Commonsense Recommendations - Colds

Rest as much as possible in the early stages of a cold to help your body fight infection effectively. If you keep going, you may end up taking weeks, rather than days to get over the illness.

Keep liquid intake high to flush toxic by-products out of the body as quickly and efficiently as possible. Drink plenty of water and fresh fruit juice.

Avoid drinks such as tea and coffee that have diuretic (fluid-eliminating) properties.

Avoid milk. Dairy products encourage mucus production, which can make chest, sinus, and nasal congestion worse.

Avoid alcoholic drinks. These are dehydrating. They also depletes the body of vitamin C, and puts extra strain on the liver, which has to work extra hard to detoxify the body during illness.

Don't force yourself to eat if you do not feel like so long as you take plenty of fluids. Foods should be as light and easily digestible as possible, with a strong emphasis on vegetable soups, broths, salads and lightly cooked fish or chicken.

Avoid high-fat, indigestible foods such as cheese, red meat and pastries,

Stay in a stable, moderate temperature. Avoid extreme changes from hot or cold as much as possible. Being exposed to rapid or severe variations in temperature puts extra strain on the body.

.As soon as the first symptoms appear, take a l000mg vitamin C supplement daily for the duration of the cold. If this causes acidity of the stomach or diarrhea, reduce the dose until the digestion settles down once again. Avoid using vitamin C supplements for extended periods if you suffer from kidney stones.

Rubbing your chest with an aromatic preparation like Vicks can make you feel better and less congested. Research shows that it works.

Warm footbaths may ease cold symptoms. Dissolve one tablespoon of mustard powder in 31/2 pints (2 liter) hot water. Bath your feet in this bath for ten minutes twice a day as needed.

Different herbal teas have different soothing properties. Try mint tea if your cold comes with an upset stomach; anise tea is good for colds.

Keep warm and bundled up against the cold. This way your immune system can focus on fighting your cold infection rather than displacing energy to protect you from the cold.

Mild exercise such as taking a walk improves your circulation, helping your immune system circulate infection-fighting antibodies. Jump on a gentle rebounder indoors for 15 minutes or take a brisk half-hour walk. Refrain from strenuous exercise, that could wear you out.

Make a strong brew of onions or garlic by simmering them in boiling water. Inhale the steam from the mixture through the nose in order to clear nasal passages.

Include fresh garlic, cayenne pepper, onions and watercress in the diet in order to prevent and treat cold symptoms.

Add one teaspoon of salt and vinegar to a cup of home-made barley water. Gargle with this mix to soothe inflamed or painful throats. Do not swallow the mixture.

If chest or sinus problems are persistent after developing a cold, take garlic supplements. These are natural antibacterial and encourage the breakdown of thickened, discolored mucus.

Make a soothing remedy by adding honey, cinnamon, cloves, ginger or cayenne and a slice of lemon to 1 pint ( 600ml) of water. Bring the liquid to boiling point, simmer for fifteen minutes and strain. Drink every couple of hours, sweetened with honey to taste.

Another old-fashioned remedy is honey, hot water and lemon toddy. This eases a cough and makes you feel better. Mix ingredients to taste.

Take a steamy shower. It can help clear congestion. Or heat a teakettle or pot of water to boiling on your stove, turn off the flame, drape a towel in a tent over your head and the kettle, and inhale the steam until it subsides. This also relieves your cough by moistening your dry throat.

Build a strong immune system in summer, before the cold, wet season starts. Daily swimming in cold water or short cold showers following a hot shower are excellent to build up resistance to bacteria and viruses.

Wash body with lukewarm water.

Gargle with liquid whey concentrate.

Mild walking every day in fresh air for twenty minutes can help shorten the duration of the cold by strengthening the body's resistance.