Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever

by Kris Pitcher

Pearls of wisdom, old wives tales...folklore and legend. Feed a cold, starve a fever. That's how the saying goes. So when I woke up feeling like someone had stuffed my throat with golf balls...I immediately wanted a scone.

The day before I tried the gel you shoot up your nose, "at the first sign of a cold for immediate relief" - well, so much for that. I suited up and went to work for a meeting I couldn't miss. Then it was straight back to bed. I ate a big bowl of broth surrounding my chicken and broccoli for instant "soup". It was soothing.

I slept until the next meeting I had to phone into. Big mugs of steaming hot tea, couch time with blankets and lap time with one big cat. Yet, this morning...golf balls. DayQuil to the rescue, I have to function this week...I can almost breathe out of one nostril. I wonder if a scone would fix me?

The saying makes a little sense. It was thought you "caught cold" so eating would increase your body temperature. Likewise a fever increased your body temperature, and starving it would decrease your temperature in theory. Experts of today would tell us to hydrate and eat a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, soup, things with nutritional and hydration value. I don't think a scone fits whether you have a cold or a fever.

I'll just go for extra sleep, a break from heavy workouts, extra hydration, lots of hand washing...and plenty of Kleenex close at hand. Watch out for the crud, it's going around. Stay well and take care of yourselves!