Acupuncture Naturally Helps You Beat A Cold

Winter is here and with it comes a fever and runny nose the main symptoms of the common cold. So far, about 30% of my patients have walked through the door with a stuffy nose and other symptoms asking for help. Acupuncture is one of the most effective ways naturally to beat the common cold.

Acupuncture has a quick turn-around time shortening colds or viruses to days instead of weeks. There is more though you can do. Instead of reaching for over-the-counter drugs talk to me about natural, safe remedies, you can do at home. You can create a cool little natural medicine shelf in your own home!

Naturally Beat The Common Cold

It’s easy to reach for cold medicine but when you do that it suppresses the symptoms of a cold virus. This means the illness goes deeper into your body lingering there longer keeping you sick. A better way is to help the germs move out of your body. There is no cure for the common cold but natural methods help reduce the common cold duration.

Many people have heard that vitamins can help. Vitamins like food have a warming or cooling effect in the body. They are best used as preventive and immune boosters and come packed by nature.

Vitamins that Fight The Common Cold

Vitamin C is probably one of the best dietary supplements that you can take while you are experiencing illness. C has the ability to reduce a fever in high doses. This is because it is a cooling supplement. If you have the chills, you may want to stay with your regular dose.

Vitamin E is a great great too. It supports the upper respiratory track according to recent studies if taken in doses of 1000 iu. As with anything consult your MD before using even vitamins especially if you are on prescription meds.

Another vitamin, B-6 studied for its effectiveness at enhancing the immune system by Loma Linda University in California and Oregon State University. Both found an increase in blood levels of the vitamin B6 helps boost your ability to fight off the virus.  Taking vitamins is a natural way to beat the common cold.

Acupuncture And A Natural Diet

Foods are our best defense against illness since many supplements are synthetic or highly manufactured making them difficult to metabolize and digest. To further strengthen your immunity, Acupuncture provides seasonal ‘boosters’ to beat the common cold. Eating a natural diet along with acupuncture is the least expensive and healthful way to acquire a strong immune system.

Where can you enjoy the real thing? You’ll find eating more bananas, avocados, and dark-green leafy vegetables give you B-6. Comparing foods high in C you will notice that they are citrus fruits which can be hard to get in cold months so turn to warming vegetables.

This list includes Summer squash, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Recently we have added Daikon radishes to our menus! This vegetable is sweet with a slight bit at the end. Thinly sliced it’s great with dips instead of chips. My husband and I enjoy it with onion dip, vegetable dip, even avocado dip!

Foods are the simplest way to ensure you are getting a better quality vitamin. The important part of food is that you buy organic. Many patients and clients tell me they can’t afford to buy clean or organic. It’s a matter of not overbuying and using what you purchase. We also shop around.

How To Start Buying Organic

I make a list of recipes I want to cook and foods that can be used. Shopping for fresh is what people do in Europe. Americans are used to plentiful markets picking up a week’s worth of food at one time. The cleaner, fresher the food the more nutrients you have the joy of absorbing.  Clean food is the nature’s store-house for vitamins we should have in our diets. Another thing about clean food is it helps you  beat the common cold by strengthening your immune system.

I go over how to shop on a budget and purchase organic, clean, local foods to my health coaching clients. After 3-4 months, they’re teaching me shopping secrets!

Minerals are a must too if you want to fortify your family’s health again colds, flu, and viruses. I use to be prone to getting sick and it lingered for weeks. When I added whole grains, cooked dried beans and peas my immunity system grew strong. These foods are full of iron, selenium, copper, and zinc; all important minerals for good health.

To start naturally treating the symptoms you have, take a look at your diet. There are certain foods out there that actually could hinder your symptoms instead of making you feel better. Sugars are one that should not be eaten while sick. A proper diet all year round can actually make a difference between how many colds you experience throughout the year.

 

Resources:

An Evidence-based Approach to Vitamins and Minerals: Health Implications and … By Jane Higdon

http://www.today.com/id/22635662/ns/today-today_health/t/stop-your-sniffling-tips-preventing-cold/#.VHAR_clBF5c