Cold medicines like NyQuil, Robitussin, Alka Seltzer and Triaminic have been around for decades and you, as well as your grandparents, have probably used them.

I still remember the taste of original orange flavored Triaminic – as my parents gave it to me every time I had a cold.

You need to know that these all have several “inactive ingredients'' that could be harming you with substances you didn’t even know you were consuming.

The fact that they are called “inactive” is a detraction from what they really are… anything you put in your body is active.

I investigated the most popular household cold and flu medicines and what I found was astonishing…

• Sodium Benzoate in syrups like Robitussin and NyQuil. You should be cautious if taking this with Vitamin C supplements because when Sodium Benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), it can form Benzene - a carcinogen that damages DNA in cells and accelerates aging.
• Artificial Sweeteners like Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium are chemically-derived sugars with absolutely no nutritional value, which have both been linked to cancer in animal studies.
• Artificial Colors like Yellow 6 and Blue 1 are in most “medicines”, even though they have no purpose beyond making drugs more colorful. Ironically, new research shows that artificial colors can disrupt the immune system - they were shown to bond to body proteins, able to act in “stealth mode” to circumvent and disrupt the immune system.

Why are these substances even in medicines to begin with? Aren’t medicines supposed to help heal you?

Thankfully, I have found natural remedies that help me anytime I feel like I may be coming down with something:

1. Use A Neti Pot – This is a ceramic pot that looks like a cross between a small teapot and Aladdin’s magic lamp and used to irrigate the nasal cavities and has been used for centuries! Almost immediately at the sign of a cold, I grab my neti pot, filtered water (very important that it is filtered), some sea salt and go straight into my bathroom to clean out my nasal passages. This practice usually reduces the amount of time I have a cold or immediately stops it from becoming full blown.  
2. Avoid Sugar Like the Plague – Sugar absolutely wreaks havoc on the body when you aren’t sick, but when you are sick and you eat sugar – you are multiplying the harmful effects further weakening the immune system and creating even more inflammation in your body.  Sugar is one of the key ingredients that bacteria and viruses feed off in your body, that’s why if you get a cold it’s important to stay away from candy, cakes, ice-cream, all those types of items that are extraordinarily high in sugar if you want to get better fast.
3. Juice with Ginger and Garlic – If you can stand it, add garlic and ginger root to your green juice. They both have amazing anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can get you better in no time! I haven’t had a cold for more than 2 days as a result of drinking green juice like this on a regular basis, especially when I have symptoms of a cold.
4. Stay Hydrated – I avoid caffeine and drink an extraordinary amount of water based substances like hot soups, hot teas and just plain water. I don’t recommend gatorade – but these alternatives instead.  
5. Acupuncture & Immune Support Supplements– When I get sick I almost always first see my Acupuncturist. A treatment is sometimes all I need to help move a virus or bacteria infection out of my system.  Also – I take Truvani Immune Support Supplement and a combination of medicinal Chinese herbs as soon as I get a sign of a cold (usually the first sign for me is a scratchy throat).

Please note – I am not a doctor or Chinese medicine practitioner (so please do not use this information as medical advice for you personally.)

These remedies are on top of my regular habits of exercise, taking probiotics, eating a healthy diet with a lot of vegetables, and drinking warm water with lemon and cayenne first thing every morning - which all improve my immune system and help me ward off illnesses as much as possible.

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Wishing You The Best Health Always!

Xo,

Vani

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