Holistic medicine is not just for hippies. It is helpful to know how to use everyday items found in your pantry or garden, to make you feel better and relieve pain. Over the counter and prescription medications are fine, and sometimes they are a necessity depending on how ill we are.

The good thing is that not every illness is a life or death circumstance, and do not necessarily requires drugs to make us feel better. The goal is to treat our bodies holistically whenever possible because medications, whether they are prescription drugs or over the counter, can damage our kidneys, livers, and hearts just to name a few organs.

Easy Home Remedies

Cold And Flu Symptoms

Home remedies for treating cold and flu symptoms are basically the same. The first thing you want to do is start adding lots of vitamin C to your body. This can be accomplished with juice, vitamins, and also cough drops with added vitamin C.

You should also drink tea and add honey and lemon. The honey acts as a cough suppressant, and works with the tea to soothe a sore throat. Plus drinking the tea will help keep you hydrated. For food, chicken soup is the best. The warm broth soothes and helps with the upper respiratory system.

Lastly, you need to use vapor rub, and a humidifier. The vapor rub should be applied to your chest area, and upper back. The vapor rub will help open up your airway and work as a cough suppressant. The humidifier will add moisture to the air, which will help your nasal passages and make it easier to breathe.

Sinus Infections

The best home remedies for sinus infections consists of warm showers or face steaming, using humidifiers, drinking plenty of water, warm compresses, and lots of rest. I recommend adding a few drops of eucalyptus to your shower bed to assist with opening up your nasal passage. For the face steam, fill a large mixing bowl with hot water, add a few drops of eucalyptus, lean over bowl and cover your head with towel to keep in steam.

Migraines/Headaches

Treating headaches and migraines can be a little tricky because the causes can vary. The important thing do when trying to combat head pain is to hydrate. Dehydration will cause headaches and migraines, but so will stress and lack of sleep.

Lie down in a dark room if possible. Avoid electronic devices, and loud noises. Noise machines can be helpful with calming sounds of rain or the ocean.

Upset Stomach

To treat an upset stomach I recommend ginger ale, and the BRAT diet. The ginger will help settle your stomach, and the carbonation will help get rid of the gas in your tummy. The BRAT diet consists of bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast. The food items work to combat diarrhea, and settle the tummy.

If nausea is also part of your symptoms, I recommend peppermint. The peppermint will help prevent nausea. I suggest sucking on a peppermint, or brewing a nice cup of tea.

Body Aches/Pain

If you are looking for pain relief, and do not want to take meds, you have many home remedy options. The first recommendation is to stretch. Stretching will help your tense, aching muscles. The next thing you do is foam roller. Rolling out your back, neck, and legs will alleviate pain.

A warm bath with epson salt is also a great pain reliever and muscle relaxer. Last but not least I recommend ice packs and heating pads. Both will help with your aches and pains.

I don't know about you, but I try not reach for a bottle of medicine unless all else has failed. OTC and prescriptions medications are definitely needed at times, but sometimes the known side effects, and damage they do to our organs gives me pause.

If we can get the same relief from home remedies as we do with something out of a bottle, with little to no side effect, then why not? What are your home remedies? I know most of us have some holistic treatments passed down in our families. Please share!