Fitness Nutrition Coach Shares His Personal Cold and Flu Prevention And Treatment Plan

**When friends, family, and even clients tell me they are getting a cold, my response is, "Are you taking anything for it?" Their response usually is, "No," "Like what?" or something like, "Nyquil or just a decongestant."**

Those things might temporarily mask your symptoms, but they won't help you prevent or fight the cold off. Obviously, fixing your gut health (digestive system) is crucial for your immune system and prevention.

A good probiotic and improved gut health have prevented me from getting a cold in over 8.5 years. (70% of your immune system is in your gut.) I personally like the probiotic "Smidge" (formerly GutPro). It is a higher-end price but will last for close to a year.

I actually haven’t had the flu in 21 years and haven't had a cold in about 8.5 years. These are things I take or eat daily to build and maintain a strong immune system. (You may get all vitamins below from food, but it can be a challenge.)

- **Vitamin C** - 1 gram a day (1000 mg)

- **Zinc** - 50 mg a day

- **Vitamin D3** - 50 mcg per day (I personally may get my extra vitamin D and A from cod liver oil and, of course, daily sunlight)

- **Magnesium** - 500 mg per day (I like mega mag drops which also include chloride, sodium, potassium, sulfate, and boron)

**Also Once/Twice a day:**

- **Organic Raw Garlic** (use a garlic press or peel and cut clove into small pieces and let sit for 10 minutes before eating or adding to food)

- **Ginger Root Tea** (fresh ginger root). Wash and peel root. Then cut into small pieces. Get 16-20 oz of filtered water in a pan and bring to boil. Once water is boiling, add root, then turn to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Let tea cool a bit before drinking. Try to drink hot, but cold later is fine too.

- **Organic Fermented Kimchi or Sauerkraut** (food source probiotic)

- **Organic Turmeric with Black Pepper** (mixed in fresh organic bone broth)

- *(Optional)* If you don’t have access to a good probiotic or fermented sauerkraut, Bragg's organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother) one capful diluted in 10-16 ounces of filtered water with squeezed lemon can temporarily replace it.

**Things that I always have stocked up at home (I usually take daily) to prevent or sometimes treat early symptoms:**

- Real oranges (not juice unless freshly squeezed by you)

- Organic red peppers

- Onions

- Echinacea tea

**Other things that are harder to come by but work well:**

- Oregano or thieves oil

- Colloidal silver

- Elderberry or bilberry

Even something like zinc lozenges will help with early signs of a cold. (I don't prefer or recommend those because they are rough on the taste buds and have lots of artificial sweeteners and preservatives.)

I can't tell you how many times I had early symptoms of a cold that went away in 24-48 hours or less. I am in prevention mode now since I no longer get sick, yet if I feel a little bit off once in a while, I just slowly increase my dosage of these vitamins and foods above.

As always, it's good to focus on getting lots of rest (7-8 hours per night), drinking lots of clean water (I drink a gallon a day of distilled water), exercising, eating health-supportive meals (lean proteins, fruits and veggies, healthy fats, and non-processed carbs), and, of course, reducing stress.

I can break every one of these down in more detail (maybe in a later post) on why they help, or you can just take my word for it. :-)

You obviously don't need to take all of these, but even just one may help.

**Disclaimer:** This isn’t a prescription. I am not a doctor. These are just helpful vitamins and minerals and home remedies that have helped me to naturally prevent and treat colds and flu over the years, as well as keeping my immune system strong and healthy. However, most tend to just treat symptoms. I personally prefer to find the root cause of my issue, and building a strong immune system has worked well for me.

Your Fitness and Nutrition Coach,

~David

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