Natural Remedies for coughs & colds - A Nutritionist’s Guide

You know the feeling… you wake up with a tickly, scratchy throat and a heavy head full of cotton wool. Not only is your body telling you this is a sign to slow down and rest but your immune system needs attention.

While it may be tempting to sniff your way through your packed diary, this is the best way to prolong your illness, and infect others. So, clear the diary, keep your PJs on and put on the kettle.

Here are some tried and tested natural remedies, dietary recommendations and supplements to get you through.

Acute - the first 1-3 days

This is the time to load up on ACDZ - Andrographis, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc. As with any supplements, follow the directions on the pack or see your nutritionist for a detailed, individual treatment plan.

• Andrographis is a herb that you can take in a tablet form. It has been clinically proven to reduce the length and severity of symptoms when taken within the first 36 hours of the onset of symptoms. It is especially effective for upper respiratory tract symptoms . You can often find it in a formulation with Echinacea, C and zinc, like Armaforce. Ensure you follow directions for use as Andrographis should not be take for more than 2 weeks at a time.

• Vitamin C is an immune system essential and is especially helpful in the early stages at higher doses to reduce the duration of symptoms.

• Vitamin D is often lower during winter unless we are still getting some sun exposure and it’s an essential vitamin for immune system modulation through the T Helper cytokines. While it can be a great mood booster to get a bit of sun, you may not be feeling up to it when you’ve got a cold so supplementation with cholecalciferol (D3) is the best option.

• Zinc is an antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory that stimulates an overloaded immune system. In the first 3 days you will benefit from supplemental zinc to kick-start that immune system.

Diet

Meals should be small and light and be more nutrient dense rather than energy dense. Warm fluids are the best way to nurture your body and give you comfort, like the 'Root soup’ recipe below. It’s a celebration of all the delicious root vegetables that have been percolating under ground during the warmer months and harvested over winter. Enjoy the warming flavours of ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, onion, leek, and chilli. Garlic will help to clear mucus from the lungs and sinuses.

Make up a soothing tea in a plunger or tea pot with 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme, the juice and rind of half a lemon, a couple of slices of ginger, and add honey to taste. Fill with boiling water and allow to steep for at least 5 minutes or keep it sitting in the teapot and keep sipping and topping it up with water.

Nature delivers delicious immune-boosting citrus during winter so snack on mandarins, kiwi fruit and, oranges to refresh your palate and boost your vitamin C.

Avoid alcohol, sugar and dairy as they will increase inflammation of the sinuses and promote mucus production.

Lifestyle

Rest is the best cure as it allows your immune system time to do its job. Snuggle up with a hot water bottle and drink lots of water (2-3 litres). If you need to go out, wear a mask, beanie, scarf and warm coat, use hand sanitiser and be thoughtful of others.

Prepare a steam bath with a few drops of eucalyptus oil or Perfect Potion’s ‘Breathe Easy’ blend in a basin of boiling water. Put your head over the basin and place a towel over your head and breathe in the vapours to help clear you sinuses. You can also add the oil to a cloth and leave it on the floor of a hot shower so that you can breathe in the oil blend in the steam from the shower.

A few drops of lavender oil on a tissue near your pillow will help you drift off to a blissful sleep.

Root soup: a celebration of winter root vegetables

Recipe: Root soup

Over winter it is normal for our family to have a pot of ‘Root Soup’ on the stove over the weekend. It is dipped into after sport, gardening, and shopping alongside some crusty sourdough and topped up with water to stretch it out for a few meals. I prefer to keep it chunky rather than blended but it is delicious either way.

1 leek

2 carrots, peeled

2 parsnips, peeled

2 sticks of celery (including leaves)

300g pumpkin, peeled and deseeded

4 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled

300g purple or orange sweet potato, peeled

1 tbs Ghee or olive oil

3 cloves garlic

2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled & finely grated

2cm piece of fresh turmeric peeled & finely grated

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tsp salt

Parsley, finely chopped for garnish

1. Cut all vegetables into bite-sized chunks.

2. In a large pot on medium heat, add the ghee or olive oil and throw in the leek, carrots, parsnip, celery and leaves. Stir until soft but not browned.

3. Add the remaining vegetables, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt and thyme. Stir with the other vegetables. Add water (or homemade vegetable or chicken stock for a fuller flavour) to cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour or until vegetables are soft and the broth is well flavoured. Serve with parsley and some toasted bread.