25-06-2004, 07:17 AM
How does the old saying go? Starve a fever and feed a cold, or is it the other way around? Either way, the cold and flu season is upon us. And to effectively fight a cold or the flu (for which there is, curiously enough, still no cure), it's necessary to keep your body properly hydrated and provided with a sufficient amount of energy and nutrients.
Drink plenty of fluids to help thin mucous secretions. Try water, decaffeinated tea, fruit juice or broth-based soups. Slowly enjoying a steaming bowl of homemade chicken soup (Jewish Penicillin) is an old remedy that may provide some relief, mostly because it is packed with nutrients and fluids and the steam rising from the bowl eases congestion.
Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat. If you're so congested you can't sleep at night, try a hot toddy: make a cup of hot herbal tea, add one teaspoon of honey and 1 small shot of whiskey or bourbon and sip slowly while under the covers. Limit yourself to one as too much alcohol inflames those membranes and is counterproductive.
Avoid dairy products such as milk, cheese, ice cream and pudding because they tend to increase phlegm. But do have low-fat yoghurt as it contains valuable viable cultures which boost immunity in general.
Without further ado, we'll launch straight into the foods that fight flu, with thanks to our sister site health24.co.za who kept us on the scientific straight and narrow:
Do eat:
Bananas, rice, apples and toast (the BRAT diet) helps soothe an upset stomach and is especially helpful if you have dairrhoea
Green peppers, potatoes, strawberries, cabbage, pawpaw, broccoli, pineapple, citrus fruits and kiwifruit are loaded with vitamin C which, if taken at the first signs of a cold, may keep the cold from fully developing and may produce a faster recovery. Keep on eating them while you're ill, too.
Blueberries are high in natural aspirin which can help lower fever and help with aches and pains.
Fish, seafood, especially fresh and canned oysters, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk, peanut butter and unprocessed grains and cereals are rich in zinc which may weaken the cold virus, minimising the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms and promoting a strong immune system.
Garlic acts as a decongestant and has antioxidant properties that can destroy free-radicals.
Pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut, broccoli, spinach, yellow peaches (fresh and dried) are loaded with beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that stimulates immune function and help our bodies fight diseases and infections.
Chilli peppers can open sinuses, and capsaicin, a substance in chilli peppers that acts as a mucokinetic agent, helps dispel mucus in the lungs.
Mustard and horseradish help break up mucus in air passages. Allyl isothiocyanate, a compound in horseradish, stimulates the endings of olfactory nerves and induces tears, and also helps to thin mucus.
Onion has phytochemicals purported to help the body clear bronchitis and other infections and boost the immune function.
Yoghurt and products that contain viable Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria cultures boost immune function.
Fatty fish (salmon and cod), and omega-3 enriched foods boosts immunity by stimulating the body to produce substances called cytokines, which are involved in fighting infections.
Tea such as black and green tea (not herbals) contain catechin, a phytochemical purported to have natural antibiotic and anti-diarrhoea effects.
With the first signs of flu, print this out and stick it on the fridge so you can eat yourself so much better in no time.
Drink plenty of fluids to help thin mucous secretions. Try water, decaffeinated tea, fruit juice or broth-based soups. Slowly enjoying a steaming bowl of homemade chicken soup (Jewish Penicillin) is an old remedy that may provide some relief, mostly because it is packed with nutrients and fluids and the steam rising from the bowl eases congestion.
Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat. If you're so congested you can't sleep at night, try a hot toddy: make a cup of hot herbal tea, add one teaspoon of honey and 1 small shot of whiskey or bourbon and sip slowly while under the covers. Limit yourself to one as too much alcohol inflames those membranes and is counterproductive.
Avoid dairy products such as milk, cheese, ice cream and pudding because they tend to increase phlegm. But do have low-fat yoghurt as it contains valuable viable cultures which boost immunity in general.
Without further ado, we'll launch straight into the foods that fight flu, with thanks to our sister site health24.co.za who kept us on the scientific straight and narrow:
Do eat:
Bananas, rice, apples and toast (the BRAT diet) helps soothe an upset stomach and is especially helpful if you have dairrhoea
Green peppers, potatoes, strawberries, cabbage, pawpaw, broccoli, pineapple, citrus fruits and kiwifruit are loaded with vitamin C which, if taken at the first signs of a cold, may keep the cold from fully developing and may produce a faster recovery. Keep on eating them while you're ill, too.
Blueberries are high in natural aspirin which can help lower fever and help with aches and pains.
Fish, seafood, especially fresh and canned oysters, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk, peanut butter and unprocessed grains and cereals are rich in zinc which may weaken the cold virus, minimising the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms and promoting a strong immune system.
Garlic acts as a decongestant and has antioxidant properties that can destroy free-radicals.
Pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut, broccoli, spinach, yellow peaches (fresh and dried) are loaded with beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that stimulates immune function and help our bodies fight diseases and infections.
Chilli peppers can open sinuses, and capsaicin, a substance in chilli peppers that acts as a mucokinetic agent, helps dispel mucus in the lungs.
Mustard and horseradish help break up mucus in air passages. Allyl isothiocyanate, a compound in horseradish, stimulates the endings of olfactory nerves and induces tears, and also helps to thin mucus.
Onion has phytochemicals purported to help the body clear bronchitis and other infections and boost the immune function.
Yoghurt and products that contain viable Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria cultures boost immune function.
Fatty fish (salmon and cod), and omega-3 enriched foods boosts immunity by stimulating the body to produce substances called cytokines, which are involved in fighting infections.
Tea such as black and green tea (not herbals) contain catechin, a phytochemical purported to have natural antibiotic and anti-diarrhoea effects.
With the first signs of flu, print this out and stick it on the fridge so you can eat yourself so much better in no time.