I think I jinxed myself.  I got a little cocky recently publishing a post on probiotic foods and commenting to people how I rarely get sick…well it hit me.

I’ve been sick for 5 days and I’m ticked!  I do not like being sick at all.  I pride myself on my healthy diet, I don’t eat processed foods, refined sugar, and I eat veggies like they’re going out of style, as well as all the probiotic foods that I love so much.  Well it happens to the best of them and sometimes your body just can’t fight it off.

Three quarters of Americans battle at least one cold per year and the average is 3 colds.

So it got me thinking.  Are there certain foods you should eat to help recover faster?

There’s the old adage that dates back to the 1700s “Feed a cold, starve a fever.”  Well it turns out it’s true.  For a moment in the 20th century people believed that digestion actually distracted the body from fighting disease but this has once again been proven incorrect.   Being undernourished is hard on your body, it makes you more susceptible to catching colds and slows healing.  Eating actually stimulates the type of immune response that destroys viruses that cause colds.  Colds are caused by some 200+ viruses so it’s highly likely that we will all fall ill a number of times throughout our life. It usually takes 2-4 days for symptoms to manifest once we are exposed to the virus and then anywhere from 2-14 days to recover, but generally a week.

In our fast paced world, filled with so many activities, obligations, and “stuff” we don’t have time to get sick.  I know I don’t.  I hate not being productive.  So how can we curb a cold or at least decrease the duration of a cold?  Let me tell you what I learned.

First and foremost eat a healthy diet that is nutrient dense.  Here are some specifics:

Colorful fruits and veggies:  I like to drink fruit and veggie smoothies (I’m sipping one right now). They’re easy to digest, hydrating and full of vitamins.  Citrus fruit is a great addition to a smoothie, you can get whole food juices and lots of vitamin C.

Protein:  Protein helps your body repair and fight infections.  Lean is better when you are sick because it is gentler to digest than a big fatty marbled t-bone steak (yum) so save that type of meat for when you’re feeling better. Stick with chicken, fish, turkey and eggs.

Juice: Make sure that it’s 100% juice without any added sugar.  Even better you can freshly squeeze juice, or make a yummy smoothie in your blender to get good whole food fruit juices.  Just add water to thin it. You will gain vitamin C, E and beta carotene as well as many other nutrients that will reduce cell damage and aid healing.

Garlic: Garlic is a potent anti-inflammatory that contains allicin which helps block infection.  It also tastes great.  Add it to any soup you make or to some sauteed or roasted veggies to add extra flavor and cold busting powers.

Soup: I am on my second vat of chicken soup this week.  That is 1 gallon of homemade chicken stock that I have used this week alone!  My kids are sure learning to like it:)  Chicken soup has always been toted as the perfect comfort food when you’re sick and for good reason. Chicken contains selenium, zinc, protein and b vitamins, and the broth (homemade) contains anti-inflammatory properties, it’s full of minerals, and is soothing and easy to digest.  Not to mention the 6 large cloves of garlic I added to mine and the onion and various simmered veggies are so nourishing for a sick body.

Honey: Honey (raw local is best) is a great thing to have on hand.  I heat up some water and then add a spoonful of honey to the water and a squeeze of lemon juice if I have one around, to create a soothing drink for a sore throat.  Honey (when raw) is anti-microbial and helps kill germs, coats your throat and helps soothe it.  The warm liquid is helpful for warming up a chilled body and breaking up mucous in your chest. This recipe for elderberry syrup, contains a whole cup of raw honey and is helpful for knocking down a cold a little faster.

Probiotic Foods: If you go check out my post on probiotic rich foods you will get some ideas for how to incorporate these wonderful foods into your daily diet.  I recommend starting with plain (full fat) yogurt and mixing it into smoothies.  That’s the easiest way to get some good probiotic organisms in your gut to help boost up your immune system.  You can also purchase or make fermented veggies, milk kefir, kombucha and a host of other probiotic foods but if your feeling a little confused right now just read my post to get you started and go purchase some plain full fat yogurt. Make sure it says live active cultures on the container.  You can also make these yummy and soothing probiotic pops, which are great for the kids!

(I do want to say that at one time there was controversy that eating dairy while sick just increased mucous production and was not beneficial to someone suffering from a cold.  I also read that dairy can be beneficial since it contains vitamin D and yogurt and kefir contain probiotics.  I think raw wholesome sources of dairy are beneficial, but that’s just my opinion.)

Water: I cannot stress this enough, maybe it’s not a food per se, but it is so important to stay hydrated.  Have a  water bottle handy and chug all day long.  Drink to the point that it’s annoying how much you have to go to the bathroom, this will flush out the bad stuff and thin mucous, so get drinking.

There you have it.  These are the best food to eat while you are sick.  I’d love to hear what things you eat that help you feel nourished and that help you get over your colds faster.  Seriously, hit me with it.  I need to kick this sucker fast!

This post was shared on the following real food/natural living blogs: Food Renegade, My Healthy Green Family, Small Footprint Family, Frugally Sustainable, Kelly The Kitchen Kop, Whole New Mom, Richly Rooted, Time Warp Wife