8 Natural Cold Remedies to Improve Immunity

I never get sick, knock on wood. I used to get a million ear infections as a kid probably because I was allergic to dairy and wheat/gluten which overwhelmed my detoxification systems causing me to have a lot of earaches (and anti-biotics). This week I started feeling like I was getting a cold so I used it as an opportunity to try all my newly acquired methods to shorten the healing process. I started feeling a little congested on Tuesday night (I didn’t feel bad enough to miss any work) and by Friday morning I was 100% again.

8 Natural Cold Remedies to Improve Immunity

Make your own bone broth!

 

Bone Broth: 

Many times we are get sick because we are stressed and tired which depletes minerals. All disease states can be traced back to mineral deficiencies which are usually caused by stress (negative thoughts also contribute). You can get a great bone broth recipe here. Be sure to use big bones such like grass fed beef bones which are full of marrow which have lots of youth promoting collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin and gelatin. If you are too busy to make your own just use your own grass fed gelatin here.

Get Vitamin C from vegetables not powders!

Vitamin C From Food: 

Vitamin C is an powerful antioxidant that helps boosts the immune system and is vital for protecting  the respiratory tract. It is popular to take Emergen-c but I am not a big fan because it has several different types of sugar made from corn. Sugar can depress your immunity for 5-6 hours and that is not what you need when you feel a cold taking over.  Eating excess sugar may be a reason you are sick now.  I am a big fan of food based vitamin C such as lemon or lime juice which contains 22% of recommended daily vitamin C. You can also get Acerola Powder which is vitamin C that comes from cherries but again check for corn by-products. You can can get 100% of daily vitamin C from just 1 cup of broccoli! All leafy/crunchy greens, red peppers, and herbs like parsley are excellent sources of Vitamin C to boost your immune system.

 

Nettles Tea

This Nettle Leaf Tea is amazingly high in minerals and a known allergy reliever/anti-histamine. Drink a few cups a day when feeling under the weather.

 

 Vitamin D

Is vital for regulating the immune system, protecting against viruses, and reducing fatigue.

Most experts agree that Vitamin D level should be about 60 ng/dl which unless you live in the equator is almost impossible to get. It is very hard to get it from food unless you have an all fish diet (scientist speculate that many of our ancestors did) and work outside everyday. You can get Vitamin D in pastured eggs, sardines and wild salmon (eat the tiny bones) and grass fed dairy but it is usually not enough. Another way good source of Vitamin D is from Cod liver oil like the Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend by Rosita foods, recommended by Chris Kresser but most people still need to take Vitamin D-3  You can test your level with your doctor or at Directlabs.com for about $40.

 

 Magnesium

Most of the time we get sick because we are stressed out and lack sleep which depletes magnesium. Magnesium is vital for energy production and muscle function so when we are sick we feel achy and tired both of which are signs of magnesium depletion. Broth and leafy greens are both good sources of magnesium but it is also important to take 500-1000 mg from Magnesium glycinate, Magnesium Malate, or citrate like Natural Calm per day because of our depleted soils giving us nutrient poor food.

Virgin Coconut Oil
Virgin Coconut Oil contains lauric acid which is a natural substance that has amazing anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Cook most of your food in coconut oil which will also help you stay healthy, slim and energized because it is burned for quick energy rather than stored.

Probiotics from food first

Increasing your beneficial flora in your colon will help you to fight off infection. You can easily get probiotics from eating fermented foods that are not pasteurized such as Bubbie’s brand or Farmhouse culture. Eating a high sugar/ high carb diet will cause an imbalance of beneficial bacteria causing you to catch every cold and flu that comes along because you have lowered immunity. If you hate the taste you can take a good probiotic with soil based organisms that give our gut what it is missing, such as this one. Try my easy recipe for homemade sauerkraut here.

 

Stay Healthy All Year!

Always follow a blood sugar balancing diet of full of high quality fats, pastured animals, and organic colorful veggies to maintain optimal health and immunity. Also reduce stress and work on sleeping well.

What are some of your favorite natural home remedies?