Erin O'Hara: naturopath and wellness expert with tips and tricks for getting ahead of winter colds

We're well and truly into winter now - which means we're more at risk of colds and other infections.

From sniffles to influenza to even Covid-19, everybody's looking for a solution to fight off seasonal illnesses.

Wellness expert Erin O'Hara recommends resting up and eating well to beat the symptoms of winter bugs.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
EDB joining me now to talk wellness. Natropath Eron O'Hara,
Good morning, Good morning. Well, I am fed up with
the winter bugs and colds and coughs and things. We've
all had a cold in our house. Nothing serious, not
even ARISV or COVID or anything like that, just a
good old fashioned cold. There are a lot of same
linger and then I just feel like it's just doing

(00:34):
this sort of circular pattern in the house. Oh dear,
does a little bit of that.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
They're sneezing, the coffin, the running nose, the sore throats,
are coughing at night. There seems to be all of
that going around, and a lot of people it is
just a common cold at the moment. There is a
little bit of influenza flowing around and a little bit
of COVID still there. And I think the biggest thing
with these respiratory illnesses is that people quite often want
to run to the doctor and get some antibiotics. But

(00:59):
with these viruses, actually antibiotics is for bacteria infections, and
that's not the right thing. So unless you do have
a back to your own fiction, then also do check
out with your doctor. But if you do have just
a common virus, there's definitely things you can be doing
at home, and I think we quite often want to
just lay around and feel sorry for ourselves, which resting

(01:21):
is very helpful. But keeping out some hydration, even if
you don't even feel very thirsty, it really really does
help with an infection. Also, lemon honey drinks the good
old old fashioned remedy super good, especially if you've got
a sore throat, some bone broth, some lots of fluid,
warm drinks really great for soothing throats, making you feel

(01:44):
really good. But just making sure you've got some sort
of home care going on because it will help you
with the recovery. Also, if you've got a sore throat,
nothing like a salt gargle will help with soothing a
sore throat. Also, spoonful of manoca honey great for calming
and soothing a sore throat. But I think really taking

(02:04):
care of yourself with so many fictions going on out there,
if you're are six, trying to stay home so you
don't make everyone else sick. We don't know what your bugs.
And then the other thing that people quite often go
and do is grab supplements, whether they've gone to their
supermarket or the Chemi swarehouse or wherever they've gone to
grab some supplements. And the thing that I noticed when
people come into the cutter is sometimes it's not what

(02:27):
they've chosen, it's more how they're taking it. So they'll
have vitamin C and instead of like spreading out the
dough setting, they'll take you know, five tablets at once,
thinking that they're gonna get rid of the infection faster.
But actually, when you do that, vitamin C is a
water solible vitamin, you're actually just gonna weir it all out.
So I think it's just been having a little bit

(02:49):
of knowledge how to use those vitamins.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
So how do you get rid of the tail end
of a cold? That's the bit that really annoys me,
Like you feel pretty, you get this all throat, then
you get the stuffed up heare and maybe the cold
and the snot and all that kind of thing, But
then it kind of drags a bit. You know, you
just don't feel like you can kick the end of it.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
And that's always the hardest bad when you've still got
a little bit of congestion left and maybe a cough
that's really really stubborn. Now my go to is herbal remedies,
so you can get some over the counter kind of
things like key we herb do great coughsort of syrups,
also hark As herbals or if you do see a
nature path they make even more potent herbs. But they

(03:26):
are actually the magic to get rid of a cough
and all that lingering congestion because you want something that
has an expectoring action that's going to really help to
lift it and clear it out of the chest, out
of the sinuses. Also, sinus rinses are great if you've
got like really congested sinuses and keeping up with your
regular dosing of your vitamin C and also zinc. And

(03:48):
that's where taking little and often is the way to
go to get rid of those infections rather than mega
dosing in think about splitting the dosing up. So if
you've got a vitamin sea powder, i'd say like a
little half teaspoon every three or four hours, and the
same with those sort of herbal remedies for coughs and
for also clearing congestion. You're better to dose to every

(04:09):
three to four hours than trying to take mega doses,
because it will work a lot better if you dose
little and often.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Thank you so much, Erin, and it's okay you're allowed
to feel a bit sorry for yourself to way.

Speaker 3 (04:20):
Absolutely Yeah, a little bit of Netflix, nice cozy blanket,
fireron and now hopefully you can recover a little bit quicker.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Thank you for taking care of us.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
Erin.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
It is seven to eleven News Talks EV.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks IT'B from nine am Sunday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio