Winter is almost here. Preparations to welcome it are afoot. Dry fruits, quilts, sweaters, coats, mufflers, room heaters are doing brisk business. A list of food items to be consumed this winter is also prepared.

Along with all this, winter also brings discomforts to some, that include the common cold and flu. Remedies to combat these problems should also be readied. It is no wonder that natural cold and flu remedies are popular as modern medicine has yet to offer a cure for these age-old ailments. While some medications can prevent and shorten the duration of flu, others offer only a temporary relief.

The manifold fighting prowess of vitamin C remains popular. It wards off symptoms of cold and boosts immune system. The most abundant source to ward off cold is seasonal oranges. One to two oranges a day provide enough vitamin C to control the spread of the common cold.

Fight cold and flu the natural way

A delicious hot chicken soup appeals most in winter than any other season. Sipping spoonfuls of it sooths inflammation and slipping into a warm bed afterwards provides wonderful comfort.

Hot tea, preferably green with a flavour of your liking, sooths the throat and keeps you hydrated

Garlic, a kitchen culinary herbal spice, has long been touted for germ-fighting abilities. It also prevents colds. Chutney made of garlic, green chillies, mint leaves and table salt is delicious and beneficial, like garlic pickle. Eating it daily with lunch and dinner keeps colds and flu away for all seasons. Salt water and garlic may also help.

Breathing in steam for nasal congestion is also recommended. Add a spoonful of any balm in steaming hot water in a bowl, cover your head with a towel and breathe the balmated fumes. It not only breaks up the congestion in the nasal passages, but also offers relief from a stuffy and runny nose. Afterward go to bed, rest and sleep well.

Application of menthol around the nostrils and on the chest of babies is also beneficial.

Homeopathic system is advancing in the realm of phytotherapy; it may prove good to some people who are allergic to allopathic medicines.

Rise of body temperature is a natural remedy to fight colds and flu by killing the viruses. High temperature should be controlled on the doctor’s advice.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 13th, 2015