Cold Remedies

Lucas came down with a cold this week which seems to be going around so I thought I’d share my top tips for helping your immune system fight it off and stop any secondary infections.

I don’t often get sick these days but when I do I realise that it is important for my immune system to update it’s response. It’s a bit like updating your virus software on your computer – you want your body to be able to take on the latest and the greatest viruses and bacteria with a strong response and recognise it quickly next time. So I resign myself to it but make sure I do all I can to help my body respond and recover.
* As soon as you feel any symptoms take 1000mg of vitamin C and do this three times a day. Try to find capsules without flavouring, sugar or colouring. You just want plain old vitamin C.
* Go to your supermarket and buy a bottle of Healtheries garlic, vitamin C, zinc, echinacea with olive leaf and take two of these three times a day.
* If you have a sore throat gargle with 1 tsp of salt added to a small glass of warm water three times a day and last thing at night.
* Hop into a bath to which you have added 20 drops each of peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus essential oils. Soak and enjoy even if the peppermint makes your skin a bit chilly. Do this once a day.
* Drink lots of water, sparkling if you have a sore throat as it pleasantly tickles it.
* Drink lemon, ginger and honey drinks as often as you can. Add 1 tsp finely chopped and peeled ginger to a mug, 1 tsp honey and pour on boiling water. Leave to cool a bit then add the juice of half a lemon. If you add the juice to boiling water it will kill off the vitamin C.
* Slow down. You shouldn’t “soldier on” as one ad for cold medicine advises. Rest, take a day off work, cancel nights out and go to bed early. (I’m writing this from bed with a lemon and honey drink next to me!)
* When you feel better keep up the vitamin C and Healtheries tablets for another week just to continue the healing process.