How to Prevent a Cold

No, this isn’t science—but these are methods that have worked astoundingly well for me. No colds the last two winters, none this year so far (knock wood). Here’s how I do it…

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Keep the stress level low. The minute I feel stressed out at work, I literally stop in my tracks, take a deep breath and imagine I’m coming back to center. It means not taking on too much work, it means not taking on other people’s stress. There is no mandate from on high you must burn the candle at both ends to get ahead in life. Who are those voices in your head yelling at you to push harder? Parents? God? Society? Cultivate a supporting voice who tells you to breathe.
2. Exercise. I do something every day of the week. I walk, I hike, I bike. Rain or shine. Even if it’s just 30 minutes. If I’m at a job and not working from home, I walk on my lunch hour to shake off the stress, both physical and mental.
3. Cut down on the sweets. Sugar jacks me up and that means more stress. I can also feel my nose dripping when I have too much sugar (not from a cold but from allergies), so I know sugar whacks out my immune system.
4. Get enough sleep and eat foods that are good for you. I think of sleep and good nutrition as the foundation of a house. If you don’t have that, the whole thing is off kilter.
5. Wash your hands frequently. Duh. Simple but it works.
6. At the first sign of a cold, or the first sign of a cold that someone else in the office has, I take the combo tablet or capsule of Echinacea and Goldenseal. Works like a dream. I’ll take it for a week or two, all the way through the cold going around the office. I’ve warded off many a cold this way.
7. I take a zinc supplement year-round in calcium-magnesium-zinc. My acupuncturist once told me we don’t get enough zinc in our vegetables because the ground they grow in is often depleted of minerals. I noticed that when I sucked on a zinc lozenge at the first sign of a sore throat, the soreness would clear up quickly. I connected the dots and realized zinc could help me even before I got a cold and sore throat.

Tips & Warnings

• Other people swear by vitamin C. I don’t have personal evidence on this one, but give it a shot.
• I do take a vitamin B supplement year-round and that seems to help.
• This is not intended as official medical advice.