Her perm may be outdated, her email address nonexistent and her hearing dodgy, but when it comes to a cold, she’s been there, done that and got the handkerchief.
Here are five of her old fashioned cold and flu remedies that are actually spot on:
Chicken soup for the cold
Yip, it works. Although now there’s a younger, sexier, more beneficial version: bone broth. A modern day superfood, bone broth is great for the gut, and is especially valuable during cold and flu season.
The sodium helps you stay hydrated when your immune system is weak and depleted, while warmth of the broth soup comforts your throat and clears your sinuses.
Feed your gut, starve a fever
Your gut health is of utmost importance when you’re sick, as filling up on easily digested, nutritious food helps to nourish your body and give your gut a good rest. Foods rich in probiotics like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha are great for boosting your immune system and keeping colds at bay, with numerous studies suggesting that probiotics decrease the risk of contracting a cold despite exposure to infection.
Vitamin C Please
Yes, oranges can help fight the common cold as studies have shown Vitamin C is linked to a strong immune system and results in fewer visits to the doctor.
The Zinc Link
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays an important role in immunity and is one of the most effective cold and flu remedies.
As it is mostly found in animal proteins, vegetarians and vegans may be at risk for a zinc deficiency. But fear not, zinc is also found in pumpkin sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, cashews, black beans, and shiitake mushrooms, (as well as oysters and crab for the pescetarians).
Fresh as a Daisy
They say prevention is better than cure. If that’s true, then Echinacea is the best prevention out there when it comes to the common cold.
Part of the Daisy family, Echinacea is a powerful antiviral and antibacterial herb that contains polysaccharides, which increases your white blood cell count, thus fighting infection and reducing your chance of catching the common cold by 58%. This wonder herb can also help cut down the length of your cold by one and a half days.
Best you call your gran, cook her up some broth and let her say the words she’s been waiting years to say: “Told you so.”
Content via MindBodyGreen.com
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-28547/5-ways-to-prevent-a-cold-naturally.html
