Your head starts feeling a little stuffy. Congestion begins to build. Your throat is scratchy and a little sore. You hope, you wish, you pray you are not coming down with it. The cold. It’s been going around; mostly everyone you know has it, has had it, or is going to come down with it. Then it hits. Full-blown head congestion, itchy eyes, and feeling like you are moving against the tide of life.
So what do you do? Build your immunity. At the onset of the cold season sense what your immunity is like. Are you feeling tired? Are you feeling stressed? Are you having fun? Are you surrounding yourself with people who support you? There are many ways to build your immunity. Here are some tips that you will for sure help you to build your immunity and sense of feeling-goodness within your body and your life!
1. Sleep. It’s been proven that getting more sleep builds immunity, productivity, brain function, and the processing of your day. 7-8 hours a night of sleep is recommended. However, if you are sleep-deprived or not getting enough quality undisturbed hours of sleep a night, more hours might be required. Increase the quality of your sleep time and unwind before bedtime. Play calming music, turn off the TV, take a warm bath with Epsom salts + lavender essential oil, read a calming book, listen to a deep relaxation recording, or do deep breathing. Having an evening ritual that you really truly enjoy and that signals deep relaxation will help you enjoy a good night’s sleep.
2. Hydration. It’s true - drinking more water helps the systems of your body function optimally! Drinking enough water each day keeps your body, including your airways, hydrated and helps clear the body of toxins and waste. Water is imperative for your body systems, and keeping your immunity up and inflammation down. Over half of the makeup of your body is water. Each person’s water intake will vary depending upon one’s weight, activity level, caffeine and alcohol consumption, and other variables. Drinking 8, 8 oz of water a day is a good goal to achieve. Or just go for a gallon a day. Watch and enjoy the transformation of your skin, digestion, and energy level! Exciting. The quality of the water you drink matters. Most tap water contains chlorine, lead, herbicides, pesticides and other pollutants. Go for great spring, artesian or mineral water and aim for glass containers, not plastic.
3. Good Food. Eat organic. Warm soups are a great way to hydrate, ease digestion, and take in herbs and amino acids that help support your immune, respiratory, and digestive systems, and decrease inflammation. A good chicken noodle soup isn’t called Jewish penicillin for nothin’.
4. Supplements. Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Wellness Formula, are a few basic no-brainer supplements to help support your immune system.
5. Decongest with the Wet Socks treatment! Use this naturopathic remedy to decrease congestion, build your immunity and get an amazing night’s sleep. Here are the steps. Do this right before you get into bed and do not be intimidated by the idea or the effort involved. This treatment is super-effective. You will need cotton socks and wool socks. First fill up your bath tub or a bucket with hot water. Obviously do not use water that is so hot that you scald or burn your feet. As the bath fills with hot water, then let the cotton socks soak in the sink filled with cold water. Soak your feet in the bath filled with hot water for 6 minutes. Your feet will look pink when taken out of the water. Wring out the cold wet cotton socks and put ’em on those warm, pinkish feet of yours! Then put the dry wool socks on over the cold wet cotton socks and slip into bed and under the covers. Make sure that the wool socks cover the cotton socks entirely. You will sleep awesome and wake up refreshed and with a much clearer head, surprisingly.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar + Honey + Lemon + Warm Water. Best Remedy Ever! This is how you do it. Warm up some water, add 1-2 tablespoons of organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of organic honey, and 1 tablespoon of organic lemon juice. For fun sometime try adding a dash of cinnamon. This combination is a naturopathic home remedy for reducing or eliminating congestion, and building immunity, among many other benefits. Unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar is known for its antifungal and antibiotic properties. Google it.
7. Herbal Tea + Honey. Enjoy warm herbal tea with 1-2 tablespoons of honey to calm a scratchy or sore throat. A side note is warm herbal tea with honey can help calm menstrual cramps by increasing blood flow in the body, and the warmth helps to relax muscles.
8. Hot bath with Epsom salts + essential oil of your choice. Epsom salt in a warm bath relaxes sore, tight and achy muscles. My favorite is lavender essential oil to calm and relax before bed, and it's also great for relieving colds and raising spirits. There are many types of essential oils that help to decongest and fight off bacteria, like eucalyptus and lemon oils. Soak in the warm heavenly goodness for as long as you feel like it.
9. Hot water bottle at night. Warm water on the stove and fill up a hot water bottle to bring to bed. Once you are in bed put this warm hot water bottle over your belly to relax your body and calm your mind for an amazing night’s sleep. If you are doing the wet socks treatment, skip the hot water bottle.
10. If worst comes to worst and you actually catch a cold, do all of the above as your intuitive intelligence dictates. Know that with rest and by taking care of yourself, your immune system will strengthen by healing your body from the cold.