The common cold can be divided into two types: upper respiratory tract infection and influenza. The former is caused by various viruses or bacteria and is mainly characterized by nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, headache, and aversion to cold. The latter is caused by influenza virus invasion and is mainly characterized by chills, high fever, nausea, vomiting, and body aches, while upper respiratory symptoms are milder.
Suitable Foods
1. Choose easily digestible liquid diets such as vegetable soup, congee, egg soup, custard, milk, etc.
2. The diet should be light and less greasy to meet nutritional needs and enhance appetite. You can provide white rice congee, millet congee, red bean congee, paired with light and refreshing side dishes like sweet pickles, turnips, pickled mustard tubers, or fermented tofu.
3. Ensure adequate fluid intake. You can drink more acidic fruit juices such as hawthorn juice, kiwi juice, red date juice, fresh orange juice, watermelon juice, etc., to promote gastric juice secretion and enhance appetite.
4. Eat more foods rich in vitamins C and E, and red-colored foods, such as tomatoes, apples, grapes, dates, strawberries, beets, oranges, watermelon, milk, eggs, etc., to prevent the occurrence of colds.
5. Eat small, frequent meals. After the fever subsides and appetite improves, you can switch to a semi-liquid diet, such as noodle soup, clear chicken soup with fine noodles, small wontons, vegetable puree congee, meat floss congee, liver puree congee, and egg congee.
Dietary Restrictions
1. Avoid sweet and greasy foods.
2. Avoid pungent and hot foods. Pungent and hot foods like chili and mustard can generate heat and phlegm, making phlegm thick and difficult to cough up, and worsening headaches and nasal congestion.
3. Avoid grilled and fried foods.
4. Avoid strongly stimulating seasonings. Curry powder, pepper powder, and fresh chili powder are highly stimulating and are not good for the respiratory mucous membranes, causing them to become dry and spasm, leading to symptoms like nasal congestion and paroxysmal cough, which aggravate the patient's condition. Therefore, cold patients should not eat them.
5. Avoid seafood, persimmons, smoking, and alcohol.
6. Avoid irregular eating habits. Irregular eating habits can prolong and make the cold difficult to treat.
7. For a cold caused by wind-cold, avoid raw and cold fruits, melons, and cold drinks.