Winter White + What I Do When I Feel a Cold Coming On

The past week has been such a rollercoaster health-wise! It seems like EVERYONE I know in Chicago is sick right now. I started to come down with something last Tuesday and it’s been a constant battle since. I’ve got a list of things I do when I start to feel sick and normally, I kick it within a day or two. I’m usually pretty good about listening to my body, but since the holiday season is in full swing and there’s been so much on the calendar, this cold has lasted much longer than it should have. Each time I’d start to feel better, I’d go ahead and follow through with plans, only to wake up even more sick the next day. Oy vey… I’m hoping I can get some R&R this week before I head home for the holidays!

And if you’ve been sick lately, too, here are some of the little things I swear by to fight colds fast…

I’m not against medicine by any means, but during those first few days of feeling sick, I like to stick with natural remedies to fight it off. I try to reserve medicine for when I’m at the end of my rope and have to make a trip to the doctor. Most of the time, when I finally do go to the doctor, it seems like I always have a virus and there’s not much that the doctor can do in terms of prescribing medicine. I always get the “lots of rest and fluids” talk. So here’s a little list of things I swear by to get well fast…

1. I swear by “Kill Shots.” Even when I’m not sick, I try to take one at least every other day to keep my body in check. (And when I’m starting to come down with something, I’ll take, like, three a day.) I get mine at Hi-Vibe on Kinzie here in Chicago… They’re a mix of Camu Camu, Oil of Oregano, Echinacea, Ginger, Turmeric Curcumin, Black Pepper, Raw Honey, Lemon, and Green Apple. These at Hi-Vibe are the only ones I’ve found that combine *all* of these immune-boosting ingredients in one shot. They promote promote immunity, detoxification, alleviation of inflammation, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. There’s a whole lot of vitamins and minerals inside, too! One of these days, I should probably try my hand at making these myself because they’re definitely not cheap. ($6.50 per shot, I think.) But in my opinion, you can’t put a price on your health! If you’re not in Chicago, call around to some of your local juice/smoothie shops to see if they have anything similar. Back when I was in NYC, Liquiteria and Organic Avenue were my go-to’s to find a bunch of immune-boosting teas and juices!

2. Raw garlic is a god send to almost instantly boost your immune system. When I’m feeling sick, I load up on the raw garlic. I’ve found that foods with creamy consistencies tend to mask the garlic the best, but I still have to force it down. I’ll mash an avocado with 2-4 gloves of raw minced garlic and spread the mixture on 2-3 Brown Rice Stackers. Pasta would be another good option to mask the taste a bit!

3. Water is your best friend! I start downing my bodyweight in H2O to try to flush out whatever’s swirling around inside.

4. Sweat! There’s a fine line that you have to figure out with your own body of when a light workout and lots of sweat will help you kick something, or when it might drag you down even more. For me personally, I know it helps if I go to hot yoga or sit in a steam room on that first day or two that I’m starting to feel off. After that, I try to table my workouts so I don’t wear down my body. But you don’t want to wind up dehydrated from an intense sweat sesh so you have to be extra mindful with your water intake!

5. I’ve been getting more into essential oils lately and I just ordered this blend from doTerra over the weekend. (It’s supposed to arrive today! God bless Amazon Prime.) It’s a roll-on that you’re supposed to apply to the bottom of your feet before bed time. (Just toss on a pair of socks!) I’ll keep you posted on how it works! (I also ordered this one to diffuse in the air.)

6. I’ve been hearing lots of great things about the Medicine Ball tea at Starbucks lately, but I need to make a trip (across the street) and try it out for myself. Have you tried it yet?!

And because you’ll now feel well enough to go to work and those holiday parties, here’s an outfit that’s perfect for going from your desk to dinner afterwards! I love this black and gold top because you can wear it with just about anything… It’s the perfect top to dress up your work attire a little bit, but the sleeves are slightly sheer so you can wear it on the weekends, too. (I have it in white from last year, too… See how I styled it in this post!)

Get the Look…

Sail to Sable White Tweed Coat c/o
Sail to Sable Black & Gold Blouse c/o
H&M Black Suede Skirt (sold out; similar here)
J.Crew Black Tights
Vince Camuto Black Suede Pumps (old; similar here, here, & here)
Black & Gold Sunglasses (got in Italy; similar here, here, & here)
Kenneth Jay Lane Gold Earrings (old; similar here)
Michael Kors Black & Gold Watch
Polene Paris Top-Handle Bag