Feed a Cold? Starve a Fever?
By Celia Topping, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator

Is it feed a cold and starve a fever, or the other way around? The answer is neither! Being hungry or stuffed will not get rid of a cold or high temperature any faster.

So if you're getting a cold, what is the best advice? Simply follow your appetite and drink plenty of fluids. Get lots of rest and take it easy for four or five days.

It's normal to have a sluggish appetite for a few days when a cold strikes. But it is important to keep eating, for restricting calories only makes it harder to get over a cold or illness. Even without a fever, the body needs adequate calories to fight germs.

At first, try small, frequent meals-toast, soup, yogurt and applesauce, or whatever is soft, and easy to digest and sounds appetizing. Chicken soup-dubbed "Grandma's penicillin," always works. Not only does it thin nasal secretions and ease breathing, researchers have found compounds in homemade chicken-vegetable soup that inhibit inflammation-causing white blood cells.

Drinking a cup of water, tea, fruit juice or carbonated beverage every few hours helps loosen mucous secretions in your nose, throat and lungs and replaces fluids lost when you have a fever. It also may help "wash out" the virus. To relieve congestion, some people find inhaling steam from a basin of hot water helps; others use a cool mist humidifier to increase moisture in the room.

It is especially important for older adults to drink lots of liquids while sick. Fluid needs increase when you have fever or any kind of respiratory illness.

Some people avoid milk when they have a cold because it makes them feel they have more mucus in their mouths and throats. Perhaps milk's texture and consistency create this sensation, for studies have not shown a connection between the amount of milk products eaten and the amount of mucus formed.

Other remedies, such as zinc and Echinacea, are still out in the cold. Research is too skimpy to support their claims. In the meantime, stick with rest and chicken soup.

It's Contagious!

Your risk of catching a cold or flu virus increases with fatigue, stress, poor nutrition and being in contact with someone who has a cold. Some preventive advice:

•  Wash your hands and face often
•  Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
•  Stay in shape
•  Don't smoke

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Soup Recipe To Help You Feel Better:

Chicken Soup with Greens and Black Beans

2 tsp. canola oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded, cut in 1/2- inch dice
1 medium tomato, seeded, cut in 1/2-inch dice
6 cups mustard greens, lightly packed, cut in 1/2-inch strips
4 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup shredded cooked chicken (3 oz.)
4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven or large saucepan. Sauté onion and pepper over medium-high heat until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir in tomatoes and greens, mixing until greens collapse and are bright green, about 3 minutes. Pour in broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until greens are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Mix in beans and chicken. Cook until they are heated through, about 5 minutes. Divide soup among four bowls. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the cheese over each, and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 149 calories, 5 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 18 g. carbohydrate, 13 g. protein, 7 g. dietary fiber, 806 mg. sodium.

Source: American Institute for Cancer Research