1. I peeled and minced a clove of garlic, and swallowed the pieces with water, like pills. A great antibacterial remedy, courtesy of my friend Stephanie. I often do this when I feel like something is just beginning to come on.
2. Cotton ball with a few drops of tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil. Place in a small container and hold one nostril closed as you breathe deeply with the other, then switch. Eucalyptus is good for clearing up any congestion, and, as Raine Saunders writes on her blog, "tea tree oil is a natural antifungal, antiseptic, and disinfectant and its fumes are powerful enough to ward off an infection in your respiratory tract if started quickly enough." Although I didn't have any congestion I decided to do this just in case.
3. Cayenne pepper in a mug of warm chicken broth. I used 1/4 teaspoon for one cup of liquid. Got this sore-throat remedy recommendation also from Raine Saunders's blog post which I HIGHLY recommend: http://agriculturesociety.com/politics-and-food/my-home-medicine-cabinet-what-i-use-to-remedy-ailments/ She suggested warm water, but I thought the broth would be a big improvement on that, and it was! Like a very spicy beverage. For children you would need to cut down the cayenne pepper quite a bit. Be sure to stir regularly as it tends to settle toward the bottom. This definitely relieved the discomfort and was soothing. The discomfort hasn't returned so far and there is just a twinge left when I swallow.
And a bonus tip: open a few (2-3) probiotic capsules and pour the powder into the back of your mouth so the good "bugs" can work on any infectious bacteria or viruses that may be present.
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