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Winter is a time when Mother Nature provides cold crisp air and a blanket of snow. Although beautiful, this season comes with a few added benefits that people would like to avoid.
But if you end up feeling under the weather with a cold or flu, there are foods that can help you feel better and keep you hydrated, according to Healthline. So do some self-care and try these seven best foods to eat when you are feeling ill.
Chicken Soup
Hot and hearty, chicken soup has been a cold and flu home remedy for generations. It’s hot, steamy, easy to eat and is packed full of the vitamins, minerals, and protein that your body needs to recover from an illness. The chicken in the soup contains the amino acid cysteine that helps reduce congestion as well as having antiviral properties.
Eating soup or broth is also a good source to restore the hydration and electrolytes that your body loses from sweating while you have a fever. So when you have a virus, keep some of this delicious natural healing soup on hand.
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Green Tea
Hot tea is a must have when you are feeling ill, according to Prevention. Green tea is best because it contains helpful plant compounds including quercetin which may help boost immune function.
Herbal teas are also very beneficial because of the polyphenols, flavonoids, and catechins compounds found in plants that can also stimulate your immune system. A 2016 study published in the journal Current Medicinal Chemistry found that catechins offer protection against some influenza viruses
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Honey
Honey is a naturally healing food that is rich in antimicrobials that can help fight bacterial infections, according to Prevention. It is also effective in soothing a cough. You can add honey to hot tea or lemon water for a double punch against winter illnesses.
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Citrus Fruits & Berries
Make sure you get your fill of citrus fruits – oranges, lemons, and grapefruits – because they are packed with vitamin C and flavonoids that can boost your immunity, according to Medical News Today. These fruits may even help reduce a fever.
Berries contain quercetin which can stimulate your immune function and eating them when you are under the weather, can help treat the rhinovirus infections that are the cause of most colds. Making a cold fruit smoothie of these super fruits could help soothe a sore throat.
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Oatmeal
Oatmeal is easy to eat and is an ultimate comfort food. Oatmeal is full of the vitamins and minerals you need when you are ill, recommended Healthline. Use whole oats and add some honey and berries to make it a powerful natural cold and virus remedy.
Put some sliced banana in your oatmeal to add nutrients and potassium. The potassium in this yellow superfruit can help you replenish the electrolytes lost from sweating due to fever.
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Garlic
Garlic is a natural way to boost your immune system and has been used in herbal medicine for centuries. That’s because it contains have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. A study of 146 participants found that the people who took garlic supplements had fewer sick days than the participants who took placebos.
Using garlic supplements or adding garlic to your food could enhance your body’s immune function and lessen the symptoms and time that you are ill from a cold or flu, suggested Healthline. So instead of eating an apple a day, try eating some garlic instead.
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Spicy Foods
Eating spicy foods like chili peppers contain capsaicin and have been traditionally used as a natural pain reliever. Eating spicy food also causes your nose to run and that helps break up mucus and clears up your sinuses. This will help you breathe easier.
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