Naturopathic Cough & Cold Busting Tips

Essential Oil Therapy:

The
following three oils are anti-bacterial and anti-viral so will help boost the immune
system when you feel the first cough, scratch, tickle or sneeze. Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Tea Tree (buy
organic ones if possible, or ask me to make you a blend for £10).

Essential
oils are very versatile. You can put a
few drops of each on a tissue and inhale during the day and night. If you are putting the tissue under your
pillow at night, make sure the drops are dry in case they stain the pillow
cover. You can put a few drops of each
in the bath – make sure you really swirl the water around to disperse them
before you get in. You can get a little
oil burner (Amazon, Neal’s Yard, health food shops, pharmacies) and put a few
drops of each in that during the day or night – make sure it’s completely safe
and nothing will catch fire. You can
also put Tea Tree directly onto your skin.
If you have a sore throat or your glands are up, rub a couple of drops
into the skin directly over a few times a day.

Skin Brushing stimulates the lymph system which
is where the immune cells lives. The lymph system is like the blood system made
up of vessels that are all over the body but is different because it doesn’t
have a pump to move it around the body.
The circulatory system has the heart to do that. This is why daily skin brushing is important
as it helps to move the lymph keeping it healthy, not stagnant and able to
fight infection quickly. Skin brushes are not expensive and you can get
them from boots, health food shops, good pharmacies and amazon. If you want to buy one, make sure it’s made
from natural fibres.

Start
at the feet and move up the body towards the heart. Be gentle as the skin is
sensitive but as your body gets used to it you will be able to brush harder.

Hydrotherapy

–hot
and cool/cold showers sound horrible but actually, they aren’t too
bad. Have your shower as normal and then
increase the temperature slightly so your skin is nice and pink. If you have a removable shower head take it
down and turn it away from the body whilst you change the temperature to
cool*. If it’s attached, stand to the
side whilst the water changes temperature.
Stand under the cool for around 10 seconds if you can for that long, if
not, for as many seconds as you can. Don’t
do it for longer than 15 seconds, then stop the shower and pat yourself
dry. The reason you pat yourself dry is
that the hot shower makes all the blood vessels open and bring the blood up to
the surface, the sudden change in temperature makes the blood vessel constrict
very quickly and send the blood deep within the body. If you rub yourself dry you will cause heat
that will interfere with this process. You want the body to warm up at its
natural rate bringing blood and fresh oxygen and nutrients back up to the
surface. (If you do this regularly you
will also notice that you don’t feel the cold as much and your hands and feet
are warmer).

*the
temperature change doesn’t have to be huge, the body registers the smallest
change and cool will have a big impact.
As you get used to it, you will be able to have greater temperature
changes from hot to cold.

Sleep– getting enough sleep is crucial. Without proper sleep nothing works properly
especially your immune system. It does
vary from person to person but recent research shows that between 7-9 hours is
enough. If you are 7 hours or less, try and get a little bit more.

Nutritional Therapy

–Garlic when
you use it in cooking cut it up roughly rather than using a garlic press as it
helps to preserve the nutrients when cooking it. Garlic is anti-bacterial.

–Red
Onion contains the compound quercetin that is an anti-oxidant. It also helps to reduce stress in the body
which can make you succumb to coughs and colds.

–Ginger is
also highly anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
If you make juices or smoothies add it to that, or make dishes that have
ginger as an ingredient.

–
Turmeric is you new best friend. Include it in cooking as often as
possible. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin that is amazing at
fighting colds and viruses due to its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. You can also put powdered turmeric in juices
and smoothies.

An
ideal way to get all of these – eat home-made curry regularly!

Herbal medicine

Ginger, Lemon and Honey and Cinnamon Tea:

1
cup boiling water

1½ inches of ginger roughly chopped or 1 teaspoon of ground
ginger

½ lemon squeezed

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (cinnamon is an antiseptic and
helps with sore throats)

Leave the tea to sit for 15-20 minutes before drinking

Ginger, Lemon and Honey (and Garlic) Tea:

1
cup boiling water

1½ inches of ginger roughly chopped or 1 teaspoon of ground
ginger