The right diet when you have a cold doesn’t have to be that different.
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Quick recoveryHow onions and horseradish kill your cold
Your diet has a major impact on your health and the course of your illness. But there are foods that will help you get healthy quickly.
A balanced diet can have a positive effect on your immune system – the more vitamins you take in, the stronger your immune system becomes. Even if it does catch you and you may even lose your appetite as a result, it’s even more important that you eat now. Your body needs calories and nutrients to fight off the infection.
But what does the perfect meal plan look like when you have a cold? On the one hand, you should rely on drinks and foods that provide moisture. At the same time, courts should not be too demanding. A dish with a variety of spices is less suitable, choose something nutritious and at the same time calming.
For breakfast: yoghurt and fruit
When you have a cold, a probiotic yoghurt makes sense because of its “good” intestinal bacteria. The body’s defense system is a complex network of cells, messenger substances and proteins. As is so often the case, your intestinal health plays a role here. You combine foods that contain vitamin C with the yoghurt – these are citrus fruits, berries and kiwis.
Citrus fruits, kiwis and berries contain the antioxidant substance vitamin C, which supports your immune system.
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Hot peppers also contain helpful vitamin C.
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Fish, meat and dairy products contain a lot of protein.
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Vitamin C is an antioxidant substance that intercepts free radicals and renders them harmless. During a cold, these aggressive substances form as part of the immune response. Vitamin C then prevents the free radicals from gaining the upper hand. Instead of eating fruit for breakfast, you can get it from peppers and broccoli at dinner.
A kind of cough syrup substitute
Honey can reduce the frequency of coughs, in some cases even better than over-the-counter cough syrups. That was in one child-related study proven. There are no studies of this type (yet) in adults, but it is suspected that it looks similar. Honey consists of 75 to 80 percent fructose and glucose, which the body also uses to generate energy.
A classic among grandma’s cold tips is honey. Why actually?
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The main reason why it works so well for colds is its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. And he covers the neck from the inside. Best of all, you simply add a tablespoon of honey to your tea or porridge.
The classic for lunch
Hydration facilitates the elimination of secretions. So when you’re sick, soup and broth are your friends. If they also contain protein – for example in the form of chicken – so much the better. White chicken meat contains increased amounts of cysteine, a component of acetylcysteine. The expectorant active ingredient is added to many cough relievers.
Chicken soup strengthens, loosens mucus and stops inflammation.
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In 2000, one Study published, which examined how chicken soup affects immune cells that trigger inflammation at sites of infection. The cells bathed in chicken soup for the study did not migrate as much towards the simulated site of infection. Sipping soup or a hot drink, even if it’s just hot water with a little ginger, can also help clear nasal mucus and make breathing easier.
For dinner: inner warmth
Horseradish, elderflower tea and ginger are sweat-inducing – conducive to getting rid of the infection. Horseradish contains so-called mustard oils, which have an antimicrobial effect and stimulate blood circulation in the mucous membranes. This helps with a stuffy nose. How about a horseradish salmon bread?
Breads topped with horseradish and decorated with pickled ginger make a good dinner.
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Well known: the arousing ginger promotes blood circulation and thus creates a pleasant feeling of warmth. It doesn’t always have to end up in tea, but can be grated over muesli or in a smoothie or enjoyed in pickled form on bread or with fish.
Always ready: garlic and onions
You’ve already noticed that your diet doesn’t have to be that different when you have a cold. Garlic and onions are also good examples of this fact. The ingredient allicins contained in garlic is responsible for its healing effect and is considered a natural virus inhibitor.
Garlic and onions are natural virus inhibitors.
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White, yellow and red onions also relieve coughs and colds. They have an anti-inflammatory, germ-killing, antibacterial and pain-relieving effect. They also contain alliins, which act like a natural antibiotic against pathogenic germs, fight off bacteria and strengthen the immune system.
Do you have any other food tips that will lead to a speedy recovery?