A virus came into our house this weekend. We're all feeling a bit under the weather, but it's hit one of my children the hardest. It's completely normal to get sick—yes, even when you're careful—especially during that time of year, and judging by my son's absences from school, it's definitely that time of year.
When someone at home is sick, my priority is to try to support each of our immune systems with food and supplements.
My son loves to have a hot miso broth in the morning and at night when he's not feeling well, which, in addition to being comforting, helps improve the gut microbiota because it contains pre- and probiotics.
I also make a quick pickle of red onions with apple cider vinegar and olive oil. It's delicious, and I add it to everything. Red onions contain digestive enzymes and quercetin, which inhibits viral replication, and apple cider vinegar (always with the mother) is also a probiotic food.
Besides the vitamins, minerals, and omega-3s they already take, I only usually add vitamin C for children when they're sick. Even if they're not feeling well, I take them out in the sun for a while so their bodies can produce the vitamin D they need. At night, I apply a homemade mint and rosemary ointment to their chests and use a humidifier in the bedroom with rosemary and mint essential oils to help clear and soothe their nasal passages.
If the virus included a fever, which it doesn't in this case, I wouldn't do anything to lower it unless it was high. Fever is an immune response of the body, and in people without other problems, a low-grade fever isn't an issue. If it were high, or if I saw that they were getting worse, I would call their primary care physician for advice. Being a herbalist doesn't mean you shouldn't go to a conventional doctor, although I think that's a different matter.
Since I don't want to get sick, I'm switching my multivitamin for the Quercetin, Bromelain, and Vitamin C supplement from Árbol Verde. And of course, I'm going to bed early so my body can rest and fight off the virus that's already in my house.
How do you treat a cold at home?
Olivia
Of course, this is not medical advice, nor does it replace consultation with a specialist. Every person, and every case, is different. This is what works for us, based on our medical history.