Water

Photo courtesy of annia316

I recently had a cold, and now I have a method to recover faster. It usually takes me about 2 weeks to get rid of the sniffles and coughing. This time, however, I recovered in half the usual time. How did I do this? I drank LOTS of water. Of course eating healthy meals help, but I did not change my daily diet for this.

You may have heard the phrase "feed a cold, starve a fever", which basically says to eat well during a cold and take lots of liquids when you have a fever. This makes sense, since your body needs energy to fight a cold. When you have a fever, you want to bring your temperature down and replinish the fluids you lose.

So what exactly did I do that made such a difference for me this time? I drank the 8 cups of luke warm water plus other liquids from food and juice. Luke warm water, because my body does not expend extra energy to warm up the cold water (my own theory). I took no other medication, just food and water. I drank this throughout the day, it hard for most people to drink that much water in a few sittings. Taking little by little also helps your body absorbe it as well. So take it slow and have one or two gulps everytime you remind yourself to drink.

What are the side effects? Lots of bathroom breaks, so I suggest taking sick days if your job does not allow you to take too many bathroom breaks. The only other side effect for me is the result I wanted, I felt better faster. Also, a positive attitude that I will feel better helped me heal. Numerous studies have been done that show your emotions affect your health.

When I get my next cold, which is bound to happen this winter, I will try this method again. Will this put cold medicine companies out of business? I doubt it, everything has its place. So, if you are considered healthy, by your doctor, and feel healthy most of the time, why not give this a try.

Did you find this helpful? What ways help you recover from a cold? How much water do you drink daily?