Here at Kenzai, we spend a lot of time coaching trainees to minimize processed foods. This goes a long way toward helping them look and feel great. The stakes are especially high when a cold hits.

The common cold is harmless, but potent. The trademark symptoms - runny nose, cough, sore throat, congestion, body aches, and sneezing - will slow you down for one, even two WEEKS. This makes your usual food prep harder as your body mobilizes its defenses.

And yet mobilizing your resources to eat right, may be a slog, but it remains vital.

Consider this your reminder! Your Kenzai menu is brimming with foods that your body needs to beat back a cold. 

Here are some prime examples:

*Soup: This ole standby will not only support hydration, it’ll also act as an anti-inflammatory agent. In fact, a bowl of warm chicken soup prevents congestion by slowing down the movement of white blood cells that rally in the lungs. A veggie soup made from potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, and celery is sure to provide plenty of vitamins and minerals to give you a boost.

*Apples: Apples are high in vitamin C. And while Vitamin C hasn’t been shown to eliminate or reduce the incidence of a cold, it has been shown to decrease the length of a cold by supporting t-cell formation. T-cells act as a vicious guard dog raising the red flag to mobilize your body’s defenses.

*Garlic: Eaten raw or cooked, garlic is a winner during cold season. It acts as an anti-microbial and feeds the bodies good bacteria, in turn boosting the immune system. How about some sautéed garlic and spinach?

Don’t lose the forest for the trees here. If the foods mentioned are strangers to your plate, don’t fret. Clean fuel of any variety will help. Stick to your grams. Do what you can to stay on track. It’ll get you on your feet and keep you out of sick bay!

By: Ward Willis // Kenzai Head Trainer