Do you have a cold and/or cough that just won’t go away? There must be something you are eating that is causing your symptoms, right? Well, it’s hard to know for sure.
Colds and coughs are caused by viruses, and they simply don’t respond to food or medicine. But if you have a cold, it might make it a little easier to bear if you can stay hydrated.
And since you might be feeling a little under the weather, it’s a good time to eat a diet that supports your immune system.
Many people feel helpless when they catch a cold. They are worried that they will get even sicker, so they do nothing except try to sleep it off.
But the best way to treat a cold is to avoid it in the first place and strengthen the body to fight it off quickly and effectively.
Eating well, both before you get sick and when you’re sick, is the first step toward feeling better more quickly. The diet you eat can help you feel better by providing your body with the nutrients it needs to heal itself.
While a cold is irritating, it’s not something to panic about. In fact, it’s a good opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t when it comes to cold remedies.
Cough suppressants and medicines that make you drowsy are among the recommendations you’ll hear from many doctors and pharmacists.
Good foods to help fight your cold or flu
During the winter months, it seems like everyone is getting sick. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve been hit by a freight train, you can relate.
Your nose is stuffy, you can’t sleep, and every time you get out of bed you feel like you’re going to pass out. What you don’t want to do is eat something that might make you feel worse.
Good news: there are certain foods that can actually help fight your cold or flu and boost your immune system. Here are some foods to try if you’re sick.
Chicken soup
The chicken soup you’re going to prepare today is a little different than the one you may have had when you were growing up.
It’s not your grandmother’s chicken soup, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a nutritious treat. Chicken soup is a time-honored way to deliver much-needed nourishment to your body when you’re sick.
The trick lies in how you make it. The ingredients you use, from the chicken to the veggies, are key to helping you get better faster and stay healthier more often.
There can’t be many people who don’t know that chicken soup can help to clear up a cold or flu. It’s a classic, dating back to our ancestors who were all too familiar with these less-than-desirable illnesses.
Yet despite its apparent effectiveness, scientists have long wondered whether there might be something in the soup that’s actually helping to fight the cold.
Broths
If you’ve woken up with a sore throat, a temperature, and a runny nose, you may be suffering from an early cold or the flu.
And while a long hot bath might be the first thing you think of to soothe a sore throat, it’s more important to hydrate your body with liquids.
Water is the best, but if you can’t drink enough, try a cup of chicken broth, or a cup of hot lemon and honey. Both contain electrolytes which can help your body rehydrate.
Chicken broth has long been a comfort food, but today we know that it helps fight inflammation, has a soothing effect on the central nervous system and helps you to heal faster. in addition, chicken broth may also help protect against the common cold and influenza.
Coconut water
Coconut water is known for its many health benefits. It has been shown to help fight the common cold and flu and is a safe drink for people of all ages.
Studies have also shown that coconut water is low in sugar and can help maintain kidney and heart health. And while coconut water isn’t exactly a new discovery, it is new to some consumers.
you may not have heard about another tried and true flu-fighting substance—coconut water. Coconut water is naturally rich in electrolytes, which the body loses when it is sick.
Hot tea
For thousands of years, humans have used tea to help fight both cold and flu and we’ll tell you why. While most people know that tea is rich in antioxidants, there are other reasons why sipping tea can help you fight off a cold or the flu.
Antioxidant properties are a biggie. Tea contains polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, that protects your cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Antioxidants also help your immune system fight off germs. And, sipping tea can also help protect your body from the stress of a cold or flu.
Honey and ginger
If you’ve ever been sick with a cold or the flu, you’ve probably noticed that you can’t keep down certain foods, even the ones that you usually love.
It’s caused by the irritation to the throat and stomach caused by the cold or flu virus. his causes nausea and/or vomiting.To keep the fluids and foods you need to stay hydrated and healthy down, try honey and ginger.
The honey coats the throat and stomach lining to soothe irritation and the ginger provides a warmth that promotes sweating, which helps release the toxins from your body. It’ll make you feel better.
Foods and beverages to avoid when you’re sick
When you’re sick, eating the right foods is as important as getting plenty of rest. Eating the wrong foods can increase your congestion, make you feel worse, and may even prolong your illness.
When you have a cold, you can expect your body to work harder to digest foods, which can make you feel even more tired and rundown.
While you may not want to eat, you need to keep up your fluids and vitamin C, so try to drink plenty of water, juices, and clear broths. You might also want to try a nutritious, soft, cool food, such as gelatin, yogurt, or custard.
It’s hard to eat well when you’re sick, but there are some foods and beverages you should avoid. These can make your cold, flu or other illness worse.
The foods and beverages you should avoid when you’re sick include:
- Sugary drinks
When you’re sick you need to be eating the right foods to help you get better. But if you’re also trying to lose weight it can be hard to avoid the sugary drinks and junk food that makes you feel better in the moment – but will just make you feel worse later.
Natural remedies can work well to help you feel better. But you also need to make sure you get enough nutrients to help your body heal, and that means eating healthy food and avoiding sugary drinks.
- Soda
When you’re sick, sometimes the last thing you want to do is drink something. But the right drink can ease your symptoms and get you back to your usual self in no time.
The key is to avoid certain ingredients you might not instinctively know are unhealthy, like sodium lauryl sulfate, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners.
In fact, soda drinkers are 30% more likely to get sick, which is why it’s a good idea to stay away from it when you’re feeling under the weather.
- Ice cream
While many people consider ice cream to be a “comfort food”, this treat isn’t always the best choice when you’re sick.
While it may make you feel better, ice cream has a high sugar content, which can make symptoms worse. For example, if you have a cough, the coldness of ice cream can make your throat feel raw.
If you have a cold, ice cream may be too cold on your sinuses. Also, if you have a stomach bug, ice cream may upset your stomach.