Siiiick, bro!

I woke up yesterday with that old familiar feeling. Scratchy throat, itchy eyes... welcome to cold season!! I hate it ...I hate it so much.

I have a history of sort of over-reacting to cold season. It's pretty standard protocol for me to go to Sav-On Drugstore and nearly buy them out of anything I haven't tried before. I would like to think I've tried it all. I even bought one of those Zicam nasal sprays once... gross. But in the past few years I haven't been getting (or at least staying) sick nearly as much. I know I usually try to post stuff on here to take care of your soul, but you can't take care of much of anything when you're under the weather. So here is what works for me when I'm sick.

1. Drink copious amounts of water. I usually aim to drink water consistently throughout the day. I rarely drink soda (it eats at your tooth enamel, among other things) and I don't bother buying juice because most of the juices from the market are like, 8% juice and the rest is crap. Water is my best buddy. And Chai Tea. But that's a whole 'nother ballgame. When you're sick, drink water like it's going out of style. It's going to flush out all the toxins in your system and clean you out. You will also be better hydrated which means clearer skin, better brain function, and more energy. And if you're like me- you don't look so hot with dry winter skin face. Or Rudolph nose.
2. Emergen-C. I'm obsessed. It's the only thing that I've tried that I can honestly say I think helps me with my cold. I also take Nyquil or Dayquil if I can't sleep or function at work & school. But those don't actually beat the crap out of whatever Cold Bugs I have the way Emergen-C does. I drink it like it's going out of style. Whatever vitamin C you don't need, you body just disposes of. So you can't, so I hear, overdose on it. I actually ONLY take anything with vitamin C in it when I'm showing symptoms of getting sick because for some reason if I take anything outside that window I actually start getting a cold. Weird, I know. Bonus: if you're drinking a crap ton of Emergen-C packets you are also drinking lots of water. Two birds. One stone. Sweet.
3. Rest. This is key. This means as much as you can, don't stay out on Friday night until 2am. Not getting enough sleep is pretty much the worst thing you can do. I know that if you're a parent or have other non-negotiable responsibilities you don't have many options. But do what you can to keep it really low key.
4. Light exercise. I am an avid stretcher. I stretch my body at least once an hour, sometimes more. Especially in these stuffy winter months, it just feels good. Yoga and light cardio are also great. Don't work yourself too hard. Then again... this might not be an expert opinion since I never do really strenuous exercises. If you're a big runner, I say you go for it. I also recommend getting outside as much as you can. For some reason fresh air really makes me feel better. If it's freezing, uh... bundle up. Duh.
5. Eat. The old "feed a cold, starve a flu" applies. I like chicken soup. And anything with tons of vegetables. I also take a multivitamin, but I do that year-round as well. If you can take the heat, add hot peppers or hot sauce to your meals when possible. I don't have a medical excuse for this but it sure does clear out your sinuses. Don't drink milk or eat anything dairy if you can help it. Cheese-a-holics, I feel your pain. But no one wants to hear you coughing and congested for hours just so you could enjoy some brie. Gross.

My final piece of advice is to get, like, 5 things of Anti-bacterial gel. Use the crap out of it. I have one at work, one in my purse, and one at home. The pump kind is convenient, or Bath and Body works has some that smell delicious so you will be more motivated to use them. You wont only avoid catching germs, but you wont be that jerk who drops them off on the door handle at the mall either. Not the kind of "Giving Season" you were going for.

Get well soon!