TREATING A COLD

Stoke the furnace when you're fighting a cold. 

It's cold and flu season. Do we feed a cold, starve a fever? Or is it starve a cold, feed a fever? What if we have a cold and a fever at the same time? And where did all the confusion come from? It may have started with "fasting is a great remedy of fever," a quote from a reference manual written in 1574 by John Withals, an Englishman who wrote an English-Latin dictionary for schoolboys. The belief was that eating food may generate warmth during a cold, and that avoiding food my help us cool down when overheated. But recent science says that theory is wrong and it really should be "feed a cold, feed a fever. When the body fights an illness it needs energy. Eating can help the body generate heat, but so can wearing extra clothing or getting under a blanket. A fever is part of the immune system's attempt to beat bugs. Raising our temperature increases our metabolism and results in more calories burned. For each degree our temperature rises, the energy demand increases, so taking in calories is important. In an article on the website of Scientific American magazine (scientificamerican.com) titled "Fact or Fiction? : Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever," Dr. William Schaffner, of Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine, says that when you're sick, "you have to make yourself drink fluids, even though all you want to do is collapse. Fever dehydrates the system in part through increased sweating. Replacing fluids is critical to helping the body battle infection. Dehydration makes mucus in the nose, throat and lungs dry up, which can clog sinuses and respiratory tubes. It becomes difficult to cough, which is how we expel mucus and the germs it contains. Staying hydrated helps keep the mucus running, which is a natural defense. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine enhances dehydration, as does alcohol, which is also a depressant. Chicken soup doesn't possess magic ingredients, but it has calories and the all-important liquid. And the warm vapor rising from the bowl can moisten and loosen dried mucus. Taking a hot shower can help that, too. Try blowing your nose one nostril at a time while you are in there. Supplements, Schaffner says, have very little effect, if any. And over-the-counter remedies can relieve symptoms, but they do not kill viruses or bacteria. Cold and fever germs run their course, and the immune system eventually gets the upper hand. And sleep as much as you can to give the body the rest it needs to fight off the illness. For diabetics, colds and the flu are problematic. As our bodies fight disease by releasing hormones, the hormones can make blood glucose levels go up. There are hundreds of cold viruses and new strains of flu that become dominant each year, so staying healthy is an uphill battle. According to the article "Grant yourself Immunity" on the website of Diabetes Forecast magazine (diabetesforecast.org), there are five ways we can strengthen our diabetic immune system: Avoid chronic stress. It can suppress the immune system's ability to recognize invaders and weakens the counterattack. Control blood glucose. Diabetics are no more likely to catch a cold than anyone, but when they get a cold or the flu, it can take longer to get better. A yearly flu shot is recommended. Move it. Physical activity helps relieve stress and has a big impact on immunity. Thirty minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week can do the trick. And regular activity helps us sleep better. Get some rest. Getting enough sleep helps our body maintain a balance of immune cells called monocytes. Not getting enough sleep can lessen our immunity. Eat right. Good nutrition helps diabetics stay in control of blood glucose and maintain a healthy weight. Eat a rainbow of foods, frozen or fresh. Don't drink vast quantities of orange juice for vitamin C. It will raise blood glucose and lead to stomach upset.