Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (162 page)

Drink nettle tea.

At the first sign of a cold, place one or two drops of frankincense on your tongue (not if pregnant). Sometimes this is just enough to nip a cold in the bud.

Yerba mate tea is also good for stopping a cold early in its tracks.

Echinacea extract liquid is a must. (Contraindication: Echinacea may not be recommended for those with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, as it can increase immune activity and it is thought people with these conditions already have overactive immune systems.)

My favorite herb of all time is astragalus. I like it in extract liquid form but you can get it in capsules, too.

If you are under chronic stress, then it is a good idea to use Siberian ginseng herbal extracts alongside the astragalus through the winter. Constant stress exposure weakens immunity.

Mullein tincture can help to bring out mucus.

Suck on a zinc gluconate lozenge. Do not go over 125 mg of zinc in a 24-hour period, though. You can take lozenges for up to seven days, but after that stop, as you can end up suppressing the immune system if you overdo the zinc.

Sage tincture may help to relieve a sore throat that can sometimes accompany a cold.

Drink sage tea, marshmallow tea, and red raspberry, too, for throat relief.

Take vitamin C powder, half a teaspoon in some warm water every hour until you get relief or possibly diarrhea! Do not keep taking the C if the bowels get loose. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the severity and the duration of a cold.

Take vitamin A for three days at the first sign of a cold. But then stop. Or beta-carotene. Do not take vitamin A if you are pregnant.

Gargle with sea-salted water to help to relieve a cold. Gargling with aloe vera juice is beneficial, too, as is gargling with echinacea and sage extracts.