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Home Remedies to Help Get Over A Cold
As we battle the colder months, it’s important to take necessary precautions to prepare your immune system. For starters, bundling up with a puffy coat and covering your nose and mouth with a scarf are good ways to prevent catching a cold. However, if you find yourself with a runny nose, fever or cough, treat your symptoms with these home remedies to help get over a cold.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated should be first on your list when trying to overcome an illness. Drinking water does more than just replace lost fluids. It also helps loosen the mucus responsible for a blocked nose and chesty cough, managing the symptoms that cause discomfort. Keeping a bottle of Absopure Plus Electrolyte Water on hand when feeling sick is a great way to remind yourself to drink those fluids! Or, if you’re looking for a warm broth to sip on, chicken noodle soup is another great source to keep you hydrated. Chicken broth contains vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus and calcium, plus it’s a natural decongestant.
Eat Cold-Fighting Foods
Colds can be quite common, though some colds attack, causing infection and compromising your immune system. As we all know, infections can be very uncomfortable and often painful. There are foods you can eat to help fight/lower your risk of getting an infection. Try adding these to your diet the next time you feel a cold coming on. Or better yet, get ahead of any colds and possible illnesses.
Yogurt
Probiotics are helpful to our immune system and can help keep colds at bay. The yeast found in probiotics, yogurt, for example, preserves your gut and upper respiratory health, guarding against infection. Studies have shown that probiotics have promising results in terms of reducing the duration and incidence of colds.
Fruits and Vegetables
Bananas and oranges contain vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin E and Magnesium. These components aid in blood circulation and oxygen delivery. Eating fruits and vegetables helps strengthen your immunity, and research shows that people who consume more fruit daily have 25% fewer days with respiratory symptoms during winter months.
Dark Chocolate
Surprising as it may sound, something you may find in your candy drawer could help keep your immune system in good standing. Eating dark chocolate can promote cell development, and these good cells can help our bodies defend against sore throats, dry coughs, body aches and even fevers. Dark chocolate can be in any form, such as chocolate bars, chocolate chip muffins and chocolate syrup for ice-cream sundaes! Just remember, balance is key. Dark chocolate isn’t the answer if you already have a cold, but it is a tasty treat that happens to contain antioxidants.
Clear Your Sinuses
Your sinuses play a large role in how you feel, so it’s important to have a humidifier. Humidifiers keep the air moist and your nasal passages from getting too dry. Another great way to keep your sinuses is by inhaling steamed air. There are various ways to do this, such as boiling warm water and placing your face over it, taking a warm/hot shower and even inhaling the steam from a hot cup of tea.
Soothe Your Sore Throat
A sore throat can easily sneak up on us if we aren’t taking the right precautions. One easy remedy for sore throats is gargling with warm salt water. The warm salt water will help break down the mucus in your throat and will help prevent air-passage clogging. The recommended measurement is ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water. It’s important to always spit out salt water.
Take Time to Rest
Your body needs rest to recover and give your immune system time to bounce back. This is why you might find yourself sleeping more when you’re sick; it’s not a reason to worry but a sign your body is fighting the infection. Rest will allow your body to heal itself naturally. There are many benefits to sleeping, including giving your body a break, providing the chance to make more white blood cells that can attack viruses and bacteria.
These five simple home remedies are a great first step to keeping yourself and your loved ones safe during the colder months. Now that you’re aware of these ways to prevent and combat a cold, remember to try your best to stay safe, healthy and hydrated with Absopure!
