Mushrooms, Chocolate and Cold Socks - Alternative Ways to Beat your Cold this Season
As the days get shorter, red cups make their return to your favorite coffee shops, and your favorite scarf makes its seasonal debut, so does the inevitable arrival of sore throats, congested noses and coughing bouts that never seem to end. It is beginning to look a lot like Cold and Flu Season! This year when you start to feel a cold coming on try one of these five alternative cold remedies. Spend less of your time looking like a red-nosed Rudolph and more time sipping delicious eggnog lattes.
Mushrooms
Did you know that humans and fungi share more DNA than humans & plants! Due to this, we can utilize mushrooms as a functional food that is easily to digest and absorb. When we start to get run down and our stress levels increase, we are more susceptible to catching a cold. Mushrooms have been shown to boost the body’s immune system and support stress and fatigue reduction. Host Defense combines a variety of mushroom species into comprehensive immune support formulas, available in capsules, or a Vitasave.ca favourite, MycoShield Spray.
Cold Sock Treatment
The Cold Sock or Wet Sock treatment has been used for years by Naturopath physicians to relieve nasal congestion, sore throats and sinus infections. The Cold Sock Treatment causes the body to increase circulation to the feet, in turn relieving congestion from the head. All you need is a pair of cotton socks and a pair of wool socks.
1. Soak a pair of cotton socks in cold water, and place in the freezer for 15 minutes
2. Warm up your feet, by running them under hot water, and soak them until they are hot and pink. Remove from water and quickly dry them off.
3. Place cold socks onto your feet and quickly cover them with dry wool socks.
4. Get into bed and keep your feet covered throughout the night. In the morning you will wake up feeling much better, and your socks will be bone dry.
Chocolate
Yes, you read that right, chocolate can also help boost your immune system. Before you reach for your leftover Halloween candy, keep in mind that sugar-sweetened chocolate does not apply as sugar has been shown to weaken the immune system. However, if you are a lover of dark chocolate, you will be happy to learn that chocolate contains theobromine, which suppresses the nerve activity responsible for coughing, and has been found to be three times more effective in stopping persistent coughs then codeine. We recommend making your self a nice warm cup of hot chocolate using cocoa powder and a touch of honey.