This immune boosting elixir is one of the best home remedies for cold and flu. Step away from the NyQuil there’s a better (more natural) way.
Did you know that over-the-counter meds actually suppress your immune system?
This Cold & Flu Busting Elixir on the other hand SUPPORTS your immune system. It’s your all natural ticket to relief!
Mom’s fast acting remedy
When I was growing up my mom’s remedy for cold and flu was honey and lime. At the first sign of a cold, she would squeeze a lime and mix in some honey. It worked really well and tasted really good too.
I have taken mom’s homemade concoction for cold and flu as my base and turbo boosted it with some powerful antioxidants like ginger and garlic to create this Cold & Flu Busting Elixir.
When my hubby saw me making this he asked, ‘who has a cold?’ My response, ‘No one yet and I’d like to keep it that way’
How to make this immune boosting cold & flu elixir
This homemade remedy for cold and flu is SUPER easy to make. And it’s likely that you already have the necessary ingredients.
Ingredients
- Honey – not just a sweetener. Honey has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties plus it’s one of the best natural treatments for a sore throat. Choose raw, local honey. If you can’t have / choose not to consume honey then it may be omitted or replaced with raw apple cider vinegar but know that the elixir will have quite a ‘bite’ going down.
- Ginger – Immune boosting
- Garlic – Antibacterial and Antiviral properties
- Lemon juice – High in Vitamin C
- Lime juice – High in Vitamin C
- Cinnamon – contains large amounts of highly potent polyphenol antioxidants. May reduce inflammation, has antioxidant effects, and fights bacteria
Method
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and mix vigorously.
The only potential difficulty you might encounter in making this immune boosting elixir is combining the Organic Raw Honey with the citrus juices. That’s if your honey is solid at room temperature. If your honey is liquid you’re good to go.
In the case of solid honey you have two options:
- Shake it vigorously in a bottle to combine, consider it your arm workout for the day.
- Or you can cheat and give it a blitz in your blender
When to take this elixir
Viruses tend to spread fast so start taking this Cold & Flu Busting Elixir:
- at the first sign of a cold, whether it be a sneeze or sore throat
- if people around you at work, school or home are sick
How to make this home remedy child friendly
No one likes having to take sick days of work. And if you’re a parent, you know that the cycle of sickness can be impossible to break.
My ten year old daughter takes this immune boosting homemade remedy without issue. But if you feel there’s no way you’ll get your kiddos to do the same then here’s my advice:
- still offer them a teaspoon. With a very positive attitude I offered a spoonful to my two year old and she actually took it!
- make the elixir differently. Instead of grating the ginger and garlic you would macerate them with the back of a spoon or a knife to release their juices and leave them whole. That way there aren’t any ‘bits’ to swallow.
What is the difference between a cold and flu?
According to the CDC :
The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations whereas the flu can have very serious associated complications.
This immune boosting elixir is cold and flu medicine at it’s best! Give it a try and please let me know how it goes.
Please share this post to give your family and friends a chance to try out the recipe too.
Cold & Flu Busting Elixir
Ingredients
- 5 lemons juiced or limes
- ½ cup raw honey
- 3 cloves garlic peeled & grated
- 1 inch knob of ginger peeled & grated
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Combine honey with lemon and lime juice in a glass bottle. Shake vigorously or blitz in a blender.
- Grate the garlic and ginger
- Add the ginger, garlic and cinnamon stick to the honey & lemon mixture.
- Keep the elixir in the refrigerator.
- Recommended Dosage : Take a tablespoon every few hours if you’re already feeling unwell. 1 Tablespoon per day if you’re being pre emptive.
Hi Krystal, this is perfect timing! We can’t shake this cold and cough, so need some cold busting super elixir for sure! I was just wondering how long will it keep in the fridge. Also, are the limes essential, or can you substitue lemon? Thanks – and gorgeous photos, by the way! Rita
Hi Rita this should keep in the fridge for at least a month maybe more. All of the elements are high in antioxidants which will prevent it from going ‘off’ You can replace the limes with more lemons yes. Limes just give it a more ‘tropical’ flavour.. 🙂 Get well soon!
Well done Krystal, good job! A great home remedy, with the best ingredients, to boost immune system! Love this! 🙂
Thank you Kostas. We all need it , especially this time of year!
I am making this today… We definitely could do with some immune boosting. Love the ingredients 😀 Hope the kids will love it as well.
Thank you Soja! I think they’ll like it. The cinnamon and honey do a real good job of masking the other flavours. If you try it as is and they don’t like it, make a batch minus the garlic and see how that sits with them.
Perfect Krystal! Will make the elixir soon. So far we all have been lucky no one got sick yet. But winter is far fro being over here in MA.
That’s great no one’s ill Sandra! Winters can seem never ending.
Hi Krystal,
It’s getting to be that time of year again! I am not a big essential oIl user, but I have some. I was wondering if you know much about them and if you could substitute either the lemon or lime (I know you need some liquid to mix this together) with the essential oil. Or use all the juice and substitute the essential oils for the ginger and/or cinnamon? Thanks! – I love your site!?
Hi Sherrie, I have only used essential oils topically so I can’t give any advice there sorry.
Hi
I see all the positives in all of your “potions”, but I don’t see the full recipe. How much of what, goes into making these? Is there. Site for this?
Hello Ann, I’m a little confused by your question. All ingredients and measurements are in the recipe section at the end of the post.
Hi Krys,
Just made this elixir last week as I actually got the cold. As I am still nursing I didn’t want to take any medication at all but still needed something! And this was the best thing I have done cause the cold was gone whithin 3 days no kidding!! Clean out everything so quick I couldn’t believe! Usually with medication it always lasted a week…(!) so thanks for this tresure elixir love it a lot!! Tastes really good too!! (Could eat the whole bottle at once….?) but yes, I took 3 tbl spoon a day…
So happy to hear the elixir worked for you Barbara! You can continue to take it once a day to build up your immune system. Wishing you a healthy bug free winter! ??
I did your elixir recipe last night. I had the flu for three days prior to reading the article. I did not have lemon. I had sour oranges and i said what the heck, so i went for it. Besides, i couldn’t drive to the store. I woke up feeling different. the runny nose is gone along with the thick phlegm. I have to say it worked for me–back to work today!
I’m really happy to hear that this elixir worked for you!Wishing you a speedy recovery 🙂