It’s that time of the year again when the harsh weather rears its head and colds quickly spread through offices and homes leaving us with headaches and sore throats. You can take all the medicines you want but a preventative approach is much better and more effective in the long term. By following the tips below you can keep your body in top condition for fighting off colds or quickly recovering from them.
Eat healthy
The key to fighting off colds is to have a strong immune system and to help keep it strong you need to have an healthy diet. Also, take vitamins to keep you boosted and to make sure you are not lacking in any vital nutrients and minerals. Nowadays there are multivitamins that specifically provide what your immune system needs. When your body is fighting against a cold your immune system has to work overtime. If you also eat poorly, your body has to work against all the nasty chemicals and toxins from your diet as well.
Exercise
What are we more likely to do in the summer, but not in the winter? Be active! When the weather is nice and warm people tend to go out for walks, get fresh air, play sports etc. When winter kicks in, we are more inclined to turn on our heaters and curl up on the sofa while the rain lashes down on our windows. Your immune system doesn’t like that! By keeping active your heart works better, your blood flow improves and your body in general functions more efficiently as a result. The weather may look miserable but there are still plenty of things you can do indoors to get your heart pumping ;)
Get plenty of sleep
If there is one guaranteed way for me to get a cold it’s not getting enough sleep. Sleep is when your body is most effective at fighting off invaders and healing itself. You ever notice how a cut seems to heal dramatically overnight but never during the day? Imagine it as a castle under siege. Without sleep the walls will eventually collapse. Also, do you really want to add tiredness to your cold symptoms?
Drink plenty of water
Everyone seems to be talking about the benefits of drinking water at the moment, but there is a reason for that! Firstly, water flushes out toxins and other impurities in the body. Secondly, it helps in the production of mucus, which is key for trapping germs and other nasties and is covered more in the next point. If you do end up with a cold your body is going to have to work overtime to fight it off so it needs to be regularly hydrated. And in a similar way to being tired, being dehydrated will only make your symptoms even worse.
Clear your nose
This is a nice one! All that snot and phlegm in your nose and throat is there to trap the nasty germs and other unpleasantness trying to run riot through your body. Unfortunately if you don’t then clear it out from your throat and nose, all those germs linger in your head making things a whole lot worse. When your nose is running, don’t keep sniffing, get the tissues out! If it needs loosening up have a warm drink or hot, steamy bath.
Be hygienic
All your efforts may be in vain if you wallow in germ infested areas. Keep your home clean and dust-free, don’t go kissing people who have colds and wash your hands regularly, especially if you have been to the toilet or touched surfaces like handrails and telephones.
September 27, 2007 at 03:39PM
See your chiropractor regularly! Those who do so have stronger immune systems.
September 28, 2007 at 07:44PM
Look into the practice of using zinc as a means of fighting viruses. It might be an old wives tale, but I try to ingest (slowly) a zinc lozenge or two if I have been exposed to coughing/sniffling people after airplane rides, lots of public contact, etc. I seem to have fewer than usual colds these days. I think there’s scientific research to support the idea of zinc helping to weaken viral growth… perhaps disproved though. However, it works for me.
September 28, 2007 at 07:48PM
Forgot to mention, thanks for the good ideas.
A wise old virologist once told me something like, “If you get a cold and take care of yourself and drink lots of fluids and up the vitamin C intake, your cold will be gone in fourteen days. If you get a cold and do nothing about it, it’ll last two weeks.”
September 29, 2007 at 08:57AM
Thanks for the comments. I considered whether to mention zinc, garlic, etc. but I couldn’t really speak from experience about those, so I decided to cover lifestyle measures which I regularly practice. Maybe I will cover them in a future article.