Top ten tips to beating colds

**cosycat** · #1 (**permalink**) 02-01-2008, 03:57 PM

If you like my post, why not hit the rep button, many thanks.

1. Eat right. You've heard it before (zzzz...) but fruit and veg are packed with immune-boosting properties like vitamin C and beta-carotene. If you like yoghurts, go for the probiotic variety and eating lots of raw, fresh food will most certainly help.

2. Increase your protein intake. Protein is required to produce antibodies, which fight infection and illness. You can find it in lean fish and meat, milk, cheese, eggs, cereals, pulses and wholemeal bread. Meat also contains two key immune-boosting minerals, selenium and zinc, found in most red meat, but also in pumpkin and sunflower seeds, milk, cheese and wholegrain cereals.

3. Shelve your sins. Smoking makes you more prone to sore throats and tonsillitis while excess alcohol ruins the liver, the body's filtering system, so germs take longer to leave your bod. Booze dehydrates you, taking more fluid from you than it puts in! So stick to one unit (or less) of alcohol a day, (and preferably not every day...)

4. The one liquid you can't get enough of is H20. With any viral illness, your body temperature rises which can lead to dehydration through sweating. Drink plenty of water to combat this and flush your body of toxins.

5. Sleep it out. We're not suggesting you lie in every day but do ensure you get around six to eight hours a night so your body has a chance to repair its defences.

6. Don't be fooled by orange juice. Many standard juices contain little vitamin C and are loaded with sugar which suppresses the immune system. Choose freshly-squeezed options, avoid juice "drinks" (which is usually full of additives) rather than pure juice or stock up on vitamin C supplements.

7. Supplement it. Many swear by echinacea, an immune-stimulating herb or garlic supplements rich in allicin (powerful antibiotic and anti-fungal compound) while Siberian ginseng stimulates resistance to stress (and boosts sex drive if you like the 2-in-1 approach). Note: ginseng is unsuitable for people with high blood pressure and diabetics should consult their doctor.

8. Stay fit. Exercising boosts the body's natural immunity and sense of wellbeing. Start with three weekly 20-minute bursts and aim for 30 minutes a day, five times a week, for tip-top circulation.

9. Be clean. Sounds blindingly obvious, but wash your hands to keep viruses at bay. You'd probably rather not know this but viruses can spread via coffee mugs, shaking hands or via taps and telephones. Don't get paranoid, just be aware.

10. Tea, anyone? The good old cuppa can actually aid the immune system. Stress is the first trigger that lowers immunity levels and recent research found that people who drink black tea, as opposed to green or herbal teas, had reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

If all else fails & you end up with a cold, get hold of some zinc lozenges (zinc possesses anti-viral and immune-boosting properties), avoid strenuous exercise and get an early night - but not before you've made yourself a hot, soothing honey and lemon drink. Here's to a cold-free winter.

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