Home remedies to cure a common cold

Ditch the painkillers, seek help from your own kitchen.

Contracting a cold or flu means having to deal with annoying symptoms such as body pain, sneezing, coughing, and a fever.

Most often, that's enough to make anyone want to stay indoors and rest it out.

Although that is a highly recommended thing to do whenever you feel under the weather, it is not always an option.

Especially when you really need to show up at a certain event -- such as a meeting, an examination or perhaps, your best friend's wedding!

Getting medical treatment usually involves a long wait at the doctor's clinic and a prescription for medicines that have few benefits and many side effects.

Thankfully, you don't have to opt for antibiotics to get rid of a cold and flu.

Instead, try out these recipes that use only natural ingredients, to resolve the issue:

Ginger-Lemon-Honey Concoction

Ingredients

• 2 pieces (4 inches each) of fresh ginger
• 2 lemons
• About 250 ml of pure honey

Preparation

• Wash and clean the lemons and ginger well.
• Chop the ginger (after peeling) and lemon in slices.
• Place the chopped lemon and ginger slices alternately one on top of the other in a Mason jar (approx. 350 ml).
• Pour the honey into this jar. Stop pouring, once the honey reaches the bottom layer of the chopped lemon/ginger slices.
• Seal the bottle well.
• This mixture can be refrigerated for up to a month.

How to use it

At the first sign of a cold or flu, take about three tablespoons of the ginger-lemon-honey mix from the jar.

Stir it well into a mug of hot water. Let the ingredients blend for a few minutes.

Consume this concoction hot, to drive away symptoms of cold and flu.

Ginger Infusion

Ingredients

• A piece of fresh ginger (about an inch)
• 250 ml of water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey

Preparation

• Peel and chop the ginger in slices, after cleaning it thoroughly.
• Crush the ginger and boil it in 250 ml of water in a pot.
• Strain the ginger water into a cup.
• Add one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey to the ginger water.
• Consume this drink hot.

Why these remedies work

Ginger

Not only does ginger (botanical name: zingiber officinale roscoe) have strong antiviral (helps fights infection) and anti-inflammatory (boosts the immune system) properties, it also helps to bring down fever by promoting perspiration.

This makes it ideal for fighting a cold and flu attack.

Lime 

Lime works as a natural expectorant (helps loosen phlegm), thereby helping to relieve nasal and chest congestion.

Honey 

Honey is rich in antioxidants, and has powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, all of which help to fight cold or flu symptoms.

Considering the benefits offered by each of these ingredients, it is evident that together they can pack one heck of a punch -- strong enough to drive away even the most troublesome cold and flu symptoms.

(Please note: As these remedies involve consuming honey, diabetics should avoid them.)

Lead image used for representational purposes only. Image: Davide Taviani/Creative Commons