucalyptus in a bowl of boiling water (or a few drops of essential oil). Hold your head over the bowl for at least ten minutes, trying to breathe deeply.

Runny nose

Clean your nose with salt water. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt in a glass of distilled water or warm mineral water. Blow your nose, then instill the liquid into each nostril with an eyedropper.

Early angina

Angina is an acute inflammation of the throat of infectious origin, also known as pharyngitis. Try a leek poultice with plenty of pepper. Apply a large compress to your throat, covered with a thick layer of warm cooked leeks. Secure with a scarf and leave on for at least 10 minutes.

A good pumice

Our grandparents' remedy for flu discomfort consists of a cup of boiling water, a heaping teaspoon of honey, lemon and 30-60 ml (1-2 oz) of gin (made from juniper berries and grains). All this makes you sweat and helps relieve the flu.

source: www.plaisirssante.ca/