Don’t let cold and flu season take you by surprise! Use some of these recommendations to hold off those nasty colds.
FOODS TO INCORPORATE
SOUPS and STEWS – cooking your food in a soup helps lower the digestive burden. Soups are also great for incorporating many different vegetables (read: all the colors) and herbs and spices!
Speaking of Anti-inflammatory HERBS and SPICES, load up on these! Think turmeric, ginger, and other warming spices. Incorporate into foods and beverages as possible. You can also put some of these herbs (in the form of kitchen herbs or as essential oils) into hot water to do a steam inhalation (described later).
TEAS – any “immune support” teas from the grocery store are great. Add local honey for sweetness and some antimicrobial action.
ACTIVITIES TO DO
Get LOTS of warmth and sunlight – the sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D, which is crucial in immune function. As the cold can often trigger a cough, make sure to stay warm with layers. Consider wrapping your chest and midsection in warm towels out of the dryer!
Use STEAM – do steam inhalations, breathing in steam from a boiling pot of water, or in a hot shower. Use essential oils (eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon, etc.) or kitchen herbs (thyme, rosemary, cloves) to increase the benefits.
Do GENTLE movement – some light stretching of the neck and core muscles will help allow your body to keep fluids moving. Consider incorporating gua sha to support lymphatic drainage as well!.
SUPPLEMENTS TO TAKE
** this list is not medical advice, and is not individualized. You should speak with your doctor to determine the best supplement plan for you.
Vitamin D (PMID: 21527855)
Vitamin C – too much vitamin C will cause diarrhea, but you can experiment with taking about 1 gram every couple hours to bowel tolerance for a cheap and easy immune supportive intervention!
Zinc
Elderberry syrup
Andrographis
For Avena Natural Health’s full Immune support supplement protocol, click here