It’s the season – coughing and sneezing everywhere! And then suddenly YOU are coughing and sneezing and feeling miserable.

I hate being sick. When I do get sick I’m a grouchy patient. Who isn’t? So I’m super motivated to stay well. Here are some wellness tips for cold season!

• Fresh garlic, crushed and served in a bowl of hot broth or soup at the first inkling of a cold
• Honey – it’s antiseptic and sooths sore throats
• Ground turmeric in some hot milk – love this one – turmeric looks like ginger root in its fresh form, but is smaller and usually is found in powder form as a spice. I learned about it from an Indian friend who gives it to her children regularly to strengthen immunity. In our house we take some every day.
• Fresh ginger root – freshly minced or in powder form. Peel some fresh ginger root, slice it up and boil it in water and drink as tea. This is also excellent for your digestion.
• Vitamin C – plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year, some fresh lemon juice in hot water with honey can soothe a sore throat
• Salt – mix hot water and salt and gargle – this will soothe a raw throat and is also antiseptic. Maybe that’s why salty soups taste good when you have a sore throat.
• Water, plenty of it!
• Hot shower and steam bath – helps clear sinuses and feels good for achy limbs and head

As a proactive measure you can use “Four Thieves Oil” – not ingested – but a drop or two on wrist/neck before going on an airplane or if around a sick people may ward off germs. The smell is kind of refreshing (ingredients include wormwood, thyme, rosemary, peppermint, cinnamon, clove, lavender, sage, camphor, juniper, pine..)

Probably the most important healing and wellness remedy is SLEEP.. with or without a furry dog laying on your feet to keep them warm. Socks will also do. 🙂

Super mom tip: if you are nursing there’s not a whole lot of medicine you can take without interfering with either milk supply or passing ingredients to baby, but by all means keep nursing. Your body creates powerful antibodies when you are exposed to germs and passes these on to baby. When you have a cold chances are that baby may avoid it! Yay!