how to beat a cold without drugs

Howdy folks. So for the past 4 days I have been plagued with sickness =( It's just a cold, but that doesn't make it any more enjoyable. What's worse? I virtually never get sick anymore since I've become vegan and predominantly raw.

Thus, I don't really GET colds anymore. Except this week, apparently.

It's my dad's fault! He brought the cold into the house and it was promptly caught by my big brother and myself. Luckily my dad recovered in about 4 days, so he's fine now. My brother and I got sick about 4 days ago... and today we're both feeling better! So it looks like this cold has run it's course.

On top of me never getting sick anymore, plus the crappy-ness OF being sick, this is was an unusually worrisome cold because we are leaving for Tofino soon! I don't wanna be sick on vacation. No one does.

I had to beat this cold fast and naturally. I was successful!

So what, you may ask, did I do? Let me share with you. 

First of all, you need the common-sense basics: LOTS of water and sleep.

(Yes, my bed is awesome.) I was drinking about 4 of those mason jars a day, and sleeping 10-12 hours.
You will also want to get TONS of vitamin C in your diet, I ate mostly grapefruit and kiwis the past 4 days. You can also take vitamin C pills, but getting it in whole foods is a much better idea.

Along with vitamin C, which helps fight colds and sickness, you'll want to eat some spicy foods. Another good idea is garlic, ginger and onions, they are great for strengthening the immune system as well. I had some delicious veggie curry last night and it helped LOADS. Not raw, but honestly, at this point you just want to get better.

The spices in the curry, along with the hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot or Sriracha work great, they're basically liquid chili pepper) cleared my nose, my throat, and made me cry!

Another great food for fighting sickness? It's not strictly vegan; but it's delicious, a super food, and not necessarily cruel for the animals you get it from. I'm talking about honey =)
It is an excellent food for healing a sore throat. It has unique anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, on top of being the world's most wholesome and health-promoting sweetener.

Just make SURE the honey you buy is RAW, HUMANE, ORGANIC and preferably local.

Okay here's something that that you may not hear about much, and it seems really weird.
BUT I swear - it's a miracle worker. I was skeptical about it for many years, even though my mom kept urging me to try it, before I finally DID try it last year. It is amazing. It clears your sinuses like nobody's business. Just don't do it in front of people. It is called the Neti Pot.

You get the idea. Basically you fill the pot with warm salt water and pour it in your nose, it comes out the other side, cleaning your whole nasal passage. It's also great for headaches, ear aches, and sore throats. I know, it looks totally bizarre. But I highly recommend this. I use it whenever I feel a little plugged.

Okay, what else? Well, I love baths, and that doesn't change when I have a cold. I take lots of hot bubble baths to which I add Epsom salts and essential oils.

These essential oils are magic. I LOVE essential oils at all times, but especially when I'm not feeling 100%. I use them in facial steams, baths, shampoo, soap, to help me sleep, focus or relax, and I burn them to make my room smell lovely and be balanced.

You may notice when you have a cold, you really get to know these guys: 

Well, you may ALSO notice that when you spend a lot of time using tissues, you tend to get dry, irritated skin around your nose. Thus, you should be moisturizing like a mad person. I favour coconut oil, but use whatever works best for you. Vaseline is also a great option. Something else to consider? VapoRub. This stuff is great for clearing you nose, throat, and therefore - your mind! Because my brain seems to get clogged up just like my nose when I'm sick.

Okay, I'm just about done giving you my cold-fighting strategies. To finish up, drink lots of tea; peppermint and green tea are great for headaches and flu-fighting antioxidants. And lastly, I hadn't used them until now, but they practically saved my life. Fisherman's Friend. Wow. I did not think they'd work so well. And surprisingly, they're fairly natural!

Okay - that's about it. I hope if you have a cold, these ideas help you out. It's important to remember that when you're sick you shouldn't stress your body further. If you can, take a few days of work or school (lucky for me it's reading break). Don't try to exercise too intensely, perhaps just walk around the house or yard. 

Last but not least - let the cold happen! You can alleviate your symptoms and make yourself feel a bit better with the above methods, but at the same time - there's no instant cure. May as well embrace the opportunity to be lazy! 

So just a head's up, I won't be posting for awhile as I'll be quite busy with mid-terms coming up, among other things. But in a few days I'll give you a recipe for lip scrub! And yummy veggie wraps with hemp sauce. PLUS some awesome news!