This time of year can be a bugger. Yep, pun intended… Seems like spring should be coming but as I sit here, I spent 9 hours the other day plowing and shoveling snow due to 15+ inches of snow that kept coming down. Have to keep the parking lot clear for visitors and employees. With this comes flu season and cold season. Seems as though winter is hanging around forever this time of year because you just want it to be gone. Today it was below zero in the morning as well just to remind us that just because it is March, winter is still alive and kicking. There are many different home recipes for warding off a cold or trying to get rid of it as soon as possible. The following are the tips I have used successfully.
Kefir-
One thing I start drinking immediately once I feel a cold or any bug coming on is Kefir. There are two kinds that I use. One is a small bottle I buy from a local whole foods store. This kind you take a spoonful of as needed. I use it to help when I get colds and or the flu. The other is a probiotic drink that you can buy from most grocery stores. Kind of like yogurt on steroids. My mother has told me to drink felia which is the same thing, just unflavored but I have not spent the time it takes to make it myself. This stuff is used for all sorts of things. Digestive and immune health amongst them. I have drank it for quite a while in the past to help with my stomach issues and it seemingly helped as I had less frequent heart burn when I was drinking it regularly.
Sauna-
If I have a cold coming on, I try to take more saunas. It seems like heating up my core temperature has helped me get rid of bugs that are attacking my nasal passages and the like. It helps clean out all the gunk that is in my throat and nose and it seems like it has helped me eliminate the cold a lot faster than when I do not take a sauna when I have something coming on.
Exercise-
I have always felt that the healthier I am, the less likely it is for me to develop a cold and the like. Bugs still come and go but when I stay active, it seems like I have gotten sick a lot less. Whether or not my body can fight whatever it is better or if again, heating my core temperature more often is a way to fight off whatever has gotten into my system.
Oils-
I have not gotten into oils a whole lot but there are a few that I have used and had success with. I have used lavender on my throat to help with a sore throat and one of my employees had success getting her voice back by putting lavender on her throat. There are many different ones that people like to use. I have used eucalyptus in the sauna by putting it in the water and throwing it on the rocks for steam. That has helped soothe sore throats. The oil that I have used in a few different situations that I feel like is highly effective is Thieves. Off the topic at hand, but I had a really sore gum and tooth root and the dentist couldn’t find anything that would be causing it. I put Thieves on a cue tip and rubbed it on the gum and whatever it was disappeared within 24 hours. Just the other day I felt like I had the same cold that my employee had that caused her misery for two weeks. I had felt it coming on for about five days and my usual routines were not quite making it go away. Then my wife suggested gargling 3 drops of Thieves diluted in water. The next morning the throat was not as sore the the following morning there was no soreness at all. The rest of the symptoms were also gone so I am starting to believe in the power of Thieves. Granted this was just one instance so we will see if it is a consistent helper or not.
These are my go-to’s for getting rid of a cold and helping bugs go by quicker. There are many different tips available online and everyone has their own ideas. Whatever gets rid of a cold faster is worth a shot. I wanted to get rid of my cold quickly as I am sitting in Gulf Shores, Alabama right now with my in-laws and I did not want to be sick while I am here. Picture is of my balcony view. Back to snow in a few days.
