It’s cold and flu season everyone! And unfortunately since there is no cure for the common cold and flu strains mutate so fast, sometimes we just have to deal with catching a bug. So now you’re sick, will the old standby of chicken noodle soup do you? Or are we just making ourselves comfortable with an old family placebo?
To quote one of my old favorite shows, I’ve got “great news everyone!”. There is actually a lot in the famous cure all soup that will do the body good! Obviously this does depend on how your family makes your soup. Let’s break down the various things my family puts in our soup and talk about the good they’ll do yah!
1- Good ole noodles! Regardless of your favorite shape, the other key component to a good chicken soup is a noodle. You better believe your body wants those when you’re sick! As our immune system goes after the viruses that are attacking us, it is using more energy than you think! Sure we’re not running a marathon or burning a lot of calories, but usually when I’m sick I don’t want to eat much at all. Getting some good carbohydrates in my system is vital for this energy production to keep my system fighting!
2- Chicken broth! Hydration is key during a fever. But unfortunately, water usually just tastes terrible to me when I’m feeling under the weather. Chicken broth contains not only some of this all important fluid to keep us from becoming dehydrated, but it also contains electrolytes! Yes, just like Gatorade for athletes. When we’re sick we need electrolytes in our system to actually help maintain our fluid volume. Along with this, the warmth of the broth can just have a nice soothing effect on a sore throat if you’ve been coughing!
3- Pack in the veg! Vegetables are more than just flavoring and texture, but contain a variety of nutrients that your body will need to repair. I don’t think I need to say much on this honestly. You’ve been told to eat your veggies since you were little!
Now, theoretically could I get all of this from a bag of carrots, a cup of warm sweetened tea, and some saltines? 100%. Chicken noodle soup isn’t too unique or special in regards to helping us heal or in regards to any specific magical ingredient, but it happens to contain a lot of what you need in a tasty and low effort package. So self medicate away with this one!
