This season, some folks are getting hit hard with coughs and colds that just won’t quit. Here are some ideas about what you can do (at home!) to take care of yourself:
1. Best Prevention is How You Take Care of Yourself BEFORE You Get Sick
Just because you are exposed to a bug, it doesn’t mean you always get sick. When someone comes in sick to the office, not everyone catches the cold. You get sick based on the quality of your internal milieu – your stress, sleep and nutrition levels – BEFORE the germs hit you. Offering the body more sleep, more water and herb tea, more healthful foods, less sugar, more vitamin C and elderberry is the best prevention going.
2. If you get sick — STAY HOME.
Let’s keep cold prevention / healing simple: if you get sick, STAY HOME and be sick, supporting the body in all of its wisdom to move through the illness.
When we have a cough, fever, runny nose, diarrhea, the body is using those mechanisms to eliminate pathogens from the system. When we take over-the-counter medicine to alleviate symptoms, we are suppressing the body’s natural ability to heal. The bug gets to hang out in a warm, moist environment longer. For example, when there’s a viral infection, the body will spike a low-grade fever; bacterial infection warrants a higher temperature. This is because the body knows just the right intervention to make the environment inhospitable to the offending invader. The body is not this reckless machine making haywire decisions – there is a precise response based on the insult.
(Note to the sick person that goes into work: you are, at most, 60% effective when you come in sick to work. Better to stay home and recover fully after a couple days than drag it out and stay sick for more than a week!)
NATURAL REMEDIES IF YOU DO GET SICK
There are lots of natural remedies (herbs, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, etc.) that will support the body’s healing mechanisms and help you move through this faster. These are best done as daily treatments. See the recipes/instructions below for a few ideas. Of course, herbs and well-prescribed homeopathy can be game changers too!
WARMING SOCK TREATMENT
Indications: Sore throat or any inflammation or infection of the throat, neck pain, ear infections, headaches, migraines, nasal congestion, upper respiratory infections, coughs, bronchitis, and sinus infections.
Supplies: 1 pair white cotton socks, 1 pair thick wool socks, Towel
Directions:
- Take a pair of cotton socks and soak them completely with cold water. Be sure to wring the socks out thoroughly so they do not drip.
- Warm your feet first. This is very important as the treatment will not be as effective and could be harmful if your feet are not warmed first. Warming can be accomplished by soaking your feet in warm water for at least 5-10 minutes or taking a warm bath for 5-10 minutes.
- Dry off feet and body with a dry towel.
- Place cold wet socks on feet. Cover with thick wool socks. Go directly to bed. Avoid getting chilled.
- Keep the socks on overnight. You will find that the wet cotton socks will be dry in the morning.
Effects of the Wet Sock Treatment: This treatment acts to reflexively increase the circulation and decrease congestion in the upper respiratory passages, head, and throat. It has a sedating action and many patients report that they sleep much better during the treatment. This treatment is also effective for pain relief and increases the healing response during acute infections. Best if repeated until you are feeling completely better.
GARLIC OXYMEL
This is an easy at-home recipe for a garlic oxymel. Ox´y`mel = a mixture of honey, water, vinegar, and plant, boiled to a syrup. This is great when used at the first signs of a cold or flu.
Ingredients: At least 1 bulb of garlic, raw (local if available) honey, apple cider vinegar, water
Instructions: Peel garlic cloves and cut in half. Boil garlic in 4 cups of water until translucent. Remove water from stove. Add 1/4 cup of honey. Add 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar. Mix well. Drink 1/3 to 1/2 cup of warm liquid, two to three times a day, eating at least 2 cloves of the cooked garlic with each serving. Oxymel may be kept covered in the refrigerator for 4 weeks.
THYME STEAM
Thyme is a great anti-viral, especially for the respiratory tract. Breathing it in helps the medicine touch all the sinuses and get into the lungs. The warm, moist air helps to soothe irritated mucous membranes.
Place 5-7 drops thyme essential oil or 2 tablespoons loose thyme herb into large ceramic bowl and pour boiling water (about 3-4 cups) over the top. Wait 1-2 minutes until it cools slightly (so that it’s comfortable to place your face over). Place your face over the top, covering your head and the bowl with a large towel. Breathe in slowly, ideally through your nose, for 5-15 minutes. Repeat once or twice daily.
For children, put them on your lap with both of you under the towel. Just breathing in the air will do them good, they don’t have to put their face directly over it.
IMMUNE SUPPORT SOUP
The warming qualities of ginger can help heal you from the inside-out, making it an ideal ingredient for immune-support foods. Debra Brammer, ND, clinical dean of naturopathic medicine at Bastyr Center for Natural Health, presented this recipe during a talk called “Herbs to Support Immunity,” part of the 2011 Living Naturally fall lecture series at the clinic.
Ingredients:
- 1 quart miso, chicken, vegetable or mushroom broth
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger root (or use as little as 1 teaspoon, to taste)
- 5 clove garlic, chopped or crushed (or use as little as 1 clove, to taste)
- 1⁄2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1⁄2 organic lemon, juiced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 3 tbsp fresh, minced parsley
- 1 lemongrass (if desired)
Instructions: Combine the broth, onion, ginger, garlic, mushrooms and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add lemon juice, carrot, parsley and lemongrass if using. Put cover on pan and steam for 5 minutes. Remove lemongrass before serving; eat up to 4 times a day.
Dr. Nicola is the founder of Pura Vida Natural Healthcare in Durango, CO where she sees people locally and virtually. She's an expert in the treatment of anxiety, depression and insomnia. By connecting people back to themselves, she is able to minimize supplements and medications as her patients become empowered to heal themselves.