Living in Buffalo, you know that one day it can be 50 and sunny and the next day it will be 20 and snowing. No, I don’t have the answer to why this is, but I do know that my body sure as hell does not like it and is reacting. Having the flu is quite honestly the cherry on top for a college student. It’s not like we are broke, hungry, tired, stressed, or anything so why not just throw the flu into the mix so you can get even more behind on work!
I like to consider myself a health connoisseur and when it comes to medicine, I hate it, and will frankly not take it unless I REALLY need to. To me, my body is a temple, and taking medicine that can mess up my body’s normal balance and intestinal flora is just a no no, but that is another topic in itself. Having the flu right now made me realize that my own herbal and “healthy” remedies really do help and sometimes resorting to medicine is not always the answer. With that said, I thought I would share what I do to knock your cold/flu right out of you guys!
First, I am gonna start with the weirder remedy I do. Bare with me, but when I have the flu I will cut up a red onion and put it in my socks. The general idea of putting onions in your socks stems from the ancient Chinese medicinal practice of foot reflexology. The nerves in our feet have been a point of research in Eastern medicine for decades and are said to be the access points for our internal organs. The main idea of putting red onion in your socks is that the rich sulphuric compounds found in onions will infiltrate into your body and kill any bacteria or viruses and purify the blood.
Another one of my tricks is taking Elderberry syrup. Elderberry syrup is one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in the world. Elderberry is extremely high in nutrients including Vitamin C, dietary fiber, and phenolic acids and has shown to reduce the severity and length of the influenza. In studies done, those who took 15 ml of elderberry syrup 3-4 times a day showed improvement of symptoms in 2-4 days compared to a usual 6-7 days.
Next, is my lifesaver Vitamin C. Whenever I feel any type of sickness coming on I immediately start taking a high dosage of Vitamin C, which almost always makes me feel better/kicks whatever sickness coming my way back to where it came from. Vitamin C, is important for the growth, development and repair of all body tissues. It’s involved in many body functions, including formation of collagen, absorption of iron, the immune system, and a strong immune system is extremely important to fight away the flu. The most important thing to remember when taking Vitamin C, is to make sure you are taking enough for it to make a difference and actually help. A Vitamin C capsule could only be 500mg, but our body’s need upward 3,000-4,000mg to start making a difference in how we feel. PSA: it is extremely rare to take too much Vitamin C since it is a water soluble vitamin, meaning it is not stored by the body and in most cases your body will pee it out. ( I am sorry if that was TMI)
My last go to when I have the flu is Echinacea. Echinacea is a very popular herb that encourages the immune system and reduces many symptoms of the cold/flu, and other illness, infections, or conditions. Echinacea has a complex mix compounds that are said to be antimicrobial, control the activity of enzymes and cell receptors, and have antioxidant properties.
Having the flu is no fun at all. Even though it may be a good excuse to stay in bed and avoid any/all problems, everyone always hopes to get better. Having the flu these past two days so far, I can assure you the things I have spoken about truly do help aside from the obvious of drinking water, sleeping, and having some homemade chicken noodle soup!
Listed below are the links of all the items I spoke about that I use.