There is so much information circulating around about how to prevent and cure the common cold that it’s often hard to know what to believe. And by the time you actually catch a cold, chances are you’re feeling too under the weather to remember what is myth and what is fact. Thankfully, many remedies can be found with these iPhone apps.
1. Home Remedies ($0.99)
The Home Remedies app runs laps around Western medicine, and delves far deeper than the common cold. It covers all ground from hiccups to bronchitis, tired eyes to chicken pox. If you’re afraid you might have bad breath — aside from brushing your teeth after meals and flossing at least once a day — brush your tongue gently and drink a lot of water. If all else fails, try parsley (who knew?), sugarless gum and mints. Up late doing Karaoke, and woke up with a sore throat? Try mango bark, solo or as a throat gargle. And the most important thing for a common cold once you’re stuck with one? Lemon — dilute one lemon in a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of honey. Drink this once or twice daily to increase body resistance and decrease toxicity.
2. Repel a Cold — Healing Affirmations (Better and Better) (Free)
Meet 83-year-old Burt Goldman, otherwise known as “The American Monk,” a healing guru here to teach you, via “Intention Tunes,” how to awaken the voice of your soul, and use the power of your mind, in the case of this app, to repel a cold. Goldman believes that setting an intention is the most powerful way to ignite change, and that everything is energy. Combining these two mantras, and applying energy and intention to song, Goldman suggests listening to the song provided, and repeating this affirmation: “Every day, and in every way, I’m getting better and better,” how ever many times you deem necessary, in order to prevent the common cold. This might be the making of a cult or a stepping-stone to join Goldman’s community, but trying it certainly can’t hurt. And if this works, next time I start to feel a bug creeping up, then thanks in advance to Burt Goldman.
3. Vitamin 101, the food encyclopedia ($1.99)
In this app, explore every vitamin, nutrient, mineral, fruit, vegetable, nut, grain, seed, fish, meat and dairy product imaginable, and what vitamins and minerals each contains. You can also find out how much protein and dietary fiber each product has, plus how many calories a serving contains. To find out what to eat to prevent a cold, read what’s recommended on each vitamin and mineral page, or explore, on your own, which fruits, vegetables, etc. are high in the vitamins and minerals you need for whatever ailment you’re experiencing. For example, Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system, and tomatoes, berries, spinach, citrus juices and fruits all have a high content of Vitamin C. Zinc is important for maintaining your body’s immune system; good sources of zinc are fish and shellfish (especially oysters), dairy products, peanuts and peanut butter.
4. Lemon Cures (99 cents)
Open up the Lemon Cures app, and you’ll find a list of ailments. Click on one for explicit directions on what to do when you, say, have a cold or feel like you’re coming down with something. For a cold or flu, mix two tablespoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of pure honey in a glass of warm water (much like the directions found in the Home Remedies app above). This will boost the white blood cells and the immune system, which will fight off the invading cold virus. Lemon casts a pretty wide net, aiding nosebleeds, insect bites and even dry or oily skin. Lemon essential oil, for instance, is calming in nature, and used to treat anxiety. Since colds are known to come with the increase of stress, perhaps inhaling some lemon oil on a regular basis will help prevent a full-on cold.
5. 101 HomeRemedies ($1.99)
Though I didn’t bother to count the number of home remedies, it might even be much more than 101. Each illness comes with not one or two, but several suggestions on how to treat the issue at hand. For the common cold, add a teaspoon of turmeric powder to milk, and consume this mixture twice a day. If you’re vegan or milk isn’t your thing, boil a cup of water with ginger powder until only half is left and add some honey to it. If your brand of cold comes with a cough, try grapes — consume one cup of grape juice with an added teaspoon of honey. You also can add a pinch of ground white pepper in one teaspoon of pure honey two to three times a day for four to five days to guarantee a cured cough.
