Month: October 2017

I NEVER get sick (I say that now).  It’s become the most phenomenal thing.  And through a series of not eating my fermented vegetables regularly, a couple of drinks, and getting little sleep the past week, my body finally decided to tell me to slow down after three years of a clean bill of health.  I woke up Monday morning with slight congestion, a foggy head, and fatigue. Though mild, I finally caught a cold that has been waiting to catch up with me for some time.

If you are suffering from a cold, try some of these remedies out. They are easy to do, more affordable than buying medicine and have no negative side effects. A cold is really your body’s way of saying, “Yo! SLOW DOWN! I need a break!” So, slow down, take the day off and rest. You’ll body will thank you by recovering and rejuvenating itself and you’ll be back to your busy schedule in no time!

p.s. – For all you springtime allergy sufferers, these tips would work great for you too!

Feel better soon!

REST | Hear me when I say that slowing down and resting is the most important aspect of recovery.  Shutting down and letting your immune system do what it does best trumps all other remedies against sickness, and works delightfully in conjunction with other remedies.  However, if you eat well, take all the herbs you can, and simply do not rest/slow down, it will take much longer to recover.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR | Make an ACV tea to sip/or gargle. I like to put it in my morning water with some lemon to help dilute the taste. It’s potent but the stronger it is, the faster it will work (of course you can change the amounts of everything to your liking). Use it 3-4 times a day (less is ok too but the more you do it, the better the results).

IMMUNE SUPPORT | Whole Foods has a few varieties (like Wellness Herbal Resistance Liquid from Source Naturals). Some oils I recommend using any of these oils: Peppermint,  Lemon, Oregano, Holy basil, or Astragalus oil. Take 1-2 drops of medical/food organic grade, once a day. Most of the oils are also available as extracts to use in a diffuser, that wouldn’t be a bad idea to do either.  Zinc lozenges can make the cold and sore throat shorter and less severe. Take any of these at the first sign of a cold.

GINGER | Ginger helps bring down inflammation, clear congestion and support the immune system. Drink 2-3 cups of fresh ginger tea daily. Freshly grated ginger root (about 2 teaspoons) in a cup of hot water is best but Yogi Teas also makes a ginger tea. It’s great to soothe sore throats too!

TURMERIC | The curcumin in turmeric eases headaches, acts as a decongestant, helps reduce allergy symptoms and wards off colds. I make a turmeric tea and add lemon and cinnamon (totally optional). If you don’t wanna work hard, I recommend making Turmeric Golden Milk by Gaia and make with warm water.

VITAMIN C & D | Vitamin C has long been known to support the immune system and fight off colds. As with any supplement, check with your doctor first but about 500-2000 milligrams every 2 hours is recommended. Fruits and veggies high in Vitamin C are oranges, kiwis, bell peppers, guavas, strawberries, dark leafy greens, papaya, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Additionally, having enough Vitamin D reduces your risk of catching a cold in the first place. Sunlight and fish are great sources of D.

SAY NO TO ADDED SUGAR | Sugar weakens your immune system! It may be tempting when you have a sore throat to have hard candies, sugar in your tea, pudding/jello, Halloween candies, and ice cream but if it’s high in sugar … STAY AWAY! This will only make you sicker and prolong your cold. Opt for sugar-free items or better yet, just stick to tea sans the sweetener and soups. P.s. adding honey to teas is fine, just don’t allow young children to have it, but also be wise about how much honey you do add.

DRY BRUSHING | The primary benefit is better blood circulation. With improved lymph movement and blood circulation, metabolic waste and other toxins are eliminated from the body leaving you healthier and feeling fresh. Dry brushing stimulates your liver, gut, kidneys, lungs, lymphatic system and nervous system resulting in improved functioning of the body.

COLD BATHS | Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long tradition in promoting health by taking cold baths. The cold temperature is supposed to stimulate nerve endings in the skin to withdraw blood to the body’s core. After exiting the cold bath, blood is pumped vigorously back around the body which invigorates and builds up the immune system. The vasomotor responses can positively stimulate the neural and respiratory systems and aid cardiovascular functioning. In TCM understanding, this makes the body surface firmer, and thus enhances the resistance against external pathogens. Long-term benefits of cold baths help a range of ailments including a headache, insomnia or nervousness; it also good for prevention of cardiovascular diseases, flu, and airway diseases, stimulating the digestive process and promoting skin health.

STEAM & SAUNA | Another thing to try to combat your cold is a sauna or steam room. The super-hot steam in a sauna is a good way to combat the cold virus, which can’t survive in high temperatures. You are increasing your body temperature, just like in a hot tub, to induce a fever that fights the cold virus. It can also improve nasal drainage. The great thing about using a hot tub or sauna to relieve your cold symptoms is that these are all-natural cures.

KRAUT & BROTH | As soon as I’m ill, I get broth going.  Bone broth or vegetable broths both do the trick, homemade broths are best and very easy to make. I’ll usually enjoy a bowl in the evenings to relax my whole body for sleep, reduce inflammation, and enjoy its immense immunity strengthening properties.  I also eat my kraut throughout the day to help the detoxification process more and provide immune-boosting probiotics. Here is my favorite broth to make by Medical Medium. I can instantly feel a change after using this broth.

CILANTRO CELERY JUICE | I truly crave raw foods and juices that give my digestion a break and allow for my immune system to simply focus on healing.  This is one of my favorite daily juices during this time.  To detox as well as strengthen immunity through ginger and lemon.

EAT NUTRITION DENSE FOODS | The more energy your body uses to digest food, the less it has for the immune system. So eat healthy and light like soups, teas, fresh fruits and veggies (no sugar, no dairy, no gluten). I recommend eating onion, garlic, berries, cruciferous vegetables, and mushrooms every day. Here is a page to read why I recommend reading why I suggest these specific foods.