Cold and Flu Season is here! Fight Back!
Nothing to Sneeze at
Time for some home remedies!
No one likes being sick and this time of year it seems like everyone is catching something. I thought that since I was just getting over having a slight cold I would write about ways to speed your recovery and get back to living your life!
The best defense to the cold is a good offense. Be sure to take a vitamin C supplement to boost a healthy immune system. If you have a healthy diet, get plenty of sleep, and increase your vitamin C intake then you'll stand a good chance of never catching what everyone else has! If you do start feeling ill, it is suggested that you take 250 milligrams of vitamin C every two hours.
If you are unlucky and do happen to catch the flu or come down with a cold, there are many easy ways to get over them quicker and limit the amount of suffering you have to do!
Drink your tea!
One thing I rely heavily on when I'm sick is tea. I can never have too much tea when I am feeling under the weather. I like drinking herbal teas, generally ones that have either chamomile or echinacea in them. Both of these herbs have been found to help relieve cold and flu symptoms. Always be sure to sweeten with honey and not sugar because processed sugar is actually toxic to the body and you don't want to add more stress to your system when you're sick. I will buy already made teas since I know when I am sick the absolute last thing I want to do is get dried herbs and make tea the long way.
If you would like to make a tea from scratch to help you feel better here's what you do:
Take either a few thin slices of ginger or 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger per cup of water. Boil this together and sweeten with honey. It is suggested that you drink this tea several times a day. I'll talk more about the benefits of ginger later.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Everyone has been given chicken noodle soup and told it will make you feel better. We have all seen the commercials claiming the soothing, healing power of this simple soup, is it all too good to be true? No, chicken noodle soup can indeed help you feel better while fighting the cold or flu. This simple soup has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects and it will also help to thin the mucus that forms when you are sick.
Zinc
What is zinc? Zinc is a trace mineral that your body needs for several essential functions, such as cell division, cell growth, and keeping the immune system running properly. I will be discussing zinc more in depth in another hub because as I researched it for this hub I found too much information to include here!
Zinc has been found to be very effective when shortening the life of the cold virus. You can find zinc lozenges at your local pharmacy. The recommended dose of zinc for someone with the cold or flu is between 9 and 24 milligrams of elemental zinc every two hours while symptoms are present.
If you are taking zinc as a daily preventative you should follow the guidelines set by the government to avoid overdosing. Adult and teen men need 11 milligrams of zinc a day. Adult women need 8 milligrams while teens (ages 14-18) need 9 milligrams a day. Younger children (ages 9-13) need 8 milligrams of zinc a day while children ages 4 to 8 need 5 milligrams a day. You can add zinc into your daily diet by eating lamb, beef, pork, whole grains, nuts, or legumes.
Ginger
Ginger is really an amazing herb which will be getting it's own hub later on but for now we will simply talk about the benefits of ginger in respects to the cold and flu season that is upon us. Ginger, when used in conjunction with the other tips I have written here, can really have a positive impact on the healing process. Ginger has been found to combat nausea, headaches, and various other aches and pains, which can all be side effects to having a cold of flu.
To use this herb you can use the tea recipe I provided above, ingest powder-filled capsules from the pharmacy, or you can make a poultice from ground up ginger root to place on your forehead to ease headaches.
Remember if you are sick you absolutely must:
REST!! You will not recover quickly unless you give your body time to rejuvenate itself!
Drink lots of fluids! The teas will help and so will all that soup we eat when we're sick. Be sure to also drink plenty of water. Water helps your body to cool a fever, flush out toxins and waste, and thin all that mucus that forms when you're sick.
Also try to stay in a warm room that has a humidifier. The cold virus thrives in dry, cold environments so adding moisture to the air will help reduce this problem. The humidifier will also help you open up the lungs and free up that mucus. Be sure to clean this machine and change the water daily to make sure mold and mildew are not growing on it as these will make you feel worse.
Do not take antibiotics! They work very well against bacteria BUT A COLD IS A VIRUS!
Hopefully these tips will help you make it through this season! I hope you all are doing well and staying warm! Thank you for reading!
If you liked this hub please check out my recipe for making a Hot Tottie to help you feel better!