‘Beat The Winter Bug The Natural Way!’

Dr. Bronner’s gives us their top tips on how to avoid bugs this winter….

October 1, 2013

The cold wintery months are just around the corner and, even though we still want to hold onto the last sunny days, we may need to prepare ourselves for the dreaded winter flu season. The average adult will get between 1 and 4 colds every year while children can get as many as 10! So, this year keep sniffles and sneezes at bay by following in the footsteps of the USA’s top-selling natural brand of soap:

  1. Avoid touching surfaces: Did you know that cold viruses can live for 18 hours or more? A research from the University of Virginia Health System, in the USA, found that 35% of surfaces touched by unwashed hands (and that jumped to 50% in hotel rooms) contained traces of rhinovirus, which is the responsible of common cold. The top 5 for germs heaven? Playgrounds, bus rails/armrests, public bathrooms, shared pens and escalator handrails.
  2. Wash your hands at least 10 times per day and carry hand sanitizing with you at all times: Did you know that doctors wash their hands around 40 times per day? It has been known to be a theory that many doctors sing the ‘happy birthday’ song in their minds twice while washing their hands to make sure they spend enough time cleaning! The New Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizing Spray RRP £2.99 is your best ally during flu season, especially for those with a tight agenda.
  3. A few drops of Dr. Bronner’s lavender and eucalyptus liquid soap in your bath will keep you away of the cold thanks to its antimicrobial properties. You can also inhale the steam by dropping the soap into a bowl of hot water and form a tent over your head with a towel. It alleviates blocked noses and helps you breathe better. The Dr. Bronner’s Magic Liquid Soap in Eucalyptus RRP3.49 is perfect for long soothing baths. You can even use it on your pet to soothe kennel cough symptoms.
  4. Even though hot teas are perfect to alleviate cold symptoms, don’t underestimate the power of tea cubes as they are perfect to treat a sore throat. Make ice cubes of chamomile tea or peppermint tea to soothe the first signs of pain. It reduces inflammation and any signs of infection.
  5. Include ginger in your meals: It contains nearly a dozen anti-viral compounds and has several chemicals that are particularly effective against common cold viruses. Ginger lip balms are perfect to avoid cold sores as well. The Dr. Bronner’s Orange Ginger Lip Balm RRP £2.69 will soothe cracked lips and restore softness.
  6. Echinacea tea is perfect to boost your immune system as it is an immunostimulator. American Indians used to grow Echinacea in their plantations and chew it to treat colds and flu.
  7. Put a few drops of peppermint oil into your humidifier, it will help you breathing and purifying the air. A small humidifier by your desk will keep you away of any colds as it will keep the air fresh. The Dr. Bronner’s Magic Liquid Soap in Peppermint RRP £3.49 is perfect for this or you can even use as a spray mist.
  8. A shot of Juniper berries juice every morning will ease any respiratory infections. Juniper berries boast a powerful antiviral compound known as deoxypodophyllotoxin which acts as a natural antibiotic. Another common use of the juniper berries is as a nasal spray bottle. Place eight to 10 drops of juniper essential oil in water in a 1-ounce nasal spray bottle. Use four to six times per day, shaking the mixture before each use.
  9. Go for a Mediterranean diet, garlic and tomatoes are a big source of antiviral agents. In fact, raw garlic contains allicin, which is a sulphur compound which has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. But, if a Mediterranean diet isn’t your favourite, try adding chopped garlic to your meals at the end of cooking to get more benefits.
  10. Direct your cough to your elbow instead of covering your mouth with your hands. By doing it this way you don’t spread the germs. Or, if you are germs freaky, you can even go for the Asian style, mouth masks are a big fashion trend in Asia and even luxury brands are producing exclusive designs for the more wealthy pockets. Who knows… you might even start a trend?