What best to do for a cold?

[GypsiAnsara]

After 2 months all raw, I've caught a rather nasty cold. I'm quite sure it's not detox, as other family members have had it.

I was really hoping to be able to fight these sort of things off better on the raw diet - I've read too many testimonials to the tune off "I haven't been sick once since becoming raw." I suppose that might be a bit far-fetched and I was a bit naive?

Ah well, I'm here for advice. It started yesterday and I ate very simply - the heaviest was a couple small flax crackers with almond butter and honey. Everything else was fruit or liquid - green smoothies, fresh vegetable juice, lemon water and clementines.

Today I've only had fresh vegetable juice, a green lemonade made with raw honey and young coconut juice, and water. I haven't been hungry at all.

Some history - about a year and a half ago I had a very, very bad case of pneumonia (misdiagnosed and mistreated, unbelievably, for 2 months - ended up cracking 8 ribs and pleurisy as well). So I get very nervous when I get a cold. It seems silly to write that but it's true. The medical profession told me that the damage to my lungs was permanent.

I never really believed that - I've always felt that our body has the capacity to heal itself if given the right conditions. Needless to say, maybe I haven't had the right conditions yet? I have a lot of trouble when I get a cold now - the last bad one ended up in a sinus infection, despite following protocol (neti pot, lots of rest, herbs and vitamins etc. I wasn't raw, though.) and I needed to take antibiotics.

I also take Pharmax HCL intensive probiotics and eat raw, fermented foods.

Enough rambling here, just hoping that maybe I will get some good suggestions.

:)

Thanks in advance...

[Rawkinlocs]

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Firstly, it is detox...it may not be dietary-change-related...but even if you believe it's germs, etc...it's still your body attempting to get rid of something. Just consider the common cold symptoms: runny nose (body expelling toxin-carrying mucous from the nose), sneezing (same thing in a sense), stuffy nose (someone, I think it was Victoria Boutenko in one of her books) that a stuffy nose occurs to prevent us from smelling food so we aren't tempted to eat - mainly because when we're having a cleansing/healing "crisis" (or sick), it's best to NOT eat...same with sore throat...to cause one to not desire to eat food, as well as the sometimes occurring coating of the tongue and inability to taste food.

So, all of that to say, it's best to try to eat as minimally as possible and rest as MUCH as possible...our bodies heal best when in rested state. If you have to eat, make it as light as possible...juicier fruits and juices are great along with water (the lemon water is great).

Also, if you're not opposed, I've found that bowel cleansing is great at times like these...I do enemas but you can look into other methods if that is not something you desire to do.

You may also wish to add a few drops of GSE (grapefruit seed extract) to a glass of water and drink a couple of times a day or so.

[JennaBoBenna]

Check out this thread I made about cutting my cold in half:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=35350

[ShelShel]

I personally drink as much water with lemon and cayenne pepper (natural nasal decongestant) as I can. I also boil water add tei fu to it and inhale under a towl. It releases my sinuses and gives me a bit of a facial at the same time. :)
Hope you feel better soon. Raw (((HUGS)))

[ShelShel]

I personally drink as much water with lemon and cayenne pepper (natural nasal decongestant) as I can. I also boil water add tei fu to it and inhale under a towl. It releases my sinuses and gives me a bit of a facial at the same time. :)
Hope you feel better soon. Raw (((HUGS)))

[GypsiAnsara]

Thanks for the replies -
And yeah, Rawkinlocks, you gave me a "duh" moment - of course cold "symptoms" are detox. I guess I was thinking along the lines of when you're clearing house from going raw or doing something like that, not catching cold germs. And Heck No! I'm NOT opposed to bowel cleansing! Thanks for the reminder. All the juice and probiotics really cleaned me out yesterday... Can't hurt to give another good flush though ;)

ShelShel - what's tel fu? I tried googling and didn't get much... Is it Chinese?

Jenna - sounds like you grew up in my house! Don't know why that stuff hasn't been working for me lately. It might not be catching it at the right moment. I was pretty stressed yesterday with work. It is holiday season at the non-profit I work at. We are all working overtime! Today I took it easy, though - a little late I think.

Thanks for the love!

[DavidZaneMason]

The above posts are great. Light juice or water fasting.....or simple mono-fruit eating is an excellent way to give the body a rest during these periods. Stay well hydrated....eat very simply.

-David Z. Mason

[maui_butterfly]

The medical profession told me that the damage to my lungs was permanent.
I never really believed that - I've always felt that our body has the capacity to heal itself if given the right conditions.

your lung tissue is constantly regenerating itself. if a heavy smoker can quit and, in the course of a few short years, attain virtually the same level of lung cancer risk as someone who never smoked at all, there is no way that YOU cannot build healthy lungs again. what would that entail? providing the body with good building blocks of healthy nourishing food, exercise for the lungs (deep breathing works wonders!), herbal support if necessary, etc.

don't buy in to the negative nonsensical garbage you were told. look, you're already getting better. the first time around - pneumonia. the second time around - a sinus infection (not nearly as severe). this time around? who knows, you might be let off the hook with the same cold symptoms as everyone else in your family who hasn't "permanently damaged" their lungs. i'd say that's an improvement. you're at least back to average from "permanently damaged" and well on your way to radiantly healthy!

i say this as someone who had acute bronchitis for years, it seemed i was always in some stages of nursing a brutal hacking cough and doctors could find nothing. they told me that i had sensitive bronchioles (whatever the heck that is), and that i would just have to learn to live with it. then i moved from colorado to maui and it magically disappeared. sensitive bronchioles? apparently it was just allergies. learn to live with it? no thanks. permanent damage? NO WAY.

our self-talk is so important. if you can experience some cold symptoms and flip your thought process from "oh no, i'm probably going to get very sick, i wonder if i AM permanently damaged? all the other raw foodies are experiencing perfect health except me" to "oh look how interesting, my nose is runny and i have a cough. i better rest up and try to stay out of my body's way of healing itself for a few days, isn't it cool that i am learning more and more every day about what that entails! lucky me!" -- you might have the same symptoms but a MUCH different experience.

i hope you feel better soon! :)

[GypsiAnsara]

Maui Butterfly, thank you so much for your post. I really appreciate it.

I really love this part:

our self-talk is so important. if you can experience some cold symptoms and flip your thought process from "oh no, i'm probably going to get very sick, i wonder if i AM permanently damaged? all the other raw foodies are experiencing perfect health except me" to "oh look how interesting, my nose is runny and i have a cough. i better rest up and try to stay out of my body's way of healing itself for a few days, isn't it cool that i am learning more and more every day about what that entails! lucky me!" -- you might have the same symptoms but a MUCH different experience.

So true!!

[blix]

Colds are caused by a virus, so, yes, the body is trying to 'detox' the virus. I take colloidal silver and olive leaf at the first onset of a cold and flu. I doesn't get rid of it, but it reduces the severity. I have been following this regime with the flu that I have at the moment and it has reduced its severity. Also, if you put some in a small spray bottle and spray some up up your nostrils at the first onset of a cold and thereafter, about 6 times a day, it will help enormously. You should also be eating raw onions every day as onions are antisceptic, like garlic and they absorb germs like a dry sponge absorbing water. I hope you feel better soon. Look up 'How to make your own colloidal lilver generator' and make your own. You must have the purest silver around 99.9% pure. It is much cheaper than buying colloidal silver.

[ferg]

lots of water, fresh juices and raw fruits/veggies. The body is self healing and does not need anything but the above.... a juice fast and will heal your body faster.

I read somewhere to stay away from citrus fruits if you have a cold/cough (I forget why... It was advice from raw guru frederick patenaude)

Feel better soon.

[Carlsbad]

I had a cold right after Thanksgiving, but I just mainlined fresh orange juice and rested as much as I could, and it was gone within a week. To give you some background, I have never before had a cold that didn't turn into an awful sinus infection, so this was a big change. I also felt better during the cold than I usually do, but like you, I didn't feel like eating much. I stuck to orange juice, fresh grapefruit, and vegetable juices (spinach, celery, cucumber, parsely, and carrot juice). Anyway, hope that helps!

[ShelShel]

You can pick Tei-Fu up at your local Health Food Store. It's a very small bottle of essential oils that can work on many things. (just 5ml has lasted me all year.) It smells like Vicks Vapor Rub, but is all natural.

If you apply it to your temples it relieves headaches. You can drink a few drops in water to alleviate motion sickness. Or like me, you can add it to a bowl of boiling water and inhale to loosen everything up. ;)

If you try to google this...make sure you spell it correctly or it won't come up. I noticed you spelled it with an L in your last post. It's actually an I.

Hope that helps! Raw ((HUGS)))

[rawfoodmommy#1]

Green smoothies are good too

[dani_b]

I wonder why when I'm sick I'm hungrier than ever. If it's normally hard for me to fast, it's nearly impossible when I'm sick. Everyone else seems to not be hungry during that time..

[trinity082482]

Make strawberry juice!!!

I woke up sick and I headed straight for my fruit!
Check out my blog for the recipe!
Strawberries are packed with VIT C!