You’ve been keto for a while and now it’s winter and you are sick. So now what? Most cough medicines and cough drops and other medicines are filled with sugar. (A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down).
In addition to that, there are other reasons for not being able to or wanting to take over the counter medicines.
I have a heart condition, a long QT interval, that does not allow a LOT of meds. There’s a 5 page list of medicines that I am not allowed to take because it can stop my heart. Something as simple as Sudafed or Benadryl is a big no-no for me! So, when I get sick, for the most part, even before I started keto, I just have to suck it up and ride it out. There are some home remedies that have been known to lessen the discomfort of a common cold. That’s what this post is about.
When I was younger, I used to get ear infections all the time. Like, a LOT! I remember laying on my Gram’s couch with a heating pad on my ear, drinking tea and eating chicken noodle soup and crackers. As I got older, they happened less often, but I do still get about one a year. I basically just suffer it out. It lasts about a week. Of course, with this being the week before Christmas and me having a lot to do, I felt it starting last night. So, I put together a small list of some home remedies that are rumored to work. This morning I threw some bone broth, garlic and cayenne in the crock pot with a chicken breast. That will be dinner tonight with a hot bath. Hopefully, I will be able to kick this out of my system before it’s full blown!
With all of that being said, I am NOT a doctor and I am not giving out medical advice. If you are really sick, get to a doctor and follow their direction. You can always get back into ketosis when you get better.
Salt water gargle – this will help sooth the throat.
Bone Broth! – good old fashioned chicken soup! Homemade soup. Load it up with garlic and even some tumeric. There’s magic in that bone broth!
Hot bath with eucalyptus – this will help relieve some of the congestion and just help you to feel better in general.
Hot shower – sometimes just a hot shower is enough to open up your stuffiness and help you feel better.
Lemon Ginger Hot Tea – Ginger root promotes healthy digestion and helps to boost immunity and fight off infections and helps to relieve pain.
Tumeric/Ginger Shot – 1 Tbsp lemon juice – 1/8 tsp tumeric – 1/8 ginger – dash of cayene – Mix in Hot water and drink. I use about a quarter cup of water so I don’t have to drink as much. haha
I hope that if you try any of these home remedies, they do help you feel better. Please let me know which ones you try and if they help at all! I’m off to try
