Help for the Flu

The flu generally lasts from four to seven days and can sometimes lead to secondary bacterial infections such as bronchitis, tonsillitis and pneumonia. Symptoms include nasal congestion, excessive coughing, headache, fatigue, general body aches, fever and chills. People with the flu can find themselves in bed for days at a time. By providing your body with the proper nutrition and taking some self-care remedies, you will be on the road to recovery.

Homeopathy

• Homeopathy is becoming a popular source of treatment for the symptoms associated with the flu virus. According to the featured article in Cure-Guide.com by Randall Neustaedter, finding the right homeopathic medicine for the flu is usually straightforward because the symptoms tend to be dramatic and easily characterized. Homeopathic remedies come in either pellet form or liquid drops, both of which are dispensed under the tongue several times per day. Take ferrum phosphoricum immediately after you notice symptoms. This may help cut the duration of the illness by as much as half. For flu viruses that hit during the warm weather months, try gelsemium, which has shown success in treating viruses that develop during warm seasons. If you begin to notice feelings of stiffness and body aches prior to the sneezing, coughing and sore throat, opt for rhus toxicodendron. To choose the appropriate homeopathic remedy that fits your specific flu symptoms, visit holisticonline.com.

Raw foods

• You can exacerbate the healing of flu symptoms by consuming raw, uncooked, unprocessed foods. According to Assatashakur.org, a raw food diet not only offers protection from colds and flu, but will flood your body with an assortment of antioxidants during a flu outbreak, which will help your body fight off the invading virus. During a flu outbreak, raw foods are preferred to cooked foods because cooking eliminates many of the important vitamins, proteins and fats that are essential for providing the body with nutrients. All raw fruits and vegetables are beneficial in treating the flu. Opt for foods rich in vitamin C and iron to boost the immune system and give your body the strength it needs to recover quicker. Examples include apples, oranges and spinach.

Symptom relief

• It is a well-known fact that there is no cure for the comon cold. When a cold or flu virus hits, let it run its course. Fortunately, there are remedies that can help speed the process along and make you feel better during the interim. Rest as much as possible. It is when you are asleep that your body performs extensive cellular repair. The more rest you get, the faster your body will be able to heal. For sore throats, gargle with warm saltwater. It will soothe irritation and the salt will help reduce swelling. Drink large amount of clear liquids. According to birdflunews.com, this is key for staying hydrated and flushing the toxins out of the body. Non-caffeinated teas and soups are beneficial as they warm the body and induce relaxation while hydrating.