What to do with the first signs of a cold: my top ten steps
You can feel it building. You start sneezing, maybe your throat feels a bit scratchy and your mind runs amuck.
Oh no, that’s it, I’m getting a cold. How am I going to fulfil my obligations this week? I’ve got meetings, I’ve got the kids to sort, I have an important trip, I’ve got so much on. Your mind goes crazy catastrophising!
Sound familiar? You are not alone. I can really drive myself nuts with the mind chatter and the problem is the research shows this only causes more stress and we know what stress does to the physical body. It weakens it.
So just when we need to slow down, stop, observe and be kind to ourselves, we go into stress mode. And the reason we’ve got the cold is because we’re stressed and we need to re-calibrate for a moment.
So if you’ve been reading my stuff before now, you’ll know I have a minimum of a 2-pronged approach whatever the problem, but really it’s 3-pronged if you separate feelings from mindset.
Emotional (feelings)
Mindset (mental)
Physical.
You can not separate these aspects. I know the old paradigm supports the theory you catch a cold from an external source.
It’s not true!
I promise you it’s not true. It’s an old-fashioned worn-out theory perpetuated by traditional medical models that does not stand the test of time. It’s based on Pasteur’s germ theory which he himself refuted on his deathbed, pointing to Bechamp, an esteemed scientist alive at the same time who discovered it was the environment - the conditions inside and outside the cell which give rise to dis-ease like colds.
The cold virus lays dormant inside our cells ALL THE TIME. Viruses just like bacteria, fungi and parasites are opportunistic. Give them the right environment to thrive and they’ll multiply.
Think of 10 people working in an office. Why do only 2 people get the cold?
Because the conditions inside the cell have to be exactly conducive for the virus to grow.
These are light, temperature, ph and oxygen. And these conditions are affected by family history, diet, environment, lifestyle and emotional trauma ( stress).
Realising this, don’t you feel so much better?
Hasn’t your fear of ‘catching something’ substantially reduced now you know there are a number of factors which play a part and it’s not just some random external influence? And even better, you can influence those conditions.
But what about family history, you can’t influence that, I hear you comment? Well, what we now know is that yes, we are handed down good and faulty genes but they sit dormant inside the cell’s nucleus until they get turned on by the environment ( gene expression) which are the conditions inside and outside the cell I described earlier - light, temperature, oxygen and ph.
Influence those and you change your propensity for dis-ease
Ok but what’s happening specifically with a cold?
Well, firstly the conditions inside the cell have become acidic which starts with a change in the fluids picture, ie; we’ve got dehydrated first which could be from stress, not drinking enough water, environment ( central heating, environmental toxins, wifi, driving, flying..), processed foods ( damaged/heated fats), negative thinking etc.
Secondly, the body has set up a cleansing crisis focused specifically in the lungs ( seat of grief and depression) to clear. Lungs are connected to colon (part of our elimination system) so we need to support colon through right diet to support lungs.
But remember a cold is an acute episode not a chronic condition. There are huge positives here.
A. Your body has the wherewithal to cleanse which means your toxic load is closer to the surface and easily mobilised as opposed to chronic conditions where the toxic load is much deeper and more suppressed and requires much more effort to shift.
B. With the right approach, you should be good to go quite soon again. If you catch it early and put the right steps in place, you can avoid most of the unpleasant symptoms and/or certainly reduce their length.
Best steps to take:
Ignore the adage; “feed a cold and starve a fever.” If you feed a cold, you’ll get sicker!!
Drink plenty of warm water throughout the day.
Try a fresh vegetable juice to alkalise.
Make vegetable soup for lunch and thicken with ready-cooked short-grain brown rice.
Have vegetable and fruit for a snack or a cup of vegetable soup.
Try a jacket potato with tuna/houmous and veggies for dinner or have more soup.
Employ any naturopathic techniques you’re familiar with to help the cleansing process, such as skin-brushing, epsom salts baths and water enemas.
Get an early night.
Remind yourself your body knows how to heal. Don’t feel you have to resort to all sorts of external medicinal remedies apart from the tips I’ve described here and perhaps herbs, essential oils and vitamins if you wish. Though less is more generally speaking. If we can get out of our own way with simple, alkalising diet, plenty of rest and mindfulness, we can get back on track quickly and effectively. What can prevent this is prolonged stress though so do bear this in mind and consider outside support if necessary.
Avoid catastrophic thinking. This is where we fuel negative chatter in our minds about what’s going to happen. We remember the previous times we’ve had colds and it’s gone on for weeks and ended up as a chest or sinus infection. Remind yourself of lesson no.9. Trust your body’s ability to heal. A cold and any symptom for that matter is an attempt to re-balance and a simple warning sign you’ve gone off track. Maybe you’ve been over-extending yourself or letting yourself get wound up by a situation in your life. Let yourself off the hook.
Be kind to yourself instead and know you can be well again as soon as you’re ready to accept the need to stop, observe, be present, decide on your goal which is to be well and healthy without stress and effort and cut out the self-aberration and self-judgement.
Give yourself a break. You deserve to be well. You have the knowledge and tools to be well. And if you’re unsure, give me a shout and if you’ve been struggling for some time then maybe it’s time for expert guidance and support.
Big hugs,
Sophie xox