10 Tips that can help you keep Cold & flu away

It’s another fall to spring season and as usual during these seasons we are exposed to rapid weather changes that our body has to adjust to. We also spend more time indoor along with dust allergens so it is smart we find a way to help support our immune system so we don’t fall sick so easily. When you’ve got sneezing achy body, fever, cough, painful lump in your throat you begin to wonder if it’s just a cold or flu you’ve got. Well, a cold is a milder version than the flu; both weaken your immune system. Cold begin with a cough, fever, chills, runny nose, congestion or some form of nasal discomfort. Cold could pass after a few days if you take care of it at the onset—at first notice.  Every year in the United States, on average 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the flu. Up to 36,000 Americans die each year of influenza, with approximately 200,000 hospitalized. The virus enters the body’s airways through mucous membranes in the nose, eyes, or mouth. Because this illness can be spread easily by coughing and sneezing, influenza epidemics are very common; especially in winter.  The flu is unpredictable and can strike anyone, at any age. Flu also known as influenza on the other hand, is highly contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract that is usually heavy with symptoms like sore throat, fever, congestion, muscle aches and sore stiff joints, hot and cold sweats, dry throat and coughs, migraine headaches with hot red eye, nausea and vomiting; In many cases, a fever develops and you may feel unbearably hot one moment then chilled and shaking cold the next. Often a person suffering flu is so uncomfortable that he or she does not feel like eating or doing anything else, you look pale, you feel weak (fatigue)—run down and these symptoms could last up to a week or two and could lead to more serious ill health such
as pneumonia (5^th leading cause of death), ear infections, sinusitis, bronchitis,  if not treated immediately. Cold symptoms usually last for about a week to ten days, on average, but the flu lasts longer—up to twelve days or more, followed by a week or more of residual coughing and fatigue. Older people 65 years and up, infant with weaker immune system, people who have chronic heart or lung disease, pregnant women are much more vulnerable to flu infection. 

In some cases, you may need to call emergency-- Please call your doctor immediately if you notice these symptoms.

• Severe chest pain
• Severe headache
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
• Persistent fever, coughing, congestion and headaches
• Severe pain when you swallow even your saliva.
• Bluish skin color
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Persistent vomiting
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Lethargy and failure to interact normally
• Extreme irritability or distress
• Symptoms that were improving and then suddenly worsen
• Fever with a rash

During the first three days that you have flu symptoms, you are contagious. This means you can pass the cold to others, so we have put together some tips that can help you prevent it or recover faster if you already have flu.

• You need to get some in-door rest.
• Use Salt lamp Air purifier to purifier the air in your home since you will be spending most of these days’ in-doors. see tips for preventing allergy attacks.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Hang your winter cloves, jackets, shoes at the door so you don't spread collected germs from outdoor on other corners of your home, and do wash your laundry regularly.
• Wash your hands frequently, especially after coughing or sneezing and don't forget to practice good hand washing especially after each bathroom use!
• Stay away from an environment where there are many sick people. Refrain from close contacts and hand shaking if you think you have a cold  because hand contacts could spread the cold. Disinfect your door knobs, Do not share drinking cups, glasses, cups, utensils.
• Change your tooth brush—toothbrushes can harbor viruses and prolong the illness.
• Avoid the common sore throat cough drops called menthol cough suppressant/oral Anesthetic because for some reason it tends to exacerbate the problem---at least for me, if you must use it to control coughing when outdoors, don’t over use it. Try elderberry cough sweets instead.
• Eat activated charcoal because it helps to purify your body.
• Get a colon cleanse and liver detox
• Drink plenty of fluids like herbal teas, raw fresh fruit juices, nutritious soups, and filtered water to prevent dehydration and help flush out toxins from the body as well as keep your body warm from chills.
• Black cherry, ginger, yarrow, pau d’acro, sage, thyme herbs is useful for cold flu.
• Elderberry has antiviral properties and does reduce flu symptoms.Research has found that elderberry is effective against colds because it contains antioxidant flavonoids that protect cell walls against foreign substances.
• Wild pansy tea can treat colds accompanied by fever and respiratory congestion. It has a high concentration of rutin, which strengthens capillary walls, and may have some beneficial effect in reducing arteriosclerosis. To make wild pansy tea, pour 2 cups of hot water over 2 teaspoons of wild pansy, step for ten minutes, and strain. Drink a cup of the tea two or three times a day after meals for a period of eight weeks. When using wild pansy to make cough syrup, make an infusion by adding one and one half teaspoons of tea to 3/4 cup of water and one, one half tablespoons of syrup. Take 1 tablespoon of this mixture three times daily (3x daily).
• Red clover helps clear accumulated toxins in the lymphatic system that may cause congestion and inflammation.
• Fenugreek breaks up phlegm and mucus, and slippery elm helps remove it from the body.
• Hyssop, an evergreen that can be taken as a tea, acts as an expectorant and has antiviral properties.
• Lemon honey tea with peppermint tea can help open up nasal passages.
• Linden-flower tea suppresses cough and reduces fever.
• Olive leaf extract and garlic enhances immune function and fights all types of infection including the flu virus.
• Elderflower tea promotes sweating and cleanses the body of toxins.
• Pure eucalyptus or mint oil is beneficial for relieving congestion. Put 5 drops in a hot bath or 6 drops in a cup of boiling water, put a towel over your head, and inhale the vapors. Rosemary and sage oil can be added to the eucalyptus oil to aid in breaking up decongestion.
• If you have children, teach your children not to touch their eyes or noses, or to put things into their mouths.
• Alcohol-free Echinacea and goldenseal combination extract is recommended for children. Give a child 4 to 6 drops of combination extract in water or juice every four hours for three days. Echinacea is very effective at enhancing the body’s own natural defenses. Goldenseal is a natural antibiotic and helps to relieve congestion. Cautions: do not take Echinacea for longer than three months. It should not be used by people who are allergic to ragweed. Do not take goldenseal internally on a daily basis for more than one week at a time. Do not use it during pregnancy or if you’re breast feeding, and use with caution if you are allergic to ragweed. If you have a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes or glaucoma, use it only under a doctor’s supervision.
• Eat mushroom, shitake, reishi because it has beta 1,3-D-glucan, a type of polysaccharide that stimulates the immune cells. Beta-1, 3-D-glucan attaches to the receptor site on macrophage cells, immune cells are activated to attack and destroy invading organisms and reduce cold-flu infection. 
• Try Antioxidants especially Goji berry fruits and vitamin C supplements.

Try this Pineapple-ginger tea recipe:

Boil ginger and pineapple for 3 to 5mins, pour it into a cup with caffeine free green tea then add lemon, honey or stevia (stevia helps detox the body) to it, stir it all together with a teaspoon and drink---you will feel much better in about 2 days.  Eat meals prepared with garlic and turmeric—curry, avocado, and maintain a high antioxidant diet. 

• Cayenne (capsicum) helps to keep mucus flowing, aiding in preventing congestion and headaches. Try this cayenne garlic mushroom soup

                                 Garlic Vegetable mushroom soup recipe:

You can make garlic, vegetable soup using cucumber, radish, beets, bean snaps, carrot, cabbage, green onion, tomato, mushroom, rosemary, ginger, cayenne, sea salt, olive oil or flax seed oil, a dash of turmeric boiled together for 5 to 10 minutes. Cook the mushrooms first for 10minutes before adding it to the soup mix. You want the water boiled before you add the vegetable---to avoid over cooking the vegetables. Serve this with brown rice or whole wheat garlic bread or flax seed bread.

Finally, de-stress your mind using biofeedback or some kind of a meditation technique---because stress is a contributing factor in inflammation and flu. Antibiotics are useless against viral illnesses like flu so the best way to get rid of the flu or any other infectious illness is to attack it head-on by strengthening the immune system. When the body is sick, or is already sick, it is under stress, and stress taxes the immune system. Researchers have linked vulnerability to cold and flu to psychological stress. Relax to a cup of warm pure cocoa and honey drink and don’t worry your body will heal itself using the strength of your immune system as you support your immune system using these few tips above.

Don't forget to practice good hand washing especially after each bathroom use!