Five Natural Ways To Beat Colds & Flu

With so many alternatives available to us, you no longer need to head straight for the Chemist or Doctor at the first sign of a cold or flu coming on. So to help you get through these annoying times, we have put together 5 top ways to beat these nasty bugs naturally! When it comes to fighting off these traditionally winter bugs, you really can't go past some garlic. Garlic has excellent antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties so it is sure to help relieve the duration and the severity of the cold or flu. The pungent odour of garlic is actually called Allicin and it is this component that is the most active in acting against the bacteria. So add some extra garlic to your cooking or alternatively take an odourless garlic supplement available from your Health Food Store. If you are taking prescription medication, check first with your Health Food Expert to ensure the garlic supplement is suitable to be taken with your medication. Eat loads of fresh fruit & vegetables. Even though to maintain a healthy immune system you should always try to eat 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit everyday, with a cold or flu on the way, now is the time to ensure you definitely eat a well balanced diet. Drink some herbal tea. Tea has wonderful antioxidant properties and there is nothing better than sitting down with a hot cup of tea with lemon and honey or alternatively try a herbal tea. Sweet basil is perfect for treating infections and one that you can make yourself instead of buying from the supermarket. Just chop up some fresh basil leaves and place two teaspoons into a tea infuser and place in a cup. Pour the boiling water over the basil, cover and leave to stand for up to 5 minutes. Remove the infuser and sit down to enjoy and relax! Drink fresh juice. Having fresh fruit or vegetable juice is a fantastic way to boost your immune system. To get the most out of your juice, drink it first thing in the morning when your stomach is totally empty and your body can absorb the vitamins and nutrients. Get some rest. Your body will have a difficult time recovering if you keep pushing it, in fact you could do your immune system more harm than good. Our bodies rejuvenate when we are sleeping so don't feel guilty about taking an extra hour or so if you feel you need to. In fact several studies have now confirmed that we really do need to sleep for seven hours plus to maintain a healthy weight and a healthy body! Always remember though, should natural alternatives not be successful and your cold or flu symptoms persist, do not hesitate to seek medical advice.