10 Foods that Kill The Common Cold

The weather is changing signaling nature's transition from the heat and humidity we know (especially in Georgia) as summer into Fall and then into Winter. Typically joining this cool off in temps is an ushering in of cold, flu and more unwelcome viral guests. Nearly every member of Blair’s Team has already dealt with some sort of funk... We blame Pete for bringing it into the office as he was the first to be sick and we affectionately termed it "Petebola" from there on out. ;)

There is one Team member that has not been affected: Blair.  We venture to guess that this is, at least in part, because he maintains a fresh regimen of fruits and vegetables in his diet, supplements with vitamins and minerals and sticks to filling his plate with whole, unprocessed and nutritious foods that keep his immune system at its healthiest. But for those who are not so fortunate and may have already developed a cold, cough or sore throat try these ten foods as they have been found to help ease or cure some common ailments.

Garlic

Not only is it great at thwarting vampire advances, but garlic has been shown to block enzymes that affect bacterial and viral infections!

Chicken Soup

It’s not only good for the soul, but recent studies have found that the hot soup and antioxidants in the ingredients flush out the bad bacteria and decrease congestion.

Peppermint Tea

No, we're not talking Blair's favorite sweet tea, but instead peppermint tea! In 2009, The National Academy of Sciences found that people who drink tea on a regular basis have stronger immune systems. But peppermint tea not only helps build the immune system up, the peppermint actually soothes a sore throat and dry cough. Added bonus, add some honey as its been also known to help with cough and congestion.

Almonds

Studies have shown that the skin from an almond helps the white blood cell find infections and bacteria. On top of that, they are really tasty!

Grapes

Who doesn’t love grapes? They are the perfect size for snacking and they taste amazingly sweet! Grapes contain Vitamin A and C which is often linked to fighting the side effects of a common cold.

Oranges

The FDA recommends daily allowances of about 75 milligrams of Vitamin C if you are female and 90 milligrams if you are male. So maybe we should start saying, an orange a day keeps the doctor away ;)

Button Mushrooms

Behold the power of Fungi! White Button Mushrooms are found to enhance the immune system through anti-virals and other proteins released in their cells. They also contain polysaccharides, which activate natural killer cells to destroy cold- and flu-causing viruses like little ninja warriors in your system!

Chile Peppers

Eating this hot and spicy food favorite will not only clear out your sinuses but will also raise your body temperature. The rise in body heat will actually help you break your fever more quickly.

We hope that you find some of these foods and drinks helpful if you are under the weather. If not, just go for the ice cream and chocolate cake to soothe your ailment... but don't tell Blair we said so ;)