In the Case of Colds

The only “pills” I’ve had in this time period have been in the form of supplements, which are non-lethal, non-prescription, and usually only have one side effect – good health. This is a personal decision that I made when I started working for Doug and learned what his work was all about, and while no one on this blog or site would ever tell you to go off your medications cold turkey without the aid of a doctor, this is a decision that I would not change.

Every now and then, however, I do get sick. It usually happens after a prolonged period of high stress and little sleep. Coincidentally, it is in those times that my diet suffers and I don’t always remember to take my supplements. This is the time when diet, supplements, proper rest and exercise are most crucial. Certainly though, even the most disciplined people can slip up, and while I would never even put myself in the same category as the the most disciplined types, I recently slipped up and got sick.

Now, the paradigm in America is to run straight to two places – first the medicine cabinet and then the doctor’s office. As I mentioned before, I don’t have a medicine cabinet. My choice for when I get sick is this: I load up on Vitamin C, oregano oil and olive leaf extract. I drink huge amounts of water and hot herbal tea. Sometimes I’ll juice some carrots, green apples, ginger and lemons if I feel up to it. I usually don’t eat much, but if I do, it is something bland like turkey or chicken breast. And I rest – I’ll stay in bed or on the couch all day. These might seem like folksy remedies, but in my last few experiences with sickness, I’ve never been off my feet for more than 2 days. I also spare my body the stress of all those man made chemicals for those two days.

This time when I got sick, my parents encouraged me to go to the doctor. While it was well meaning, I knew if I went to a doctor, at best I was going to walk out of there with two things – a diagnosis (and I don’t know about you, but if I’m feeling crummy, I really don’t care what it is, I just want it gone) and maybe a script for an anti-biotic. Those of you familiar with Doug’s work know the case he has made against antibiotics and while they are sometimes necessary, antibiotics are something I try to avoid at all costs.

The winter can be a difficult time time if you are prone to catch the flu or another type of cold. But, in the unfortunate event that you should catch one, perhaps it is time to try a new approach! Do any of you have any Kaufmann 1 friendly tricks for beating a cold when you have one?