Curative Foods

I have a nasty cold at the moment. I could feel it coming on all last week but I had to babysit four of my sisters children for the weekend so I wouldn’t allow myself to be sick. Now I feel like rubbish and can’t even think straight.

Well, it turns out that all of the well known cures for a common cold happen to be some of my favourite foods so I plan on eating myself better although I don’t have much of an appetite.

Some of these superfoods with curative powers include:

Chicken Soup:

This old chestnut is a well known remedy for a bad cold or flu; the broth helps clear clogged airways while giving you much needed energy.

Garlic:

This magic bulb contains the active constituent allicin which acts as a decongestant and a strong antibiotic agent so add garlic liberally to your favourite foods.

Vitamin C:

Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C but so are potatoes, green peppers, broccoli, strawberries and pineapple amongst others.

Spicy Food:

Cayenne pepper, ginger, chillis and spicy food in general aid in giving your immune system a boost while clearing congestion. The hotter the better I say.

Fluids:

Staying hydrated is essential so drink plenty of water and pure fruit juices but stay clear of coffee or fizzy drinks. Hot drinks work well; chamomile or peppermint tea are good herbal options or hot water with a slice of lemon. Ginger tea is also good for treating a cough or fever.

The Menu:

Well on the menu tonight is chicken soup followed by a Vegetable Thai red curry and citrus fruit cocktail washed down by plenty of ginger tea. A menu which I will promptly pass over to my husband to make… sniffle sniffle. If this doesn’t work I’ll drown myself in hot whiskies or do what the Russians do and grab a bottle of pepper vodka, draw a hot bath and sweat it out.

Do you have any cold or flu remedies or recipes?