It is usual for me to get a cold, at least, once a year. It is a dead given. Winter = cold. But last year was different. I spent, what felt like, half the year sick with one thing or the other.
When it comes to medicine I am the odd man out. I try to avoid doctors at all costs. The only medicine I take is Ibuprofen to deal with my headaches. But that is about it. I do not rush to the ER or doctor every time either my boys or I have a fever higher than 100 degrees, or when we have had a cold for more than 3 days.
I grew up this way. My mom never gave us medicine (unless necessary) and we were never rushed to the ER (except on that one occasion when half the family ended up hospitalized due to food poisoning courtesy of WalMart’s hot dogs). She trusted our body’s natural way of healing. And I do now too.
But I digress…
Best Natural Cold Remedy
I started 2014 with cold thanks to kindergartner cooties! One cold down, hopefully none to come, thanks to taking Echinacea*.
I few days back I got a cold, the kind that makes your nose leak and won’t let you sleep. So there I was, being all miserable until my husband suggested that I should take some of his pills because they work wonders for him, blah, blah blah….So I took them.
3 a day, one per meal (right before eating or you’ll get seriously nauseous). Two days after taking these and my cold was gone! What usually takes my body two full, freaking, weeks to get rid of, it took TWO DAYS**! This on its own is a miracle.
So imagine all the colds you’ll skip if you take Echinacea pills every. single. day. I, for one, sign up!
What do you do to relieve a cold?
Don’t be a stranger
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Disclosure: These pills were brought home by my dear husband who gave me Hand, Mouth, and Foot Disease last summer (hence why he bought them) . Don’t you love it when your loved ones get you sick?
* A 2007 study by the University of Connecticut combined findings from 14 previously reported trials examining Echinacea and concluded that Echinacea can cut the chances of catching a cold by more than half, and shorten the duration of a cold by an average of 1.4 days [Wiki]
** Results may vary.
I’m allergic to echinacea (and lots of other plants).
Instead, I stay hydrated and wash my hands often with good old fashioned soap (not anti-bacterial) and water. Scrub for 30 seconds. Rinse well. Dry thoroughly.
I take Vitamin C & Echinacea all the time to stay healthy!
That’s horrible that the whole family was sent to the ER because of Walmart hotdogs. Eww! I love Echinacea, too. I need to take it more regularly!
It comes to no surprise that I try to avoid WalMart at all costs after that day.
My sister drinks the tea and swears by it.
My husband is sick right now. He is mean when he is sick, so I need all of the help that I can get in giving him natural cold remedies! (He denies that he is cranky when sick, but he truly is.)
We swear by Zinc as our over-the-counter cold remedy. Never can hurt to have too many options though!
I am taking notes now!! I’ll have to get raw honey and Zinc to add to my anti-cold repertoire!
we all take echinacea here! and yea for uconn!! woot!
I also like to add raw honey to my diet when I am trying to build my immune system.But herbs and supplements are a must
I am pretty much like you. I hate taking medicine and try to go natural. About 5-6 years ago I stopped taking antibiotics and I swear I hardly get sick now. When I do happen to get sick I take olive leaf extract, Echinacea, and vitamin C. I flush my body with water. I drink peppermint tea with honey. I use a humidifier and a netti pot. I like knowing I am not feeding a pharmaceutical companies products
I’m all about VIT C
Yes! Echinachea and Vitamin C are what helps me! And lots of fluids!
I think I need to pick up a bottle of Echinacea. I have had cold after miserable cold this winter.
Immune boosters usually help me. I’m a big fan of vitamin c pills, because they taste like Orange Juice!
We take this too, along with the Vitamin C and the Zinc lozenges.
I have heard many times to take Echinacea when you’re sick, but I’ve never tried it. My sister swears by taking Emergen-C… that doesn’t work for me. LOL I’ll have to try this next time those cooties visit our house, too.
I used to take Echinacea before pregnancies and breastfeeding – it worked!
I will have to remember this the next time I get a cold.
We take this too along with a few other things… it really works!
I always take Echinacea. It helps me fight off all of the bugs the kids bring home. Especially now that my immune system is weak due to asthma
I have heard a lot of good things about ecchinea. I lot of people say that it is sure way to even not have colds. I haven’t tried myself but maybe I’ll get it here some day.
I’ve had it work to shorten the duration of a cold as well. They last SO long, so anything that can lessen that is welcome.
You know… I used to take this and not sure why I ever stopped. Thanks for the reminder. Definitely going to pick some up!
Echinacea is a must have for colds!
I used to take it all the time. I need to start again. We are battling another round of colds right now.
Never heard of this before, wow! really? It got rid of your cold that fast? I think I will like that, I do not like cold because I lose my appetite and I do not get enough sleep when I get one
I usually drink a lot of water and hot calamansi/ lemon juice for vitamin C boost. And it usually works.
The most effective for me is drinking ginger tea with honey in it.
for me tea and honey are a must when i have a cold can’t live with out them
I have heard this many times in my life. My gram and a few others swear by it!
Taking supplements is a great way to stay on top of things to give our bodies what they need to stay healthy or give us a boost to recover quickly. I am happy it was only two days.
I have never tried this. I hate cold. I will look for these in the pharmacy.
Ever since I was a little girl, whenever we got sick my mom would load us up with echinacea! And it always helped.