Common Cold
There are a variety of different viruses that can cause a cold. Surprisingly, most of us are exposed to them on a daily basis, yet we only suffer a cold a couple of times a year - when our immune system is not as strong as it should be. So, how do you keep your immune system strong? Tip Number 1: get enough rest - try to average 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night and don't over-exercise, especially when you're already feeling tired.
Tip Number 2 is to eat a healthy diet - which means eating plenty of fruit and vegetables as they are high in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. On the other side of the coin, avoid a diet high in sugar because high sugar levels can significantly impair the work of our white blood cells - a major player in our immune system.
What can you do to speed recovery when you've already caught a cold? Get lots of rest, drink lots of clean water, and get plenty of vitamin C and the mineral zinc. Vitamin C is found in most fruit and vegetables, although it's not advisable to drink fruit juice when you've got a cold, as the high sugar levels will counteract the positive effects of vitamin C. Zinc is found in brown rice, oats, meat, tofu, pine nuts, cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds.
If you fancy cooking up a dish that's high in vitamin C and zinc, why not try my recipe for Winter Pumpkin with Apricot and Onion Comfit served on a bed of Kale?...
Ingredients
500g small shallots (peeled)
900g pumpkin or butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
black pepper to taste
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1/2 tsp cinnamon
400g apricots
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp flaxseed oil
500g kale (lightly steamed)
Prepare the pumpkin and cut into thick chunks. Baste the pumpkin in the olive oil, pepper, tamari, molasses and cinnamon; then roast in the oven for approximately 25-30mins (190-200°C.) Fry the shallots in a pan until golden brown and add the apricots and a touch of water just to cover. When 'caramelised' (not using real caramel of course), add the cooked pumpkin and serve over a bed of steamed spinach (kale). Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and drizzle with flaxseed oil to serve. (Serves 6)
There are a variety of different viruses that can cause a cold. Surprisingly, most of us are exposed to them on a daily basis, yet we only suffer a cold a couple of times a year - when our immune system is not as strong as it should be. So, how do you keep your immune system strong?Read also:
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An A to Z of Healthy Eating - D
There seems to be a dearth of healthy foods beginning with ‘D’, The ones that spring to my mind are dates, daikon, duck, dulse and dill. Let’s take a look at each of these and find out why they’re good for us and how they can be used. -
I need some extra energy for a 10k run next month...
Gerry in Southampton is running his race next month and wants some tips for before, during and after the race... -
Colour Yourself Healthy!
When talking fruit and veg, the government advises that we eat 'Five a Day'. That's certainly a good start, but if I was the Prime Minister I'd change that to 'Five Colours a Day'. That way we'd hopefully find ourselves eating more than five different kinds of fruit and vegetables daily, but it would mean we'd also benefit from the additional health-promoting properties of eating naturally pigmented food.
