It’s cold season. And I don’t just mean the weather outside of southern California. This time of year brings sniffles, sneezes and germs-a-plenty. While you might do all you can to avoid catching a cold, sometimes one sneaks up on you anyway. The best way to get the upper hand is to take action right away.

There are the obvious things we all should be doing on a regular basis, regardless if we have a cold or not… get enough sleep, drink enough water. While those seem simple and insignificant, they are important to your immune system. For many people, the moment their nose starts to run or their throat gets scratchy they reach for name brand remedies, but those pharmaceutical remedies only address the symptoms. When you have a virus (which is what a cold is) your body needs support to fight it and heal. These five suggestions all give your body and immune system key building blocks to speed up healing and reduce the severity of your cold. If you find yourself with the sniffles, here are a few interventions to start implementing:

1. Umcka - When taken at the first sign of a cold, this homeopathic remedy does wonders for lessening the severity and duration. Keep a box on hand all year long.

2. Oxylent or Emergen-C - Follow directions and don’t add too much water or you will reduce the strength and effectiveness of the mix. I prefer Oxylent as it has more zinc, calcium and magnesium than Emergen-C, but whichever you can easily find will help fight your cold. Don’t drink more than 2 packages per day.

3. Homemade chicken soup – (try this bone broth recipe by Against All Grain). Homemade chicken broth contains important minerals that come from the long slow simmering process of making the stock. After your stock is done (strained and ready to eat) add in chopped chicken and some fresh spinach before eating.

4. Teas - My favorite is Triple Echinacea Green Tea by Yogi teas, but there are other great cold fighting teas available. Try chamomile, peppermint and ginger teas, too.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar Gargle – for sore throats and coughs, mix 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar (Bragg's brand is my favorite) with ¼ cup of warm water and gargle every few hours throughout day. The vinegar coats your throat and helps fight off germs.

One extra reminder for you…

Wash your hands – frequently! And use - Hand sanitizer – not just on your hands, but use wipes as well to disinfect door knobs, faucets and handles in common areas of your home to prevent spread of germs.

Stock your cabinet before a cold shows up and be prepared at the onset. Hopefully you’ll be getting enough sleep, drinking enough water and keeping hands and surfaces clean so you’ll not need to use any of these remedies this season.

Wishing you a healthy winter!