Don't Starve Your Cold

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NOW THAT FALL HAS ARRIVED, it’s time to break out your favorite sweaters, take brisk walks in the park, enjoy the changing colors of the landscape—and prepare for the healthiest cold-and-flu season you’ve ever had.

It’s widely known that foods can play a major role in preventing colds and flus as well as shortening their duration. And as you’ll see here, many familiar herbs contain constituents that fight viral and bacterial infections.

Enlist this cold-and-flu-fighting meal in your health regime for preventing those pesky bugs, or eat it at the first sign of a sniffle. Turn the page for the recipes.

Recipes

GARLIC SOUP

Serves 4

Stuffy head? Plugged nose? Turn to Garlic Soup for relief. Science shows that garlic can fight the strongest infections, even pneumonia. It has been used successfully to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial illnesses, and its expectorant properties help move infection out of the lungs and bronchial tubes.

1 tablespoon olive oil
12 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large, sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable bouillon
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped Salt

Put the olive oil in an 8-cup saucepan. On low heat, sauté the garlic and onions, covered, for about 25 minutes until cooked through—they’ll appear to be nearly nearly translucent.

Transfer the garlic and onions to a food processor or blender and puree with the thyme and 1/2 cup of the broth or bouillon. Pour the puree back into the pan, add the remaining broth, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the cayenne, basil, and salt to taste, and heat for 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

SESAME KALE STIR-FRY

Serves 4

Leafy greens are loaded with antioxidants, particularly vitamins A and C, and are recommended by many health practitioners for preventing colds and flus.

One 3/4-cup serving of kale provides 60 mg of vitamin C, 100 percent of the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), and 4,500 IU of vitamin A, nearly the RDA of 5,000 IU. Sesame seeds are high in antioxidants, including vitamin E, which is important for a healthy immune system. Shiitake mushrooms contain lentinan, a compound that fights viruses and stimulates the immune system.

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