Well my kids brought a cold home (or maybe it's the flu, or maybe it's just a virus--who knows and it doesn't matter to me since the steps below are about boosting immunity, not which drug/antibiotic to take). This time I caught it too, something I haven't done for a while. The good news is: I have managed to get through it pretty quickly and while it has caused some brutal bouts of coughing and a bit of congestion, I didn't get the fever my kids got. My temp stayed between 96.5 and 97.2 or so.
There are a few things I have found to really work for me when combating a cold. Thought I'd just jot them down for anyone who might be interested. Colds are a drag and if this helps even just one other person beat them, I'll be happy for having written it.
One of the reasons I go through all this is that I'm not a big fan of antibiotics or pharma drugs. One round of AB's, for example, can wipe out the beneficial gut bacteria that help to make up an immune system in the first place. Obviously it is sometimes necessary but I think people take them far too quickly, not giving their immune system a fighting chance. That's just my opinion but I know there are MD's who feel the same way. Consult yours or do your own research on the benefit of having good gut bacteria and the effects of taking AB's.
So here here is my list, more or less in order of effectiveness, from my personal experience:
- NO sugar (including alcohol) of any kind. It greatly weakens the immune system.
- Vitamin D3. Practically a miracle vitamin. Here are my online bookmarks for more info on this wonderous supplement.
- Drinking lots of water!
- Garlic. Just cut a fresh clove (preferably organic) into pieces small enough to swallow, but not crushed. Swallow them as whole as you can. This really works for me. I do this about 2-3x per day.
- Hopping in a far-infrared sauna for 45-60 minutes at 120 or so degrees (taking a break in the middle). I try and get my nasal area in front of one of the heating elements as it seems to help. Infrared rays can penetrate several inches into the body, apparently.
- Miracle Mineral Supplement (MMS).
- Airborne. Most drugstores have this.
- Probiotics (acidophilus and that kind of thing).
- Oscillococcinum. Most drugstores carry this, too.
- Elecrolytes. I don't care for Gatorade and others like it (sugar). So I use Alacer's which can be found in any decent health food store.
- Earaches: we use Mullein Oil. Health food store. 3-4 drops in each ear and stuff some cotton in there. It can help a lot. Great to have on hand for kids too.
- Emergen-C (also by Alacer)
- If congestion is really bad, I'll take a couple of Benadryl to dry up my nose so I can get a good night's sleep, which is also very helpful. It's the lesser of all evils to me. A doctor advised me that it's out of your system in 24 hours and pretty mild as drugs go.
- Hot bath in Epsom salts.
- Last but not least (and for this I thank my friend Ranbir for reminding me) that the best care would never be without lots of hugs and soup!
There's probably other things I will think of but that's a pretty good list. If you have any questions, you can always contact me directly and I'll tell you what I do.
Note: None of this is medical advice. You're responsible for your own health and wellness. I'm not a doctor, don't play one on TV and don't want to be one either. I just like being healthy and sharing things that work with others.
