I’m sure I’m not the only one who absolutely hates getting a cold. Being stuck at home with a sore throat and a faucet for a nose is the worst, especially in summer when you want to be outside enjoying the weather. But how do you actually go about expelling the virus, or even just relieving your symptoms? Here are some of my remedies that will help mend you back to health in no time:

• Up your intake of zinc and selenium – Selenium deficiencies make upper respiratory tract infections worse, and zinc is the most important mineral for immune function when it comes to colds and flus. Make sure your diet is rich in both.

• Eat garlic – Garlic doesn’t just taste delicious, it also boosts your immunity and blocks viral entry into host cells. If you feel that you have a cold coming on, take a spoonful of minced garlic.

• Nasal irrigation – Using warm saline water, you can flush out your nostrils to get some relief from a stuffy nose.

• Salt gargle – Gargling salt water (or even better, a Betadine solution) can easy sore throats and kill germs.

• Bone broth – Studies have shown that the slow cooking process of making bone broth draws all of the nutrients out of the bones, making the soup heavily concentrated in immune boosting minerals. Soup is also easy on a sore throat!

How do you get over a cold? Share your tips in the comments!