Cold and Flu Season Is Among Us

Many of us are excited about the beautiful season change from fall to winter, but not at all excited about the onset of cold and flu season. Although, there is no need to fret because with a little pre planning you can build your defenses and avoid the cold blues. By simply taking the time to fill your fridge and pantry with the necessary arsenal, you will be completely prepared for what’s to come.

Around this time of year there are several items that I am sure to have on hand to keep the cold and flu germs at bay. As we all know, there really is no way to avoid these germs, but we can definitely build up our defenses to help ward them off.  For one, make sure that you and your family increase your natural vitamin c intake. By increasing your vitamin c intake I don’t mean drinking overly processed orange juice, but simply go to the herb/vitamin store and stock up on the real stuff. The Emergen-C vitamin packs work wonders and they are filled with many great and energy enhancing vitamins as well. You can also stock up on vitamin c filled fruits such as fresh oranges, strawberries, grapefruit and kiwi. In addition, there are many great herbal teas that help build your defenses. You and your family can start or end your day with a nice warm cup of one of these Yogi brand teas; Echinacea Immune Support; Lemon Ginger; Cold Season; or Green Tea Echinacea.  

Some other natural items to keep on hand during this time of the year, and really all year long, are fresh garlic, fresh lemon, apple cider vinegar, oil of oregano and Gaia Kids Sniffle Support Herbal Drops (my new fave for the kids). Whenever my husband or I feel a cold coming on, I immediately make my “relief cocktail” and I will share the recipe with you. It’s definitely not going to win any kind of taste test, but if taken 3-4 times a day for 2 to 3 days or as needed, it can keep those sniffles from turning into a full blown cold or flu. The recipe is as follows 4-6 oz. of water, 1-2 packs of Emergen-C, 1tbsp apple cider vinegar, the juice of 1 lemon, 1-2 freshly minced garlic cloves. In addition, depending on how bad I feel, I may also add in a dropper full of Gaia Kids Sniffle Support Herbal Drops and 2-3 dropper fulls of oil of oregano. You can find most of these items at your local grocery store and the others at your local herb store.

Now the most important thing to remember during this time of year is to keep your immune system intact. Consume lots of fresh produce (organic is best), drink plenty of water, get at least 8 hours of sleep at night, eat healthy and take your vitamins! I hope this information helps to make this the cold and flu season a breeze. See you around with my cold and flu arsenal in tow!

Shonte’ Press is founder of S. Press Enterprise  and Saved M.O.M. If you would like more information on health and wellness, check out www.spressonline.com. If you would like more information on parenting, check out www.savedmom.com. You can also stay connected at www.twitter.com/spressonline, www.facebook.com/spressonline and www.twitter.com/savedmom.