HEALTHY DIET FOR THE WINTER COLD

Every mile is two in winter, just like our metabolism which slows down in winters. So winter days are cold, when you want to warm up fast with a bowl of mom’s creamy soup or stew. But there also is no excuse to throw all your healthy eating habits out the window just because it's dark and cold outside!

Some instructions for winter:

1. Eat high-quality carbohydratesListen to your cravings because the "feel-good" brain chemicals start to decline. Your cravings for carbohydrate-loaded comfort foods are your body's cries for more of these hormones. But when choosing carbohydrates opt for nutritious whole grains and choose high-quality carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and whole breads/rotis/brown rice.
2. Go seasonalWinter can also be as amazing as summer with it’s produce such as pomegranates, cranberries, oranges, sweetlime, pineapples, purple/black grapes, carrots, which will not only add colour but nutrition into your meals.
3. Include Vitamin D rich foodsVitamin D can be found in fortified dairy products, fortified breakfast cereals, fatty fish, and egg yolks.
4. Nourish your cold with probiotics and vitamin CProbiotics (as found in yogurt with active culture) may shorten your cold episode by almost two days. So keep on eating those "friendly" bugs!Vitamin C can be got from citrus fruits, amla (gooseberry), capsicum, guava and hot chillis.

The common cold is caused by any of a number of viruses that can involve the upper respiratory tract. As your body fights the attacking virus, you get the symptoms of a cold, including nasal congestion, sneezing and sniffles. Colds are very common every winter, but your best remedies are right in your kitchen. In fact, you can strengthen your immune system's infection-fighting ability by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and getting enough rest. Good nutrition is also essential for recovering from a cold, and you can reduce the duration of one and also decrease the aggravating side effects such as stuffy nose and sore throat simply by eating right.

Here’s are some tips:

• Fill up on nutrient-rich healthy diet to build your immune system and fight inflammation during a cold.
• Drink plenty of cold and hot liquids. Water, tea, fruit juice, or broth based soups. When you have cold, liquids thin and loosen mucus and help get it moving out of your body. Also a hot chicken or a clear vegetable soup helps move viruses and germs out of your system.
• Avoid excess of caffeine. The diuretic effect of caffeine in fluids like coffee, tea, and soda drinks make them less helpful than water or decaffeinated beverages when you have a cold.
• If you have diarrhea symptoms, eat low fibre foods such as white bread, white rice or noodles, creamed cereals, ripe bananas, steamed apple or pear without skins, eggs, mashed or baked potatoes without the skin.
• Eat fibre and protein rich foods to avoid constipation which can make you feel sluggish.
• Eat small frequent meals spread fairly evenly throughout the day (consisting of comlex carbohydartes and proteins to keep blood sugar levels steady.
• Keep yourself hydrated by taking water, light or green tea, juices, and soups. Avoid excess of sodas or alcohol as they are dehydrating and can affect the absorption of vitamin D and iron.
• Having a teaspoon of ginger juice or powder with honey about 2-3 times a day is a great remedy for your cold and building up your immunity.
• Adding black pepper powder and garlic in foods are also beneficial.
• Amla as juice or chutneys are a great source of vitamin C.
• Warm milk with jaggery and kesar is a great healer of colds.
• Exercise for about 30 minutes a day as this also helps to keep the metabolism of our body running well.

So the bottom line is this- Don’t let the winter cold slug you down. Pep up and energize yourself by getting maximum benefit from the tool box which is right in your kitchen and have an energy filled winter season.