How to avoid sharing and not be rude!

I am really good at not participating in the sharing of those random cold germs that seem to circulate through kids, friends, family, etc this time of year and I'd like to share my methods with everyone.  To avoid any future unpleasant legal issues, I will start by saying I am not a doctor, have never studied medicine, and don't intend the following information to be considered medical advice.  If you are truly sick, please go see a medical professional and if you are currently under a doctor's care, please check with them before trying anything suggested by me or anyone else.

I have personally used aromatherapy and natural remedies in my home for me and my kids for over a decade and have learned a few things through tiral and error along the way.  Cold season is in full swing right now and I have been surrounded by germy individuals anxious to share their wonderful state of anti-health with me for over a month now.  The problem is, I like these people.  I don't want to treat them like they have the plague, even if that's the case.  I am not the obsessive mom who makes her kids wash their hands 80 times a day and I don't usually avoid sick people (unless I'm looking for a convenient excuse to avoid them anyway).  SO how do I keep from getting sick all the time?  Read on to find out.

First, I should mention that my constant exposure to germs of all varieties has enabled me to build up a lot of natural resistance.  Then, let me add that I am not always successful and I do usually get sick about once a year, but it's usually less severe and shorter than most people I know.  I also do not get annual flu shots.  If someone is sick in my house I use a diffuser to burn Eucalytus essential oil.  This kills most basic germs when they hit the air (or so I've been told) and helps prevent germ transfer between those of us trapped in the house.  I also blow my nose quite frequently (for me that's a couple times a day), even when I don't need to.  Your nose hairs are designed to keep icky things floating around in the air out of your body.  Cleaning your nose out regularly helps get that stuff away from your body entirely.

If I notice I'm starting to get symptoms I take aggressive action.  I take extra vitamin C and add lots of water (and sometimes vitamin water... but watch for vitamin overdose if you do... monitor carefully) to my daily diet. I also add 1-2 extra hours of sleep each night (or in the form of an afternoon nap) to allow my body time to heal me in the way it was designed to.  I also add about an ounce of really high quality, very dark chocolate (which is full of antioxidents) every 4-6 hours.  The chocolate is especially useful if you have a sore throat or cough.  In fact, it will keep a cough at bay without any other type of medical aid.  Also, I avoid refined sugar, which can irritate the throat in a big way.  If I'm feeling sick to my stomach I will chomp on a couple peppermint altoids and stick to low acid, bland foods until the feeling subsides.  I'm not a big fan of tea, but if I'm really feeling icky I may add some herbal tea (caffine doesn't bother me, but you might want to go with caffine-free) with lemon and honey.  I also try to take daily hot, steamy baths and avoid too much exposure to cold weather. 

All the above combines to make a very effective attack against all those germs circulating everywhere.  By taking good care of myself, I also avoid sharing annoying colds and flus with people around me.  I'm pretty sure they don't view my not sharing as rude in the least!  I can still kiss my boyfriend when he has a cold, hug my kids to make them feel better, allow the kids to hang out in my room all they want, etc. and not worry too much about catching anything.  Give these things a try next time you feel a cold or flu coming on... maybe they will help you as well.

You can get vitamins, fine dark chocolate and aromatherapy products online if you can't drag yourself out of the house to find them locally :)