Coming down with a cold? Read on to find out about my top 5 tips to keep common colds and flu at bay. At the first sign of coming down with ‘something’ don’t despair, just get yourself ready to:
OXYGENATE
REST
It is traditional wisdom and plain physiology. The body is fighting stress and infection. Make it easier just by taking time off from the busy world. Avoid shopping, deadlines and stressful situations/people 🙂 If your mind gets active, make a list of things to do for when you ‘come back’ from your cold.
JUICE UP
Recent studies confirm that vitamin C shortens the duration of the common cold and since vitamin C is partly destroyed by cooking, juicing is the best strategy. Fruits&veg are also high other plant compounds which oxygenate the blood and help fighting infections. Here is a recipe for an immune booster smoothie that will please young and old:
- 1/2 raw beetroot
- 1/2 pineapple
- 1/2 raspberry punnet
- 1/2 lemon juice
You may want to replace the beetroot with: spinach, carrot, celery, cucumber, ginger. Make it twice/day. Drink plenty of water too!
IMMUNE BOOSTING DIET
The rule of thumb is drink more, eat less. And whatever you eat, eat the right stuff. So instead of recurring to comfort foods like biscuits or pies prepare yourself a homely soup (ideally, a nutritious chicken broth or any fresh vegetable soup), eat lots of probiotic foods (fermented cabbage, homemade pickles -see pic) and a handful of Brazil nuts (high in selenium which feeds the immune system).
Note: they are plenty of Irish lacto-fermented conserves just look for vinegar&preservative-free ones.
LAUGH
Laughter is good for your health. It is relaxing and it actually activates the thymus to produce immune cells. So play your favourite comedy movie or play with your kids silly jokes. No joking, laughter may be the best cure!
