Sickness goes hand in hand with the winter weather. And although Georgia’s winter has been mild, the chilly airs are still carrying cold and flu viruses. When you and the people around you keep getting sick, it can cost a pretty penny. Here are some homemade cold remedies and sick day necessities to keep in your cupboards.
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Sick Day Necessities: These are things that you need to have on-hand for a sick day.
In Bed:
- A box of tissues
- Favorite movies
- Heating pad
- Vapor rub
- Water
- Orange juice
- Soup
On The Go:
- Portable tissues
- Water
- Soup on-the-go (Campbell’s has some)
- Ginger ale
- Cough drops
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Tea Time: Drinking tea can aid in making sickness go away. Here are a few teas and their uses.
White tea: Has the highest antioxidants and is anti-bacterial.
Peppermint tea: A decongestant.
Lemon Balm: Helps with headaches and aids with common colds.
Ginger: Helps relieve nausea.
Thyme: Relieves coughing.
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Sick Foods: What you eat when you’re sick is important. You want things in your system that will lessen your symptoms, not aid them.
Foods to eat:
- Broth based soup
- Citrus fruits
- Popsicles
- Spicy foods (They act as a natural detox.)
- Bananas
Foods to avoid:
- Fatty foods
- Sweets
- Some dairy (too much can create mucus or the feeling of mucus)
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At Home Sick Remedies: These are some easy DIYs to help ease the pain of your illness.
Vapor Rub Shower Melts: Rather than slathering yourself in sticky vapor rub. Pop one of these in while you shower to help clear up your sinuses.
Materials: Corn starch, baking soda, Vicks vapor rub, water, ice cube molding trays.
Step one: In a bowl, mix together one cup of cornstarch and five tablespoons of vapor rub.
Step two: Add in ½ cup baking soda.
Step three: Slowly add a teaspoon of water in to add moisture. If you think that you need more than one, add them in one at a time.
Step four: Place the mixture into your ice cube tray and freeze for a few hours.
Step five: Once they are frozen, take them out of the trays and store them in a jar with a lid.
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Honey Lemon popsicles: There is nothing better than having a cold treat when you’re not feeling so hot. These will help ease your sore throat.
Materials: Chamomile tea, honey, lemons, ginger, popsicle molds.
Step one: In a bowl mix together the juice of one lemon, a 2 inch piece of ginger, 2 tablespoons of honey and two bags of chamomile tea.
Step two: Steep everything in 2 ½ cups of boiling water for 10 minutes.
Step three: Strain the mixture into another bowl.
Step four: Fill up the popsicle molds and place them in the freezer overnight.
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Homemade Heating Pad: A cheap and easy way to keep warm when you’re sick. You can also make these small enough to carry in your pockets on the go.
Materials: Fabric, Rice, Needle and thread or Iron-on hem.
Step one: Take your square of fabric and trim it down to whatever size you want.
**Tip: You can make them small enough to carry in your pocket or big enough to sleep with. They just have to be able to fit into the microwave.
Step two: Place the side of the fabric that you want as the outside of the heating pad faced down.
Step three: Fold your fabric in half, making sure that your edges match up for the most part.
Step four: Start sewing your sides together or sticking them together with the Iron-on hem. You want to leave a small hole open at the top so that you can pour your rice into to fill the bag.
**Tip: You do not want to use hot glue or fabric glue for this because it will melt apart once you heat it up.
**Tip: You want to make sure that all sides are closed tightly so no rice gets out.
Step five: Turn the bag right side out by pulling the fabric through the hole.
Step six: Fill the bag with rice. To make it a cleaner process you can turn a piece of paper into a funnel by rolling it into the shape of an ice cream cone.
Step seven: Seal off the hole.
Step eight: You can now place your heating pad in the microwave for about four minutes. (Time will vary depending on how much rice is in the bag.)
Being sick is no fun, but it’s important to remember to take care of yourself and enjoy your day off. Get well soon!
