Symptoms of the cold start 1 to 3 days after infection.  The first symptoms that could be felt would be discomfort in the nose or throat.  Then sneezing starts, and the infected person has a runny nose and feels mildly ill.  Fever is not common but may develop.

Initially, the secretions from the nose may be watery and clear.  Eventually it becomes thicker, opaque, yellow-green and less.  Sometimes, cough may also develop.  Symptoms usually disappear in 4 to 10 days, although the cough may last longer.

With influenza, symptoms start 1 to 2 days after infection and can begin suddenly with a chilly sensation.  Fever is common during the first few days with temperature rising to 102^oF or 103^oF.

There will be pains and aches throughout the body and felt most on the back and legs.  Headaches can be severe with aches around and behind the eyes causing them to be sensitive to bright light.

Initially, there will be a scratchy sore throat, dry cough and a runny nose.  The cough may get severe and chesty.  In some, symptoms may include nausea and vomiting.

Causes of Cold & Flu

There are many different viruses that cause colds, but the common ones are the rhinoviruses, within which there are about a hundred known subtypes.

Whereas in influenza, there are two types of virus, type A and type B with many different strains within each type.

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Diet/Lifestyle Suggestions

A strong immune system is the best defense against cold and flu.  Build up your immune system with plenty fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C if you are prone to catching a cold or flu.

However, if you are unfortunate enough to get infected, the best way to stop a cold or a flu is to nip them in the bud when you feel them coming on.  Once the virus establish a firm foothold, it will take a much longer time and suffering before you can be rid of it completely.  See below for a very effective recipe that helps prevent that cold or flu.

When you have the cold, as the name suggests, your internal body is "cold" so you need to keep warm, and take food that heats up your body.  During a cold, try to avoid fruit juice.  Yes, that's right.  I don't recommend fruit juice when you have a cold and flu, except for a handful allowable items that are listed below.

Although oranges are often recommended for its vitamin C, I believe this should also be avoided as it may irritate the throat and cause more mucus.  Another thing you definitely must avoid when you have the cold is milk and milk products.

During a cold or a flu, drown yourself with plenty clear liquids.  Drink lots of warm water with a pinch of sea salt.  The water should be as warm as possible yet not too hot that it burn your lips.  The warm water helps to relieve the soreness in the throat and the sea salt (not table salt) helps break up the accumulating mucus and congestion in the chest.

The old wife's advice to drink chicken soup for a cold is actually very therapeutically potent.  Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which is released when you make the soup.  Cysteine works to thin out and help move the lung's secretions so they do not clog air passages and can be coughed up to be expelled. 

Recipes Contributed by Site Visitors:

By Mariana L.: 

Antibiotic: 3 to 4 radishes, Handful of radish sprouts, 1/4 beetroot, 1/4 red or green pepper, 1 parsnip and 1/2 cucumber. 

Another antibiotic is just juice 3 oranges.

And another: 1/2 inch ginger (cut off the dry ends and use the more juicy center - that's about 1.25 cm), 1 apple, 3 large carrots, 1 orange.

Gina W.M.:  I actually make a soup: low sodium chicken broth, fresh minced garlic and ginger, and tons of chili paste and fresh squeezed lime juice, with some salt and spices added.

Thomas J.D.:  Lemon, Ginger, Garlic. Adding honey and cayenne if you use them. Good for what ails you.  Can be done as a shot, but I usually enjoy 20% juice to 80% pure water. If you want it hot, simmer the ginger. I suggest leaving the garlic raw. If you must cook the garlic, minimize cook time.

Jacqueline A.:  Horseradish and lemon for the cough.

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When you feel a cold or a flu coming, often a little discomfort at the back of your throat, take this hot drink which is very effective in nipping the problem in the bud.  Drink it two or three times a day.

 

Lemon

Ginger

The anti-viral properties in lemon fight infections and halt the progress of a cold.  Ginger’s warming action is excellent for treating a cold or flu.  Honey adds an anti-bacterial property to help hasten the healing of an infection.

Juice a small lemon together with its peel.  Throw in an inch of old ginger root.  To this, add 2 tablespoon of raw honey or to taste.  Use only raw honey (the murky ones), processed honey (clear ones) doesn't work and may add to your misery. Add approximately 200 ml of hot or very warm water.  Sip it slowly to soothe your throat. Do this 3 to 4 times a day for faster effect.

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Cabbage

Carrot

Celery

Cabbage and carrots stimulate the immune system and the production of anti-bodies that make good remedy in fighting off bacterial and viral infections.  The addition of celery makes the recipe more tasty and provides the vitamins and minerals to support the immune system.

Leave these out at room temperature for at least one hour before juicing.
Juice the three "C"s and drink at least twice a day when having a cold:  a quarter of a small cabbage, three large carrots and two ribs of celery.  Add some finely-chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional).

When you feel a sore throat or a cold coming, eat raw garlic.  If you do it early enough, you may not even get sick.  Garlic has very potent anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.  It is also effective to prevent recurrent infections, frequent yeast infections and other infections. 

Finely chop or use the food blender to chop up two cloves of fresh garlic and let it expose to the air for a few minutes while you wash up your blender or chopping board.  The chopping releases the enzyme allinase in the garlic.  Gather the chopped garlic on a spoon and swallow them whole with water.

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