Battling the Common Cold

• 3 • Live Well

I have a cold.

I am coughing.

It is hard to sleep. It would be inconsiderate to go to the gym.

I am sad.

I am handling this sadness the way I handle many of my problems in life, by spending so much time exhaustively researching solutions that the problem goes away on its own.

I just finished reading Ah-CHOO! The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold by Jennifer Ackerman. Written in 2010, it summarizes the existing body of research on the common cold.

Some highlights from the book:

Kale cannot prevent the common cold: Adults come down with an average of 2-4 colds a year and it’s not a reflection of a weakened immune system. How healthy or physically active adults were going into cold studies didn’t impact their susceptibility to the virus. Kids get between 10-12 colds a year… and guess what, parents are likely to be on the upper echelon of the 2-4 average because we catch those colds from our kids.

Stop touching your face: Research suggests that it’s not sneezing and coughing that spreads germs so much as mucus from runny noses. The virus proliferates in mucus and not saliva, so when people wipe or blow their noses, the virus often spreads to surfaces they touch afterward. Healthy people touch those surfaces, then touch their eyes or noses and that’s where the virus most commonly enters the body. Washing your hands before you eat is great, but for the common cold, washing your hands before you rub your eyes (your tear ducts connect to your sinuses and it’s been shown viruses can enter that way) or your nose, is most important. So just stop touching your nose and rubbing your eyes! Except… people touch their faces subconsciously with great regularity. Videotaped and observed subjects have been shown touching surfaces and then their faces as little as 3 times an hour to 15 times per hour.

Don’t reach for Purell, antibacterial soap, or antibiotics: Colds and the flu are from viruses, not bacteria. The best way to clean your hands of viruses is to wash them well with soap and water. Likewise, antibiotics won’t shorten the duration of the cold. Using antibiotics or antibacterial soaps can kill off the good bacteria in your body and create resistant strains of bad bacteria – save it for when it’ll help!

Cough syrups are relatively ineffective: Did we secretly know that? I feel like we may have. But people buy them anyway. Cough syrups can be dangerous for young children, and given how ineffective they are the author strongly discourages their use for kids. There may also be some negative consequences of suppressing coughs; they’re our bodies’ natural way to clear out mucus. Web MD agrees on all points.

Other ineffective things? Zinc, Vitamin C, and Echinacea. Zinc sprays like Zicam have been linked to loss of smell, and the author cautions against them as both ineffective and having this rare but serious side effect.

What is somewhat effective: Old school anti-histamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and pseudoepinephrine (Sudafed) do help reduce nasal congestion and can alleviate the symptoms of your cold. They haven’t been shown to reduce the duration, but they can make you more comfortable and potentially reduce risk of a sinus infection from over congestion. (“New” antihistamines like Claritin do not work for colds.) Lozenges, both medicated (Halls) and non-medicated (Ricola), have been shown to effectively curb your coughing fits.

What doesn’t hurt: Hot liquids, steam (assuming it’s a comfortable temperature), hugs, neti pots, saline only nasal sprays.

So…. I feel a bit better reading this book and realizing that I could not have kale-and-exercised my way out of catching this cold. I feel a little less freaked out when someone coughs in public near me, but more cautious when it comes to touching public surfaces. I feel MUCH more paranoid whenever I belatedly realize I’m rubbing my eyes or touching my face.

If this book taught me anything, it’s the sad truth that colds are an inevitable part of life, and our ability to manage our symptoms is fairly limited.

Tea and patience.

I was hoping my cold would be gone by the time I finished reading the book and writing this post….

I guess I’m better at the tea part.

Meal and snack ideas – what we actually eat!

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So, I watched a funny video called A Modern Dating Horror Story which hit home a little about our social media use and inability to eat a meal without first photographing and posting it.

But….

I love following fellow whole foods, plant-based focused eaters on social media because I love seeing what they’re eating, and I love getting meal planning inspiration from them! It makes my life better when someone posts a gorgeous lentil soup photo and I’m eating lentil soup within 48 hours because I got inspired.

So, in case you’re like me (and I know some of you are because I’ve heard from you after I post food photos) here are some random things we ate last week. Like, real-life, busy week, actually made and ate. The real nitty gritty.

It’s something I’m considering posting more frequently, so let me know if you like it!

Breakfast

Whole grain toast topped with hummus, parsley, and leftover cranberry sauce. (Don’t tell the avocados.)

Snacks:

 

Chocolate chip cookie and blueberries, sent to school wrapped in a napkin using the furoshiki method.

Roasted pumpkin seeds and raspberries.

Crackers topped with sweet potato hummus, ground cloves and cinnamon, sunflower seeds and raisins. (The spices are a must. So delicious.)

Lunches:

 

Kale wrap with sweet potato hummus, raisins, and walnuts. There’s ground flax sprinkled in there, too.

Dinners

Chickpea salad sandwiches with a side of mango, carrots and mini-heirloom tomatoes. Chickpea salad sandwiches are a staple in our house – they’re so fast, easy to make, and delicious. This one had a hummus, mustard and lemon juice dressing and I added chopped celery, pickles, a few capers, dill and parsley to the chickpeas. There are countless chickpea salad recipes online, and it’s worth finding a couple you love because they make a filling and delicious meal in minutes. I like using hummus as a dressing base and then mixing it up by adding hot sauce or other flavors. It’s much healthier than a vegan mayo base, and then you can decide if you want a little Just Mayo on your bread or if you want to skip it.

Homemade seitan and bean roast with truffle mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, mushroom gravy and roasted asparagus. (I guess we talked a little too much about Thanksgiving plans, because then Greg went all out and made a gorgeous Thanksgiving dinner!)

Taco night with roasted mushrooms, a hint of soy chorizo, tomatoes, chopped cabbage, fresh cilantro, guacamole, and cashew sour cream.

Farmer’s market bonanza – stir-fried vegetables, sliced tomatoes, corn on the cob, baba ghanoush and a slice of farmer’s market whole grain bread toasted and set underneath the veggies with a drizzle of balsamic.

Biked the Rail Trail near Lebanon, NH – A Perfect Birthday Gift from Greg!

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For my birthday Greg researched different bike trails and routes in New England and presented me a packet of options to choose from. He said, “I thought about getting you earrings, but I figured maybe you’d rather bike together.”

Yes, I would. (No judgment on anyone who would prefer earrings, I absolutely love earrings, I just already have some.)

I chose to rent hybrid bikes and do the Rail Trail in Lebanon, NH. Some other options were the Kancamagus Highway or a coastal trail in Maine ending in Kennebunk.

But the images Greg printed from the Rail Trail had me captivated, as did the thought of us biking side by side on miles of trail with no cars to worry about. (The other routes were roads, and no matter the breakdown lane it’s not quite the same as a car-free trail!)

It. Was. Amazing.

We biked for 31 miles, which was over 3 hours on the trails. Picnic lunch, hours of scenery, pumpkin beer… it was the perfect fall gift.

We saw other cyclists and runners and a couple families with kids on bikes, but the further we got from Lebanon the quieter the trail became. We probably had over an hour where we saw no one at all, just us biking side by side through the woods, over bridges, and past occasional mountain views.

I love the gift of a memory and this is a good one. After being out there for hours, I can close my eyes and still see the trail in front of me.

The kids were thrilled, too – Greg’s parents came to town and brought them to soccer, and then a pumpkin festival, and then out to their favorite restaurant. At 5 and 7 it’s all about the grandparents. They’d like it if we took a day trip every weekend!

I’ve never done trail biking like this before, and I loved it. It’s much slower than road cycling but absolutely beautiful and more relaxing.

Check out a video of the trail and some photos – maybe it’ll inspire you to find a trail nearby!

 

How You Can Help Puerto Rico and Other Hurricane Victims

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This photo is from our first trip to St. Martin. We had just gotten engaged and I’d never been to the Caribbean (or anywhere like it) before.

That building is no longer there.

More importantly, most of the people we met on that island no longer have homes or workplaces. Access to food and water and electricity? I don’t know.

I’ve also been reading about Puerto Rico in the news.

I wonder how much we could help if everyone who had been to the Caribbean or who wants to go someday could just take the amount they’d spend on their first round of drinks at the beachside bar, or their first night in a hotel, and send it to help.

Los Calmos Cafe was our favorite bar on St. Martin. I remember ordering a “small BBC”, some blended chocolate banana alcohol combination that we followed with straight shots of dark vanilla flavored rum. Perfectly paired with the feeling of our feet in the sand and the sight of the crescent moon in the sky. W

We brought our children there years later. For the feet in the sand. Not the rum. We sent money to help St. Martin, and Puerto Rico.

If you want to help hurricane victims, experts are advising that you send money and not goods, and choose a vetted charity.

Here are some recommended by PBS and Consumer Reports.

Hispanic Federation: Well ranked by Charity Navigator and BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Hispanic Federation has set up a fund in collaboration with NYC civic leaders directly targeting Puerto Rico Disaster relief.

Unidos: United For Puerto Rico – a fund established by the first lady of Puerto Rico in collaboration with private companies to directly help hurricane victims.

Direct Relief: Distributes Medicine and Medical Equipment directly to those who need it.

Can’t give money right now? Consider donating blood. The Red Cross is reporting a severe shortage.

 

My thoughts are with anyone who is impacted directly by the recent hurricanes, or who are worried about loved ones.

What I Will Do When The Boys Are Both in School

• 3 • Live Well

Both kids will be in elementary school this fall.

People have asked me what I will do with all this free time.

I will tell you.

There shall be elaborate dinner parties at my house at least once a month, including wine pairings.

Clutter will be annihilated by 5:30 p.m. every day so we can have a luxurious homemade evening meal as a family, occasionally candle-lit.

Lunches will be planned out a week in advance with accompanying grocery lists.

All meals will be planned.

Even take-out will be planned, so I can look forward to it and order the perfect quantity and variety of entrees to arrive after just enough time for the wine to breathe.

Homemade snacks after school. Every day. Warm out of the oven.

I will run 12 miles a week, bike 30 miles a week, swim 2 miles a week, and take several classes at the Equinox.

Greg and I will meet for lunch every Thursday. I will be wearing makeup and a cute sundress every single time. Even in January.

The kids will get dressed out of their closets, not out of the dryer.

Family members will get timely birthday cards and presents.

The refrigerator will be constantly stocked with fresh berries and other delightful produce, all thoughtfully used before it goes bad.

Friends will find my semi-regular foodie theme parties like “Amsterdammm cocktails” and “Dip-extravaganza” weird but oddly charming. They will attend.

My blog will become fresh and consistent and the comments section will explode.

I will call, email, or write to my grandparents every week.

I will publish regular guides to living more sustainably, including a laborious catalog of every place in town that you can buy food items in bulk.

My speaking to groups about food and the environment will help people make choices in line with their own values.

I will make all my beans from scratch.

And all my bread.

And nut cheeses.

And almond milk.

These will pair nicely with the herbs that I will grow on our deck and move indoors prior to the first frost.

I will hand Greg a vibrant, delicious, well-balanced smoothie on his way out the door every day.

I will track all the successful school lunches I make that the kids actually eat. With photographs. On my blog. Weekly.

I will clean out every closet in the home and then maintain order with regular closet check-ups on rainy days.

I will then relax and make my way through all the Pulitzer prize winning novels I haven’t read yet.

I may also build a sister peak to Mount Everest and train for a half-ironman, but I’d like to start realistically, so please don’t hold me to my reach goals.