5 foods that help you beat the common cold

The best way of using garlic to fight off the cold is to eat it raw. Yes, I know this might not be the tastiest of alternatives but in order to get full usage of the allicins (a sulfur-containing compound that most researchers believe is the anti-common cold agent), you should eat it raw. Peel the garlic clove and crush it gently with the side of a knife and then just pop it in the mouth and eat it. Do this 3-4 times a day and you should shorten the time you are ill.

If you can’t bear the taste, try to wash it down with some fruit juice or make garlic teat. Heat up some water add the crushed garlic clove and some agave syrup and bring to a boil.

I recommend eating it raw though.

The fresh ginger root contains gingerol and shaogals which are both anti-inflammatory and helps you to quickly relieve the nuisance of a sore throat. They also help to kill the rhinoviruses, which are responsible for the cold in the first place.

The root can be bought cheap and you can use it many different ways. For instance, you can take a 2cm (~1″), and divide it into smaller pieces. Add them to a cup of water and bring to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add some lemon juice and a bit of sweetener, and you have a great cup of ginger tea. Drink this about 3 times a day.

You can also make this spicy ginger shot and have a shot at breakfast and at dinner to fend off or prevent you from the common cold.

Of all commonly consumed fruits and berries, blueberries stand out as the one with the highest levels of decease-fighting antioxidants. And that’s just what you need right now!

Eat them as they are from the refrigerator, make a blueberry smoothie, or add them to your salad. The choices are many and they will not cost you that much either. If you really want to be prepared, buy the frozen ones so that you always have some blueberries at home, they are still very rich in nutrition, and you will be able to proactively fight the cold.

A cup of broccoli contains more Vitamin C than an orange, and Vitamin C has an important role in keeping your immune response up to standard. So you should be quick to add broccoli to your diet.

Besides the high amount of Vitamin C, broccoli also contains Vitamin A and Vitamin E as well as glucosinolates, which also stimulates the body’s immune system.

Make a tofu broccoli walnut salad for lunch to make sure that you get more of this healthy green in your diet.

Sweet Potatoes contain a high amount of beta-carotene which is good for your hair, nails and skin. But when it comes to fighting off the common cold, they are good because the body converts the beta-carotene into Vitamin A which keeps the mucous membranes that are inside our nose and throat healthy, strong and functioning.

This list of 5 foods that help you beat the common cold is a good start if you want to stay healthy, but more importantly, you should look over your overall diet to see if you are eating well. Eating well is the best way to fend off infections and will help you get better faster, when getting ill.

Have a look at some of my recipes, I am sure you will find something that you like!