4 Best Remedies for a Cold

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Being sick is the worst. Scratch that. Being sick, needing to work and living alone is the worst.

The amount of times I promised myself that I got up to turn the tea on… well, let’s just say my imagination is incredible when I’m at home with a cold. I don’t get sick very often but when I do get sick, it takes me out for days. It was also a text book cold. It started with an itchy throat, sneezing, coughing and then the inability to breathe through my nose. Which means zero sleep.

As you can tell, it was a battle getting myself well again. So, instead of my normal post, I’m going to tell you how to I survived my cold in 4 easy steps.
1) Get your meds straight – Afrin, Mucinex, Ibuprofen, H2O. The primary med in this line up is water, especially when you’re taking anything with Guaifenesin in it because it will dehydrate you. It’s important to drink 16 oz of water when taking it and just keep on drinking while you’re under the weather. Afrin is a live saver when it comes to bed time. It’s really helpful when you’re ready to go back to work too so you don’t sound worse than you are. Ibuprofen to keep your headache and sinus pressure at bay.

2) Eat healthy – This one can be hard because comfort foods always make you feel better when you’re eating it but not in the long run. You’re body needs nutrients. Mac and cheese and cheerios aren’t your saving grace here. Homemade soup, fruit and veggies are key. When you’re sick the last thing you want to do is cook however an easy slow cooker recipe could change your mind. I try to keep frozen chicken in the freezer and always keep it stocked with frozen fruit for snacks. There’s nothing better than when you’re running hot and you get to snack on frozen mangos. I like these soup recipes: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup.

3) Sleep – This should probably be number 2 because of how important it is to help your body heal but you can’t force yourself to sleep when you aren’t tired. It’s just how it goes. However, I can’t express how crucial this step is to helping your body out. You’re body won’t have to concentrate on being awake, it can focus on killing off your unwanted infection. Sleep, sleep, sleep.

4) Don’t pretend your aren’t sick – We all do this. Convinced we can save the world. We go to work, we spread our germs and then the next thing we know, the whole team is sick. Don’t keep making this mistake. First off, your cold is the most contagious days 1-3. Especially in that first day. It’s really important to just be a grown up and call it. It’s not worth getting everyone else sick and it’s not worth arguing with yourself about it because you’re body is already trying to fight off your cold. #adulting

There you are, my lovely friends. To best prep for the cold/flu season I recommend keeping a stocked pantry and fridge. You never know when you’ll get hit with a bug. I hope you all stay happy and healthy!