Joined: Nov '09
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 2387
Well, maybe not a cure, but something to try out as it may have worked for my family this year.
First some background: The past ten years my winters have been quite miserable for me with lots of bad colds and chest infections. It doesn't help that my wife works at a pre-school part time, and also part time at a daycare. Add to that two grade school aged children and it makes for lots of runny noses, sneezes, and .... you get the picture.
As this "winter" (more like an extended spring season for us) nears an end, I couldn't help but remark how healthy we have all been this year, yet nothing changed for us. My kids are in the same school, my wife is working the same jobs, and I have been dealing with my usual high level of stress and CRAP at my job, so what changed? Curiously the only thing that I can see that is changed this year is our eating habits. Cooking and good food runs in my veins, and last fall with the kids getting older and less finicky I got back into doing some serious stuff in the kitchen. Which included lots of chicken. Which meant lots of chicken stock, which I then turned into chicken soup nearly every week. Nothing too fancy - some onions, alphabet pasta which the kids love, a few vegetables and a little salt to season.
You can snicker at this if you want, but try it out if you have a cold, and even if you don't, on a cold winter night a fresh baked crusty bread with a hot bowl of soup is an inexpensive and yummy way to go.
Joined: Feb '11
Location: Ireland
Age: 51 (M)
Posts: 476
you really know how to get the stomach rumbling mahdrof just reading your recipe is making me hungry...but kitchens and me dont get on too well so may have to pass this on to the wife to make
Whether you get the common cold or not, depends largely on whether or not you've been infected with the virus associated with the common cold, i.e. the "rhino virus", not on any particular diet.
It has been shown that over 90% of people that are exposed to the rhino virus (who get infected), develop symptoms. So it's really not a question of resistance or diet, but more of a question of being infected or not.
Things that do work are: - Washing your hands often (especially after being in public areas) - Keep your distance from infected people (although that may not be obvious, because they are infectious a few days before developing symptoms) - Don't touch your face with your hands (nose, mouth, or rubbing your eyes), though this is a VERY hard habit to break. - Teach people to sneeze into the inside of their elbow, to eliminate spraying the room, with water droplets carrying the virus. - Wear a hazmat suit 24h/day...
Oh, and please let's not start a discussion of how your immunity system, needs the "training" of fighting these infections each year; If you feel that way, I would recommend you try ebola, for really giving your immune system a good workout...
Joined: Oct '08
Location: Canada
Age: 66 (M)
Posts: 2423
chicken soup has always been one of the foods you have , when you have a cold. also room temperature ginger ale, with it. but this year it also depends where you live in canada, i'm in mississauga ontario, so far winter hasn't started here yet.and spring is only 4 weeks away.so far we have had only 2 small snow storms in the early am , but by 1pm all gone. and again this week all plus temperatures with no snow. it's been a great winter.
LOL... Science taken out of context; the original article doesn't claim any health benefit, it just offers the in vitro anti-inflammatory properties of chicken soup, as a possible explanation for why chicken soup is attributed cold-curing abilities, in modern culture.
No clinical study in humans was done, nor does it offer anything in terms of preventing the common cold...
Joined: Oct '09
Location: Spain
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 2851
Posted by mahdrof: You can snicker at this if you want, but try it out if you have a cold, and even if you don't, on a cold winter night a fresh baked crusty bread with a hot bowl of soup is an inexpensive and yummy way to go.
Thanks for the Tip mahdrof!
I´ll try and get thrown in Jail sometime soon. That is what they´re serving daily, or so I´ve been told.
Joined: Dec '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 60 (F)
Posts: 21
There is an old saying "feed a cold and starve a fever". I get lots of colds. I eat a lot, including chicken soup. It's not a cold cure, but it makes me feel better. Unscientific personal observation.
Joined: Nov '09
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 2387
Posted by IslandJack:
Posted by mahdrof: You can snicker at this if you want, but try it out if you have a cold, and even if you don't, on a cold winter night a fresh baked crusty bread with a hot bowl of soup is an inexpensive and yummy way to go.
Thanks for the Tip mahdrof!
I'll try and get thrown in Jail sometime soon. That is what they're serving daily, or so I've been told.
Nice to see that your humour is back Jack, 2011 was a rough year for you.
Joined: Jan '11
Location: United States
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 3361
That is really something mahdrof because my wife has made chicken soup about 5 times this so called winter. It's excellent! This is actually the first year we've ate this so often. We're big chicken, fish and vegie eaters since my wife was raised by her grandmother in the country with home cooking / big family. I may have to try the alphabet noodles though, haven't used those yet! Good Luck All!
Joined: Oct '09
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 57 (M)
Posts: 667
Hi Mahdrof. There is a expression which I am sure you have heard of. "It's all Kosher - It's all chicken soup". This is a old east end of London expression. With Jewish heritage I believe. I think it means that it is all good and whatever works for you works. Personally I am a big girl and when I get a cold it is the worse cold that anyone has ever had and I am dying........ Have a couple of duvet days in front of the tele and play some poker, lose/ win some money.......
just reading your recipe is making me hungry...but kitchens and me dont get on too well so may have to pass this on to the wife to make 
