Natural Holistic Remedies for Combating Cold and Flu Season

If you’re looking for natural and holistic remedies to combat the cold and flu season then this blog post is for you. Here are non-pharmaceutical solutions to boost your immune system and help your body fight off symptoms of the common cold, like cough, nasal and chest congestion, sore throat, and fever. Strengthen your immunity and keep you feeling healthy all year long!

Our modern society has conditioned us to treat symptoms as enemies. Got a headache? Pop a pill. Feeling run down? Drink an energy booster. We’ve grown accustomed to covering up the signs our body sends when it’s crying out for rest. But the truth is, symptoms like a fever or fatigue are our body’s natural defenses kicking in, and there are things we can do to support these natural defenses.

The first 2 holistic remedies to support a strong immune system are rest and hydration.

Most importantly, we need to listen to our body. So, if you are feeling “under the weather,” you need to rest. Take this as a sign to slow down. The ONLY WAY our body can truly heal is with rest. Allow yourself to cancel a few meetings and respect your body’s cry for help.

Along with respecting our body’s need to slow down, we also need to make sure we are adequately hydrated. Get good quality water and some electrolytes ASAP.

Once you’ve covered these 2 bases, we can also support our body’s immune system with a few supplements.

Here are 5 Natural and Holistic Remedies to Combat Sickness and Boost Your Immune System:

1. • Liposomal Vitamin C – a form of vitamin C that’s more easily absorbed by the body. Click here to view on Amazon.  
     • How does it help you? Enhances immune defense by protecting the body against oxidative stress and fortifying tissue barriers. Vitamin C supplementation has been shown to help reduce the incidence and severity of viral infections, like the common cold. It also helps your body-mind be more resilient and adaptable during stressful situations. 
     • Why you may want to take it? Levels of vitamin C drop significantly when you’re stressed or tired. Seasonal transitions, especially Fall and Winter, are also common times that add stress to the immune system. It may be helpful to supplement vitamin C during times when your immune system is challenged.

1. • Zinc – an essential mineral used as a building block for new cell growth. Click here to view on Amazon. 
     • How does it help you? Zinc is involved in hundreds of metabolic responses. It keeps the body healthy by; supporting wound healing, helping the body fight off bacteria and viruses, and is used to build new, healthy cells.
     • Why you may want to take it? Zinc is on the same level, when it comes to immune support, as vitamin C, but it also helps your body absorb important things, like calcium. So anytime you feel like you need to fortify your body’s defenses, or help your body recover from an injury, zinc supplementation may help. 

1. • Turkey Tail Mushroom – a powerful adaptogen that helps your immune system function more effectively. Host Defense is the best brand to get your mushrooms from, click here.
     1. How does it help you? Turkey Tail works with both your digestive and immune systems to support overall health. So whether you need to improve your gut biome or enhance your body’s defenses, turkey tail can help. 
     2. Why you may want to take it? Turkey Tail is one of the most-studied and best-documented mushroom species in scientific research. It has a wide spectrum of beneficial properties, but most importantly it supports immunomodulation. This means it can both activate or suppress the immune system. This is why it can be used alongside other medications, like cancer treatments, because it provides whatever the body needs. Turkey Tail also supports beneficial microflora in the gut biome and will improve digestive health.

• • Oil of Oregano – a plant with powerful anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Click here to see on Amazon.
  • 1. • How does it help you? Oregano is a plant that has been used medicinally for thousands of years. It has antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties that help your body fight off any unwanted invaders. It also acts as a digestive aid.
       • Why you may want to take it? Anytime you are fighting an illness or a bacterial or fungal infection, taking oregano oil will help your body fight. Think; yeast infections, infected finger or toenails, athlete’s foot, staphylococcus, etc.
    • Keep in mind: This is NOT the type of supplement to take all the time. Use it for no more than 2 weeks at a time, then take a break.
• • Thieves Essential Oil (YoungLiving brand) – an essential oil blend of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary.
    • • How does it help you? Thieves essential oil helps to boost immune function and fight infections.
      • The story of Thieves essential oil is based on a legend about a group of thieves who used this blend of herbs and spices to protect themselves from the bubonic plague while they robbed the sick and dead during the 15th century.
      • Why you may want to use it? When you’re feeling under the weather, tired, or in a time of year when you “usually” get sick – use thieves to help boost your immune response. You can also use thieves as a hand sanitizer when you are around a lot of people or traveling to help protect you.

Our society has taught us to fear discomfort, to avoid the pain that comes with illness. But the discomfort is a sign that our body needs some support. And while natural remedies like oregano oil, vitamin C, and turkey tail mushroom may not offer instant relief, they offer something far more valuable: resilience. They work with the body’s natural defenses, not against them, ensuring that the immune system gets stronger and better equipped to handle future challenges.

Healing is about more than quick fixes. It’s about giving your body the time, space, and nourishment it needs to emerge stronger on the other side.

So, the next time you feel that tickle in your throat or the aches of the flu, consider reaching for natural remedies instead of the pharmacy aisle. Oregano oil, liposomal vitamin C, turkey tail mushroom, Thieves essential oil, and, most importantly, rest and hydration, might not deliver instant gratification, but they’ll empower your immune system to fight back the right way. And that’s a win worth waiting for.

You got this.

-Jessi Rose