Keep properly hydrated by drinking one ounce of water per two pounds body weight. This means a 150-lb person should be drinking 75 ounces of water every day—more if you are exercising/sweating.
Ensure adequate protein intake by eating at least one serving of lean protein every day. For vegetarians, combine grains and beans/lentils for a complete protein—have two daily servings of beans/lentils or tofu, combined with quinoa, brown rice, amaranth or millet.
Eat 5 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day for adequate phytonutrients and fiber. Include a combination of dark green, leafy, and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, parsnips, spinach, peppers, broccoli, and carrots; and a variety of fruit such as pears, berries, apples, bananas, citrus fruit.
Avoid sugar and white, refined, or processed foods. Instead, eat complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and whole grains such as millet, buckwheat, brown rice, amaranth or quinoa.
Avoid fried foods and foods with hydrogenated fats—replace with a heart-healthy source of essential fatty acids every day: freshly ground flaxseeds; walnuts; almonds; sesame seeds; pumpkin seeds; salmon; halibut; tuna; or olive, safflower, sunflower, grape and sesame oils.
Vitamin C is a great immunity booster, and is also said to reduce the severity and duration of a cold once you have one. Food Sources of vitamin C include: guava, red sweet pepper, kiwi, orange, green pepper, grapefruit, strawberries, brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, papaya, kohlrabi, broccoli, sweet potato, tomato, cauliflower, pineapple, and kale.
When taken immediately at the first signs of catching a cold, zinc may speed recovery by supporting the immune system by processing the essential fatty acids that encourage healing. Zinc lozenges can be used (but do not take on empty stomach or with citrus), and food sources of zinc are: beef, lamb, pork, crabmeat, turkey, chicken, lobster, clams, salmon, pumpkin seeds, dairy products, yeast, peanuts, beans, whole grain cereals, brown rice, whole grains, potato, and yogurt.
Foods such as horseradish, garlic, and chili peppers move mucus and help clear congestion. And of course you can’t go wrong with good old anti-inflammatory chicken soup (or broth-based vegetable soup)—especially if you have added some garlic, onions, and cayenne pepper.
Get well soon!
Christina Rutheiser, CNHP, Holistic Nutrition Consultant for Integrative Health Centers
