Here are my favorite tips for colds. Colds are going around. The CDC describes the flu season as the fall and winter months with a peak in February. However the flu and cold germs are present everywhere year round and getting acupuncture regularly will boost your immunity.
1. Enjoy some healing broth with fresh grated ginger and sliced scallions. Bone
broth is an ancient East Asian Medicine recipe for healing everything from injuries, post surgical healing, and colds. Ginger and scallions will help disperse phlegm and warm your system. I buy fresh ginger in bulk and use a food processor to grind it down to a small size and then keep it in the freezer for easy quick use.
If you don’t have the energy to make the broth from scratch, some of the boxed broths aren’t too bad. I use the Whole foods organic low sodium broth. Trader Joe’s also has a good boxed bone broth that I’ve been using recently. These may not have all the nutrients as cooking the broth down yourself, but when you are sick, it will soothe and nourish you. Regular consumption of bone broth will enhance your metabolism and overall health. Keeping a supply of bone broth boxes in your pantry and ginger in the freezer will server you well when you are under the weather and not up for a shopping trip.
2. Stay away from cough drops-even the “natural” ones as the sugar inflames the throat and keeps you coughing, stalls your recovery, (and keeps you buying them). If you need something to soothe your throat, take a teaspoon of raw honey, a dash of lemon and a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger as a tea in warm water. Raw honey is anti-inflammatory, anti-viral/bacterial and an expectorant. The ginger is warming and dispersing and will help get rid of the phlegm. If you really think you want a cough drop, its better to get a piece of hard candy that you actually enjoy and do have that. Often when we are ill, we feel down and are in need of comfort and cough drops are an easy trap.
3. Fresh pineapple juice contains bromelain, an immune boosting enzyme that helps break down phlegm in the body. This provides relief especially if you have it sticking to the back of your throat. But it must be real and fresh, not canned/frozen etc. Please take the juice at room temperature in small amounts to reduce phlegm from colds.
4. Take some NAC. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) boost glutathione production and helps reduce phlegm.
5. Gargle with warm salt water to soothe and heal your sore throat.
6. Avoid sugar-it causes inflammation and will prolong your symptoms.
7. Get rest. Now is the time to take care of yourself.
8. Take Vitamin D daily. It will boost your immunity and your mood. It’s best to pair Vitamin D with K2 for vascular health. I stock a good D+K2 in the clinic and it’s also on Fullscript.
9. Go outside often, even when the weather isn’t great to keep you in tune with the seasons. This goes a long way to building your immunity and health.
10. Frequently wash your hands using regular soap. Anti-bacterial soap reduces your natural immunity. You may also use alcohol based hand sanitizers.
11. Stay home from work when you are sick. This will allow you to get better faster and also avoid spreading the illness to others. Going to work ill reduces the productivity of everyone else and prolongs your time being sick.
12. Keep warm and avoid drafts and cold foods & beverages.
13. Get acupuncture! regular acupuncture tune-ups will keep your immune system running smoothly and help prevent illness.
Tired of getting sick and run down? To find out how acupuncture can help you, contact me or schedule online.
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