You’ve started noticing a slightly running a nose and that your throat is a little sore. It is easy to write the little tickles and sniffles off as nothing major and by the time you accept them for what they are, the illness has become very real. Rather than swallowing a quick pill or two, why not do a quick inventory of the natural health remedies you have on hand? There are more options out there than what you’ll find on your pharmacy shelves. Obviously you do not want to ignore any orders from a doctor, but before you see the doctor, why not give natural health a try?

It turns out that your grandmother was right: chicken soup really can cure a cold-scientists have proven that it is possible! Chicken soup is full of ingredients that are natural and contain vitamins and nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy-the vegetables and chicken really do contain healing properties-which is why opening the can of chicken soup is better for you than running for the Nyquil when you feel sick.

Oranges and orange juice aren’t your only sources of vitamin C! Those leafy greens you usually pass up are also great sources of Vitamin C! When you feel a cold or flu starting to take hold, start chowing down on salads and other leafy greens to help combat the germs that are trying to invade. There are other fruits, especially citrus fruits that contain copious amounts of Vitamin C!

Bell peppers are another good source of this essential vitamin so why not chop some up and toss them in your pasta sauce? The added boost to the flavor won’t just help your flu-y taste buds taste the soup better, you’ll be helping your body fight off the infection altogether.

Echinacea is another very popular natural health remedy. The trick to making sure that Echinacea does its job is to keep some on hand and take it as soon as you start to feel a cold set in. If you take Echinacea as soon as you feel symptomatic you could keep the cold from taking hold at all. Don’t worry if you’re in the middle of your cold, you can still take some Echinacea-it will help your cold heal faster and can give you some relief from your symptoms. Getting better only takes about 1200 mgs a day for a few days. Take 400 mgs 3 times a day to get the recommended dosage; do not take them all at once. Getting better can easily be done by using the right herbal and natural health cures. Why would you take a bunch of chemicals and drugs to heal your body when natural methods work just as well? Instead of running for the antihistamines and decongestants, run for your teas and your bottles of water. Most importantly, to give your natural healing methods time to work, you need to get lots of rest!