Warding off Colds

Winter and colds/man flu are unfortunately synonymous with each other. Having a cold/man flu is not a pleasant experience. Runny nose, aching head, sore throat, temperature, hacking cough - yuck! Most people would do anything to avoid it, and worse - as we all know, there is no cure for the common cold. But you can do things to ward them off as much as possible.

Firstly, we all know about the wonders of Vitamin C - but why is it good? Well, it's packed full of anti-oxidants which help the body to fight infection, and it can help to lessen the effects of a cold if you start taking 1000mg a day the second you sense one coming on, and keep taking that dose until it's cleared up. Zinc is also a cold fighting essential as it boosts the immune system. You can buy chewable blackberry flavoured zinc tablets in the chemist which are yum and make taking vitamins fun! And easy! Another useful mineral is Selenium, which is a brilliant free-radical fighter and boosts our own natural defenses - you can easily get Selenium supplements in the chemist or supermarket. Garlic is also a great natural immune booster and can help to lessen the duration of colds. Now, here's the bad news - the beneficial doodahs in garlic are destroyed by cooking so you'd need to eat it raw. Yurgh! The good news is you can buy it in odourless capsules.

Lastly, loads of people swear by Echinacea. It's popular as a stimulant to boost the immune system and help ward off many winter ailments. It doesn't seem to work for me but like I said, people rave about it, so it's definitely worth a try. Again, you'll find it easily in chemists and health food shops.

Happy sniffling, folks!