Here’s what’s not a good thing in my profession. A sore throat. What is good are the people I work with, like Keith Connors who made sure I knew he had a draw full of "good for what ails you" kind of stuff like throat lozenges, cold meds and all those wonderful things I should have at my desk and was clean out of. But since I spent most of Tuesday hunkered down at home in my nice soft terrycloth robe, catching up on episodes of "Nurse Jackie" on demand (please, she’s a nurse, it was part of my recovery) and generally doing a great imitation of someone hiding from the world, I also decided to do what most of us do in this situation. See what WebMD had to say. Oh, don’t I know it! Never, EVER start a conversation with the doctor with the words "I read it on WebMD. Geez, I just watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy with a hypochondriac who did exactly that. And those TV docs know a lot!. I just ask lots of questions. Which I found on WebMD. But I digress. I was just curious...do you starve a cold and feed a fever as they say, or is that another medical myth.? Let’s see.

   According to WebMD (shut up) there really hasn’t been a ton of research done on the topic, but their best advice is if you feel hungry, eat. If you don’t, at least stay hydrated and keep the food on the simple side. Guess the corned beef craving I had was due to standing line waiting for what I thought I needed - chicken soup, which we all reach when our mommy isn’t close enough to make it for us, does have some medicinal qualities. I stopped at Jason’s Deli on 19 and got a few cartons of the good kind, loaded with noodles and yeah, probably a fair amount of sodium. Did not care. Wanted it. Got it. The same article said that the comfort food angle really plays into things with the soup. And the nice steamy aroma, hey, great for the nose. I'm long overdue for getting out the slow cooker to make a batch and freeze, and All Recipes has some good recipes. Even a little advice.

   But it’s more the kind of foods we eat to stay healthy or help fight off that cold that make a difference; the ones high in antioxidants like those good-for-you fruits and veggies are high on the list, and if you don’t feel like munching on broccoli, why not think about learning to juice the produce and make some powerhouse smoothies? Livestrong has a good one for Blueberry smoothies that I'm indulging in. Soothing for the throat and great for the immune system at the same time. Those same fruits and veggies also pack plenty of vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, bioflavanoids, and one that was new to me called glutathione that helps our immune system. Add brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and other veggies of that sort to the diet. But honestly, if you look back at this list and realize these are food we should be eating on a daily basis, you’re already ahead of the game. If you are, good work. If not, no time like the present to start. And if you need something else to make yourself feel better like I did those same fruits and vegetables eaten on a regular basis really make your skin look so much better. I’ll take where I can get it. So for me, what makes me feel better are those smoothies, lots of water, chicken soup and lots of tea and honey. Peace and quiet I will also take when and where I can actually find it! In Kelly’s Kitchen, something like a sore throat is just a pain...in the throat. I shall survive. Thank you, Gloria Gaynor.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb