Despite all of our advances it seems more and more people are embracing more traditional ways of doing things. In parts of the world they have been using home remedies, effectively, for centuries. We are just beginning to get back to basics in this country. So if you are looking for cold home remedies, there really are some things that can help lessen your symptoms, and the length of time you are sick.
While modern medicine can’t cure the common cold there are things you can do to help ensure you don’t get colds as often and help alleviate a lot of the misery that goes along with getting the cold. First of all, this can’t be stressed enough, wash your hands. That doesn’t mean running water over them for 2 seconds because you don’t want anyone else in the ladies room to think you didn’t wash your hands. I mean really wash them. With soap and warm water. Scrub between your fingers and up to your wrist. Scrub them for the amount of time it takes you to sing “Happy Birthday” (to alleviate embarrassment you should sing it to yourself, not out loud!). It’s the friction of you rubbing your hands together as well as the soap that will help get rid of germs.
Of course make sure you are eating right, getting enough sleep, and taking supplements might even help too. The important thing is to try to keep your body as strong as you can so you don’t get sick in the first place.
But, the sad reality is, that no matter how much you do to prevent yourself from getting sick, you will probably get the cold at least once during the season. If that happens follow these tips to help you feel better while your body fights of this menace:
1. If you’ve ever wondered why they always recommend chicken soup when you have a cold, it looks like there might actually be some fact behind this recommendation. Chicken soup is high in a mineral called selenium which can help keep your immune system functioning. Add to that the fact that the warm broth is soothing on your throat, and can help warm you up from the inside out, it just makes sense that having a bowl of chicken noodle soup will help you feel at least a little less lousy…for a while!
2. A steamy shower can help you de-clog so that you can breath. It can also help you get rid of that awful chill. You may not want to get your hair wet though since that can make you even more chilled, and miserable.
3. Some recent research has shown that Vitamin C, which is found in orange juice, may help to shorten the length of your cold. It can also help you stay hydrated which is more important than ever when your body is trying to fight off an illness.
So with the cold and flu season right around the corner, use these tips to help you avoid getting sick in the first place. But if, despite your best efforts, you still end up with a cold, you can use these cold home remedies so that you can feel better, sooner.
