Seems like everyone in my office is coming in with the sniffles lately...I'm nervous since I'm going on vacation next week and I don't want to get sick! One of my coworkers gave me a bottle of Cold-fX to keep in my drawer...Has anyone ever used this? It's supposed to help boost your immune system...wondering if anyone's had any experience with it?

Haven't used it but here are my suggestions.

1. Eat well--lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The old saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away..." is actually not a myth!

2. Wash hands OFTEN!

3. At the first sign of a cold, take some echinacea and maybe a good vitamin C supplement like Emergen-c.

Cool...thanks for the advice, Jan! I definitely wash my hands lots and have been using those anti-bacterial wipes on my desk/keyboard/phone to keep those pesky germs away...Cold fx is a supplement that has Ginseng in it - supposed to help with the same kinds of things as other supplements...I've heard good things about it but wanted some Bella testimonials before I gave it a shot <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Remove all excessive clothing and walk through it. Walk through the rain, avoid busses and public transport if you can, take the bike more often. You will expose yourself to cold temperatures and bacteria, but your resistance will get better the moment you start doing it, therefore decreasing the chance to get a cold.

Mmm... I know a lot of homeopaths recommend echinacea; but, I won't use it.

See the American Cancer Society blurb on this one at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Echinacea.asp?sitearea=ETO.

I do take vitamin C--but as a part of my daily regimen and not in high doses.

Encouraging people to stay home (or at least away from you) when they are sick; keeping tissues handy; posting signs about covering mouths when sneezing/coughing; staying hydrated; sleeping well; eating well--that's the trick for me.

I like Airborne. I just bought a ton of it at Sam's for the winter.

Also, use your own ink pen. Many people use the same pens at public places where you need to sign your name or something--banks, hotels, stores, silent auctions, and so on. Keep your own handy and avoid those germs!

Apply few drops of eucalyptus oil mixed with a carrier oil on your scalp.2 drops in 10 ml.

emergen-c & zicam. wash your phone, doorknobs, handles on everything, keyboard, mouse, pens... all those things we touch all the time without thinking... light swtiches... also FRESH AIR, open the door even though it is cold, walk, wash, eat well.

Hmmm, I didn't know that one...
I know that eucalyptus globulus is usually used to stimulate your appetite and to relieve a cold that is heavy/located in your nose (don't know how to express it otherwise) with warm water and inhalation.
By "scalp", do you mean the forehead, face or directly on your scalp and hair?
When the cold is located in your neck and throat, it seems better to apply it to your torso/abdomen and throat I think.

By scalp I mean, directly the scalp. avoid hair.

Will be hard to avoid the hair I'm afraid. Does it work that way as an aid or just as a preventitive measurement? I know it works when you are already suffering from a cold, but I didn't think it would prevent it.

Wow, thanks everyone for all of your responses! So I'm leaving for Utah tomorrow night (to go skiing - SO excited) and I have this history of ALWAYS getting sick on an airplane. That, plus the fact that we had visitors who stayed over on new year's and one of them had a terrible cold - i whipped out the cold-fx right away! Definitely washing my hands and cleaning my surroundings a lot too - must. not. get. sick.

We will think about you and hope you don't get sick. Have a nice trip.

I know that you can not avoid hair. That does not matter much. This is both preventive and curative. Try once.

Thanks, Isa! That's so sweet <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I have to admit, I was getting a little nervous but I feel just fine today (who knows if getting to snowy Utah is gonna bring its cold out of its shell...I'm packing my magical immune-boosting pills <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> along with my snowpants and ski jacket <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />)

Can this not be dangerous for someone?

Some with immunodeficience diseases shouldn't be doing this of course, but healthy people should stop trying to rush to the store whenever they start feeling a little bit ill. I've heard and read stories about people who tried to fight diseases with all sorts of products and get knocked flat by a common cold just because they overprotected themselves too much against diseases that their immunity system became lazy. That's why walking in the rain and not dressing to much sometimes helps to keep your body active.

Actually, I'm not sure it's true.... an inuit (eskimo)exposed to the common cold would probably become extremely ill, because they have no natural, innate resistance. As you rightly point out, the germs cannot survive in sub-zero temperatures, but the only object at sub-zero would be you...everyone and everything else would still be 'normal' so you would actually come off worse....

But it is true that we have become so sanitized and hygiene conscious, that, whilst on the one hand, this has worked in our favour by eliminating contagious bacterial diseases, we have in turn, cut down our natural resistance to these bacteria....

Balanced living is best. Know your body first is my advise.

Knowing yourself is my first advice.

Hey all!

Emergen-C has been my life saver this winter. Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I have 3 of them in a day and by the next day, I'm fine. ColdEzz (sp?) has worked well for me too.

Leah

I use Emergen-C also. I put it in my morning smoothie every day and have done so for about 3-4 years. I think its great stuff!

Joan