Introduction: Although a cold is not a serious illness, it can be quite tormenting once you catch it. During a cold, people often lose their appetite, but not eating at all is even more detrimental to the body's recovery. The following 5 foods can be consumed in moderation during a cold to help stimulate your appetite and promote a speedy recovery.
To learn more about cold-fighting recipes, we recommend clicking on our special feature: Seasonal Diet Therapy for Colds
Light Soups and Congee
When you have a cold, your digestive system becomes weaker. Light congee and soups are relatively easy to digest. At the same time, hot soups and congee can help induce sweating, but be sure to replenish fluids after sweating.
Steamed Chicken and Fish
When the body is relatively weak, it's important to supplement with high-quality protein. Chicken and fish contain various essential amino acids that the body needs, and their protein is easy to digest and absorb, which can enhance the body's resistance to cold viruses.
Radish
Radish carotene may help prevent colds and alleviate symptoms such as excessive phlegm. A recommended preparation method is: chop the radish and juice it. Pound some ginger, extract a small amount of ginger juice, and add it to the radish juice. Mix well and then pour in warm water to make a beverage to drink.
Onion and Garlic
The pungent smell of onions can fight off the cold and has a certain antibacterial effect. Onions can also stimulate the secretion of the stomach, intestines, and digestive glands to increase appetite and promote digestion. Garlic contains a pungent substance called "allicin," which has a good inhibitory effect on pathogens and parasites.
Honey
Honey contains various biologically active substances that can stimulate the body's immune function. Taking it twice daily, in the morning and evening, can enhance the body's immunity and resist viral attacks.
Conversely, some foods can worsen cold symptoms and should be avoided during a cold.
Sweets
Whether it's high-sugar fruits or desserts, they should be avoided during a cold. Sweets not only increase the viscosity and amount of phlegm but can also cause bloating and suppress appetite. High-sugar fruits include mangoes, grapes, lychees, sugarcane, pineapples, and red dates.
High-Salt Foods
Experimental data shows that reducing salt intake can increase the lysozyme content in saliva, protect the oral and pharyngeal mucosal epithelial cells, and enable them to secrete more immunoglobulins and interferons to fight cold viruses. However, you shouldn't completely avoid salt when you have a cold, because the body loses some sodium ions through sweating, and salt in cooking is a way to supplement this. During a cold, daily salt intake should be controlled to within 5 grams.
High-Fiber Foods
During a cold, the stomach's motility is weaker, so it's best to avoid high-fiber foods like celery, chives, and crown daisies, as they can add to the burden on the digestive system.
Spicy Foods
Stimulating foods like chili peppers can further disrupt the already fragile digestive function and may even cause nausea and vomiting.
Strong Tea and Strong Coffee
Strong tea and strong coffee can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and sometimes trigger gastroesophageal reflux.
Finally, we must remind everyone not to believe in the so-called "starvation therapy." Not eating only leads to insufficient energy, low blood sugar, and a weakened immune system, which is of no help to a speedy recovery.