With its powerful antioxidants, garlic is one of the best protective against cough and cold. If you feel a mild earache, it could be a result of congestion due to the cold. For such conditions, lightly crush a clove of garlic, wrap it in clean cotton and place it in the ear but not so far in that it accidentally gets pushed inside.

For cough and cold, take about 4-5 cloves of garlic, lightly crush and sauté in a little ghee and consume. Alternatively, you may also juice four cloves of garlic, two tomatoes, and a lemon to make a delicious antibacterial and antiviral drink. Some people combine these same ingredients in a blender to prepare a tomato and garlic soup with a little rock salt if necessary

Treat with turmeric
Turmeric is rich in curcumin and volatile oils that have a protective as well as therapeutic action in persons suffering from cough and cold. As soon as you feel a scratchy sensation in your throat that indicates the onset of a sore throat or cough, make it a practice to use turmeric to avoid aggravating the problem. The easiest way of using turmeric is to drink hot milk into which you have mixed in a little quantity of turmeric.

Some people also prepare a tea using turmeric. Boil 4 cups of water, mix in 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder and keep for 10 minutes. Strain using a fine strainer if necessary, and then mix in a little honey and lemon – your medicinal turmeric tea is ready.

Drink protective herbal tea
Besides the turmeric tea mentioned above, there are other herbal teas that also help people who suffer from frequent cough and cold. These teas combine the beneficial effects of different ingredients such as pepper, ginger, tulsi and cinnamon and thus help keep the flu bugs away.

Mix in 4 pods of cardamom, 4 corns of black pepper, 4 cloves, a few small slices of fresh ginger and a small piece of cinnamon in water. Allow the mixture to boil, turn the flame to low, cover the vessel and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Then strain the tea, mix in a little milk or honey and drink it hot.

You can also prepare a simple tea of tulsi by adding about 15 washed leaves of tulsi into 1.5 cups of water and boiling. After about 10 minutes, strain this liquid, mix in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and drink while still warm. Lemon juice contains vitamin C and this, in combination with the medicinal ingredients of the tulsi will improve your immunity against the cold.

Homemade medicinal lozenge
Much before the time of Halls and Strepsils, homes in India used to have their own lozenge-like remedies for cough and cold. Here is a simple remedy you can easily prepare. Chop a small quantity of ginger and extract the juice from it; roast and powder a few corns of pepper. Mix the ginger juice, pepper powder, a pinch of turmeric and add a little honey to make small balls of the paste. Place these inside your mouth like you would a lozenge and keep sucking slowly for about 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat two or three times in a day for faster relief.