- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- Traffic, Dust Linked to Asthma in Kids
- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Pharoah's Wine Jar Yields Medicinal Secrets
- Acupuncture May Ease Depression During Pregnancy
- Health Tip: Anticipating Acupuncture
- ANIMAL CARE
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Most Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Lack Vitamin D
- Drinking Cuts Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
- Fractures in Older Adults Up Death Risk
- CANCER
- Get to Know the Pap Test
- Breast Self-Exam Rates Go Up With Counseling
- Wristbands May Lessen Nausea After Radiation
- CAREGIVING
- Falls Are Top Cause of Injury, Death Among Elderly
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- Mild Flu Season Coming to a Close
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Bye, Bye Back Fat?
- High Blood Fat Levels Common in Americans
- Varicose Veins May Mask Larger Problem
- COSMETIC
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Amino Acid May Be Key to Strong Teeth
- Biological Product Shows Promise Against Gum Disease
- Mom's Vitamin D Levels Affect Baby's Dental Health
- DIABETES
- Vitamin K Slows Insulin Resistance in Older Men
- Fish Twice a Week Cuts Diabetics' Kidney Risks
- Formula Puts Doctor, Patient Glucose Readings on Same Page
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Meat Additives May Be Dangerous for Kidney Patients
- Eating in America Still Unhealthy
- To Feel Better, Low-Fat Diet May Be Best
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Freckles, Moles May Indicate Risk for Eye Cancer
- Gas Stove Emissions Boost Asthma in Inner-City Kids
- Former Inmates at Increased Risk for High Blood Pressure
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Eye Care Checkups Tied to Insurance Status
- Brain Adapts to Age-Related Eye Disease
- High Temps Degrade Contact Lens Solution: Study
- FITNESS
- Tai Chi: An Ideal Exercise for Many People with Diabetes
- Being Active an Hour a Day Puts Brakes on Weight Gain
- After a Stroke, Light Exercise Gets Hands, Arms Working Again
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- Bowel Prep Harder on Women Than Men
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Afternoon Nap Might Make You Smarter
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- Trans-Fat Ban In New York City Is Proving successful
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Psychiatric Drugs Might Raise Cardiac Death Risk
- Arteries Age Twice as Fast in Smokers
- B-Vitamins Help Protect Against Stroke, Heart Disease
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- KID'S HEALTH
- Boosting Kids' Stroke IQ May Save Lives
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Gene Variation Found in Boys With Delinquent Peers
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Countdown to Hair Loss
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Most Depressed Teens Don't Get Treatment
- Bullying Seems to Affect Kids Years Later
- Estrogen May Help Men's Hearts
- PREGNANCY
- Sugary Colas Tied to Gestational Diabetes
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- SENIORS
- Money May Matter, Health-Wise, in Old Age
- Fitness Fades Fast After 45
- Seniors Cope With Sleep Loss Better Than Young Adults
Simple Holistic Approach to Fight the Common Cold
By eHolistic.com Published: 08/11/2009
While knowing that prevention is key to avoiding the common cold, it’s of little comfort once you are hit with one. The following are some key "Do’s and Don’ts”" if you are one of the unfortunate ones to catch a cold this season.
What to Increase
Eat foods rich in Quercetin. Quercetin is a flavonoid found in many foods and aside from being a powerful antioxidant, it reduces inflammation. Quercetin also contains natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties. Foods high in Quercetin include:
– Onions
– Apples (with skin)
– Blueberries
– Grapes
– Black Beans
– Red Cabbage
Drink plenty of filtered water and vegetable broths. These support the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract by keeping them moist and allowing them to better function.
Drinking ginger tea may reduce the intensity of a cold.
Get plenty of sleep. Rest allows the immune system the time it needs to rid the body of unwanted bacteria and viruses.
Vitamin C in high doses supports the immune system and may reduce the duration and severity of the common cold. Start with 1000 mg three times a day, and increase by 500 mg with each dose to bowel tolerance (diarrhea). Everyone has a different tolerance level for Vitamin C.
For a sore throat, natural ginger syrup can ease inflammation and reduce pain.
What to Avoid
Avoid sugary foods and drinks including fruit juices. Sugar suppresses the immune system and will only prolong a cold.
Avoid mucous-forming dairy products especially milk.
Avoid junk food. The body doesn’t need the extra burden of detoxifying the additives and preservatives.
Avoid alcohol and tobacco which decrease immune function.
Avoid stress which can lead to decreased immune function. What might start off as a common cold, could turn into a more chronic condition.
-Karen Roth, MS, NC