“It is easy to get a thousand
prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy”~ A Chinese proverb.
True!
How many people revert to prescriptions compared to those who utilize nature to
get the remedies? When we know we have cold or flu, we might even not think of
visiting a doctor, because “it’s just common cold I have every year”, and pass
by the pharmacy to get the “common medicine” that cures that “common cold”…ever
held on a second of thinking if there would be any better alternative?
You
would probably give it a lot of thought when you know that many of the
prescribed drugs are any supplement that contains chemical or unnatural
substances that gets involved with how our brain functions, it affects the
brain chemistry, hormones and mentality. Some drugs might even fool our brains
into thinking that everything is fine and that everything is opposite to what
we’re actually experiencing. On the other hand,
natural herbal remedies, are purely extracted from living plants. Usually these
natural plants contain substances that promotes the body to function in certain
ways to heal, without getting involved with how our brains work or how our
hormones are regulated!
Nonetheless,
sometimes natural remedies need to be “safety considered” as per what the
experts say. As commented, the potentially toxic effects of natural cold and
flu remedies are almost always related to long term use only. So, if it’s a
matter of an average of 1 to 5 days, it’s ok.
Despite the
great difference between prescriptions and natural remedies, sometimes chemical
intervention is needed and a visit to the doctor is essential! When?
When any of the
symptoms is persistent; specially, difficulty in breathing or chest pain,
fever, vomiting or inability to keep fluids down, painful swallowing, coughing
congestion and headache. Any of these symptoms presenting persistence, is a
call for further and stringer action. Also, it is preferable to visit the
doctor in the early stages of flu, since flu consequences can be quite life
threatening.
However, it’s very common when we
confuse cold with flu, think they’re the same, have the same symptoms and after
all treat and try to cure them the same way!
Here’s some important differences
between cold and flu that we should be well aware of to be able to provide
ourselves with the kind of remedy that won’t let us wonder at the end why on
earth am I not getting better?
It’s common cold if you experience irritation
in the nose or a sore throat at first, followed within hours by sneezing and a
watery nasal discharge. Afterwards, the nasal secretions commonly become
thicker and may turn a greenish or yellowish color within 1 to 3 days. Colds
tend to last about a week, with sometimes a few remaining symptoms for an additional
week or so like coughing for example.
It’s flu
if the above cold symptoms come more attacking, stronger and quicker in the
frequency and intervals of time. You would probably experience high
fever, hoarse cough accompanied by chest discomfort, sore throat, headache,
fatigue and weakness and aching back, arms and legsOne other success factor for the natural cold and flue remedies to work is related to the “prevention before cure” idea. Always make sure you’re maintain a good diet, frequent work out, low drinking and smoking rates and that you always have germs-free hands (by regular hand wash or by using any hand sanitizing gel or wet wipes) or else try to avoid touching your eyes, ears or mouth because this is usually where the cold and flu viruses enter the body.
Here are 5 major remedies from
nature for cold and flu:
1- Raw Fresh Garlic
Hard
to imagine taking it in this way, yet results are tremendous.
Garlic contains
compounds, such as allicin—an oily substance, which is found to help prevent
colds as well as shorten their duration.
How
to take it? You can have
it in cooking, or by taking appropriate
dosages of garlic supplements, as a dehydrated garlic powder, garlic oil, or
aged garlic extract,. Moreover, you can take is as raw fresh garlic pieces. If
you don’t want to have garlic breath for a long time, don’t chew it. Just get
small cloves and swallow them whole or crush them a bit and swallow them with
the help of water to ensure they’ll be well digested. It’s better to eat
something before you get this garlic in your stomach.
2- Ginger
Ginger
eases pain and fever and has a slighttranquilizing effect that will encourage
rest and relaxation. It is tasty and without any lingering odor effect!
Thatpowerful
root can act as an antihistamine and decongestant, two cold-easing effects
embraced by Chinese herbalists for ages.
How
to take it?You can add
some slices of ginger to boiled water and drink it, have it as strong ginger
tea or may be add it in tiny pieces to your soup. You can always find available
in super market as well tea bags of ginger and lemon together, which would work
wonderfully as well. The only warning is not to overdo it, and not to take it
when your throat is really red and infected.
3- Honey
Our
grandmothers won’t be surprised for that item!
It is basically
very good for reducing and smoothing coughing and this happens as honey coats
and soothes an irritated throat. That is its edge.
How
to take it?The good things
about honey is that you can have separate honey intakes using the spoon or you
can add it to any drink or food you want to sweeten instead of sugar, you can
add it to lemon and ginger to make a perfect cold and flu fighter mix.
4- Vitamin C
We’re
not talking about the popular fizzy vitamin C we frequently take, we’re just
back to nature!
Vitamin C does
not cure cold or flu as most of recent studies conclude and which is against
many of our beliefs. Vitamin C helps in keeping the body strong and immune. So
it works better in preventing your body from catching cold, more than curing or
shortening you cold or flu period.
How
to take it? Vitamin C is
very rich in most of fruits and vegetables. You can find it specially in citrus
fruits like orange, lemon, kiwi, etc, and in vegetables like mushrooms,
broccoli, strawberries and tomatoes.
5- Vitamin D
Even
though it’s not the wonder remedy, yet many studies proved that people with
high vitamin D levels are less prone to catch cold or flu. A
lot of research done currently got doctors and patients surprised that Vitamin
does not stop cold, yet meanwhile most of these studies proved that people with
lower vitamin D levels catch common cold more often. It was tested on men,
women and children.
How
to take it? Amazingly, you
can take into your body some of vitamin D by being exposed to the sun but off
course in a considerably measured duration. Another sources are salmon, tuna
fish, eggs and sardines.
Above
all that always remember to take enough time to rest whenever you’re with cold
or flu, keep yourself warm specially your head and feet and breath in only warm
air.