Simple, natural kitchen cures for a cold

It felt like I was beating off a cold for the better portion of the holidays. You know that feeling when you wake up and go ‘Uh Oh’ because your throat feels dry and your head aches slightly. Yeah, not fun.

Because I was party planning and had house guests, I didn’t want to get laid up for a minute. It was time for some cold-curing home remedies.

Back in October, when I was yet again battling the onset of a cold, I asked my friends on Instagram what they do to kill a cold. Of course their response was swift and ever so smart. I saved their tips for my own reference, but I can’t keep them all to myself.

Should you be as unfortunate as to find yourself similarly sick, my hope is that you can turn to your kitchen for a natural cure using one or two of these suggestions.

Simple, natural kitchen cures for a cold || Simple Bites #tip

Easy, natural kitchen cures for a cold from Simple Bites readers via Instagram.

@barefeetkitchen: Homemade cough remedy works amazingly well: Apple cider vinegar, honey, ginger, cayenne!

@isalaplante: Ginger, lemon, honey and hot pepper in hot water. Lots of sleep. And lots of water.

@kirantarun: Try warm spiced turmeric milk! (She has a gorgeous recipe HERE.)

@seasonallynourished: Gargle salt water 3 times a day for as long as you possibly can stab it each time – kills EVERYTHING.

@prernasingh: Roast cloves on a hot skillet until outside color changes to ash color. Cool down. Grind to coarse powder. Mix with honey. Eat a 1/8th of a tsp every few hours. Throat will be fine by the next day. Easy to also carry in your purse when traveling.

@strawberrysupper: Honey and lemon in hot water. Chicken soup and some probiotic powder added to smoothies for an extra boost.

@glasgefluester: Elderberry Juice is like a miracle! I put a little fennel honey and lemon juice in the elderflower juice, then it tastes a lot better!

@asprice: Eat a clove of fresh garlic 3x a day! Lots of fluids-especially with lemon.

@nicoleneesby: A tonic of 8 oz water, 2 T raw apple cider vinegar, 1 small packet stevia, dash of cinnamon & ice. I drink this as cold prevention and double up the dose when I feel one coming on. Really does the trick!

@shebakeshere: Lemon juice and grated ginger in hot water.

@eyecandypopper: Gargle (and swallow) raw apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s) diluted with a bit of water every 20 minutes for a few hours. Take vitamin C every 2 hours and double dosage of echinacea. Do this for 2-3 days. Veggie juices with ginger and greens help too. (Oh and sleep enough.)

@monmary816: Sleep! And drink hot lemon juice, honey and hot water.

@amylguillot: Raw garlic in a spoonful covered with raw honey.

@b_schwartz09: I take raw mince garlic in honey: about 1 clove in 1 Tablespoon honey every four hours. Just make sure to stop a day or two before seeing anyone who might be offended by garlic smell. Also apple cider vinegar and honey is a great one to drink.

@agracecalo: Ginger tea (boil pieces of ginger until the water changes color. The darker the water, the stronger the ginger flavor). Add honey or lemon. I like it strong!

@2backtothebooknutrition: I swear by my homemade elderberry syrup (“mombucus“). Take 2-3oz 4 or 5 times a day, and do the Neil med sinus rinse a couple times a day as well. These two almost always knock it out for our family!

Convinced yet? Let’s all stock up on garlic, lemons, apple cider vinegar and fresh ginger. Joy the Baker has a spicy, sweet Winter Lemonade with Ginger & Cloves that I am dying to try, too. Also, these lemongrass and ginger homemade cough drops from Rebecca of Foodie with Family are such a great idea!

Feel better, everyone, and now go follow these wonderful people on Instagram.

Do you have a home remedy for the common cold? Share in the comments below!

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16 Comments

  1. Great tips! We’ve used the honey and lemon drink for years, it’s soothing and appeals to kids, too. A little less kid-friendly if you add garlic but they will drink it with garlic and or ginger added when I think they need the extra immune boost. We’ve recently discovered the benefits of using a neti and we’ve all found it helpful- I found that using in the morning, at early onset of nasal congestion, stopped what felt like the onset of a head cold. Feels weird and counterintuitive to let water run into your nose but it is so helpful. I second all the others who recommend lots of water and sleep and extra vitamin C (we have 3 clementine daily minimum when colds/flu are making the rounds. Also, we cut our dairy when symptoms start- seems to be mucus producing.
    Here’s to a healthy winter to you and your family.

  2. All good ideas. I’ve recently heard of, and have tried – successfully – 1 TBS honey with 1 tsp cinnamon every few hours. Worked for me!

  3. Thyme has antibacterial properties and clears mucus, so we make thyme-ginger-lemon tea to which we add ginger- and lemon-infused organic raw honey (if honey is pasteurized, it looses its health benefits – we keep a jar with lemon and ginger in it in the fridge at all time) when a cold hits our household.

  4. Organic honey, lemon slices, fresh ginger and cinnamon. Make a tea from a tablespoon of this mixture added to hot water. Yum.

  5. Thanks for sharing these Aimee. We always start with a natural option first. Lots of water, essential oils, and sick tea (warm water, honey and lemon). Oh, and as much rest as three small children will allow for 😉

  6. I know I’m late to the post but saw the instagram picture. I recently started drinking lava/fire cider tea every day. I found a few recipes online and made my own (AC Vinegar, onion, ginger, horseradish, peppers…). I enjoy it so much that I try to have a batch continually brewing. I take 2 spoonfuls of the finished product, add a tiny bit of honey and pour hot water over it. If I’m feeling under the weather I will also take a shot of it by itself. Let’s hope that it keeps the winter colds away.