Preventing Cold

It is that cold time of the year and exposing ourselves to cold has a lot of negative impact on our bodies and health because there is a scientific reason that cold weather can actually make one cold and not the rhinovirus alone.

The rhinovirus that cause common cold like a very cold environment or temperature and reproduce in a cold environment faster, when a person’s body is cold or the immune system doesn’t do well, the rhinovirus will enter the body and feel comfortable.

Some symptoms of cold also known as common cold are cough, runny nose, itchy throat and eyes, sore throat, nasal congestion, muscle aches, loss of appetite, headaches, fatigue.

We will be looking at top home remedies for preventing cold because prevention is better than cure.

Dress properly

Cover yourself properly, wear thick clothes and sweaters; use head warmers and mufflers and at night sleep under a thick blanket. Use warm or hot water when you want to bath; this will help to prevent cold.

Garlic

raw unpeeled garlic on marble surface
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During cold seasons, it is advisable to eat more garlic because it is very effective at fighting colds and it helps to produce heat in the body; add it generously to your meals and if you are already down with a clod then blend few cloves of garlic and mix with warm water or milk and drink it.

Allicin present in garlic has anti-microbial properties that fight off infection. Pregnant women should not take more than one clove of garlic a day.

Hot liquids

The heat from this liquid will help boost your immune system and fight off the cold; herbal teas are better as they will also enrich your body with nutrients and make your immune system stronger. Top herbal teas that are very good at fighting colds are:

Moringa tea

Moringa is very effective in fighting colds; you can take some fresh Moringa leaves and boil them in a cup of water, let it cool, sieve and add lemon then take it. You can also put a good quantity of Moringa powder in a cup of water and boil, let it cool then you sieve it and take.

Ginger tea

Ginger is a very powerful cold fighter, it prevents nausea, vomiting, high fever, headaches, it also strengthens the immune system to resist any infection and it restores normal metabolism; it also clears sinuses and fights congestions. Grate fresh ginger roots or you can also use the water, boil it in a cup of water, you can add lemon; sieve it and take it when warm.

Nettle tea

Naturalist believe that this is the only herb that is needed to treat illnesses because it contains large amounts of vitamins and trace minerals, it removes toxins from the body and empowers the immune system.

Peppermint tea

It lowers fever, fights colds and is a good remedy for digestive disturbances.

Cinnamon tea

Cinnamon fights cold, it also relieve cough, clears the nasal passage and lowers body temperature. Mix one teaspoon of honey with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder, boil the mixture in a cup of water and take it two times daily.

Elderberry tea

This helps to treat flu.

Chamomile tea

It fights colds, reduces fever and inflammations, calms nerves and helps one relax, it also makes one sleep well.

Face steam

This helps to loosen nasal and chest congestions, clear and kills pathogens in the lungs, bronchials and sinuses. Adding herbs and essential oils will make it more effective and hasten healing if already down with a cold.

To do a face steam, boil water in a large pot and pour it in a bowl, you can add dried herbs like thyme, oregano, rosemary or peppermint leaves; or can also add few drops of any essential oil like eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil to the hot water.

Bend your face over the bowl but not too close to prevent skin burn; cover yourself with a towel and breathe in the steam for 15 minutes. When you are done, you can dip a clean handkerchief inside the water and let it dry, and then you can bring it close to your nose to inhale the scent.

Supplements

There are some minerals and vitamins that are very good in fighting off colds and strengthening the immune system; vitamin C is the best vitamin for colds and flus, it helps the body resist cold and any other infection and it shortens the duration of an illness.

When you are down with a clod taking vitamin C in large quantity will help to speed up recovery. Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits like oranges and limes and lemons also have good quantity of vitamin C.

D3 is also a hormone and a vitamin; when present in sufficient amount in the body, it prevents illnesses in the first place and speeds up recovery when one is sick.

Good sources of vitamin D are sunlight, poultry, eggs and fermented cod liver oil. Zinc is a mineral element that helps to reduce the severity of colds and flu virus and it can help to shorten the duration of an illness, good sources of zinc are green leafy vegetables.

You can also take the supplements to hasten healing but don’t over take it to prevent toxicity and undesirable side effects, follow your doctor’s prescription.

Supplements can give undesirable side effects when taken in large quantity thereby causing toxicity because most of them are synthetic and made from inorganic minerals and in high quantity they become unstable in the body and they cause more harm than good.

When you get your minerals and vitamins from fruits and vegetables, there are no risks of side effects or toxicity because they are organic and they are present in little quantity in these plants and they do not turn into unstable compounds in the body.

Coconut oil

It helps to boost the immune system and kills the viruses that cause cold. Take 5 teaspoons of coconut oil every day.

Honey

honey on white bowl
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Adding honey to lemon or ginger tea will help clear a sore and itchy throat; you can also take two tablespoons of honey three times a day to ease sore throat and painful throat. It is also a natural and effective cough suppressant, it reduce the symptoms of colds and makes one sleeps soundly.

Honey contains botulinium spores and for this reason it is not advisable to give honey to kids lesser than one year of age because their immune system is not yet strong, but it can be given to kids older than one year of age.

Gargle with apple cider vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar

If you are already down with a cold and you have a sore and itchy throat, then this is a good remedy that will bring fast relief. Put a tablespoon of organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a cup of water and gargle with it many times a day; it taste awful but it is very effective.

Capsaicin

Capsaicin the active ingredient in hot chili peppers helps to clear congestions and thins mucous. Add it generously to your meals; you can also gargle with it by adding half teaspoon of the powder to a glass of water. You can also inhale it or add it to your drinks.

Flaxseeds

This is a very effective remedy for colds and coughs; boil flaxseeds in water until it thickens, then you strain it and add lime or lemon juice. You can also add honey, your anti-cold and cough tea is ready.

Colds are not serous medical conditions and it goes away on its own; these remedies are just to prevent it or treat it when one comes down with a cold.

If cold persists after one week and symptoms worsens please meet with a doctor immediately to check you properly and to rule out any serious medical conditions.