When I was growing up my mom had millions of home remedies for everything from a cure for an ear ache to a salve for open wounds. Some of them really worked and some of them I think were just smelly placebos to make you think it was working. Here are some of the remedies my mom used to use to get us better fast when we had a cold.

Lemmon:

My mom always said that Tea with lemon was the best thing for a cold, and many experts now agree with her. The vitamin C in the lemon helps strengthen the body's immune system. They also say that it should be in warm water which is why they put it in tea.

Garlic:

Back in the day my mom would give my brother and I garlic soup. The soup has antiseptic properties, the oil in the soup help open the repertory system and it helps reduce fever in the body, and by adding some onion juice to the soup you can help flush unwanted toxins from the body, but be prepared because you will sweat them out.

Ginger Tea:

If you have a cold with a fever the answer is tea with ginger. This does not mean make a cup of tea with a tea bag of ginger tea. This does not have enough ginger in it to make a difference. What you need to do is cut up several pieces of ginger, approximately a quarter of an ounce, and put it in a pot. Put a cup of water in the pot and bring it to a boil. After the water boils, strain the chunks of ginger out of the water and pour the remains into a glass add sugar for taste, and drink it.

Okra:

Okra is a green vegetable, that kind of looks like a cross of a pepper and zucchini. The vegetable is filled with Mucilage, which is great for soothing sore throats. Cut about 10 grams of Okra and boil them in about 1 liter of water. After the water boils you can inhale the steam and drink the water. The water will look oily. This oil is what sooths your sore throat.

Tamarind and Pepper:

A great way to relieve a stuffed up nose is Tamarind and Pepper soup.

The soup is made by adding 50 mg or Tamarind into a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil then add one teaspoon of hot ghee and half a teaspoon of black pepper. You should have 1 cup of this soup 3 times a day. After drinking you will fell your nose start to run and your eyes will water, but within minutes your sinuses will be cleared out.

Bitter Gourd Root Paste:

This is not one of my mom remedies so I have never tried it but I have been told from people that it really does work. This remedy does not cure the symptoms of the cold it goes after the cold itself. Take a teaspoon of the paste and a teaspoon of honey. If taken for a month it will rid the body of the cold germs and help strengthen your immune system.

Turmeric:

Turmeric is a cure all. It not only relieves the symptoms of the cold like runny nose and sore throat, it also helps kill the cold germs and strengthen the immune system all at once. The turmeric is bought as a powder. Add half a teaspoon is added to a cup of milk them boiled. The steam should be inhaled while it is boiling then poured into a glass, allowed to cool slightly then drink twice a day. Your nose will start to run much more then before but in a day you will feel much better.

These were just some of my mom's old home remedies, and with winter approaching I hope that they will help you get thru the winter feeling happy and healthy.