1. Hot Ginger Tea
This is one of the best teas to sip when you’re feeling stuffed up and yucky. The ginger is delicious, warming, a just a little spicy. Aromatic constituents such as capsaicin (found in chilies) or piperine (found in black pepper) are part of a family of compounds that provide numerous healing benefits. In ginger the compound of that family is called gingerol (original, right?), and it helps relieve congestion in a couple of ways. First, it lessens inflammation of mucous membranes that line the nasal passages and the sinus cavity, and this inflammation contributes greatly to the buildup of pressure and congestion. When the swelling goes down, mucous can flow out instead of getting all jammed up. Although slightly less scientific, there’s also the fact that its spiciness has enough of a kick that it can just perfectly loosen up built up phlegm. The tea itself is wonderful for you because you’re getting extra fluids, which your body needs desperately when fighting off an illness, and breathing in the steam vapors can also help loosen up any congestion you may be expecting. The below recipe is for an infusion, rather than a decoction (which is when you actively steep the herb in simmering water), but you can do either or.
You will need
-6-8 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger root
-A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
-A squirt of lemon juice (optional)
-A dash of honey (optional)
-4 cups of freshly boiled water
-A glass jar (at least 1 quart)
Directions
Place the ginger in a 1 quart glass and sprinkle in some cinnamon if you are using it. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and then carefully pour it into the jar to cover the ginger. Steep for 30-40 minutes, and be sure to cover your jar-this is important because it keeps all that evaporating essential oil goodness right where it belongs-in your cup! Strain (use hot mitts or a towel as the jar may still be quite warm) and then pour yourself a piping fresh mug. You may find that you want to reheat the tea slightly. Add honey and lemon if you are using them, sip and savor, and be sure to breathe in the steam. Store the rest of the tea in the fridge for up to 24 hours, reheating and drinking 3 times throughout the day.
2. Essential Steam
One beautiful almost instant fix for a stuffy nose is to steam it out. This is a favorite remedy of mine and worth repeating in numerous remedy lists. You can glean the benefits of steam by breathing it in from a mug of hot tea, taking a hot shower, or filling a bowl with a hot water and adding an essential oil. The best essential oils to use for this are the strong ones like tea tree, peppermint, or eucalyptus (tea tree and eucalyptus being the best in my opinion.) The anti-bacterial/anti-viral properties of tea tree oil can be carried via the steam, which will help fight off any bug that you’re battling. Both tea tree and eucalyptus are, of course, rather strong smelling, which also helps dislodge congestion.
You will need…
-5-10 drops of eucalyptus, tea tree oil, or a combination
-A heatproof bowl
-Boiling water
-A towel
Directions
Put the essential oils in the bottom of the bowl and then pour in several cups of boiling water. Start by putting your face over the bowl at a comfortable distance-steam can do some damage if you aren’t careful. Eventually have your face directly about the bowl as close as comfortably possible. Drape the towel over your head to trap all that healing steam, and take deep breaths. Resurface as needed if you become too warm. Have some tissues handy to blow your nose after! Repeat 2-3 times daily, adjusting the amount of essential oil to your preferences. Some people find that too much will make their eyes water, so start with less.
3. Go with a Classic Cure
I love old time home remedies-the ones that we don’t need to question on chemical level, picking apart why they work or why they don’t work. They simply are, just as they have been for generations, and just as they will be for years to come. One of these classic home remedies for colds is comprised of three familiar ingredients-garlic, lemon, and honey. You can combine them in more involved ways if you wish, but this recipe is about as simple as it gets. It’s particularly useful for a cold that is accompanied by a sore throat and a dry cough.
You will need…
-1 medium clove of garlic
-1 lemon
-1 teaspoon of honey
-Warm water
Directions
Crush up the garlic clove and place it in a glass along with the juice from the lemon. Top it off with the honey (you can add more to taste if you like) and then top it off with warm water. Give it a stir, and then drink entirely. Repeat 2-3 times a day for the duration of your symptoms.
4. Make a Honey-Onion Syrup
This recipe is great for cold that come with a nasty cough. The honey is wonderful for healing a sore throat while the onion works its wonders through antibacterial and anti-inflammatories actions. It can also help loosen up phlegm deep in the chest.
Click here for the recipe.
5. Mmm-mmm Mullein
This might be a home remedy that you’re tempted to pass over because you don’t recognize the name of the herb. It’s too much of a bother to try and figure out what the heck mullein is and you’d much rather just go for the apple cider vinegar or something you can pull off the spice rack, right? While that is nice, the beauty of the internet is that you can get these herbs and other ingredients without having to hunt down an obscure natural health store somewhere across the state border.
Mullein is a biennial (grows every other year) plant that can be found alongside roads in temperate climates, or zones 5-9 in the United States. It is tall, with small yellow flowers and leaves that start out soft and downy. It is an EXCELLENT expectorant, which means it thins out and loosens up phlegm so you can cough it out. This is very helpful if you have a lot of congestion, particularly in the chest. It works very well when combined with other expectorants, such as thyme, which is added here as well.
You will need…
-1-2 tablespoons of dried mullein OR 4-6 tablespoons fresh (flowers or flowers/leaves)
-2 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme OR 5 teaspoons fresh
-1-1 ½ cups of fresh water
-Honey/lemon to taste
Directions
Place your herbs in a large mug and bring water to a rolling boil. Pour over the herbs and cover, steeping for 15-20 minutes. Strain, stir in honey or lemon if you’re using it, and savor each healing sip. Drink 2-3 times daily to help clear up congestion.
This is one of the best teas to sip when you’re feeling stuffed up and yucky. The ginger is delicious, warming, a just a little spicy. Aromatic constituents such as capsaicin (found in chilies) or piperine (found in black pepper) are part of a family of compounds that provide numerous healing benefits. In ginger the compound of that family is called gingerol (original, right?), and it helps relieve congestion in a couple of ways. First, it lessens inflammation of mucous membranes that line the nasal passages and the sinus cavity, and this inflammation contributes greatly to the buildup of pressure and congestion. When the swelling goes down, mucous can flow out instead of getting all jammed up. Although slightly less scientific, there’s also the fact that its spiciness has enough of a kick that it can just perfectly loosen up built up phlegm. The tea itself is wonderful for you because you’re getting extra fluids, which your body needs desperately when fighting off an illness, and breathing in the steam vapors can also help loosen up any congestion you may be expecting. The below recipe is for an infusion, rather than a decoction (which is when you actively steep the herb in simmering water), but you can do either or.
You will need
-6-8 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger root
-A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
-A squirt of lemon juice (optional)
-A dash of honey (optional)
-4 cups of freshly boiled water
-A glass jar (at least 1 quart)
Directions
Place the ginger in a 1 quart glass and sprinkle in some cinnamon if you are using it. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and then carefully pour it into the jar to cover the ginger. Steep for 30-40 minutes, and be sure to cover your jar-this is important because it keeps all that evaporating essential oil goodness right where it belongs-in your cup! Strain (use hot mitts or a towel as the jar may still be quite warm) and then pour yourself a piping fresh mug. You may find that you want to reheat the tea slightly. Add honey and lemon if you are using them, sip and savor, and be sure to breathe in the steam. Store the rest of the tea in the fridge for up to 24 hours, reheating and drinking 3 times throughout the day.
2. Essential Steam
One beautiful almost instant fix for a stuffy nose is to steam it out. This is a favorite remedy of mine and worth repeating in numerous remedy lists. You can glean the benefits of steam by breathing it in from a mug of hot tea, taking a hot shower, or filling a bowl with a hot water and adding an essential oil. The best essential oils to use for this are the strong ones like tea tree, peppermint, or eucalyptus (tea tree and eucalyptus being the best in my opinion.) The anti-bacterial/anti-viral properties of tea tree oil can be carried via the steam, which will help fight off any bug that you’re battling. Both tea tree and eucalyptus are, of course, rather strong smelling, which also helps dislodge congestion.
You will need…
-5-10 drops of eucalyptus, tea tree oil, or a combination
-A heatproof bowl
-Boiling water
-A towel
Directions
Put the essential oils in the bottom of the bowl and then pour in several cups of boiling water. Start by putting your face over the bowl at a comfortable distance-steam can do some damage if you aren’t careful. Eventually have your face directly about the bowl as close as comfortably possible. Drape the towel over your head to trap all that healing steam, and take deep breaths. Resurface as needed if you become too warm. Have some tissues handy to blow your nose after! Repeat 2-3 times daily, adjusting the amount of essential oil to your preferences. Some people find that too much will make their eyes water, so start with less.
3. Go with a Classic Cure
I love old time home remedies-the ones that we don’t need to question on chemical level, picking apart why they work or why they don’t work. They simply are, just as they have been for generations, and just as they will be for years to come. One of these classic home remedies for colds is comprised of three familiar ingredients-garlic, lemon, and honey. You can combine them in more involved ways if you wish, but this recipe is about as simple as it gets. It’s particularly useful for a cold that is accompanied by a sore throat and a dry cough.
You will need…
-1 medium clove of garlic
-1 lemon
-1 teaspoon of honey
-Warm water
Directions
Crush up the garlic clove and place it in a glass along with the juice from the lemon. Top it off with the honey (you can add more to taste if you like) and then top it off with warm water. Give it a stir, and then drink entirely. Repeat 2-3 times a day for the duration of your symptoms.
4. Make a Honey-Onion Syrup
This recipe is great for cold that come with a nasty cough. The honey is wonderful for healing a sore throat while the onion works its wonders through antibacterial and anti-inflammatories actions. It can also help loosen up phlegm deep in the chest.
Click here for the recipe.
5. Mmm-mmm Mullein
This might be a home remedy that you’re tempted to pass over because you don’t recognize the name of the herb. It’s too much of a bother to try and figure out what the heck mullein is and you’d much rather just go for the apple cider vinegar or something you can pull off the spice rack, right? While that is nice, the beauty of the internet is that you can get these herbs and other ingredients without having to hunt down an obscure natural health store somewhere across the state border.
Mullein is a biennial (grows every other year) plant that can be found alongside roads in temperate climates, or zones 5-9 in the United States. It is tall, with small yellow flowers and leaves that start out soft and downy. It is an EXCELLENT expectorant, which means it thins out and loosens up phlegm so you can cough it out. This is very helpful if you have a lot of congestion, particularly in the chest. It works very well when combined with other expectorants, such as thyme, which is added here as well.
You will need…
-1-2 tablespoons of dried mullein OR 4-6 tablespoons fresh (flowers or flowers/leaves)
-2 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme OR 5 teaspoons fresh
-1-1 ½ cups of fresh water
-Honey/lemon to taste
Directions
Place your herbs in a large mug and bring water to a rolling boil. Pour over the herbs and cover, steeping for 15-20 minutes. Strain, stir in honey or lemon if you’re using it, and savor each healing sip. Drink 2-3 times daily to help clear up congestion.
