-New Urban HEALTH- Battling The Winter Flu Epidemic: Nutritious Liquids to Get You Through Your Bout with the Flu

As winter lingers on,  it appears flu season is in still in high gear on a global level and everywhere we turn,  we are confronted with friends and loved ones who have fallen under the weather with seasonal influenza. Stronger than a cold, influenza is generally marked by such symptoms as muscle aches, chills, dry or sore throat, dry cough and a runny nose. Quite often, top it all off, a heavy battle with the flu may be additionally marked by impaired taste or smell and loss of appetite, with the idea of chomping down on Mom's chicken soup recipe being the last thing our minds as we struggle to muster enough energy just to take a few steps around the house, let alone attempt to eat or wrap our aching jaw muscles around a soup spoon. 

Loss of appetite may prevent viruses from growing more in the short term of your body's healing process, but that doesn't mean that you should avoid food altogether.  According to reports from articles at Everyday Health, your body needs energy stores to kick your immune system into gear, so it's a good idea to at least eat when and if you are hungry. Fluids are always heavily recommended during a bout with colds and flu, and one way you can fill your body with nutrients without the hassle or energy required to cook (and chew) solid foods is to use flu time to consume vitamin-rich smoothies. Adding ingredients like ginger to a freshly made smoothie is both soothing and immunity boosting and can turn a regular beverage into something more nutritious than the standard fruit & juice concoctions found in the plastic bottles at your local grocery store. 

Check out some of the recipes we've tested below during our own recent Flu Pause from the blog; both easy to make, and easy enough to sip when you don't have the energy (or desire) to put anything heavier in your stomach. If you're suffering from the seasonal flu as badly as many of us have, we wish you a speedy convalescence with lots of rest, and of course, lots of fluids to replenish your electrolytes!  To get prep instructions for these mini-liquid meals, click on the recipe title of the smoothie of your choice.

Light and nutritious: a super green GINGER PEAR SMOOTHIE from VERY BREAKFAST. Leinsammen seeds as requested in the recipe are optional.

The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric and sage join forces with soothing ginger and virus-fighting lemon-juice to create this HERBAL SORE THROAT RELIEF SMOOTHIE from KARISSA'S VEGAN KITCHEN.

Get a vitamin C, magnesium, and fiber kick with the added benefit of healing ginger in this IMMUNE BOOSTING STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE from KIWI AND CARROT. To save time, we use Rote Bete Saft in place of whole beets for this recipe.

Mangos add a refreshing burst of energy to simple oranges and bananas in this potassium-rich IMMUNITY BOOSTING ORANGE SMOOTHIE from KRISTINE'S KITCHEN. If almond milk is not your first choice, you can always use friendlier-priced Soy, Reis, or Dinkel (spelt) Milch in its' place.