How To: Beat a Cold Naturally

So, here I am, finally over this cruddy, mucus-ridden, sinus infection, cold....thing.  Can I just say P.T.L.!?!  (that's Praise The Lord, y'all.)  While I don't get sick very often, thanks to the miraculous discovery of chiropractic and the 5 Essentials of Maximized Living, when I do get sick it allows me to appreciate my health and being well SO much more!  This week has been no fun, really knocked me out.  Sinus headaches, 4 boxes of tissue, never enough sleep, raspy chest, and inability to get the stuff done that mattered!

I want to provide you the steps I take to beat a cold (or ANY sickness for that matter).  Beyond developing recipes, my next biggest passion is helping people get well naturally.  Whether it's thru detoxification, nutrition or supplementation, my goal is to help support the body with whatever it needs to get the body working optimally again.  My husband, Dave, plays the chiropractic card.  After all, he is the chiropractor.  Nervous system alignment always comes first.  It's #1 in achieving health.  Without a full functioning nervous system, nutrition, detox, and supplements will not be a powerful addition.

I support what Dave does for people.  He turns their power on and I help to feed it; to feed YOU!  Your body deserves to thrive.  Here are my steps to beat an illness naturally.  I swear by these steps.  They will help you heal quickly (possibly faster than you ever have with a drug?).

1. GET ADJUSTED  Your body has an amazing ability to heal itself.  That power starts in the brain and travels thru the spinal cord to every organ and cell of your body.  Chiropractic looks for any interference in the spine which prevents the healing power from traveling to the places it needs to.  For example, when I had this sinus crud, my neck had interference at the nerves going to my sinuses.  Coincidence?  I think not.  My Maximized Living chiropractor, Dr. Dave ;), adjusted my neck every day thru the week and I know this greatly accelerated the healing of my sinuses.  Visit MaximizedLiving.com to find a corrective care chiropractor near you.
2. GARLIC  Raw garlic is a natural antibiotic, antihistamine and holds many immune boosting capabilities.  If you can handle eating it raw, pop a couple cloves in your mouth throughout the day, chew and swallow.  Most likely you won't be able to handle this.  Instead, find raw garlic capsules and supplement that way.  2,000-6,000mg daily is a healthy high dose to boost your immune system.  I'll usually do 2,000mg in the morning and 2,000mg before bed when I'm sick.
3. OIL OF OREGANO  Oil of oregano contains natural compounds that combat viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections.  It is a powerful oil and a few drops can go a long way!  One of the most important things to look for when buying Oil of Oregano is the amount of Carvacrol and Thymol. Most of the health benefits of Oil of Oregano are due to these two active ingredients.   Oil of Oregano can come in different strengths.  The higher the carvacrol concentration, the stronger it's antimicrobial effects.  Also, be sure it is organic.  Two ways to dose Oil of Oregano for a cold/sinus infection/flu:  1) Place 4-6 drop sublingually (beneath your tongue) and hold for 30 seconds before swallowing.  Repeat up to 10 times daily.  2)  In a shot glass of filtered water, float 15 drops on the surface.  Take the shot and let the oil coat your throat.  You'll feel it in your chest (great for bronchitis!).  Repeat up to 10 times daily.
4. VITAMIN C  Up to 10,000mg daily is a safe high dose for Vitamin C.  Be sure you are using a high quality and safe brand that meets food-grade standards.  If you're not sure, ask your Maximized Living doctor!
5. VITAMIN D  Vitamin D is a HUGE immune booster, believe it or not.  And we often wonder why we get sick in the fall and winter months more than summer.  Well, it mostly has to do with our lack of vitamin D during those 6 months.  Not only are we not getting outside as much with less skin exposed, but we are farther away from the sun as well so the precious healing rays can't reach us as effectively even if we were outside!  Up to 20,000mg daily is a safe high dose for Vitamin D while sick.  On a daily basis in the fall/winter, I take 10,000mg daily to make up for lack of sunlight (5,000mg daily in the summer months).  Be sure you are using a high quality and safe brand that meets food-grade standards.  If you're not sure, ask your Maximized Living doctor!
6. HEALING CUISINE TINCTURE  I also call this my "Special-Tea", hehe.  I SWEAR by this!  This is an immune boosting tea that is sure to kick you back toward health!  In a large mug, add about 1 cup boiling water, 1 green or Echinacea tea bag, 1 Tbsp fresh chopped ginger root, 1/4 cup organic raw apple cider vinegar (I prefer Bragg brand), a spoonful of raw honey, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and 2 garlic cloves.  Stir to combine and let steep for 5-6 minutes.  Sip down and repeat thru the day as often as you can.  I promise you'll see results!
7. COLLOIDAL SILVER  Make sure you have 10ppm colloidal silver (proven to kill bacteria in 6 minutes or less on contact) and place about 30 drops under your tongue.  Hold for 30 seconds then swallow.  Repeat 3-7 times daily.
8. NETI POT w/ COLLOIDAL SILVER  I am new to using the neti pot, but after this last bout of illness and sinus pain, I am a firm believer in the neti pot.  However, I strongly deter you from using the "saline solution" or little crystal packets that come with your neti pot.  I read the ingredients, and sure there's salt in the list, but there are also about 3 other chemicals that don't belong in your sinus cavities.  Also, you don't want to use the type of salt they include in the packets.  It is iodized table salt essentially, man-made.  What you do want to use is natural sea salt -- Himalayan is best or Celtic sea salt.  My recipe for an antibacterial cleanse for your sinuses:  Add 1/4 teaspoon pure sea salt, 3/4 cup warm filtered water, and 30 drops (2 droppers full) colloidal silver to neti pot.  Stir to combine.  Flow thru nasal passages, alternating nostrils as needed.  The right proportions between sea salt and water will help to break up the mucus.  The colloidal silver coats the sinuses to kill off anything bad that's dwelling.  Repeat 3-5 times daily as needed.
9. WATER  Drink PLENTY of pure, filtered water each day.  Normally you want to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water daily.  When you're sick, you need to drink even more!  This does not include tea, almond milk, or protein shakes, etc.  It needs to be pure water to hydrate your cells and help to flush out toxins.
10. PLAIN TISSUE  This might seem like an odd addition to beating your cold, but I feel it's a very important step to take.  By "plain tissue," I mean just tissue, not the kind that's got "lotion added."  Did you ever think about how they get lotion onto a tissue?  It's definitely NOT natural.  It's actually chemicals, toxic chemicals that have been studied and shown to make you more sick!  Instead, you should use only plain, uncoated tissue sheets or a handkerchief (wash often;).  Unbleached tissue is best, as we all know the dangers of chlorine to our health.  We like to limit chemicals (like chlorine) as often as we can possibly control in our daily lives.  And guess what?!  Natural, uncoated tissue is actually less expensive than the more commercial 'lotion added' tissues!