We all know winter term is almost unbearable here in the Eug. It’s wise to know how to keep yourself healthy and happy with the rain, lack of sunlight and of course whatever this year’s inevitable sickness will be that’ll wipe out half of our classes by midterms. This short list includes some unexpected, everyday foods that will help your body fight off sickness. By using these foods to create your own home remedies you can be sure to make it to all of your classes for the rest of this term, or at least have enough energy to get through the entire series of Friends on Netflix.
Photo by Bri Jones
Red Wine: We’ve all heard that drinking lots of liquids can help beat a cold. It helps replace fluids lost from fever and loosens mucus and congestion. Now you can add red wine to the standard water, Gatorade, Sprite rotation. Resveratrol and polyphenols in red wine prevent cold and flu viruses from multiplying after they’ve entered your system. You’ll get a buzz and feel better, what more can you ask for?
Photo by Bri Jones
Dark Chocolate: First red wine, now dark chocolate- no, this isn’t a list for date night. But while you’re sick and bed ridden, you might as well treat yourself. Dark chocolate contains tons of disease-fighting antioxidants and is loaded with zinc. Small, daily portions of dark chocolate will help boost your immune system, so your cold will be gone in no time. To really reap the benefits, be sure to get chocolate that is low in sugar and has a cocoa content of 70% or higher.
Photo by Bri Jones
Yogurt: Dairy products aren’t necessarily the first things you’d think to eat while you’re congested and coughing up all types of weird looking stuff. However, certain yogurts contain a bacterium called lactobacillus reuteri that, like red wine, stops viruses from multiplying after they’ve invaded your body. Since not all types of yogurts contain this particular bacterium, make sure you get one that does.
Photo by Bri Jones
Fennel: Sick of soup? Make a salad for your cough! Roasted or raw, fennel’s licorice flavor adds a delicious heartiness to any salad. It is also a natural expectorant (it gets rid of phlegm) and it can help soothe a stubborn cough.
Photo by Bri Jones
Garlic: Garlic helps relieve a stuffy nose by opening up sinuses, as well as boosting immunity. It works best if eaten raw, but since we don’t want to scare away your roommates or significant others, cooked garlic is okay too. And let’s face it, they probably aren’t coming too close to your cold anyways.
Photo by Bri Jones
Ginger: Ginger ale can soothe an upset stomach, but fresh ginger could relieve almost all of your cold symptoms. There are chemicals in ginger that specifically target rhinoviruses, which are the most common family of cold viruses. There are also substances that suppress coughing. At the first sign of a fever shave some ginger into your tea or add it to any meal because this natural pain reliever and fever reducer is also a sedative. After a few meals with added ginger, you’ll be well-rested and fever-free.