Summer colds are the worst. Who wants to be sniffling and coughing when they should be swimming and sunning? It’s not exactly comfortable to drink hot tea in triple-digit weather either. I think I may have mentioned last week that my husband had a cold. Unfortunately he won’t take my advice on how to cure his ailments so he has held onto this cold for a lot longer than he should have. And he is such a doll, that I think he may have shared because my throat is sore today.
Well, he might not listen, but perhaps you need this information. Here is my arsenal to combat the common cold. I can say with certainty that with the combination of these things, colds don’t stick around long with me. Stopping them before they really get going prevents sinus infections from taking over (which I used to be prone to). Many of the things I do or take are more natural than your drug store Mucinex, etc. I’ve said before, I don’t like taking medicine and if I have to, I like to know that’s it from Mother Earth. This is what works for me. I’m even going to try a new trick tonight that my sister swears by- drinking apple cider vinegar. Yuck. But it’s not weird if it works, right?
Top 5 must haves
- Astragalus
- Organic Mushroom Supplement- Comprehensive Immune Support
- Elderberry in some form (lozenges or liquid)
- Traditional Medicinals Tea– Gypsy Cold Care (among others)
- Neti pot
Throughout the winter I take Astragalus and the Mushroom Supplement daily. Guess this summer cold is proving that I should take it year round to keep my immunity intact. When a cold does start poking through, I swear by the tea from Traditional Medicinals. If you can find the season sampler pictured, great. The Throat Coat, Breathe Easy, and Echinacea Plus all work wonders, but the Cold Care is my favorite. I always take some form of Elderberry at the first sign of a cold. Sometimes Elderberry and Zinc lozenges or Sambucus Immune Syrup. The Elderberry is the first thing I reach for when my kids are sick as well. This winter we tried chewable tablets that worked like a dream. Their colds were cut so short, I was amazed. If you don’t have a neti pot, BUY one!! This will clean out your nasal passages, clearing out the gunk and keeping the germs from setting up shop, and soothes dryness. I know, it’s an odd little tool. But one you do not want to go without!
Other things I’ve used that I recommend
- Eucalyptus Oil (Peppermint with this is great too)- Put a few drops into steaming water, then cover your head with a towel over the bowl to breathe in the aroma to clear your nasal passages. If you have a really nice spouse like my husband does, maybe they will even rub your neck and back while you do this.
- Umcka syrup or chewables- This is to take at the first signs of a cold to shorten the duration. I just find that it really means at FIRST signs.
- Mentholatum Ointment- This is a nice go to for a chest rub to clear congestion and help with general aches when a nasty cold has set in. I have found recipes to make this, but for some reason, the jar I have is never-ending. So if I ever finish it, I will try making my own next time.
- Hylands DEFEND Cold and Cough– what I loved best about this all-purpose cold medicine is that it was safe for children AND adults. It’s so annoying to throw away half-used bottles of kids/adult meds when they expire and this will help us actually use what we buy. Most importantly, it really did a great job keeping my son’s symptoms at bay.
Jury is out (but I will let you know!)
- Apple Cider Vinegar Gargle There are different “recipes” for this all over the Internet. I used ¼ cup of water with 1 Tbsp. of Apple Cider Vinegar. I mixed it then gargled and swallowed a few times. Only gagged twice. We’ll see…..
Things to remember
- Drink a lot of water. Flush those germs out of your system. The thinner your mucus (gross, I know) the less chance that the germs will settle in for the long haul. Hot soup and tea are good for this too.
- Rest! And this doesn’t mean lying in bed watching Dexter episodes on your iPad til midnight. This means go to bed and SLEEP.
- Get some fresh air. A short walk will make your lungs do a little work to keep crap from settling in. Air out your home too.
- Wash your hands. And your door knobs. And the remote. And everywhere else in your home that the sick people touch.
If you have any other surefire natural remedies I would love to hear about them!!
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