You’ve heard the term ‘man cold’, right? Where men turn into the biggest, whiniest babies when they get sick? Well, I am kind of embarrassed to say this but…that’s totally me too! I am NOT fun when I’m sick. Which is why I do so much all year round to beef up my immune system so that I can beat the next cold naturally!
I’m sure no one likes to be sick. But, you’ve probably all known that one person who ALWAYS seems to be sick. Like, almost the entire winter, they’re sniffling, sneezing, coughing…
And, if you’re like me, you just want to help them beat that cold naturally…because it’s not good to be sick all the time!
One thing I’ve learned over the years of working as a holistic nutrition consultant is that I actually can beat a cold naturally. I’ve kicked so many in the butt at the first signs that I always feel so proud of myself afterwards. J
Which is why I want to let you in on all my secrets to beat your next cold naturally!
How to Skip Your Next Cold Naturally
Prevention is really the most important factor. If I don’t follow my prevention strategies, chances are, I will catch a full-blown man cold.
But, so far, I’ve had pretty good luck in taking care NOT to get sick! Follow these practices every single day, especially during cold season, and I bet you’ll experience fewer colds.
Wash your hands.
Your hands touch a lot of things each day. Most of the time you don’t realize it (like, how many times you open the door at work). Other times you’re keenly aware (like, when you’re on the bus seated beside someone who is hacking up a lung).
Your hand can trap a ton of germs and microbes. All of which can cause you to get sick. Beat your next cold naturally by washing your hands as much as you can each day.
And use warm water and regular soap. Not that antibacterial crap. All it does is create bacterial resistance, which can make you ridiculously sick one day.
Plus, be careful of how often you touch your nose, mouth and eyes after your hands have been somewhere public. Microbes and bacteria can enter that way, too.
NOT just when the cashier at Walmart sneezes all over you (yeah, this happened to me once…).
Nourish your body hard.
To give your body a fighting chance to beat a cold naturally, you need to fuel and protect it with tons and tons of nutrients.
Every cell in your body has specific needs for specific vitamins – immunity cells need lots of vitamins A, C and E.
Fuel your body regularly with foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, oranges, leafy greens, raw nuts and seeds, and organ meats.
One of my absolute favorite supplements to really boost my nutritional intake is Genuine Health’s Greens+ Multi+.
Probiotic foods.
When it comes to boosting your immune system, you must never neglect your gut!
70% of your immune system resides within the healthy, good bacteria that lives in your gut.
Boost your immunity with fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kombucha tea, yogurt, or dark chocolate.
Prebiotic foods.
What? Didn’t I just list this one?
Not exactly. You see, you need both probiotic and prebiotic foods to beat that cold naturally. Probiotics build up the good gut bacteria while prebiotic foods continue to feed them, making them grow and thrive.
Your gut microbiome loves foods like onions, asparagus, bananas, sweet potatoes, berries and seeds. So, try to include 2-3 servings of these foods per day to beat the cold naturally.
Get enough sleep.
I’m sure you’ve felt rundown after a few bad nights in bed, right? I know that when insomnia hits me two or three nights in a row that I feel really crappy for a few days. And I need to really listen to my body and take things easy.
Illnesses hit us after poor sleep because our circadian rhythm cycles with our immunity. When we sleep well, our immune system has the chance to produce antibodies to help beat the cold naturally.
Your best bet for better health this fall and winter is to get at least 7 hours of good, restful sleep each night. If you can.
What About Once a Cold Hits?
That moment when you just KNOW that your body is going to give up the fight…when you feel exhausted, and stuffy and just want to crash on the couch.
Sometimes, no matter how many preventative measures we do, we get sick. This is actually a good thing. One or two colds or illnesses each year is your body’s way to powering up its immunity. So, don’t feel bad if you get sick a couple of times. It’s natural.
But, when you do get sick, you probably want to get over it quickly. So, what can you do?
Remember to follow the 5 things I just told you about to prevent a cold naturally – these are still super important.
And, a couple of other things you need to do to push through the cold are to stay very hydrated and take time to rest and recover.
Drink lots of fluids.
Your body uses up a lot of fluids to help battle a virus or bacteria. So, help it out by drinking extra water and herbal teas. Some herbal teas help break up nasal congestion, which can make life more bearable when you have a cold.
If you can, try drinking hot chicken soup or chicken bone broth. The electrolytes and nutrients will boost immunity and keep your gut microbiome balanced.
Rest and recover.
Listen to your body. Give it the break it needs when you’re feeling down. The world can wait for two or three days while you put yourself first and focus on your health. After all, you deserve it!
Conclusion
Beating a cold naturally is entirely possible with daily prevention techniques. I’ve outlined my favorite things for you so that you can have the healthiest fall and winter possible.
Most importantly, eat healthy foods most of the time, take time to rest and relax when you need it, and stay very hydrated. Stick with these tips all year round and I’m certain you will have way fewer sick days in the next couple of years!
References
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/what-to-eat-when-sick
https://www.thepaleomom.com/natural-approaches-to-cold-flu-season/
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/preventing-the-common-cold-with-probiotics