I thought this thread might come in handy. Below are a few common herbs that can be used to fight off colds.
Citrus Fruits: They are antiseptics and can help energize you. Oranges and orange juice can reduce ones temperature. Grapefruits stimulate the lymphatic system and fights off fevers. Lemon cleanses and purifies.
Rosemary: Relieves headaches and sire throats. Gargle with a syrup of diluted rosemary and it will relieve a sore throat. Drink rosemary every two to three hours to rid yourself of a headache.
Garlic: It functions as an antiseptic, helps fight off infections, and helps with chest congestion. When ill try to incorporate garlic into your diet or eat a few cloves of it with your meals.
Sage: It helps with fighting head colds and chest congestion. Drink a few cups of sage tea throughout the day.
Thyme: Fights infections, fights exhaustion, and depression. Drink half a cup of this tea a day to help with the above mentioned ailments.
Ginger: Antiseptic, stimulant, and expectorant. It can be drank as a tea or the oil can be diluted and used as a rib for sore muscles.
Honey: Soothes sore throats, soothes coughs, relieves headaches, and promotes relaxation. It can be used to sweeten herbal teas or taken in a small teaspoon.
Making an Herbal Cough Syrup:
1. Pour 1/2 pint of boiling water into a jug that contains a sliced lemon and 1 Tbsp. of organic honey.
2. Add all or some of the following herbs:
Sage (leaves freshly chopped)
Ginger (one root freshly grated)
Thyme (one spoonful of freshly chopped leaves)
3. Cool and strain. Take 1/2 tsp. three times a day.
This is from the Mind, Body, and Spirit Collection. It is a company that ships and produces Pagan friendly products. They sent my cousin a binder that had techniques in it that you could try and the above mentioned was one of them.
As a professional singer I had to take care of my throat.By far the best remedy for soreness is a mixture of peppermint oil and lime juice,sipped slowly.Not that my throat got sore very often! The throat is not used very much in singing!
i normally make a decontation of ginger, cinnamon and mint, i then mix it with honey, a ratio of 1 part honey to 2 parts decontation, and mix a little lemon juice in it, work wonders for sore throats.
Generally, whenever I have a cold I usually just drink ginger tea with a bit of honey and lemon. It seems to work quite well for me, but I wanted to add a few other suggested herbs so everyone could try a few and see what worked best for them.
