Winter colds and winter warmers
Colds are a pain in the neck and sometimes everywhere else too. The common cold is a viral upper respiratory tract infection, which causes nasal stuffiness or a runny nose, a sore throat, a cough and perhaps a fever and headache. Symptoms last from three to 10 days.
People get colds because there are many strains of contagious viruses that cause them. Those viruses change over time. The body cannot build up resistance to all of the viruses and so we remain susceptible throughout our lives.
Influenza is also a respiratory tract infection, that is more severe than the common cold. Flu symptoms may also appear more suddenly and include high temperatures. A flu vaccine is available, but is not a guarantee against infection. The vaccine is free for those aged 65 and over. Some workplaces arrange flu vaccinations for employees.
Some people prefer to battle colds and flus using non-medicinal methods. You can find information about complementary and alternative medicine, as well as a wide range of other medical information in our suite of health information resources.
Battling colds with soup
Soup is a common winter dish and a key weapon in the battle against winter chills and ills. Some say soup is a way to get your soul in a bowl providing nourishment and intestinal fortitude in the cold, dark heart of winter.
Due to its simple cooking method, soup recipes are as old as the oldest cooking pot every culture that uses cooking pots has soup recipes. It was a dish that helped ensure survival by ensuring that no food source went unused. Almost any vegetable can be the basis for a soup and that is why it is the most varied of the world's foods.
All soups have a liquid base usually water (although sometimes milk or cream) with vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood or a combination of ingredients is added along with herbs and spices. Consistency can range from a thin broth to a stew-like spoon-bender, and the serving temperature from hot to cold.
Soup has also been used as a means to help the poor in society for many years. In the Middle Ages, monasteries gave food and shelter to travellers; in the 1910s and 1920s soup kitchens were common in New Zealand as tough economic times hit, as this photograph of a soup kitchen in Sydenham shows. Many agencies still operate food assistance to this day, and winter is the time that such services are in greatest demand.
Winter colds and winter warmer resources
Our online resources
Have a look at our articles on:
Internet Gateway links
- Colds at HealingFoodReference.com, by “health ranger” Mike Adams who has lists a range of foods and herbs and their health benefits.
- A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Published by Oxford University Press, 1995. Electronic Resource from Oxford Reference Online.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries. - Diet and nutrition links
- Food and wine links, including recipes
- Health from anatomy resources to women’s health links
Resources in our libraries
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