Summer Cold Busting
Feed a cold starve a fever?
It always seems as we start to slow down and get ready for our summer breaks that we end up with those rotten summer colds, eyes streaming, tickly coughs.. So which foods should you be eating to help you avoid those summer sniffles,
There are two good ways nutrition helps with colds & flu,
First is defence - eat well and it will help your immune system fight the virus even dodge it!
The second is about damage limitation, as your body battles the cold for days or even for weeks, your diet is the key to quick and complete recovery
DEFENCE
for you to catch a cold there is one vital thing that needs to happen - the virus needs to enter your system, you stop the virus you stop the cold-
Your nose is the first line of defence here, Viruses develop rapidly in the nose, but if your defence system is working properly you can still stop them entering the system, and the key to this is what you eat.
What if it fails and you catch a cold.
If a virus does enter the body a health immune system can respond quickly to the threat and can fight off an infection before it takes hold.
And good nutrition is definitely the key here,
Eating some foods can help with the symptoms also such as headaches and temperature- these aren't caused by the virus itself but by inflammatory compounds which are released whilst your body fights it off.
The old adage of Chicken soup may hold some truth as it contains compounds which reduces inflammation
YOUR ACTION PLAN
1- up your vitamin A
Important for preserving the mucus membranes - you create it from the beta-carotene in Red yellow and orange fruit and vegetables such as carrots, Peppers , oranges and sweet potatoes
2- protect your gut
Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir and live yoghurt all contain natural bacteria, - eat foods such as leeks, Jerusalem artichokes and onions to keep those bacteria healthy
3- Increase your Zinc-
When levels are low your cell activity is impaired, eat spinach pumpkins, sesame seeds meat and shellfish
4- Boost beta Glutans
these play an important part in immune health, but the body doesn't produce them naturally, exotic mushrooms such as shiitake or oats and barley are rich in Beta Glutans
5 -Top up your Vitamin C
There is no proof the Vitamin C prevents colds, there is evidence the people who consume it in large amount recover more quickly.
The body cannot store vitamin C so it needs to be in your diet every day
it has always been believed that oranges are the best source of vitamin c but these are better
Chilli Peppers, Red & Green Peppers, Kale, broccoli, papaya, Strawberries, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, Pineapples, Kiwi, & Mango
