Last week I started my week like any other week. I had all my clients lined up and was ready for a busy week. Unfortunately, life had other plans. I felt it first as a tickle in the back of my throat, then my sinuses were clogged and I was sneezing constantly. I had been pushing myself for a while and knew that the universe was calling me to rest. I rescheduled my clients to the next week and took a week off to rest and recover. This was one of the best things I was able to do for myself to give myself the time and ability to rest and recover.
Sometimes when we are overworking and pushing ourselves too hard, life will throw a spanner in the works to try and prompt us to take time to slow down. I encourage you to take some time to reflect on what your reaction is when you feel yourself coming down with a cold or influenza. Do you continue to push yourself through it or do you stop, slow down and take time to rest? Winter is a time honoured by the ancients as time for hibernating, resting and reflecting on the year gone. This is commonly the time of year when people become ill with acute infections forcing them to rest. In this weeks blog, I am going to discuss some simple ways to recover from acute infections.
How to recover from Colds and Flus:
Rest if you need to rest - reschedule what you need to and take time to recover
Exercise gently and only when you feel you have enough energy - gentle yoga or qi gong is best
Add spices, ginger, chilli, onion and garlic to cooking to help clear any congestion or mucous
Drink lots of water (at least 3L) to help expel any mucous
Try to stick to slow cooked soups, broths (bone broth is great too) or stews to increase nutrient content and breakdown. See my recipe for Cold and Flu busting soup.
Great nutrients to consider include: Vitamin C (lemons, oranges), Zinc (pumpkin seeds), Magnesium (leafy greens), Vitamin D (eggs, dairy, sardines), selenium (brazil nuts), iron (leafy greens, red meat), protein (tofu, beans, rice, meat, fish). For extra tips working on immune health see my post on maintaining immune health throughout winter.
Get enough sunlight (if you can at least 10-20 minutes a day during 10am-3pm).
If you have a cough or sore throat you may benefit from essential oil use in a diffuser or oil burner (peppermint, eucalyptus) or warm herbal tea such as chamomile and honey.
Be gentle with yourself - try to allow yourself that time to convalesce and recover prior to going back to your busy life.
I hope this helps any of you suffering from a cold during this winter period to give yourself that time to recover your health and be all that you can be.
Love and light,
Branwen
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