You can try to prevent the flu, even practise natural remedies against it, but no matter what you do, it could get to you. Sometimes because of a lot of stress, physical activity, bad food habits, lack of rest etc. the flu can creep through the strongest of immune systems. Yes you can pop those pills, but it’s far healthier to fight the flu naturally. Today we're talking about how you fight the common cold - the natural way. Here goes...

Blow your nose the right way
When suffering from a cold it is important to blow your nose regularly (rather than sniffling the mucus back into the nasal canal). However, it should be noted that blowing incorrectly -blowing your nose loudly, for instance – can cause an earache and increase sinus pressure. To correctly blow your nose, cover one nostril at a time and blow gently.

Gargle well
Gargling moistens up a sore throat and can speed up healing. A tried and true remedy that really works is gargling with hot water, salt, lemon, or vinegar.

Drink plenty of hot liquids
When you have a bad cold, you may not be in the mood to eat or drink much, but it’s important to replenish the liquids you lose as mucous. Hot soups, herbal tea, or even plain hot water not only counter dehydration, which speeds up recovery, but also sooths inflamed membranes in the nose and throat, and provides you energy to fight the infection. 

Force yourself to rest
Rest and sleep, comes up again and again, because many times just to keep going, we pop the pills and carry on doing what has to be done. But a flu and a cold is the body’s way of telling us that we need to stop pushing ourselves and just rest, sleep and even take a break from exercise.

Take a hot shower
A hot shower or a sauna really helps to alleviate aches and pains, provides hydration to the skin and the strong smelling scents in a sauna can open up the nasal passage. Take as much steam and relax in a long hot shower when down with a bad cold to help you feel better.

A cold can be one of the more draining conditions, so ensure that you do everything that makes you feel relaxed and upbeat.

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