Let's face it.... you can do everything "right" by taking care of yourself, and you can still come down with that dreaded bug... a common cold!
Since it seems this cold currently kicking my behind is making its way around town, I figured I'd share a few of my go-to cold remedies. Having a cold is the pits, but being loopy off of drugstore cold medicine is also pretty awful, so why not do everything you can to get better quickly and naturally?
When I start feeling run down and sick, I take a high dose of Vitamin D3 Extreme for three days (make sure to consult your doctor about what proper dosage is right for you). If I take this as soon as I start noticing symptoms, I typically don't even have to take it the second or third day. (You do not want to continue taking a high level of D3 past three days due to toxicity risks.) In the case I don't get the vitamins in quick enough and my cold progresses (like the bug I am experiencing right now), there are some back up methods that are both comforting and healing.
Umka Cold Care, which can be found at your local health food or grocery coop, is a life saver. Taken three times a day, it will whoop your cold's butt! Unlike the usual drugstore cold medicine, this natural cold medicine will help you feel better without leaving you drowsy and loopy.
In between doses, stay plenty hydrated! I think Yogi's Echinacea Immune Support tea is delicious because, in addition to all of its other yummy and healing ingredients, the licorice root in it soothes your throat without being an overpowering flavor (which I have found to occur in similar tea blends). I alternate drinking tea and water all day, and I make sure that my water includes a drop or two of Young Living's Theives essential oil, which is a fantastic immune system booster.
Although it usually has zero appeal when you don't feel well, I have found that getting a light amount of exercise can sometimes help clear the sinuses and that dreaded brain-fog. If my cold is not terribly severe, I usually try a very gentle yoga routine and/or go for a walk with the dog (if it isn't as cold as it has been lately). Getting your muscles moving and your blood pumping a little harder than they would be just parked on the couch can work a cold out of your system a little faster, as long as you make sure not to push yourself too hard, you bundle up, and you don't dehydrate yourself.
Personally, I find that I am more susceptible to illness when I am stressed or overworked. Common colds are my body's way of saying "Whoa there, how about you calm down and put your feet up? Oh, you're too busy? Too bad, I'm going to make you put your feet up whether you like it or not!" So rather than get frustrated and repeat "I'm so sick. This is awful.", which can just make you feel worse, take a minute to give yourself permission to take care of yourself. Give yourself permission to put your health as a priority (which can be extremely difficult for people to do while the hectic world swirls around you). That way you will not only bounce back with a healthy body, but a healthy relaxed mind.
When it is time for bed, while I put on one of my favorite mellow albums, I put a little more Theives oil mixed with jojoba oil on the bottoms of my feet and cover them up with some thick wool socks. A homeopathic remedy I found at my local coop, Nighttime Cough and Bronchial Syrup, combines a variety of cold and flu specific remedies with a relaxing, mind-calming remedy is a great nightcap so I can drift off to sleep and wake up refreshed and renewed!
Alright, well I'm crawling back into bed in hopes that some more rest will have me back up and running in no time!
Do you have any cold remedies that you swear by?