Cold Busters

Our little family is fighting colds right now. It started with Braedon having a runny nose and sore throat...it's progressed to low grade sore throats, coughs, runny noses and congestion. Thankfully this is something that we don't deal with on a regular basis and I know for many families it happens multiple times every winter. However, though we are fighting a little under-the-weatherness (yes I just made up that word!), we are only suffering mildly because we are amping our nutrition and boosting our immunities as best as we can during this little downer. Here's what we do when we are fighting colds:

1. Continue to eat lots of fruits and veggies - they're full of disease-fighting antioxidants

2. Drink lots of water

3. Try to get some extra sleep


4. Take extra Juice Plus - since fruits and veggies help us fight sickness, getting extra through our Juice Plus is a no-brainer! To read an article about Juice Plus and colds, click here.

5. Use essential oils to help alleviate symptoms and boost immunities. These are the ones we are using for our colds (I am only referring to the use of Young Living Essential Oils because the purity and potency of other brands can differ).

• Peppermint is a great decongestant. Last night I woke up because half my nose was running and the other half was completely clogged. I rubbed coconut oil with a drop of peppermint mixed in over my nose and was able to go right back to sleep because I could breathe again!
• Thieves is wonderful for sore throats and for boosting immunities and kicking the sickies away. My husband and I both had sore throats a couple night ago so I took a spoonful of water and mixed it with a drop of Thieves. We gargled with it and then swallowed. The next morning the sore throats were gone. I have also rubbed a combo of coconut oil and a drop of Thieves on the exterior of my throat which also works wonders. We put a drop of Thieves on our feet if we are going to be in a big group of people to ward off germs and also when we are fighting something so we've been using this one a lot! My youngest son asks for this oil when his throat is sore even though it's spicy and doesn't taste very good - he knows it helps!
• RC is an oil blend that is great for coughs - I rub a combo of coconut oil and RC on my boys' chests if they are coughing and I also diffuse it and it is a life-saver. On the rare occasions that they have gotten a cough, diffusing this at night ensures they don't stay up coughing all night. 
• Purification is great for ear aches and ear pressure. Never put oil in your ear but rubbing it behind the ear can bring great relief. For swollen glands, simply rub a drop or two over the glands - you will want to use a carrier oil to allow the oil to travel farther.
• Oregano is a great sickie oil and I have been making capsules for my hubby since he has the worst case of the cold. He said this morning that he felt a sinus and ear infection starting so I had him take a couple capsules throughout the day - a couple drops of carrier oil along with 4 drops of oregano. I have read this oil really helps to kick sinus infections. We will see!

To order Juice Plus or for more information, visit here. To order Essential Oils visit here. For lots of veggie-ful recipes visit here.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose, cure or treat any illness or malady.