Tis the Season – For Cold and Flus

• Get adequate amounts of sleep.
• Stay hydrated – with water.
• Eat a balanced diet – whole foods, vegetables and fruits. A diet high in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
• Dress properly – warm appropriate clothing. Cover the back of your neck. There are superficial meridians that run along the back of your neck and when exposed to cold weather they become easily invaded and the body can begin to develope signs and symptoms of a cold.
• Echinacea tea and/or oil of oregano – daily or every other day, as we transition into winter.
• Probiotics – healthy intestinal fora promotes a healthy immune system. Take as a supplement, or incorporate yogurt into your diet.

Home Remedy

For very initial cold signs and symptoms such as fatigue, scratchy throat, body aches, slight chills.

• 5 slices of ginger – about 3mm. thick (can leave skin on)
• 5 blubs of green onion – about 1-1.5 inches

Boil in 2 litres of water for about 5-7 min. (no longer than 10, as these are fragrant herbs and over cooking them will cause them to lose their healing properties). It is okay to add a little brown sugar or honey if you’d like. Do your best to drink the whole decoction in one sitting, and wrap yourself in a blanket to promote sweating.

Do this AS SOON AS you feel a cold coming on. If you have had the cold for a few days already this will not work.

Cold type cold

Symptoms – Body aches, more chills, runny nose

Herbs – ginger, garlic, perilla leaf, cinnamon

Heat type cold

Symptoms – Feverish/sweating, stufffy nose, sore throat

Herbs – Peppermint, eucalyptus, chrysanthemum, mulberry leaf

If you are feeling any of the above symptoms, you can incorporate these herbs into your diet or drink as tea.

Any questions – sara.dtcm@gmail.com