By Susan Ellis of Keylifejourneys.com

So it is January and we are in a deep freeze here in Toronto. Wind chills of -30C.  Of course those from the Prairies will say we are experiencing balmy weather here, compared to what they have, but I'm not in competition. It is cold. And I might add that it is colder than what I lived through in Antarctica last year!!

I had a busy social holiday season and encountered many people with colds and other infections. So how did my Zrii protection stand up? Typically I only get about one cold a winter. Classically it lasts 2-3 weeks and goes through three stages. The sore throat, and oh boy can that be painful. Then comes the sinus congestion and secretions and finally the cough. The cough is usually the dry tickling type; infection does not generally go down into my chest. 

Well I must report that after the festive season's barrage of germs the sore throat came. It lasted two days and was easily bearable. My nose dripped for 5 days and that was the end of it. It was gone in a week and I did not feel "under the weather" at all.

I have a friend who felt a sore throat coming on at the beginning of the winter. She was a bit unset because since she was taking Zrii she was hoping to avoid all that. Also her colds go straight to her chest and sometimes finish up as pneumonia. So on seeing the first signs of a cold, she took her Zrii, went to bed early, and had a good night's sleep and next morning - the symptoms had gone.

I'm trusting that I am well protected. But another test awaits. Many of us go south during the winter for warmth and sunshine. Two years ago I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in a plane filled with many cold carrying Canadians. So there I was on the beach with my Kleenex and trying to buy cough medicine with Spanish instructions on the label. The congestion meant pressure built up in my ears on the plane journey home and I was deaf for a while after returning. So I'm back to Puerto Vallarta in March - I'm anticipating a better outcome this time.

As always - some pictures. Talking of sunshine and warmer climates - lets look at Puerto Vallarta.