How I get rid of colds in 48 hours
Sharing my personal 4-step cold care protocol
Hello friends! Just wanted to pop on here quickly to embrace imperfection and connection over perfectionism and get this brain dump out to you.
But first I wanted to remind you about my FREE masterclass Foundations For Health Hormones THIS evening at 7pm. Last chance to sign up if you haven’t already!
I’m so excited about everything I’ll be teaching in this inaugural masterclass. PLUS I’m going to be revealing a very special exclusive offer at the end of the call. 👀
My personal cold care protocol
I’ve been recovering from a cold recently — one that caught me by surprise. I suspect it would have been much worse if I hadn’t followed what I now fondly call my “Cold Care Protocol.” This approach has helped me effectively nip a cold virus in the bud the past four or five times now, and it’s become my go-to method for feeling better fast!
Seriously, I used to get sick and stay sick for weeks. The mildest of colds would turn into sinus and chest infections with horrendous coughing fits through the night. In the past I’ve needed multiple rounds of antibiotics and have even been put on prednisone for asthma flare ups resulting from my infections.
Now. I’m usually completely better in 48 - 72 hours, if not then the worst of it is over in that time, and then the residual recovery process continues another few days with minimal symptoms (mainly the body doing it’s detox thing via the nose). The main thing is that I have been able to prevent the virus from spreading into my lungs where complications tend to develop due to my asthma vulnerability.
I promised in my IG stories to share this protocol so here it is - just in time for cold season! Just remember: this is not medical advice!
Step 1
As soon as you feel a cold coming on, the early warning signs - start slowing down, hydrating and taking extra care of yourself. Drink electrolytes, take vitamin C, wrap up as warm as possible. Start doing a neti pot rinse of your nasal passageways at least twice a day (or more if needed) and continue throughout the cold until you are completely better. I make my neti pot with: 1/2 - 1 tsp Himalayan or sea salt (depends how fine the salt is) and a 1/4 tsp baking soda. It should be salty but shouldn’t sting or make your eyes water!
Step 2
The first 24 hours of being sick - let it rip. This is the most uncomfortable but most important part. Really try to get that fever going, wrap up in bed, let yourself get hot, don’t take any paracetamol or flu medicine to stop it (unless your fever goes into dangerous high territory ~105°F / 40.5°C or higher). Your fever is your first defence against a virus - it’s what will kill those invading pathogens before they really take hold and determine how quickly you’ll recover.
Don’t take medication for the sore throat either because that’s your immune system doing it’s thing. Just hydrate A LOT. I drink both water and electrolytes constantly. A little raw manuka honey perhaps to soothe. I take 2 tall glasses to bed - one with water, one with electrolytes & vitamin C (eg sodium, potassium, magnesium like LMNT). You can also make your own with coconut water. Your body will use this up like a sponge - the more hydrated you are, the better you’ll feel. Trust me, it’ll take the edge off. The first night might feel rough, but usually by morning my sore throat is gone. Of course you’ll want to sleep and rest as much as you can during this time.
Step 3
Really up your hydration, minerals and vitamins for the first 48 - 72 hours. These recommendations are on the higher end of dosages but should be fine for short term use (however ALWAYS check with your doctor first if you have any concerns, especially if you have any kidney issues).
I personally take (per 24 hours) roughly:
4 or 5 litres of water (honestly could be more, I don’t measure it)
2 grams of vitamin C (powder form is helpful coz you can put it in your electrolyte drink which can be sipped throughout the day to have a steady dose, natural forms are even better like juicing a fresh lemon or 3 - or you can do a mix of both)
~2 - 3 grams of sodium
~1 gram of potassium
~45mg of zinc
Step 4
This one is from my childhood as my mum always used to make me jook (or rice congee) for breakfast whenever I was sick and I still love it! The secret is using precooked leftover rice from the fridge, which I put in a pot on the stove, with some chicken stock and sliced fresh ginger (yes I eat the ginger too). Bring to boil, stir in an egg. Cook until soupy and soft like porridge. Add salt to taste, top with either some shredded chicken or scrambled eggs, maybe even some spring onions for extra flavour. Delicious, warming and super soothing.
So there it is. My 4 step cold care protocol. Not a single drug in sight. Some herbal remedies I may add to the mix include raw garlic, oregano oil and elderberry tincture. And of course having good hormone health also helps as a strong foundation. *hint hint*
If this hasn’t helped me feel much better within the first 48 - 72 hours, I might take some paracetamol or even flu medicine because by then, the viruses that remain have pretty much settled in.
The most important thing going forward is to not impede your body’s effort to get rid of the virus. You want to keep things flowing and moving by supporting your body’s natural processes with loads of hydration, electrolytes and netipot. You might be surprised by just how much snot you generate. 😅
But it’s a good thing. You don’t want it to dry up and remain in your body. In my experience that’s when it tends to develop into a cough or chest infection.
It’s definitely a process you’ll have to manage consistently throughout the day, and you’ll need to pay attention to how your body feels, but I think the effort is totally worth cutting a two week long cold into three or so days.
So let me know if this helps you defeat your next cold. 💪🏼
Also are there any go-to remedies for colds you swear by? If so, do share them in the comments below.
NOTE: This is NOT medical advice. This is purely for information purposes only. If you have any medical conditions please remember to seek the advice of your doctor first and foremost.