We’re coming upon November in Portland, and that means cold and flu season. Plan A in my family is all about prevention: I have my household washing hands till they are raw, coughing/sneezing into their elbows, keeping hands off of faces, eating as many fruits and veggies as I can convince my kids (and husband) to eat, and am extra careful about getting everyone to bed at a decent hour. But sooner or later, plan B goes into effect when colds and flu invade our households (if they haven’t already).
Truthfully, I don’t consider myself a full-fledged crunchy mom (by Portland standards, anyway), but I definitely stock my home with my fair share of natural products, food, etc. And when it comes to sickness, I will gladly reach for natural ingredients, supplements, and homeopathic remedies even though I’m not opposed to other medicines when they are truly necessary.
What I also have is plenty of self-proclaimed crunchy mom friends–including a good number of our PMB contributors! So, I called them in to share their favorite tips for treating cold and flu symptoms naturally. Plus, I’m excited to add a brand NEW product to my family’s get well arsenal during my next trip to Costco – which will be for our incredible Costco Mom Hour event on November 4!
Remember, we are not medical professionals–just experienced moms! You should always consult a medical professional regarding symptoms of concern.
Preventing colds and flu
Going back to plan A, there are several crunchy mom-approved preventive options and products besides those I mentioned at the beginning, including essential oils, probiotics, echinacea, elderberry, vitamin D and other supplements that can boost immunity and keep the rest of the family healthy when one goes down. Nevertheless, you’ll also want to stock up and prepare for plan B–when illness does strike–with the treatments below.
10 ways to treat colds and flu naturally:
- Give your nasal passages a sinus rinse (i.e. nasal irrigation)
- Use essential oils: lemon and lavender are particularly popular for colds and flu
- Honey: Great for taming coughs–either straight up with a little cinnamon
- Drink warm water with coconut oil
- Gargle with raw garlic and raw honey
- Avoid dairy (to keep phlegm down) and sugar
- Speed recovery with elderberry syrup
- Rub Vicks VapoRub on feet to reduce overnight coughing
- Tapping techniques to loosen congestion
- Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ‘n Cough Day and Night Combo Pack with Natural Grape Flavor
So, about the new Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ‘n Cough Day and Night Combo Pack: It provides natural relief of common cold symptoms in children (2 and up) including coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, nasal and chest congestion, and occasional sleeplessness.* It’s multi-symptom relief without stimulant side effects. I love the convenience of this product as well as what’s in it (and perhaps more importantly, what’s not in it).
The Cold ‘n Cough Day and Night Combo Pack really is natural. It contains no alcohol, sugar, dyes, aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, pseudoephedrine or dextromethorphan. Hyland’s developed this medicine to help kids get the rest they need to heal from colds and coughs with no sedatives and no next-morning grogginess.
Plus, in a day and age where there is a new crunchy trend every month, I appreciate that Hyland’s has been trusted by generations of moms for over a century. Hyland’s has produced homeopathic medicines using the highest quality natural ingredients and in accordance with FDA Good Manufacturing Practices. They are committed to the same thing we are: Helping our kids get back to feeling like themselves!
Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ’n Cough Day and Night Combo Pack with Natural Grape Flavor is available exclusively at Costco now through February 2017. Grab some at Costco Mom Hour or your next Costco run so that you’re ready for this year’s colds and flu!
For more information, visit Hyland’s online or via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Thanks to my crunchy mom friends, I will be giving several of these natural remedies a try for the first time this season! In fact…is that a cough I hear from the bedroom across the hall?
Disclaimer: Consult Medical Professional before use. Always read and follow label directions.
*The uses for Hyland’s products are based on traditional homeopathic practice. They have not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration.
We use something called the warm sock treatment. Chinese medicine. You get feet warm (bath, soaking feet, etc) for 5-10 min, soak thin socks in ice cold water, wring them out, put them on your feet and put thick wool socks on over, and jump into bed to not get chilled. Repeat for three nights. Sound like torture, but works like a charm, by stimulating the immune system and relieving congestion, sore throat, fever, etc. We use this with our 2.5 year old. No more fevers, and symptoms are shortened significantly. Best cold treatment ever.
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