If you're feeling all sick and congested, with aches, chills or fever, coughing up globs of phlegm like a dying cat; lovely, you've come to the right place. In this blog I'm going to share tips and all the home remedies I use for myself and family when we're sick.
*Stay away from sugar, it feeds the sickness. Keep it healthy!*
In the morning instead of drinking coffee, try green or herbal tea w/honey. Another healthy alternative is a smoothie. Here's a recipe for one I make often:
1/2 of juice (your choice) I use orange juice
handful of spinach
handful of baby carrots
4' piece of cucumber
1 banana
2' slice of melon (honeydew, cantaloupe or water melon)
1 cup of frozen mixed berries.
Blend it up and enjoy! Good way to get some vegetable servings early in the day. Don't worry, you can't taste the spinach.
If you're feeling so sick that you can't keep food down nibble on some soda crackers. I'm not sure why this works but it does.
LOTS OF LIQUIDS ~ keep water, 7-up and/or gingerale by your bedside or couch (wherever you've decided to set up sick camp)
Take vitamin C and zinc ~ together they boost your immune system and increase your white blood cells.
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. In with the good, out with the bad.
Speaking of out...if what's going out is too much and umm, not solid, drink more clear fluids and eating bananas might help as well.
For a sore throat gargle with salt water 1tsp to 1 cup as needed. If it hurts to swallow 1tsp of honey will soothe that problem by itself or added to green or herbal tea.
If you're stuffed up steam yourself. Boil a pot of water, place carefully on a table in front of you. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil. With a towel over your head, lean in over the pot & breathe in the steam. You might want to close your eyes if you're using eucalyptus oil.
HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP ~ It is best homemade, but a can of soup is better than nothing. I like to add quite a bit of pepper to my soup but not crackers. When you're sick you need to eat light. Crackers help with nausea by themselves but when added to soup it may be too much for your stomach to handle.
I like to use this time to savor silence and catch up on sleep and not feel guilty about it.
There are many over the counter cold and flu remedies but I won't get into them. I use some but everyone has their preferences .
One more thing I want to add...ladies that say they never have time to pamper themselves ie: facials, hair treatments, manicure, pedicure etc. You have a lot of time on your hands when you're sick, what better time to pamper yourself? If you don't have the energy to mix up a homemade facial just cut a slice of cucumber and rub it all over your face. It will feel relieving if you're feverish and it's also very moisturizing.
