Cold and Flu Solutions

Sometimes the best solution for something is the one that is directly under your nose.  The simplest solutions are, quite often, the ones that work.  Being cold and flu season, there are a whole lot of people complaining about having the sniffles or a headache.  Their solution is to "lay down and rest" but I offer the following as an alternative:

Eat a healthy protein packed breakfast.  Just getting up and doing something as simple as eating a good breakfast can make a world of difference.  It might be something simple like whole grain bread and peanut butter with some fruit.  You might get more elaborate.  It doesn't have to be a huge meal, just protein packed.

Brush your teeth.  In so many common cold and flu viruses, this can make a huge difference.  Just brush your teeth and maybe rinse your mouth out.

Go for a walk and/or do some yoga.  Roll your eyes and/or give me an excuse on this one but going out and getting fresh air can make all of the difference.  Exercise gets your endorphins going and endorphins can be a big booster to your immune system.  Not only will they actually make you FEEL better but they will actually  help your body fight what you have.

Saline!  If you have a stuffy nose or sinus headache, flush your sinuses.  I don't recommend things like Claritin unless absolutely necessary.  I swear by keeping your sinuses flushed daily to prevent  a host of different cold and flu bugs.

Water, water, water!  Hydrate yourself.  Drink water, Gatorade or something else to keep your body hydrated.  Again, this helps your body fight the illness by keeping things moving.

and finally....

Chicken soup.  Okay it doesn't HAVE to be chicken.  Something with a reasonable amount of garlic will help though.  Garlic, as smelly as it is, is a natural antibiotic.  It will help fight off whatever is gong on.

While rest is an important part of healing viruses, I think people forget about getting your body moving to boost your immune system.  If you can simply boost it a bit, it might help your resting body (later in the day) do its job more efficiently.