COLD & FLU REMEDIES FOR YOU

Winter scene and heart warming healthy breakfast

Ah, Spring is here, but I couldn’t resist sharing this last wintry scene.

We’ve had a pretty mild UK winter: our weather is upside down, our world is upside down. And at JOGB we’ve been knocked sideways by the flu this season, which according to Head of Flu at PHE (Public Health England), Dr Richard Peabody, has had widespread circulation across the UK in 2019 already. Anyone suffering right now?… it has taken over three weeks taken to even semi-recover!

If you’re suffering?

  1. Snuggle down with comfort and blankets, stay home (to reduce spreading infection) and get plenty of rest. Sleep is a great healer (especially between the hours of 10pm and 2am) helping your immune system to repair.

  2. Drink plenty of fluids, more than you think you need. Half to one teaspoon of honey (depending on your tastebuds) dissolved in a cup of hot water with fresh slices of lemon really does seem to soothe the throat and care for the immune system. Herbal teas, water, pure organic vegetable or fruit smoothie, and chicken broth soup (more on this to come) will help reduce the viscosity of any mucus, thereby reducing the likelihood of a deep chest infection.

  3. Treat aches and fever and cough with appropriate painkillers, such as ibuprofen. Jim & I both had migraine headaches that did not leave us for days on end, so do take care.

  4. Try relaxing in a steamy warm bath to soak your achy limbs and gently help clear the sinuses at the same time. Add four drops each of eucalyptus and rosemary essential oil to energise your spirits and clear your head.

  5. Consider the flu vaccine fo the future, especially if you are elderly or suffer from any autoimmune disorder.

  6. Consult your GP if: you have a temperature above 102ºF (101ºF in infants), wheezing, shortness of breath or rattling in your chest as you breathe. The flu is a viral infection and antibiotics will not be prescribed. Call emergency if any of the symptoms above increase, especially in the young or the elderly.

Take care! It’s Spring now! Look forward, not backwards - think positive thoughts and use any period of illness to try to build yourself up emotionally as well as physically. It’s all too easy to slip into negativity. If you feel unexpectedly low or lonely, reach out to friends and family for extra support. You are not alone.

Jo GB