I have not had a cold since I went vegan (three and a half years ago)…until now. I started feeling a bit funny on Tuesday and I’ve been sneezing and sniffling ever since. I am gutted as I’ve only just got back into running and now I have had to stop again. Oh well, there is not much I can now do apart from not getting in the way of my body trying to recover.
It’s true that my immune system was at its peak when we lived in the warm climate of Greece, but we did visit Poland in the middle of winter a few times (where temperatures oscillated around -12° C / 10° F most days) and even though I did not bring the warmest clothing (I simply do not own clothing for that kind of cold anymore), I managed to keep the cold at bay. I do think that swapping animal products for plants has had a part to play in that. It’s been a few days so I’ve accepted my fate and my coping strategy is to sleep lots, drink lot of liquids and ingest insane amounts of ginger (fresh ginger tea is my best friend of late), garlic and leafy green vegetables, which is something I do anyway. Today’s recipe for a warming ginger and turmeric broth has been inspired by an international old wives’ tale that chicken broth is the best remedy for a cold. For obvious reasons, there won’t be any chickens going anywhere near my soup, plus I’m convinced that it isn’t a chicken’s carcass (in fact, food derived from animals has been proven to promote not inhibit inflammation) that does you good, but all the plant extracts and natural anti-inflammatories (like ginger, garlic, black pepper and turmeric, in this case) that should be taking the credit for all the healing. This flavoursome potion is spicy and warming. It can be drunk from a cup like savoury tea or made into a more substantial meal with oodles of noodles (or rice) and your favourite toppings. I went for bok choi and baked tofu but there are plenty of other toppings that would work here: mushrooms, broccoli, rice, chickpeas, tempeh, cabbage, kimchi, sprouts, sweet potato and pumpkin, to name just a few…
noodles (GF if needed), 50 g / 1.7 oz per person, cooked 400 g / 14 oz firm or extra firm tofu, baked or fried 200 g / 7 oz bok choi or other dark leafy greens, stir-fried or steamed sliced spring onions / scallions, to serve (optional) fresh chilli, to serve (optional) fresh coriander, to serve (optional)
