5 foods to avoid when you are down with cold

When you are down with a cold or are infected by the flu, your digestive system gets weaker and every other body process gets less active than usual. You need to eat and drink the right kind of food that supplies your body with nutrients and minerals, to give you back your resistance power to fight off the flu. Here is a list of the foods that you should avoid at all costs when you are down with a cold.

• Fruits –  Consuming citrus fruits can release histamine, that can make the nasal passages swell. The list includes orange, grapefruit, tangerine, etc. Citrus fruits can be irritating for your stomach and lead to an upset stomach. Hence it is best to stay away from any kind of fruit until you recover completely.

• Processed food –  One should avoid unhealthy snacks or packaged food. Packaged foods like cookies, cakes, chips consist of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. These foods are made with the sole purpose of enhancing the taste. It has no nutrient value. Even if the package mentions a certain nutrition value percentage, it is way too minimal to do any good. Rather the food is capable of causing more harm to the body. It consists of everything which will weaken the body and slower our recovery from the cold.

• Alcoholic drinks – People think that whiskey or brandy or any other alcoholic drinks are the best medicine to beat the cold. But the reality is, it won’t make even the slightest difference. Alcohol harms the body in more ways than you can think of. When our body is sick or suffering from the flu, putting our liver under strain is not a very healthy thing to do. Alcohol consumption might lead to liver disease. Moreover, alcohol interferes with sleep which is much needed for recovery. Focus on food that retains a sufficient amount of nutrient value. It helps in repairing cells and strengthens the immune system. Hence steamed vegetables or soups are very beneficial and they are easy to digest as well. Also, these consist of all the required nutrients that the body needs.

• Sugar – Sugar must be avoided at all costs. Sugar is responsible for causing inflammation and also weakens the white blood cells, that helps us to fight germs and various other infections. So it is advisable to stay away from candies or chocolate bars.

• Dairy products – A flu attack can create the most uncomfortable situation for you. Your nose is stuffed, you have a throbbing head with pain, no appetite, and  dull taste buds. It is time to eat the right food and get proper nutrition to recover. Any products that are made out of milk like yogurt and cheese will fatten mucus and also will aid the formation of it.  Dairy consumption will give you a sore throat and a runny nose.

So the next time, you are down with a severe cold, make sure the diet you consume is healthy and exclusive of the above-mentioned food items.