Real talk: over-the-counter cough syrup is just plain gross, which is why we love this homemade recipe from The View From Great Island. Made with fresh pineapple, honey, ginger, and lemon, it sounds more like a smoothie than a medicinal treatment. (For more recipes with ginger, a key ingredient for maintaining immunity during flu season, see 6 Tasty Recipes Starring Ginger.)

According to blogger Hello Natural, beets contain a powerful phytonutrient called betanin, which is packed with antioxidants and works to fight inflammation. Paired with vitamin C-rich spinach and green apples, this juice is both delicious and immunity-boosting. Whip up this recipe to avoid getting sick this year.

This recipe from Simple Green Smoothies tastes as good as it looks. Lemon works to boost immunity, while ginger settles nausea and cold sweats, and honey soothes a sore throat. Keep a batch on hand and store in your fridge all season long. (Sipping hot water with lemon does a body good, according to some doctors. Check out Hot Lemon Water’s Real Benefits)
Chicken soup as a cure for congestion is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and we fully support it. There’s nothing more comforting than
this classic homemade remedy.
Turmeric naturally fights inflammation and works to
detoxify the liver, so when everyone in the office is getting sick, the yellow powder a no-brainer ingredient to add to your morning smoothie.
This recipe from Simple Green Smoothies is packed with ginger, kale, mango, and papaya. (Turmeric is one of 2015’s major food trends. See
The Top 9 Nutrition Trends of 2015.)

Juice Generation founder Eric Helms swears by this 1 oz. “shot” during cold season. The secret ingredient is a pinch of cayenne pepper, which helps rid the body of free radicals and fights against infection.

It might not taste delicious, but Hello Natural swears by a saltwater gargle to “loosen things up.” The plus side is that saltwater is practically free to make, as long as you’ve got a carton of Kosher salt.

Angela Liddon from Oh She Glows came up with this recipe when her husband had the flu and wanted something cold to calm his fever. Made with clementines, banana, coconut milk, and a Medjool date, this recipe seriously hits the spot. (Coconut milk is one of the many dairy-free milk alternatives you can use in a smoothie. Check out 8 Dairy-Free Milks You’ve Never Heard Of.)

These homemade cough drops from The View From Great Island taste much better than anything you’ll find on a store shelf. Flavored with hibiscus, you’ll want to eat these like candy.

Blogger Hello Natural relies on this homemade syrup to soothe a scratchy throat and nagging cough. Thyme contains thymol, a powerful antimicrobial that is good for respiratory and bronchial infections. (Want
