The sort of cold where you don't sleep all night because you can't breathe.
The sort of cold where you use a box of 120 tissues in 24 hours.
The sort of cold where you get to the point of wondering how on earth your body could possibly produce any more snot!
And I like to treat these things naturally. I like to let my body use its incredible abilities and let it run its course, build immunity and give it what it needs. But surely there's some relief. And there is.
Here are my top 5 tips for treating a head cold naturally, as tested by me in the past week.
1. Vitamin C
You can supplement this guy (and if you've met my mum you'll know the importance of Vitamin C) but getting it through other forms, like oranges and lemons, is an amazing way. Eating seasonally, I think God was onto something with that... My body was craving oranges, so I listened to it and obliged.
Steer clear of caffeine, so no black teas – they just dehydrate you – and when you're sick what you really need hydration. So pump up the herbal tea intake. Lemon in water is what I had a lot of but I also had a lemon, ginger, turmeric and oregano concoction simmering away on the stove. There are also lots of good quality herbal teas you can buy to help with healing and hydration. Check out Immunitea by Burton Health as an example, and read this post on why good quality herbal tea is so good.
3. Saline
Saline is just salt and water and it has many uses. But for a head cold you need it up your nose. Yep. I snort saline. There are nasal irrigation systems you can get and other fancy things but what I do is this: warm water in your hand, add a bit of salt, snort, then hold it in there for 10 seconds (make sure you keep your mouth closed too!). Blow it out and repeat 3 times. I find it easiest to do in the shower. Or even better, get yourself into the ocean. So many healing benefits of the sea!
4. Good quality tissues
I always buy good quality tissues, because seriously, life's too short for having a sore AND runny nose! I like to buy the ones scented with eucalyptus because of its decongestant, immunity and antibacterial properties. And they're just so soft on your nose!
Talking of eucalyptus, essential oils are excellent. They have heaps of beneficial and healing qualities. I bought a mix called Ezi-Breathe which I inhaled with steam and put on my pillow at night, but they can be used in lots of different ways and to help with lots of different things. Get onto them!
And obviously, but not so obviously to many people, REST. When your body is fighting something it doesn't also need to be fighting for energy. So stop. Catch up on some zzz's and take some time to slow down.
Here are a couple more ideas, which I didn't test in the past week – but would have used if I were at home – and are proven winners:
- homemade bone broth. This guy is so great in so many ways – get it into you!
- coconut oil. Known for its antibacterial properties – add that to everything.
- probiotics. Your gut is a powerhouse, and if it's not working properly then you're probably not working properly, so get those good guys into you!
- apple cider vinegar. Yes, it's vinegar but it's great. Research it – it's good for everything!
Hope these tips help and you're feeling better so soon!
What natural healing tips do you use? Comment below – I'd love to try them!
