We all need a cold remedy these days. People have started terming it “The Singapore Cold”. Every once or twice a year, there’s this epidemic were people all around us start dropping like flies with the cold, flu and fever. The worse of all these? Sore throats, because you can’t eat anything!
Shiitake Mushrooms
A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition claimed adults who ate 2 to 3 dehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms every day for a month had stronger immune cells and had quicker resistance to flu-like viruses and bacteria. If you’re not too keen on the dried variety, you can substitute with 5 to 10 fresh shiitake mushrooms. Toss them in your Nasi Goreng or Maggi Goreng, or stir fry them with some onions, green peas and chickpeas to make a protein-packed side dish.
I find mushrooms under utilised in Asian kitchens – most people have no idea what to do with them. I use Shiitake mushrooms quite freely in my recipes, here’s my spicy Maggi Goreng with Shiitake Mushrooms.
Cinnamon
Researchers have found that cinnamon renders viruses useless by eating away the outer coating of their cells – vicious but necessary I would say. 1 to 2 tablespoons of cinnamon a day can help block out the viruses and bacteria that could promote the body to react to cold and flu. This robust and versatile spice can be tossed into your salads or even morning coffee!
Cinnamon is a versatile spice, used in many Asian recipes. It belongs to a family of sweeter spices that can happily be used in sweet recipes such as cakes and pastries. Most recently, I used cinnamon to make a kick-ass Chicken Briyani, if I say so myself. Although, Chicken Briyani is not quite the cold remedy.
Probiotics
Probiotics are great for the cold and flu season, particularly when you’re suffering from the kind of cold for which you need to visit the doctor up to 3 times. Cold viruses can be stubborn and resistant to modern medication these days, and probiotics is a good way to help the body better able to handle the attack of the virus.
In a recent study, it was proven that people who consumed probiotic supplements daily were able to recover faster from the common cold, and were not as badly impacted as those who did not take the supplement. Now we know probiotics can go a long way in helping us stay healthy, other than just taking care of our guts.