Everyone hates having a cold. Especially over Christmas, it happened to  me a few years ago (after doing too many night shifts) and it was grim. 

I tend to get very feeble and feel  like I can no longer continue in life when I am slightly ill! But as the years have past and as I have educated myself on how to heal and nourish my body I can happily say I very rarely get a cold.

Now this never used to be the case. In school I always had tissues on me, sniffling all the time and always seemed to be on antibiotics for something or fighting some sort of infection , so I cannot tell you how much of a relief it is now to be cold free most of the year!

So here is a some of what I have learnt  that will keep you fighting fit over the  next few months.

8 Ways to Beat/Avoid the Common Cold

1. Sleep. On the rare occasion I get a cold now it is only because I have had too many late nights. Sleep is when our bodies heal and rejuvenate so if you want to avoid the cold the simplest and kindest thing you can do to your body is SLEEP. Listen to your body and let it tell you want it needs. My body needs 8-9 hours a night but will rarely sleep beyond that so I try to ensure I get 8 hours minimum every single night.
2. Eat well. I wholeheartedly believe that we are what we eat. If you eat fast food, tons of sugar, alcohol and refined carbs then your body is going to be so undernourished and stressed from trying to digest all the artificial stuff you are consuming in your food and it wont be able able to fight off viruses. Eat loads of vegetables every day, aiming for 50% of each meal to be made up of vegetables. Avoid processed food with artificial additives and flavours and eat natural foods .
3. Fresh Vegetable Juice. I totally notice the difference in my immunity if I am not juicing regularly. Freshly made juice is basically like a shot of vitamins that can be easily digested straight into you body and are brilliant ways to boost your vitamin intake. See here for more info and recipes.
4. Reduce your caffeine. Caffeine is a little devil of a drug that makes us feel like we have more energy than we do and when consumed in too high a levels can make us run ourselves ragged and then get sick. If you need caffeine in order to ‘function’ then it may be time to look at your lifestyle and prioritises.
5. Rest. Busy is the buzz word of our culture. Everyone is busy and its almost like that is the only acceptable way to be!? But if you are constantly stressed out day in day out you actually do massive harm to your bodies. Stress is a physiological reaction not just an emotional one and when our bodies are under stress constantly then  it wreaks havoc on our health and immunity. Learn to rest and chill out (I need to adhere to my own advice here…!!!)
6. Vitamin C. I am a believer in supplementing vitamin c when I fell like a cold is coming on or everyone around me has one. I ensure that it is a quality supplement and will take up to 3g a day. Many people say such supplementation is a waste of time as on average our bodies only absorb to little of it in its artificial form, but I  notice the difference when I take it so why not give it a try?
7. Eat lots of garlic. I often just cut a clove in half and swallow it whole if I am feeling a cold coming on (my poor husband!) because it is a power house of health! It contains vitamin b6, lots of iodine and helps to boost your immune system plus much more (read more about it here).
8. Probiotics. You know I love probiotics for many reasons but over winter they can play an important role in supporting your immune system and keeping you fighting fit!  Read here to find out why they are important and read this article to find out how you get get more of this friendly bacteria in your life.

So if you follow these easy and natural tips you will be cold free for the whole of winter (and summer!). Let me know if you have any other natural cold beating tips in the comments below otherwise see you tomorrow!