what helped with covid

My Covid Kit: What Helped Me Feel Better

 

After two years of carefully doing everything possible to avoid getting Covid, the Rona finally came for me and Fred Baby. Today is 16 days since I first got sick. I am finally starting to feel normal again. It’s a doozy (and yes, I was triple vaxxed). If you’re able to get your 4th booster, get it stat!

Also, it was six months to the day of my last one that I got sick. I personally would not have wanted to experience Covid not being vaccinated because it was already bad enough. The exhaustion perhaps being the most frustrating – and lingering – part. That said, I know I’m super lucky to have only had it how and when I did. So I wanted to share what I could in hopes that if you get Covid too, this might help ease your symptoms.

I am no medical professional so please consult with your doctor or healthcare provider – this is simply what helped me through it.

 

10 Things That Helped Me Feel Better When I Had Covid

 

Bee Propolis
A bad sore throat was one of my worst symptoms and this Beekeeper’s Naturals B. Immune Propolis Throat Spray helped SO much. Since I can’t have gluten, dairy or corn, it can be really hard to find medicine and supplements that I can actually take, so this was a great find. (My niece just started feeling sick with a sore throat too. So, I sent her this and their cough drops at 10pm last night and they already arrived this morning!)

Ice Roller
My other worst symptom was having a fever in the beginning. Alternately being really cold and really hot. When I was hot or had bad congestion and sinus pressure, my ice roller was a lifesaver. This thing is probably the best $10 I’ve ever spent. It’s like a massage for your face and cools you down. It is very soothing and alleviates sinus pressure. Oh and it helps whenever I’m feeling nauseous or have a bad headache, which happens every month like clockwork. Thanks, hormones.

Epsom Salt Baths & Showers
It’s hard to muster the energy for a shower or bath, but I found when I did it helped SO much. It helped clear the congestion and to moisten dry passageways. If you have room for a shower bench/stool they’re so helpful at times like this (otherwise they’re great when shaving your legs). I’m more of a bath girl – and let’s face it, when you’re sick it’s a lot easier to lay in a bath than stand in a tub. I always add these epsom salts to my bath which helps with body aches and sore muscles thanks to the magnesium.

Humidifier
Speaking of moisture, a humidifier was a saving grace. Living here in the desert, we have to have humidifiers going year round, as it gets SO dry, you really feel it in your skin and energy levels. But during Covid we felt it even more with our sinuses being dry. We have this humidifier for our bedroom and got this whole house humidifier last year (it covers 3600 sqft) that we keep in the kitchen so it humidifies the rest of the house.

Mary Ruth’s Ionic Zinc
Everyone says you should take zinc as a preventive immune booster. I had fallen off taking it regularly (and yes, I regret that). But it’s also recommended to take while you have Covid. This is the one I take (I prefer liquid as I can’t swallow pills).

Vitamin B
Another supplement I aim to take daily and had fallen out of the habit, it’s recommended to take B while you have Covid too. This is the B12 I take (it’s spray).

Vitamin D
Despite living in near constant sunshine, like most people, I am always low in Vitamin D so I take this liquid Vitamin D3. When sick, I up the dosage to more like 10,000 units a day (again, check with your doctor on all of this).

Oregano Oil 
Oregano oil is SUPER powerful. You need to be careful with it. Just add 1 or 2 drops tops to a mug of water, plus either a tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil. It helps clear your sinuses so much. You can also set a mug in the shower with you and just breathe in the smell. It’s quite potent and helps open your sinuses up to clear congestion. Again, do be careful with it because oregano oil can burn (this one is already mixed with oilve oil which is nice).

Water With Honey
Other than the aforementioned Bee Propolis Spray, the most soothing thing I found was drinking a mug of hot water with a spoonful of honey. It helped stop any coughing fits and was soothing. Bonus points if you have one of these heated mugs that keep your drink at your preferred temperature.

 

What I Ate When I Had Covid

While I was very grateful that I never lost my sense of smell or taste (SOOOO grateful), Covid definitely messed with my appetite. Here’s what I’ve mostly been eating. Note: I’m not saying this is the healthiest by any means or what you should eat, just what hit the spot or what I was able to manage personally.

 

Instant Pot Chicken Soup
The first 3 days or so we lived off of chicken soup. We make ours in our Instant Pot. Here’s our quick and easy recipe:
– Add a few TBSP of olive oil to Instant Pot & sauté chicken breasts for 7-10ish minutes until it starts to brown
– Add chopped carrots and celery (and chopped potatoes if you like)
– Add filtered tap water, salt and pepper
– Pressure cook for 40 mins
That’s it. Super simple, easy and clean. Sometimes we add fresh cilantro and/or torn lettuce leaves to the bowls, then top with the finished chicken/veggie soup. These are my favorite jumbo mugs to eat it in (and have my hot water + honey in, as well as my favorite cereal with almond milk).

 

Sweet Laurel Cake
Okay, this is random but hear me out. My birthday was on a Tuesday and Fred Baby had ordered my favorite chocolate cake from Sweet Laurel to arrive the weekend before so we could celebrate. Sadly he got sick on Friday night and you can’t let a Sweet Laurel cake go uneaten – and he insisted that I go ahead and eat it, and said we would celebrate the following weekend when he was well. So, I took one for the team and began eating it that weekend. I got sick on Monday and luckily (for me!) I was still craving the chocolate cake and found it soothed my throat, so enjoyed it while sick. We both thought we would be better much sooner than actually ended up happening, so he splurged on another cake to belatedly celebrate my birthday, and when it came I HAD to eat it again. Honestly I only have two slices left and I’m not sure what I’ll do without my daily slice. (#firstworldproblems)

Watermelon
It was a good day when we had the idea to order a watermelon. We found it super hydrating and invigorating. Every time while we were eating it, we’d both get so much color back in our faces and a nice little boost of energy. Just goes to show how dehydrated we kept getting, despite trying our best not to. Those fevers were no joke. Not to be TMI, but I woke up drenched in sweat for about 10 days straight (even when I no longer had a fever – I assume my body was just working hard fighting the virus). Thank you, watermelon wedges.

Okay, that’s what helped me get through Covid. Do you have anything that helped you battle Corona that you’d like to add? Please share in the comments and stay well out there xo!

p.s. A breakfast tray was also a lovely bonus that made eating in bed easier. I have and love this clear acrylic breakfast tray, but also think this rattan breakfast tray is super charming.

 

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Photo: Monocled Miss by Slim Aarons available here

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