I can’t remember the last cold or flu that I had (knock on wood). But that doesn’t mean that I’m just lucky, or that I have a perfect immune system. What I do have is a list of to-dos that I implement when I feel a virus coming on that almost never fail to nip that cold or flu in the bud.
The key words here are “when I feel a virus coming on”, because, in order to stop a cold or flu in its tracks, you need to pay attention to your body.
AT THE FIRST SIGN of those subtle warnings – scratchy throat, fatigue, muscle aches, foggy head, sneezing, etc. – we have a short window of time to stop the virus from taking hold, or at least, lessen the severity of it.
While antibiotics are useless against a virus (and dangerous to take when not needed), many herbs have anti-viral properties.
Just the other day this very thing happened to me. I was exhausted from birthing my new website out into the world and had neglected my body a bit. Everyone around me seemed to be coughing or sneezing or looking like you know what. It was like swimming in a sea of germs on the PATH train.
I felt a little off like I was coming down with a cold. “Not happening, I thought”, and so I immediately
- Put 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in my ears. It’s been hypothesized that cold/flu germs enter via the ear canal. Whether this is true or not, I can say that simply doing this one thing has arrested an oncoming cold for me many times. I use regular strength hydrogen peroxide and fill a glass dropper with it (you don’t need a lot – even just a few drops is effective). I warm it under running water so it’s not cold. Tilt your head to the side and squeeze the dropper. Keep your head tilted for about 5-10 minutes. You may feel a bubbling or itching sensation in one or both ears. I don’t know if this is the hydrogen peroxide killing the germs or not, but while I’m waiting, I like to visualize that it is. Tilt your head to the other side and drain it onto a tissue or cotton ball. Repeat in the other ear. Do not try this if you have severe ear pain (see your doctor). I might do this twice on the first day and again the next day just for good measure. It has the added benefit of helping to remove wax from the ear canal.
- Took some elderberry syrup. Elderberries are one of the best healing foods around. They are phenomenal at boosting the immune system and warding off upper respiratory illnesses. I like to make my own (I’ll include the recipe below) which also includes immune-boosters like ginger, cinnamon, cloves and honey. You can also buy it pre-made – just be sure it doesn’t contain lots of unnecessary additives. Mountain Rose Herbs has a good one. I take 1T a day during the winter months and at the first sign of a cold or flu I up the dosage to 1T every ½ hour or hour.
- Added echinacea extract to my elderberry syrup. Echinacea is good at the onset of a cold or flu. It is not beneficial once the cold or flu has taken hold.
- Took yarrow extract Yarrow is also great for fever and infection, so can be taken if you actually do get sick. This step is probably unnecessary, but it certainly can’t hurt.
- Took a swig of Fire Cider (or Fire Tonic). This old-time home remedy tonic is generally made with some combination of garlic, onion, ginger, honey, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, horseradish and sometimes peppers. Yum. It’s enough to make the germs run screaming out of your body!
- Made ginger tea with honey and lemon and sipped throughout the day.
- Crawled into bed for some REST. Give your body a break when you feel a cold or flu coming on and let it do its job of rallying the immune system and destroying the virus.
- Gave my digestive system a rest by eating light – mostly broths and teas.
Barbara Sinclair is a visual artist and holistic health practitioner with a passion for Ayurveda, the ancient mind/body system of healing and longevity. Barbara was able to heal herself from years of fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, by adopting an Ayurvedic lifestyle. She is now pain-free and joyfully shares these methods with her readers and clients. Barbara received her Ayurveda training from Wise Earth Ayurveda, the first school of Ayurveda teachings in the US. She is also a certified holistic health counselor (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) and certified energy healer (Deborah King Center).You can contact Barbara HERE for an Ayurvedic consultation or energy healing session. To receive her monthly newsletters as well as weekly practical Ayurvedic tips click HERE.
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