Natural Cold and Flu Remedies That You Can Make at Home with Herbs

Stock up on these herbs for natural cold and flu remedies that will boost your immune system and help you feel better faster!

I’m no expert in the world of herbalism, but boy-oh-boy, am I having a good time learning and experiencing the amazing benefits of natures medicine.

I’ve had phenomenal success with some particular herbs meant to help boost our immune systems and support our bodies when we get sick – particularly during cold and flu season.

*All statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

WHY ARE HERBS HELPFUL DURING COLD AND FLU SEASON

There are many herbs that have anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties.

If taken early and frequently, they can possibly help decrease the severity of a sickness and the duration.

Many other herbs are therapeutic and can help alleviate some of the uncomfortable symptoms you encounter when you get a cold or flu bug.

I’d like to share with you these 7 herbal remedies you can make to be prepared for cold and flu season, especially if you wish to avoid medication and their side effects.

But first, I need to share where I’ve gotten most of these recipes and my favorite book for learning more about medicinal herbs.

A GOOD RESOURCE FOR LEARNING ABOUT MEDICINAL HERBS

I have several books and websites I like to go to when I desire to learn more about herbs. However, my favorite has been this book called Medicinal Herbs: A Beginners Guide by Rosemary Gladstar.

Rosemary makes it so simple to learn about each herbs and has a plethora of easy recipes to make and to get you started. I’ve had great success with each one I’ve tried.

Since most of the remedies I am sharing with you today come from this book, I want to respect the authors work and direct you to this resource to get the full details of each recipe. It is well worth getting so you can make all these remedies and more!

If you would like to watch me make each herbal remedy I am sharing today, I put it all in this video!

WATCH ME MAKE HERBAL REMEDIES FOR COLD AND FLU SEASON

1 – IMMUNE BOOSTING HERBAL TEA FOR COLD AND FLU SEASON

You can make a very nourishing tea that will support your immune system as it is fighting off a cold or flu.

I would suggest 2 key herbs that can help do that:

• Elderberry
• Echinacea

I like to steep a bit of both for a warm herbal tea, and I often add peppermint herb for a yummy mint flavor.

I suggest also adding a spoonful of honey once cooled and ready to drink, to help soothe and coat the throat with antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antioxidant benefits. You’ll want to wait to add the honey until the temperature is at least 110 degrees fahrenheit to not kill off any of the beneficial properties in the honey.

Drink this tea every 2-3 hours for maximum benefits.

*Remember, with herbs it is best to take early and frequently.

2 – ELDERBERRY SYRUP

I suggest making a homemade elderberry syrup and freeze it in batches to always have it on hand. It’s even great for gifting during the Holidays!

Having the syrup can be more convenient and concentrated than a tea. Give a small dose to your family daily during the hight of the cold and flu season or when you have been around someone that is sick.

Please refer to this post and recipe I have already shared on how to make an easy Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup. Note carefully the dosage recommendations. You can even throw your syrup in a smoothie!

3 – COLD CARE CAPSULES

For another immune boosting option that is super convenient, try these cold care capsules from Rosemary’s book.

These 4 powdered herbs come together in a vegetable or gelatin capsule, to pack an amazing immune boosting punch.

1 – echinacea root powder (1 part)

2 – goldenseal root powder (1 part)

3 – marsh mallow root powder (1/2 part)

4 – cayenne powder (1/2 part)

You just mix all these powders together and pack inside the capsules. At the first sign of a cold or flu, you can take 2 capsules every 2-3 hours (or up to 9 capsules a day) until the symptoms ease. This is a high dose meant to really kick the cold to the curb, so you shouldn’t continue this frequency for more than 2-3 days.

Swallowing pills isn’t very kid friendly, so I reserve this for the hubs and I. I’m always sure to refill this jar when I run out, so I can act fast when I feel something coming.

4 – HEADACHE AND STRESS TEA

Typically a headache comes with the territory of a cold and flu. You may want to try drinking this yummy headache tea every 2 or so hours when dealing with a headache or too much stress on the mind or body.

You’ll just combine:

1 – Basil leaf (1 part)

2 – Lemon Balm leaf (1 part)

3 – Chamomile and/or lavender flower (1/2 part) – I prefer doing both!

Steep all these beautiful herbs in some hot water and then drink up, followed by a lie down with closed eyes. I find this really does well at taking the edge off a headache so I can deal with it while I address the root cause. Typically that means I need more rest and/or need to get off screens to help the headache go away fully.

5 – FACE STEAMER

With a head cold, congestion typically follows. To help you clear out your sinuses I recommend doing a face steamer with some Eucalyptus essential oil.

HOW TO DO A FACE STEAMER

Step 1: Boil some water and place in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add a drop or 2 of eucalyptus oil (peppermint would also work, but I find it not as effective).

Step 3: Cover your head and the bowl with a large towel.

Step 4: Breath in deep and long, inhaling all the steam and oil – as long as you can handle it! Don’t be surprised if you start to sweat like crazy and mucus drips from your nose. Just embrace the mess, because you should feel so much better when it is done!

I do this every time I have a cold, morning and night. I truly believe this helps me avoid sinus infections and helps me sleep so much better. There are also many immune boosting essential oil blends from many companies that may support you while sick.

6 – HERBAL SORE THROAT SPRAYS AND GARGLES

Don’t you just hate having a sore throat!? This year I am stocking up on the herbs that will help me make a throat spray when needed.

The book I mentioned has a 2 recipes I am going to try. One is an echinacea throat spray and the other is a Sage throat gargle. She says the sage gargle tastes terrible, but works so darn good that people get hooked. If you want to try these recipes from her book, be sure to stock up on:

• dried sage leaves
• goldenseal root powder
• cayenne powder
• apple cider vinegar
• echinacea
• peppermint essential oil

7 – FIRE CIDER

Last but not least – fire cider! I’ve heard about this a lot, and seen varying recipes for it. You can eat a bit of it daily during sick season to keep colds and flu at bay, or consume it more regularly when sick.

You are likely very familiar with the ingredients, but weren’t unaware of their healing properties.

• onion
• garlic
• fresh ginger root
• fresh horseradish root
• apple cider vinegar
• honey
• cayenne powder

The recipe in the book says to let it all sit and infuse for several weeks and then strain the spent herbs. You can use this infused vinegar as a salad dressing or down it by the spoonfuls.

You can also buy it already made up here!

Isn’t it so amazing how food can be our medicine!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about the 7 herbal remedies I am getting stocked up with this cold and flu season. Try one or two – or all of them! Then let’s chat in the comments about how they helped!

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MEDICINAL HERBS?

• My Study of Medicinal Herbs
• Healing Dandelion Salve
• Pesto with Basil
• Basil Iced Tea