Cold Buggin' ---> Natural Cold Relief

Good morning,

It's been a few weeks since I've posted on this blog but I'm glad to be back! I've had a bunch of blog post ideas over the weekend so I'll be posting more as the holidays approach. Before I get into a world wind of posting holiday vegan cookie recipes, I wanted to give a few tips on how to beat the cold germ. I have a little cold and it occurred to me that I may not be the only one with the sniffles. What, with the weather being us up and down as it's been, it's hard not to pick up the "bug".

Tis the season to be coughing... and sneezing... and aching... and everything else but there are some sure fire natural remedies that have proven to beat the winter common cold blues and get you up and running and ready to hit the mall with a vengeance.

My first immune booster is to juice your citrus. We know our oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits pack a vitamin C punch and vitamin C keeps our immune system vital and healthy. When you juice citrus it's best to drink it straight away. It's potency dwindles as time passes so get all you can as soon as the air hits it. Personally, I think it tastes differently if you wait too long to drink it. Juicing radishes also helps TREMENDOUSLY! They cleanse the nasal passages. Radishes have a very potent smell but the juice actually has a pleasant taste. I like to juice them with carrots.

Secondly, my favorite immune booster is Emergen-C. It's an awesome supplement that can be taken all year. It comes in a host of flavors, has a little fizz and a nice mild flavor. Currently, I have orange and raspberry on hand. I bought the two flavors from a bulk supplier but there are a myriad of flavors. They can be purchased literally EVERYWHERE now-a-days.

Secondly, there are a great variety of homeopathic and natural cough and cold remedies on the market. Your best bet would be to head to your local health food store or vitamin supplier (The Vitamin Shoppe is a great place). I'm a fan of the Naturade Sugar Free Expec or the Naturade Herbal Expec. They're both expectorants that loosen and obliterate your "cold" and get it out of your system without sending you into a drunken stooper and having you wake up with what feels like a mild hangover. (Also pictured below are Ricola cough suppressants and Yogi Tea in the Cold Season Remedy (not a fan of the taste).

Another one that works well for me is... the enema! Yep, that's right! An enema is a great way to get rid of a cold. A lot of that mucus is being stored not only in your lungs but in your colon so having a good poop often eases you out of your cold quite nicely. 

Lastly, the hot tottie! Everyone's grandmother had a hot tottie cure for a bad winter cold. It usually entailed some hot whiskey or brandy. No doubt this worked like a charm but if you want to take a milder approach this one works for me every time. I like to boil a tea kettle of water. I dice about an inch of fresh ginger and add it to my cup of choice. I pour in a couple tablespoons of unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar. I really prefer the organic. Once you've had the conventional filtered version you'll see why. I also squeeze in some fresh lemon. You can also sweeten it with agave nectar (or honey if you're not opposed to consuming it). Once your water has boiled, pour it over the four ingredients in your tea cup and sip slowly. I promise, this is the wonder "drug"! I have no idea why it works so well but I do know it works. I'm boiling some water as we speak. 

Pictured below are two bottles of apple cider vinegar. Take a stab at guessing which one is filtered and which one isn't. 

If you guessed the one with the CLOUDY appearance to be the unfiltered one... well, you guessed the obvious! lol!!! To me, the unfiltered has a better taste. Strong. But Better. 

Try any of these cold season remedies to squash the cold bug with your snow boots or post a comment below with some of your tried and true, favorite, natural cold season remedies. Have a great Wednesday! 

~Keep joOcing,

Ashley 

H2 Oh Boy! 11 Benefits of Drinking Water

Back again with an update. For the past few days I've noticed that I've become increasingly thirsty. I found this odd seeing as how I spend my days drinking fresh juice all day. Where would my body find the time to be thirsty and need EXTRA water? I mean aren't fruits and veggies composed of mostly water anyway? I convinced myself that this was a side effect of fasting and quickly gulped down a quart of water to alleviate the feeling of thirst.

Then, out of sheer curiosity, I decided to further research why water is such an amazing element. Yeah, yeah, yeah!!!! We know it aids with alleviating dehydration and cooling us down on a hot summers day but it goes far beyond that.

Let's first take a look at the body. Muscle consists of 75% water, brain consists of 90% water, bone consists of 22% water, blood consists of 83% water. Simply put, the human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size. Basically, water rules. It's what we're made up of so it's important to replenish it. Our tissues and organs are mostly water as well.

Water's main functions:

*Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells
*Moisturizes the air in lungs
*Helps with metabolism
*Protects our vital organs
*Helps our organs to absorb nutrients better
*Regulates body temperature
*Detoxifies
*Protects and moisturizes our joints

We need water from head to toe. Remember the brain is 90% water and if it doesn't get the water it needs and deserves, you'll suffer lack of concentration and migraine headaches. Instead of popping a pill, have a couple of glasses of water first and then see how you feel.

Now let's drink the benefits!

1) Lose weight: Who doesn't like this! Drinking water hels with weight loss because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown.
2) Natural remedy for a Headache: And you already know why :-)
3) Younger looking skin
4) Better productivity: Don't just stand around the water cooler! Have a few cups full with your gossip!
5) Better exercise
6) Aids digestion and constipation
7) Less cramps and sprains
8) Less likely to get sick
9) Relieves fatigue
10) Good mood
11) Reduce the risks of cancer

So drink to your health! You'll be the better for it!


For more information visit: http://www.mangosteen-natural-remedies.com/benefits-of-drinking-water.html