Picture this: you wake up, ready to start the day, except you’ve got a sore throat. No matter, it’s not the end of the world. So you head to work, certain that the sore throat is nothing more than just a mistake. It’ll pass before know it. Then the coughing, sneezing, and sniffling take full force mere hours later. You can no longer deny it, you’re sick. The common cold or flu overwhelm your body with aches and pains – you want the end in sight already! You want your life back, the cold needs to shove off really. And hey, we’ve all been there. So how do you beat the cold, the silent killer? While there are no “real” relief killers, nor are there any instant options, there are a few things you can start doing as soon as symptoms hit to ward off the cold.
Got A Cold? Kill It In 12 Hours
Eat lightly.
The digestive process required for humans to process all of the food consumed causes a significant drain on your body’s available resources – and when you’re sick, those resources cannon then be used to fight off invading bacteria.
Avoid fatty, starchy, or protein-rich foods.
All of these foods are more difficult to digest, therefore stick to raw fruits and vegetables. Moreover, do not skip a meal or two, your body’s healing process requires fuel from rest more than fuel from food.
Rest as much as you can.
Physical and mental activity adds strain to the body which can make recovery more difficult. The less energy you use in the first twelve hours of getting a cold, the more energy your body will then have to fight it off early – and that’s something everyone wants when plagued with a cold.
Drink hot liquids.
Not just warm liquids but hot, nearly boiling. As hot as you can stand to swallow really. Piping hot water will flush your body much better than cooler water, but it will also kill bacteria in the throat.
Drink Hot Liquids
Reduce symptoms.
When you’ve got a stuffy, plugged-up nose, forcing yourself to breathe from the mouth will only open your body up to more problems. Give lozenges, cough syrups, or other types of medications a try to relieve those symptoms immediately.
Consider vitamins and supplements.
However don’t overdo it by loading your body up with all kinds of extra vitamins, minerals, and supplements; after all, your body has to process these, and it’ll use up any energy you have. While some research has shown that there is a correlation between vitamin C, echinacea, and other supplements and cold symptom relief, most of these supplements won’t even speed up the healing process.
