With the cold weather on the way it’s time to boost up the immune system and get ready for the winter that according to the weather people we are destined for a long cold and white winter, so I’ve been doing the reading as to how best to naturally keep the colds away.
Not a natural one but one I’ve used for several years is sambucol, it’s based on black elderberry and I’ve relied on it for a long time, it’s done the trick for me. I start taking it just before the clocks changed and I’ll continue taking it every day until the weather changes again. Cold have been quicker to bog off and when I do get one I double dose, the drink is like a hot berry juice and I do love it. https://sambucol.co.uk/
Garlic is being talked about a lot lately, raw garlic though that has to be crushed, chopped or chewed so that it releases allicin and that seemingly is what has healing properties. Garlic has been used for centuries by the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and Chinese. To get the best benefit it’s best eaten raw and not cooked. I’ve found that I’ll cook my meal and then add my crushed garlic raw before serving, it’s easy to do it that way, I’ve added it to loads of things like baked or mashed potato, every form of pasta, rice quinoa. Simple and hopefully effective. I would apologise to anyone that has to breathe in my stinky garlic breath though – that’ll be another single winter for me hahaha
Lemon and ginger tea, ginger for boosting the immune system and lemon is great for vitamin C.
Oranges, another massive vitamin C booster and a natural vitamin C boost really can ward off the colds during winter. Instead of an apple a day, try an orange a day.
Berries, all purple berries particularly blueberries are full of antidioxants that can help to prevent the common cold.
Cinnamon is great to put in a drink with some honey and if you have a cough or a cold apparently taking it in a drink for 3 days will sooth the cough, sooth a sore throat and clear the sinuses. I now have cinnamon in my morning coffee and it really is lovely, I also put it in my porridge and when I toast oats I toast them with a teaspoonspoon of cinnamon
Extract of echinacea apparently seem to have a positive effect on the immune system. Some research has shown that it increases the number of white blood cells, and these fight infections. This herbal remedy had a very slight benefit in preventing colds. I drink mine as tea which I have with camomile as my bedtime drink. I feel positively virtuous.
Water, yes water. Keeping hydrated helps all of your organs to work properly and this keeps your stronger and more able to fight off any bugs and viruses.
Dark chocolate, hurrah finally chocolate is really on the list of good foods and that makes me stupendously happy. Dark chocolate has high concentrations of theobromine, this is an antioxidant which is thought to alleviate coughing. Not enough research has been done to make this a proven fact but I love it anyway.
Of course all the greens, spinach, broccoli, kale, they are low in calories and are a fantastic source of fiber and vitamins A, C and K and potassium. Keep up with the greens, I generally try to have something green with every main meal. If I don’t manage to get them in then I’ll either juice or nutribullet them and force myself to drink it instead of eating a snack!
I do not intend to have a cold this winter or if I do get one it will be a quick one, I haven’t got time to be ill, I’ve got a business to get on with and it’s nearly launch time!
So, I may well stink of garlic one end and greens the other (urgh that is a disgusting thought, sorry) but I can sit with a cup of cinnamon and honey tea and some dark chocolate, this winter might be a cold one but it’ll be comfy 🙂
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