Last week I had a client email me asking what’s the best thing she could do to rid herself of a cold that had just started? This is a question I all too frequently have people ask. The old adage is “Starve a cold, feed a fever” or is it “Feed a cold, starve a fever?” It’s actually the first one, but it doesn’t matter because either way you can get positive results with both. Since not everyone knows how to do a fast nor do they wish too, I decided it was time to write about in my newsletter so you’d have a reference to begin with.
Fortunately there are so many ways to defeat the beast. My first choice is the natural approach. When I was a kid chicken soup, lots of water and a shot of penicillin was the remedy. Today I pass on the chicken soup and antibiotics, and I say YES to drinking lots of liquids.
Here are two simple and inexpensive remedies I like to use. The first one being onion tea. How do I make it? Cut one large onion up and put into a pan with filtered water and bring almost to a boil, turn it down, cover it and simmer it for 30-minutes. Next strain the onion out and drink only the onion broth. You can add a pinch of good salt and some cayenne pepper; this will add some additional minerals and dilate your blood vessels so toxins can move out more easily. It also warms the body because of the increased circulation, adds some vitamin C and assists in decreasing mucous.
And the second? Peppermint oil: just a drop or two in a bottle of water does wonders in opening up the sinus passages so breathing becomes less labored. I also put a drop of peppermint oil into the back of my throat and take several deep breaths. Be sure to do it right before bed, so it’s easier to fall a sleep. I travel a lot, so keeping a small bottle of peppermint oil with me helps.
Is there more? Yes, follow the standard basics like get lots of rest, a little sunshine each day, take a walk and eat light while avoiding dairy and wheat for starts.
Here are a few extras that are good to know:
Cold care homeopathic (works well for allergies too)
Ginger Tea with lemon and honey
(you can add cayenne to this too)
Kombucha has probiotic benefits
(drink 2-6 ounces a day)
Apple Cider Vinegar cocktails
(1 oz. ACV, 1 TBLS. honey, add 12 oz. H2O)
3-7 day juice fast
But what can I do to prevent getting a cold? Guess what? Even those of us that do most things right will still get a cold. Why? Because it just happens. But what’s always on the forefront of my mind is keeping my immune system in top-notch shape. Part of this is doing periodic cleanse so the internal organs stay cleaned out, but that’s for another article. Here are some things that I regularly do: olive leaf extract, velvet antler and GXL (which is a glutathione accelerator). On my product page I list some summaries from several studies on the benefits of increasing glutathione levels in the body.
My office carries the velvet antler and the GXL. The olive leaf you can pick up at your local health food store. I hope my thoughts are helpful. And please remember that following the basic standards will give most of us a positive improvement even if we don’t have a cold.
If you don’t trust yourself and prefer to go to a doctor, then choose a doctor that has some knowledge about natural remedies or is at least open to them. Remember we stay healthy because we choose to take care of the body first through natural methods first.
A second article will be written on the power the emotions play in our health and mental wellbeing.
Have a Beautiful and Blessed Day,
Beth
It’s easy to reach me to schedule an appointment. Just call me at 512-707-9886, or email me at bethhelp@cloud.com.
