What is your go-to cold remedy?

futant462

Like clockwork, the change of seasons always gives me a sinus infection.  So I'm at work right now hopped up on DayQuil, and I am failing at being productive in any way.  Being sick when I was a kid was a lot more entertaining because I could sit at home eating soup, sleep, and watch the Price is Right.

Anyways, what is your cold remedy?  Do you just stick with tried and true cold medicine and chicken noodle soup?  Chug OJ?  Down entire packets of Emergen-C?

LuckyDad

vodka

bklyndad

Pretty much what you mentioned: chicken soup, chug OJ, down entire packets of Emergen-C. If things get bad I turn to insanely spicy Asian foods, which always end up helping me the most. There are studies about how curries and Asian spices reduce swelling, clear blocked passages, boost immune systems, promote virus-fighting, help with sleep, etc., but as far as I'm concerned the following dishes are just hearty meals that make you feel warm and comforted, and which clear your sinuses. Best options for me include:

Mandu - Korean dumplings. Really common Korean dish, kind of like gnocchi. Find a decent Korean restaurant and ask for the sauce to be super spicy.

Chicken Madras - or any Madras curry, really (it's a Southern curry, which tends to be spicier than others). Again, ask for it to be spicy.  

Pho Ga - basically Vietnamese chicken noodle soup. You can ask for it to be insanely spicy. And if it still isn't doing the trick, just squeeze in a bunch of Sriracha sauce.

Tak Tori Tang - Fantastically spicy and reassuring Korean chicken and potato dish. I was introduced to this while living in Korea, and it blew my mind. One of my favorites now. Hard to describe the flavor, but it's just the trick if you're feeling sick. Good Korean restaurants should be able to make it, no problem. Be sure to tell them you want it authentically spicy or they'll just make you a chicken dish of some kind and leave out the heat.

If you really hate spicy foods, go to any decent Japanese restaurant and order a soup with udon noodles. It'll be reassuring and healing -- and don't forget to drink the broth.

Feel better!

Wulfgar

I usually just take some generic cough medicine that covers everything and Nyquil at night.

Lately though I have been going pretty much straight to brochitis so I get the powerful medicine to get rid of it.