Looking for some tips and hints to get you through another winter without getting caught by the cold and flu bug?  Perhaps you are feeling like you might be coming down with something…  Maybe we can help!

‘Tis the time of year when we walk around and hear those unmistakable sounds of the season…  sniffles, sneezes, scratchy coughs…  not to mention those of us walking around with Rudolph noses…  You know what I’m talking about; we know it all too well!  Where we are from, it is affectionately called “The Carolina Crud,” and it does a number on the respiratory system!  You may call it something different, or you may not have an affectionate name for it, but it is a certainty we have to deal with every year as our temperatures and climate fluctuate quickly between wintry, snowy frigid conditions and 80 degree, spring-like days such as today, all within a few days time.

So, how can you avoid falling victim to the cold-monster?  Start with easy steps; the ones you have been told since you were a wee little tyke!

1. Wash you hands often!
2. Cover your mouth when you cough, sneeze, or yawn.
3. Keep your hands, and any other objects that come in contact with other people frequently, such as pencils and pens, away from your face and mouth.
4. Don’t share food or drinks with others.
5. ALWAYS CARRY SANITIZER!!!  We cannot stress this enough!  And we are not talking about the alcohol-laden kinds, though those are probably better than nothing.  We use essential oils to achieve a much better and more natural result.  If you are looking for some natural sanitizer options, here’s what we recommend.

The next steps are perhaps a little less common-sense…

1. Keep as much personal space as possible, especially when in crowds or groups of people.  The idea here is that you would not want to breathe in the same air someone who might be sick is breathing out.  If you must be in crowded spaces or groups of people, try to keep your head turned away from others, or if possible simply cover your face.  Let’s be real here, if you are on a crowded subway, do you really care if someone wonders why you have your nose and mouth covered or if they think it is strange to do so?  I certainly don’t care, especially if it helps keep me from getting sick!  😉
2. Clean your devices often!  This is a big one!  Think about how many times a day you touch your phone, tablet or computer.  Each time you inevitably spread germs to your devices.  Maybe you enjoy catching up on your social media during your lunch break…  You would not want to pick up germs from your phone and then put them in your mouth as you munch on your veggies or chips.  Unfortunately, phones probably get cleaned the least and touched the most, so just think about that this cold and flu season.
3. While we on it, go ahead and clean other frequently touched objects around the home or office a good cleaning.  How many people do you think touch the door handle between cleanings?  What about that light switch?  During cold and flu season it is even more important to clean these regularly to help prevent the spreading of germs.
4. Plan ahead!  What in the world do we mean???  Know you will be travelling soon for work?  Why wait until you are in a crowded airport to worry about sickness and germs?  Taking echinacea or oregano supplements for a few days before you travel could help your immune system prepare for exposure to unfamiliar germs during your travels.  We take echinacea every year before we travel to spend the holidays with loved ones.  Some other options for taking care of yourself ahead of time would be to develop a routine, like drinking a cup of honey and lemon water each morning.  The lemon helps to clean the digestive system and detox the body while the honey works (particularly if using local honey) to control the body’s response to local allergens and coat and sooth the throat.  For more information about the benefits of honey and cinnamon, see the “Further reading” section at the bottom of this post.  You could also take doTERRA’s On Guard, conveniently also offered in soft gel caps, for a few days prior to a potential exposure.

So… You followed all the steps above, you were extra careful and avoided everyone you thought could be coming down with something, and yet you find yourself sniffling, sneezing, coughing…  Now you are sick.  After all, some of us are just prone to getting sick, no matter what we do.  Maybe your doctor cannot see you soon enough, maybe you are not interested in going to the doctor, or perhaps you just want to get through this naturally.  So what do you do now?

Our founder and CEO prides herself on her “magic* respiratory remedy” and she’s decided to share it with you in the hopes of keeping you all healthy this winter.  We keep most, if not all,  of these supplies in our cupboard and medicine cabinets year round!  They often come in handy.     *Please note no actual magic is involved.  😉

People often ask, do I have to follow this exactly?  Do I have to do it all?  Of course not!  These are simply tips to help you feel better.  You will not get more sick just by skipping a step.  You are not guaranteed to get better faster if you follow these steps to a T.  It is completely up to you to do for yourself what you are comfortable.  In our experience, the faster you start this regimen (as soon as you start to get that feeling, that throat tickle or scratch, that drippy nose, the too familiar sinus pressure headache, you know the feeling…  the one that tells you something isn’t right) and the more often and more closely you follow these steps, the better the results tend to be, but there is no catchall.  This will work better for some individuals than others.  If you have any questions about how or what to do for one of these steps, just ask in the comment section below.

1. Nasal sinus/neti pot rinses.
2. Oil pulling.
3. Saltwater gargles.
4. Eucalyptus steams.
5. Echinacea tea with Ceylon cinnamon (the Ceylon is important – that is the kind that gives you the most health benefits!) and local honey multiple times each day.  You can usually find local honey at your local farmers market.  If you’re not sure if there is a farmer’s market near you, below I’ve listed a few websites which list farmer’s markets across the country.  You can also search “farmer’s market near me,” or use your city and state, in your browser search engine and should be able to find any local to your area.  For more information about the benefits of honey and cinnamon, see the “Further reading” section at the bottom of this post.
   1. National Farmers Market Directory
   2. Local Harvest
   3. United States Department of Agriculture National Farmers Market Directory
6. Breathe essential oils in diffusers, inhalers, and even as a chest rub (be sure to follow all instructions for topical use of your oils!).
7. Tea tree and lavender essential oils rubbed on throat and neck for sore throat and earaches.
8. Echinacea supplement multiple times a day.
9. Drink lots of juices and fluids.
10. Eat brothy soups.
11. Get lots of rest.
12. Stay home!!!  Seriously, not just for your own sake, after all you do have a compromised immune system when you are fighting off cold and flu germs, but for everyone’s sake!  No one wants to be that person that gets stuck beside someone who is obviously sick.  You are spreading germs, no matter how “contained” you think you may be.
13. And perhaps the most important of all – do NOT stop your regimen as soon as you start to feel better!  Chances are you’re still fighting off whatever germs gave you trouble.  If you stop the regimen above when you first start to feel better, you will probably find yourself sick again.  Our rule of thumb is last day you feel any symptoms at all, no matter how mild, plus 2 additional days of treatment.  If you were REALLY sick, you might want to give yourself 3 additional days instead of 2.  Better safe than sorry!

For further reading about the health benefits of honey, lemon and cinnamon:

• 10 health benefits of honey – Mother Nature Network
• Medicinal uses of honey – WebMD
• 6 Healthy reasons to eat more real cinnamon – Green Med Info
• Ceylon cinnamon versus cassia cinnamon – Benefits of Honey
• Honey and cinnamon cure – Snopes
• Lemon – WebMD
• Health benefits of lemon – Organic Facts