As far as what to avoid when you're sick, steer clear of foods that may fuel inflammation or stress your immune system. Those foods include refined sugar, processed foods (especially those with artificial ingredients), conventional dairy and meat, caffeine, and alcohol.
Relying Too Much on Cold Treatments
But if you overdo them, cold treatments can actually have the opposite effect, making your cold symptoms worse. In fact, if you use a decongestant in spray or drop form for more than three to four days in a row, your nasal membranes will swell even more.
Ginger contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help clear up a cold faster than just waiting it out. “Apple cider and lemon in water works well, too,” she says. Worst foods: Spicy foods can cause an immediate runny nose (which then turns into congestion), as may alcohol.
The stages of a cold include the incubation period, appearance of symptoms, remission, and recovery. The common cold is a mild upper respiratory infection caused by viruses.
What Foods Can Increase Mucus? It might not surprise you to learn that most processed foods contain artificial sweeteners, sodium, and thickening agents—all of which can increase mucus production [4]. Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, or ice cream can do the same.
Most colds go away on their own within seven to 10 days and don't turn into anything more serious. Common cold treatment includes over-the-counter (OTC) medications to help reduce your symptoms and keep you comfortable until you recover.
Within 7–10 days , people will usually start to recover from a cold. Symptoms begin to ease up, and people will start feeling better. People may also find that they have more energy and are more able to carry out tasks as usual.
Colds usually last 3 to 7 days, but sometimes they hang on as long as 2 weeks. If you're under the weather for longer than that, one of these things could be to blame.
DAY 4 to 7:
In the peak stage of a cold, your symptoms may reach their maximum intensity, resulting in effects such as a runny nose, cough, sinus/nasal congestion, body aches, headache and fatigue. In some, cases, this may also lead to a fever.
Chock-full of potassium, as well as other powerful nutrients such as fiber and vitamin B6, bananas are about as good as it gets when it comes to strengthening your immune system.
To get rid of colds or dry coughs faster, you'll need to supercharge your choices in the kitchen for a few days — look to protein-rich staples like Greek yogurt, chickpeas, seeds, chicken, and eggs to fuel your immune system when you're experiencing a loss of appetite.
Apples, berries, pineapples, and much more can help keep inflammation at bay. However, say no to citrus fruits during cough and cold. They are the handful of fruits to avoid during cough and cold.
Getting extra sleep when you're sick doesn't just give you a few hours of respite from unpleasant symptoms: Sleep is like medicine for the immune system, ultimately helping you make a full recovery from an illness. “Sleep is the only time of anyone's day or night where we have restoration processes happening.
There are two reasons we need more sleep when we're feeling sick. “Drowsiness can be a side effect of your body's autoimmune response to infection,” says Stephen Light, certified sleep science coach and CEO/co-owner of Nolah Technologies. “But sleep is also essential to recovery.”
Things like allergies, eating spicy food, and being outside in the cold can result in a more watery nasal leakage. Your body usually makes thicker mucus when you have a cold (caused by viruses) or sinus infection (caused by bacteria).
Pineapple
Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple that has anti-inflammatory and mucolytic (break down of mucus) properties. These two characteristics of bromelain make pineapple an excellent food to help relieve a cough.
Ginger Water
Ginger is a healthful root that can be utilized for phlegm treatment. The added bonus with ginger water is that it can also reduce inflammation in the throat, ease upset stomachs, lessen coughs and muscle aches, all of which can be symptoms that accompany phlegm.
Smolensky says that this immune system activity and the inflammation it produces is not constant, but instead is “highly circadian rhythmic.” As a result, “you tend to experience symptoms as most severe when your immune system kicks into highest gear, which is normally at night during sleep.”