Fight the cold with nutrition. How well protected are you against the common cold? Colds are a fact of life every winter, but your best defense may be right on your dinner plate. In fact, you can strengthen your immune system's infection fighting ability by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and getting enough rest. Good nutrition is also essential for recovering from a cold, and you can reduce the duration of one and also decrease the aggravating side effects such as stuffy nose and sore throat simply by eating right.
The common cold is caused by a number of viruses that can involve the upper respiratory tract. As your body fights the attacking virus, you get the symptoms of a cold, including nasal congestion, sneezing and sniffles. 3 steps to increased cold protection:
- Fill up on nutrient rich foods. A healthy eating regimen helps to build up your immune system during a cold.
- Drink plenty of warm and hot liquids. Water, caffeine-free tea, fruit juice, or broth based soups (shoot for low sodium cans) increased sodium consumption leads to the retention of water. When you have warm liquids it helps to loosen mucus and facilitate it moving out of your system.
- Avoid dairy products including cream based soups, ice cream, or milk since they increase the production of phlegm.
Have fun getting fit. Who ever said physical activity is all work and no play, especially in the winter? In fact, it can be just the opposite! There is no need to think of exercise as strenuous or boring. Instead, imagine doing fun physical activities you enjoy and watch the health benefits follow. Something as simple as snow shoeing, snow ball fights, making snow men, skiing and even ice skating help to elevate your heart rate and leads to the burning and utilization of calories.
