Seasonal Changes Make You Catch a Cold Easily. Drink Porridge First, Then Soup to Maintain Health
Although it's already the start of autumn, the temperature in Nanjing is still quite high. Many people feel hot, dry, and fatigued, and the number of people suffering from heat-related colds and common colds during the seasonal transition is gradually increasing. At this time, many people may lose their appetite, but this is certainly not conducive to recovery. Therefore, it is recommended to drink more water and eat porridge in the early stages of a cold, and consume more soup in the later stages. This can replenish fluids and nutrients while avoiding the blandness of forcing down staple foods like rice.
After catching a cold, properly managing your diet is a crucial principle for recovery. The diet should be light and avoid spicy and greasy foods. In the early stages, it's advisable to drink plenty of water and eat mainly porridge and noodles, but you must maintain adequate food intake and stick to three meals a day, eating on time. During the recovery period, you can drink more soups to supplement nutrition.
When you have a cold, it is recommended to drink hot porridge because it helps the body to sweat, dissipate heat, and expel wind and cold, effectively promoting recovery. At the same time, most people lose their appetite after catching a cold, and their digestive systems are in poor condition. Drinking porridge can promote intestinal absorption. Additionally, some medicines can be irritating to the stomach, and porridge can help protect the gastric mucosa.
If a patient shows symptoms of a wind-cold cold, such as fever, chills, shivering, no sweat, body aches, and nasal congestion, it is recommended to add some ginger to the white porridge while cooking it. Ginger is warm in nature and an effective "weapon" for combating fever, sneezing, and phlegm. It has the effects of resolving phlegm, dispelling cold, replenishing qi, and relieving asthma. Just adding a few slices while cooking the porridge is sufficient.
If a patient exhibits symptoms of a wind-heat cold, such as fever, swollen throat, nasal congestion, thirst, and dry stools, it is suggested to add a small amount of cooling and moistening herbs like mulberry leaf, kudzu root, and mint to the white porridge. You can wash and chop these materials, decoct them into a juice, and then boil it with the white porridge for consumption.
In addition, experts suggest that adding a little radish to the porridge can also help clear heat and resolve phlegm.
There is a folk saying that you should drink less soup when you have a cold, otherwise it will be harder to recover. The accurate interpretation should be that the digestive system is suited to a lighter diet during a cold. If a soup is too greasy, it may affect digestion.
American Ginseng and Ophiopogon Chicken Soup: 100g of chicken, 10g of American ginseng, 15g of Ophiopogon. First, slice the American ginseng. Place the Ophiopogon and chicken in a stewing pot, add an appropriate amount of water, cover the pot, and stew over low heat in a water bath for 3 hours. Season before drinking the soup and eating the meat. Experts believe that American ginseng chicken soup greatly replenishes vital energy, enhances the body's immunity, and has antiviral effects.
Black Fungus and Goji Berry Black-bone Chicken Soup: 100g of chicken, 30 goji berries, 15g of black fungus. First, rehydrate the black fungus. Slice the ginger.