Got A Cold? Stop Eating, Some Experts Say

There is more to fighting a cold than taking Tylenol and eating chicken noodle soup with a glass of orange juice.

In fact, some foods, like that glass of OJ, might not help you feel better at all.

Many nutritionists recommend that you avoid eating a lot of solid foods when you are fighting off a cold.

"I would certainly say eating less would be better than eating lots of food," said Anusha Amen-Ra, a certified nutritionist and director of Sacred Space Healing and Retreat Center in Anderson Springs, Calif.

Dan Pommerich, owner of Good N' Natural Wellness Center in Appleton, Wis., agreed that eating less when you have a cold can help you recover faster.

"When you're sick, you want to cleanse. You don't want to put heavy foods into your system," said Pommerich.

So, if not food, what should you be putting into your body, and what should you avoid?

Lemon Water

Orange juice is a well-known home remedy for fighting colds, because it is a good source of vitamin C. But Pommerich has other ideas.

"People should drink juices, but not fruit juices," said Pommerich. "Orange juice is actually high in fruit sugar, which feeds viruses and weakens the immune system."

Instead, try lemon juice and water as a replacement, because it lacks the high levels of sugar, he said.

Green Smoothie

Another good replacement is a smoothie filled with greens such spinach and kale. Mix it with some water and berries, blend it up and you have healthy, filling alternative to that glass of OJ.

"The greens have a very high amount of B vitamins, including B-12, and also have a high amount of fiber," said Amen-Ra. "And that fiber helps your liver to detoxify. It really helps the person's metabolism."

Zinc Tablets

Pommerich said that vitamin C is important to help fight a cold, but zinc is more important. The problem is that most food sources that are high in zinc are not good for fighting colds.

"Animal protein is a major source of zinc, but when you're sick you want to cleanse. You don't want to put heavy foods into your system," he said. "So, in that case, you have to turn to the supplement, which gives you the support, but you are not getting it with all the other factors and the food that overload the system. You want to put your energy into rebuilding the system and cleansing the system with a cold."

Herbal Tea

Doctors and nutritionists often recommend drinking a lot of fluids when you are sick to help cleanse the system.

"Herbal teas, chamomile or whatever, there are herbs in there, they cleanse, and you get a fluid other than just water" said Pommerich. "Some people just don't want to drink a ton of water, and there are herbal teas that are designed for the immune system."

Salad or Quinoa

On the third day of your cold after you've ingested nothing but lemon water, smoothies and supplements, your stomach is probably growling for something a little more filling.

Amen-Ra said it is important to avoid acid-forming foods, not only to fight colds but to prevent them as well.

"If you eat acid-forming foods like meat, dairy, bread -- the standard American diet -- that creates acidosis, which is an environment for bacteria to grow," said Amen-Ra.

Amen-Ra recommends a salad or some quinoa. Quinoa is a grain that when cooked is similar to rice and can be found at most health food stores.

"Quinoa is a non-stored grain, and it's more of an alkaline-forming grain as opposed to an acid-forming grain, say like corn or rice or wheat. So it goes along with that philosophy of keeping yourself more alkaline," said Amen-Ra.