How to Beat a Cold Before it Beats You!

I woke up today with the tiniest of a sore throat and a definite headache and yucky feeling. I know what is happening.  So I went to my vitamins and dug out the Elderberry, Echinachea, Goldenseal herb and took 2 plus an extra 1000 IU Vitamin C.  I will do the same tomorrow. I sure hope it kicks this cold virus before it gets me!  So of course I went online to see if there is anything else I can do to keep the cold at bay. I found this and a couple other references to read up on.

What I gathered from all this was to dress in sweats to keep warm, sleep/nap a lot, watch funny movies to laugh often, have lots of chicken soup and NO SUGAR or DAIRY, drink healthy tea, slip some garlic into that chicken soup!  Take my echinacea!  Okay, I'm on my way to kicking this! 

 

The below is courtesy of LearningHerbs.com 

I know when a cold is coming on before it takes hold. It sends a signal to my throat. When my throat feels the slightest bit tingly, tight or soar, I know to take action. Another symptom I experience is feeling tired or exhausted. What do I do? Basically, get lots of rest, eat broth and drink SPECIAL tea. There are other things to do as well, such as use some favorite herbs for coughs, aches or fevers, but it is simple it is to treat a cold naturally with things you probably already have in your kitchen. Here is a quick summary of 8 steps to take when you feel that tickle in your throat, signaling a cold taking hold:  (go to the Learning Herbs link to read the entire descriptions.)

1. Rest! Most of the time, if I take the day off, my cold gets kicked.
   For cold and flu prevention, make sure you manage your stress and laugh a lot! Stress impairs white blood cell function. Laughter enchances immune function.
2. Eat Well You don’t feel like eating when you have a cold? Neither do I. But what I do eat is organic chicken broth with miso.   Avoid processed foods and food with artificial ingredients.
3. Garlic Yes. Garlic.
4. My “Special-Tea.”  And this tea is my specialty. Most likely, you have the ingredients in your kitchen. Click here for the free recipe. I drink this when I have the flu as well.
5. Echinacea. I know you have all heard of this herb. Did you know it's a great remedy for strep throat?  Click here to find out and learn how to us it as well as HOW NOT to use it.
6. I bundle up. I’ll wear a turtle neck shirt to keep my neck covered, and put on my favorite sweats. Often I’ll put on a ski cap as well to keep my body heat in. This is especially important if you have the flu.
7. Stay off drugs, sugar, and dairy! What? I DO NOT mean any medications your doctor has you on. Stay ON doctor prescribed medications. Stay off over the counter cold remedies, as well as other legal (and illegal) drugs, such as caffeine and nicotine.
   Smoking and coffee are well known to severely impair your immune system.
   Milk, cheese and other dairy products are mucous enhancing and stuff you up even more.
8. If my I get a stuffy nose, I no doubt make my simple stuffy nose remedy. You probably have this ingredient in your cupboard already. (See below)

UNSTUFF THAT STUFFY NOSE with this stuffy nose remedy!

This is so simple you’ll hardly believe it!

What do we do when we get a stuffy nose?

We use chamomile. That’s it! Plain and simple.

But HOW do we use chamomile? We make an herbal steam for our stuffy nose remedy.

1. Bring two quarts of water to a boil
2. When it boils, turn off the heat and put in two handfuls of dried chamomile flowers. Now, I realize at this time, you may not have loose chamomile flowers in your cupboard…BUT… you may have a box of chamomile tea bags. So, instead of boiling a 2 quarts, boil a quart of water and then throw in 10 tea bags.
3. Make sure the pot is COVERED after you put in your chamomile.
4. After 15 minutes, carry the pot over to the kitchen table, put it on a hot pad.
5. Get a towel and a box of tissues.
6. Remove the cover and hold up the towel like a “tent” over the pot of tea with your head under it.
7. Breath in the steam. Keep the tissue handy because you’ll have to blow you’re nose every so often.
8. Keep this up as long as you want. Breath through your nose and through your mouth.
9. You can reuse the tea a couple of times before composting it.
10. AHHHHHHH………relief for your stuffy nose!!!!!

Other links:

Mountain Rose Herbs

WebMD

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I hope this information has been of some help to you. As always, if you would like to add a thought, question, give suggestions for another topic, or make a general suggestion, please post a comment below. Also, please follow / subscribe to this blog.  Thank you!