We are in the depths of winter now (here in Australia) and I thought it prudent to share my plan of action for a cold. I haven't had a cold for a couple of years now (touch wood) but they are not called common because they are minor incidents, but because they are widespread and commonly occurring. There is no less kudos in the illness stakes for having a cold and not the flu. Most people like to say they have flu as it sounds more grand but the two are vastly different and need to be treated differently.
It depends upon how you see a cold.
I don't think you "catch" a germ and get sick, I think there are always germs around you, just look at the people you come in contact with at shops, work, public transport, children...
I think it is more about your immune system. The body is a fascinating machine with the ultimate team-work action plan.
Our first action in life should be to support the immune system and not constantly stress it unnecessarily with poisons, toxins and foreign chemicals. Smoking is bad for you but being a hairdresser is also very health threatening. If work is making you sick, get out.
The next thing I believe in is a stable body temperature. Body shocks, sudden chills or prolonged cold often leads directly to a cold, that's why colds are not confined to winter alone. Your blood and body temperature is key, not too hot, not too cold.
Sleep and rest are also vital for the immune system. We constantly monitor our children with their social activities and know when they get overtired they get sick but we fail to monitor our own activity.
So for a healthy immune system that supports the body;
good food, rest, warmth and no chemicals or stressors.
But life is not perfect and from time to time, one slips our defenses so here is what to do;
Understand the bodies response to a cold and work with it.
You will probably be sick for a week and feel absolutely dreadful for a couple of days at least...deal with that.
There is no magic panacea. I am constantly amazed by people who get sick and expect to be well within a couple of days and if they are not then they are running to the doctor like it is some awful malady.
A cold is serious, it is awful but you can deal with it.
The most obvious sign of your cold is a runny nose. In fact mucous membranes are in over-drive trying to
a) prevent the entry into the body of germs and
b) expelling attacking organisms as the first line of defense.
Can you imagine if you were a germ party trying to enter and multiply, pretty hard when you are bogged down in mucous and cleared out all the time by nose blowing and throat clearing. Sneezing is the bodies way of violently expelling intruders.
Your throat may be sore as tonsils and glands step up and your head is feeling full and uncomfortable.
Lethargy and tiredness is the body's way of screaming at you "we are fighting a war here and have to send the energy to the troops on the front line, for goodness sake lie down we don't have spare for walking let alone washing floors!"
So rest.
Let the body draw the reserves and re-direct blood supply to vital organs.
Not only is your body working to attack and expel but it is also healing damaged soft tissues and cells.
It takes extra fluid to form copious amounts of mucous but that's not all. Your kidneys are filtering and need to flush via the urinary system and even your skin will be trying to rid and cleanse the body.
It's a beautiful system all working together.
So help it and work with it. I use a recipe by Dorothy Hall from her book "The Natural Health Book"
here is the recipe;
In a large mug crush a garlic clove. This is a natural anti-bacterial and powerful purifier for your system.
Grate finely the rind of one lemon and then add the juice and pulp can go in too. It has an astringent effect on the mucous linings.
Next add half a teaspoon of ground powdered ginger. This helps sooth and settle an upset stomach from all the mucous and catarrh. It warms the stomach, increases blood flow and stimulates secretions to aid in quickly eliminating mucous to the bowel.
A pinch of cayenne pepper. This is like a homeopathic dose of vitamin C for your body triggering your own vitamin C into action in your body.
Next a tablespoon of honey, this is to soothe and salve the raw red tissue linings, it also makes the brew taste nice too.
Pour over all of this some boiling water to the top.
After a good stir drink/sip it all down including the chunky bits.
And now this is important...
go straight to bed and cover up nice and warm. Rest.
The brew's ingredients will work away and the whole concoction will work to hasten the excretory action through every part of your body; lungs, nose, skin, bladder and bowel. You may get up quite a sweat as the body tries to expel through your skin. This treatment is ideal before bed at night.
Be kind to your nose and use soft handkerchiefs or cut up old sheets. Using tissues will give you a horrid sore nose adding to your misery and discomfort.
For colds with a lot of coughing from expectoration I find one dose of liquorice root tea works wonders. Make no mistake, this is not made from yummy liquorice you eat, but from the plant's root. It tastes foul and I recommend a hasty throw down gulp of the tea but it does work very powerfully.
So rest and drink plenty of fluids to help your body pass all that muck out.
If you find you are not fighting off colds or minor infections in a week then your immune system is compromised and you have some work to do.
As for flu...that's another story.....
Disclaimer; This is not advice intended to replace or contradict any therapy or treatment recommended by your health care provider. If symptoms persist, see your Doctor or Naturopath.
