CURING COMMON COLD AND FLU BY RIGHT KIND OF FOOD

COMMON COLD AND FLU

Dear friends today we will discuss about common cold.  There are 200 viruses which can make our body sick, may be 3 to 4 times a year. So it is called common cold. But if our immunity is not up to the mark then we can get infected frequently.

It results in sneezing, sore throat, cough and other symptoms like pain in the body, fever, chills, and headache. Common cold lasts for 3 to 7 days. What we can do, is assist our immunity so that it will not turn into more serious condition like ear infection, pneumonia or bronchitis.

Actually the severity of common cold depends on the immunity of patient and other environmental conditions. It depends on mental stress, fatigue, change of environment, lack of sleep and not wearing proper clothing acc. to the weather.

We can easily catch the infection if our body temperature is slightly low. As the infection is very contagious and we can be infected if we are in close contact with the infected person. It can be through air or by touching the articles used by patients. 

So its better not to shake hands or touch articles used by person infected with cold. It is a very good idea to wash hands regularly and not to touch face or nose when outside, with dirty hands.

Remedies to treat cold

Lemon – It is very effective to treat cold. Lemon increases the resistance of body against cold and flu infection. It omits out all the toxins from the body. One lemon can be taken twice, in a glass of water with honey in it.

Onions and garlic – Onion and garlic are beneficial in treating cold. We can consume 2 or 3 cloves of garlic when we observe initial symptoms of cold and cough. Garlic has antibiotic properties to fight the bacteria and viruses.

Onion too has expectorant qualities and prevents the buildup of mucous in the body. One teaspoon of onion juice with honey can be taken 2 to 3 times a day. Curries and soups with onion, ginger, garlic and black pepper are also great to fight cold.

Spice up your food – Since ancient times people have used chilies, mustard and other pungent foods to cure cold and clear congestion. The secret agent is capsaicin which acts as mucokinetic agent. It makes the eyes and nose to water and help in washing out all the irritants.

Chicken soup – Chicken is very helpful to relieve from the symptoms of common cold. It releases cystiene when cooked, which has mucokinetic properties. So sip hot chicken soup to get relief from the stuffed nose and cold and flu.

Ginger – Ginger is another effective remedy to control cold and cough. One teaspoon juice of ginger can be taken with honey and pinch of black pepper, 3 to 4 times a day to cure cold. 10 gms of ginger can be boiled in one cup of water for some time and it can be consumed with honey in it.

Turmeric – Turmeric is also used to get relief from cold symptoms. ½ teaspoon of turmeric can be added to one cup of milk. Boil it for some time and drink hot with sugar in it.

Indian gooseberry – Indian gooseberry or amla is very potent to fight infections. It is rich in vitamin C and so many other nutrients. It increases immunity and also cures cold and flu.

Vitamin C – Vitamin C is powerful antioxidant. People who consume lots of fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C suffer less from cold and flu. We can also take vitamin C supplements when we are suffering from cold to reduce the severity of symptoms. 500 mg of vitamin c can be consumed twice daily for few days. We can also take vitamin b and zinc supplements along with it.

Keep milk away – Milk should not be consumed during an attack of cold. As milk is found to be mucous forming. So keep away from milk and its products.

Hot fluids – Sip hot fluids whole the day. It will rehydrate you during the attack of flu and also moisten the nasal airways. It will help to loosen up the phlegm and clear the congestion.

Along with dietary measures, some other useful tips to follow are – sun bathing, walk in fresh air, deep breathing, sound sleep and proper clothing according to the weather.😍