Colds and congestion

A friend requested that I post some of these tips for dealing with colds:

First of all: Rest! A cold is a way for your body to encourage you to slow down and nourish it so that it can take care of a problem (or toxification) before it grows into something more unwieldy. Oftentimes we suppress colds or infections instead of letting them run their natural course which only leads to a worse problem down the road.

Dad's tip: If you feel a sore throat coming on, put a dribble of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink it. It kills the bacteria in your throat, and maybe it's just because I grew up with it, but it really doesn't taste so bad at all. I also like(well "like may be a strong word, but it works) to gargle with tea tree oil and water when I feel some thing coming on in the back of my throat (it's also good for cuts or canker sores in the mouth). You have to put it in a sealed jar so you can shake the oil and water together before you put it in your mouth to gargle.

Mom's tip: Especially for head congestion, alternate hot liquids and cold liquids every hour.
When you take a gulp of the hot liquid, hold it against the roof of your mouth (soft palate) for a few moments before you swallow. This really loosens nasal congestion gets things flowing out. Make sure you spit out everything that comes out, it's gross but worth it. Take advantage of your body giving you the chance to get rid of it immediately!

Also hot showers help, stay in and really breathe in the moisture and let the water beat some of the toxins out of your muscles.

The nourishing gourmet blog (link to the right) has a recipe for a garlic, lemon and honey tea that is supposed to give a big boost to the immune system.

We also used to always take Vitamins A, E, and C...but avoid the Vit C at first if the cold has definitely come, because although it boosts the immune system, it is very drying which inhibits the flow of mucus that you want to happen.