Reduce and Shorten Your Cold Symptoms
by Melissa King
January 27, 2005

Lot 's of colds seem to be going around this winter, and if you've caught more than one, you're not alone.  It seems to be a good time to share with you my tried and tested cold remedies .

Cough Drops

First of all, I think most of the cough drops on the market are one of the worst things you can give yourself when you're sick.  Why?  They are full of sugar which weakens your immune system.  Most of them contain high fructose corn syrup, so instead of helping you to get better, you are merely drawing out the length of your cold symptoms.

My favorite throat drops are made by  Herbon.  They use all natural ingredients and they contain a number of herbs that support your immune system.  Most throat drops I've tried in the past did nothing but moisten my throat.  These actually take the pain away for me and they taste great!  I haven't been able to find them everywhere.  Health Nuts on 75th and Broadway carries them, or you can check out their website at www.herbonusa.com. Choose the sugar free variety.

What To Eat

What you eat the moment you notice your first cold symptoms will affect how bad you will end up feeling and how long your symptoms will last.  The first thing I do when I notice I'm catching a cold (or even just spending time around others who have a cold) is crush 2 cloves of fresh garlic 1 or 2x a day and swallow it.  I must warn you that this will burn a bit, so you may want to disguise it in some apple sauce.  If you don't chew it, you won't get garlic breath.

Next, I primarily eat green vegetables.  Greens are great for your respiratory system and are packed with vitamins and healing properties that your body will need.  There are also delicious, packaged raw food crackers that are made mostly from green vegetables.  They are delicious and I've found them at Westerly on 54th and 8th and at Health Nuts. 

The occasional orange is soothing and helpful also.  Oranges taste great and give you a nice flavorful burst of Vitamin C.

Herbal Remedy

Finally, there's a terrific herbal remedy by Quantum Herbal Products. It's called the Cold & Flu Formula and it contains many of the beneficial herbs that support your body.

You should begin as soon as you feel the symptoms and completely eliminate any refined foods at that time (breads, pastas, sugar ... etc.) When I have done this I have definitely noticed that my symptoms have been much less uncomfortable than those experiencing a similar illness around me.  I've also found that the amount of days I am sick is shortened.