Is it "starve a cold and feed a fever" or "starve a fever and feed a cold"?

Question

I can never remember this old saying and does it work?

Answer 1

or just sit and suffer till they pass. lol
i know this isn't possible for men !!!

Answer 2

Starve a fever feed a cold

Answer 3

Feed a cold, starve a fever.

Answer 4

Feed a cold - starve the fever

Answer 5

It's feed a cold, starve a fever, but it's really not true. If I have a cold,I really don't want to eat. Same for a fever. My doc says that eating is a good way to get your energy back and helps you feel better quicker.

Answer 6

they say 'starve a fever, feed a cold' but it's not something you should take much notice of.

Often if you have a cold, keeping your fluid levels up is more important than eating well. Of course it's important to eat something (high protein foods like chicken are especially good for you- but eat TOO much and your body will try and burn it up- making you even hotter), but first and foremost you should be keeping your body hydrated and going to the toilet fairly often (every time you pee you're getting rid of some of the intoxicants in your body). Similar can be said for a fever, of course, but 'feeding' a cold isn't necessarily the best remedy.

Answer 7

Feed a cold and starve a fever but if you do either to excess you will feel worse so don't! Plenty of fluids - trust me I'm a doctor.

Answer 8

Whilst all but one repondent who mentions your question drectly is correct in quoting the saying as 'feed a cold, starve a fever' - it is perhaps more pertinent to consider just what it is you are feeding yourself at all times - whether with or without a cold or fever.

In fact regular consumption of the 'wrong' things is most likely to reduce the effectiveness of your immune system - which (1 may result in more frequent infections and (2) is likely to mean that you will be less able to 'fight off' infectons effectively once you get them.

Drinking plenty of liquids, as advised, is always a good policy -- as long as they are the right liquids (i.e. based on CLEAN reliable, mineral water). In fact a major aspect of aging, illness and dying is that we gradually tend towards chronic dehydration the older we get. When you have a cold (via mucus) or a fever (via sweat) we lose a lot of 'liquid' and therefore need to replace this as well as provide extra liquids that can 'flush' infection from our systems.

There is now a school of thought, gaining ground, that all illness is due to over-acidification of the body. This means that you should choose your diet at all times (and perhaps especially so when ill with colds or fevers) to increase the overall alkalinity of the body. The theory (which gets a bit complicated) in simple terms is that infectious 'bugs' /germs/ microbes (call them what you will) cannot get a foothold within 'alkaline terrain'...so if you make your body more alkaline you will get fewer if any illnesses of any kind.

You therefore need to reduce the consumption of starchy foods (particularly sweet sugary foods) and alcohol, and reduce concumption of too much high protein food like meats of all kinds (although some fish, and an oily fish around once a week is good -- the issue here is that oily fish contain good oils...but are also the most highly contaminated fish for heavy metals, so its a mixed blessing -- moderate consumpton is the key).

Cut out all processed foods -- and eat a higher (100% if possible!!) proportion of 'chemical free farmed' raw food (the nearest/best you can get are CERTIFIED organic products grown locally to you whenever possible)

Increase consumption of green leafy vegetables, cucumber, avocado and almonds.

Consume good healthy oils, like vigin olive oil, and flax seed oil daily (highest quality, guaranteed purity/from non-polluted waters fish oils are also excellent --BUT quite hard to find).

If you feed your body the best, alkalizing foods, at all times then you are highly unlikely ever even to get a cold or fever!...Or anything worse, either!

Answer 9

Traditionally, it's "feed a cold, starve a fever", but that's no longer the medical wisdom. As far as I'm aware, it's now a case of small, nutritious meals and plenty of fluids, in both cases. You probably want to avoid dairy products in the case of colds.

Answer 10

Feed a cold......Starve a fever

Answer 11

Feed a cold, starve a fever... but I think that when you're sick, you should obey your appetite as much as possible. Sometimes when I have a cold I'm very very hungry, sometimes when I have a fever I have no appetite as well.