You've been feeling a tickle in your throat and a bit of a sniffle in your nose. You're probably trying to tell yourself that you aren't really sick but you probably know, deep down, that the flu has already set in. There are lots of natural health cures in your kitchen; there's no need to start popping medications. Using natural health methods to cure an illness is a fantastic alternative to trying to cure your flu with chemicals and drugs. Obviously you do not want to ignore any orders from a doctor, but before you see the doctor, why not give natural health a tryYou already know the basics of fighting an illness: drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest. Vitamin C is another basic requirement of staying healthy. Knowing those things is one thing but putting it into practice is quite another, especially when all you really want is relief from your cold symptoms. This is why so many people spend so much money on over the counter drugs. These drugs are popular because they can act quickly and give you some relief. The relief from these medications is usually temporary and can actually increase the length of your illness. Why would you choose a longer cold with temporary spells of relief over a shorter cold with longer periods of reliefNo aisle is more popular at the grocery store than the pharmacy aisle because that is where you head first when you get sick. As soon as people feel even a tiny bit sick they seek out a box of drugs to help stifle their symptoms. What if you did not have to do this

Look into the cabinets in your kitchen-you already have everything you need to heal. Who says that you need to leave the house to find a cure for your cold or flu You have a lot of options available that will help you cure your sickness naturally!Staying healthy doesn't have to cost very much at all. In fact, everything you need to stay healthy naturally can be found in things you probably already keep stocked in your home. There are a lot of people out there whose first instinct when they feel sick is to go straight to the pharmacy and pick up the most popular drug on the self in the thoughts that yahoo! You feel well again! Natural health remedies can help you stay well, save you money and save you quite a lot of time that would otherwise be spent trying to decide which over the counter medication would do the most good.You don't have to resort to stuffing your body full of chemicals and drugs when you get sick. You can often prevent your illness altogether with a few preventative measures. Every once in a while, in spite of your bets efforts those germs get in anyway and leave you feeling like you just got ran over with a truck. You might think that it is a good idea to simply drug yourself into a stupor in the hopes of making your flu symptoms go away but this is a terrible idea. The temptation is understandable but it is better to stay strong and seek out healthier options. Nature has come up with plenty of ways to help humans deal with cold and flu symptoms and to heal from them entirely. Try a few of the options presented in this article.

If you're looking for a quick natural health remedy, try some peppers. Bell peppers are full of vitamin C and can really help boost your immune system if you eat them regularly. Cayenne pepper is another ingredient that is great for colds, flues and your sinuses. If you want to clear up your sinus passages you should add some cayenne pepper to your tea. A good way to help your body start the healing process is to eat some cayenne pepper, which will heat up your body and make it sweat, which is how the germs and toxins in your system are released.Did you know that onions are health boosters Combining onions with honey to make syrup is one popular method of curing a cold. Cut an onion up and then, after putting the pieces of the onion into a bowl and pour honey over them. It is important that this syrup has time to settle so, after combining the ingredients, it needs to sit, untouched, at least overnight. Take a spoonful of the mixture every few hours for the next few days and you should see your cold clear up pretty quickly. Onions go well with most food, why not add some to each of your mealsEven scientists believe that using natural remedies like chicken soup can help a person treat symptoms of the common cold and flu. Many people find that eating some chicken soup when they first feel sick is all they need to feel better, which makes sense because chicken soup is full of ingredients that are beneficial for your system (the vegetables and nutrients and the chicken are really good for you), so it is only natural that you reach for the soup first and the over the counter medications last.Staying healthy can be as easy as putting a few natural health practices into action on a regular basis.

Simple things like washing your hands often, eating a nutritious diet and getting regular exercise might be all you need to keep from getting sick. Not only do these things strengthen your physical muscles, they will strengthen your immune system as well. The defense and offense metaphors apply to staying healthy as well. Your health benefits from this as well.Water is essential. Water can do more than simply keep you hydrated and keep your thirst quenched. When you have a headache, try drinking some water instead of heading for the aspirin or Advil bottle. Dehydration is often the cause of headaches. Simply drinking some water can cause that headache to fade. Water can be used for more than simple hydration. Hot baths, for example, are great for helping people break fevers (just remember to keep a cold compress on your head so you don't get dangerously overheated). The hot water helps to relax the muscles and induce sweating. You want to sweat when you have a fever because it is how your fever will be brought down by your body. One of the most tried, true and popular natural health remedies is ginger. Even when you aren't sick, ginger is something that you probably keep in your kitchen for cooking and for making tea. It certainly can't hurt to increase your ginger intake if you start to feel like you're getting a cold or coming down with the flu. The healing elements and antiviral compounds of ginger can help keep your illness from getting worse. By adding ginger to your diet on a regular basis you can build a super strong immune system that will help defend against germs that try to make you sick.

Garlic is a famous system detoxifier. To get better quickly, take 1500 mgs of garlic a day and wave good-bye to your cold! 500 mgs of garlic is about the same as a clove of garlic. If you eat three meals per day, each meal should have at least a clove of garlic in it or you can take a supplemental tablet. Garlic is readily available; you can by clove flowers of garlic at the store for low prices or a bottle of the spice pretty inexpensively. Don't carry your 1500mgs a day intake longer than five days. If you still show severe cold or flu symptoms after five days, call your family doctor.

Vitamin C can be found in lots of places! Leafy green vegetables contain quite a bit of vitamin C as well. When you feel a cold or flu starting to take hold, start chowing down on salads and other leafy greens to help combat the germs that are trying to invade. There are other fruits, especially citrus fruits that contain copious amounts of Vitamin C!

Vitamin C is also found in bell peppers so why not add them to your favorite meals Not only is the addition of vitamin C infused ingredients to your food great for your taste buds, your immune system will enjoy the added boost to its strength as well.

There is a right way and a wrong way to clear your sinus passages. If you blow your nose incorrectly you could be doing more harm than good. Blowing through one side of your nose while closing the other side (and then switching) is the right way to blow your nose. Be gentle! If you don't blow your nose carefully you could cause yourself further distress. You might accidentally cause earaches. It doesn't take long to get used to blowing your nose, even if you hate doing it now. If you only sniffle and don't blow your nose, you could make your illness worse. Washing your hands after you blow your nose is a must!Find a good salve recipe. Whether you have sinus issues or chest congestion, salve is a great help. The herbs, spices, and other plants that are used in natural salves can help you fight off your cold or flu, break up your congestion and can even bring down a fever. Vaporub, while not strictly a wholly natural product, is a salve that does quite a bit to soothe cold and flu sufferers. Salves work wonders because they can be put to work on a variety of places on the body and they do a variety of helpful things. Ideally, using Bitter Gourd is a great help in facing this dilemma.

Echinacea has been a popular natural health item for more than a decade now. If you want Echinacea to work properly, it needs to be taken as soon as you feel the cold start to set in. There are some who believe that you can fully ward off the flu or a cold if you take Echinacea when you are supposed to. Even if your cold is already going full force, taking an Echinacea supplement can offer you some relief from your symptoms and speed up the healing process. Getting better only takes about 1200 mgs a day for a few days. To get the right dosage (taking all 1200 mgs will make you sick) take 400mg supplements three times per day.Stop eating sugar. Sugar makes your immune system slow and it's easier for a cold or flu to sneak into your system. If you want to feel healthier, eating less sugar is the way to go-just ask someone who used to eat sugar but has stopped doing so. While many people opt for sugary drinks when they are sick because they like the taste, staying strong and drinking water instead is better for you. Natural health remedies are great but if eating sugary snacks and foods won't let them do the job you want them to do.One of the most powerful natural health remedies is ginseng. Infusing your diet with ginseng is easy because there are lots of foods that contain it and, if you want an added boost, there are ginseng supplements in the herbal section of your grocery store.

Instead of waiting until you come down with a cold to go out and get some ginseng, start eating ginseng infused foods now so that you can possibly hold off the illness altogether. Brew some hot ginseng tea if you start to feel a cold coming on. The tea will be beneficial for your physical symptoms (sore throat, clogged sinuses, etc) and the ginseng will boost your immune system so it can perform well.Steam is good. Why spend a bunch of money on decongestants when long showers and baths are just as effective You will have an easier time breathing when you use steam to help open up your sinus passages. The water used to produce the steam will be hot which will help your muscles relax and help you get the rest you need to heal. Sitting over a bowl or pot of very hot and steaming water (with a towel draped over your head) is another option for people who want to use steam to aid their breathing. In order to keep the water warm and to direct the steam toward your face so you can get the maximum benefits of it, you place a towel over your head and drape the sides outside of the pot. This will help relax your sinuses which will make it easier to clear them out when you blow your nose. Tea is very healing. When you suffer from an illness you want to look for teas that contain peppermint, elder or yarrow. If you are into making your own teas, put some of all three in your tea bag and let it steep for a while. The tea will help you sweat which is always helpful in ridding your body of the toxins that are trying to take over while you deal with your cold or flu. Herbal remedies and natural help can be wonderful ways to combat the common cold and flu. Why would you take a bunch of chemicals and drugs to heal your body when natural methods work just as well There is more to life than decongestant and antihistamines when you get sick: your bottle of water can heal you just as quickly. Getting lots of rest is the best way to ensure that your natural health remedies do what they are supposed to do!

There are all sorts of natural health remedies and solutions to illness. Take a few minutes to look for the different natural health cures that are already in your home before you decide to spend money on drugs. There are those who insist that using natural remedies to cure your cold will work faster than using western medicine. Don't be afraid to try a natural alternative to over the counter meds, you might be surprised at what you find!

Who says that you drugs are the only answer when you feel sick There are plenty of natural health remedies sitting right in your kitchen that will help lessen your symptoms and help your body fight the illness off. Why would you spend money if you do not have to Natural remedies are better for your body anyway!

Strengthening your immune system through natural health practices is one of the best ways to keep from getting sick at all. To keep your illness from progressing and to prevent future sickness from occurring it is important that you learn the proper ways to treat your system naturally. Don't be afraid to be practical and use what you have on hand instead of stuffing a bunch of chemicals into your body.Natural health cures are all over the place! There is no reason to shove a bunch of chemicals into your system if you don't have to! While we would never advocate ignoring doctor's orders, if you aren't suffering from a major illness why not save yourself some time (and side effects) and treat your cold or flu naturally