When you are under the weather, eating right can make all the difference. Eating a well balanced and nutritional diet can keep your body in better shape. It also helps the body to respond to treatment or therapy much better.
Should I feed or starve a cold?
Since good food is essential to wellness, doctors often advise against starving a cold or denying your body the array of nutrients that can help it become healthier. Since the nutrients in your food are also vital in fighting infections and keeping your body healthy, it is always better to consume a healthy balanced diet, unless specified otherwise by a physician or a dietician.
With the right kind of nutrition, your body can deal with the symptoms and keep you healthy enough to maintain your routine. Here are some of the best diet tips to ward off a cold or to alleviate its symptoms.
- Consume Foods that are High in Antioxidants: Antioxidants not only help prevent cancer, they are excellent for building and boosting your immunity as well. Antioxidants are extremely essential, so strive to include more of them in your diet. Berries and tomatoes are rich sources of antioxidants.
- Consume Lots of Vitamins C and E: Both vitamins C and E are extremely healthy for you, and they are great for building a good immune system. Most doctors recommend consuming vitamin C and zinc supplements to boost your immunity and to fight a common cold. You can get vitamin C from citrus fruits such as kiwi fruit and oranges. Seafood, particularly shellfish, is rich in zinc.
- Add Beta Carotene to your Food: Spinach is rich in beta carotene, a vitamin that can help you get better, especially if you have a cold. Spinach is also rich in folic acid. Yellow-colored fruits and vegetables are also rich in beta carotene. Include apricots, figs, broccoli, sweet potato, asparagus, grapefruit, corn, carrots, beef, and cantaloupe in your diet as they are rich in beta carotene.
- Consume Foods High in Bioflavonoids: Another group of nutrients to include in your diet is bioflavonoids. They increase your body’s ability to activate the immune system and deal with the cold infection. Citrus fruits such as lemons, lines and oranges are rich in bioflavonoids. Some of the other foods rich in this nutrient include cherries, onions, green peppers, broccoli and grapes.
answered by M W