I spent the last few days battling a cold. Again. I usually don’t get sick very often, but my 4 head colds this winter seem to be a byproduct of my beautiful toddler daughter. Every time she has a runny nose, it morphs into a cold for me.
I have a very specific regimen of treatment that I follow when I get a cold. Truthfully, I feel that head colds just need to run their course. However, I do believe that treatment can shorten the time and intensity of the sickness, plus ease some of the symptoms. These are some of my tips:
1. Use the neti pot! The neti pot is a small pot that you fill with warm water and salt, which you then pour into one nostril. The water comes out the other nostril, clearing out any mucus in the nasal cavity. This is an ancient Ayurvedic practice. You can buy a neti pot in any drugstore, and follow the instructions that come with it. Please note that you MUST use distilled or sterilized water for safety reasons. I buy distilled water in my local drugstore. The neti pot is a great way to clear stuffed noses from colds or allergies. (The neti pot deserves its own post, so stay tuned for more details about this amazing little gadget in the coming weeks.)
2. Avoid dairy. This is a tip that is specific to my body, but may be applicable to some of my readers, so I am sharing it. Dairy makes me mucousy. I typically try to avoid dairy in my diet for this reason, but I won’t eat or drink anything with the tiniest bit of dairy when I am sick, as I feel that it prevents my recovery.
3. Garlic tea. Yes, garlic tea. I recently learned about this magical drink (thank you Cat!) and I believe it to effective. Garlic is a great immunity booster, plus has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Boil 3 cloves of garlic in water, and add lemon and honey. I also add grated ginger to my tea, then strain it. This tea is not for the faint of heart, and if you don’t like garlic, then you won’t like this tea. I used to eat raw garlic when I was sick, but I find the tea to be a lot more palpable.
4. Herbal teas. I drink licorce root tea for my sore throat, as well as green and ginger teas. Ginger naturally removes mucus from the body, and has been found to strengthen immunity. Ginger is also a well known cure for stomach discomfort, which may accompany a cold. I grate fresh ginger into warm water and then strain it, but you can also buy tea bags. Licorice root is known for helping with coughs and sore throat. I add lemon to my teas for vitamin C, which fights colds.
5. Apple cider vinegar. This is an amazing vinegar! It helps the body to become more alkaline and which kills the common cold. I drink it mixed with warm water. If you don’t like the taste, add some honey to the drink.
6. Gargle with warm salt water. This helps to ease a sore throat and breaks up mucus.
7. Sleep and rest. Sleep allows your body to recover. I make sleep and rest priorities when I am sick.
Some of these remedies have been around for hundreds of years, and I have found them to be effective for my body. I hope that these ideas can help you battle your next cold.
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