How Do You Catch a Cold? (And What to Do About It.)

The most common way cold viruses are spread is not from being around coughing or sneezing, or walking barefoot in the rain, but rather from hand-to-hand contact. For instance, someone with a cold blows their nose then shakes your hand or touches surfaces that you also touch. Cold viruses can live on pens, computer keyboards, coffee mugs and other objects for hours, so it's easy to come into contact with such viruses during daily life.

However, the key to remember is that just being exposed to a cold virus does not have to mean that you'll catch a cold. If your immune system is operating at its peak, it should actually be quite easy for you to fend off the virus without ever getting sick.

If your immune system is impaired, it's an open-door policy for viruses; they'll easily take hold in your body. There are many ways this can result, but the more common contributing factors are:

Eating too much sugar and too many grains
Not getting enough rest
Using insufficient strategies to address emotional stressors in your life
Vitamin D deficiency, as discussed below
Not washing your hands on a regular basis

Chicken soup can help reduce your symptoms. Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily. Processed, canned soups won't work as well as the homemade version, however. For best results, make up a fresh batch yourself (or ask a friend or family member to do so) and make the soup hot and spicy with plenty of pepper. The spices will trigger a sudden release of watery fluids in your mouth, throat, and lungs, which will help thin down the respiratory mucus so it's easier to cough up and expel.

WHAT TO EAT:

Fermented foods such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso, pickles, sauerkraut, they are rich in probiotics, or good bacteria. Scientific research shows that 80 percent of your immune system resides inside your digestive tract, so eating probiotic-rich foods, or taking a high-quality probiotic, will help support your immune system health.

Raw, organic eggs from free-ranging, preferably local, chickens
Grass-fed beef
Coconuts and coconut oil
Animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil
Locally grown fruits and vegetables

OTHER TIPS:

Sleep well, exercise, decrease stress, breathe

Supplement with Vitamin D3 as directed , etc

Some of the more helpful options for cold (and flu) -- above and beyond vitamin D -- are:

Vitamin C: A very potent antioxidant; use a natural form such as acerola, which contains associated micronutrients. You can take several grams every hour till you are better unless you start developing loose stools

Oregano Oil: The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it is. Carvacrol is the most active antimicrobial agent in oregano oil.

Propolis: A bee resin and one of the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world; propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important compounds that aid in immune response and even fight cancer.

Teas: with peppermint, ginger. immune boosting herbs; drink it hot and often for combating a cold or flu. It causes you to sweat, which is helpful for eradicating a virus from your system.

Olive leaf extract: Ancient Egyptians and Mediterranean cultures used it for a variety of health-promoting uses and it is widely known as a natural, non-toxic immune system builder.

Washing your hands frequently is one of the easiest ways to wipe out germs and viruses and reduce your chances of becoming sickened by them.

Sinus, ear and lung infections (bronchitis and pneumonia) are examples of bacterial infections that do respond to antibiotics. If you develop any of the following symptoms, these are signs you may be suffering from a bacterial infection rather than a cold virus, and you should call your physician's office:

Fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius)
Ear pain
Pain around your eyes, especially with a green nasal discharge
Shortness of breath or a persistent uncontrollable cough
Persistently coughing up green and yellow sputum

Generally speaking, however, if you have a cold medical care is not necessary. Rest and attention to the lifestyle factors noted above will help you to recover quickly and, if you stick to them, will significantly reduce your chances of catching another one anytime soon.