05/12/2018
The old adage of ‘you are what you eat’ rings true when it comes to eating well in order to stave off colds and flu. Some foods help boost the immune system better than others and sticking to a healthy diet will mean you will become ill much less often.
Now we are deep into winter and coughs and sneezes can be heard ringing around offices, trams, trains and buses all over the country, it is important that you fuel your body with the right nutrients to help protect you from catching anything. After all, winter is bad enough without the sniffles.
There are foods that will help prevent a cold or flu, then there are those that can help ease symptoms should you end up with one. Some foods can even help speed up recovery, but it is important to know which foods do what:
Chicken soup has forever been the go-to food for anyone struggling with a cold. There is fact in the myth too; chicken soup contains a number of nutrients which are perfect for battling illness. Carnosine in chicken has anti-inflammatory effects helping reduce symptoms like a blocked nose and sore throat.
Having as many vegetables as possible in your soup will help, as the more minerals and nutrients you can pack into a soup the better it will be for your body. Vegetarians and vegans can still receive similar benefits from a vegetable soup if they are feeling under the weather, vegetables like spinach and bell peppers are packed with cold combatting nutrients.
As long as you don’t have an upset stomach, spicy foods can help alleviate the congestion of blocked sinuses by opening up airways and helping mucus flow better. Not only will this free up your airways and help you breathe better, spicy food also contains a lot of nutrients to help prevent you catching colds and flu in the future.
Always go easy with spicy foods if you are already unwell, as spicy foods can cause stomach irritation if eaten in abundance and you don’t want to add stomach ache to your list of symptoms.
Yoghurt contains a host of immune friendly bacteria to help protect you from illness throughout winter. Not many people know this, but the majority of your immune cells live in your gut, so it is important to keep them healthy and in abundance, ensuring they are equipped to fight off anything that winter throws at you.
Pakistani and Indian cuisine is famously full of cold and flu fighting ingredients. So, why don’t you join us at Royal Nawaab’s halal restaurant in Manchester for a meal that is not only delicious, but can help protect you from suffering with a winter cold.