Suffering with a Spring Cold or Allergies?

Woman in a field of blooming trees and yellow flowers, holding a white tissue to her nose, eyes closed, appearing to sneeze.

Today is the first day of spring and many of us are sick with colds and allergies. Spring colds are different from winter colds, in that the mucus is thicker, and we may have achy muscles and joints (like the flu), swollen lymph nodes, and ear pressure. So, if you're suffering with a spring cold or allergies, follow some of these suggestions.

Try These Tips for a Spring Cold or Allergies

Herbs and Spices

Cook with lots of warm, pungent, and astringent herbs and spices to help dry up excess mucus. Use cayenne pepper, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, mustard seed, cinnamon, and cloves. Stinging Nettles are great for allergies, and they’re coming in right now where I live. You could also mix any of these herbs with raw, local honey to soothe a sore throat, and act as a cough suppressant and expectorant. Eat a spoonful or mix it in hot tea and drink. For allergy relief, use a Neti Pot to rinse out the sinuses, and use Nasya Oil to soothe irritated sinus tissue.

Diet

Avoid heavy foods, such as wheat, red meat, sugary sweets, and dairy (yogurt and soft cheese are fine); because heavy foods are difficult to digest. Rather choose lighter foods, such as green leafy vegetables, rice, berries, cooked fruit, fish, and poultry. For a nourishing meal to help combat the symptoms of a cold or allergies, there's nothing like good old-fashioned chicken soup. When we eat, blood is pulled to the digestive tract for digestion; but easy-to-digest meals, such as chicken soup, pulls less blood than other meals, which means there's more blood in your circulation to fight disease.

Home-made Chicken Soup Recipe

Bowl of chicken and rice soup with carrots and herbs. Garnished with parsley, set on a wooden board. Fresh greens blurred in background.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
1 yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup celery, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 cup Basmati Rice or Potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
1.5 pounds organic or free-range chicken, cut into chunks
8 cups chicken broth or stock
Mineral Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup or more of herbs of your choice, such as thyme, oregano, basil, or cilantro.

Directions:

Heat the oil or ghee in a large soup pot over medium heat and add in onions. Sauté until onions are soft.
Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add all the spices; mix them into the onion and garlic and sauté for about a minute until spices are aromatic.
Add the remaining vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken and incorporate into the mix.
Add in the rice or potatoes; pour the chicken stock/broth over everything. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to simmer and cook until everything is cooked through – about 30-40 minutes.