Ayurvedic Preparation for Cold and Flu Season

You are most likely to be infected with cold and flu unless you live in a bubble. But there is always a way. Proper care and smart choices make all the difference to protect yourself from infections even if there is a cold and flu season.

Before we dive into ayurvedic preparation, let’s first understand briefly about the cold and flu season.

What Is Cold and Flu Season?

In terms of symptoms, flu is generally worse than the common cold. According to experts, cold and flu season tend to last for about 12 weeks but it mostly depends on where you live.

Now, there are numerous ways you can treat cold and flu, but the wise thing to do is to prepare for it. What does it mean? Well, when you work towards preventing getting sick or infected, and you use the right methods for the prevention, then you’re most likely to be protected from infections like cold and flu.

Symptoms:

If you have been feeling a few of these mentioned symptoms, then it means you have probably have caught the flu or cold.

• General tiredness or fatigue
• Difficult breathing deeply
• Body or muscle aches
• Fever
• Coughing
• Sore throat
• Stuffy or running nose
• Loss of appetite
• Headaches
• Nausea/vomiting
• Diarrhea

Ayurvedic Preparation for Cold and Flu Season

Prathishyay is a term for the common cold in Ayurvedic. Ayurveda strongly recommends the strengthening of the immunity to prevent diseases like flu or cold from its attack. Following are some of the best Ayurvedic Preparation for Cold and Flu Season.

• Chew on Dry Ginger

Ginger has strong antioxidant and anti-microbial along with pain-relieving properties which helps in relieving sore throat and treating infections in the nasal passage. You can either chew dry ginger or inhale ginger-infused steam that will greatly help in reducing sinus and lung congestion.

• Do pranayama and stretching

Doing pranayama and stretching is known to relieve chest constriction due to sneezing, or coughing. It is basically, sitting in a relaxed position with a straight back, taking a deep breath, and allowing the breath to fill your upper chest. And release the breath and along with it the tensions and the stresses.

• Hydration is the key

One of the most common and easiest ayurvedic preparation is to remember to stay hydrated. Whether you like to drink water or lemon/honey-infused water, it’s important to be hydrated by taking your required daily intake. Most people also like sipping watermelon or cucumber juice, make sure that it is made without any preservatives and is fresh. Remember to consume homemade immune-boosting drinks and you’re good to go.

In ending notes, there are a few more ayurvedic preventions you can do such as gargle with salted water, sipping lukewarm water, eating light, and a nourishing meal. All of these not only fight off cold and flu but also build your immune system. This ayurvedic preparation will greatly help and will fight off any existing disease-spreading germs and viruses.

Kadha Recipe

In India when someone has a cold, flu, infection, sore throat or body ache their mother’s or grandmother’s make “Kadha” at home. Kadha means herbal tea – it is a medicinal tea. Although today many herbal teas are available at health food stores, I can assure you this is a great homemade herbal tea replacement where you are only using your humble kitchen healers.  I am sharing with you my favorite Kadha Recipe A Traditional Healing Tea.

I have made Kadha for myself and have seen great results for cold and body pain. It is indeed ‘health in a cup.’ When I make kadha, I sometimes add turmeric and/or reishi mushroom which is not used in the traditional recipe

Read more about it here.

Warming Energy Ball

Made with dates, sesame, fenugreek, and coconut. Add seeds as available. Such as pumpkin, sunflower, or char magaz.

Tips

• Steam with eucalyptus oil if they get the sniffles or feet massage with warm mustard seed oil before bed. 
• Putting 1 clove under the tongue can prevent sore throat.
• Not to drink citrus fruit. Lime or lemon juice should be taken with warm water. 
• Wearing socks can help with keeping the feet warm. 
• Cinnamon tea improves circulation and keeps the warm today. 
• In extremely cold weather add a bay leaf to the cinnamon tea.