Getting a Cold & need advice

How can I make this go away faster?  I've read about ginger tea and generally staying hydrated.  Also, I know that I should continue to eat well which isn't a problem because I feel like I'm starving even though I've been eating the entire day.  What's up with that?  Is that common with colds?  I've already eaten 90% of my calories today, and it's only 2pm. 

I'm not worried about my diet, except that it should remain well-balanced, or going over my calorie intakewhile being sick.  I just want to get better. 

Hello Jenn, I've read that during illnesses, even common colds, the immune system takes up a lot of resources, so you should definitely eat if you feel hungry.  My mother used to say "Starve a fever, feed a cold."  I'm guessing the "starve a fever" part is to force the fever down by taking away the calories that allow the body to keep its temperature so high.

I would also take it easy in terms of exercise for at least the first two to four days of infection.  Once you're over the worst of it, exercise will actually help you get rid of the cold.  That has been my experience, at least.

I see in your profile that you live in Germany.  I used to live there for school/jobs/hiking, and really loved it!  It was looking at all those pretty vegetables at the Marktplatz that finally made me want to learn how to cook.

honey, a cold has no cure. The problem itself cannot be soled until your body has purged it. What you CAN do is make yourself more comfortable. Ginger tea is ok but green tea is better.

One of the very few "natural" or herbal remedies that has had double blind pharmaceutical trials is vitamin C. It boosts the level of white blood cells. White blood cells are what fights off infections. Be careful how much you take though, it can give you the runs if you have more than 2g per day and if you're on the pill this means decreased absorbtion.

I find a nice liquorice and peppermint tea is fab. When you have a cold you can still taste it!! You can try a horseradish & garlic compound, echinacea, or cats claw, but some of these things have contraindications if you're athsmatic.

Stick to warm socks and soothing teas and a bit of days of our lives and you'll be right in no time!!

I have a cold also at the moment, so far only had it for 3 days its it nearly gone! I always get straight on some fruit juices any will do or eat strawberries, kiwi and oranges all high in vitamin C. Don't forget the vitamin D though which is needed to absorb the vitamin C, which you get from meat, fish and the sun! Or even take vitamin tablets.

Take strepcils which kill the bacteria in the throat where the cold comes from and use mouth wash which helps also.

This works for me gets rid of a cold within 5 days instead of 7-14days!

And Erinread above is right about the food, your body is craving it because it needs it, just dont go to over board. I tend to eat only about 300 cals more when I got a cold.

What I have tried in the past and so far has worked everytime, is to boost the system with plenty of water of course, a multi-vitamin, and go out immediately and purchase a box of EMERGEN-C!!!!  It works wonders!  IT boost your energy level and contains ascorbates that you cannot get from taking regular vitamin c tablets.  Although I still try to get some bioflavanoids, from the fruit or those huge tabs from GNC.  Also drinking a good detox tea is helpful.  When you start getting the cold syptoms of sneezing, stuffyness, runny nose, you are technically already getting over it. So there really isn't too much you cna do, but try and get rid of the after symptoms.  I don't like to take OTC drugs, because all they do is weaken the bodies natural defenses and make you lathargic which doesn't help you at all, if you still need to go to work.  I worked around a lot of children and the bug was spreading like crazy, but I was only sick for a day!  Try it, and so far in a year I still haven't had the cold, even though my kids, and fiance have. 

When I feel like I'm getting a cold, I drink consistantly all day and try to rest as much as I can while eating super healthy.  Also, I'm totally addicted to the vitamin C chewable tablets. I swear they help :)

I second that motion on EMERGEN-C!!! Its amazing! Make sure you drink looots of water too. You will have to pee constantly, but it hleps flush out your system... and you are already dehydrated most likely from being sick. SLeep is also a magical healer too! ope you feel better! :)

Hey,

I hate taking pills/meds/etc, so whenever I have a cold, what really helps me is tea with lemon and natural raspberry preserves or honey, vitamin c (supplements or citrus fruit), soups, and lots of water. Try out some of these, they might help. :)

Good luck, and feel better soon!

I make my "sick soup:"

1 can of Rotel -- tomatoes with green chiles

1 large onion, diced

1 or 2 spicy peppers (can be milder than Jalapenos)

2 or 3 cans of chicken broth

3 or 4 cloves of garlic, quartered

Keep it on a burner on low. Drink it throughout the day. You can replenish the liquid with more cans of chicken broth.

If you like, dip buttered bread into the soup and eat, too...you can add chicken as you are ready.

Alernatively, I get Hot and Sour Soup at a chinese restaurant.

Both replenish salts, give you lots of liquid, and the spicy veggies help things "flow."

And hot toddys are helpful...1-2 Tbl. bourbon, juice of 1/2 lemon, fill cup w/hot water, add honey to taste.  The alcohol takes the edge off, lemon & water help with fluids, and honey is soothing.

Rest...be kind to yourself.

I'm glad you posted this jenn, as I just came down with a beast of a cold yesterday. When I get sick, it almost always begins as a sore throat, followed by runny/stuffed up nose, plugged ears, and then it moves down into my chest and I often get pneumonia. This hasn't happened for a few years though, so I'm hoping it will not happen this time either.

The only things I do for a cold is take echinacea, and at the first sign of a sore throat I drink hot chocolate. I crave a hot drink- I don't drink tea and can't stand the thought of coffee or any cold drinks, ESPECIALLY water. Which I know isn't good. Until the sore throat is gone, I only drink enough water to take pills. I keep a supply of Halls throat drops, a decongestant and Tylenol handy. Lastly, I go to bed when my kids do (a good 4 hours earlier than my normal bedtime).

sandrako, your soup sounds really good!