Bug the body enough, and it's going to react. The cold virus is a great example of a body being bugged and, boy, do you know it. Sore throat, puffy eyes, and loads and loads of you know what! Mucus.
Mucus and phlegm production is a normal health state. Your body normally produces about an ounce of clear mucus in a day, but if mucus production exceeds this, there may be a problem.
We all have experienced that when we eat any hot spicy and pungent food our nose starts running because these foods stimulate the flow of mucus. Such foods and spices were used in traditional Indian medicine to counter the affects of virus induced respiratory tract congestion.
Many medicines called "expectorants" have a substance called "bromine" which is a muco-kinetic (i.e it loosens the mucus and moves it out of the lungs). The same function is done very effectively by essential oils like eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil which can be inhaled. There are many foods that can help you with same:
- Aniseed (Saunf): Popularly used as a flavoring agent, it has significant mucus dissolving properties.
- Asafoetida (hing): Used a lot in the Kashmiri cuisine, it is a plant gum which has heating properties. It is also a stimulant which aids in the movement of small cilia which are fine projections in the airways which moves phlegm plugs up to the tract to aid in the expulsion of the mucus.
- Bishops weed (Ajwain): Usually a part of many Ayurvedic powders and churans, this is given in combination with salt and dried ginger. This is especially effective for dry cough.
- Chilly/Pepper: The effect of hot spicy foods have been observed and used since ages, the chief ones being mustard, wasabi (Japanese horseradish), hot chilly or pepper.
- Clove (Laung): Known popularly as an antiseptic for the mouth, it is also very efficacious to treat infections along with the phlegm.
- Fennel: Another aromatic spice having mucus clearing properties, it is very popular as an ingredient of the cough powders/churans.
- Garlic and Ginger: Both contain body warming and phlegm dissolving properties; excellent for asthmatics.
- Holy basil (tulsi): A great adaptogen, useful to build body resistance.
- Honey: Dissolves mucus and lubricates throat.
- Amla (Indian Gooseberry): It has mucus clearing properties besides that it is an excellent source of vitamin C.
Don't let the winter be a season of dreaded cold and tissue boxes. Of course nobody like running nose but by including the above foods in your diet you can actually enjoy the season to the fullest!
