Sarah's Health Notes: Confronting colds
Every day yet another friend snuffles and wheezes down the phone – or sends a (bit too) graphic WhatsApp – saying they can’t join us for whatever because they’ve been laid low. ‘You wouldn’t want me near you,’ is the usual message. That’s probably true, however much we like them, and I’m grateful to be warned. So husband and I are taking extra precautions.
As well as keeping warm – woolly hats and scarves, vests (love a good vest and Uniqlo Heattech thermals are ace), long thick socks at all times (cashmere for bed is my preferred treat – great present too, just saying…) - we eat warm: soups, stews, and tonight it’s mushroom risotto with stock from the chicken-that-thought-it was-a-turkey.
On top of these simple measures, pharmacist Shabir Daya at Victoria Health – our long time, go to resource for all natural health support and information – recommends taking one or more of the following; all suitable for vegetarians:
Daily Immunity by Victoria Health/£29 for 60 capsules: this immune booster for adults and children over 12 years helps prime the immune system to protect your body from seasonal infections. It contains powerful herbs, probiotics, mushroom extracts and garlic plus vitamins C and D3 and the mineral zinc.
BetterYou Vitamin D3000 IU Oral Spray/£9.45 for 100 measured daily doses: This is so so important that I have one spray in my bathroom, a second in my kitchen plus another in my sponge bag so I never forget to give myself a daily squish. When the sun goes in, our vitamin D goes down – which impacts our immune systems, teeth, bones and many other functions. This is the easiest way to take it.
Sambucol Immuno Forte/£10.89 for 120ml: this syrup is a next generation version of the award winning black elderberry extract, developed by virologist Dr Madeleine Mumcuoglu. (I remember when this was launched and it was a game changer.) As well as black elderberry (Sambucus nigra), this contains vitamin C and zinc, all shown to reduce the duration of respiratory virus infections.
Tonic Health Night Time Immunity Drink/£8.99 for 10 sachets: this combines vitamin C and zinc to help the immune system plus sleepy botanicals including valerian root, chamomile and Montmorency cherry powder, together with magnesium to help you get a restful healing sleep. (This is so popular you need to get on the wait list.)
And finally!
Olbas Oil/£7.99 for 30ml: guaranteed (by us!) to ease the stuffiest blocked noses. Pop a few drops on a hanky. For a real blast of decongesting, use it as an inhalation: a few drops in a bowl of hot water, towel over head and inhale for several minutes. Abracadabra!
