My first introduction to the MANcold was many, many years ago. Before I had a name for it. I was sitting at a family gathering and the gentleman to my left said, “There’s nothing like trying to sip a beer with a cold.”

I paused.

I looked at him. I looked at the beer.

I’m not a beer drinker so I was having a hard time figuring out what it was about a beer that made the experience of drinking that beer with a cold so difficult. I figured it had something to do with the foam.

Over the years I’ve learned that there is a distinct difference between a WOMANcold and a MANcold. I grew up in a largely female family. I didn’t observe a whole lot of MANcolds as a child, though I suspect my mother would have a few stories to tell about my dad’s colds.

My adult years were spent in a profession filled with women. I was a teacher. Teachers rarely, if ever, stay home with a cold. Staying home with a cold means several additional hours writing copious notes and lesson plans to ensure the little ones are taken care of in your absence.

Staying home with a cold means returning to even MORE work (PILES of work) when you’re better. Teachers make every effort to wipe that cold right out of their system so they can save those sick days for something BIG, like giving birth.

Or a root canal.

Better yet, teachers keep that immune system humming so that they don’t GET sick.

So what do we do when those sniffles show up, despite our best efforts to keep them at bay? Here’s what’s in my tool kit. Be sure to read the entire post because at the end, I include a few additional tips on what to do if YOUR guy gets a MANcold. Warning: I enjoy irreverent banter from time to time. If you don’t have a sense of humor, you’ll want to skip those tips.

1. Brew a cup of turmeric tea with honey. Turmeric has powerful antiseptic properties. Honey has antibacterial properties which can hasten the healing process. Honey also works like a hypertonic osmotic; it helps to draw water out of inflamed tissue reducing swelling and inflammation. Together, they make a powerful anti inflammatory tea. Here’s a beautiful recipe for turmeric tea with honey from Heidi Swanson, one of my favorite food bloggers. Be cautious with that turmeric, it stains with a vengeance.

photo source & recipe: 101cookbooks.com

2. Invest in some bio-certified Sambucus (black elderberry) lozenges. They’re not cheap but I find them very effective.

3. Make a pot of magic mineral broth and keep a few jars of that in your freezer. Sip on that like you would a cup of tea. And, if you want to ramp it up even more, add a clove of smashed garlic, a piece of grated fresh ginger, a dash of cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, a teaspoon honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon. If it doesn’t knock that cold out of your system, the garlic will, at the very least, keep people from getting too close.

Note: You’ll need a REALLY big pot for this vegetable stock.

4. Consume extra zinc and vitamin C.

Vitamin C

Whole food sources: sweet red peppers, strawberries, orange, grapefruit, Brussels sprouts, collard greens.

Supplement: Pure Radiance C, a vibrant, living blend of wildcrafted camu camu, and organic amla, acerola, blueberries, raspberries, lemons, cranberries, cherries, rose hips, and sprouts — whole food sources of vitamin C.

Zinc:

Whole foods sources that provide zinc include asparagus (in season), chard, scallops, lamb, beef (grass-fed) pure maple syrup, shrimp, green peas, yogurt, oats, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, turkey, miso, and spelt.

5. Lighten your digestive load by including more soups, blended foods (think green smoothies) and fresh vegetable juices in your diet. This will keep you nourished without  having to expend too much energy on digestion.

6. Sleep more, move less. Give your body the opportunity to heal. We are so quick to stifle the symptoms of a cold or flu that we forget to listen to the body’s call to stop, slow down, rest and restore.

And now, the MANcold:

What to do when your guy gets a MANcold:

1. Listen closely to the symptoms. He may need to tell you the details. Oh the details. . .

2. Nod compassionately. He needs to feel understood. He needs to share these details.

3. Purchase a bell. Encourage him to ring it. The act of ringing the bell will empower him when the chips are down.

4. Offer him chicken soup, orange juice, any and ALL of the remedies you have in your tool kit, but DON’T expect him to take you up on any of them. He may need to simply suffer through these symptoms.

5. Keep a sense of humor. Know that there are over 1.2 million women observing the same symptoms in their guys with equal fascination.

6. If you get a little lonely, post this YOU TUBE video on Facebook. If nothing else, your friends will keep you amused with MANcold anecdotes while you’re waiting for the MANcold to pass. Yes, this too, shall pass. I promise.

Leave a comment if you can relate or pass this post on to some of your female friends. Shhhhhh, let’s keep it between us. 😉