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The Best and Worst Foods For A Cold

By Catherine Roberts

Every year one billion people come down with the dreaded “cold”. This annoying and debilitating sickness can linger for weeks if not treated properly. Back to school season is prime time for colds. This is directly correlated with the temperatures, as when the air gets dryer, viruses can stick around better. Add that to children sharing drinks and getting messy and it’s no wonder that it’s the season for sickness.

Some people believe in fasting for colds, and some say you should eat in excess. There are some scientific thoughts on your favorite cold remedies. Many home concoctions can be just as useful as over the counter cold medication. Ilyse Schapiro, R.D., C.D.N. She came up with the top foods to eat if you have a cold, and a few to avoid.

Foods To Have: Drinking tea may not have any medical effects, but the heat can help clear congestion. Add ginger to it for its anti-inflammatory effects. Ginger is both delicious and healthy, so make sure to add it to your chicken dishes. Eating protein when you’re sick is a great way to keep your body working properly and your energy levels up. Make a nice chicken soup with ginger and lots of garlic. Garlic can help block infections and it’s packed with flavor. If you’re living without a person to care for you when you’re sick, a great idea is to make some soup ahead of time. Freeze it in two-cup portions and you’ll always have some on hand when you don’t feel well.

Foods To Avoid: Stay away from sugary drinks like orange juice and ginger ale. While you might think that the vitamin C in orange juice is good for you, the sugars are not. Schapiro says, “ Extra sugar hinders white blood cells from fighting infection.” She recommends eating the whole orange instead and skipping the juice. Staying away from alcohol is also a wise decision, because of it’s dehydrating abilities. If you’re throat is sore and infected, a good idea would be to gargle with the alcohol and not drink it. This will help disinfect your throat.

Source: Huffington Post

Catherine Roberts

Contributor

Catherine is our go-to writer for women’s health news, diet trends and more. She’s dedicated to providing Activebeat readers with the information they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle every day.

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