It all started last Tuesday at work… a little tickle in my throat, then a few coughs, tightness in my chest. By the time I was heading home, I was coughing like crazy, had a fever, and was so tired I was afraid I wasn’t going to make the 15 minute drive home. I went straight to the couch to lie down, covered up, and I was out for the night.
Long story short, our family of 6 was hit hard and fast by the dreaded flu bug. We’re still fighting our way back from it, but for the most part we’re all on the mend. The funny thing about this time around is how differently we handled it than the last time we were struck. Normally we would down cough medicine and pain meds/fever reducers, and go to the doctor right away.
This time we filled the plug in warmer with Himalayan salts mixed with eucalyptus oil, put a few drops of eucalyptus oil on the bottoms of our feet, and drank tinctures of local honey and cinnamon. Instead of taking a fever reducer at the first chill of a fever, we let it run it’s course to fight the baddies out of our bodies. Where did we learn to do these things? Some I remembered from growing up, some are things I’ve learned from this awesome blog, and some from my hugely embarrassing Pinterest addiction.
While I’ve still shied away from some of the “serious” cold/flu remedies on Pinterest (containing onions and cayenne pepper, etc), my mom brought an interesting one to my attention… the onion.
Simply cut an onion in half, and put it under or beside your bed to relieve coughing and congestion for a better night’s sleep. I’m just going to say it… I thought she was nuts! I decided to try it anyway, and it worked! My coughing was greatly reduced, and I actually slept (until 4 coughing kids woke me up at various intervals through the night)!
While I realize this isn’t much of a holiday post, I thought it was still relevant as I seem to get sick around the holidays every year. I’m guessing a lot of others have the same problem due to the stress and business of the season.
Hopefully this is it for us, and we’ll continue to improve as the next couple of weeks fly by. I’m looking forward to some time off to relax and spend time with family and friends.
Do you have any “not so normal” cold or flu remedies you’d like to share? I would love more ideas to add to my list!
*PLEASE remember that onions can be EXTREMELY toxic to dogs (not sure about other pets as I’m pretty much just a dog person!) so make sure you leave your onion out of your canine companion’s reach!
This isn’t a flu remedy per se, but if I feel myself starting to get a little stuffy or a little tickle in my throat, I start irrigating my sinuses, drinking lots of hot herbal teas (any flavor, just hot water will do, to stay hydrated), and I use a saline nasal spray. That seems to knock just about anything out before it takes hold. Oh, and I get lots of rest. I haven’t been truly sick in years, except when I caught a horrible 24 hour stomach bug from my nephew… and then I wanted to DIE.
I hope your family gets better soon!
great advice! thanks:)
I rarely take conventional cold remedies, but I make lemonade from honey, lemon juice and water for sore throats (I’m not much of a hot drink drinker). I’ll also add extra garlic and/or a touch extra spice to whatever I’m making for dinner.
I also make a mixture of equal parts teatree, lavendar and eucalyptus oils and use that in my oil burner, and sprinkle drops of it on hankies/throughout a box of tissues.
I hope you’re all soon fully recovered.
i will remember this for the kids… they don’t like hot drinks either!
I think that Earl would rather eat his own foot than a raw onion but point taken about the onion…My adult children have a crazy concoction that they swill whenever they get the first hint of a cold. It scares me it is so terrifying! It consists of various “green things” thrown into a blender along with lots of raw garlic, onion, fresh hot red chillies and a good knob of ginger and all whizzed up together. I think that they recently added turmeric after finding out it was a great antioxident. I am surprised that the drink doesn’t kill them but I guess the cold hightails it out of there once it gets a sniff of it! I know that I would most certainly hightail it out of there!
I hope you are all feeling better now. Nothing lays you lower than a winter cold and when it hits the whole family you really know the meaning of debilitating 
i haven’t gotten that brave yet either!
How wonderful it worked for you!! Did you try it in the kids rooms too? How did it work for them?
well, when we’re all sick at the same time we all sleep in the family room. (mainly because we feel like crap and don’t feel like walking through the house in the middle of the night to take care of sick kids!) so…. it worked for all of us in the same room:) i did have to wait until the husband fell asleep because he was also sick to his stomach and couldn’t handle the smell!