Take Two of These, and Call Me in the Morning!

Yesterday, I experienced my first Odwalla!

I picked it up because it was chock-full of vitamin C and citrus-y ingredients to promote wellness. I've been wanting to try Odwalla and Naked smoothies and beverages for awhile now, but I've always shied away because of the calorie content and the price -- $2.65 and 230 cals for this little baby. I must say, it was well worth both costs. It kept me full during an intense 2.5-hour class, and it tasted marvelous. It contained juices from apples, guavas, oranges, peaches, and more, which is very enticing for me.

I know I shouldn't be focused on calorie content so much anymore, but old habits die hard, and I'm still practicing.

I picked up my Odwalla on my way out of Kroger after purchasing some more meds to kick this cold. As I was sipping my smoothie before class started, and explaining to a classmate why I take pictures of my food (which I always get a kick out of doing), I wondered why I wasn't using more natural remedies to help me feel better. This is incredibly a little excessive...

Yesterday afternoon called for 2 Sudafed and 2 Ibuprofen.

Last night before bed, I popped a Previfem (birth control), 2 Ibuprofen, a vitamin D supplement, and a melatonin, washed down with a few squirts of Chloraseptic. I've consumed more honey lemon cough drops in the past week than I care to disclose.

As I was standing at the Kroger pharmacy yesterday waiting for the kind assistant to replace the card on the shelf where the Sudafed should have been with some actual meds, I pondered how absurd it is that Americans can join the military when they're 18, smoke when they're 18, drink when they're 21... but not buy non-drowsy nasal decongestant without a check of their driver's license because of the risk of consumers making and distributing meth. Really, America?

I thought, even though the combination of these medicines makes me feel worlds better, there's no way to calculate the damage they're doing to my body simultaneously. Each day, it seems like there's a new study or a hot-off-the-press news bulletin about which mundane thing causes cancer, or which drugs are sure to kill us quickest.

Even though popping some pills and going on about my business is fast and convenient, I know I should be filling my body with natural supplements, like the iron, calcium, protein, vitamin C and vitamin D found in last night's dinner:

Combined with a bowl of sliced cucumber, a bit of apple cider vinegar, and a dash of cracked black pepper, I found my appetite in a tasty and healthy meal.

This morning, I wasn't resolved enough not to down my cocktail of Sudafed and Vitamin Water, but I'm seriously considering healthier alternatives to the combo of drugs I'm using.

P.S. Do you have any natural or herbal remedies to suggest as alternatives to Sudafed or Ibuprofen? What meds do you use when you're under the weather and you need a quick feel-better fix?

P.P.S. I reluctantly decided not to see Doc about this cold, even before my revelation yesterday, because I know he'll want to start me on a course of antibiotics. The sinus pressure is almost gone, and I can hear out of both ears and breathe again! Hip, hip, hooray for a (fingers crossed) relaxing and pain-free flight on Sunday!