Simple Tips for Staying Healthy all Winter Long
Flu season is officially here and protecting our families through prevention is an essential part of staying healthy! With that said, if a virus has made its way into your home, these simple tips can help shorten its unwelcome stay! Learn how to fight a cold, or even the dreaded flu with these simple cold and flu remedies.
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How to Fight a Cold
Simple Flu Remedies
Using Essential Oils…
Haven’t jumped on the essential oils bandwagon just yet? No problem! Start here for more info –> Young Living Essential Oils
Still need help? CONTACT ME for help getting started on your EO (essential oil) journey!
Already knee deep in the oily lifestyle? Sweet! Read on for simple advice for combating the cold and flu 🙂
Take an Essential Oil Detox Bath
This is a simple tip that can actually be utilized year round! My 6 year old daughter takes detox baths with epsom salts, lavender oil, and frankincense oil a few times every month! She is a gymnast and spends many hours a week barefoot on a public gym floor!
Can we say gross?!
Not only does the bath help draw toxins out of her body, but it also soothes her skin and achy muscles, as well as leaves her smelling completely fresh and amazing!
Need something a little more hard core to combat your illness? Try these simple detox bath add ins!
- 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Baking Soda
- Fresh Lemon Slices
- 3-10 drops Essential Oil of choice
*Notes: Always be careful to understand your essential oils! Not everyone reacts the same and some oils may not be suitable for a bath detox. Start with smaller amounts and work your way up if needed! Our favorites oils for sickness detox baths are thieves, lavender, frankincense, and lemon.
Try mixing and matching the above ingredients to find your perfect fit!
Drink Thieves Tea
or Thieves Apple Cider
Drinking thieves tea (or apple cider) is such a simple way to shorten the length of any cold or flu virus!! Not sure how to fight a cold with tea? Check out these simple recipes & tips!
Drinking thieves tea (or apple cider) is such a simple way to shorten the length of any cold or flu virus!!
Thieves Tea
- 8 oz brewed tea of choice
- tbsp honey
- splash of apple cider vinegar
- 2-4 drops of essential oil
*Note: My go to essential oils are thieves, frankincense, and lemon.
Simply pour honey into the bottom of a coffee mug, add essential oils, and stir. Splash in a little apple cider vinegar over the top and brew your tea as normal. So, so good!
Essential Oil Apple Cider
- 8 oz store bought (or freshly pressed, if that’s an option) apple cider
- 2-4 drops of essential oil
*Notes: Our go to essential oils of choice are thieves and frankincense! I typically double or triple the apple cider amount (when serving to my family) and add 2-3 drops of both oils. Then I simply simmer on the stove top till warm. All three of my kids absolutely love this cider!! This also works great as a flu preventative!
Create a Simple Shower Steamer
or use the cupping method…
Looking for low prep cold and flu remedies? This is almost as simple as it can get, you guys! Using a wash cloth, essential oils, and a nice hot shower, you are sure to get some quick relief!
3 simple steps for congestion relief
- Wet a wash cloth and place it in the corner of your shower
- Add 4-6 drops of essential oils
- Take a hot relaxing shower & breathe deeply
Pretty simple, am I right?!
*Notes:Â My go to oils for this are eucalyptus, peppermint, or raven.
Feel like 4-6 drops just isn’t strong enough to combat your tough congestion? Try up-ing it to 8 or 10! Still needing something more intense? Try the cupping method instead!
The Cupping Method
First, I just want to start off by saying… This can be super intense, you guys!!
- Simply add 2 drops of (non diluted) essential oil to one hand
- Gently rub your hands together
- Cup hands directly over your mouth and nose
- Breathe in and out deeply
*Notes: Our oils of choice are peppermint or eucalyptus, but this can be done with any number of oils! Also, remember to keep in mind that this can be an intense process! Peppermint is a hot oil and can easily cause a burning sensation in your nasal cavity and make your eyes water. Take it slow and test your limits, but don’t overdo it!
Simply running your diffuser in a closed bathroom during your shower is another simple (less intense) option for battling cold and flu congestion!
Using Essential Oils Topically
The topical uses for essential oils are almost endless, you guys! Check out our top 3 uses for cold and flu season!
- Break a fever with peppermint – apply (diluted) on the bottoms of feet
- Combat tummy troubles with digize – apply (neat) on bottoms of feet or directly to tummy
- Promote overall wellness with frankincense – apply on spine to help fight off any virus
*BONUS – Use an essential oils immunity booster all season long for cold and flu prevention and to speed up the recovery time if you do get sick!
Using Essential Oils Orally
I already touched on our beloved thieves tea above, but did you know you can actually cook with a wide variety of essential oils? Utilizing essential oils in your soups & sauces can be a great way to promote overall health during the winter season, and especially when fighting off a cold!
*Notes: Our favorite vitality oils of choice are oregano, black pepper, and citrus fresh!
Looking for other simple ways to use your flu fighting essential oils orally? Try capsules!
How to Fight off a Cold Using Essential Oil Capsules…
Looking for other simple ways to use your flu-fighting essential oils orally? Try capsules!
With superbugs & excessive antibiotic usage on the rise, finding simple holistic options for infections and viruses is a complete must! My husband actually was able to combat a nasty e-coli infection a couple of years back by using only a homemade essential oil antibiotic!
His doctor wanted him on a very strong dose of antibiotics (one with known complications) and we decided to give it a couple of days with essential oils first, then resort to the prescription if needed. Thankfully, the prescription was never even filled!
*Note: While I would love to share an exact recipe for our essential oil capsules, they actually tend to change with each specific need. Our go-to oils for most any sickness though are oregano, frankincense, thieves, copaiba, and a simple carrier oil (we use olive oil). Another common add-on in our household is digize, but we only use this if tummy troubles are present.
Always be careful when using essential oils orally and do your research! Not all oils are meant to be ingested.
When to Take Essential Oil Caps
- Infections
- Viruses
- As a preventative, when you’ve been around someone that is sick
Diffusing Your Oils
Seriously the most simple tip of all! If you are in the middle of combating a nasty virus alone and simply can’t tackle some of the flu remedies above, simply start your flu treatment by diffusing essential oils in a closed bedroom or bathroom! Check out my top 5 oils to diffuse when fighting off a cold or the flu!
- Thieves
- Frankincense
- Purification
- Eucalyptus (we also use Raven & RC blends which both contain Eucalyptus oil)
- Valor
*Note: While oils 1-4 are perfect for cold and flu season, Valor is more for comfort and is great for year round! This oil works wonders for creating a calm environment and promoting good, restful sleep.
