How to Handle a Cold
Colder, wetter temperatures, stuffy central heating and less fresh air circulating indoors mean an abundance of germs come winter. Although thankfully not serious, the common cold can still be painful, exhausting and make you miserable with symptoms including congestion, streaming eyes, running nose and a sore throat. Unfortunately, there’s no instant fix for seasonal sniffle as your body has to first mount an immune response before killing the virus and repairing itself, all of which takes time. So, while you can’t nix a cold right away, you can help relieve and manage your symptoms and possibly lessen its duration. Read on to find out more…
Drink plenty of fluids
Important to prevent dehydration, which will only make you feel worse, try sipping warm liquids to increase mucus flow and reduce congestion. If you have a lot of mucus with your cold, avoid sugary or milky drinks which will only exacerbate the inflammation.
Try bone broth
Nutrient dense thanks to gelatine, collagen and countless vitamins and minerals, bone broth is a great choice when you’re sick. If you’re making it at home, make sure you include plenty of anti-viral, anti-bacterial garlic, as well as a pinch of anti-inflammatory turmeric and chilli which acts as a natural decongestant. The warming liquid should also provide plenty of soothing relief to a scratchy throat.
Increase your vitamin and mineral intake
While mainlining any kind of vitamin won’t stop a cold in its tracks, there is some evidence to suggest that taking zinc when you feel a cold coming on can help speed up the recovery process because of the way it boosts infection-fighting immune cells. Around 9.5mg for men and 7mg for women is the recommended daily dose. To give yourself the best chance of fighting off a cold in the first place, a vitamin D supplement is essential, especially in the sunless winter months. Vitamin D helps our bodies fight viruses and infections and so you should ensure you take at least 10mcg a day. Although it’s synonymous with helping ease cold symptoms, expert opinion is divided on the benefits of vitamin C when it comes to helping a cold. Although it’s unlikely to stop you catching a cold in the first place, it might help lessen the duration of your symptoms. To help insure your health in the future, a daily multi vitamin such as Workshop’s Multi Vitamin Formula is a good idea. With a delicious taste and in easy-to-take powder form, it’s easy to slot into your morning routine.
Sleep as much as you can
Sleep is a great healer for practically every ailment you can think of, and a cold is no exception. According to research, people that routinely get six hours or less of sleep a night are four times more prone to catching colds, compared to people who get seven or more hours. You’ll often feel more tired when you have a cold, – the result of your body mounting an immune response – so rather than resist and push through, it’s important to listen to your body and take the rest it’s urging you to.