Foods To Eat When You Have a Cold

[Jaymes]

Root beer float.

Of course, that's not really unusual. I crave root beer floats when I'm NOT sick, as well.

[bleudauvergne]

Last night at about 3am I began coughing and it has gone downhill steadily since. Right now I am feeling pretty crummy. Chills but not delerious fever, runny nose but not completely plugged up, and a voilent horrible cough. Enough to send me home from work. I couldn't remember whether I was supposed to feed a cold and starve a fever or starve a cold and feed a fever but I have been really hungry, so I'm assuming I should be listening to my body. My body is telling me to heat up beer in the microwave and drink it warm. Should I listen? I need radical teatment here. Infusions?

[Suzanne F]

You need chicken soup, preferably a Southeast Asian version with lots of chiles. Or pho (which unfortunately is too short a word to do a search on here).

And hot tea with honey, lemon, and whiskey.

Feel better soon.

[Comfort Me]

Ummm...heating up beer? THe thought of it makes me want to hurl. Is this a folk cure where you come from?

I believe the adage is to starve a cold and feed a fever. But that's an old wive's tale -- a bubbemysah. What you need -- and I am a Jewish Little Old Lady (just ask my wife) -- is a good hot bowl of chicken soup. I am not an absolutist, so you can decide if it is with noodles, kreplach, matzah balls, or shredded chicken with carrots and celery. But if you don't have chicken soup, you'll certainly die.

I hope you feel better soon. Ess gezunterheyt!.

Aidan

Edited February 13, 2004 by Comfort Me (log)

[bergerka]

I've had this nasty nasty cold this week too, yesterday was the worst. I suggest:

Tea. with milk and/or honey. Lots. I like South African Rooiboos (sp?), which also isn't caffeinated.

I second or third or fourth the chicken soup. Matzo balls, kreplach, noodles, vegetables, whatever you like. It also warms your house while you're making it.

Slkinsey made a Thai green curry last night that sandblasted my sinuses clear...and they actually almost remained that way throughout the night. Give it a try!

And feel better soon. This cold really blows.

K

Oh--I forgot to mention--eating the last of the ultimate malted milk balls helps too.

Edited because I also forgot to mention that Advil Cold & Sinus is a fucking wonder drug.

Edited February 13, 2004 by bergerka (log)

[tryska]

i'm on the tailend of something similar. except mine started with severe congestion, the next day my ears plugged up, and the day after i developed this rattling cough.

umm - i've pretty much been coping with drinking rasam and hot and sour soup for my meals, sometimes with a little rice mixed in, and double doses of nyquil before bed, and the best decongestant/expectorant i can find for the daytime. right now i'm partial to Tylenol Sinus Severe Congestion formula with the minty coolburst capsules.

I also started taking goldenseal tea - 2 bags in 12oz water at night, and 1 bag in 6oz water in the morning. that helped my fever break night before last - and i'm coming around now. i felt really good when i woke up this morning. hungry even. i still can't taste, and my ears are still kind of plugged up, but no where near as bad as they were 2 days ago.

i hope you feel better soon!

Edited February 13, 2004 by tryska (log)

[Katherine]

Ummm...heating up beer? THe thought of it makes me want to hurl. Is this a folk cure where you come from?

I believe the adage is to starve a cold and feed a fever. But that's an old wive's tale -- a bubbemysah. What you need -- and I am a Jewish Little Old Lady (just ask my wife) -- is a good hot bowl of chicken soup. I am not an absolutist, so you can decide it that is with noodles, kreplach, matzah balls, or shredded chicken with carrots and celery. But it you don't have chicken soup, you'll certainly die.

I hope you feel better soon. Ess gezunterheyt!.

Aidan

My mother said to feed a cold and starve a fever, so that if you didn't eat enough calories, the fever would end up coming down when your body ran out of fuel.

[Batgrrrl]

And while you're making that chicken soup, stand near the stove and inhale as much steam as possible, if you've got the strength--it'll help knock loose the nasty gunk in your lungs.

Milk I could never stomach when fighting a cold--it coats the throat too much like what's there already. But hot water or tea with lemon and/or whiskey is definitely a go.

Good luck--above all else, sleep, sleep, sleep.

Batgrrrl

[tryska]

Oh--I forgot to mention--eating the last of the ultimate malted milk balls helps too.

hey i've been nursing on malted milk balls this week too.

i can't taste them, but i've been eating them.

[jackal10]

Hot lemon and honey - strong

Add plenty of rum or brandy or whisky...

Saintsbury (Notes on a Cellar Book) says:

Serve as hot as possible in a rummer, as an ordinary tumbler will be too hot to hold.

Drink in bed, preferably with a sympathetic attendant/companion.

Edited February 13, 2004 by jackal10 (log)

[Moopheus]

When I'm sick I like to drink herbal teas like the ones made by Traditonal Medicinals, which aside from being soothing tea, provide a little symptom relief without the drowsiness of regular cold pills.

My philosophy has always been feed a cold, feed a fever--I figure your body has a better chance of fighting off the cold if you give it something to work with. If you are having trouble keeping down solid food, soup broth will get some nutrients into you and prevent dehydration.

[Pan]

So everybody else has this cold or had it, it seems. I feel worse than yesterday, so whatever I'm doing isn't working. Thank goodness for my 5 days off in a row. Thank you, Presidents Lincoln and Washington!

[bloviatrix]

According to my doctor, you're supposed to stay away from all caffeine.

I find that taking 2 vitamin C (2000 mg) capsules a day help. Also, hot water with smashed coins of ginger.

And of course chicken soup, but you already knew that.

[Knicke]

Once I've actually come down with a cold, many of the above suggestions apply. However, if it's just creeping up on me (fatigue, that little throat tickle), I will drink a big double mug of ginger-cayenne-garlic potion with honey. Grate a bunch of ginger root, add 2 c. water and 1/2 t. cayenne, simmer 5 min or so. Take off heat; add 2 crushed garlic cloves. Cover and let sit a few minutes. Strain, add honey, drink as soon as you can stand it.

It can be hard to get through, even for someone who likes her spicy food! But it throws off the chills, clears up the nose, and warms up the joints. Follow with a hot eucalyptus bath and a nap. This usually heads a coming cold off at the pass, and if it doesn't, seems to shorten the duration...

[Brad Ballinger]

One more -- avoid dairy. My doctor once told me it keeps one congested and keeps the fluids thicker.

[FlourPower]

My two cents: lots of hot and sour soup.

[KatieLoeb]

The Hot & Sour Soup or Pho with lots of chiles and herbs always makes me feel better.

My OTC "wonder drug" is the Apple flavored Thera-Flu with a shot of bourbon or Stroh 160 Rum (160 proof - made from sugar beets) in it. You sleep like a hero, sweat like a beast and wake up feeling like a new person that isn't as sickly as the one that got into the bed.

[msfurious1]

Starve a fever, feed a cold.

A high fever usually causes the contagious one to become nauseous, so you shouldn't eat anything with a fever.

You should keep hydrated though, sipping clear liquids. Flat soda (gingerale, 7-up) is best. Juice pops and ice pops are good too.

You don't want to be spewing anything with chunks, or have to clean it up, I might add.

Can you tell I have kids?

For a cold, here is a recipe from Epicurious for ginger tea.

It's a nice sipping tea, and it is soothing to drink when you have a cold.

When I was a kid with a sore throat and coughing, my mother would squeeze 4 or 5 fresh lemons and add honey to taste. She'd put it in a container and keep in the fridge. I would be given a dose of 1 or 2 tablespoons when needed. I always thought my throat felt better after I had some . I have been doing that with my three kids as well. My fourteen year old son, who loves anything spicy and/or sour, has always loved to take this when he's sick and even when he's well. He thinks this is a great little treat, and says he feels better after he takes some too.

Now that I'm a grown up, I like to medicate myself with shots of Sambucca when I have a cold.

Natch on the chicken soup. When I'm making it for a "sickie", I add a couple of slices of ginger root and a lot of garlic with everything else, strain all those cooked vegetables and herbs out of the broth.

I've found that adding acini di pepe to the soup is easier for the "invalid" to swallow. Noodles are too big and Pastina is just too small.

Hope everyone afflicted, feels better soon.

[Pan]

What are acini di pepe?

[msfurious1]

It's a small pasta shape.

See here

[jo-mel]

Chicken broth with minced garlic and cayenne, followed by another big cup of chicken broth with grlic and cayenne. While sipping, hold the cup close, and sniff in the fumes and moisture.

Zinc lozenges, C and Echenacia (sp) and if you have a sore throat, lemon and honey laced with cayenne.

I am not a believer in taking aspirin or the like for a fever. I believe the heat, caused by a temperature, is there for a reason -- to kill germs. Of course, if it spikes out of bounds, then it is a different story. (DH spiked to 104.6 -- he had pneumonia.)

I use Tiger balm - both as a chest rub, but also smeared on a cloth or kleenex. I inhale the fumes when I go to bed. Helps to stop the annoying cough.

As someone earlier said, (Mabelline?) if you have a relapse, get yourself to your doctor!!!

Did I mention taking chicken broth with garlic and cayenne?

[Pan]

Jo-Mel, I remember reading that fevers up to 101 F. are useful because they attack the proteins in pathogens, but above that, you should take something to lower them because they can denature proteins in your own healthy cells. Basically, I follow that advice.

[babka]

tea with licorice root does wonders for a sore throat--Traditional Medicines makes one, but you can also just buy licorice root and steep it for 10 minutes or so. yum.

also, what do you'all eat/steam/breathe to start moving lung stuff around? I can't take decongestants--one 30 mg pill in the morning and I'm up all night long--which, needless to say, does great things for the progression of the cold.

though it truly does great things for my productivity....first time that happened, I understood why some folks found cocaine so appealing.

Edited February 16, 2004 by babka (log)

[tirgoddess]

Hot and Sour Soup

Greek Wedding Soup

Greek Lemon Soup

Tea

Water

Wiskey w/Lemon & Honey

Cabernet

Affrin

Codine Cough Syrup

Remote Control

Sleep

Edited February 17, 2004 by tirgoddess (log)

[gus_tatory]

I use Tiger balm - both as a chest rub, but also smeared on a cloth or kleenex...

Did I mention taking chicken broth with garlic and cayenne?

Amen to Tiger Balm--i cracked ribs when falling on the ice this winter, and Tiger Balm applied to the area made it somehow bearable.

also, i *love* spicy food, but is there any science to the belief that it "burns off germs"?

Edited February 18, 2004 by gus_tatory (log)