After a cold, you should drink more boiled water. Symptoms of infantile toxin after a cold include:
Wind-cold感冒: manifested as fever, aversion to cold, headache, sore throat, itching, general malaise, nasal congestion, runny nose, coughing and spitting out thin white phlegm, etc.
Wind-heat感冒: manifested as high fever, headache, sore throat, thirst, coughing and spitting out yellow phlegm, etc.
Internal and external dual infection type: manifested as high fever, headache, dizziness, sore limbs, sore throat, dry stools, etc.
Gastrointestinal type感冒: symptoms include fever, nausea, headache, fatigue in the limbs, etc.
Food therapy according to the type of cold:
● Wind-cold感冒: eating spicy food can dispel the cold. It is advisable to eat more diaphoretic and cold-dispelling foods, such as chili peppers, green onions, ginger, garlic, tofu, fresh ginger with brown sugar water, etc. Studies have shown that chicken soup can help people fight off the flu, and drinking chicken soup helps expel the virus from the body. Chicken soup contains various amino acids needed by the human body, which can effectively enhance the body's immune capacity. Drinking chicken soup during a cold is suitable for those who are physically weak, while those who are very healthy or too obese should not consume warm-natured foods like chicken soup, otherwise the condition may worsen.
● Wind-heat感冒: eat light and drink more porridge. It is advisable to eat more foods that help disperse wind-heat and clear heat, such as mung beans, radishes, Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage roots, mint, tea, etc. You can cook porridge with fresh pear juice and an appropriate amount of rice and eat it hot. During a cold, you should try to eat less or avoid high-fat, high-protein, and spicy foods, and avoid alcohol, as these can easily worsen your condition. Pears are considered cold in nature in traditional Chinese medicine and are suitable for symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, and excessive phlegm caused by wind-heat colds.
● Internal and external dual infection type: acidic fruit juice is essential. The diet should be light but not bland, satisfying nutritional needs while also enhancing appetite. For example, you can eat more millet porridge, red bean porridge, etc.; you should also ensure adequate hydration by drinking more acidic juices such as hawthorn juice, kiwi juice, and jujube juice to boost appetite. Vinegar, lemon juice, and dried plum also have significant effects on enhancing appetite.
● Gastrointestinal type感冒: tea and brown sugar are good companions. Chrysanthemum, Longjing tea, mung beans with brown sugar can be used as substitutes for tea drinks. At the same time, you should eat more vegetables and fruits rich in calcium, zinc, and vitamins, such as radishes, pears, kiwis, and mushrooms, all of which can alleviate cold symptoms.
Reminder:
1. After catching a cold, you should drink more boiled water, as sufficient water can dilute toxins in the blood, accelerate the excretion of metabolic products, thereby alleviating cold symptoms and shortening the course of the disease.
2. People with colds should avoid certain foods. It is recommended to eat light and easy-to-digest foods, such as rice porridge and noodles, avoiding fried and greasy foods. During a cold, avoid or minimize consumption of duck meat, pork, lamb, dog meat, softshell turtle, clams, vinegar, persimmons, etc.
(Responsible Editor: Xu Xiaoyu, Intern Editor: Yang Quanfen)