Natural cold remedies often get passed over, on the way to cough syrups and nasal sprays – which only mask the symptoms.
But if you’re in tune with your body, you can notice the symptoms early enough to use much healthier solutions that actually boost your immune system and get you healthy faster.
The main focus for not getting sick should be on getting yourself as healthy as possible all the time. A healthy immune system can defend itself against most invaders.
If you maintain a healthy eating plan, you should be giving your immune system the support and nutrients it needs to do that job.
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I occasionally feel a bit of a scratch in the back of my throat when the air changes in the fall. But because I feel really healthy most of the time and am in tune with my energy levels, I pick up on it quickly and can fix it with natural cold remedies before it goes any further.
Ginger Tea with Lemon and Cinnamon
Ginger is excellent for colds and sore throats. It’s my go-to when I feel off in any way. You have to start taking it as soon as you notice the slightest symptoms, and take it regularly. I love to make a tea with a few slices of fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cinnamon to keep me healthy, especially through the winter.
The great thing is that all of those ingredients also help to stimulate the digestive system, so this tea is helpful any time to give a little boost to an overall healthy balanced diet. If the ginger and lemon are too tart for you, try adding a tiny bit of stevia, maple syrup, brown rice syrup or another unrefined sweetener.
Garlic
Raw garlic is antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and an all-around health superstar. The best way to get its full power is to have a clove raw every day. I like to work it in by putting it into a salad dressing, bean dip (like hummus), salsa or guacamole rather than just chomping down on a raw clove.
Nutrient Supplements
Making sure your healthy eating habits involve a good intake of nutrients on a regular basis is really important to maintain health and prevent yourself from getting a cold in the first place. But if you do get sick, there are a few nutrients that can help shorten the amount of time it takes for you to recover and lessen the symptoms.
Vitamin C and zinc are the two most helpful nutrients to supplement in higher doses when you catch a cold. If you take them as lozenges or liquid, they’ll be most easily absorbed.
You can also work in more zinc and vitamin C to your diet by choosing foods that are high in those nutrients. Fresh vegetables and fruits have lots of vitamin C (especially the orange, yellow and dark green ones) – and those foods are super healthy for a lot of other reasons, too. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc, and of unsaturated fatty acids that can also help shorten healing time.
BlueBonnet Antioxidant: This is a fantastic blend of immune-supportive nutrients + other powerful immune-boosting antioxidants.
Herbal Supplements
There are tons of medicinal herbs that can help boost your immune system and fight a cold. Some of the most common, and most effective, ones are astragalus, echinacea, ginseng, elderberry extract and licorice root. Some are better than others for specific issues, like sore throat or congestion. You can often find a combination of herbals at a local herb shop, and the herbalist should be able to pick the best one for your symptoms.
NOW Immune Renew: This supplement blends astragulus (helps enhance natural immune response) and a high beta-glucan mix of fungi.
NOW Elderberry liquid: Elderberry is used as a medicinal herb to help boost immune function. This syrup has zinc and echinacea to give even more of a boost.
Steam Inhalation
I remember my mom used to clear her sinuses by putting her head over a pot of boiled water with a tea towel, and inhaling the steam. At the time, I thought this whole scene was a bit strange, but it seems to be making a come-back. Of course, with marketing for the right equipment…
I could see a steamer being more efficient, but if you just want to give it a try, the old pot-and-tea-towel method is simple and cheap. A drop of tea tree oil and lemon in the water helps to fight an infection, and eucalyptus or peppermint oil can help soothe a sore throat.
Avoid Sugar
The very first thing I do when I start feeling tired, or a bit of a sore throat, or any other twinge of sickness coming on is to steer clear of any concentrated sugar. That’s especially for any white or refined sugar, but I also avoid unrefined sugars to be safe.
Sugar can knock your immune system out of commission because it drains your body of nutrients and artificially stimulates you. The same thing is true of alcohol and caffeine, so if you have either on a regular basis it would be a good idea to cut them out, too.
Anything healthy you do to boost your immune system is negated if you keep eating lots of sugar or other unhealthy foods. If you really want to get better faster, make the effort to follow a really clean and healthy diet plan and eat only whole foods.
It can also help to do a short cleanse. For an immune boost I usually an alkalizing and mineral-rich veggie cleanse to lighten things up while still getting all the nutrients and fiber your body needs to function and purge any toxins that need to be released.
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