Getting A Common Cold...
That's what this week's post is all about!
First, I’ll give you some tips on how to reduce your risk of getting sick in the first place. Then, I’ll let you in on some of my strategies to recover from that cold you may still get from time to time.
Natural Tips To Reduce Risk of Sickness
1. Wash our hands. A lot. Our hands can trap and transport all kinds of microbes that cause sickness. And I’m not just talking about colds here, but lots of different germs.
NOTE: Antibacterial soap is not recommended! Not only is it no more effective than regular soap and water, but it can contribute to antibiotic resistance.
2. Get enough nutrients. I know this is way oversimplified, but I would be remiss to exclude it. Every cell in our bodies, including our immune cells, needs enough of all the essential nutrients. The more nutrition we have, the better and stronger we will be, especially with vitamins A, C, and E. Vitamin A-rich foods include carrots, sweet potato, and organ meats. Vitamin C-rich foods include bell peppers and citrus. Vitamin E-rich foods include nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.
3. Probiotic foods. Helping our health-promoting gut microbes with more of their probiotic friends is in order here to help keep the immune system strong. Try 1-2 servings/day of fermented foods and drinks like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir, and kombucha.
4. Prebiotic foods. Feeding those friendly gut microbes their favourite foods can help them to grow and flourish. They love fibrous foods like onions, garlic, asparagus, berries, bananas, sweet potatoes, and seeds. Aim for 2-3 servings/day.
5. Get enough sleep. Did you know that our immune system cycles with our circadian system? When we sleep, our immune cells produce antibodies to fight infections. We should try to get at least 7 hours every single night, even when we're feeling great.
Natural Tips To Recover From Sickness
6. Drink lots of fluids. Being sick can be dehydrating. Fluids like water, chicken soup, and green tea are warm, hydrating comfort drinks. Chicken soup is a source of electrolytes, especially if homemade from a real chicken with lots of vegetables. Green tea has been shown to boost some of our immune cells, and this can help to better fight off the invading germ.
7. Rest and recover. When our bodies are fighting infections, they are busy working hard for our health. We should give them a break and relax while we’re feeling under the weather.
Conclusion
When we do get sick, we need to keep up all of the good habits above, and make sure to add some warm, healthy fluids, and extra rest.
What do you do when you get sick? Let me know in the comments below, and make sure to keep reading for a great recipe to use when feeling under the weather...
Recipe: Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops
Ingredients:
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
Instructions:
- Put ingredients into a small saucepan.
- Stir frequently until it becomes foamy. Be careful because the honey can burn easily.
- Remove from heat and continue to stir until the foam reduces.
- Put the saucepan back on the heat.
- Repeat this until a candy thermometer reads 300F.
- Drop a bit into a glass of ice water. If the mixture forms a hard, crunchy ball, it's ready! If not, keep stirring and heating for another minute or two and try with the ice water again.
- Once a hard ball forms from a drop into the ice water, let the saucepan cool until the foam has reduced.
- Drizzle the candy into a candy mold or onto oiled parchment paper.
- Let cool at room temperature until the cough drops are hard.
- Pop out of the mold or break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.
Pro Tip: You can sprinkle them with vitamin C powder to keep them from sticking together.
Healthy Immune Systems, Healthy Lives!
Want to talk about how to maximize the health of your immune system? Want to work towards feeling your best as much as possible? I'd love for you to book a free health coaching call. I want to find out what you are struggling with and give you my best tips to start you on a journey toward a lean and healthy body for life. Click on the button below to book your free call now. |
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/what-to-eat-when-sick
https://www.thepaleomom.com/natural-approaches-to-cold-flu-season/
http://www.who.int/gpsc/clean_hands_protection/en/