As we enter winter, it is known to all that colds fly, in fact, you are probably reading this while you have a tissue in your hand to wipe your nose. And it is that we are facing a general flu raisin of which there is even talk of an epidemic.

And in addition to the fact that we find ourselves tired, fatigued, sleepy, not hungry, headache, itchy nose and multiple other symptoms, we left a fortune in the pharmacy , what if something for the cough, what if the headache , mucus, and of course they already take advantage and sell us the essential (note my irony) vitamin supplement that will give us energy and strength to pass that flu sooner (ahem, ahem).

Forget all that and follow a good diet! Let’s replace the pharmacy with the greengrocer.

Foods with properties to treat colds

The onion and garlic will help us strengthen our immune system, since both contain allicin, a natural antibiotic with bactericidal, antiviral and immunostimulatory properties.

The best way to take them is raw, since that way they will retain all their properties. For example, adding onion to a green salad or garlic to an endive salad with tomato. Another option is in soup and if not cooked.

In addition, we can cut an onion in half and leave it on the table when we go to bed, the smell that it gives off helps us open the nasal passages, breathe better and cough less (and for the unbelievers, think about when you chop an onion to cook, like suddenly you breathe better).

Citrus fruits like orange , the mandarins, the grapefruit and lemon and the kiwi are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which help eliminate toxins from the virus and reduce the duration of colds. The best way to eat them raw and whole, if you cannot make juice, although it is not so recommended. You can read about it here .

Other foods that will help you against the cold

Other foods rich in this vitamin are bell peppers , broccoli and cabbages . Any healthy cooking mode is good for these.

Also important are foods rich in vitamin A and antioxidants, which are bright orange vegetables such as pumpkin , carrot , sweet potato , tomato ,  pepper … (actually they are rich in beta-carotene that once ingested becomes Vitamin A)

Beta-carotenes resist cooking and can be found in these foods, whether eaten raw or cooked. For example, a pumpkin cream is an excellent option.

On the contrary, foods such as milk are counterproductive, since, despite much controversy, they cause more mucus which aggravates the cold.

It is also not convenient for us to eat very greasy food or cooked with cooking that uses a lot of oil, since our body is weak and it will cost much more to digest it.