Have you ever woken up with a scratchy throat or a bit of a stuffy nose? Then you remember your co-worker had a cold and was sneezing every 10 minutes yesterday. Uh-oh. What do you do?
I have three effective ways to support you and your immune system through this cold and flu season.
Culinary Herbs
The first way to support your immune system is with something you probably already have in your kitchen! Herbs like sage, cloves, thyme, oregano, and rosemary have antimicrobial properties. Antimicrobials kill the bacteria and viruses that get us sick. I love them so much you’ll see these herbs used in almost every recipe in my upcoming book! Not only are they tasty, but they’re also immune-boosting and the perfect addition to your dinner menu.
One herbal recipe that you can use as a medicine follows:
- 1 cup of boiling water
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed in the hot water
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- A pinch of cayenne
Add the herbs and lemon into the water, crush garlic fresh in the water so that the juices also remain. Drink, quickly J
Mushroom Support
There has been a lot of talk lately about medicinal mushrooms – and for a good reason. Chaga, Reishi, Turkey Tail, Maitake, Lion’s Mane, and Shiitake all fit into this category of medicinal mushrooms. They support our immune system by acting as immune modulators. They do what the name implies, they modulate our immune system to strengthen it and make it resilient. One that I currently love is Reishi. The added bonus of Reishi is that it also acts as an antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and an immune stimulant. Like most mushrooms it has an earthy flavor when drunk in tea form. Would you try any of these mushrooms to boost your immune system?
Echinacea
You may recognize Echinacea as the beautiful purple coneflower. It’s in many drugstore cold and flu remedies as it’s the poster child of defeating the common cold. Echinacea is an immune stimulant, antimicrobial, and antiviral – much like what we’ve already discussed above. You may have tried it yourself, and depending on when you took it you may or may not have noticed a difference. The key thing to remember with Echinacea is that in order for it to work, you have to take it before you have a full-blown cold. So once you get the first signs of a scratchy throat or stuffy nose, that’s when it’ll be most effective!
As great as these three tools are, nothing beats sufficient sleep, stress management, a balanced diet and regular exercise! Add them all together and you have a solid plan to kick that cold’s butt and be up and running in no time. Remember, it’s healthy to get 1-2 colds a year! As much as it slows you down, show yourself some love and practice self-care so you can continue your normal routine once the cold is over. Want to learn more about your immune system? Read more here.
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