Dealing With A Spring Cold

Ugh. Sinus headache, tissues everywhere, and the old adage "Feed a cold, starve a fever" really counts because I'm HUNGRY! But who wants to cook when they feel like this?! What's a sick person to do?

Yesterday, I did my first 5K race. Yay, so proud, good job... I felt like Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail  when Tom Hanks gives her the daisies. "I love daisies. Why are you here bothering me?" No amount of accomplishment or good times made up for the fact that the weather was horrible and now I am sick. Boo. Hack. Sniff.

At first, I went right to bed as soon as I got home. But I was chatting with a wise friend who soon had me convinced to get back up.

Better First Step: Hot shower, warm clothes.  I also netti pot'd my sinuses, and exfoliated to encourage my lymph system. OK, at least I felt human again.

Second Step: Take stock and make stock. What did I have on hand? What could I easily pull together to feed and hydrate myself? I dug into the freezer and the fridge and the tea basket. Since I needed to fill up the electric kettle anyway, I filled up the crock pot with water as well. I had one package of 'carcass parts' left- chicken necks and backs specifically bought for stock making purposes. Into the pot they went, lid on, heat Low, and forget about it. I'd have soup stock ready for tomorrow, when I had more energy to deal with it.

Third Step: Tea and Soup and Herbs, Oh MY. Meanwhile the tea kettle was hot. I added dried hibiscus flowers a pilates client just gave me (beautiful and delicious and high in vitamin C!) and Ginger Honey Crystals (these are magic) to a quart mason jar, filled it with hot water, and left it to steep. In a mug I dropped a scoop of organic miso paste and a sprinkle of dried kelp and more hot water. Instant soup!

I carried both of these into the living room and set them aside to cool. First I ate applesauce, with Multi Metabolite Immune powder mixed in. It's a sprouted seed powder with immune herbs and Lion Mane's mushroom. I demo for the company at grocery and health food stores part time and this is one of my favorite items.  Then I had the soup and tea, warming me all the way and making me comfortable. I was still hungry so I reheated some pasta with meat sauce- you know, for dessert.  :)

Echinacea is a great part of this routine, when I can remember to take it. I'm my own worst patient, for sure. In acute cases like this I SHOULD take a dropper of my tincture every half hour. But, well, now that I'm thinking of it I'll go get that dropper bottle and put it in my pocket. There, I just took a dose.

Fourth Step: R.E.S.T. Just do it. I watched a movie on Netflix. It wasn't very good so I won't tell you about it.

Then I went to bed. I slept for 12 hours, and rested in bed with my phone for another 2 hours after I woke up. THIS IS IMPORTANT. The main reason I got back up when I first got home was that it was only about 4pm, and I knew what it would mean to wake up at 4am, or even 6am, in the dark and starving and still not well. Had I needed to work today, I totally would have done it. But since I had today off I fed myself and then went to bed, so this morning I was free to be more leisurely.

Fifth Step: Recovery wasn't done in a day. Today has been a mix of doing things and sitting down with a bowl or mug of something. I know it sounds decadent but convalescing is something we don't allow ourselves to do, though it's really a necessary part of being ill. I'm still a little stuffed up and worn down but I feel 70% better than I did yesterday. Writing this is part of a 'sitting down' section of the day, though it is using more energy than Netflixing on the couch, and I have tea here with me.

Next I'm going to turn my chicken stock into soup, adding it to kale and potatoes and anything else I can dig out of the fridge in a big pot with some diced tomatoes and spices. I'll add a handful of dried nettle and a big sprinkle of dulse flakes for their trace minerals, and have dinner in an hour or so. None of my To Do list is getting done today, and I forgive myself for that. Yes, I'll be extra busy during the week, but I'd still be sick then if I didn't allow myself the rest time now.

Dealing with a spring cold involves prevention (I did not anticipate just how horrible the weather would be so dressed poorly), fluids, nourishment, and REST. Taking it easy the rest of yesterday and today has been crucial to my rebounding. If I had pushed today I'd have gotten more done, but struggled the rest of the week to get even this recovered. R&R is the most important thing we can do for ourselves, especially when illness strikes!

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