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What is a Flu?
Everybody suffers from flu now and then but most of us do not know much about it. We end up taking OTC and at times get better only to return with a vengeance later. It is important to know about flu to fight with it. Flu or influenza is mainly caused by different kinds of viruses. The important thing to know about it is it can not be cured by medicines, but there are a few natural or home remedies that can help ease the symptoms. These remedies also shorten the time of flu in your body.
It usually attacks during the winter and early spring time and spreads through the upper and lower respiratory tract. It is highly contagious. Most of the time we consider flu and cold to be the same thing as they have the same symptoms but flu symptoms can get troublesome if not managed. Cold and flu both makes a person cough, gives headaches and chest infections but with flu a person gets high fever for days with body aches, weakness and tiredness. Cold can be treated but if flu is not treated immediately it can be life threatening and may also turn into pneumonia.
The antibiotics we take during flu or cold treats the bacterial infections but do not cure it since both the diseases are viral. Why is flu contagious? The virus that causes flu travels from person to person through respiratory secretions and can spread among a large group of people who are in close contact such as in classrooms, college dormitories, nursing homes and daycare facilities. It spreads through the droplets left in the air by sneezing, sharing drinks or utensils etc by an infected person.
The only way to keep you safe is to stay away from the infected person and wash hands before eating. Flu virus can infect people of all ages like infants, pregnant women, diabetic patients, people with heart and lung issues and HIV+ people. Some of the signs and symptoms of the flu are: Sore throat, Chills and sweat, Body aches, Fever over 100.4F, Headache, Nasal congestion, persistent cough etc.
Home Remedies for Treating Flu
There are OTCs available to ease the symptoms of flu but it is recommended to use home remedies before you try medicines, as medicines have more side effects than relief. Home remedies can soothe the discomfort caused by flu without any side effects. Here are some of the home remedies you can use at home. You can use these remedies on young kids as well as the elderly.
Besan Ka Sheera
Besan ka sheera is a popular and effective home remedy. It has been in use for ages. Sipping on this hot besan ka sheera will help you ease up discomfort caused by a stuffy or runny nose. Besan is an antioxidant which helps in clearing the nasal tract. This recipe is made with besan, ghee, milk and spices. You can make it into a semi-thick consistency and enjoy it, especially during winters.
Ingredients
- Ghee: 1 1/4th tablespoons
- Besan (Chickpea Flour) - 03 tbsp.
- Warm milk: 2 cups
- Ground black peppercorns: 1/4th teaspoon
- Turmeric powder: 1/4th teaspoon
- Green cardamom powdered: 1/4th teaspoon
- Jaggery grated: 2.5 teaspoon
- Saffron (optional): 1/4th gram.
Method:
- Take a heavy bottomed non stick pan and heat ghee in it.
- Add besan and roast till it is golden in color and has a pleasant aroma to it.
- Stir continuously to cook in evenly
- Add warm milk and stir to avoid formation of lumps
- Add turmeric, ground pepper, cardamom and jaggery, mix them well, cook for about 5 minutes.
- Take it off the flame, garnish it with chopped pistachios and almonds and serve hot.
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is another great way to soothe yourself during flu. It does not cure any of the symptoms but provides great comfort. A bowl full of chicken soup full of tasty vegetables can give you nourishment while slowing down the movement of neutrophils or white blood cells in your body. Slow white blood cells stay in one place of your body thus healing it better. It is said to reduce the symptoms of upper respiratory infections, making you feel much better. Vegetables like carrot, onion etc provide vitamin C, K and other antioxidants and minerals. It helps in strengthening your immune system and lets your body recover faster. Chicken, on the other hand, is high in tryptophan, which helps the body make serotonin; thus elevating your mood. A steamy bowl of chicken soup clears your nasal congestion as well.
Ingredients
- 6 carrots
- 1 large onion
- 20 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
- 3 ribs of celery
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 whole raw chicken
- 12 cups of chicken stock
- 3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
- 2 tsp dried mint leaves or leaves from 3 sprigs fresh mint
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 cups cooked rice
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Method:
- Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees and line a small baking dish with tin foil.
- Take garlic, cut off the head and put it on the dish, drizzle olive oil over it and loosely wrap and cover it with the foil.
- Cover the baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes, let the garlic soften and caramelize.
- Put the garlic cloves in a dish and mash them with a fork. Keep them aside.
- Rinse the chicken and put in a large pot.
- Peel and slice the onions and put them in the pot.
- Do the same with carrots and celery.
- Add bay leaves, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and dried mint; add the mint at the end if it is fresh.
- Take the chicken stock and pour it over the vegetables, spices and chicken, boil it on medium high flame.
- Bring the heat down to low and leave it on for 2 and 1/2 hours.
- Prepare rice while the soup cooks.
- Carefully remove tender chicken on to a plate.
- Add pre cooked garlic, lemon juice & zest and fresh mint
- Remove chicken skin and shred it and put it back in the soup pot.
- Put half of the reserved cooked rice, if the soup gets thick add two cups of chicken stock or water.
- The best way to serve the soup is by serving rice in a bowl and pouring the soup on it.
Ginger Tea
Ginger is known to have great medicinal properties since ages and now it has been proven scientifically that it can do wonders because of its anti-inflammatory properties. A small piece of ginger grated into boiling water can soothe a sore throat and help in reducing cough. It also helps in reducing the nauseating feeling that usually occurs in flu.
Ginger is loaded with immune boosting nutrients and anti microbial properties. This is why this tea is recommended for use in flu. It tea is made with ginger, lemon and honey. It is a perfect cup of tea on a cold morning. It will energize you and keep you fresh for a long time. It also helps you treat upset stomach and nausea. It is recommended to incorporate a cup of ginger tea in your daily diet to stay healthy. If you like to drink tea, adding ginger to it is a great way to soothe you during flu. It will help with headaches and sore throat plus help you sleep better during night by reducing the cough.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water 1-inch fresh ginger root (grated)
- 1 tablespoon honey (raw, unpasteurized)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
Method:
- Boil a cup of water in a pan or a teapot.
- Grate fresh ginger to the boiling water and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes
- Strain the tea in a mug
- Add lemon juice and honey to the tea 5. Stir well and serve hot.
Hot Toddy
A hot toddy is a great concoction which has been benefiting millions of people suffering from flu for a decade. It's great cocktail which helps the sick to sleep easily. This drink is made of hot tea, lemon, honey and a shot of whiskey or bourbon. You can have a cup of hot toddy with a bowl of steamy chicken soup to give you relief from sore throat and cough. Just be careful while drinking it because the drink contains alcohol, thus it is advised to drink it in moderation.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 oz Bourbon
- 1 slices of fresh ginger about 1/4 inch wide
- 1 cup water (double the water if you don’t want it super strong)
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon sticks, each broken into two
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (use less if you don’t like it too lemony)
- 1 star anise
- 1 slices of lemon, for garnish
Method:
- Take water in a pan and boil it, add freshly grated ginger to the water and boil it again for a minute.
- Take a cup and put sugar, lemon juice, 1/2 stick cinnamon stick, star anise and 2 cardamom.
- Pour 1/4 cup of boiled water in the cup
- Add Bourbon, whiskey, gin or rum in the cup and stir after taking out the spices from it. You can leave the star anise in it if you like.
- Serve it hot with a slice of lemon with it.
Enjoy the hot toddy before going to bed for a good night sleep.
Salt Water
One of the major symptoms of flu is sore throat and dry cough, it usually takes a toll during the night, which disturbs the patients sleep. There are many different ways you can soothe your throat but an effective way is to rinse the throat with warm salt and water mixture. It is also called gargle. Rinsing with salt water helps in clearing the mucus buildup in the chest and removes the irritants from the throat. It helps to gargle with this solution couple of times during the day and especially before going to bed.
Take a glass of warm water and add 1/2 tsp of salt in it. Stir it till the salt dissolves and gargle with it. You will feel the difference within a day or two.
Honey
Honey is quite effective during cold and flu. Honey is known for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and probiotic properties. One of the best honeys available is the Manuka Honey which comes from New Zealand and is used to fight with upper respiratory infections like chronic sinusitis, rhinitis and allergic reactions. You can use honey with spices like nutmeg, ginger, cloves, black pepper and lemon.
A great home remedy during flu is mixing honey with cinnamon. You can take a spoonful of honey and add a pinch of cinnamon powder to it to cure cold, cough or sinus congestion. This may cure the discomfort in about three days. You can also drink tea or warm water with lemon and honey or black tea with ginger and honey added with lemon and black pepper to soothe an inflamed throat.
Amla (Bitter Gooseberry)
Amla is an age old home remedy used during flu. Amla is known for having loads of Vitamin A & C. Vitamin C boosts your immunity and restores vitality. The ayurvedacharyas say that taking amla juice increases white blood cells, which works on the immune system and helps heal faster. It relieves symptoms of cold and flu effectively.
You can take a spoon of amla juice and mix it with little water and drink on an empty stomach daily. You should not eat or drink anything for half an hour after taking amla juice. You should include taking amla juice in your daily routine to stay away from infections or fight with it if you get infected.
Other Things to Do to Ease Flu Symptoms
There are a few other things you should do other than taking home remedies to cure yourself if suffering with flu.
- Take adequate rest and drink lots of water, fruit juice, or soups to keep hydrated.
- If you have body aches take OTC like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen but you should consult a doctor before taking any of these to find out which one is the best for you.
- If you feel stuffy you can steam up your bathroom and sit on it. Run hot water till the room is full of moist steam and take deep breaths.
- You can use a humidifier if the air in the house seems dry. It will smoothen your congestion and cough.
- If you have a scratchy throat you can suck on lozenges to moisten it and get relief from cough.
- Use saline nose drops or sprays. Put a few drops in one nostril and blow the mucus and saline out. Use this on both the nostrils until they open up and you can breathe freely.
- You can take an antiviral as soon as you see the first signs of flu. It can shorten the time span of flu.
- Sleeping will help your body fight the flu too.
- Avoid fried food; eat healthy food to get proper nutrition to recover faster from the flu.
- Eat a lot of fresh fruits, they provide vitamin, minerals and antioxidants to strengthen your immune system.
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Prevention is Better Than Cure!
To avoid any sort of inconvenience of flu, it is better to get yourself vaccinated against it before the flu season starts. In this way you can avoid going through these sufferings altogether. Also, it is more helpful to make a habit of washing your hands more regularly, particularly when you are in a gathering or any social circumstances. The germs of the flu virus spread through the saliva of an infected person, so if you know someone who has even minor symptoms of flu, you can avoid any physical contact with that person and maintain a distance when in company of him/her.