Get Well Soon

The ancient medical philosophies of Europe, India and Asia all acknowledged that the seasons affect the human body in a profound way. Each season was said to influence the body as it influences the world around us, creating more dryness and heat in Summer and moisture and cold in Winter and so on. Illness was thought to arise from an imbalance in these influences, for example too much cold increased the chance of infection and heat increased inflammation. Though we no longer give much consideration to this diagnostic system, we are still governed by the natural laws of the world around us.

So at the change of season we may notice changes in our bodies. Some of us feel instantly more energetic as Summer approaches, others prefer the cool of Winter, yet others struggle through Spring with hay fever. But at some point in the year we will feel that our bodies are in some way affected by a change of season.

As the Summer and Autumn blends into Winter, it’s quite common to feel the body begin to wind down to Winter mode. There may be an increased desire for sleep as the days shorten. There may be an inclination towards warm, dense foods. And most common of all, there’s the common cold.

A cold may occur at this time of year if the body’s increased need for sleep and TLC is not met. In other words, we continue to power through our busy lives, and often haven’t even registered the subtle difference. In this way, a cold can serve to slow us down, enforce a few days of (by now much needed) rest, and strengthen our immunity (by giving it a training session) for the coming Winter months. It’s important therefore to take the opportunity to rest and entirely recover. It’s also important to use remedies that stimulate the body to heal itself, and this is why it’s not advisable to use an antibiotic, which will do the work of your immune system for you. Save that treatment for more serious situations. Excellent remedies at this time include warm teas with lemon juice, essential oils like eucalyptus for sinus congestion, and herbal treatments to simulate immunity. These remedies, teamed with adequate sleep and good food, will assist a thorough and much faster recovery than many other treatments. It is certainly and by far the healthier option than the ‘soldier on’ approach of certain band-aid pharmaceuticals.

Some fun and effective home treatments are;

Lemon and ginger tea:
Grate some fresh ginger, about a tablespoonful, into a saucepan, add one cup of cold water, boil, then simmer for 5 minutes with a tight lid on. Strain into a mug, add the juice of ¼ of a lemon and sip slowly. You can also use a drop of ginger essential oil, in which case skip the saucepan part and pop a drop straight to the mug. Drink this 3 times a day. You can make it all in one batch then reheat it twice, just add a little more ginger and two more cups of water.

Foods:
If you do feel hungry during a cold, make sure the foods you eat are exceptionally clean and fresh, by which I mean organic and whole foods. Fruit should be the first line of hunger busting. You can stew or juice them if your throat is sore. If you require a more substantial meal, soups (not canned) are the best warm option. If you’re making this yourself, make a quick veggie stock* by throwing any veg you have in the fridge (add leafies like spinach or silverbeet last and keep rather than straining out) along with a halved onion, plenty of garlic and some chilli (fresh or flaked) some sea salt and fresh ground pepper into a pot and covering with water. Boil then simmer this for a couple of hours, covered. Strain the stock and while still hot add a beaten egg or two in a thin stream while stirring. But ideally family or friends could do this for you. Other great snacks include fresh avocado dip with carrot sticks or a salad of fresh baby spinach or roquette leaves, avocado, vegetable sticks and some boiled egg, dressed only with lemon juice and olive or flax oil.
*I would avoid using a commercial stock as they’re much too high in salt and often contain additives such as colour and flavour enhancers.

It is so important that you avoid the following to speed recovery;

• Milk; milk and other dairy stimulate mucus production and challenge immunity,
• Fried fats; avoid these at all times anyway, but especially during recovery,
• Sugar and starch; this includes flour based foods. These deplete the body’s vitamin and mineral stores.

Essential oils
It’s just incredible how fast these work. Often you can prevent a cold entirely just by using a drop or two of a well chosen oil at the first sign of a cold. My favourite for this is Young Living’s Thieves oil. The cloves and cinnamon will warm the body and stimulate immunity, eucalyptus clears sinus congestion, rosemary cleanses the whole system and the lemon, as with all the other ingredients, is a powerful antimicrobial.

Herbs:
Equally as effective is a well chosen bottle of liquid herbs, like my Get Well Soon blend. This is made up of 5 great antibacterial and immune stimulating herbs to give you a speedy and full recovery in a couple of days.
If you choose to support yourself in this way, not only will your recovery be quick and complete, but you will actually feel better than you did before you came down with the cold. You’ll most likely have more energy, get better sleep and feel emotionally more balanced than you did previously. If you’d like more information about how you can feel this good every day, make an appointment for a Naturopathic consultation.