Using Culinary Medicine to Prevent and Treat a Cold or the Flu

By: Laura Micek-Galinat, MD, MPH, FAAFP, DABOIM, CCMS/ Assistant Director, RWJUH Somerset Family Medicine Residency

Beginning in October and running through the spring we are prone to colds and the flu, but in 2017 the flu appears to be causing more havoc. According to the New Jersey Department of Health’s Respiratory Surveillance Virus Report, this flu season is hitting more of us compared to last year.

We’re familiar with the symptoms for a common cold -- runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, fatigue and a cough. Most of the time if there is a fever added to the mix you may have the flu or a bacterial infection. A cold typically lasts 3-7 days. If you have the flu your cold symptoms would be more severe and might include: a headache, fever, muscle aches, congestion and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.

Always check with your healthcare provider to determine the cause of your symptoms and treatments, but in addition there are things you can do to ward off colds and the flu. Here are tips to help avoid colds and flu:

• Do not smoke
• Eat healthy
• Get enough sleep
• Exercise regularly
• Wash hands often and use a hand sanitizer
• Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing
• Use a clean humidifier
• Get a flu shot
• If you have the flu or a respiratory infection stay home so not to infect others

Whether you have a cold or the flu there are natural lifestyle therapies that are easy to do that will help you feel better. In addition to following your healthcare provider’s orders try these culinary treatments:

• Drink plenty of fluids (tea, juice, water)
• Eat a bowl of chicken soup (garlic and onions in soup boost immune system)

• Eat Spicy foods (opens sinuses and thins nasal secretions)
• Take probiotics (1 cup of yogurt 2hrs apart from antibiotics)
• Try this recipe for a decongestant:
  • Place 6 peppermint tea bags in a bowl of boiling water
  • With eyes closed lean forward over bowl
  • Cover head with a tented towel
  • Breathe in for 10 minutes
• Try another recipe option for a natural decongestant and cough suppressant -- Thyme Cough Syrup
  • 4 Tbsp. fresh thyme (thins mucus and antibacterial properties)
  • 1 cup near boiling water o 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup honey, preferably local and raw (expectorant) OR 1/4 cup maple syrup (for children < 12 months, who should not be given honey)
  • Pour near boiling water over thyme and steep, covered, for 15 min. Strain. Add sweetener and lemon juice. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
  • Special instructions : Child >12 mo.: 1-2 tsp. every 2-3 hours; Teens/Adults: 1-2 Tbsp. every 2-3 hours; Child < 12 mo. (Substitute the maple syrup for the honey) ½ tsp. every 2-3 hours
• Try this Ginger-Honey Tea Recipe (1-3 cups a day)
  • 1 inch ginger root, cut into slices
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1-1/2 cup water
  • In a saucepan bring water and ginger to a boil; cover and simmer for 15-20 mins. Strain and add honey & lemon

There are no cures for the common cold or the flu, but these tips will bring you comfort while your ailment runs its course.

Dr. Micek-Galinat is one of only 10 medical professionals nationwide certified as culinary medical specialist. She learned of these recipes during her integrative Medicine fellowship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. Find these recipes, and more, in “Healthy at Home: Get Well and Stay Well without Prescriptions”, by Dr. Tieraona Low Dog.

To make an appointment for a culinary medicine and integrative health consultation with Dr. Micek-Galinat, contact 908-685-2900. RWJUH Somerset’s Family Practice Center is located at 110 Rehill Ave., Somerville. To learn more about RWJUH, please visit www.rwjuh.edu. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, please call 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Follow us on Twitter at www.rwjuh.edu/twitter and Facebook at www.rwjuh.edu/facebook.