Eat well … when you’re down with the flu

Cinzia Cuneo 13 marzo, 2012 mangiare sano, salute

The flu season is not over yet and it’s important to know what to eat to relieve the symptoms if you’ve been “caught” 🙁

1. Homemade chicken broth

Homemade chicken broth is a great comfort food with an excellent reputation as a “remedy” against colds. Recent studies have shown that the heat from broth helps to dissolve mucus. Warning: broth made from cubes or powder, which is more of a concentration of salt and chemicals, does not provide the same benefits.

2. Vitamin C from food sources

Vitamin C is no miracle-worker before a cold or a fever. But the food sources of vitamin C, besides being delicious, can help slightly reduce the length of a cold. Make yourself a nice salad or go for a low-salt vegetable juice to rehydrate your body and fill up on anti-oxidants. You can also choose from the following fruits: orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi and tomato. Try the Three-Coloured Fruit Salad.

3. Garlic and ginger

They have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect and you can include them in your chicken broth to add flavour.

4. Probiotics

A yogurt with probiotics will have beneficial effects on the intestinal flora and immune system, thanks to its micro-organisms. Again, no miracles, but simply a little nudge towards the road to recovery.

5. Avoid red meat and fat

You’ll probably not feel like eating a lot, but try to avoid red meat and fat, because an excess of fats can reduce bacterial resistance.

However, proteins that are available in leaner meats (poultry)  and meat substitutes (egg, nuts and legumes) are used to produce antibodies. A Quesadilla with Peppers, Avocado and Turkey definitely boost your energy.

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Above all, relax and handle your plight patiently: happy days will be back again soon 😉

Autori

Cinzia Cuneo

Italiana di nascita e canadese d'adozione, Cinzia ha deciso di coniugare le sue competenze professionali e la sua passione per la buona tavola sviluppando un servizio per aiutare i numerosi «aventi bisogno» a riprendere il controllo della loro alimentazione. Così è nata SOSCuisine. Ingegnere di formazione al Politecnico di Torino, Cinzia ha conseguito un Master's Degree in scienze applicate all'École Polytechnique de Montréal.