Here's what I've tried before that works for me:
- Hot drinks, no matter what, and lots of it. Try some hot tea with lemon and honey.
- No cheese or milk in any form. This makes things worse as it stimulates and helps the virus/infection, plus it produces phlegm (aka snot).
- Spicy food works great for clearing out sinuses.
- For solid food, try hot chicken noodle soup or ramen. Try to avoid using canned foods though as those are very unhealthy for you. They are generally loaded with sodium and fat.
- Avoid sugary stuff, desserts and cold foods. Stay away from ice cream, soft drinks, cake, cookies, and any other types of "sweets". Heat is effective at killing infections and bacteria, not cold.
- If you want quick relief from the sore throat, gargle saltwater (spit it out afterwards, don't swallow). Not only does this help soothe a sore throat, it also helps clear out your tonsils of tonsil stones, which cause bad breath and tonsillitis.
Also whoever told you to use alcohol is trolling with you. Avoid alcohol altogether while sick. Not only is it literally poison, it's not going to help in any way, and will make your body weaker against the illness, as alcohol is a depressant.
