I hope you had a happy and restful holiday season and that you’ve started off 2015 with a bang! You could say my holiday was restful, but not the kind of rest I had in mind. I was resting because, presumably like many of you, I was hit with the lovely seasonal cold and flu bugs (yes, “bugs” plural). Doesn’t it always seem that just as we slow down to enjoy some R&R and time with family and friends, that’s when sickness tends to strike? Most years, I fail in my desperate attempts to avoid it, and this year was no exception. While holiday eating is full of frosted cookies, egg nog, and baked ham, food choices are quite different when you’re under the weather.
Some research has found that chicken noodle soup really does help when you’re sick. Whether it’s the savory broth, or the steam coming up from the hot liquid, or a property of the chicken, I’m not sure, but when I have a bad cold, I can’t get enough!
Perhaps a little less conventional, for me, ice cream is a favorite for soothing a sore throat. Pretty much any frozen dessert – popsicles, sorbet, Italian ice, etc. – eaten when you have a case of the “blahs,” makes everything better.
Of course, when we’re sick it’s important to drink plenty of liquids, as I found out the hard way this year when I ended up dehydrated! As someone who always has a beverage on her desk or coffee table, I’ve rarely experienced dehydration, and let me just say, it is not fun! Hot tea is very soothing, as is a cold, bubbly soda, and of course, drinking plenty of water.
Whether or not you managed to stay healthy during the holidays, here’s hoping your 2015 is healthful and happy. We look forward to bringing you timely and unique insights on food safety, nutrition, and health communications throughout the year!