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Scott Webb: Though some of our grandmothers may disagree, we don't starve a cold or a fever, as it turns out. And joining me today to dispel this myth and share some other home remedies for preventing and treating illnesses is Julia Pingledis, she's a Nurse Practitioner with Genesis. This is Sounds of Good Health with Genesis brought to you by Genesis Health Care System.

I'm Scott Webb. So Julia, thanks so much for your time today. These are some age old questions we're going to ask, right? Do we starve a cold and feed a fever or do we feed a cold and starve a fever? So let's start there kind of dispel any misconceptions or myths that we may have about this and answer this age old question for us.

Julia Pingledis, APRN-CNP (Guest): To answer that question for you. I would say that you should feed both and starve neither. Food and nutrients help your body to perform at its best, whether you are healthy or sick. Whether it's a cold or fever, your body needs the nutrients to fight off illnesses and recover quickly. Starving both can lead to dehydration. So we encourage you to increase fluid intake and food as tolerated when experiencing either a cold or a fever.

Host: Well, that really helps because I think as you probably know, that we all think we know we heard from grandma, you starve this, you feed that, but we starve neither and feed both. I love that. So let's think about in terms of framing, the feeding part of this, does eating chicken noodle soup provide a health benefit, if you have a cold? I know many of us believe that, and I generally like a bowl of soup when I'm not feeling well, whether it's chicken or something else, but break down the ingredients for us in chicken noodle soup, assuming that it actually does help.

Julia: So that's a great question. I do believe that eating chicken noodle soup can help provide health benefits if you have a cold. So first the ingredient includes chicken broth. It's hearty broth. It contains vitamins, minerals, some fats. The steamy liquid can help improve upper respiratory symptoms by providing hydration and stimulating nasal clearance.

If you add things such as carrots, celery, onions; these vegetables contain vitamins A, C and other antioxidants. These can help to build a strong immune system, fight off viruses and help the body recover faster from an illness. The chicken in the ingredient of chicken noodle soup is one of the most important ones. That's the star of the dish. It provides protein, also helps support immune system. The noodles are high in carbohydrates. They help you to feel full and satisfied longer. And if you add any additional herbs, those are optional, but herbs such as parsley, bay leaf, thyme, dill, those can boost your flavor and also add more antioxidants to help support your immune system.

Host: Yeah. And is it possible, maybe I'm thinking too hard about this, but is it possible that there are some sort of mental and psychological benefits to also just having a nice bowl of soup, especially a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup when we're not feeling well?

Julia: Definitely. I think it can go either way, you know, that warmth, it makes you think of home. It makes you think of, you know, possibly what your mom or grandma fed you when you were younger. So I definitely think there are the physical as well as the mental aspects to it as well.

Host: Yeah, maybe it's just sort of a placebo effect, but there's just something satisfying, you know, and obviously, as you've mentioned here, there's some health benefits. So let's talk about gargling with saltwater. I've heard that one before as well, for a sore throat. Is that something we should do? I think that it's probably a simple, safe and affordable home remedy, but I want to hear from an expert.

Julia: Yeah, definitely saltwater gargles can be effective for relieving sore throats. It can take very little time to make and apply. It's completely safe for children over the age of six and older. It can be for anybody that is easy for them to gargle. It's fairly natural, it's affordable. So it's a very convenient remedy. And it's a standard go-to home treatment for a lot of ailments.

Host: Yeah. Definitely an easy home remedy. And we were speaking about things we heard from our grandparents, perhaps, grandmas. And she used to tell me for an upset stomach that a mint candy, some sort of mint was good, peppermint, I think. But I'm wondering about ginger. I've heard that, is that good for an upset stomach? And would it help with a stomach flu?

Julia: Yeah. So ginger root contains a chemical called gingerol and shogaol. When using ginger to treat an upset stomach, these chemicals can relax the intestinal tract to prevent motion sickness and relieving symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, colicky cramps, diarrhea and those symptoms usually go along with the stomach flu.

Host: It's so interesting. Cause you know, many of us run out for OTCs when we're not feeling well, but it's good to know that there's so many little things we can do at home. A can of soup, chicken soup, some ginger, some salt water, really awesome. Are there things that we can eat? Are there foods that are better for boosting our immune systems?

Julia: Definitely. I think for all of my patients, I recommend eating foods such as garlic, bright colored vegetables, yellow peppers, mushrooms, broccoli. So green leafy things, such as spinach, yogurt, almonds, citrus fruits, sunflower seeds, certain other fruits, such as kiwi, papaya, nuts, poultry, lean meats, shellfish. Those are a few to name that will help to naturally boost the immune system.

Host: Well, you're definitely making me hungry. I should have eaten before we did this. Cause I'm starting to dream about the food up in my kitchen. You know, when we think about vitamin C, I think a lot of us take vitamin C when we feel like a cold coming on and maybe many of us maybe load up on a little bit too much, and I know there can be some downsides to too much vitamin C, but in general, a moderate amount or a recommended amount of vitamin C, can that help as well?

Julia: Correct. Vitamin C is a natural supplement to help boost your immune system. I would recommend talking to your healthcare provider before, you know, taking a vitamin supplement as we do get a lot of those naturally through our diet. You can take something more natural, like a multi-vitamin that contains vitamin C, but if you're going to take an additional vitamin C supplement, it's always good to contact your healthcare professional first.

Host: Yeah, I think that sounds right because many of us like to think ourselves as a, you know, sort of home doctors and nurses, and we think we have all the solutions, but if you're taking a multivitamin and then you start loading up on extra vitamin C, you can maybe be creating more problems for yourself than the illness you're trying to stave off, right?

Julia: For sure.

Host: Let's talk about hydration. You know, I've heard that as well, that it's important to stay hydrated when you have a cold or flu. So I'm assuming water is recommended, but let's talk about anything else. What are the recommendations when we think about hydrating and staying hydrated? What does that mean exactly?

Julia: Whether you're suffering from a cold or flu, it's important to stay hydrated. Drinking water helps to regulate body temperature. It lubricates the joints. It prevents infections. It delivers nutrients to the cells and it keeps the organs functioning properly. Staying well hydrated also helps to improve sleep quality, cognition, improve people's moods. If not drinking water, we do recommend that people stay hydrated. Sports drinks and things like that can lead to electrolyte imbalances. So we kinda like to avoid those, but, you know, really, it's just important to get some type of fluid in when you're sick. Whatever you're able to tolerate. They do have for children PediaSure, Pedialyte, things along those lines, but really water is the best go-to.

Host: Is it possible to drink too much water? I've spoken with other experts and providers in hosting some of these, and I hear conflicting things about water. Some say, drink as much water as you can. Some say, you don't need that much water. In general, what are the recommendations for water, let's just say on a daily basis to try to prevent illnesses?

Julia: Yeah. So on a daily basis, we do recommend drinking at least six to eight 16-ounce glasses of water per day in order to stay well-hydrated. You definitely can drink too much water. It can affect your electrolytes such as your sodium, your potassium. So we do want to you know, urge people not to drink more than a gallon of water a day. But making sure that they are drinking the correct amount, staying hydrated, keeping their bodies moving and giving the organs what they need in order to stay functioning.

Host: Yeah, you got to feed those organs. I remember speaking with an expert one time and they said that we need to wake up our organs in the morning, you know, start with a nice glass of water before you have orange juice or anything else like that. You drink a nice glass of water and wake those organs up. Is that a thing Julia, waking your organs up, sort of letting them know it's time to go.

Julia: Yeah, I think it's great. You know, start your morning with a cup of water. You know, it doesn't have to be ice cold. Room temperature water is actually better. You can down it really quickly and it just gets things going, gets your metabolism started for the day.

Host: Yeah, it does feel like it kind of starts the engine. Well, this has been really educational and informational today, as we wrap up Julia, when we think about home remedies or OTCs or whatever it might be, in terms of colds and flus, preventing them, shortening the duration and so on. What would be your final thoughts and takeaways?

Julia: Yeah Um

Host: Um,

Julia: You know, I think it's just really important to, you know, be vigilant, washing our hands, keeping that distance when we know that people are sick. And then when we do start developing those symptoms, you know, address them very quickly, stay hydrated, eat the foods that are good, that are going to help you naturally fight off those illnesses and then always contact your healthcare provider, if those symptoms don't start to self-resolve on their own.

Host: Well, that's great advice. And I'm going to heed some of that advice and go have some of that food that we discussed earlier because you've made me very hungry. So thank you so much for your time today and you stay well.

Julia: Great. You're welcome.

Host: And for more information, go to genesishcs.org. And thanks for listening to Sounds of Good Health with Genesis, brought to you by Genesis Healthcare System. If you found this podcast to be helpful, please be sure to tell a friend and subscribe, rate and review this podcast and check out the entire podcast library for additional topics of interest. I'm Scott Webb. Stay well.