How to help your body during a cold?

I believe that each of us has their own proven remedies, which help them during the cold and flu season. If we need to recover quickly from a viral infection, we often reach for medication from pharmacies. But some of us prefer more natural approach and have in their households many herbs helpful in this kind of situation. From spring to autumn, you can meet me around Libčice carrying fabric bags hiding a lot of these natural treasures. My most favourite herb and a “panacea” is certainly black elderflower. It is a shrub with an excellent therapeutic application. It supports sweating during the flu season. A decoction of the flowers is used for all kinds of cold; it has diuretic and laxative effect. During a cold, it is used for inhalation, soothes head, tooth and ear ache. It is used in form of a poultice for varicose veins. An oil with its extract is used also  for massaging painful spots on your body. Overall, the best help in a fight against cold is a diet rich in vitamins and minerals from seasonal fruits and vegetables, jacket potatoes, rice, foods rich in carotene such as carrots, tomatoes, as well as dark green leafy vegetables and salads (spinach, lamb’s lettuce, chard, cabbage). If you already suffer from some unpleasant flu, it is a good idea to avoid foods that acidify your organism. By that I mean all processed foods (sweets, sweetened yoghurts, and desserts), coffee, black and green tea, meat, dairy products and some cereals. An acidic environment supports a variety of diseases and their origin. The body has already hard job fighting the disease, doesn´t need to have more work with trying to get  back into the so-called homeostasis. Therefore, it is good idea to help your body and try to use some herbs that contribute to the de-acidification. These include dandelion, heather, birch, burdock, elderberry, as well as foods such as garlic, lemon, parsley, asparagus, green barley, chlorella. Important at the end – do not underestimate small signals of our body. The disease is very often a result of the fact that you did not listen to your body and didn´t treat yourself with sufficient rest. Mgr. Alena Vídeňská Fitness trainer, nutritionist and green food specialist